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Yeah this is nice and cleaned up, well done.  As for people deciding on which breed may work for them, what do you guys think of suggesting they check out the Dogs 101 show on Animal Planet (episodes are also available online)? Of the episodes I've seen they've been pretty good at giving a decent idea of what a certain breed is like and its care requirements. Except the fact they have episodes on "designer dogs." Ugh.
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Mar 11, 2012 18:34
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| # ¿ May 5, 2024 14:53 |
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What the gently caress, I did not see the pit episode, ugh. Nevermind then, clearly I didn't see enough episodes. I do agree about the "tells people it's okay to get whatever breed they want" thing a bit too, they really didn't drive it home how much work some dogs are.
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Mar 11, 2012 18:45
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Some tips are not to make a big fuss of your coming and going, and reserve a super delicious amazing treat (like a Kong stuffed with peanut butter and frozen) for when and ONLY when you leave the house. Someone else can probably go into better detail.
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Mar 12, 2012 02:01
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Well... could one of us put it on our blog? That was partially why I made my blog, to write down helpful stuff to be able to link people to.
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Mar 12, 2012 04:30
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Beef posted:Brand new dog owner here, trying to get through the trials and tribulations of a 8 week old Groenendael pup called Faro: Never stop posting, so that I may live vicariously through you.  I've been fawning over/researching Groens for the past few months. I haven't yet decided if I'll get a Groen puppy or go for a shelter puppy yet. It'll be a year or so before I'm ready for another dog, though. So in the meantime I'll just watch your puppy grow up.
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Sep 18, 2013 18:09
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^^^ I think he was talking to Martytoof. It confused me too.a life less posted:
And for a little fun fact to expand on this, Canada is better about acknowledging this. In Canada all Belgian shepherds can interbreed, whereas here in America only a Groen can be bred to a Groen to get Groen puppies. The bigger gene pool is also why the Canadian Belgians have a better chance in the health department. So I might go for a Canadian Belgian, since I have no real interest in registration/showing/breeding. Martytoof, I used to work doggie daycare and I really don't recommend it from a behavioral standpoint. It's tied with dog parks in the "worst place to socialize your puppy" area. Even if your aim is to just tucker her out, there's a lot of risk. Some people think that just because their dog likes other dogs means it'll enjoy being stuck in a room with 10-20 dogs. Nope. Many of the dogs I had were overwhelmed or terrified in large groups. They would do great with one or two dogs, but once more came in they just sat in a corner uncomfortable. I saw a few puppies get ruined as well. Some of the dogs played very rough, and especially liked to pick on the small/shy ones. These puppies learned that other dogs weren't so great and would be MUCH more quick to lash out during play, because that's the only thing that (sometimes) got the "I'm uncomfortable with this" message across. Daycare attendants are typically just some bored minimum wage high schooler, and I saw many bad manners unknowingly reinforced (jumping, mouthing, etc.). Some daycares will even use squirt bottles as punishment, which is really not recommended. If we had removed every dog that I saw was uncomfortable in daycare we'd have lost half our business, so I couldn't say anything unless it was actually a dangerous situation. If you can find a daycare that separates dogs into VERY small groups based on play style, that will be your best bet. Otherwise I would just hire a petsitter or dog walker. Sorry for the wall of text, I get very huffy about daycare after working in them and seeing how frustrating they are.
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Sep 18, 2013 21:32
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Groenendaels, Tervurens, Malinois and Laekenois are all considered the same breed. There really should be no variation in their temperaments. The variety is probably more attributable to the lines from which the dogs come.
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Labs and goldens are typically fairly hardy dogs when it comes to daycare (in my personal experience). Although one of the worst bullies we had in daycare was a teenage black lab. He was one of the most dickish "haha gently caress you I do what I want" dogs I ever met. I had one golden who was excellent, very appropriate play, very resilient, well-behaved. All the other goldens I had only cared about trying to meld with and love on the people. The problem with many daycare workers is they don't understand canine body language and either don't notice or misinterpret some things. I thought I would facepalm hard enough to leave a bruise when my manager matter-of-factly said that one of the dogs was "resource guarding the gate" - it was barrier frustration. Sorry, I'm rambling about nothing important. Good luck.
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Sep 18, 2013 22:09
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For pet insurance you're probably way better off just putting away money each month into a savings account (and have a decent chunk saved up already before getting the dog). That way there's no hassle or worrying whether whatever happened to your pup will be covered or not. You could also look into CareCredit.
