Pretty Cool Name posted:

It's called Västgötaspets in Swedish, "spets" being the Swedish word for "spitz." So as far as name goes it fits in. :p

Rixatrix posted:

Thanks! The other option we considered for Rho was Tesla, so I think that says enough about the nerd in us Tesla was discarded when most people thought we were getting a female pup (wtf??) Then again, I recently realized naming my dogs Pi and Rho is kind of like naming them A and B, but it's not like they care.

Swedish Vallhunds rock! I saw one (I think) at an agility trial last weekend.

a life less posted:

Quite honestly, I can't really think of a breed that I consider good for a first time pet owner. Each has its little peculiarities and idiosyncrasies, and they all present their own set of problems if you're unprepared. Heck, my family's first dog was an Aussie.

What WOULD be a good first time dog?

RizieN posted:

I've been trying, slowly and in vain, to teach Cosmo how to 'Lay' for lack of a better word, Down would be better. Admittedly i haven't actually looked for any good techniques, but I'd like to hear yours.

Rixatrix posted:

I taught both Pi and Rho with luring. I just took a super tasty treat and pushed it out of their reach between their front legs toward their rib cage. The dog tries to follow the treat with his nose but can’t, and will then fold into a pretty, collected, elbows-first down If they tried to back up, I just did it in a corner.

Vino posted:

After months of trying many different things to get my dog to stop pulling on the walk I finally caved in and got a prong collar. I didn't want to use a prong collar because it looks downright inhumane and can hurt the dog and I didn't want the walk to be a negative experience, but I'd run out of options. I'd tried using food techniques and he started snubbing the food as soon as he realized there was a condition attached. I tried the gentle leader and he eventually learned how to pull against it too, and he reverted as soon as it came off. A bunch of other stuff too, including Cesar's techniques. The prong collar eventually worked and the key was using it only to correct when he started pulling ahead, alongside my usual snap (I snap at him to discipline him instead of the usual "no") I never let him get so far as to pull against it. Result: with relatively few corrections he stays by my side now and doesn't even try to chase squirrels, although he definitely tries to stare them down. Ideally after a while of training with the prong collar he'll get the idea where he should stay and then I'll be able to take it off. Hopefully.

rivals posted:

Why are you so set on using correction based training?

a life less posted:

Check out this article by Susan Clothier about proper prong collar use: http://flyingdogpress.com/content/view/53/97/. She no longer uses prongs in her own training, but has reposted that article to give people some insight into how to properly use one. Corrections should not be given with the prong -- snapping the leash quickly to cause pain is not acceptable, etc. I like the idea to use a leash attached to a flat collar while the prong is still on the dog -- it sounds like a good way to wean a dog off. Another idea is to put on the prong, but flip it around so the prongs are pointing outwards.

WolfensteinBag posted:

WolfensteinBag posted:

I need hour opinions/ideas, people! So I'm in the process of starting up a side business doing at home training geared towards primitive breeds. I figure I'm always trying to help people that are struggling with these dogs, and I'm sick of giving away advice for free. Of all the ridiculous things, though, I'm stuck on a name! I want to have it lean towards primitive breed dogs, but sound broader than actually saying primitive or spitz or anything like that. I also want it to sound more professional than "clever", staying away from puns, word play, etc. Just kinda burned out on that sort of thing from the grooming world. If you guys have any ideas for me, I'd really appreciate it!

WolfensteinBag posted:

Oh my god, if I could get away with this I totally would.

Koivunen posted:

How do you all feed your dogs? I've read anywhere from a cup and a half a day to five+ cups. He's getting Blue Buffalo for senior dogs. He's at a perfect weight right now so we just need to maintain it. We go for two or three 30 minute to 1+ hour long walks through the park every day, and he does a lot of stair climbing at home. He weighs 70 pounds (a lot less than I thought he would). Right now we're giving him two cups in the morning and two cups at night. Is that too much?

rivals posted:

Thanks for the suggestion! Luckily my clothes aren't too bad since I changed out of them as soon as I got him inside and started bathing him, but our sheets have a faint smell and I'm sure his bedding smells pretty bad too so I'll pick some up and use it for those. We got some good suggestions on washing it out of him so I've bathed him a few times since the event (as well as using some conditioner stuff to help make sure his skin doesn't dry out too much). So far it's almost completely off of him but if you smell him up close there's still a hint of it there. Thankfully we're at the home stretch and at least now I guess we don't have to worry about there being a skunk in our backyard anymore

Koivunen posted:

I can give the vet a call about it, though. Do pain meds usually seem to work? The problem is that it gets much, much colder here as winter progresses, like -20 and -30 F at times. For the sake of his comfort, should we not try walking at all in that kind of cold? Is there anything I could try to get him moving inside the house?

paisleyfox posted:

As far as like, zoomies on the leash etc, I only have experience with Koji doing that right after a good poop or when we lived on a property with lots of rabbits (and we would run and chase rabbits with him.) He mostly does it after we get back inside from our walks now, usually when it's cold or, again, after a good poop. vv

WolfensteinBag posted:

Buddy learned from our son, too! We have a baby gate between the kitchen and living room. Buddy noticed that if my husband or myself were on the opposite side of the baby, and the baby ran up to the gate and started crying, we would go pick him up and thus let him through. So for awhile, there, Buddy started making ACTUAL BABY CRYING NOISES while we were eating dinner and he wanted to come through. It was HILARIOUS.

Koivunen posted:

I know that third lid problems can be really serious and may require surgery. Hopefully we can just treat it with ointment or drops, but if the vet says she would need surgery, I'm not sure what I would do since she's a high-risk dog. I also wouldn't want her to endure the pain of eye surgery at her age, especially if she's got other problems. I really hate to say it, but the thought has crossed my mind - what if we have to put her down? I know I'm worrying way too much right now but I'm feeling literally sick because of worrying and being upset with the "shelter."

rebounded posted:

Get professional help. Don't "take her back" like a bad holiday present.

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.

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.