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Away all Goats posted:Sorry, I word searched for "potty" training instead of house training. Didn't see anything about why newspaper are bad either. My friend has his dogs use newspapers without much trouble. What IS the right method for using newspaper? Puppies need lots of water, which is why it's typically recommended to give them free access. The risks of the dog's health due to dehydration outweigh the potential damage to your carpet. You can restrict water, but I would be diligent to make sure the dog has plenty of opportunities to get enough water - at least once every two hours, every hour is probably better. If you are having trouble with accidents or potty breaks overnight, stopping water an hour or so before bedtime can put a stop to that as well. Lots of people "housetrain" with pads and newspaper and still get the occasional accident inside. If this occurs, your dog isn't house trained. Personally, the only time I would recommend newspapers or pads is for individuals in highrise apartments or a situation in which getting a dog outside for proper house training is a lengthy or convoluted process. I believe you're much better off building the habits you want from the beginning.
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Apr 11, 2013 16:52
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MrFurious posted:Puppies need lots of water, which is why it's typically recommended to give them free access. The risks of the dog's health due to dehydration outweigh the potential damage to your carpet. You can restrict water, but I would be diligent to make sure the dog has plenty of opportunities to get enough water - at least once every two hours, every hour is probably better. If you are having trouble with accidents or potty breaks overnight, stopping water an hour or so before bedtime can put a stop to that as well. This is exactly why I liked restricting water but giving it to him every hour. You know they're going to have to pee 5 minutes after drinking so you get a chance every single hour to reward the puppy for peeing outside.
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Apr 11, 2013 16:58
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webmeister posted:Also, you guys might remember that I posted in here a couple of months back about how my miniature dachshund puppy Schnitzel would refuse to walk on hard surfaces, but was fine on grass. I'm happy to report that whatever issue he had with the hard surfaces seems to have been resolved, as he's now very happy walking along next to my wife and I on whatever surface we want. HA. At ten years my dachshund decided walking on our hardwood floors is The Worst Thing out of loving nowhere* and now sits on a small floor rug and drags herself around the living room with her front paws like a dumb hairy gondolier. Dachshunds are assholes. Congrats on your puppy though, it sounds like you're doing really well with him and it's great to see what can be a horribly behaved, bitey breed owned by responsible people. Have some pictures of a turd with legs walking through the snow, since this is wildly irrelevant to the thread.   *she still walks on concrete. The vet confirmed it doesn't appear to be joint pain, he literally said "she's just a princess".
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Apr 11, 2013 17:23
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Silly Hippie posted:HA. At ten years my dachshund decided walking on our hardwood floors is The Worst Thing out of loving nowhere* and now sits on a small floor rug and drags herself around the living room with her front paws like a dumb hairy gondolier. That's great practice for the way she will have to get around when she herniates a disk.  (IT'S A JOKE OKAY PLEASE DO NOT THINK I AM INSULTING YOU OR YOUR NOBLE DACHSHUND)
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Apr 11, 2013 18:16
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Topoisomerase posted:That's great practice for the way she will have to get around when she herniates a disk.  This is exactly what I thought happened the first time I saw it and I freaked the gently caress out and went to go call the e-vet and then I come back in the room and she's running around in circles like a retard because a Geico commercial came on. Thanks dog.  SO NOBLE. (Btw, webmeister, unsolicited puppy advice here - I would really really really recommend training Schnitzel not to jump on furniture or go down steep stairs, if you haven't already, to help mitigate some of the back and joint problems dachshunds are prone to. Elle (idiot dog above) lays down when we encounter stairs without prompting. I then carry her and shoulder the burden of looking like a crazy woman that won't let her precious toy dog's feet touch the ground).
