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Asnorban posted:Thanks! It is my wife's mother-in-law who happened to have a batch of labradoodles, so it isn't a from a breeder really. We talked to her and she is OK with us sending the puppy back for another few weeks, though we will likely make some trips down to visit and keep up a relationship with the puppy for that time to hopefully further ease into the transition. If she is breeding them, she's a breeder. I know she's related to you so you probably don't want to think she's a bad person (and I'm sure she's not!) but that doesn't mean she has any business breeding dogs. I've met a lot of doodles with poor temperaments and expensive health problems because people are breeding them willynilly and relying on "hybrid vigor" to keep them healthy. If someone is breeding them they should be doing health testing suggested for both labs and poodles, that means hip and elbow testing, CERF eye testing, PRA testing, cardiac screening, thyroid testing, and vWD testing or pedigree clearance. Doodles can also be highly variable in coat and personality since they are a mixed breed so just because your landlord's dog is awesome doesn't mean this puppy will be the same. Personally, I would look into rescuing a labradoodle if I wanted one unless the breeder was doing extensive health testing, competing in some venue with them, and had a specific goal they were breeding towards.
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May 13, 2012 16:21
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Asnorban posted:Thanks! It is my wife's mother-in-law who happened to have a batch of labradoodles, so it isn't a from a breeder really. We talked to her and she is OK with us sending the puppy back for another few weeks, though we will likely make some trips down to visit and keep up a relationship with the puppy for that time to hopefully further ease into the transition. Why does she have a batch of lab-poodle mixes? Was it an oops litter or is she just breeding mutts for fun and profit? To me, either of those is generally worse than buying from a legitimate breeder.
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May 13, 2012 20:42
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Tater's first kindergarten class was today and the main thing I took away from it is that he's really a good dog and man, some other puppies got them some issues 
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May 14, 2012 04:22
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Ikantski posted:^^ Yes, run away is your best bet. A good dog breeder wouldn't be giving dogs away at 6 weeks EDIT: or breeding labradoodles. We were more interested this weekend on if our cats would completely reject the puppy. It is back with its mom and brothers / sisters, as well as the other dog that this lady has. The house that he has been raised in to this point isn't at all a place where it hasn't been socialized (to humans or dogs). My wife's sister and her family has been going over every few days to play with all the puppies, and there are 2 high schoolers living in the house who spend time each day playing with them. They aren't being kept in tiny cages and ignored and have had other dogs come over to play as well. We took it to a graduation party for a friend that had maybe 25 or 30 people at it and the puppy was not in any way anti-social. It approached everyone, wanted to play with them, and was immediately comfortable taking naps with his head resting on a stranger's lap. Instant Jellyfish posted:If she is breeding them, she's a breeder. I know she's related to you so you probably don't want to think she's a bad person (and I'm sure she's not!) but that doesn't mean she has any business breeding dogs. I've met a lot of doodles with poor temperaments and expensive health problems because people are breeding them willynilly and relying on "hybrid vigor" to keep them healthy. If someone is breeding them they should be doing health testing suggested for both labs and poodles, that means hip and elbow testing, CERF eye testing, PRA testing, cardiac screening, thyroid testing, and vWD testing or pedigree clearance. Doodles can also be highly variable in coat and personality since they are a mixed breed so just because your landlord's dog is awesome doesn't mean this puppy will be the same. We spoke with her about health concerns yesterday, including the health of the parents. Neither parent has had any health issues. She takes the mother for checkups 3 times a year and has any paperwork related to those vet visits. The father (their neighbor's dog) also has no health issues. She is taking the puppies for their first vet visit this week to get their first round of vaccinations and a checkup to clear them for adoption. She also agreed to run any additional tests on the one we want in order for us to be as informed as possible on the puppies health. Serella posted:Why does she have a batch of lab-poodle mixes? Was it an oops litter or is she just breeding mutts for fun and profit? To me, either of those is generally worse than buying from a legitimate breeder. It was an oops litter and she just wants to make sure they go to loving homes. She