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Another vote for crating. We crate trained all three of our dogs (even the Dane) and is the best thing we could have done for our household. Husky took to it the best, she has her own private den; she puts herself in there several times during the day. When her door gets accidentally pushed closed during the day and she's locked out, man she gets mad! When they get scared (fireworks, smoke in kitchen) we always find them in their crates. And, in the sorry case one dog has a medical reason to be separated or restrained (like post surgeries), they are already used to the routine, won't hurt themselves trying to do something they shouldn't be.
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Nov 29, 2013 18:14
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adventure in the sandbox posted:All of this. And most dogs will settle into a routine of sleeping all day when the people are at work. During the time I have been jobless, my dogs have laid around like happy slugs even though I am home. This is a natural rhythm for dogs too - they are crepuscular, which means that they're most active during early morning and evening. Puppies will have bigger spurts of energy but most adult dogs spend a good portion of the day asleep.
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Nov 30, 2013 05:18
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So I'm the big dumb boyfriend. This dog has been so darn good. Sheba sleeps just as much as Goliath does, and she has already found a place in the house she enjoys sleeping, which is right in the livingroom. When she needs to go outside, she hops up on you, taps you on the shoulder (she literally taps you on the shoulder if you are sitting down) and then you let her outside and she does her business. Literally the only problem is that she gets defensive and then aggressive when she eats. We have installed baby-gates on the stairway to separate them when we are away or sleeping, and it worked great last night. Sheba paced around for about 5 minutes and then thumped down and fell asleep. Keeping her downstairs and Goliath upstairs has another benefit because Goliath seems to not have as many accidents upstairs and Sheba is very well trained, so there are less accidents in the livingroom and that makes me very happy. It seems like this entire issue can be resolved by feeding the animals separately, a process which takes an additional 4-5 minutes per mealtime. Sheba, like Goliath, is completely indifferent towards the other animals when not eating. I've been watching the animals closely for the past day since its my weekend, and their behaviors are all very relaxed and Goliath seems just as happy and dopey as ever. The Walking Dad fucked around with this message at 19:10 on Nov 30, 2013 |
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Nov 30, 2013 15:11
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Like Walking Dad said, last night went fine with the baby gates. He's completely against crating so we settled on baby gates in the stairway since Goliath and the cats sleep with us at night anyway. I would still rather crate but whatever, we spent the money on the gates so that's what we're going to use. Took Sheba and Goliath for a really long walk today. Sheba is fat and out of shape and was worn out long before Goliath was. They are definitely pack animals, Goliath insists on being in front but most of the time they were walking side by side. It was definitely adorable. Goliath has always favored me, I think because initially he was very afraid of men, but it seems like Sheba is favoring Walking Dad, so that's a nice mix. We have found that Sheba will only go potty if we leave her alone outside, so the new routine is to tie Sheba outside, feed Goliath, and when he's done eating, let Sheba come back in, and feed her in the basement landing with the door closed. It seems to be working well so far. Also took some pictures today, so here you go. Her eyes look so much better today than they did when we first got her.  Posing like a doggy model.  This is the second night we had her, she came with to Walking Dad's work for a while.  Waiting at the e-vet, squinting.  Walking side by side like good dogs.
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Nov 30, 2013 22:29
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Aww, she is fat! Fat and fluffy! 
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Nov 30, 2013 22:48
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When you walk them like that, you pretend they are pulling you on a sled, right? Right??? Teach them gee and haw now.
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Dec 1, 2013 00:25
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I believe you need to learn about the sport of "bikejoring". I tried and tried to get penny to "be a lady" and cross her legs like that. She won't do it without me putting my foot there for her to target though. I love that pose. Hdip fucked around with this message at 02:48 on Dec 1, 2013 |
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Dec 1, 2013 02:31
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Hdip posted:I tried and tried to get penny to "be a lady" and cross her legs like that. She won't do it without me putting my foot there for her to target though. I love that pose. Try using a post-it note or something for a target. Then make the target smaller and fade it out. Teaching that to Psyche was fun because she decided early on that 'target the post-it' meant 'flail around, pounding the ground with both paws until you randomly hit target, then pick up the post-it and throw it because you didn't get a treat for some reason'. I swear I didn't reward her for it (except maybe with laughing).