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Apr 11, 2013 18:33
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Thanks guys, for reading my wall of text, and offering so many great comments.Arbor posted:I don't know if this is Wildly Inappropriate but I'm local to you and have a puppy. I'd be happy to meet somewhere neutral and let Hudson have a chance to have some food stuffed in his face while he's in proximity to another dog his age and give him some time to get comfortable with Sage around. I really appreciate this offer, thank you. If I buy an upgrade soonish I will message you. MrFurious posted:Okay, let's start with the housetraining problems. If the guide isn't working for you, I'd like to know exactly what you're doing and where it's failing. If it needs tweaks, I can put those in, but I suspect this is something different. Your guide is great. After calming down a bit and trying to look back objectively, I think we were just getting too lost in playing with him and kept him out for more than thirty minutes at a time, which is when he was having accidents. Now that we've been asking him to pause and go potty every 15-20 minutes during playtime, everything's been MUCH better. Two more days without accidents. That dribble from my previous post seems to have been a fluke, maybe because I had him outside in the nice weather for a while and he drank a lot of water? I'll definitely ask our vet to take a look into it if he does it again. MrFurious posted:As far as trainers go, I just did a quick search with the links in the OP. There are at least 4 KPA graduates registered in the Dallas area. I would strongly recommend that you contact each of them. Even if some of them don't really offer regular classes or puppy classes, they're likely to be in touch with someone who is. Every KPA I've met so far has been a very strong trainer, so I feel pretty comfortable recommending them highly. Thank you for this. I'll try to contact these four this week. I feel much better going with your recommendation than a random trainer at Petsmart (but I hope some stores still have good trainers...maybe we just got unlucky). Thanks for weighing in on the socialization, too. I will keep trying to find ways to safely socialize him. Rixatrix posted:Nobody's going to die, but you will enjoy his puppyhood more if you stop worrying about everything. Your pup is tiny and can't hold it for very long. It's pretty natural for him to have accidents. Also relax re: socialization. You haven't ruined anything, but you do need to make sure to give your puppy good experiences with other dogs. I'd also recommend looking for a Karen Pryor Academy graduate. A friend of mine graduated from their program a while ago and I have lots of respect for her training skills (and a fairly good understanding of what KPA teaches). You're right, I've been completely neurotic and haven't really been enjoying his puppyness. My partner told me the same thing, so it's getting through to me. I'm going to try to relax! Thank you for being so nice with the wakeup call.
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Apr 12, 2013 03:46
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Silly Hippie posted:SO NOBLE. (Btw, webmeister, unsolicited puppy advice here - I would really really really recommend training Schnitzel not to jump on furniture or go down steep stairs, if you haven't already, to help mitigate some of the back and joint problems dachshunds are prone to. Elle (idiot dog above) lays down when we encounter stairs without prompting. I then carry her and shoulder the burden of looking like a crazy woman that won't let her precious toy dog's feet touch the ground). Yeah, we're very aware of their shortcomings  Thankfully our house is totally flat with no steps higher than a house brick. And both our bed and couch are too high for him to climb up, so his preferred tactic is to sit at our feet and bark until someone picks him up. We're also very careful with his food and weight, since all the literature says they're really easy to over feed which in turn causes a lot of back problems later on. But thanks for the heads up
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Apr 12, 2013 04:22
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Cash definitely has separation anxiety. When I'm gone he paces around the house in circles between the back and front door, howls and scratches at the door when I leave with my purse, and won't eat unless I'm around. He doesn't care about my boyfriend at all either. Takes less than 30 seconds before he's freaking out. I'm going to do some desensitization exercises this weekend with him. Giving him a tasty treat before I leave seems to help, but I know it doesn't completely work as he FREAKS when I come home. I try to let him settle down before I say my hellos. I can try the Kong, but there are two other dogs that would love a Kong filled with treats.
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Apr 12, 2013 14:43
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Squid posted:Thank you for this. I'll try to contact these four this week. I feel much better going with your recommendation than a random trainer at Petsmart (but I hope some stores still have good trainers...maybe we just got unlucky). They're getting better, but it's still very hit or miss. Most of the Petsmarts around me seem to have stepped up their game a fair bit. They still wouldn't be my first choice by a long shot, but I don't think they're necessarily unhealthy -- the good ones at least. But, we do have some people who post horror stories from recent experiences at Petsmart training classes too, so there are still problems.
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Apr 12, 2013 14:45
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Ok so I've regulated my puppy's drinking times and have gotten better at catching him in the act of peeing. But the problem is that when I pick him up and put him on the newspaper he immediately stops peeing and then sits down and just kind looks at me. Any freedom of movement after that and he escapes to finish peeing somewhere else. Yet sometimes he pees perfectly on the designated pee spot(which he gets praise for).
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Apr 13, 2013 06:39
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Away all Goats posted:But the problem is that when I pick him up and put him on the newspaper he immediately stops peeing and then sits down and just kind looks at me. Try not to catch him in the act of peeing though, but learn to recognize what he does just before peeing. That's when you should intervene.
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Apr 13, 2013 11:24
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Or you could, you know, take him outside instead of on newspaper. He's probably like 'hey why isn't this part of the house fine to pee in if the other part is?' and you need to make a clear distinction by taking him to the proper place (outside) instead of waffling about trying to transition him slowly. Just my opinion. I know apparently some have had success with paper training but it generally does not work well because of problems like this that never get fully addressed. It's a nice idea, just doesn't do that well in practice unless you're already really good at it.
