New puppy

goat2

ryanf1 wrote: »

I dont have alot more to add really but we have a cocker spaniel for nearly 13 years now so just a few little things/
Now is the time to set down the ground rules, as you would with a small child. Our guy has grown up with us throwing him scraps of food off the dinner table which now has him whinging while we're eating, putting some food in his bowl after would have solved it but its too late now.
Thats just one example,there are a few others too.
Teach him to play nicely and to respect you etc. They are great dogs though and so friendly and loyal. As im typing this hes asleep beside me!

i do put the lot in one plate in the end of the meal and leave my three jrt,s take what the like from it, they love it all mashed up with gravy, their favourite veg is carrot, and potato, and i break up whatever meat we are having with the dinner and make a big mash of it and the gravy, they love it, also there is no gas after that kind of meal, i do find the tinned food cause a bit of gas and with three dogs it could get smelly, so the bit of veg stops that, they watch us eating, and they know theirs is coming when they see me putting all on one dish and mashing it up,
repeating commands over and over and over is what gets things right,
just a few, like the words, no, come, dropit, sit, walkies, i have mine down to a t now, but family are not so good with thise things,
they tell me that while i am out, the dogs walk all over them, but it is their own fault, and anyway i am the main carer of the little darlings anyway. i also use the command jump in when i am taking them in car,

goat2

Zulu wrote: »

re the toilet training. Have you the basics covered?
Is someone cleaning the floor/accident areas with bleach? (The smell of ammonia in the bleach smells like pee, so the dog will pee there again)

i had been doing that also and discovered that anywhere i used bleach they peed on,
i changed it to flash with fabreze and it did the trick, it leaves a lovely smell also, and it cleans brilliantly, i use the spray bottle and spray the spot it goes further using the spray bottle, and then you can buy the refills,

ABajaninCork

Wipe over the areas with a little vinegar and water to get rid of the smell!

What a cute pic of Rufus! He's lovely!!:D

Have you got his training sorted yet??

gimmick

Going to Hop Island tmr evening for his first lesson.

I have found he is a lot easier to deal with since he got his last shots done. Being able to take him out and running him is great.

gimmick

Don't want to start a new topic every time so am going to bump this.

Rufus is getting on great and we have been to a few socialisation groups which is going pretty well. Just one thing, and I am not sure is this a good or a no so good thing - when he meets other dogs, he goes straight to ground on his back showing his belly. Now, I know its not bad, in so far as he could be doing worse things when he meets other dogs, but is it okay for him to be this passive?

Of course as i say that, when he didn't do that last night, he got way over excited play fighting with another dog and actually got quite aggressive.

Dunny

Lola does the same, just goes straight on her back. :??:

Zulu

Yeah that's grand. I'm guessing he tries to lick their noses when he's on his back aswell?

That's his way of saying "hey, I'm only a little puppy, I'm not looking for anything only play - i won't take food, territory, nothing". As he gets older this will change to a more adult-submissive stance. It's just highlighting he's a puppy.

gimmick

Not sure about the nose licking. Will keep an eye for it.

A vet friend of mine said to me, and I think its a great bit of advice, is to make sure your dog knows he is a dog. Lots don't apparently, and that is why they have behavioral issues.

Zulu

gimmick wrote: »

Lots don't apparently, and that is why they have behavioral issues.

Big time! One common mistake is people picking up their dog when they (the person) thinks dogs are being aggressive.

I've only had to step in once. I let Chloe sort it out herself as much as possible. Frankly, she knows FAR, FAR more about doggy interactions than I do. I just try to be a passive leader, and "appear" to know what I'm doing. I take care of the humans, and let her sort out the canine - it's only fair.

Whispered

gimmick wrote: »

A vet friend of mine said to me, and I think its a great bit of advice, is to make sure your dog knows he is a dog. Lots don't apparently, and that is why they have behavioral issues.

I don't understand what this means at all. Can you expand a bit. Like does your friend mean that the dog doesn't know how to act like a dog, or your dog sees other dogs as being different to them, or that the dog thinks it's a person etc.

The puppy rolling over thing is grand, I wouldn't worry about it. I also wouldn't worry too much about the rough play. It's not aggression, he just got a bit over aroused. Next time he's playing, keep a close eye on him and you'll see the signals that he's starting to loose control a bit. Give them a break then, just for a min to gather themselves. It'd do no harm to interrupt games occasionally for a treat or a toy or something so that when he does get over excited it'll be easier for you to get his attention because he's used to being called away from his game for something nice.

jeanadamz

You should train them to where they should do release their wastes. According to our vet, pet dogs should take 2 meals a day and if its a puppy shall drink milk every time they are hungry. They shall drink a lot of milk so that they could have a lot of calcium for strong bones. For better advice, seek your vet and have them checked.

