dog thread

[Lady Fitzgerald]

1 hour ago, TVwazhere said:

Pup patiently awaits humans return. Smells the food from the nearby restaurants though 

If I saw that, I would call 911. It's illegal in AZ to leave a child or an animal in an unattended vehicle, even if the windows are cracked.

[Gegger]

1 hour ago, TVwazhere said:

Pup patiently awaits humans return. Smells the food from the nearby restaurants though 

i think that's my cousin's dog....

[MEC-777]

[MEC-777]

This is Rosey; a 6yr old Saint Bernard I was working with last night. She has some leash-reactivity towards other dogs which we were able to stop within minutes. Being 138lbs, she has been very difficult for the owner to handle, so we also switched from a harness (which makes the dog want to pull more) to a prong collar and implemented some new techniques to stop the pulling and maintain a proper heel. But more so than that, also worked with the owner and handlers to help them understand how to be more pro-active and advocate for Rosey. She's a good dog that just needs to be told to cut-out the nonsense. Will be working with her again tomorrow when there are more dogs around, proofing and patterning new behaviour, which is to basically exist around and ignore other dogs.

 

 

 

[paddy-stone]

 

Still have lots of work to do with Dink, but she's getting there. She's starting to actually like being close to us without wanting to play all the time. She's being a LOT better behaved too, though still chewing a bit now and then. She LOVES it when I play on the floor with her, play fighting and wrestling... I do it like another dog would, using my head mostly rather than my hands.... it sounds weird, but she's definitely gotten better with people after I started doing this, rather than jumping up etc. She licks my face more now too, but not so keen when she tried to put her tongue in my mouth 

 

[MEC-777]

20 minutes ago, paddy-stone said:

Still have lots of work to do with Dink, but she's getting there. She's starting to actually like being close to us without wanting to play all the time. She's being a LOT better behaved too, though still chewing a bit now and then. She LOVES it when I play on the floor with her, play fighting and wrestling... I do it like another dog would, using my head mostly rather than my hands.... it sounds weird, but she's definitely gotten better with people after I started doing this, rather than jumping up etc. She licks my face more now too, but not so keen when she tried to put her tongue in my mouth 

Wow, she's getting big. They grow so fast...

 

Yeah, it's fun playing with them down on the floor. Since Moses died, I've been doing that a lot more with Olivia. She doesn't play as rough with me as she used to with her brother, but still enjoys it. She loves a good game of tug-o-war or headbutt battles.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

1 hour ago, MEC-777 said:

This is Rosey; a 6yr old Saint Bernard I was working with last night. She has some leash-reactivity towards other dogs which we were able to stop within minutes. Being 138lbs, she has been very difficult for the owner to handle, so we also switched from a harness (which makes the dog want to pull more) to a prong collar and implemented some new techniques to stop the pulling and maintain a proper heel. But more so than that, also worked with the owner and handlers to help them understand how to be more pro-active and advocate for Rosey. She's a good dog that just needs to be told to cut-out the nonsense. Will be working with her again tomorrow when there are more dogs around, proofing and patterning new behaviour, which is to basically exist around and ignore other dogs...

I've never had much trouble getting a dog to not pull on the leash more than just a little (I never was a fan of heeling a dog; I like for them to walk a bit ahead of me with a slightly taut leash rather than right alongside or slightly behind so I can see and feel what they are doing and are about to do more easily and have more waring to react if ever necessary). I've walked the dogs of friends who complain their dogs will pull way too hard and, by the time we would get around the block, they wouldn't be trying to pull my arm out of socket. All is did was pull back firmly (not jerk them) when they pulled while firmly (not loudly) saying no. They got the message pretty quickly and we were both able to enjoy the walk. As a reward, I would let the dog "check the mail" from time to time on the walk. This way, we both had fun.

