|
EDIT: poo poo, this is the new-dog-owners thread, sorry. Will find the correct thread.
TooMuchAbstraction fucked around with this message at 05:01 on Dec 23, 2017 |
#
¿
Dec 23, 2017 04:59
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 9, 2024 14:23 |
|
|
He probably loves you because you're the only human he interacts with regularly that knows how to interact with dogs. My dog does terribly with people that try to baby-talk him, but the ones that walk into the room, stare him in the face, and give him an order? He's much more comfortable around that kind of person. He knows how the hierarchy works with them: they're on top, he's on the bottom. Much less stressful.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 25, 2017 04:58
|
|
|
Could you get a gate with a kitty door? Something small enough the dog can't get through, but the cats still can.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 24, 2018 04:42
|
|
|
Seconding the recommendation for a Gentle Leader harness. It takes a little adjusting to especially if your dog is used to having the leash clip to their collar, but it's an effective and humane way to keep the dog from pulling -- far better than those spiked collars you see some people use.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 10, 2018 19:41
|
|
|
Just remove the positive interactions. That should be all the punishment required. IIRC it's something like "say Ow, turn your back, wait 15 seconds or so, then resume normal interactions".
|
|
#
¿
Feb 12, 2018 18:42
|
|
|
One of the things to realize, too, is that dogs very much live in the moment. If your punishment isn't immediate with the thing they did to deserve the punishment, they're not gonna connect the dots; likewise, if your reward doesn't come right when they do the thing you want to reinforce, they're going to have trouble figuring out what they did right. That's part of why verbal praise / clickers work -- you can give the feedback at the right time. Likewise, there's no point in scolding your dog if you come home and find that they've been counter surfing or gotten into the trash or treats or whatever, because by that point a) they have no idea what you're angry about, and b) they've already gotten the reward (whatever they stole) from misbehaving. But similarly, since they do live in the moment, punishments don't have to last a long time to be punishments, and indeed, there's zero point in stretching punishments out or remaining angry with them. Give the correction, give them a little time to forget about what was going on (that's the 15 seconds I suggested earlier), then go back to interacting with them like normal.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 13, 2018 05:44
|
|
|
Seconding the Gentle Leader. Way more humane than a spike collar; it basically attaches the leash underneath the dog's muzzle, so if they try to pull, their head gets pulled to the side.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 6, 2018 18:49
|
|
|
Young children have no conception of right or wrong; they're still sorting out cause and effect. Kid's learned he can get a variety of interesting reactions by hassling the dog and doesn't recognize or care that the dog doesn't enjoy it.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 6, 2018 20:11
|
|
|
My advice is, be glad you have a dog that sometimes doesn't shed. Mine never stops, so I've just had to get used to there being dog fur all over the place. As soon as I sweep it up, more arrives.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 8, 2018 17:04
|
|
|
My dog sleeps downstairs, I sleep upstairs. He's not even allowed upstairs -- I put a baby gate at the top of the stairs. It means I don't get fur all over my bed, and that he doesn't get anxiety over where to sleep.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 20, 2018 17:29
|
|
|
Yeah, the only concern I have from what you said is the dog's interactions with your wife. You really want the dog to get along with everyone in the household. I'd wager that this is just because of that one semi-traumatic event when the dog first arrived at the house. This can be fixed; you just need to have the dog have positive interactions with your wife. Don't push it; figure out what makes the dog react badly and stop short of that. When you consistently get no negative reactions, you can move the goalposts a bit. For example, if the dog growls when your wife pets her, then don't have her pet the dog, just have your wife stand around near the dog instead. If you give treats/pets/praise/attention when the dog is misbehaving, you won't reassure the dog, you'll just reinforce the bad behavior. This is I think the most important rule that every new dog owner should learn. Rewards include just things like talking to the dog, so you need to be very careful about how you behave when you're trying to train out a bad behavior. As for the dog going for your treats instead of doing the command you want them to do, I suggest carrying a small handful of treats in your hand, which you can hand over one at a time when you need to reward the dog. Also, once she's learned a command, you don't have to treat her every time she does it; keep the treats irregular and she won't have such a finely-honed instinct to go for the treat.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 22, 2018 18:45