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Dec 1, 2013 04:06
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Anybody else seen this video before? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Xkv5T80U30
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Dec 1, 2013 20:00
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I was wondering if any primgoons had any experience with owning a dingo? A family friend had a dingo when I was a kid, but I only ever met her once, and she was about eight weeks old at the time so it wasn't easy to judge how she'd turn out. She basically acted just like a puppy, but she was completely silent and when she was playing with my dogs, she'd stalk them like a cat.  (She was super yellow and super fluffy, too.) They're behaviourally closer to dogs than, say, wolves or coyotes, but they're still very much a wild canid. Although obviously I'm not about to just run out and buy a dingo, it is legal to own them in Australia and they've interested me for a long time. It's a pretty long shot - especially as they're banned for pet ownership in the USA, as far as I know - but I just thought I'd ask if anyone's ever had or known anyone who had one.
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Dec 21, 2013 16:48
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I just had to kennel Sitka because my mother in law decided that even after previously saying it would be fine if we brought her that no she actually can't handle having a dog in her house. I have no idea if the kennel is any good because it's just the one attached to the vet my mother in law brings her cat. I drove 15 hours to Alabama with Sitka (and she was *so* good) only to have this bitch decide to freak out and insist we kennel her anyway. I was not impressed with the kennel and kinda worried when we left her. It was so loud with all the barking and Sitka was freaked the hell out. I feel god awful because I dragged my poor dog into the South and then left her in some new scary place. I'm worried that she's going to come out of this with behavioral issues even though it's only until the 24th when we leave for Florida. I can visit her while she's stuck in that place but I feel like I hosed up and I really, really want to kill my husband's mother. I hate the holidays. I hate the South. I loathe my mother in law. I hope I have not just done something that's going to mess up my dog. gently caress this season.
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Dec 21, 2013 22:54
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Find a hotel that allows dogs. Seriously mil can't just change her mind like that and expect you to traumatize your dog (not that this is a given but kennels should be scoped out first as a lot do suck). Ask if you can leave Sitka in a crate for a few hours at a time in the hotel, some will let you.
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Dec 21, 2013 23:03
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Kiri koli posted:Find a hotel that allows dogs. Seriously mil can't just change her mind like that and expect you to traumatize your dog (not that this is a given but kennels should be scoped out first as a lot do suck). Ask if you can leave Sitka in a crate for a few hours at a time in the hotel, some will let you. This. La Quintas have the policy that it's ok, I know for sure. Crate not required if they don't make a mess. If you are anywhere near Dallas, Sitka would be more than welcome with my beasties.
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Dec 21, 2013 23:24
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I tried that option and it's not possible within the family politics right now. I can visit Sitka between 4-6pm tomorrow and take her for a walk and hang out. We'll see then if she's okay and the kennel is okay. If she's not then we're going to a hotel. My mother in law be damned.
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Dec 21, 2013 23:31
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That is absolutely ridiculous, I'm sorry.  Why is the hotel a no go? I wanna hear the whole e/n story, so I can be properly mad for you.
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Dec 22, 2013 05:54
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So Sitka is sprung from basically dog prison. We went for a good long walk a and while she is distressed she seems to be bouncing back. The kennel was nothing more than 8x8 concrete kennels with at 15x8 in closed area in the back for them to "run 'round in, y'knooooow?" (God drat do I hate Southern accents. Get to the end of the gently caress word, you god damned hick) Sitka started crying the second she saw us and hid between my legs as soon as she could. I flip my poo poo and insist we take her out. My husband came with me to see the kennel, confirmed that it was not acceptable and basically yelled at his mother until she backed off. Apparently her reason for originally insisting on the kennel is she is apparently afraid of dogs because she was bit as a kid but she never bothered to tell either if us that. Argh We've divided the house with dog upstairs and the cat &mil downstairs. The house is in typical Southern fashion god damned enormous so there should be no problems. Especially if I run with her in the morning and do walks in the afternoon. That normally produces a flat dog. I am still pissed with myself that I allowed that woman to bully me into taking Sitka to that kennel when my husband was asleep. Under normal circumstances I wouldn't have allowed that but I was trying to have at least one visit to this hellhole where I didn't end up fighting with her. I hate this place so much. Typing on the iPhone so the grammar might be weird.