38 minutes ago, paddy-stone said:

...Still have lots of work to do with Dink, but she's getting there. She's starting to actually like being close to us without wanting to play all the time. She's being a LOT better behaved too, though still chewing a bit now and then. She LOVES it when I play on the floor with her, play fighting and wrestling... I do it like another dog would, using my head mostly rather than my hands.... it sounds weird, but she's definitely gotten better with people after I started doing this, rather than jumping up etc. She licks my face more now too, but not so keen when she tried to put her tongue in my mouth 

 

Puppies (and kittens) usually eventually outgrow much of their playfulness as they mature. The puppy and kitten months can be trying but most will eventually "grow up".

 

Doggy French kisses are the worst!

[steelo]

We have a chihuahua and a jack russell dachshund mix...neither one of them walk 'well'. They literally choke themselves when they run out of leash. We've tried about everything to get them to walk next to us, but it hasn't worked.

[MEC-777]

38 minutes ago, Lady Fitzgerald said:

I've never had much trouble getting a dog to not pull on the leash more than just a little (I never was a fan of heeling a dog; I like for them to walk a bit ahead of me with a slightly taut leash rather than right alongside or slightly behind so I can see and feel what they are doing and are about to do more easily and have more waring to react if ever necessary). I've walked the dogs of friends who complain their dogs will pull way too hard and, by the time we would get around the block, they wouldn't be trying to pull my arm out of socket. All is did was pull back firmly (not jerk them) when they pulled while firmly (not loudly) saying no. They got the message pretty quickly and we were both able to enjoy the walk. As a reward, I would let the dog "check the mail" from time to time on the walk. This way, we both had fun.

My comments here are not aimed at you, specifically, just commenting and sharing my thoughts on the topic, overall.

 

With dogs that are not leash-reactive, it isn't as high of a concern, but I still hold to that all dogs should be walked in a proper heel, if they are on a "structured walk". More on that in a moment...

 

With dogs that are leash-reactive (that is; they bark, lunge, pull, exhibit aggressive behaviours in reaction to something, be it another dog, squirrel, human, anything), like our Olivia used to be, it is far more effective to be pro-active than reactive. Once a dog loads and goes into drive, nothing will break that focus except an extremely high-level correction (force) and even then, that kind of dog typically won't learn from that. Olivia will not even feel the remote collar at max (level 100) when she is in full drive. 

 

The protocol I use and teach is this; learn to recognize the signs that indicate the dog is beginning to load (beginning to focus on a target). Ears perk, mouth closes, eyes stare, forehead wrinkles, etc. The moment that begins is the moment you interrupt with a calm, neutral "no", and then follow it up with a substantial correction (strong leash-pop with prong collar, or mid-high-level stim from a remote collar, or a hefty wallop with a bonker (rolled up towel held together with elastics) to the back of the head. Some dogs will go from 0-100 within a few seconds, but the signs of loading are always there before they explode and that is the moment to act. By interrupting the dog's thought process it breaks that mentality in the dog which usually has become patterned behaviour (the dog's natural reaction to that situation). You "make it suck" to even think about focusing or being concerned with whatever it may be. It also reminds them of their handler's presence.

 

Some dogs, if you simply pull back, they will pull harder. Especially if they're on a flat buckle collar or harness. For larger breeds, many people can barely hold on, let alone walk their dogs and pulling back using a flat buckle or harness requires high physical strength of the handler. With a prong collar, it doesn't require high physical strength to communicate effectively with the dog and leash pulling can be stopped almost immediately with a few simple techniques and proper use. Anyone should be able to walk a large power-breed dog and not need to be a body-builder.

 

To elaborate on prong collars for a moment; they look barbaric but are actually the safest collar to use on a dog. They don't poke or dig-in to the dog's neck (the tips are actually dull by design). The way they actually function is they create a pinching sensation. When leash pressure is applied, the collar constricts (only to an extent, they are not choke chains, which are horrible btw), and the prongs pinch, just like if you pinch yourself in the arm. The higher the force, the stronger the pinch. With no leash pressure, there is zero pinch. Dogs can still pull on a prong collar, but they will not pull anywhere near as hard as they can on a flat buckle or harness.