is pretty attached to the puppies and has been taking great care of them, we just jumped the gun a bit on taking the puppy for the weekend to see if it was compatible. I am definitely worrying more than my wife. Though neither of us are entirely sure why this situation, with a seemingly well loved and cared for puppy (who will be having puppy tests done on him soon) is something that should be ran from. We would get a rescue dog if we weren't looking at this one, and how is a 6 month old mutt from a shelter with unknown parents a better / more sure adoption than this puppy? Sorry for my ignorance, as mentioned earlier I have always been a cat person and this would be my first dog (my wife's third.) Edit: She isn't trying to make any money on them. She just wants them to have a good home. She doesn't even want us to pay her back for the vet visit if we adopt him. Regardless of oops litter or not, what's done is done and it now (or in a few weeks) will need a home. Asnorban fucked around with this message at 15:00 on May 14, 2012 |
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May 14, 2012 14:38
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^^^ Not having her dog fixed in the first place shows an extreme lack of responsibility and I think that's why people are saying you should be wary. "Oops litters" are a thing that should not happen, and you should never give anyone money for accidentally contributing to the pet population. I have another "hey we got a dog" question. We picked up our dog (the lab rotti from the last page) on Thursday night and I worked from home on Friday so that she wouldn't have to be alone in a strange house on her first day. Throughout the course of the day I also worked on some training stuff with her, played in the yard, etc. Now it seems like she's really imprinted on me and is less enamoured with my girlfriend, who had to go into the office on Friday. I'm at home more often than my girlfriend so the dog is going to see more of me, but right now if I leave her alone at the house with my girlfriend she'll cry and whine like she's been left completely alone. Does anyone have any tips for showing her "hey this is your person too, you have two owners and we're both cool!" My girlfriend has been giving her her meals and we're going to try getting me out of the house in the evenings this week, but I'd be interested in any other ideas you guys might have.
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May 14, 2012 14:58
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Asnorban posted:We spoke with her about health concerns yesterday, including the health of the parents. Neither parent has had any health issues. She takes the mother for checkups 3 times a year and has any paperwork related to those vet visits. The father (their neighbor's dog) also has no health issues. She is taking the puppies for their first vet visit this week to get their first round of vaccinations and a checkup to clear them for adoption. She also agreed to run any additional tests on the one we want in order for us to be as informed as possible on the puppies health. There are a slew of possible health issues that might not be picked up on an annual vet visit, or without being intimately acquainted with the lines your dogs come from. The dogs might not be afflicted with progressive retinal atrophy, but they may pass something like that onto a pup, and you can end up with a puppy who is blind at 2 years old. It's not likely, but it's possible. It's one of the reasons why health tests are emphasized so strongly when getting a pup. The issue with getting a pup from a BYB vs a shelter, is the second money changes hands you're rewarding the irresponsible breeder, and setting them up to repeat their behaviour. The world has enough poorly bred dogs in it, so I don't like to encourage anyone to create any more. Genetically, there's not much difference between a untested BYB dog and a shelter dog. Sometimes you luck out, sometimes you don't. prom candy posted:I have another "hey we got a dog" question. We picked up our dog (the lab rotti from the last page) on Thursday night and I worked from home on Friday so that she wouldn't have to be alone in a strange house on her first day. Throughout the course of the day I also worked on some training stuff with her, played in the yard, etc. Now it seems like she's really imprinted on me and is less enamoured with my girlfriend, who had to go into the office on Friday. I'm at home more often than my girlfriend so the dog is going to see more of me, but right now if I leave her alone at the house with my girlfriend she'll cry and whine like she's been left completely alone. Sign your GF and pup up for training classes. Training is a fabulous way to build a rapport with a dog, as long as it's fun for everyone involved. So look up a fun, reinforcement-based obedience class for them. Just remember to take it lightly - I see too many people stressing out in class when their dog isn't holding its sit stay. And those who stress out are less likely to desire to do their training homework, and keep up the training for the life of the dog. As far as a dog is concerned, sit is a trick just like spin or shake a paw.