SillyMangoX

No vet should be giving advice for pups to drink milk they will only get the runs. There is enough calcium in any complete puppy food and fresh water should be available.

Dunny

I thought cats and dogs are lactose intollerant??

Zulu

Dogs should not drink cow juice!

gimmick

Whispered wrote: »

I don't understand what this means at all. Can you expand a bit. Like does your friend mean that the dog doesn't know how to act like a dog, or your dog sees other dogs as being different to them, or that the dog thinks it's a person etc.

The dog can think he is people if all he is around is people and he is allowed dominate. Basically, he says, the dog should always come second and the dog should know this. Not in any bad way, he has an amazing red setter who is the best behaved most social and friendly dog you will ever meet, but he means it that you as the person is boss.

IvySlayer

gimmick wrote: »

Don't want to start a new topic every time so am going to bump this.

Rufus is getting on great and we have been to a few socialisation groups which is going pretty well. Just one thing, and I am not sure is this a good or a no so good thing - when he meets other dogs, he goes straight to ground on his back showing his belly. Now, I know its not bad, in so far as he could be doing worse things when he meets other dogs, but is it okay for him to be this passive?

Of course as i say that, when he didn't do that last night, he got way over excited play fighting with another dog and actually got quite aggressive.

Rolling on his back is not uncommon, especially for a puppy who are instinctively submissive. Aggressive in what way? Perhaps just got a tad over excited!

gimmick

Ya, he was just over excited I think. He just got quite bitey when I was trying to put him back on the lead.

IvySlayer

gimmick wrote: »

Ya, he was just over excited I think. He just got quite bitey when I was trying to put him back on the lead.

Puppy tantrum

DBB

gimmick wrote: »

Whispered wrote: »

I don't understand what this means at all. Can you expand a bit. Like does your friend mean that the dog doesn't know how to act like a dog, or your dog sees other dogs as being different to them, or that the dog thinks it's a person etc.

The dog can think he is people if all he is around is people and he is allowed dominate. Basically, he says, the dog should always come second and the dog should know this. Not in any bad way, he has an amazing red setter who is the best behaved most social and friendly dog you will ever meet, but he means it that you as the person is boss.

Hmm. Whilst I have no doubt that your vet has great expertise in animal health issues, very, very few vets have any behavioural training. Given what your vet has told you, I can tell you s/he's one of the thousands who have had no behavioural training. It's akin to a GP giving psychological therapy... They're simply not trained to, and it us inappropriate for them to attempt to.
Dogs do not think they are human, neither do they have any desire to dominate humans. This has been proven, scientifically, and is a well known fact amongst properly qualified behaviourists and enlightened dog owners.
When humans allow their dogs to jump up, the dog will continue to jump up, as it gets them attention. When a dog pulls on the lead, it gets him from A to B quicker. When the dog growls at the child who tries to take his bone away, it gets rid of the child. I hope you can see the process at work here: if doing something works for a dog, he will do it again. If a human does something that works for us, we'll do it again. Same for horses, ants, jellyfish, apes, goldfish... Just name an animal with a brain, and the same thing applies. It is simple learning theory. If it works, repeat it. If it doesn't, don't. This is not the same thing as dominance, far from it, yet each of the above problem behaviours, and many more, are wrongfully attributed to dominance. We don't need such convoluted and, quite frankly hocus-pocus explanations for problem behaviours.
The whole dominance ideology is based on a theory developed by a scientist who has long since retracted his findings as he realised his research was based on a highly unnatural pack of captive wolves. Wolves- like dogs, but not dogs, no more than we are chimpanzees. Problem is, many untrained trainers, and indeed vets, cling to this notion that everything a dog does can be explained by it attempting a hostile takeover of the human race. The misguided, unprofessional, and wrong diagnosis of "dominance" results in the dog being abused with the necessary punitive techniques which one would deem necessary to counteract this "dominance": how else do we make a dog "know" he is "2nd best"? Even though he has absolutely zero concept of what being "dominant" or "2nd best" are? How do we teach a dog something that is utterly intangible to him? His lack of being able to grasp an ungraspable concept, I'm afraid, results in abuse, punishment, and sometimes, death.
If dogs were really like this, if all they wanted was to dominate humans, how could we possibly keep them as pets? I wish a dominance theorist would/could answer this for me, but until they do, I'll continue to ask this question every time this topic arises. I've asked it many times to date!
Let's take dogs and children to illustrate. Humans can encourage and promote unwanted behaviours due to poor training and lack of understanding of learning theory, both in dogs, and in children. The result is a bold dog, or a bold child. Same mechanism, same process, same resultant problem. But you never hear anyone accusing a naughty child of trying to dominate them! Spoiled, perhaps, but dominant? No. So why do dogs get the nonsensical rap? Is it perhaps because some humans rather fancy the thought of being the dominant force over a domesticated wolf?
I'll save myself having to go through it all yet again, even though a kinda have already. OP, do yourself and your vet a favour, and read this website, developed by appropriately qualified behaviourists and behavioural scientists. It explains it all better than I can:
www.dogwelfarecampaign.org