 

Getting back to structured walks and proper heeling...

The reason I hold this with such high importance is because of the need to advocate for your dog. This makes such a huge difference in how your dog perceives you, the handler, and their level of concern for their surroundings. When you allow the dog to walk ahead and even pull a little, you may notice, they will be scanning. This is because, to them, they feel as though they have to be the driver, navigator and protector. It's stressful for them, even if it looks like they're "enjoying" the walk. The truth is they are having to be concerned about their well-being as well as yours, taking in everything around them and trying to process what is a threat, which way they're going, what to do next etc. etc.

 

What ought to be happening is; YOU, the handler, should be the one who is looking out and advocating for your dog. You are the one who is the driver, navigator and protector. Through your actions, posture, inputs and commands, you teach the dog that they don't need to be concerned with anything because you are their guardian. Don't let them meet other dogs on-leash. Don't let anyone you don't know and the dog doesn't know to pet your dog. They will learn from this that you are keeping them safe and that they no longer have to be concerned with everything around them. It is profound how much more relaxed and non-reactive your dog can become when you properly advocate for them. They learn to trust you on a whole new level and this all helps them to be more receptive of you when you give them commands.

 

What if my dog has to pee or wants to sniff? Well, who's the leader, you or the dog? If you are on a structured leg of the walk, they don't need to sniff every inch of the ground and they will get a chance to pee - when you allow it. Set a designated area of grass or what have you, where you then give the release command and let the leash out. Now the dog may sniff all they want, have a break and do their business. When it's time to start walking again, it's back to a structured walk, back to business, back to form in a proper heel. At every street crossing, when you stop, the dog should default to a sit. The dog must be held accountable for their actions. That is how they learn.

 

It sounds crazy military, but here's the thing; many dogs, especially high-drive, high-energy dogs, NEED structure. Massive amounts of daily structure. They thrive on it, enjoy it and it keeps them in a much calmer state of mind, which results in them making better decisions when presented with a triggering situation. Increased daily structure can solve a lot of behavioural issues. 

 

Olivia and other dogs like her, love structured walks. She is so much more calm and you can see how much more she enjoys walks because she is able to trust me and stay calm.

 

All of this, of course, is layered and combined with tons of food and praise rewarding for any and all good behaviour and good decisions made by the dog.

 

The philosophy I teach requires a significant shift in mind-set from the typical dog owner mentality. Every dog owner has to be a trainer, to an extent, in order to properly teach their dog what is and is not acceptable behaviour. Even with dogs that are "relatively good", this all has a tremendous impact on the relationship between owner and dog.

 

16 minutes ago, steelo said:

We have a chihuahua and a jack russell dachshund mix...neither one of them walk 'well'. They literally choke themselves when they run out of leash. We've tried about everything to get them to walk next to us, but it hasn't worked.

Get them prong collars. For dog's that small, go with micro prong collars. You can get them from here: Leerburg. If the Jack Russel is over 20lbs, you can also go with a 2.25mm herm sprenger prong collar. The links can be added/removed to obtain proper fit.

 

The collar should be positioned at the top of the neck, just below the head. Attach the leash to the D-link (the link that swivels) or the outer-most link, so that the collar constricts and releases smoothly with leash pressure. Also, use a normal, fixed-length leash (5 or 6ft long is fine), not those extender leashes.

 

Stand with your dog beside you in a sit. Have your hand close to the dog and take up nearly all the slack so the leash is just barely taut in normal stating/walking position with your arm relaxed at the side. Start walking. You can say "let's go" if you want, but just start walking. If the dog whines or protests, just keep walking. These are very small dogs and you weigh a lot more. They will start walking with you.

