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Rixatrix gave you all the right advice you need to get started. Just to add a tiny bit, dogs don't generalize well, so it's not surprising that your work with your nephews is not translating to children in general. You should absolutely keep working with your nephews and, if you teach him certain tools like Look at That with them first, he will learn faster in a different context. But you will need to repeat the DS&CC and reinforcing of a polite alternative behavior with children on walks or wherever it is you see random children.
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Apr 29, 2013 14:09
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I'm afraid my dog is going into heat... How do I deal with the inevitable bleeding?
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Apr 29, 2013 23:42
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WASDF posted:I'm afraid my dog is going into heat... How do I deal with the inevitable bleeding? They actually make devices for this, either a kind of band or creepy little dog undies you can attach a pad to, or just put a diaper on her.
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Apr 29, 2013 23:53
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Serella posted:They actually make devices for this, either a kind of band or creepy little dog undies you can attach a pad to, or just put a diaper on her. This is gonna be weird. I don't know what method we'll go with. Thank you though.
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Apr 30, 2013 00:28
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Boy's underwear with a pad stuck inside might be slightly less creepy as well as cheaper.
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Apr 30, 2013 00:34
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Triangulum posted:Boy's underwear with a pad stuck inside might be slightly less creepy as well as cheaper.
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Apr 30, 2013 05:03
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Rixatrix posted:From your post I'd guess he's scared/unsure around children. A lot of dogs are that way if they haven't been socialized properly when they were puppies. (This includes my youngest dog who is absolutely terrified of babies. They look like people but weirder and they have the stare of death in their eyes!) A dog doesn't need to have negative interactions with kids to be scared of them. It's enough that he hasn't had interactions with them, period. Thanks for the tips, I'll try my best. He is extremely easily excitable, not really afraid of anything except for in-ground pools (turns out dogs don't float like ducks!) and really likes to express his opinions through noise in general. He has quite a range of grumbles, chuffs, half-barks, whining, and this kind of weird humming/grunting thing when you scratch him right. He definitely reacts much stronger if the kid is running/making noises. Now that I think about it he kind of does the same thing with rowdy dogs at the park who come running by where I'm sitting sometimes. He'll bark at them as they run by to say "gently caress off!" but doesn't chase or anything. He's only like 25lb but he has successfully told off 100lb+ dogs with his voice alone. Mostly it's well deserved, directed at that dog that will come running by you and slam into the backs of your knees or a dog and just keep running like some sort of four legged drunk driver. He is just very stubborn and hates being annoyed by the clumsy and inattentive, which definitely applies to children. One time at the dog park some teenager was climbing over the fence instead of using the gate and he immediately ran over to start barking at him, now my friend calls him "the warden". He really lives up to his "old man" look. He even makes those middle aged grunts and groans when he stretches. drat kids, whizzing about and knocking everyone over. Cut that poo poo out and get off my loving lawn!
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Apr 30, 2013 08:18
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Sudo Echo posted:One time at the dog park some teenager was climbing over the fence instead of using the gate and he immediately ran over to start barking at him, now my friend calls him "the warden".
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Apr 30, 2013 09:36
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My mum and I are in the early stages of a discussion about getting a dog. My parents just made a home move to a spacious house with a big garden, out on a country road with great access to Nice Rural Places. I've recently moved back home with a view to staying there and attending university/working locally for the foreseeable future. It's also anticipated that my brother and/or sister will also be coming home from their courses, although what their next steps will be aren't certain yet. My dad will be retiring sometime in the next few years, and works shifts anyway so he's generally in during the day. My little sister stays here too, so all in all it seems that there'll be no shortage of company and care for a new member of the family. Although I've taken a great liking to dogs as I've matured I'm being very wary as we proceed, as when I was little we had a dog briefly but had to rehouse. My parents have both had dogs before, although my dad's attitude towards them in particular as working animals is one of my concerns. The other is my cat, as he has never had to coexist with anything other than ourselves without slaying and chewing it. My own experience with them has mostly come in the past few years. My girlfriend's mum had a basset hound, rest in peace, who lived to an incredible age but was also a stubborn obnoxious  . Although I saw him frequently I never had any part in Clyde's care, but I've spent a lot of time and formed a great bond with her gran's Scotty terrier, Megan. I'm doing a lot of reading before we even consider taking this on, starting with this thread. I'm still working through it, but wonder if there are specific areas that should be addressed based on this little background.Have some glam shots of Meg for content, she was a breeding dog retired and rehomed. One of her grandpups went to Crufts. She has absolutely proved to me that you don't need a puppy to find an affectionate companion.   