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Apr 13, 2013 17:41
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This week past week (and the upcoming week) is pretty much cold and rain 24/7 where I live. So whenever I pull the leash out to bring him outside he quickly cowers in his dog bed and pretends to lie down and sleep. Not to mention sometimes I need to get dressed before we go outside so it can add a minute or two to when he needs to pee. I guess I need to stop babying him? Also I'll try waiting him out when I put him on the newspaper but sometimes he really does just pee a tiny bit, enough that he finishes before I scoop him up. So it's difficult to tell when he's really done or not. But I will try waiting longer from now on.
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Apr 13, 2013 17:49
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Away all Goats posted:This week past week (and the upcoming week) is pretty much cold and rain 24/7 where I live. So whenever I pull the leash out to bring him outside he quickly cowers in his dog bed and pretends to lie down and sleep. Not to mention sometimes I need to get dressed before we go outside so it can add a minute or two to when he needs to pee. I guess I need to stop babying him? The pup's going to have to learn sometime and the longer you put it off the harder it'll be. Get the extra good treats (chicken, cooked hamburger, hot dogs, cheese), then grab the little guy and treat him while you're putting on his harness (you have a harness, right? If not, you really need one) and his leash and when you walk out the door and immediately after he pees.
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Apr 13, 2013 18:05
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Away all Goats posted:
Is there any particular reason you're sticking with newspaper even though the OP and all the people who have responded to you have pointed out that newspaper is really not a very good idea?
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Apr 13, 2013 19:26
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Dogdoo 8 posted:The pup's going to have to learn sometime and the longer you put it off the harder it'll be. Get the extra good treats (chicken, cooked hamburger, hot dogs, cheese), then grab the little guy and treat him while you're putting on his harness (you have a harness, right? If not, you really need one) and his leash and when you walk out the door and immediately after he pees. No harness, I've been using a collar. I will get one today. Pile of Kittens posted:Is there any particular reason you're sticking with newspaper even though the OP and all the people who have responded to you have pointed out that newspaper is really not a very good idea? Well I thought it was an acceptable alternative for those times when we can't go outside (or quickly enough) for whatever reason but I guess that's not a good enough.
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Apr 13, 2013 19:38
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Away all Goats posted:Well I thought it was an acceptable alternative for those times when we can't go outside (or quickly enough) for whatever reason but I guess that's not a good enough. Even my little fussbudget will pee in the rain/cold/3 feet of snow. They sell coats if it gets too cold/wet. Heck, they even have tiny booties for paws. Get a harness first though, just having a collar on a leash can cause major neck/trachea problems especially in little dogs.
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Apr 13, 2013 19:43
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Dogdoo 8 posted:(you have a harness, right? If not, you really need one) Why do you say this? Harnesses are certainly popular, and there's nothing inherently wrong with them, but they aren't required. And a standard harness is probably the best tool on the planet to teach your dog to pull on leash. edit: Dogdoo 8 posted:Even my little fussbudget will pee in the rain/cold/3 feet of snow. They sell coats if it gets too cold/wet. Heck, they even have tiny booties for paws. Get a harness first though, just having a collar on a leash can cause major neck/trachea problems especially in little dogs. Wow, hold on there. Yes, a collar on a puppy that you are yanking on constantly can cause neck problems, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't be used. I really don't think it's appropriate to recommend a standard harness over a flat buckle collar because of a risk of neck damage. If you're concerned about neck damage, there's a different issue that should be addressed. That said, a no-pull harness definitely IS a good pickup for when you need exercise but don't want to practice loose-leash walking. SENSE-a-tion is the brand of choice these days. MrFurious fucked around with this message at 20:05 on Apr 13, 2013 |
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Apr 13, 2013 20:00
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Maybe I'm mixing this up but this is the guy with a toy breed puppy right? I think harnesses are generally more recommended for little breeds, or at least they are in the yappy rat thread.
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Apr 13, 2013 20:18
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Yup, small dogs can collapse their trachea or something if they pull too hard. I think it's especially because most small dog collars are really thin (usually half an inch is the widest you'll find), so the weight isn't distributed as well.
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Apr 13, 2013 20:24
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If you mean me, my dog is not a toy breed. He is a Black Lab (1/2) and a German Sherpard/Akita Mix. Fairly large for a puppy I think.