 

If they begin to try to walk ahead, just give a light pop on the leash in a backward motion, enough to pull the dog back in-line with you. You may find you have to continue this in a steady succession at first until the dog understands where it should be walking. When it walks properly, you can mark that with a neutral "yes" and reward with a treat. The reward is also the fact that there's no leash pressure on the prong.

 

As described in my novel above, when you want to allow the dogs to sniff or do their business, say "break" or whatever your release command is, and let the leash out. After that, when it's time to walk again, it's "let's go" and back to a heel.

 

They cannot and will not choke themselves on prong collars - it is the safest collar you can use. They could however, very possibly hurt themselves on flat buckle collars though. Chihuahua's especially, can have delicate windpipes.

 

Jack Russel's tend to be high-energy, so increased daily structure can and will help as well. If they aren't crated, I would also highly recommend to start crating them at night and when no one is home. There's a whole set of protocols involved with that which I won't get into now (this post is already way too long, lol), but it will help with their behaviour on walks and in general because it will teach them patience. 

[steelo]

13 minutes ago, MEC-777 said:

 

Wow...thanks for the very detailed explanation. One of the biggest obstacles is that these are older dogs (chihuahua is 7 and jack russel/dachshund mix is 11) and really aren't well trained. They do know basic commands like "stay", "sit" and understand "no" means to stop. They are VERY set in their ways and SPOILED. Our older dog has calmed down quite a bit in the past few years (except when someone is at the front door) and tends to listen better than the other dog. Our chihuahua on the other hand has a very big personality, is very protective of my wife and doesn't like being told what to do.

[MEC-777]

17 minutes ago, steelo said:

Wow...thanks for the very detailed explanation. One of the biggest obstacles is that these are older dogs (chihuahua is 7 and jack russel/dachshund mix is 11) and really aren't well trained. They do know basic commands like "stay", "sit" and understand "no" means to stop. They are VERY set in their ways and SPOILED. Our older dog has calmed down quite a bit in the past few years (except when someone is at the front door) and tends to listen better than the other dog. Our chihuahua on the other hand has a very big personality, is very protective of my wife and doesn't like being told what to do.

We used to have Chihuahuas and I know exactly what you mean, lol. "small dog syndrome" as it's often referred to.

 

Sounds like they could definitely do with lots of increased structure, overall. This is very common, we used to be the same way with our little dogs. The difference is I didn't know then what I know now. What I encourage is to not dwell on the past or get caught up in "what is the cause" of the behaviours, but rather look to what can be done now, moving forward to improve things. In 99% of cases; unwanted behaviours stem from the dog simply never being told to stop in a way they understand.

 

The chihuahua being protective of the wife is resource guarding. That is fixed by teaching the "out" command, which means "get out of here" or "move away from me". If you search on YouTube; "Jeff Gellman" or "Solidk9training out command" you should be able to find his video showing step by step in real time, how to teach this command. If the dog is sitting with your wife and you want to sit with her instead, just say "out" and the dog moves away.

 

Reducing affection helps with this as well. And when you come home from being away, when you come in the door, ignore the dogs - don't even acknowledge them, do what you have to do (take your shoes and coat off, use the washroom, put your keys away etc.) and then when you are ready to greet them, go ahead and greet them, but drop any baby talk or high toned voice (just use a normal voice) and don't overdo it on the excitement. It's easier said than done, lol. I still struggle with this, myself. So hard to resist, I know. But the end result is it will actually strengthen the bond because your dog will be more calm in general and start behaving better. The better behaved they are, the more you'll enjoy spending time with them.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

1 hour ago, MEC-777 said:

...Some dogs will go from 0-100 within a few seconds, but the signs of loading are always there before they explode and that is the moment to act...

And that is why I like the dog out front so I can see what the dog is going to do before s/he does it. I'm not necessarily talking about a full body length depending on the size of the dog. On large dogs, that would place the dog's hindquarters even with my legs. A smaller dog (ankle biter size) would have to be out further for me to easily see what the dog is about to do.