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May 14, 2012 15:08
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Asnorban posted:I am definitely worrying more than my wife. Though neither of us are entirely sure why this situation, with a seemingly well loved and cared for puppy (who will be having puppy tests done on him soon) is something that should be ran from. We would get a rescue dog if we weren't looking at this one, and how is a 6 month old mutt from a shelter with unknown parents a better / more sure adoption than this puppy? The vet visits don't mean poo poo as far as health goes; the dogs should be genetically tested through CERF, OFA, PennHip or something similar for any breed problems that may not be present currently (what the vet vists would catch) but that my popup later. These are things you want to look for in a responsible breeder what this lady is doing is BYBinng, but IMO if she's not charging you anything then it's fine. Ultimately, though everyone is going to encourage to to go the shelter route because it is the more ethical choice,but if the cats like the puppy and you do want to keep it send it back to be with the litter for a while (ideally 4 to 6 more weeks) but 2 at a minimum, and then enjoy your giant slobbery,shedding mutt. Here's a website that talks more about how to find an ethical dog breeder if it doesn't work out or just for learning: http://members.tripod.com/antique_fcr/goodbreeder.html Edit: Since this is your first dog please be aware that -doodles are EXTREMELY ACTIVE large dogs that require a TON of grooming, most of them in my area are easily 95-100lbs and always over excited due to lack of exercise, when it comes down to it you getting a gun dog cross and that means you can expect to be exercising this dog for multiple HOURS a day to fulfill it's energy needs for the next 5 years when it hopefully starts to slow down(my GSD is 5 and is just now starting to tire out and relax). I would strongly suggest start looking at dog sports and training ASAP to keep the little guy active and happy when/if he comes home with you. DenialTwist fucked around with this message at 15:24 on May 14, 2012 |
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May 14, 2012 15:18
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Asnorban posted:It was an oops litter and she just wants to make sure they go to loving homes. She is pretty attached to the puppies and has been taking great care of them, we just jumped the gun a bit on taking the puppy for the weekend to see if it was compatible. Since your wife is already attached I would focus now on making sure they are properly socialized. This is one real advantage of getting a puppy from a good breeder. Even in a quiet home with no visitors these puppies should be experiencing new surfaces to walk on, hearing all sorts of household sounds, starting potty training, getting used to wearing a collar, and learning some basic rules about life like sitting to wait for food. Ideally the breeder should have men, women, children of all ages, people with "accessories" like crutches or wheelchairs, people wearing hats or with crazy beards and really anyone else they can round up coming to visit these puppies in a clean and safe way. Baby puppies are like little sponges and it's a shame to waste this valuable socialization period. Since the parents don't have health testing and I'm guessing aren't from great places themselves if they haven't been fixed or properly contained I would be really thorough about looking up what labs and poodles are prone to and knowing the signs to look for. Just because the parents have been to the vet and "look healthy" doesn't mean they aren't carrying genetic problems or have relatives with issues that you don't know about. It can be really heartbreaking to find out your sweet little puppy has a congenital problem that will cause pain, disability or death that could have been prevented with proper health testing. As long as you aren't paying for the puppy and the owner is getting her bitch fixed there are worse things in the world than taking this pup. Is it a great situation? Not really. But the puppy is here and you're attached to it. Just really stress to the owner of the mom that she needs to get the bitch fixed since she clearly isn't containing her properly.
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May 14, 2012 15:21
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I typed up a really long post and hit preview and saw 3 of you beat me to the punch. I'm so proud of you all  Asnorban, pay special attention to ALL's post. It's at the core of the BYB/Puppy Mill issue. By taking this dog, you enable the behavior and thereby encourage it. DenailTwist posted:Here's a website that talks more about how to find an ethical dog breeder if it doesn't work out or just for learning: We've covered this fairly extensively in the OP, and the link you provided really doesn't have very much concrete information.
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May 14, 2012 15:30
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MrFurious posted:We've covered this fairly extensively in the OP, and the link you provided really doesn't have very much concrete information. I understand that, but do you think he read any part of the OP from reading his posts thus far? It has very simple answers to the most basic of dog breeding questions. No one is trying to steal your stake on knowing things about puppies, relax.
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May 14, 2012 15:35
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Thanks for all the replies. I work from home so we are in a really good situation right now for having an active dog. We have 4 acres for it to run around on and are a few minute drive to lots of dog-friendly hiking trails. We would definitely be going to puppy kindergarten and probably some further training classes (especially since this would be my first). I understand all of the concerns in the thread, but I may have a few more questions once my wife gets home and reads the newest responses. Edit: I read the OP a few times, as well as pointing my wife to it and have gone back over it a few times (and will continue to do so).
