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So, I'm back to getting a dog...
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So, I havent updated in a little while because I wanted to let time pass and see what transpired!
Well, things are up and down. He's still very anxious if I'm not about and still bouncing off the door outside. Somedays he doesnt do it at all, and some days he's pretty consistent about doing it. Inside he has kinda gotten bored of getting on the counter tops but I've also gotten fed up of having to wash everything and put everything away or risk it getting dragged around the kitchen. So, operation "reclaim kitchen" has started and I'm making a nice indoors kennel for him starting this weekend. He wont like it one little bit, but its either that or he lives outside because I need a kitchen
Hopefully he takes to it and I'l put lots of treats in there the first day.
Walks have been better and I can take him off the lead now, with care! Its hard to do it 7 days a week but so far we havent missed one. Mostly because he gets very ratty when he hasnt had a walk. (He'll actually paw at the cupboard with the leash if I am late walking him!).
On the plus side he's much more obedient now. I've trained him to do a few things such as stay and wait to be called through an open door. He mostly does it but he seriously is like a teenager, the slightest thing will distract him and if he's off the leash, he pretty much blanks me unless I walk away.
He's also a lot of fun in the evenings when he's less mental. Little quirks of his personality are coming out. He's a cute hoor when he wants to be. Lazy as sin sometimes and the single most curious living entity I've ever encountered. He cant *abide* things happening when he's not there or able to interact. Every single new thing MUST be snuffied until he's satisfied!
Walks are proving difficult because he's dragging like crazy on the leash. The behaviorist said "just stand stock still until he looks at you and then start again". In an hour we made it to 3 houses away and mostly thats because I cheated. He never looked back at me. We would still be standing out there. So, I have a Halti collar on order which he seemed ok with when I tried it in the shop. He doesnt like being held back by it but had no problem with it otherwise. My arm is literally sore from walking him at this stage so something has to be done. This seems like the most humane way.
I have ordered the bike attachment so we can go riding together! This will make things a lot easier too. Quick bike down to St Annes and then he can run around and get a good exercise. (Obviously not with the Halti on!).
The next question is neutering or not... I know its emotive but its something I have to consider.0 -
So, operation "reclaim kitchen" has started and I'm making a nice indoors kennel for him starting this weekend. He wont like it one little bit, but its either that or he lives outside because I need a kitchen
Hopefully he takes to it and I'l put lots of treats in there the first day.
This is a good idea, but crate training or anything similar needs to be done slowly and gently or he will never settle and you are likely to make his issues with being away from you worse. There are a few good threads in the forum with loads of tips on how to do it. If you are consistent you should be able to do it quickly enough and without any stress.
It's all part of having a dog, you're probably going to feel like making him live outside for a myriad of little things but it's all part of the experience.
Walks are proving difficult because he's dragging like crazy on the leash. The behaviorist said "just stand stock still until he looks at you and then start again". In an hour we made it to 3 houses away and mostly thats because I cheated. He never looked back at me. We would still be standing out there. So, I have a Halti collar on order which he seemed ok with when I tried it in the shop. He doesnt like being held back by it but had no problem with it otherwise. My arm is literally sore from walking him at this stage so something has to be done. This seems like the most humane way.
I have ordered the bike attachment so we can go riding together! This will make things a lot easier too. Quick bike down to St Annes and then he can run around and get a good exercise. (Obviously not with the Halti on!).
Did the trainer go into any prep work with you and lead walking? Exercises to do in the house, out your back garden etc? It won't work very well just to bring him outside, stand still and hope he looks at you. You have to teach it in steps.The next question is neutering or not... I know its emotive but its something I have to consider.
Both of my boys are done. I wanted to spare them the upset of being able to smell a bitch in heat and not being able to get near them. I also wanted, above all, to avoid them accidentally creating more unwanted puppies.0 -
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I genuinely think a second dog would be a help. It might sound like double trouble, but i think it will take his main focus off you and onto the other dog to be honest. He sounds like a needy, high energy fella but having a playmate may tone down the neediness to be with you all the time. He may very well have grown up as part of a hound pack so literally doesnt know how to be on his own.