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Sep 27, 2013 01:58
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It depends, I guess. As much as you can would obviously be best. Also depends on other things like what breed of dog you have, where it came from, etc. If you have an English bulldog? Oh yeah, get all the insurance you can. Did you get a dog from a breeder that skimps on the health testing? Yeah, might be a good idea to get it (though ideally you would have gone to a breeder who does thorough health testing, blah blah blah). Some insurance companies will cover fewer issues on purebreds. Also cryingscarf had a good point. It CAN be worth getting in some cases. I have a stupidly healthy dog and have never really needed it, so it would be a waste of money for me (I do put money into savings in case something happens). I can't really tell you which pet insurance people are sketchy or not, I only have experience with CareCredit.
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Sep 27, 2013 02:46
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Beef posted:Thanks for the pointers McFurious. It is a good idea to teach some bite inhibition (that gentle biting is okay), yes, so that if she does mouth she'll do so with an appropriate pressure. I personally recommend not letting them see/use your hands and arms as toys, though, and would redirect her to a toy (in addition to the "ow!" and withdrawal of hands). I ONLY recommend yelping if the puppy isn't further aroused and excited by it, but with some puppies it works well to startle/interrupt them. But I do prefer the "ow!" as a sort of no reward marker, as you have been doing. I have heard of the butter idea before, but I have to agree it's a little impractical (and I personally don't want to encourage excessive licking, but to each their own). Edit: ^^^ As you can see from Kiri Koli's post some dogs require more tailored approaches. It can be tricky to find out which techniques work best for your dog, but typical puppy mouthing is fairly easy to deal with. Skizzles fucked around with this message at 14:52 on Oct 10, 2013 |
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Oct 10, 2013 14:47
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Shadow has never had the slightest interest in peanut butter and is really "meh" about yogurt. If I were to put something he really likes in a puzzle toy, he won't bother because he doesn't like food enough to put effort into getting it (except doing obedience/tricks, he has fun with that). Sometimes I wonder if he thinks that since the food isn't easily accessible/given straight to him, he assumes it is Not For Him and doesn't try. The one time I was able to get him to get food out of a Kong is when I loosely packed some turkey slices in one, and even then he was kinda "meh" about it. What I have found that he quite likes is when I put wet food on/in a bone and freeze it. It's great because it's directly accessible and he doesn't have to work to get it out of a toy, but it's frozen so it still takes him a while and gives him something to do. So if you have a dog who isn't big on toys/food, experiment and see if you can find something they like.
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Oct 14, 2013 21:00
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Greyhounds are excellent apartment dogs. People think they need a ton of exercise, but they're really huge couch potatoes. A high-energy breed CAN do okay in an apartment, but it's a lot of work. I like Super suggestion of just going for some small-medium lazy mutt from the shelter. Maybe check into one living in a foster home, fosters always know the dog's energy level better (and whether or not they're barky little shits). Dogs like Shelties and Pomeranians probably won't be your best bet, they have a reputation for being very barky (but of course every dog is different).
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Oct 18, 2013 15:56
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Yeah the OP's a little harsh. I would say if you live alone, work full-time, AND go to school you might wanna hold off on getting a dog. But just working a 9-5 gig is fairly doable, especially if you have a fiance to help out and can stop by the house on lunch breaks.
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Oct 18, 2013 21:39
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I personally don't really recommend dog parks (or doggie daycares) for most dogs, especially young puppies. It probably won't be the end of the world, but the dogs and people that go to dog parks can be unpredictable and/or stupid. Even though dogs are "evaluated" (and I use that term lightly) at doggie daycare, some dogs pass it even though they shouldn't be there. At the last doggie daycare I worked at they put all the dogs in one tiny room, regardless of play style. That meant the shy, timid ones were often getting picked on by the obnoxious, rough-playing bullies. It's not uncommon for dogs, especially puppies, to learn to hate other dogs in daycare/dog parks. The dogs who were bullied became really quick to lash out and the puppies would pick up annoying habits from the other dogs (including the bullying).
