rar

my apologies. I have deleted this post as I meant to put this into another section. (sorry, I am unsure how to actually just delete the whole post so it is completely gone) :D

Thankyou to everyone for your comments- much appreciated. My apologies for not responding earlier, I have been dealing with a sick baby and any free time tends to be taken up having a shower or cooking tea tess- thanks for detailing one option that might help- we did this for quite some time last year, and then again earlier tihs year- so we are at the point where he will stop and walk backwards to us when we stop when he pulls. But we take 4 steps, he starts to pull again, and yep... it takes forever to get anywhere. charliehotel- thanks for the recommendatoin. I actually looked into details for private lessons early last year, but we didn't follow it up due to DH's reluctance. I think that having some private lessons to learn techniques and approaches followed by some classes may be the best solution. All the VERY best for the arrival of your new baby :cool: It really is an amazing time, so enjoy! Charli73- we actually went to ADT last year as well to their info session. DH didn't like the look of them, so nothing happened there either. Perhaps I could go again to another session and see if they offer individual lessons as well as group classes. Can anyone offer feedback on ADT? Erny- I may well be in contact with you, thanks. Embarrassingly enough, I think it was you I contacted last year, but never followed through with our plans for some help. Hopefully you won't remember me ;) Thanks again, R

Tess, I am happy to go into detail, but as I am not a very regular contributor, I kinda didn't want to put my hand up for help and just expect it- if that make sense? But if anyone would like to offer some suggestions they will be greatly appreciated. We aren't using bribery, as it didn't seem to be working, so don't worry, we aren't doing that now. Basically I now walk him around a reserve near our house, to limit the embarrasment and the risk of being pulled along when we see other dogs/people. We are using the correction collar (choker chain) and it's basically, he pulls, we correct and say heel. When he is walking correctly we offer praise. This worked well for our other dog and we were able to walk her on a loose lead, off the lead etc. We are clearly doing something wrong, and it is at a point now where I am demanding we do something, as I am generally the one who takes him out. What we don't agree on.... hmmmm, DH (until about a month ago) had a different definition of 'heel' and as long as the lead was loose, he was happy for jesse to be sniffing all over the place etc. My version of heel is walking next to me on a loose lead- so obviously this caused some issues. DH also doesn't see the value in looking at other clubs/organisations for help- he doesn't believe that paying $$ will necessarily help- no, it may not, but he has made this decision without doing any research or even considering the possibility that it might help to look at other options other than the local club. Personally I think he has put it into the 'too hard basket' and is just avoiding it, hoping I stop bringing the subject up One other issue is that I have always generally being the one to walk Jesse- but I am now at home with a baby, so unable to take Jesse out during the day as I will have to also take a pram and I don't feel comfortable doing this. And now DH is getting home later when it is dark, and I feel a bit funny taking Jesse out on my own that late at night- he isn't scary enough to look at :p I have started to walk Jesse around the yard so there is less distracions, and I am also part way through trying to read and understand the Triangle of temptation information that is posted in the forum- so perhaps that may offer some guidance... time will tell I guess. Jesse will sit/drop and stay for short periods of time, and he has to do this before eating, coming inside etc, so it sounds silly, but I would be thrilled if I could just get him walking properly, and then I could look at off lead stuff to allow him to run more and get rid of his energy. Thanks for letting me vent :rolleyes: R

Hi Cosmolo, thanks for responding There are a few things we need to address: Walking on a loose lead- not happening, despite using bribery (treats), correction chain, distractions, we even tried a halti and I'm not a big fan of them. This is the main thing at the moment, as I need to be able to walk him with a pram, and at the moment I don't feel comfortable doing this. So his exercise is limited, and it isn't fair on him. We are clearly doing something wrong as he still won't walk properly on the lead, and I think we just need some help with this. He has no agression issues, and he is a big softie (aren't all gsp's?!) and I really feel that some basic training will just show us how to get his attention and gain his focus. Ultimately we want to be able to trust him off the lead, but I know that may be a while away yet.... I guess our main thing is that my DH and I don't agree on the correct way to train our boy, and this means there has been inconsistency. DH refused to look at other options/clubs/trainers (I think it is a pride thing and a cost thing), so I said we would continue doing it 'his' way for 6 months, and if no improvement, then we would do it 'my' way- seek further help. So the time is up, and I am now trying to find some help Let me know if I can PM you and go into details, Thanks, R

hi all, I used to be a regular lurker, but haven't been around for a while (new baby in the family), but am now trying to locate a good training school/club in the Eastern 'burbs. I am near the Knox/Dandenong Ranges area, but am happy to travel if needed. We tried our local obedience club, and their methods/theories worked well with our other dog, but I feel we need something different for our current dog, as I think we need some education on the right way to teach him and the local club is volunteer run, and while they do a great job I think we need some extra help. Thanks very much in advance, R (I did a search on the forum before posting this, and didn't find any relevant threads. If I have missed them, my apologies, and could you plse post the link up?)