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May 14, 2012 15:38
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a life less posted:Sign your GF and pup up for training classes. Training is a fabulous way to build a rapport with a dog, as long as it's fun for everyone involved. So look up a fun, reinforcement-based obedience class for them. Just remember to take it lightly - I see too many people stressing out in class when their dog isn't holding its sit stay. And those who stress out are less likely to desire to do their training homework, and keep up the training for the life of the dog. As far as a dog is concerned, sit is a trick just like spin or shake a paw. That's a good idea. I really think the training that I've been doing is part of the reason that the dog has imprinted on me. I'm not an expert by any means but I did most of the training with all the foster dogs we had and I really enjoy it. My girlfriend doesn't know a lot about clicker training and I think she's afraid she's going to mess up the progress so she hasn't done much of it yet. The dog came to us knowing "sit" and "paw" and I was able to teach a reliable "down" on the first day but maybe I'll get my girlfriend to take charge and teach leave it or wait or even something fun like roll over. Once we get the dog spayed we'll probably all go to training classes together.
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May 14, 2012 15:57
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Asnorban posted:Thanks for all the replies. I work from home so we are in a really good situation right now for having an active dog. We have 4 acres for it to run around on and are a few minute drive to lots of dog-friendly hiking trails. We would definitely be going to puppy kindergarten and probably some further training classes (especially since this would be my first). Also, just FYI, you mentioned the breeder offering to have 'tests' run on the puppy prior to you bringing it home (and just as a pet peeve, don't call it adopting. You adopt a dog from a rescue, what you're doing is not adopting, it's kind of just getting a dog) but there's no 'tests' that you can do on a puppy to be sure it's free of genetic disorders. Most of the conditions that can really gently caress up your dogs life are things you need the parents to be tested for prior to even breeding, which is not as simple as just having a vet look them over. No puppy will be able to be 'tested' clear for conditions like retinal atrophy, hip dysplasia, degenerative myelopathy, etc, because these conditions don't show up until the dog is fully mature, at 2-3yrs old, or later in life when they suddenly develop a rare heritable terminal disorder. THIS is why it's encouraged in the OP to make sure any dog you get from a breeder (and yes, an 'oops' counts as breeding and is definitely more reprehensible than breeding on purpose because it implies both ignorance and a lack of caring about the overpopulation problem) has had those all-important tests through OFA, CERF, PennHip, etc. The vet isn't going to be able to test anything at this young age, and the vet wouldn't be the organization to test the dog anyway. Pretty much the vet will just look at the puppy and say 'yup it appears to be a healthy mutt puppy at this exact moment good to go' because that momentary condition of the pup is all the vet has to go on. If the parents haven't been tested, you're looking at a grab bag of possibilities, some good, most really, really bad. You were also asking why a dog from a rescue (and you can absolutely get an 8-10week old puppy from rescue!) would be a better bet than this dog. Well think about it. If you give money to the rescue, a) you're not supporting the people that bred that puppy and b) the dog comes fully vaccinated, fixed and usually with discounted puppy classes, whereas with this 'oops' puppy you're looking at paying for all that yourself. Puppies from rescue have almost always been raised and socialized in loving foster homes prior to adoption, so there's really no difference between the temperaments. Just in one scenario you're supporting an irresponsible decision, and in the other you're supporting an organization that saves the lives of dogs that are created by these irresponsible decisions. It's something to think about. In general, labradoodles are nice dogs, but they're not a breed, and nothing about them is really consistent. One dog may be super friendly and have a hypoallergenic coat, while his brother from the same litter may be aggressive and have a heavy shedding coat. I think it's fine to grab one from a rescue if you really really must have a weird doodle mutt, but there's no real reason to breed them, IMO. A dog is a companion, not a fashion trend. 
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May 14, 2012 18:15
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Eegah posted:Tater's first kindergarten class was today and the main thing I took away from it is that he's really a good dog and man, some other puppies got them some issues My border terrier Eccles has just started going to 'puppy school' as we call it and I've noticed our class has a few issue pups too. The worst is a very clumpy, thumpy (think bucking bronco) golden retriever of about 1 whose owner is a frail old women. This isn't normal puppy excitement bouncing, it's really smashing its feet hard into everything it can see. The handlers have to hold the dog the entire time during class as the owner just can't hold onto it. During off leash exercises her dog bounds into people and on a few occasions knocks people over. I have no idea why this dog is in with our standard puppy/junior class, looks to me like it needs 1 to 1. Eccles is pretty good at class which is nice as you never want to be the worst one there 
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May 17, 2012 08:35
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I should be getting a ~14 week old standard wire dachshund puppy in about a week and a half. Exciting! This is far from my first dog, but it is the first one I have had in an apartment or in the downtown area of a city. Do any of you have tips or things of note about keeping a dog in a heavily urban environment? Center city Philadelphia in this case. I keep having these paranoid fantasies about terrible things happening when I have to take the puppy for a walk at night to relive itself. Completely ridiculous, but then again I am used to being able to just let the dogs outside in a fenced in suburban back yard at night to take care of themselves before bed.