Captain Diarrhoea fucked around with this message at 11:19 on Apr 30, 2013 |
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Apr 30, 2013 09:48
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Captain Diarrhoea posted:I'm doing a lot of reading before we even consider taking this on, starting with this thread. I'm still working through it, but wonder if there are specific areas that should be addressed based on this little background. I would suggest you make a list (or several) outlining things that you absolutely must have in a dog, would like to have but could take or leave, and absolutely cannot have. That will give you an idea of the type of breed/mix you should look at. Don't fall in love with a breed and try to make it fit into your family -- figure out what your family can deal with and find a breed that will match. Also write out what you can realistically provide the dog on a day to day, week to week and year to year basis. Can you cover vet bills? Surprise surgery costs? Decent food? Training classes? How much exercise can the dog receive each day, minimum? What will happen if you run into behavioural issues? Who will look after the dog if you travel? What do you mean by your dad's attitude towards them in particular as working animals is one of your concerns? Will the dog live indoors? Heavy handed training is really a thing of the past -- training methodologies have changed greatly in recent years, so it might be a bit of a hurdle getting someone who's not accustomed to working a dog like that to want to change their approach.
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Apr 30, 2013 13:07
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a life less posted:-- figure out what your family can deal with and find a breed that will match. Yeah I've glanced over a few, although we haven't shared the idea with the family yet I assume we'd go for a smaller breed. I'd personally love a big goofy dawg who'd keep me fit, but as responsibility for exercising will shift depending on who's in or out everybody will need to be comfortable controlling it. That means nothing that could conceivably eat the slighter members of the household, sadly. A terrier seems likely, I'm not sure how easily they come to terms with cats though. My dad worked a farm when he was younger, and is all-round a gruff Scottish manly man who scoffs at letting subservient species into the home. The dog would definitely live in the house, as a pet. I'm adamant that if he doesn't submit completely to what other people tell him regarding the dog, then there is no point going ahead. But this is a conversation we'll have. 
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Apr 30, 2013 16:43
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Captain Diarrhoea posted:Yeah I've glanced over a few, although we haven't shared the idea with the family yet I assume we'd go for a smaller breed. I'd personally love a big goofy dawg who'd keep me fit, but as responsibility for exercising will shift depending on who's in or out everybody will need to be comfortable controlling it. That means nothing that could conceivably eat the slighter members of the household, sadly. A terrier seems likely, I'm not sure how easily they come to terms with cats though. Sometimes these people are open minded and sometimes they're not. If you think you can get him to read some literature, this would be a start: http://www.aspca.org/Pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-articles/is-your-dog-dominant
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Apr 30, 2013 16:58
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Two or three weeks ago my 8-month-old corgi became extremely lethargic and wouldn't eat. As the night went on he got worse and seemed in some pain. We took him to the emergency care clinic and they implied he might have inflammation or some form of meningitis. They gave him painkillers but recommended we get him an MRI/spinal tap if he didn't improve. He drastically improved the next day and was completely back to normal by the next evening. The whole thing gave us a scare so we bought pet insurance (and should have bought it earlier). Will the emergency clinic's recommendation to get an MRI and saying there were clinical signs of neurological problems immediately make everything related to this a pre-existing condition? Last night he seemed less active and this afternoon he is now lethargic again and barely eating. I'm worried he's going to get bad again by tonight, but we're taking him to the vet right after work either way. If it's actually meningitis, would symptoms really completely disappear for over two weeks and then suddenly come back? Does anyone have similar experiences with something like this?
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Apr 30, 2013 17:33
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systran posted:Two or three weeks ago my 8-month-old corgi became extremely lethargic and wouldn't eat. As the night went on he got worse and seemed in some pain. We took him to the emergency care clinic and they implied he might have inflammation or some form of meningitis. They gave him painkillers but recommended we get him an MRI/spinal tap if he didn't improve. You would have to check the terms of your policy to be sure, but to be quite honest, it probably will count as pre-existing because insurance companies will dick you any way they can. You're better off taking that $20 or so a month and putting it into a savings and taking out line of Care Credit in case something does happen.