 

No slack in the leash keeps me in contact with the dog and vice versa. I've had no problems keeping dogs in line once they learn who is boss, ranging from ankle biters to dogs that are part draft horse and part bull dozer. I don't like choke chains either but, when walking other people's dogs, I don't get to choose the collar.  I don't let the dogs choke themselves, though. If they pull that hard, I stop, grab the scruff of their neck or the whole chain, and firmly pull them back. They get the message pretty quickly. One thing in my favor is I'm a large broad and have plenty of...ah..."ballast". Weight trumps strength any day of the week (which is good since, at my age, I don't have much in the way of strength.

 

I depend on the dog trusting me and wanting to please me rather than controlling the pooch. A friend of mine used to have a chow/shepherd/bulldozer mix (I'm guess she weighed well over 100 lb.) who would not let anyone but me trim her nails. she couldn't do it and vets were afraid to do it unless they put her under. It would take a while but she would let me trim them with trying to bite me. She would struggle after each clip but I didn't have to fight her, just clam her down. If my friend brought out the clippers, she would book. If I brought them out, she would give me a dirty look, like she was saying, "Do we really have to do this?", but she would still come to me when I called her. That dog had dragged my friend several times on walks but tried it only twice with me before she got the message. She quickly learned that when I said "NO", I meant it. Once she got the memo, our walks were very pleasant.

 

She wasn't only large dog who let me clip nails. Some other friends of mine had a 100 lb. black lab mix who let me clip his nails without any problems. He also knew he got to go on a walk afterwards (that dog loved his walkies!) so he usually was eager to get his nails clipped. I enjoyed walking him. He also quickly got the memo. He quickly learned to do his business where I would let him. He would let me know in his way he needed to go so I could steer him to the curb (I always carry plastic bags for picking up after dogs I'm walking).

 

I'm not saying what you do is wrong. Obviously, it works very well for you. What I do works well for me. 

[Fasauceome]

[MEC-777]

3 hours ago, Lady Fitzgerald said:

And that is why I like the dog out front so I can see what the dog is going to do before s/he does it. I'm not necessarily talking about a full body length depending on the size of the dog. On large dogs, that would place the dog's hindquarters even with my legs. A smaller dog (ankle biter size) would have to be out further for me to easily see what the dog is about to do.

To clarify, I keep and eye on the dog in my peripheral and the surroundings, looking ahead mainly to try to be pro-active in spotting possible triggers. If and when I spot something, or I notice the dog becomes aware of something and starts to load, I then can intervene. Keeping the leash taut and applying even just a small amount of pressure, can put some dogs on-edge. Not all, but some - especially leash-reactive dogs on flat buckle collars. That pressure can actually tip them into drive. No leash pressure will help keep the dog in a more calm state of mind. 

 

This is why I teach folks to walk their dogs beside or slightly behind them with the leash just slightly lax, but close to taut so that you can apply a quick leash pop in a split-second, and it keeps the dog in a lower state of arousal.

 

4 hours ago, Lady Fitzgerald said:

No slack in the leash keeps me in contact with the dog and vice versa. I've had no problems keeping dogs in line once they learn who is boss, ranging from ankle biters to dogs that are part draft horse and part bull dozer. I don't like choke chains either but, when walking other people's dogs, I don't get to choose the collar.  I don't let the dogs choke themselves, though. If they pull that hard, I stop, grab the scruff of their neck or the whole chain, and firmly pull them back. They get the message pretty quickly. One thing in my favor is I'm a large broad and have plenty of...ah..."ballast". Weight trumps strength any day of the week (which is good since, at my age, I don't have much in the way of strength.

What the prong collar does, you do with your hands. It's that same attention-grabbing interruption that really gets the dog's attention. Some speculate that the pinching sensation of the prong collar is like the pinch of the mother's or alpha's teeth on the neck as a sign of "I'm in charge and you're going to do as I say."