We ALL have bad days dont forget that. I've had a foster dog with a MAJOR peeing issue for the last 4 weeks and im literally following her around with a mop until we find out whats wrong with her,but all i can think about is my poor wooden floors
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I'd suggest you just buy/borrow a crate - making a wooden one will probably be a waste of time because if he's still very anxious he'll just chew/scratch at it? A wire crate can be folded and moved as needed and you can progress to covering it with a blanket/sheet etc as he gets more confident - going by my own experience with my dog I wouldn't say he's ready for a covered crate/kennel? He's only small so you'll get one cheaply enough - I have one from Jebb that i used when my dog was on crate rest and it's fine except the bolt things seem a bit short and he's able to open some crates (lol) so I used Velcro straps to be safe!
http://www.jebbtools.ie/animal-products/dog-crates-ireland.html
We've all had moments where we question ourselves - especially when things don't to according to plan! But you'd learnt the same lesson i think we've all had to learn at some stage - sometimes you need a plan b or c or d because you're dealing with an individual (like all dogs) who won't always do things according to your plans or how books/the Internet say it should happen.0 -
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Since we're all sharing:
As soon as the first frost of winter hits Tegan forgets that I toilet trained her and starts weeing in a corner because she doesn't want to go out in the cold and wet.
Every. Fúcking. Winter.
Lol. My 14 year old blind collie has taken to taht as well. but I forgive him. he's old and blind. 0 -
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Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 51,688 Mod ✭✭✭✭
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My wolfhound ripped the door off the oven as he was hungry and there was a delicious casserole inside
The door couldn't be replaced.
The cooker was one of those big stove things with eight hobs
The only mitigation for him is that he had undiagnosed pancreatic insufficiency.
Fecker ate it all too0 -
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Since we're all sharing:
As soon as the first frost of winter hits Tegan forgets that I toilet trained her and starts weeing in a corner because she doesn't want to go out in the cold and wet.
Every. Fúcking. Winter.
I'm laughing out loud but I feel your pain. Every time I thought I'd cracked the house training with my pup Henry, we'd get a spell of wet weather and he'd start peeing against the curtains. He's almost a year and a half old now and I still don't trust him!
OP, as you can see we all go through phases when we want to strangle the dog. It may or may not get better but you'll learn to plan your life and home around it.
I'd second tk's suggestion of a metal crate. He'll probably feel more secure in one and the fact that they're portable is so handy. I took mine on holiday to Kerry with me last year ; l don't think I'd have been brave enough to stay in someone else's property without it. 0 -
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God damn... you all make me feel like I'm whinging over nothing hahah, he's great at house training and sleeps until 10. I'm just a bit over-rought by the whole thing, its a bit like being a single-parent I would imagine, they really demand a lot of attention. Though I guess Child Protection services would frown on you throwing a bone at a 6 month old to shut them up:)
This evening he has been good as gold after another Battle Of The Kitchen this afternoon when he snapped at me and unceremoniously ended up back out in the garden. When I let him back in about 5 minutes later, he was a different dog and stayed in his bed for about 2 hours. He's happily gnawing on an old bone now and pouncing on his Kong Wobbler when its not looking, like a doggie ninja. My nerves are frayed but c'est la vie... seconds away, tomorrow is round 2 0 -
DeVore, there were days when I was training Jack that I would go to bed in tears, convinced that I had an a**hole dog who was determined to break my brain.
When you're on your own trying to teach them what's what and they absolutely are not giving you an inch or are doing the 'learn one new thing, forget three things you taught them last week' game, it can be very hard.
So um yeah, I'll share here and this is something I don't tell a lot of people but when Meg was about a year old, she went through this phase where she would go over and stealth lick my grandmother's face while she was lying on the couch. I had, I thought, sorted out this behaviour when one afternoon all the dogs and my grandmother were lying down and I got up to put a cup in the kitchen which was literally the next room. I heard this shriek a mere second after I had stepped over the threshold and I rushed back in to discover that Meg had leapt onto my grandmother and was licking her face as though it were smeared in peanut butter.
There was war. My grandmother threatened to punch me, told me to send Meg back to hell where she'd come from and spent the next two hours spitting and cursing at me in Irish. Of course, Meg went back to bed and fell fast asleep, completely unperturbed.
Did I mention my grandmother was one hundred years old at the time? Because she was. She reconciled with us both eventually but after that she was prone to calling Meg Baby B*tch and I was Big B*tch.
Not our best moment.
So you know, things happen and sometimes it's nobody's fault, just bad timing and stuff and people and dogs should be given a chance!! [/clutches at straws, tries to save face and not seem like heartless granddaughter who prides dogs over grandmother so tries last ditch chance at flattery].