|
|
|
She's had a major change in life experience quite recently. You should expect it to take a few months at least for her to get more comfortable in her new situation.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 26, 2018 15:59
|
|
|
I feel like you'd be more comfortable going to a site that is explicitly for artists more than for businesses, and finding an artist that takes commissions. Such sites have galleries where you can review the artist's past works, so you can a) see if they're actually artists, and b) find one whose style you like. The main problem with this approach is that you don't get access to reviews, which mostly means that you run the risk of hiring an artist that flakes out or takes a few months to turn around the commission. I would expect to pay around $100 for a good-quality, greyscale piece of two dogs, more if you want it colored or painted, more if you want them to ship you a physical copy. But you can just request a high-resolution (at least 300dpi) digital copy and then go to a print shop to get it printed; pretty much any shop should be able to do a decent job on nice paper.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 28, 2018 15:41
|
|
|
The term you want is "adhesive window film", I believe. Most of 'em are for privacy or sun-blocking though, and I'm guessing you want the window to still be see-through? Probably with enough searching you can find one that only blocks like 25% of incoming light or something.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 1, 2018 20:17
|
|
|
That sounds tough, and I don't have any good ideas, beyond maybe giving him a toy to carry. I've seen dogs out on walks that have a tennis ball in their mouths, for example. I'd guess it gives them a job (i.e. something to focus on) that makes it harder for them to transition to unacceptable behaviors. I will say that I'd guess this is the dog trying to assert more control over his life, which is something that happens from time to time as the dog ages (and IIRC mostly stops by the time the dog turns 2). In other words, he's chafing at having to be lead around on a leash, and wants more freedom (exactly what he shouldn't be allowed). As long as you firmly and consistently make it clear that you're the one in charge, he should eventually give up. Though he may still occasionally test the boundaries to see if you've changed your mind.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 3, 2018 20:02
|
|
|
You have a baby who's recently been removed from his family, it's no wonder he's crying. But if you reward the whining (e.g. by giving the dog attention), then he'll learn to continue to whine in exchange for rewards. So your best bet is to just ignore it. He should settle down and go to sleep eventually. I guess you might try giving him a hot water bottle at the time you put him in his crate for the night. It might help comfort him enough to forestall the whining. But he might also decide to use it as a chew toy and soak his crate. And the water bottle can easily get established as normal, meaning you'd have to do it every single night.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 7, 2018 14:53
|
|
|
I know different people have different needs, but whenever I get a second dog, my rule #1 for it is going to be "it must love everyone." My dog is a good dog, but his territoriality and fear of strangers is a serious downer. 
|
|
#
¿
Apr 11, 2018 01:44
|
|
|
I don't have any time-tested advice for you, I'm afraid, but what I'd try first would be some obedience training. My dog was older when I adopted him (about a year), but had similar neediness issues, and I found what really helped was teaching him to Down->Stay and leaving him like that for a period of time. Like, I'd be sitting at my computer, he'd be next to me, I'd tell him down, then stay, then turn to the computer and ignore him. At the start I couldn't go five seconds without him grumbling and breaking the down, but we gradually improved his patience and eventually got to where he'd stay more or less indefinitely, like 1-2 minutes. Eventually he'd forget that he was on command and wander off. But the training did wonders for his patience in general. I don't know how effective obedience training will be on a two-month-old, but I dimly recall hearing that there's no real harm in starting it early so long as you don't expect too much from the dog.