 

What you do is the same as what I teach in regards to balanced training, it's just a different tool. Reward & praise the good behaviour and correct the bad behaviour with some form of appropriate punishment. As you said, they get the message real quick. That's the ticket. That's why you don't have trouble keeping dogs in-line.

 

When I'm working with clients, I have to make sure everyone who handles the dog can learn to use the tools in a simple manner and such that it does not require high-physical strength. The prong allows that when used properly with a few key techniques.

4 hours ago, Lady Fitzgerald said:

I depend on the dog trusting me and wanting to please me rather than controlling the pooch. A friend of mine used to have a chow/shepherd/bulldozer mix (I'm guess she weighed well over 100 lb.) who would not let anyone but me trim her nails. she couldn't do it and vets were afraid to do it unless they put her under. It would take a while but she would let me trim them with trying to bite me. She would struggle after each clip but I didn't have to fight her, just clam her down. If my friend brought out the clippers, she would book. If I brought them out, she would give me a dirty look, like she was saying, "Do we really have to do this?", but she would still come to me when I called her. That dog had dragged my friend several times on walks but tried it only twice with me before she got the message. She quickly learned that when I said "NO", I meant it. Once she got the memo, our walks were very pleasant.

Some people have a knack for working with dogs - they can get the dog to do what they want, even with barely speaking a word. It's like the dog can read your mind and knows you won't put up with any BS. You seem to be one of those people.

 

It's a mentality you have to adopt and apply through your actions with the dog. You don't need to "control" the dog, because the dog knows you mean business and through that, learns to trust you - because you're advocating for the dog. Through what you've told me, I can tell, you get it.

 

4 hours ago, Lady Fitzgerald said:

I'm not saying what you do is wrong. Obviously, it works very well for you. What I do works well for me. 

After reading your response, what we both do isn't really different, ultimately. Just a few minor differences. And to be clear, nothing you do is wrong, necessarily, for those dogs you've worked with. You definitely have a strong skill-set for working with dogs, and can do so without tools like a prong collar - which is really awesome, btw.

 

 

[Bitter]

One of our dogs is very prey driven and will fixate for a long time on something even once it's gone and even once we're two blocks away, basically as long as she has line of sight on that area. Thankfully she's somewhat small so we can just scoop her up and carry her away from it, but it's not always practical to do so. I agree that stopping it before it starts is the best way, sometimes rather hilariously I distract her by bowling her over and giving her vigorous belly rubs till she forgets what it was she was looking at. If we take her somewhere particularly stimulating though she'll turn on 200% and just be 200% the WHOLE time we're there, be it 1 mile or 7 miles she's at 200% the whole time which can be a bit tiring but overall is still fun because she's just so engrossed in what's going on. She eventually mellows out a little bit but she's still super engaged in her surroundings. At home she's a log that just wants to sleep in the softest warmest spot, outside she's doing her best to be death incarnate for everything bunny size or smaller. A rodent seeking missile! LOL

[MEC-777]

@Bitter Got any pics?

[paddy-stone]

18 hours ago, MEC-777 said:

Wow, she's getting big. They grow so fast...

 

Yeah, it's fun playing with them down on the floor. Since Moses died, I've been doing that a lot more with Olivia. She doesn't play as rough with me as she used to with her brother, but still enjoys it. She loves a good game of tug-o-war or headbutt battles.

 

Yeah, we've had her 6 months yeasterday... it's flown by. She was a bit underweight when we got her at only 2Kg, I now suspect that the breeder wasn't very mindful of her, as we noticed straight away that her bowel movements weren't firm at all on the food that they fed her, and that we bought some from them. She is now about right in size and weight for her age we think.