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Oct 19, 2013 18:22
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lazerwolf posted:On the topic of choke/prong collars, can anyone provide a good reason/source to show any adverse effects of using a choke/prong collar? Your worries are correct. Prong collars are a quick "fix" with the potential for a lot of nasty side-effects (physical and behavioral). It's especially a bad idea to put a prong on puppies; they are still growing and developing, pulling on a prong collar could more easily damage them physically than a fully developed adult dog. Second, dogs aren't really that good at connecting the pain of the prong collar with the act of pulling. They connect that pain with whatever they're focused on (another dog, a child, a stranger, etc.). This can potentially cause them to develop an unpleasant association with these things and result in some nasty leash-reactivity (which is a bitch to fix). Here are some quick and dirty articles. I wish I had some more scientific stuff, but these are pretty good for the most part. http://www.suzanneclothier.com/the-articles/training-prong-collar http://drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/which-types-of-collars-and-harnesses-are-safe-for-your-dog http://barksfromtheguild.wordpress....rand=4fa5d0696e Edit: And like adventure in the sandbox said, prong collars often don't even work for pulling. I've known many dogs who still pull on choke or prong collars because all they've learned is that pulling (even if it's painful) is what gets them to go where they want. They need to be taught instead that they only get to go where they want by NOT pulling - teach them what you WANT them to do instead. It's much clearer for them. I would really recommend a no-pull harness. My favorite is the Freedom harness. SENSE-ation/SENSE-ible harnesses are great as well. Easy Walks are okay but not the best from what I've seen. Leashes are REALLY unnatural to dogs. They don't understand why they have to be tethered when out and about, they just want to run around and sniff things. It's like going to Disneyland but being told you have to stay by your parents. So it's best to teach them that staying with you is fun and awesome. Here's a good article with some tips on teaching loose-leash walking: http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/15_10/features/Training-Loose-Leash-Walking_20624-1.html Skizzles fucked around with this message at 16:41 on Nov 4, 2013 |
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Nov 4, 2013 16:34
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Yeah but that's 'cause he knows a prong means "we goin," dogs are kinda too dumb to fully grasp that the prong is what causes the pinchy discomfort. Some dogs are way more sensitive to physical correction, some are like "lol is there something on my neck?" The Freedom harnesses I've used on pits I petsat were enough to give me control. I certainly don't say "YOUR DOG IS GUARANTEED TO BECOME A RUINED REACTIVE MESS IF YOU USE A PRONG!!!!!" because obvs some do fine on it. But anything trained with a prong can (typically) be trained with methods that carry way less potential fallout and I will probs never use them. It's mostly the idiots who get them just because they think the pain will make their dog stop pulling or who merely think "yank hard when dog does any little thing I don't like" who wind up with hosed up dogs. Then there's your bonus dumbass who preaches "it imitates the correction a mother would give its pup!!!!" Because everyone knows a mother dog's mouth is exactly like a row of double metal prongs around most of the neck, and that mother dogs clearly correct their dogs well into adulthood. Yes, that is perfect. I have Feelings about prongs but idgaf what you do, Super. It's mostly the idiots.
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Nov 6, 2013 17:38
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Depending on what head collar it is, it may (allegedly) hit calming pressure points behind the ears. I totally forget about head collars. The New Trix is by far my favorite head collar. I could walk my friend's leash-reactive GSD with only a pinky on that thing. Surprising amount of control. I just always default to harnesses because there's little to no fuss with desensitization, as is needed with head collars.
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Nov 6, 2013 18:06
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I honestly think that is a confession most people (even behavior savvy ones) with head collars have, really.  poo poo takes effort.
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Nov 7, 2013 03:29
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As far as whichever one works best, that depends on your dog. What exactly are looking for? Brands and types, basically?