|
|
#
¿
May 10, 2018 17:35
|
|
|
Nothing stops you from cutting the extra length off the collar. I guess the collar might degrade faster than usual since the newly-cut end won't have any stitching, but it'd probably still last a few years at least. I usually go for nylon collars, which can be cut with a hot knife.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 7, 2018 19:56
|
|
|
My dog is six years old and just yesterday chewed on a (plastic) flowerpot because I wouldn't share my pulled pork with him. Sometimes dogs get mad at you.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 19, 2018 16:44
|
|
|
Yes, some dogs absolutely do shed more than other dogs. Source: I have a dog that sheds all the goddamn time, it looks like a blizzard when I pet him. He's fine, your dog looks lovely, don't worry about it and get used to sweeping up fur.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 10, 2018 15:45
|
|
|
I don't really get sleeping with your pets. My dog isn't allowed upstairs, where the bedrooms are. Sometimes I'll come downstairs and he'll be hanging out looking out the front window, or waiting by the back door, but he's not gonna wake me up prematurely, and my bed isn't full of fur, and I don't have to worry about how well he sleeps when he has to stay elsewhere while I'm traveling.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 11, 2018 20:20
|
|
|
The barking's probably just excitement and trying to alert you that there's someone nearby. I doubt she's being fearful/aggressive, but playing up the excitement doesn't help. I'd suggest just telling her "hey, no, that's enough", in a calm voice. I mean, that probably won't stop her from barking in a few minutes either, but it doesn't create a feedback loop of excitement where she goes "oh, you're excited, that means I should be more excited ahhhhh!" Plus being able to get her to stop for a minute or two without wearing out your own voice is always nice. The only humane (i.e. not relying on shock collars or similar), reliable solution to this problem that I'm aware of is to sequester the dog inside. I often have to warn my dog "if you bark again, you're going inside". I'm pretty sure he understands why he gets locked inside for awhile, he just can't help himself with the barking. StrixNebulosa posted:I don't mind the fur and I hate traveling, so a rare few sleep interruptions are worth it in exchange for having a sleeping buddy who makes me feel safe when I read creepy stories and can't sleep. I guess that's fair. I use a lamp on a timered dimmer switch as my alarm clock, so it gradually starts brightening at 5:45. It's miles better than a screaming beep, though almost certainly not as persistent as a dog would be.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 11, 2018 20:40
|
|
|
Dogs don't think that crates are claustrophobic. They like being in enclosed spaces with only one entrance.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 6, 2018 21:56
|
|
|
I wouldn't even advise trying to get her into the car for now. If she has a strong reaction to something, then you need to expose her at levels that don't trigger anxiety. That might be something as simple as "showing her the driveway when the car is not in it". Once you find a level of exposure that does not trigger anxiety, you can then try to push things slightly further (take her on a walk that passes by the car, say). Eventually hopefully you can get to the point where she can go into the car, when it is not on, without getting anxious. Then try turning the engine on without her in the car (but near enough to observe), then with her in the car, but don't go anywhere, etc. It's a long, slow process, but trying to rush it will just set you back.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 8, 2018 13:43
|
|
|
Yeah, what I've heard about desensitizing separation anxiety is that you have to play through the "I'm about to leave for work" dance, but you don't actually leave. Figure out how much of the dance you can do without provoking anxiety, and do that much until your dog figures out that e.g. "picking up the keys doesn't always mean they're Leaving Me". Then add the next step (pick up keys, open door, close door). Then the next (pick up keys, open door, go through door), and so on. If your dog isn't afraid of cars, it might also help to take them with you on some short trips. So they learn that sometimes, the keys mean "I get to go to the park!"
|
|
#
¿
Aug 25, 2018 20:54
|
|
|
I've never heard of a dog being traumatized by a squirt bottle. It's about as inoffensive a negative reinforcement tool as I can imagine. It's still negative reinforcement instead of positive, but it's not always reasonable to expect to be able to train a dog with only positive reinforcement.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 28, 2018 14:25
|
|
|
If you want to fix the problem, these worked for me. Gives the dog a surprising but harmless swat when they trigger the trap. My dog triggered it once, then just the sight of the traps was a good deterrent; I didn't even need to set them, just leave them lying out in their sprung state.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 8, 2018 16:56
|
|
|
Submarine Sandpaper posted:imho it's one thing if its a puppy or a stranger, another if its the owner. Dog simply cannot be trusted. Yeah, sadly this is my conclusion as well. The only reason I can keep my dog is because I'm able to control him and the environments he's in when we're in public, and I have confidence he accepts my leadership. If he ever attacked me that confidence would be gone. I could never be certain if the next time I went to put his leash on him, he might bite my hand instead.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 9, 2018 01:30
|
|
|
At a guess, he's associating being put in the crate with ending social time. He doesn't care that he's going to sleep through the alone time, he just knows he's going to be alone. It might help to put him in the crate when he's awake and just spend some time nearby reading a book or watching a movie or whatever. Basically get him to break the association of "crate = dad's going away".