 

17 hours ago, Lady Fitzgerald said:

I've never had much trouble getting a dog to not pull on the leash more than just a little (I never was a fan of heeling a dog; I like for them to walk a bit ahead of me with a slightly taut leash rather than right alongside or slightly behind so I can see and feel what they are doing and are about to do more easily and have more waring to react if ever necessary). I've walked the dogs of friends who complain their dogs will pull way too hard and, by the time we would get around the block, they wouldn't be trying to pull my arm out of socket. All is did was pull back firmly (not jerk them) when they pulled while firmly (not loudly) saying no. They got the message pretty quickly and we were both able to enjoy the walk. As a reward, I would let the dog "check the mail" from time to time on the walk. This way, we both had fun.

Puppies (and kittens) usually eventually outgrow much of their playfulness as they mature. The puppy and kitten months can be trying but most will eventually "grow up".

 

Doggy French kisses are the worst!

 

Yes, I think she's maturing a little now... we noticed a BIG change in her behaviour just yeasterday, as my sister brought Charlie to ours. She's usually round his muzzle all the time trying to get him to play, and he doesn't like it much as he's a bit nervous. Anyway, so yesterday she was giving him a few feet grace all the time and even jumped back a little a few times when she thought he was going to growl at her. Charlie was much happier yesterday, and he liked being in the family room with everyone again, whereas the last few times he's been here he wanted to sit in the hallway away from Dinky instead to have a bit of peace.

They both were much more relaxed

 

 

15 hours ago, MEC-777 said:

SNIP!

 

Yes, completely agree, I would have already been using a prong collar if it were just me that had her. Unfortunately I am in the position that I have to try to explain things to everyone else that lives here in regards to her training and stuff... and a few of them just WON'T do as I ask... it's REALLY frustrating!

I have been with my brother when he walked her, and I just had to go back home in the end as he just kept letting her take the lead, and her pulling and choking herself. Undoing all my hard work yet again. Pretty much it's been me that's training her for everything, which I don't mind in the slightest, it's just maddening when the others won't listen and do it their own way very ineffectually. I even had to buy several new leads as when my brother walked her, he let her chew on the lead... and chewed THROUGH the lead too. So I now had to buy a sheathed steel rope lead, so she CAN'T chew through it.

Anyway, won't go further into all that as it's annoying

 

She is getting better though, we are using a HALTI harness now, and she is much more mindful on her walks now... I will switch to a prong collar if she picks up bad habits again though now she's a bit bigger. I have been toying with the idea of adopting another dog, a rescue... mostly because I want to, to help out these poor animals that were rescued from kill shelters, but also as company for dinky as she loves having a friend around. I will weigh it further in my mind for now though.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

17 hours ago, steelo said:

Wow...thanks for the very detailed explanation. One of the biggest obstacles is that these are older dogs (chihuahua is 7 and jack russel/dachshund mix is 11) and really aren't well trained. They do know basic commands like "stay", "sit" and understand "no" means to stop. They are VERY set in their ways and SPOILED. Our older dog has calmed down quite a bit in the past few years (except when someone is at the front door) and tends to listen better than the other dog. Our chihuahua on the other hand has a very big personality, is very protective of my wife and doesn't like being told what to do.

Chihuahuas tend to be difficult breeds to deal with because they are insecure due to their size (leading to compensative aggressive behavior, aka bluffing) and very protective of their owners.

 

Jack Russels and dachshunds are intelligent and high energy breeds, meaning they get bored quickly if they don't get a lot of attention, excercise, or both. I can't imagine what a mix of the two could be like! I used to dogsit a little dachshund and, though I loved the little scamp, he could be a royal PITA. Since I rarely had him for more than a few days at a time (never more than a week) to be able to work with him, I had to resort to crating him while I was at work to keep him from marking one corner of my bed (and the quilted bedspread that was too large for my washer and dryer mutter, mutter, mumble, mumble) and tearing up something. I made sure he took care of business before leaving for work, crate him, then, when I got home, I would leave the back door open and immediately let him out of the crate. It was amazing how fast the little bugger could move with those short legs, especially when the hind ones were crossed from holding it in. 