Away all Goats fucked around with this message at 20:28 on Apr 13, 2013 |
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Apr 13, 2013 20:24
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Oh crap sorry, for some reason thought you were the person with the pomeranian. Yeah you're fine with a collar.
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Apr 13, 2013 20:34
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Yeah, I thought you had the pomeranian/kitten. The posts were like right next to each other.
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Apr 13, 2013 20:39
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My little Margie will be 13wks on Monday, and seems to have developed a bit of separation anxiety. We have been crate training her--playing crate games, feeding meals, giving snacks, etc., and had pretty solid success. She developed comfort fairly quickly for the first few weeks. We would put her in place, give her a delicious snack inside, and close her up. Generally 3-5min of whining would subside and she would sleep. Now that she's a bit older, her whining and barking has escalated. We have upped the ante with better treats in the kennel, more frequent frozen kongs, and other motivations to no avail. She doesn't seem to be afraid of the crate. She will still go inside without prompting to get toys, and still eats in there. I guess I'm not sure how to proceed. She doesn't seem to have issues in social situations with other dogs or humans around. She doesn't get upset when either myself or my wife leaves the house, as long as someone is there. But she follows us around the house when we are alone, or whimpers outside of doors when she isn't allowed in. I attributed it to puppy curiosity at first, but now I'm a little worried and would like to curb it before a) she gets big big big, and b) it becomes a real problem. Any tips? Bonus Margie pic (so big now). 
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Apr 14, 2013 16:00
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LeeMajors posted:My little Margie will be 13wks on Monday, and seems to have developed a bit of separation anxiety. She has more energy now, how much exercise is she getting and how long is she out of her crate vs in it? I hope you're not giving her the treats after she starts whining and barking to quiet her down but if you are, stop that. Right now is the key time to socialize her with other dogs so she should be getting worn out playing on a daily basis. She's probably just following you around because she's bored and you guys are interesting to her. How often are you training her and for how long? Without more details, I'd say more physical exercise and more mental stimulation. Start training her to find and bring you specific toys (we did little deer antlers) and would constantly hide them around the house. My dog was a stupid lab though so any activity where he had to use his brain exhausted him pretty quickly.
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Apr 14, 2013 17:48
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Ikantski posted:She has more energy now, how much exercise is she getting and how long is she out of her crate vs in it? I hope you're not giving her the treats after she starts whining and barking to quiet her down but if you are, stop that. Right now is the key time to socialize her with other dogs so she should be getting worn out playing on a daily basis. We are very militant about not rewarding her whining in any way. Treats are used to create a positive association with the crate--something I've read--and we NEVER take her out of the crate when she's whining. We put toys in crate, and either place her inside or let her go inside, make her sit and then treat her immediately. Whining doesn't begin until a few minutes after closing the door. Socialization has been a little tougher. The vet recommended not getting her with a lot of dogs we didn't know early on until she got a full complement of vaccinations. She spent a lot of time around my parents' dog and few others for those first few weeks, and we started venturing out more after her 9wks as well. There isn't a ton of availability to socialize her with my friends' dogs, but that is on the upswing, currently. Training has been short sessions, just playing in and around the kennel, and rewarded with lots of play outside in our backyard. So you think it isn't so much separation anxiety as it is boredom? That can easily be remedied. I'll give it a real shot. We play with her a lot and take her on walks, but we could certainly do more.
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Apr 14, 2013 19:33
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Never force your dog into the crate if you can avoid it. I don't think that's your issue though. I'd tackle boredom first, like Ikantski said. Strongly recommend that you look into puppy socialization classes as well. Links for finding trainers are in the OP. As far as your vet's recommendation, we hear that all the time, and it's been covered in this thread before. The advice of PI and all of the vet behaviorists out there that I've read (these are individuals with more schooling and background than your standard vet) is to get into a quality and safe puppy socialization class as soon as possible. By the time the full round of vaccines are done, a huge portion of your puppy's socialization stages are already over. Your vet has a reason for the position he has, but he has a narrow focus on the dog's medical health and isn't considering the full picture.
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Apr 14, 2013 21:07
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Just adopted a 6 year old male neutered German Pinscher from a couple who were moving out of the country. Been looking for a companion dog for our one year old italian greyhound for ages! He's currently trying to sit on the couch and pooping on my lawn, interspersed with bouts of wrestling with the younger dog - all in all - a very good dog. 