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May 17, 2012 15:50
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Dr Scoofles posted:My border terrier Eccles has just started going to 'puppy school' as we call it and I've noticed our class has a few issue pups too. The worst is a very clumpy, thumpy (think bucking bronco) golden retriever of about 1 whose owner is a frail old women. This isn't normal puppy excitement bouncing, it's really smashing its feet hard into everything it can see. The handlers have to hold the dog the entire time during class as the owner just can't hold onto it. During off leash exercises her dog bounds into people and on a few occasions knocks people over. That sounds pretty similar to our worst guy, who was a largish poodle whose idea of fun was knocking Tater and the other puppies over. Then you got the one who hates all carbon-based life forms and... yeah you know what, Tater's a pretty good dog 
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May 17, 2012 20:27
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So I brought this little lady home from the shelter on Saturday: 6 months old, about 12 pounds, dubious parentage. Today her name is Juniper, but it isn't quite set in stone. My first dog! So I don't quite know what I'm doing but am trying to follow all the advice here. Can't start puppy classes quite yet because she has kennel cough, alas. Anyway, I'm having a crate training problem! She doesn't mind going in the crate but she minds STAYING in the crate because I have two cats and she thinks they are the most awesome, fascinating things in the whole world (way more so than treats). If I close the crate door she gets sad, even if the crate is in another room from where the cats are (because she knows the cats still exist somewhere out there). I don't want her to think of the crate as a depressing place so I don't know how to go about keeping her in there without it becoming a punishment to her. She is not very motivated by food or any treats that I've tried. #1 motivator is definitely... cats. If the cats walk past when she's in the crate she's even starting to think about barking, and I sure wouldn't want her sitting in her crate barking up a storm when I'm not home (preferably we won't be having any barking at all thank you). Any tips?
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May 17, 2012 23:04
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Etheldreda posted:She is not very motivated by food or any treats that I've tried. This usually means you haven't tried enough treats or food yet, or that you're over-feeding. There are some dogs that aren't motivated by food, but they're pretty unusual in my experience, so start trying more novel items. Boiled chicken, hot dogs, string cheese, tuna fish, peanut butter, whatever is dog safe. Have you started playing any crate games? Are you feeding meals in the crate?
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May 18, 2012 14:23
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Hi, training thread! I just adopted my very first puppy yesterday and began using MrFurious's potty training guide. So far it's been excellent - Beau is now accustomed to going where he should (a tray of gravel on the balcony until his boosters) and we've only had one accident so far, but I have a small question. We've never needed the timer to go off. He either needs to go about five minutes before it's set to go off, or he doesn't nap that long or play that long, etc. I know part of the training is to get him accustomed to hearing the bell and knowing that's when it's time to go. Am I doing him a disservice by being too vigilant? ETA: He woke me up at 3am for a bathroom break (again, a few minutes before the timer) and after he peed he was too energized to go back to sleep, so I played with him for twenty minutes, took him out to pee again and he sacked out after five minutes of whining. I expected the midnight potty breaks but I didn't expect him to want to play. It's no hardship for me to play with him for a while, but I wonder if this is what I should be doing. Rufus En Fuego fucked around with this message at 19:24 on May 18, 2012 |
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May 18, 2012 19:12
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I don't think the bell is necessary for the dog. I'm sure it doesn't hurt, but if you're managing fine by preempting it, no biggie. The play at night can create a habit that you'll not be thrilled with as the pup ages. I would maybe try to provide a chewy toy or stuffed Kong or something to keep his attention as he goes back to sleep, if anything.
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May 18, 2012 19:29
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Excellent. Thanks. He has a Kong in his crate and I put a few treats inside, but they didn't last long. I meant to use peanut butter but I was hesitant about the honey roasted Skippy in the pantry. I'll stop by the store on the way home and grab some plain. Want to do right by this dog. 