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Apr 30, 2013 22:02
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^^^This is not always true, some of the pet insurance companies end up being life savers, for what they are. What happens if you put $20/month in an account and your dog gets hit by a car a year later? Your $240 isn't going to go very far. You'd have been better off getting Care Credit and then being able to pay it down with whatever the insurance company will reimburse you - I've seen some of them reimburse a LOT of money before...systran posted:Two or three weeks ago my 8-month-old corgi became extremely lethargic and wouldn't eat. As the night went on he got worse and seemed in some pain. We took him to the emergency care clinic and they implied he might have inflammation or some form of meningitis. They gave him painkillers but recommended we get him an MRI/spinal tap if he didn't improve. Read your policy carefully - many of them will not cover anything within the first x amount of time after you purchase coverage so it may be a moot point whether it's 'preexisting' or not. Fairly unlikely to be meningitis or meningoencephalitis if it just went away within 24h and came back intermittently, but without a workup last time I wouldn't rule anything out. Topoisomerase fucked around with this message at 22:34 on Apr 30, 2013 |
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Apr 30, 2013 22:30
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Just got back from the vet. He was constipated because he had eaten a bunch of hair somehow. He took a poo poo and now he is back to his normal self. I'm glad it was nothing neurological! Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I am a big fan of the pet insurance even if it won't cover what they consider pre-existing exactly for that reason: If he gets hit by a car or needs emergency care, I pay a $200 premium and then the company pays 90% of the costs.
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May 1, 2013 01:08
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It's not going to hurt a dog if it chews on a stick or two, will it? As far as ingesting a little bit of the chewed-up soggy wood? I'm not talking about eating an entire branch or anything.
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May 1, 2013 15:51
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No, you're fine. I think there is some danger if there are large splinters being digested without chewing, but the vets can weigh in there. I think the horror stories are usually when a dog is running with one end of the stick in their mouth and then jam it against a rock and stab themselves.
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May 1, 2013 16:06
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My dog's gotten sticks wedged between his molars twice now and they're a huge pain to get out. I'd keep an eye on him while he chews on them.
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May 1, 2013 16:09
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My mother-in-law's dog had small pieces of sticks get caught between teeth. She did not enjoy that. My dog will tend to have midnight vomiting sessions if he manages to eat any sticks in the afternoon.
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May 1, 2013 18:04
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I'll check her gums when she's done. Sometimes she'll find a stick while we're out on a walk and carry it all the way home.
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May 1, 2013 18:47
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Any ideas for keeping my puppy a) calm and b) cool while we're walking? We hit highs of :12 celsius today and the puppy was wriggling the entire time in our walk, first from wanting to get on the ground, then from being too warm/uncomfortable.
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May 1, 2013 18:52
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Fraction posted:Any ideas for keeping my puppy a) calm and b) cool while we're walking? We hit highs of :12 celsius today and the puppy was wriggling the entire time in our walk, first from wanting to get on the ground, then from being too warm/uncomfortable. Bring water?
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May 1, 2013 19:02
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Fraction posted:Any ideas for keeping my puppy a) calm and b) cool while we're walking? We hit highs of :12 celsius today and the puppy was wriggling the entire time in our walk, first from wanting to get on the ground, then from being too warm/uncomfortable. For A, make him first behave before going on a walk. Do a sit and stay for a moment before heading off. I'm not sure what you mean by wriggling during the walk though. Puppies tend to just want to go everywhere at the same time so they tend to just go nuts. Just be firm and remember that you're the one walking and he's coming along. For B, I've seen some people just bring a full sports bottle of water that lets them just squeeze some water out like a hose. Also, what's wrong with 12C?
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May 1, 2013 19:04
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Bob Morales posted:Bring water? I've tried; she won't drink it when I'm holding her, and I can't put her down. Thwomp posted:For A, make him first behave before going on a walk. Do a sit and stay for a moment before heading off. I'm not sure what you mean by wriggling during the walk though. Puppies tend to just want to go everywhere at the same time so they tend to just go nuts. Just be firm and remember that you're the one walking and he's coming along. She's not able to go on the ground yet; that's what I mean by wiggling. I'm holding her and she's trying to get on the floor to begin with, and trying to get down to flop and cool off later on. I mentioned the temperature as a  at how this ever so super high temperature is making my puppy annoying to hold.
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May 1, 2013 19:08
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Fraction posted:I've tried; she won't drink it when I'm holding her, and I can't put her down. You can put her down for a little bit so she can get a drink of water lol
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May 1, 2013 19:15
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BUT PARVO !
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May 1, 2013 19:19
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Fraction posted:I mentioned the temperature as a Its getting above zero most days here, and my dogs need maybe 5 good sprints after the ball before tongues are hanging all the way out and they are done. Its will get up almost to 30C here in the summer guys, you are boned  So yeah the temperature has a big affect on dogs
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May 1, 2013 20:38
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systran posted:Just got back from the vet. He was constipated because he had eaten a bunch of hair somehow. He took a poo poo and now he is back to his normal self. I'm glad it was nothing neurological! Corgi.txt Goes off food, limps, shows signs of discomfort - everyone stresses out because it must be spine/neurological - turns out he is just completely full of poo poo. I am super relieved for you guys!