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Dec 23, 2013 01:14
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Citizen Rat posted:Sitka started crying the second she saw us and hid between my legs as soon as she could. Poor Sitka. Glad to hear she doesn't have to stay there anymore!
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Dec 23, 2013 01:37
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I'm one of those drat hicks from the South. Accent and all. When I travel with my dogs I stay with friends or hotels that are dog friendly. As mentioned above, La Quinta. I've been reluctant to tell desk staff what I am bringing in, to be surprised by a rush of treat-bearing workers an hour later. Probably 20 nights in a La Quinta with pets in the last few years. Guest House Inn & Suites. Motel 6. Those all have blanket pet policies. Most Quality/Days/Sleep Inn do, but in the south you get a smoking room.
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Dec 23, 2013 02:57
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I've not done a lot of travel in the states so the hotel recommendations are helpful. I'd prefer to just not come back here but having options is good. I'd say something conciliatory about the South but honestly there's pretty much nothing that I like about it. I am too northerly bred. Though watching people's reactions to me and my dog down here has been fantastic.
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Dec 23, 2013 17:21
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She loves it. Loves it.
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Dec 24, 2013 01:37
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You're going to have SUCH a Christmas present ready for you come the morning
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Dec 24, 2013 01:49
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We are having mixed feelings about Sheba. Still. And still feeling horrible about it. We had Sheba for about two weeks, then I was out of the country for two weeks, and I've been back for a little over a week. Walking Dad has been with Sheba the whole time. She has attacked Goliath three times, and has shown aggressive behavior a few more times, the last attack being a week ago. The first two didn't cause any physical damage apart from ripping out hair (but easily could have if we didn't immediately pull her off), but the last attack gave Goliath a deep puncture wound to his shoulder, a nip to his ear, and Sheba bit Walking Dad and WD's dad deep enough to drip blood all over the floor and cause a great deal of pain. Goliath actually fought back this last time, and I don't like that at all. So far she has left our cats alone, but she nipped at WD's dad's cat, and she is capable of killing them if someone got in her way. We have been doing everything we can to avoid food aggression, but this last attack was when Sheba was drinking water and Goliath passed behind her in the hall. Sheba is outside when Goliath eats, and Goliath is kept upstairs when Sheba eats. Sheba is also outside when there is any kind of food around, especially people food. However I don't know what to do about water. I can't restrict water access for two dogs and two cats. We already have several water dishes at various places around the house. Also, she has taken it upon herself to cover our house with pee and poo. Initially she was very well trained and would ask to go outside, but cleaning up after Sheba has been a near-daily headache. Goliath has actually been really good, no accidents in a few weeks, but that Sheba... She has gone pee/poo in literally every single room in the house. At least Goliath used his puppy pads. There have been times where Sheba has just come back inside and then decides to pee/poo. The only time she asks to go outside is when we are sleeping, and she will bark and whine and bark and bark and bark until we get up and let her out. I've lost a LOT of sleep because of this since I have a hard time getting back to sleep, especially when it's -30 out so I am blasted with arctic air every time I open the door. I'll admit I'm scared of Sheba. I know she picks up on that because even though I try to be friendly and playful, she goes out of her way to avoid me. She seems to get along okay with WD, but she is much more distant and a lot less people-engaged than Goliath. She doesn't interact with us on her own will, it's only if there's food involved. I'm probably projecting big time, but I'm worried that she's not happy with us. She is super friendly with strangers, but she doesn't like me at all, and I feel like I need to be on guard for the next attack. She is a sweet girl and she's pretty much the most adorable dog ever, but I'm still having doubts. I want this to work out but it is a serious source of stress. I would feel absolutely terrible giving her up but at the same time, how many more attacks are going to happen, how much more sleep can I lose, and how do we know what the right thing to do is? When I took Goliath to the vet after he was attacked, the vet said that we need to be very careful because if she has attacked that viciously once, she will do it again (and it's actually been more than once). Immediately after the last attack, we both felt like we were at the end of our ropes and were fully prepared to surrender her. But now that we have all cooled off a bit and there haven't been any more attacks (yet), this yucky feeling of uncertainty keeps coming back. It's stressful. We don't know what to do.