 

The only way I could get him to sleep the night through without wanting to go out every hour was to take him outside just before bedtime, throw a tennis ball the length of my lot and let him tear after it, then rinse and repeat until he was practically tripping over his tongue (I swear his tongue was anchored to his tail to accomodate the length of it). He was an incredible fetch dog. Then the little stinker would sleep through the entire night although I would have to let him out immediately after waking up to avoid an "accident".

 

When I was home or visiting my friend, the dog would stick to me like glue yet never managed to trip me up (his agility was amazing!). When I walked him, I had him leashed (it is the law and dogs, just like little children, can be impulsive so why take chances) but he never pulled on it since he was happy to trot right by me. If I made a turn, he somehow anticipated it. He was an angel when with me. His owner complained that the dog loved me more than her (not true, he was always excited to see her when I took him back home; I was just the doggy equivalent of a child's grandmother).

 

Another friend who had a Golden/Ridgeback mix complained her dog like me more than her. I never dogsat for that dog but always gave her attention when I visited so I was like a visiting grandmother to her and she wanted to get as much of me as possible while she could.

[Bitter]

14 hours ago, MEC-777 said:

@Bitter Got any pics?

 

That's the one, I know I posted that earlier but that's exactly her 200% face right there. Small pupils, 1000 yard stare, tongue out, completely focused on something far away she wants to catch. She's slowing down a little now that's she's 10 but not much. Her "litter mate" however is the polar opposite. He'll walk off leash all day long right on your heals, comes when called, never runs more than about 10-20 feet after anything before giving up, but he's not built for athletics in the least being some kind of possibly corgi fox terrier blend.

His legs are just kind of flippy flappers when he runs, her legs are purposeful and taughtly articulated.

[soldier_ph]

Who's the Boss ?

[Bitter]

Ugh my phone is a potato for videos but here's one of the rodent seeking missile sniffing around some today. We let her walk with us off leash in some of the more closed in and alone parts of the nearly 8 mile walk, she got to run across some mowed fields after me, at one point she spooked some ducks up out of a hedge much to her delight, and then later she jumped across a water filled ditch after some unknown dark brown blur and got up into some thick brambles running back and forth yelping after it before she came back to us. It was back onto the leash after that but she walked several miles off it well enough. Stumpy flappers here walked basically the whole way off leash except when there were people, dogs, or horses around, he tried to run in the field with me and her but he's too low to the ground and his back legs are uncoordinated for traversing difficult terrain.

 

 

[MEC-777]

Olivia was helping with training Rosey, the Saint Bernard, last night. Rosey would normally bark and lunge at other dogs. Put a stop to that and had them walking next to, by, and around each other, as close as 2ft apart without either dog concerning them selves with the other. Peaceful existence is the goal and the best part; the owner has regained confidence in walking her dog.

 

 

[MEC-777]

Happy Halloween!

 

 

 

 

 

[paddy-stone]

2 hours ago, MEC-777 said:

Happy Halloween!

 

 

 

 

Lovely pics

 

I used to have a rat about 22 years ago, I called him Denzel... we used to let him run about in the living room, and he would try to steal peoples coffee. He was also very partial to chocolate, I remember him stealing a kitkat from near my sister and running off with it

Unfortunately he got tumours and only lived for a couple of years, I didn't have any pets after that for about 10 years Until we got our lovely Henry.

 

 

[xARACHN1D]

1 minute ago, paddy-stone said:

 

Lovely pics

 

I used to have a rat about 22 years ago, I called him Denzel... we used to let him run about in the living room, and he would try to steal peoples coffee. He was also very partial to chocolate, I remember him stealing a kitkat from near my sister and running off with it

Unfortunately he got tumours and only lived for a couple of years, I didn't have any pets after that for about 10 years Until we got our lovely Henry.

 

 

Bro, I wish I could give this more likes... OMYGERD DE SO CUUUTTTEEE