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May 1, 2013 20:47
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adventure in the sandbox posted:Its getting above zero most days here, and my dogs need maybe 5 good sprints after the ball before tongues are hanging all the way out and they are done. Its will get up almost to 30C here in the summer guys, you are boned We've got a bit of a spring heat wave going here where it's 80ish (28C for your metrics) and Linus was pretty much done after half our walk. Doesn't help he's a black dog too. I gotta dig out a water bottle for him.
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May 1, 2013 21:28
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Three weeks ago I adopted Dexter who's probably 90% lab and 5-6 months old. How worried do I have to be about him using his teeth when he plays? He never tries to bite people, but when he's excited he can get mouthy and repeatedly try to gnaw on your hands/fingers with his super sharp teeth. How much of this will go away after he gets neutered (Monday) and gets a little older? What's the best course of action here? It's his only bad habit I need to work on with him.
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May 2, 2013 15:47
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No Ticket posted:Three weeks ago I adopted Dexter who's probably 90% lab and 5-6 months old. How worried do I have to be about him using his teeth when he plays? He never tries to bite people, but when he's excited he can get mouthy and repeatedly try to gnaw on your hands/fingers with his super sharp teeth. How much of this will go away after he gets neutered (Monday) and gets a little older? What's the best course of action here? It's his only bad habit I need to work on with him. This is an excellent question. This is covered in the OP in some detail, so please re-read it and ask if you still have questions. The unfortunate answer is that if he's still got these habits at six months, they're going to be hard to work with because he likely didn't get the appropriate play interaction to learn good bite inhibition when he was younger. You can still remedy this. In addition to what's in the OP, I would recommend that you encourage appropriate interaction with hands as much as possible. To me, this means licking is okay. The best way I've found to encourage this is to buy and freeze a stick of butter and rub it on your hands and arms before play. Praise for licking and sniffing, and invoke negative reinforcement (leaving the room) as described in the OP when biting occurs. Remember that you will typically have to tether a rambunctious puppy to something very sturdy (I would not use anything tippy, and I would not use a table leg for a lab, they're likely to damage your furniture joints).
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May 2, 2013 15:53
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So my dog has decided he won't eat out of his bowl anymore - He'll eat off the floor if I dump the food out, and out of my hand if I offer it to him, so... Any tips on how to get him to eat like a normal dog again?
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May 3, 2013 02:19
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uptown posted:So my dog has decided he won't eat out of his bowl anymore - He'll eat off the floor if I dump the food out, and out of my hand if I offer it to him, so... Any tips on how to get him to eat like a normal dog again? Shiny metal bowl? How old is the dog? 3 months? I see this sometimes at the fear stages. If it's a metal bowl, you can try switching to a ceramic, but mostly I would drop some crazy good food in there with the meal. The stinkier the better. This will counter-condition the bowl.
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May 3, 2013 02:22
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MrFurious posted:Shiny metal bowl? How old is the dog? 3 months? I see this sometimes at the fear stages. If it's a metal bowl, you can try switching to a ceramic, but mostly I would drop some crazy good food in there with the meal. The stinkier the better. This will counter-condition the bowl. Almost a year old, was using a deep plastic bowl yesterday and tried a much shallower ceramic pie dish today. I think he might just be being sensitive because the cat yelled at him right before breakfast yesterday? I'll give him something yummy on top of breakfast tomorrow and hopefully that'll help. I'm not a fan of "dump food on the floor and hope he doesn't get too much spit on there."
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May 3, 2013 02:31
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uptown posted:I'm not a fan of "dump food on the floor and hope he doesn't get too much spit on there."
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May 3, 2013 06:42
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We actually feed out of a treat ball twice a day every day, for what it's worth.
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May 3, 2013 14:27
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MrFurious posted:We actually feed out of a treat ball twice a day every day, for what it's worth. We do the exact same, he seems to prefer it.
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May 3, 2013 15:03
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Rixatrix posted:Dump the food on the grass outside and let him sniff around to find it? It'll give him a chance to "work" for his food, which is always good. Dogs don't really need bowls anyway. Will that encourage him to search out and eat random food on the ground, or is that something dogs just do because they're dogs?
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May 3, 2013 16:22
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Bob Morales posted:Will that encourage him to search out and eat random food on the ground, or is that something dogs just do because they're dogs? Dogs come pre-wired to search for food on the ground. The definition of "food" is extremely loose. Some people have trained their dogs to only take food from them because they feel that there is a danger to the dog from other individuals. If this is something you're concerned about we can discuss how you might train that behavior, but it's not something that I think would really apply to the average individual in the civilized world. With that said, I have trained our dog to have a default "Leave It" to anything that we have dropped or falls from a counter. This can be very valuable.
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May 3, 2013 16:36
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