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Jan 1, 2014 03:46
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Koivunen posted:Immediately after the last attack, we both felt like we were at the end of our ropes and were fully prepared to surrender her. But now that we have all cooled off a bit and there haven't been any more attacks (yet), this yucky feeling of uncertainty keeps coming back. It's stressful. We don't know what to do. If I was in your position I would take her back. She sounds like she needs to be an only pet in order to live comfortably without tons of stress.
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Jan 1, 2014 04:44
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If it were me I'd start calling rescue's and find a rescue I liked then surrender her to that rescue. You're doing a good job managing them. Just sounds like you have to go full on puppy management mode for a month straight to get things in a working order and that's probably more time than you have to spend right now.
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Jan 1, 2014 05:51
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Get professional help. Don't "take her back" like a bad holiday present. My husky was a rescue. Literally brought into the office to be put down; wife took her home as a rescue. Sounds similar: good for a few days/week, then pause (TPLO surgery), then putting bully dog in its place. For a year. She's still a pain in the rear end, 3 years later, we've just learned how to deal with her, and identify her moods. My husky went after our 3rd rescue tonight. The dane. 100# more than her but husky felt the need to show who's boss. That's my fault, not the dogs'. Fireworks were going off, I forgot about her problem, she got nervous around the monster and lashed out. I take my dane to a "reactive rover" class once a week and it has been great. He's kind of a nervous mess and we've learned a lot. Learned a lot we can apply to our other dogs. Get help. Don't quit on the dog. This is why you rescue an animal. Because you have the resources to help it have a better life. If you don't have the time, then don't have dogs.
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Jan 1, 2014 09:04
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rebounded posted:Get professional help. Don't "take her back" like a bad holiday present. Hi hey it is absolutely not up to you as to whether the OP: can cope with these issues (not everyone wants a reactive dog, they pretty much suck!!!) and WANTS to keep the dog. Just because OP rescued Sheba does not mean they are obliged to look after a dog *they don't much like/trust* just because of he noble rescue lady's burden or whatever bullshit you're thinking. Not all dogs right for all situations, hth
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Jan 1, 2014 10:55
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rebounded posted:Get professional help. Don't "take her back" like a bad holiday present. Wow, that's harsh. Not everyone is equipped to deal with a reactive-aggressive dog, and as much as its harsh to say, its not your responsibility. She rescued Sheba out of a pretty shady rescue, and if she can get her into a single-pet home through another rescue, all the better. If the dog is at the point where it has bit people, for whatever reason, if you don't want to keep the dog, do NOT feel obliged to. Its a dog, you are a human. As much as I love my pets, my people family > them. Don't feel bad about it, do what you can, but if its too much/stressing out Goliath, etc. then ~do not~ hesitate to find her a better place.
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Jan 1, 2014 15:24
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http://www.theverge.com/2013/12/31/5248762/doge-meme-rescue-dog-wowWow this is doge posted:The furry face that launched a thousand quips nearly never made it to the web. Sato adopted Kabosu from an animal shelter in November, 2008, saving her from certain death. “She was a pedigreed dog from a puppy mill, and when the puppy mill closed down, she was abandoned along with 19 other Shiba dogs,” the teacher explained. “Some of them were adopted, but the rest of them were killed.”