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May 18, 2012 19:36
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Rufus En Fuego posted:Excellent. Thanks. He has a Kong in his crate and I put a few treats inside, but they didn't last long. I meant to use peanut butter but I was hesitant about the honey roasted Skippy in the pantry. I'll stop by the store on the way home and grab some plain. As ALL said, you're doing great. The kitchen timer is there as an enforcer for folks who can't manage their time well (including me). It makes sure that he gets out there at least every two hours, and if the dog is struggling with when to eliminate, he or she will be cued by the timer sound eventually. Sounds like this isn't necessary for you, so keep up the good work!
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May 18, 2012 19:58
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MrFurious posted:As ALL said, you're doing great. The kitchen timer is there as an enforcer for folks who can't manage their time well (including me). It makes sure that he gets out there at least every two hours, and if the dog is struggling with when to eliminate, he or she will be cued by the timer sound eventually. Sounds like this isn't necessary for you, so keep up the good work! I think we kind of have a combination of that going on. Yes, he's never unsupervised and we're able to catch him when he's giving signals, but sometimes this means taking him out five times an hour. He has access to water at all times (except at night) but when he drinks he tends to suck down as much water as he can so he's pretty much peeing constantly for the first half hour following. Do I just keep on him and eventually his ability to hold it will increase, or should I limit how much he drinks at a time? I don't want him to think I'll be able to take him out every ten minutes or whatever.
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May 18, 2012 20:09
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Rufus En Fuego posted:I think we kind of have a combination of that going on. Yes, he's never unsupervised and we're able to catch him when he's giving signals, but sometimes this means taking him out five times an hour. He has access to water at all times (except at night) but when he drinks he tends to suck down as much water as he can so he's pretty much peeing constantly for the first half hour following. Do I just keep on him and eventually his ability to hold it will increase, or should I limit how much he drinks at a time? I don't want him to think I'll be able to take him out every ten minutes or whatever. Depends on the age. For now I would recommend just sticking with what's working. Puppies tend to drink a whole lot, and that's fine and it's good for them, provided they aren't drinking until they throw up and it isn't causing issues with housetraining.
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May 18, 2012 23:24
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I can't tell you how awesome your potty training guide is. Beau just woke up from his nap and went to the door, so I let him out and he used his trays without prompting.
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May 19, 2012 02:02
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Two weeks ago I adopted a two year old Australian Shepherd and renamed her Laika. She previously lived in an outdoor pen on a ranch and her owner had to give her up after getting divorced and moving off of the ranch. Aside from some initial fear of going up steps, walking on linoleum, and other things that come with living indoors for the first time, she has been awesome. She has learned her new name, comes when called, walks nearly perfectly on and off leash, hasn't had any accidents in the house, leaves the cat alone, and goes in her crate when told and sometimes on her own to nap. She is shy and very submissive and I suspect that she had contact with only a few different people as a puppy. I brought her over to my friend's house and while shy at first, she was fine with their Aussie, Zedd, and my friends who were instructed to be calm around her. Other than the shyness, my only (admittedly minor) issue thus far is that she doesn't seem to know how to play. She is uninterested in toys and gets scared when I try to run around and get her excited. One of my friends said that they saw her pick up a stick that Zedd was playing with but that's the only time that she has even picked anything up. I have been trying to do clicker training but she gets scared and will sometimes spit out the treats I give her. I have been working on teaching sit and also trying to get her interested in toys but it has been slow. I bought a tennis ball with a squeaker and it gets her attention and she will sometimes lick it but that's it. My plan right now is to have her play with Zedd some more and also slowly clicker train her when she shows interest in her ball. Does anyone have any tips or experiences to share? I know that it hasn't been long since I got her and that I should be patient, but advice from other people who have been through this would be helpful at this stage. Some pictures... In Rattlesnake Creek  Laying nice with the cat 
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May 21, 2012 03:14
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who cares posted::words Some dogs just never care very much about toys, and that can be okay. I would try a flirt pole. Check the training thread for some details there - alifeless built her own not that long ago. The one thing that bothers me a little bit about your post is the bit about clicker training and spitting out the treat. That suggests to me that you haven't "charged" the clicker properly. How did you introduce the clicker and build that relationship with the dog? The other advice that I would offer is that you need to be very careful about the other dogs Laika meets until she becomes better socialized. Keep in mind that everyone believes their dog/child/whatever is a prime example of good citizenry, and we are rarely correct in these beliefs. So these people, and for the moment, you, are not qualified to evaluate these dogs as potential playmates. The only advice I can offer is to use this as a motivator to learn more. The training thread has some good book recommendations and places to start.