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Nov 7, 2013 04:22
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Waltzing Along posted:Crate: Do you know if he's house-trained? Crates are really helpful for house-training, but they're also really helpful if you've got a dog who will destroy poo poo while you're out. There's not really a recommended crate, just your typical wire crate or Vari kennel will work fine. It should be big enough for him to stand and turn around, but that's mainly for house-training. If he's by any chance already really well house-trained feel free to get him a slightly larger one if you want. You can put whatever he likes in there. A bed or blanket, unless he's one of the many dogs who likes to rip those to shreds when bored. Water bowl is fine, but probably not necessary unless you'll be gone for several hours or it's really hot. Some dogs just end up tipping the water bowl over by accident (but you can get ones that affix to the bars). Ideally he shouldn't be left in the crate for more than 8 hours. Less is better, obviously. Look into crate games to teach him to enjoy being in his crate. Never use it for punishment/time-outs. It probably helps just for the sake of routine to keep the crate in one location but unless you have a particularly sensitive pup it shouldn't be a big deal if you move it. Waltzing Along posted:Food: Diet is a question better left to your vet. It will depend on how much exercise he gets as well. Most people consider dogs no longer a puppy around 1 year old, but eh. He'll be entering his boundary-testing rear end in a top hat teenager phase soon so don't be surprised if he turns out to be... well, an rear end in a top hat. For a while, at least. Some dogs are worse than others. Waltzing Along posted:Stuff to buy: Other than food, obviously, seems good enough. Water bowl for crate is up to you. Maybe a bed, unless you have an old pillow or something at home for him to use. Waltzing Along posted:The first day: I would personally give him time to settle in and just chill. The crate is only really necessary if he's still not quite house-trained or will destroy poo poo while you're out. Like I said earlier, look into crate games, maybe try doing a little bit of those after the first day or two. It depends on your pup really. Some are immediately comfortable no matter where they go, others take a while to settle in and feel secure. I'm really loving tired so this is probably a rambling mess.
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Nov 8, 2013 04:45
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I agree with a life less that I would wait to neuter until 6 months at the absolute earliest. If it were my dog I'd probably even wait until a year, maybe a little more. But I can completely understand someone not wanting to deal with an intact dog for that long, so if you wanted to snip earlier that's cool. But 8 weeks is absurd, in my opinion, especially from a breeder.
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Nov 13, 2013 18:03
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^ What she said. Many shelters/rescues will not adopt out intact animals anymore because (in some areas) overpopulation is a much worse problem than whether or not some dog's growth plates have closed yet.
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Nov 14, 2013 16:51
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I don't really see a problem with keeping her food in the crate (often a good idea to teach them to enjoy being in the crate), but I imagine some dogs could get weird about not wanting to pee near their food. Agreeing that an enzymatic cleaner should be used to clean up accidents. If you soak it in that you will get up every trace of urine that she can still smell, but we can't. Typically if they can still smell it, they'll think it's still an okay place to pee. But originally I came here to post this, as I think it's a good read to help new (and old) dog owners better understand their dogs: http://blog.smartanimaltraining.com/2013/11/19/when-is-controlling-our-dog-too-controlling/
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Nov 19, 2013 17:40
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Oh yeah I didn't think about free feeding. Take the above advice.
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Nov 19, 2013 19:54
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Are you making wearing the collar/harness a fun experience? Collar/harness going on = treats/play/praise/petting/whatever he really wants at the moment.
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Dec 3, 2013 05:38
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It's a popular myth amongst some people because dogs tend to get growly or over-excited during tug and can get mouthy with hands. So some people thought it causes dogs to become aggressive, which is of course bullshit. Tug is a fantastic game, but it should be played with boundaries/rules (drop it when I say, mostly).
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Dec 4, 2013 05:09
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I just glanced over the site real quick, but I don't like the fact they've had six litters since August. Seriously, am I reading that right?
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Dec 8, 2013 06:24
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Instant Jellyfish posted:Some of their bitches look kind of rough in the puppy photos too. I noticed that too. Those spines.  Especially with Danes who can be prone to some pretty severe health issues and really need healthy joints or they'll be miserable, I would absolutely not settle for any breeder who doesn't do some thorough genetic testing.
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Dec 8, 2013 17:08
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Weltlich posted:On the food front, I've figured out that he will eat if his food is placed in either of the other dogs' bowls here on the farm. So, either: It's hard to say. Some dogs are just selfish shits and have a "No I want THEIR stuff, they can't have any!" attitude. I think this is probably the most likely reason. Maybe just try trading his bowl for one of the other dogs' and see what he does. You could always try treat-dispensing toys, too. Cattledogs tend to love a challenge. I bought the JW Amaze-a-ball for my border collie and she loves it. Took her no time at all to figure out. They're definitely nice for when I (for whatever reason) can't walk them and need to keep her busy brain occupied.
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Dec 22, 2013 00:28
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Agreeing that the benefits of good socialization/potty training outweigh the risks of getting sick (but of course be careful to avoid any areas that carry a high risk of disease). Definitely look up how to socialize puppies properly. Improper socialization can create some problems that are really difficult to undo. Many people think socialization just means exposing your puppy to various things (other dogs, strangers, children, cyclists, other potentially scary things, etc.). You need to make sure that exposure is a positive experience. Bring lots of high value treats everywhere you go. You never know when something new will pop up.