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Jan 1, 2014 15:40
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rebounded posted:
With a dog like that, it is NOT just a simple matter of time and effort, but a complex function of both your physical circumstances and your ACTIVE willingness to manage such a dog, both physically and emotionally. If you don't have good circumstances (i.e. some dogs do much better in a one dog household, you have small children in the house, etc) and you aren't committed to this very specialized kind of dog ownership, then you are doing both the dog and yourself a disservice. The "resources to help it have a better life", as you say, grow exponentially more complicated with more violent behavioral issues and guilting people about being unable or unwilling (willingness is a vital resource in this case) to take on that kind of thing is a lovely thing to do. Koivunen, it does sound to me like Sheba would be better off as a single dog and that this situation is not great for her and also not for Goliath. If you decide to keep her, you will need professional help and probably to really restrict her movements for an undetermined amount of time. Also, it's fine to admit that you are scared and stressed. The uncertainty does suck and the fear as well. If you decide to keep her, then know that your fear and uncertainty will probably get better as you get to know her more and work out exactly how to manage her (with professional help!). The stress though...in my experience, it's one of those insidious things that just never quite goes away (but is hopefully overshadowed by more happier things).
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Jan 1, 2014 16:08
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You're right, that came out harsher than intended. First two responses were versions of "get rid of the dog" and I meant to stress an alternative. Short version is: I'd hate to see OP give up on the dog without seeking professional help. Long version: We have to work constantly with our husky - she's just a bitch. Given the chance she will bully our other dogs, steal food & toys, lash out, chase cat, everything. We make the time for the effort. We supervise feeding, play time, don't send dogs out into the yard without one of us present, and make sure she's walked several miles a day. Give her solo time in her crate. That's a lot of time and effort on our part but is enough for day to day maintenance. She'd probably suit a single-animal household better but she really is a social dog and loves having the others around - she's just a right bitch about it. Taking our reactive dog to a professional has been great and I can't recommend it enough. That training is intended to be specific to his problems but we've learned a lot that applies to any dog. And how we handle/react to the dogs. We intend to keep up those sessions when we move, and will probably start bringing the husky in as well.
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Jan 1, 2014 18:56
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rebounded posted:Long version: We have to work constantly with our husky - she's just a bitch.
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Jan 1, 2014 19:45
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Thank you for all your thoughtful replies. WD and I both agree that an only-dog home would probably be best for her. I want to stress that I wouldn't be happy about giving her up because I really wanted her in the first place, but this situation is not what we expected. If the shelter we got her from had indicated that she had aggressive tendencies at all, we would not have brought her home. The guy said she seemed like a nice dog and it was the other dog that started the fight at the shelter and that Sheba was the victim. The whole reason we went to see her was because she was an eight year old female malamute. We got Goliath when he was eight, and he is the best dog in the entire world. We were hoping that another opposite sexed mal of the same age would have a similar mellow, easy-going personality, and they would get along well. Obviously that's not how things have gone, and it's a sad situation for everyone. The nearest behaviorist is three hours away. The nearest Husky rescue is three hours away, and she's a Mal. The nearest Malamute rescue is seven hours away. At least we know that the shelter we would bring her to takes really good care of their animals and they seem to have a fast turnover with dogs. The three animals we have adopted from them have all been wonderful. I am a little worried about Sheba biting people, though. In our moment of weakness we talked to the shelter, and when they asked why we were thinking about surrendering, we explained that she didn't get along well with our previous dog. They asked if she had bit people before and we couldn't lie about it. They said that even though they are a no-kill shelter, any time a dog has bit a person, they may consider euthanasia if the dog is aggressive during the assessment. This has me very afraid for her if they test for food aggression. I've been too afraid to get anywhere near her while she's eating, but if they do that rubber hand thing I'm sure she will bite it. I'm not sure if that qualifies since she is perfectly fine with people in every other situation, and when we brought her to the e-vet they said she was very well behaved, but if she somehow got euthanized I would hate myself forever. TVs Ian posted:Just because a rescue is seven hours away doesn't mean they won't take a dog. Contact the mal group first. Sent them an email. Koivunen fucked around with this message at 02:49 on Jan 2, 2014 |
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Jan 2, 2014 00:33
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Koivunen posted:Thank you for all your thoughtful replies. WD and I both agree that an only-dog home would probably be best for her. Just because a rescue is seven hours away doesn't mean they won't take a dog. Contact the mal group first.