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May 21, 2012 03:40
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who cares posted:Other than the shyness, my only (admittedly minor) issue thus far is that she doesn't seem to know how to play. She is uninterested in toys and gets scared when I try to run around and get her excited. Play is a great relationship builder and really useful if you ever want to do any kind of sports with your doggie. I think play would be a good confidence boost for a shy dog like yours and I'm pretty sure you can get an Aussie to play if you put some effort into it.You're probably overwhelming her with running around and trying to get her excited so try to be a bit more low key for now. A dog will only play if she feels safe. I would probably first teach her to enjoy tug and work my way to play fetch from there. First you need to get her to realize it's ok to tug with you and you don't see it as a challenge, but a fun game. You also need to get her used to the feeling of someone pulling on something she's holding. If she's good with her food (i.e. not food aggressive), you can use a pig ear for this, or stuff a stocking with something the dog finds irresistible. A couple of days ago I got someone's dog who "never ever tugs on anything ever" to tug enthusiastically on a fresh rabbit's head in a stocking in less than 10 minutes. Yes it's disgusting, but try to think about what has value to the dog. Down the line you will be able to move to regular toys. How is she with you being all excited and running around in a context where there's no requirement for interaction for her, i.e. no pressure for her to do anything? If she's fine with that, I'd follow Susan Garrett's excellent instructions here: http://www.clickerdogs.com/createamotivatingtoy.htm Your dog will have as much enthusiasm for the toy as you are able to put into your acting, so make it count! Make sure your dog is comfortable with you acting all silly though, or you might make her want to play with you less. You can try shaping a tug as well. You can follow the instructions here up to the point where she will hold a thing in her mouth and gradually move to reinforcing her for holding on even though you are pulling on the thing she's holding. A shaped clicker fetch will have lots of reinforcement value built in, so she will likely learn to like holding things in the process: http://www.shirleychong.com/keepers/retrieve.html I could talk about teaching dogs to play all day, but I have to go to work. I still have a bunch of pointers I can give you, please let me know if you want to know more! Edit. If your dog is worried about the sound of the clicker, it's possible you can create an aversion for the treats you're using (treat = horrible end-of-world death sound). Box clickers are loud and pretty notorious for this. Try using a ball-point pen or one of those metal container lids with the little thing in the middle that pops up when you open the container (I think Snapple bottles come with these?) You can also use a marker word instead of a clicker - the clicker is actually only necessary for pretty specific stuff like shaping the retrieve in the link. For most stuff you won't need one and a marker word will be just fine. Also what MrFurious said. Rixatrix fucked around with this message at 05:54 on May 21, 2012 |
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May 21, 2012 05:48
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Rixatrix posted:You're probably overwhelming her with running around and trying to get her excited so try to be a bit more low key for now. A dog will only play if she feels safe. I would probably first teach her to enjoy tug and work my way to play fetch from there. First you need to get her to realize it's ok to tug with you and you don't see it as a challenge, but a fun game. You also need to get her used to the feeling of someone pulling on something she's holding. If she's good with her food (i.e. not food aggressive), you can use a pig ear for this, or stuff a stocking with something the dog finds irresistible. A couple of days ago I got someone's dog who "never ever tugs on anything ever" to tug enthusiastically on a fresh rabbit's head in a stocking in less than 10 minutes. Yes it's disgusting, but try to think about what has value to the dog. Down the line you will be able to move to regular toys. The Tug-It is good for this if you don't want to DIY or straight-up tug with food.
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May 21, 2012 06:12
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Engineer Lenk posted:The Tug-It is good for this if you don't want to DIY or straight-up tug with food. Also I just realized you've had this dog for just two short weeks and she's lived her life in a low-stimulus environment up until now. Give her time. Being around toy-playing dogs she's comfortable with will surely help her realize what fun play can be. She might just not "get it" quite yet. Be careful not to put pressure on her - you must come up with ways that make her want to play, not making her play because you want her to play (not sure if that makes sense).