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Apr 14, 2013 22:03
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MrFurious posted:Never force your dog into the crate if you can avoid it. I don't think that's your issue though. I'd tackle boredom first, like Ikantski said. I rarely place her in the crate, I mostly lure her in with a treat, have her sit, and treat again. Then give her a kong or toys if I'm going to be gone for awhile. I looked into puppy socialization classes around here, but most wouldn't accept pups before 12weeks--at which point I'd be beyond her vaccs and able to socialize with the many dogs at my disposal. I'm working on that now. She doesn't seem to have a negative association with crate itself, just the separation from us. When she's tired out there are no issues, but things like work and other activities make it so we can't always exhaust her before we need to crate her. Thanks for the info. I'm going to work harder on keeping her tired out. I just wanted to see if there was a component I was overlooking that might be causing the anxiety.
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Apr 14, 2013 22:15
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LeeMajors posted:I rarely place her in the crate, I mostly lure her in with a treat, have her sit, and treat again. Then give her a kong or toys if I'm going to be gone for awhile. Definitely exercise her but stimulate her brain too. My advice would be to start clicker training her. Power of positive dog training has a really good progression of tricks, how to teach them but also covers a lot of psychological things. It's hard for us to figure it out from here but maybe if you read all about how behaviours are learned, you'll see if somehow you're accidentally training your puppy to bark and whine when she's crated.
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Apr 15, 2013 03:48
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Stupid question that has been answered probably about a million times, but does anyone know of a cheaper place to pick up the heartworm prevention / flea and tick treatment combo pill that they are supposed to take monthly other than the vet or big box stores?
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Apr 15, 2013 21:47
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Thanks for the advice everyone. My puppy still has his accidents but I get the feeling they're more out of spite rather than actual can't-hold-it-in anymore(like when I'm eating a snack/meal and won't give him any, or when he whines before its regular feeding time) I have another problem now though; he absolutely refuses to go on walks. He loves our backyard where we can let him off leash, but I'd really prefer to be able to walk around my neighborhood where he can interact with other dogs and people. If we start to walk down our driveway he stops at the edge and sits, if I try to coax him further he turns around and looks at the house and whimpers. Any ideas? edit: Just a reminder: he's 10 weeks old, maybe he'll grow out of his fear of walks? edit2: Nevermind, apparently all it took was a few treats held by my sister across the street and then further down the street and he found his courage to explore. Away all Goats fucked around with this message at 03:29 on Apr 16, 2013 |
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Apr 15, 2013 23:39
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Away all Goats posted:I get the feeling they're more out of spite rather than actual can't-hold-it-in anymore Give treats for every behavior you like and be patient with whatever you don't like. Intervene gently but firmly if need be, but only to stop the unwanted behavior and/or preventing it from happening again. This is honestly pretty much all there is to teaching a dog basic manners. Rixatrix fucked around with this message at 09:19 on Apr 16, 2013 |
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Apr 16, 2013 09:01
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My Aussie, Helo, is just under a year and we just had him neutered five days ago. He can't exercise until the wound is closed (its glued, so no stitch removal) and he is going stir crazy. I've been really working on low key training sessions, he eats his meals out of a Kong Wobbler, and my boyfriend has been home with him every day (he usually comes to work with me) but he is really not doing very well. Its gotten to where the training sessions are ineffective--any stimulation and he's riled up and can't focus on training. He has never been a super food motivated dog, and the lack of exercise has just compounded it. He's stopped listening to commands. His recall was solid, but now he ignores it if he's worked up (just across the house; he's on a leash for elimination). He jumped up and snatched food out of my hand--something he hasn't done since he was very young. We haven't had anyone over because that is really stimulating for him. Obviously this situation is really stressful for him and I'm just hoping someone has a suggestion for something else I can do to help him through the next five days. Edit: He also has a bunch of chewies that he loves, but even they aren't holding his interest like they used to. Poor Helo. soap. fucked around with this message at 19:04 on Apr 16, 2013 |
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Apr 16, 2013 18:50
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LeeMajors posted:I looked into puppy socialization classes around here, but most wouldn't accept pups before 12weeks--at which point I'd be beyond her vaccs and able to socialize with the many dogs at my disposal. I'm working on that now. My Naru is a pretty awesome pal (sometimes a bit too awesome) for pups: http://youtu.be/gslBbbdxf8g soap. posted:My Aussie, Helo, is just under a year and we just had him neutered five days ago. He can't exercise until the wound is closed (its glued, so no stitch removal) and he is going stir crazy. Riiseli fucked around with this message at 08:12 on Apr 17, 2013 |