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Dec 23, 2013 00:58
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Have you tried pieces of cheese or turkey? Those two are my dog's favorites. He'll turn his nose up at kibble as a treat, but he'll do almost anything for cheese or turkey. Hot dog pieces are also a huge hit with him, plus they're cheap and last quite a while (the pieces need only be about the size of your pinky nail). There are even some dogs who go apeshit for broccoli.
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Dec 23, 2013 02:57
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One of my dogs all-time favorites is cheese. I just tear up some cheap slices of American or go buy the cheap string cheese and he loves it. Turkey in any form is his other favorite. There is also "puppy crack" - the Natural Balance food rolls you can find in most pet stores. The lamb one is the easiest to cut up, some of the other flavors are too crumbly. But I agree with Instant Jellyfish - chances are you could be presenting your dog with a raw steak and she wouldn't take it. The other puppies are WAY more interesting at the moment. I personally worry about it turning into leash reactivity if it's not dealt with in a better way soon. But I'm paranoid 'cause I really really hate working with reactivity.
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Jan 9, 2014 05:00
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Engineer Lenk posted:Natural Balance is only mid-level with my dogs, on par with string cheese. Tripe is the super-high-value treat that comes out once in a blue moon. I know another person who swears by tripe. Her dog is not really food-motivated at all, but he will bend over backwards for tripe. So when all else fails, try tripe I guess.
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Jan 9, 2014 18:13
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Could just be that that couch is REALLY comfy. My dog likes people but he's not the touchy-feely kind who has to be around them constantly. He does like to at least stay in the same room as me, which is why there is a dog bed in the living room and one in the big dining/kitchen/office area. But ever since I added a comforter to the dog bed in the dining/kitchen/office area he prefers that bed and will stay on it even when I'm in the living room sometimes.
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Jan 9, 2014 18:31
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Take the dog back. Be honest to the staff about why. Choose a dog that actually fits your drat lifestyle. There's no sense in keeping her if you're both going to be miserable. Seriously, there's a pretty wide array of dogs in shelters. You're bound to find one that fits you better. She needs to go to a home with someone more outgoing and active, maybe someone into training.
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Jan 14, 2014 16:56
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I think you would benefit a lot more from having a behaviorist come to your home for private sessions to work on her issues than going to an obedience class. That's some pretty serious behavior for a 13-week-old puppy.
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Jan 26, 2014 20:18
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I looked on IAABC for actual behaviorists in your area (anyone can be a dog trainer, you have to actually have an education to be a behaviorist). Apparently Brenda Aloff is about 85 miles from you. Too bad that's a lovely drive, I hear she's good. The closest CAAB I could find on Animal Behavior Society's site is in Ann Arbor. I dunno if that's too much of a drive as well. Her website is here: http://www.aboutdogsllc.com/ But definitely avoid Bark Busters. I can almost guarantee they will ruin your puppy. The Good Little Dog lady may be fine, I didn't poke around her site too much but she seems decent, nothing special. I don't know how much experience she has with resource guarding/aggression, especially in such a young puppy.
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Jan 26, 2014 23:52
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anaaki posted:Ah Ann Arbor is 3 hours from me Oh I may have gotten your location wrong then, so you may want to re-search. $600 for a 2-hour session is ludicrous. I charge $60 for an hour, which is still fairly cheap since I'm a noob, but I don't know any decent trainer who charges over $150. I would definitely check into the Skype thing. I know Emily Larlham (Dogmantics dog training) will also do Skype consults, you could check with her as well.
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Jan 27, 2014 02:19
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I politely declined and hung up.
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That's awesome! Hope she can really help you and your pup. Keep us updated.
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Jan 28, 2014 03:14
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| # ¿ May 5, 2024 14:53 |
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Depends on the dogs. There aren't many dogs I would trust to be stuck in a crate together for hours. I would personally feel safer giving them each their own crate. Plus, part of the purpose of a crate is to keep them from going to the bathroom, so you have to have a crate small enough to prevent them from wanting to soil it. I dunno how small they are, but in a big enough crate they might just end up using a corner as the poop/pee area, which can obviously get messy, especially with two in there. This all of course depends on how well the dogs are housetrained and such.
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Feb 20, 2014 18:03
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