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May 21, 2012 10:13
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Is is this an ok place for a rant? Years ago, my parents impulse bought a "cocker spaniel" from Amish BYB. They've never had a dog before, and of course the puppy was hyperactive, loud, and peed everywhere. They had no idea how to train it, and had no interest in training it either. The dog grew pretty large over the course of a few months (much larger than a cocker spaniel should be) and my parents had enough of having to do such time consuming things like walking the dog or cleaning up the poop/piss. They got tired of the dog and dumped it on my uncle, who is quite poor and definitely did not need the expense of a new dog. Recently, having forgotten how much they hated dog ownership, they bought a new puppy. While my dad was in an Oxycodone-induced haze from a surgery, my parents stopped at the Amish farmer's market again. This time they picked up a miniature Eskimo puppy. You know, the really hyper and intelligent breed that is NOT for novice owners. Not like they were going to do any research anyways... The dog luckily is quiet and calm for the most part, but they still refuse to go to a trainer and they are already on the path to create a really nervous dog. Their idea of playing with him involves just running and chasing him, and having my young cousins all run around chasing him and screaming and yelling. I don't know much about dog ownership but that just doesn't seem like it will have a good effect on the dog when he gets older. They also own several cats (and their terrible neglected treatment could fill an entire thread) and didn't even think about the fact that maybe the dog would chase them and hurt them. Is there any way I can try to convince them to at least take the puppy to a trainer? He's already on the path of thinking that biting hands is acceptable and has bitten my mother's leg so hard it bled and bruised up. He's a very sweet and cute dog and I don't want him to end up being given away or put in a shelter because my parents were too cheap to go to a trainer. EDIT: I also strongly suspect that the puppy has been "debarked" because he never makes a sound. If he is really really scared he will make a short high pitched squeak, so maybe I am wrong. script kitty fucked around with this message at 16:49 on May 22, 2012 |
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May 22, 2012 16:39
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No one seemed to cover this, but does anyone have a guide for wanting to adopt a kitten AND a puppy together?
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May 22, 2012 19:52
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toplitzin posted:No one seemed to cover this, but does anyone have a guide for wanting to adopt a kitten AND a puppy together? At the same time? I think the guide is really short. It reads: "Don't." I have little to no experience with cats, but taking two young animals on at the same time seems like self-masochism. I personally wouldn't even consider two puppies, let alone a puppy and a kitten.
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May 22, 2012 20:50
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ShadowCat posted:Is is this an ok place for a rant? I think this stuff either belongs in its own thread, or maybe even in E/N. Maybe buy a clicker and click and treat your parents every time they don't make dumb stupid decisions?
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May 22, 2012 21:00
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ShadowCat posted:Is is this an ok place for a rant? I would see if you can get them to try the puppy classes at Petsmart/Petco/etc. You can use the guise of it teaching the puppy manners, though pet-sensible people know the class is really good for teaching owners how to interact with their dogs.
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May 22, 2012 22:40
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Serella posted:I would see if you can get them to try the puppy classes at Petsmart/Petco/etc. You can use the guise of it teaching the puppy manners, though pet-sensible people know the class is really good for teaching owners how to interact with their dogs. I'm taking that class in a couple of weeks and I know drat well it's not really for the dog.
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May 22, 2012 22:53
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Rufus En Fuego posted:I'm taking that class in a couple of weeks and I know drat well it's not really for the dog. haha this is so true. The first thing the people I'm working for/shadowing was basically that. "90% of the class is for the owners. The dogs pick it all up pretty fast. The owners, not so much." It's totally true.
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May 22, 2012 23:08
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Rufus En Fuego posted:I'm taking that class in a couple of weeks and I know drat well it's not really for the dog. Yes, but you didn't buy a dog from the Amish, notorious puppy millers. Obviously you've got sense, but most people don't have a lick of it.
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May 23, 2012 02:01
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MrFurious posted:At the same time? I think the guide is really short. It reads: "Don't." What about two older shelter animals?
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May 23, 2012 04:29
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toplitzin posted:What about two older shelter animals? You'll see bonded pairs every so often, but they're usually two cats or two dogs. If you call around to rescues, you might find a dog + cat that were given up together, or have been fostered together and get along OK. Getting two animals who don't know each other already seems like it'd be way more stress than it's worth. Even staggering by a month or two would help, because you'd have time to bond and establish a routine with the first animal.
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May 23, 2012 05:33
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