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Apr 17, 2013 07:38
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This is my new buddy Strider. He's an Aussie/Border mix and he's 11 weeks old.   He's wonderful, I just need him to stop biting fingers and trying to jump on our legs every time we sit on the couch. CubanMissile fucked around with this message at 11:54 on Apr 17, 2013 |
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Apr 17, 2013 11:46
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soap. posted:My Aussie, Helo, is just under a year and we just had him neutered five days ago. He can't exercise until the wound is closed (its glued, so no stitch removal) and he is going stir crazy. I've been really working on low key training sessions, he eats his meals out of a Kong Wobbler, and my boyfriend has been home with him every day (he usually comes to work with me) but he is really not doing very well. Its gotten to where the training sessions are ineffective--any stimulation and he's riled up and can't focus on training. He has never been a super food motivated dog, and the lack of exercise has just compounded it. He's stopped listening to commands. His recall was solid, but now he ignores it if he's worked up (just across the house; he's on a leash for elimination). He jumped up and snatched food out of my hand--something he hasn't done since he was very young. We haven't had anyone over because that is really stimulating for him. Obviously this situation is really stressful for him and I'm just hoping someone has a suggestion for something else I can do to help him through the next five days. Call your vet and talk to them about sedatives. If they recommend acepromazine, find a new vet. Personally, I would talk to them about using children's benadryl and melatonin. This shouldn't be used long term, but I've had stunning success with it personally. This has no harmful side effects that I'm aware of and just makes them slow down and sleepy. You might also look at some more difficult treat dispensing toys. Look into a Tug-a-jug (rope in a bottle) and maybe some of the puzzle toys. The wobbler is actually relatively easy. CubanMissile posted:He's wonderful, I just need him to stop biting fingers and trying to jump on our legs every time we sit on the couch. Are you asking for help with these problems? There's a section in the OP for this I think. What are you doing currently?
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Apr 17, 2013 14:46
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soap. posted:My Aussie, Helo, is just under a year and we just had him neutered five days ago. He can't exercise until the wound is closed (its glued, so no stitch removal) and he is going stir crazy. I've been really working on low key training sessions, he eats his meals out of a Kong Wobbler, and my boyfriend has been home with him every day (he usually comes to work with me) but he is really not doing very well. Its gotten to where the training sessions are ineffective--any stimulation and he's riled up and can't focus on training. He has never been a super food motivated dog, and the lack of exercise has just compounded it. He's stopped listening to commands. His recall was solid, but now he ignores it if he's worked up (just across the house; he's on a leash for elimination). He jumped up and snatched food out of my hand--something he hasn't done since he was very young. We haven't had anyone over because that is really stimulating for him. Obviously this situation is really stressful for him and I'm just hoping someone has a suggestion for something else I can do to help him through the next five days. If I were you, I'd be doing leashed walks around the neighbourhood at this point. His healing should be sufficient to not risk injury if you're careful (I say this as the owner of an energetic Aussie, not as a vet - vets may disagree). Tossing a meal of kibble into the grass is a pretty good way to keep a dog occupied for a good long time too. Go back to puppy boot camp if you feel like his responses to cues is tanking. Obviously, make boot camp fun and engaging, but don't let things slide. He's entering into rear end in a top hat puppy stage (one of the many rear end in a top hat stages) so I find it's in your best interest to keep working with you a highly reinforcing activity.
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Apr 17, 2013 15:37
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MrFurious posted:If they recommend acepromazine, find a new vet. That said, this dog probably doesn't need any drugs.
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Apr 17, 2013 20:09
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Thanks for the replies everyone! I took him on a long walk this morning and that seemed to help a lot, although it didn't tire him out at all. He was able to focus for a quick training session afterwards. He did go a little nuts when he saw one of our neighbors so I had to work with him for awhile, but he did eventually settle! I was worried about walking him because the release paperwork said short walks for elimination only! But it should be fine; he isn't doing anything that would affect his wound. I talked to my vet and she recommended benadryl, starting with a low dose and working up to 1 mg per pound of dog. I'll see how the rest of the day plays out, but if it's like yesterday I'm definitely dosing him! I would try a harder treat dispenser, but he really isn't that interested as it is. Helo takes the entire day to eat his day's worth of food out of the Wobbler--he'll eat a little, then ignore it awhile, then come back to it .and this is with some of his favorite treats mixed in. Anyway I'm just really grateful for all the advice. I was getting really worried about him.
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Apr 17, 2013 20:17
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