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Jan 2, 2014 01:52
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Koivunen posted:
She's clearly a resource guarder, so it's entirely possible that her RG will make an appearance during the assessment. I mean, that's what assessments are supposed to do. Better they identify resource guarding via rubber hand before someone adopts her. Best she lash out in a shelter at not at a toddler. Honestly, if she's genuinely unsafe she'll either have to be adopted out to someone who's well versed in her issues (and has experience managing them) or, unfortunately, euthed. I genuinely feel that RG is a completely treatable issue, but not everyone is up to the task, and not everybody has the leisure to do so. Contact the Mal rescue and see where you get.
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Jan 2, 2014 18:03
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Sheba update. The Mal rescue group doesn't have any room but said they will post a petfinder ad for her through their organization, so I sent some photos and a bio. I also found a rescue group that is closer to us that takes in dogs that are difficult to place, and they hooked me up with a lady who is experienced with malamutes and huskies and wants a dog with issues. I spoke with her at length tonight - she currently has one other husky and said she was interested in Sheba. She's going to think it over and call me back sometime next week. I really, really hope that she decides to take Sheba, it sounds like she knows what she's doing and it would be a great environment for Sheba to be in. Also, I mentioned where we got her from and she said "Why would you ever get a dog from there!?" Apparently it has a worse reputation than I ever knew. I really hope it works out.
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Jan 3, 2014 03:47
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Koivunen posted:Sheba update. The Mal rescue group doesn't have any room but said they will post a petfinder ad for her through their organization, so I sent some photos and a bio. I also found a rescue group that is closer to us that takes in dogs that are difficult to place, and they hooked me up with a lady who is experienced with malamutes and huskies and wants a dog with issues. I spoke with her at length tonight - she currently has one other husky and said she was interested in Sheba. She's going to think it over and call me back sometime next week. I really, really hope that she decides to take Sheba, it sounds like she knows what she's doing and it would be a great environment for Sheba to be in. Also, I mentioned where we got her from and she said "Why would you ever get a dog from there!?" Apparently it has a worse reputation than I ever knew. I really hope it works out. Hey, you thought it would be an okay place, and it wasn't. Its hard to do due diligence with all these smaller rescues, and you are trying to do what's best for all involved. Good on you, and I hope this works out.
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Jan 3, 2014 16:59
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wtftastic posted:Hey, you thought it would be an okay place, and it wasn't. Its hard to do due diligence with all these smaller rescues, and you are trying to do what's best for all involved. Good on you, and I hope this works out. Agreed x 100000. Some rescues are better than others, and its not like you were going to show up there and go "nope, dog stays in shitrescue." You are doing the best you can, and although I know this is easier to say than do, don't stress about it too much. Just work with one or two of the rescues and things will pan out.
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Jan 3, 2014 18:44
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Not sure if this is the right place to ask, but my parent's are leaving for a month while I'm away in college and I'd really like to be able to put our dog in a good kennel instead of at our irresponsible as hell relatives. We've left him with them in short term and I know they randomly feed him people food and I don't think they're giving him enough water. Another thing I've noticed is that he seems to have gotten dog-aggression problems since I've left. He's an American Eskimo so I'm not sure if he's trying to play, but he tends to run at other dogs he sees. Whatever it is the other dogs always react negatively. I'm not sure what to do, I really don't want to leave him at my relatives but I'm not sure if he could go to a kennel. I can't take him with me because I live in dorms 
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Jan 5, 2014 04:04
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The boarding place we leave Coco at when we travel screens dogs before they're allowed to stay overnight. They just had Coco go in for daycare one day to see if she played well with the other dogs. Maybe you could try something like that and see how he does?
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Jan 5, 2014 10:31
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| # ? May 18, 2024 18:51 |
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I've just got the sinking suspicion that he uh, won't play well with other dogs. I haven't been home enough to really say if he's gotten super dog aggressive since I've left but he does try to run at other dogs when I'm walking him. Also any advice on how to find a good kennel to put him in? This is my first time looking for one and I'm not sure if there are any warning signs I should be looking for.
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Jan 6, 2014 23:17
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