Did I mention you all have beautiful pets? Because you do!!!! 0 -
Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 51,688 Mod ✭✭✭✭ Join Date:Posts: 49074
God damn... you all make me feel like I'm whinging over nothing hahah, he's great at house training and sleeps until 10. I'm just a bit over-rought by the whole thing, its a bit like being a single-parent I would imagine, they really demand a lot of attention. Though I guess Child Protection services would frown on you throwing a bone at a 6 month old to shut them up:)
This evening he has been good as gold after another Battle Of The Kitchen this afternoon when he snapped at me and unceremoniously ended up back out in the garden. When I let him back in about 5 minutes later, he was a different dog and stayed in his bed for about 2 hours. He's happily gnawing on an old bone now and pouncing on his Kong Wobbler when its not looking, like a doggie ninja. My nerves are frayed but c'est la vie... seconds away, tomorrow is round 2
Get a metal crate, and make it the home of ALL high value treats in the house, his kong, his bones, etc. The ultimate greatest value treat of course is unfettered time with you, use that too.
Make it comfy with a couple of layers of vetbed.
Teach him a word that means "go in your crate"
What age is he DeV? I'd also think about neutering if he's around the 18 month plus mark.
Have you thought about going to a training class too?0 -
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Crate training will take time but it is worth it. We noticed an imrpovement after about 2 weeks and from then on Frodo kept getting better with the crate training. Now I am not saying he is a total angel now (10 months on from the introduction of the crate) - the other day he completely chewed up the mat at our front door when we left him alone in the hall - but from where he was back them, destructive with EVERYTHING, antsy, always jumping around, howling and crying when left alone at all, to where he is now is a massive improvement!! As a dog owner you have to know that for the first few years a new dog in your home wont be perfect but it is all part of the fun with being a dog owner.
I would agree with other posters when they say get a metal crate. If he is chewing at your table now imagine how he would go to town on a wooden crate. Plus the metal ones are so long lasting and can be folded up and brought anywhere so they always have their 'den' with them.
As for dogs being like kids, far from it - they are worse
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Battle won, war still too close to call.
So, I got a Halti for Josh yesterday because the incessant pulling on the lead was actually starting to give me an elbow problem and had become painful. All the leash training and treat-bribing in the world was nothing compared to the awesomeness of the smells from the next tree. While he will wait for me to go through doors etc and is very submissive in many ways, he was putting down some really incredible power through tiny paws on our walks.
The final straw came when I saw a guy who's dog had his OWN lead in his mouth and was essentially walking himself alongside his owner. I looked down at my guy who had trapped himself around a lamp-post and was still wagging his tail! I asked him for advice in desperation and he said he had 3 dogs, all huge animals and he trained them all through Haltis and swore by them. His alsatian-cross was sooo well behaved, he never moved even when Josh effectively tried to climb on his head. (He just looked at his master like "any chance you can do something about this looper???).
Fast forward a week and I went and got a halti for Josh. Lets put it this way, Josh isnt hugely wild about it but also was less rebellious than I expected. He did try to rub it off his face a few times, ok LOTS of times but most of the walk he seemed very happy and only a little frustrated when he dashed forward to a particularly 'nuffie tree and found himself stymied by it. I made sure he could snuffle everything he normally would so he didnt feel deprived, just delayed and he seemed to get the message.
I took him off the leash and he had a good run around and rubbed his face a bit on the grass but seemed very happy and played a lot of High-Speed Drive-By with me
Got home, not knackered as usual, not stressed and not sore. Josh seemed to have a good time and is napping the whole thing off right now, so lets hope things continue to work out with it!
Now I start to design the crate... thats the next escalation:)
But I feel like today was a good day for both of us.0 -
Got home, not knackered as usual, not stressed and not sore. Josh seemed to have a good time and is napping the whole thing off right now, so lets hope things continue to work out with it!
Now I start to design the crate... thats the next escalation:)
But I feel like today was a good day for both of us.
Once I got a handle on Harley's walking it made a huge difference in how much we enjoyed walks.
Are you dead set on having wooden parts on the crate instead of buying a foldable one? Don't forget that the folding crate will make it so much easier when you're going visiting anywhere & he's very very likely to chew on any wooden components.
Have you looked up crate training?0 -
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