gimmick

Finished a 4 class training course last night and I'm afraid poor rufus finished with the dunces cap. He was far more interested in tearing my jeans and runners rather than sitting and listening last night. Infuriating, as he did his tasks perfectly. He was sent straight to bed when we got home I was so annoyed with him.

I know what the problem is, when he is overtired, he starts acting the brat, much like any child. He chooses his moments though!!!

cocker5

gimmick wrote: »

Finished a 4 class training course last night and I'm afraid poor rufus finished with the dunces cap. He was far more interested in tearing my jeans and runners rather than sitting and listening last night. Infuriating, as he did his tasks perfectly. He was sent straight to bed when we got home I was so annoyed with him.

I know what the problem is, when he is overtired, he starts acting the brat, much like any child. He chooses his moments though!!!

Puppies will be puppies... and to be very honest they have a short attention span, so he was probably fed up of training thats why he started to get silly etc... BTW i dont mean this is a bad way but there is no point in sending him to bed when he got home beacuse you are annoyed with him, he has long forgotten what he did in the class.... and in his mind he getting in trouble for nothing, dogs dont think like humans if you dont correct him at the time of the incident theres no point. Dogs forget within minutes what they have done, so you holding a grudge even for just one night is pointless im afraid

the rolling on his back thing, my cocker does this alot too... he nearly 8, he's very submissive, he drops on his back for a belly rub at the drop of a hat... even with other dogs, its not a bad thing at all... he's being submissive...

BTW he's a the most adorable cocker ive ever seen (God if my cocker was to hear me say that he would be gutted )

Keep up the good work with him!

andreac

Seriously, its a live animal you have here, not a robot. Being annoyed with him when you came home is very unfair if you ask me. Hes a baby and he should enjoy being a baby.

Please dont expect too much from him, hes a puppy and puppies have fun and mess and be bold, thats what they do and you shouldnt discourage that either or you will end up with a poor dog that is afraid to look at you wrong in fear of being in trouble.

I have a 6 year old entire male rottie and you should see the way he behaves sometimes, its funny and entertaining and i wouldnt change it for the world.
So please go easy on your poor dog as it sounds to me like you are expecting an awful lot from him. Let him be a dog and have fun.

gimmick

Erra, he wasn't sent to bed without dinner in trouble or anything. I knew he was knackered, there was no point in not putting him to bed when we got home. Took him out again about 2 hours later to do his business and it was bed time for all then.

Whispered

gimmick wrote: »

He was far more interested in tearing my jeans and runners rather than sitting and listening last night. Infuriating, as he did his tasks perfectly. !

Training classes are to teach the owner how to teach the dog. It really doesn't matter if he listened, so long as you did.

snowgal

erra, shtop this jibber jabber and put up more pics will ya!! More Rufus!

Zulu

gimmick wrote: »

Finished a 4 class training course last night and I'm afraid poor rufus finished with the dunces cap!

He's still only a baby though. Focus on positive encouragement at this point.

Funnily, I find Chloe is a LOT more compliant when she's tired!

gimmick

Same here. Usually after his walk he is quite good, but when he goes beyond tired and will not give into it is when he gets brattish.

We go to a socialisation/agility course class on Tuesday evenings, and he is excellent with the other dogs and is quite good on the agility course. But at the end of it, because he has just run himself into the ground, the ankle biting starts again. We get him to the car, and bang, thats rufus finished until tomorrow.

Zulu

...so it's him telling you he wants to go home!

gimmick

Here is a pic of him last week after the socialisation/agility class. He has taken to the cats crate as his sanctuary, and the toy dog (his pillow) is rufus' pet



Thats one pooped pup.

BullBauld

Hey gimmick

For some reason I can never see any of your pics either here or in the pets pic thread. And it seems I'm missing out big time

Can you maybe post as a jpeg so I can see Rufus. Nice name by the way

Cheers

Bull