|
|
#
¿
Oct 17, 2018 16:55
|
|
|
A quick googling turned up this site, which says:quote:If your pet receives less than the prescribed dose, or if you miss an injection, this may cause a temporary recurrence of signs (such as excess thirst and urination), but is not life threatening. Contact your veterinarian as soon as possible for advice on your pet's next dose. If you cannot reach your veterinarian and your pet is eating and acting normally, give your pet the usual dose at the next regularly scheduled injection time.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 18, 2018 01:01
|
|
|
StrixNebulosa posted:On that note, got any tips on convincing a husky mix to stop begging for more walks? I know there's snow outside! We just went out for a long trek! I am cold and need to defrost and do homework! It is not realistically possible for you to tire out a husky to the point where they'll not be interested in getting more exercise. Not unless you live in Alaska and have a dogsled. So you instead have to teach them that post-walk is quiet time. You could try crating them, giving them practice at doing long stays ("Down. Stay." and then set a one-minute timer or similar), or just ignore them until they figure out you aren't going to do anything interesting.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 16, 2018 18:04
|
|
|
Strap a snowplow to the dog and get some useful work out of him, maybe? I mean seriously, dogs love being put to work.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 16, 2018 21:21
|
|
|
Separation anxiety isn't uncommon with rescues. Work on desensitizing him.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 17, 2018 05:26
|
|
|
Big Data posted:Really not trying to overindulge him with attention, but I'm not sure if I'm going about it wrong with him or he's just real torn up about getting dumped at a shelter. He slept in his crate with me in the room last night - so he was better in there. Might've been worse off for him in the long run, but I just couldn't have him hurt himself while waiting for the pet store to open up today. It takes months for dogs to fully recover from being in the shelter. These things take time to heal. Time and training and consistent love and support. EDIT: StrixNebulosa posted:Huskies (and husky mixes) are great pets, provided you train 'em right and get them enough exercise. Mine has separation anxiety, so he doesn't get a crate, he gets multiple beds around the house and a kennel in the basement for when I absolutely have to go somewhere without him. The kennel has its own ceremony, where he gets a pigs-ear, a Kong full of frozen peanut butter and a waterbowl, and he's actually doing better - he still hates it, and refuses to go in, but he's forgiving me quicker when I come home and I figure it's the best he's going to get for now. You're building up the crate experience even more, without changing the part of it that he hates. Have you tried putting him in the crate, then not leaving? Put him in the crate and then watch a movie / do your homework. Make the crate be the "I need a little quiet time but I'm still around" place instead of just the "I am Leaving Forever" place. TooMuchAbstraction fucked around with this message at 16:37 on Nov 17, 2018 |
|
#
¿
Nov 17, 2018 16:28
|
|
|
Yeah, incorrect play gets the toy taken away, at least for a couple of minutes. Long enough for the dog to recognize they're being punished and then forget what was going on).
|
|
#
¿
Dec 13, 2018 23:15
|
|
|
The carpet's white? Would bleach help?
|
|
#
¿
Dec 15, 2018 22:21
|
|
|
Nope! I've only ever used bleach to kill things, not to remove color. I suggest google.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 16, 2018 01:54
|
|
|
Greyhounds and chihuahuas are both breeds I've seen wearing sweaters, so it makes sense that a cross would want them as well. Also holy hell, that dog must be like 98% nerves, both of its parents are skittish breeds. As for boots, my impression is that usually you need those more for when it's really hot than when it's cold.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 19, 2018 05:45
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 9, 2024 14:23 |
|
|
Ask the vet. How would we know?
|
|
#
¿
Dec 24, 2018 00:30
|
|