Hi Rana, I second what has already being suggested in that they should make sure it isn't a big behavioural/health issue causing this. I did some research on the citronella collars, and apparently the citronella can be quite irritating on their eyes and nose, and not great for them if too much is swallowed- so perhaps look at other options if they want to down the collar route - there are collars available that 'puff' air, and others that make noises. I don't think that this is a total solution though, and they might want to talk to a professional about the best way to go about it- probably worth the money if it is such a big issue. r

We have a 4.5 year old Rotti x who is unwell, so is like an elderly dog- We try and take her out 2-3 times a week for 10-15 minutes at a time. She has some trouble balancing, so we try and walk her on grassy areas to prevent damage to her feet (drags her feet, so her claws get worn down and bleed). I would check with your vet to make sure that the amount of exercise you want to do is ok- I am sure that some short walks to the end of the street and back will prove very popular- I've never met a dog who doesn't love the excitement of a walk!

Hi all, Thankyou for your comments and advice- much appreciated. On Thursday night the lady next door caught me when I was out in the backyard, and started talking/complaining about things generally. She mentioned that we had moved the dog kennel- I said that yes, we had used it to help block out the hole in the fence, as Jesse had been taking too much of an interest in the new guinea pig- she said that she hadn’t noticed any issues with him!! (which is a bit bizarre, as she would usually be the first person to complains). We have had a few days of peace, however yesterday the cage was moved to a spot within view of the other hole in the fence (a hole created to stop their dog pounding the fence). We have now boarded up this hole, but I busted Jesse jumping up this morning- He was doing a bit of a balancing act, and had his paws and nose over the fence!! We did some emergency repair work before heading off to work, so it should be ok for the moment, but it is concerning us that he was motivated enough to get that far- I would hate for him to jump over and cause damage or hurt the guinea pig. Over the weekend we talked about the idea of electric wiring on the fence of some kind. OH doesn’t like the idea at all, and I am not a big fan of it, but perhaps it is something that we will have to do as a last resort. OH did some research last night, and found some collars that make a noise when you press a button- it can be used as a deterrent- I am not too keen on this idea, so wondered if anyone has used them? I will do a search on the forum to see if there is much info out there. I spoke to another neighbour who mentioned that she hadn’t noticed anything different, and that he wasn’t carrying on- so looks as though he isn’t barking (touch wood). I think that before we go with the electric fence we will try making the fence higher, and perhaps cut some piping in half and run it along the top of the fence- so it will be slippery and he will be unable to put his paws on it. If we also try making some loud noises using a whistle or something, perhaps that will help a bit- Worth a try anyway. Thanks again for your advice. R

I think that you have already received many great responses- and yes, they may seem a little harsh perhaps, but it is true- it is essential that dogs receive exercise, and time with the rest of their pack- what happens in winter when you are less inclined to run around the backyard with your girl? The interaction would certainly be limited I imagine. If you are serious about fixing the problem, IMO, I really do think there will need to be a lifestyle/attitude change for you and your partner- otherwise the issues are not going to go away, and you may have to end up re-homing her. Look at the options that people have suggested- brushing the dog regularly will help with hair, and allowing the dog to have it's own spot in the lounge room will mean that your pup won't be running riot around the house. Training will certainly help to create structure in your pups life, and more exercise and interaction with you will help to minimise the boredom that she may be experiencing when you are at work. As an example, we have a rotti x, and a GSP- the second is a very active dog, and unless he goes out for a walk everyday, and gets time playing inside, he goes bananas. We both work, but find that as long as our dogs get the interaction in the morning and night, and plenty of time inside with the ‘pack’ they are fine- and we check with our neighbours to make sure that they aren’t barking or causing problems. Training an older dog CAN be done- it really depends on whether you want to put the effort in- but 6 months of hard work now will reward you with another 15 years of a good natured, well balanced family member- Promise. However, (and yes, this will sound patronising), both you and your OH have to be committed, and be on the same page re: training and time with your girl. If your OH really isn't a dog person, and he doesn't change, he won't participate in your efforts, and therefore this will create less successful training, and, possibly, a strain on your relationship.

Thanks Linda- I didn't even think that it might be the noises it is making that is driving him nuts - shows how much I know about guinea pigs! hmmm.... will do more research on the electric fencing options. THANKS!

Thanks for the response rugerfly- to be honest, we hadn't considered any sort of electric fencing - it sounds like it worked well for you- I will do a search on the forum and see if anyone else has used it with success- In a way though, I don't like the idea of it- but you are right, it wouldn't take long for him to get the message. Yes, we could ask them to move it, but I doubt they would do it- being the 'charming' people that they are. And technically it is our dog reacting like this, so it is our problem. What is annoying/funny though- one of our other neighbours is doing an extension on his house a few metres from our back fence- and Jesse hasn't had any issues with the builders/banging noises etc- just this damn guinea pig. R

Hi all, we are having a few issues, and I am at a loss where to go next, so any advice would be appreciated. Background: we moved into our place 4.5 years ago. One neighbour had a Ridgeback, which apparently pounded on fences and barked when she couldn't see the other side of fences, so these neighbours had cut a small section out of every fence, and filled it with wire- so the dog could see out. We moved in, thought this was ridiculous, but figured it didn't really bother us, or our dog, so let it stay. Their dog passed away a little while ago- and for Christmas, the kids got a guinea pig- they have placed the cage right in front of the hole in the fence, about 10cm away from the wire- as you can imagine, our 12 month old GSP thought this was fantastic, and got really obsessed with it- barking and pounding on the fence (we have had him for 3 months, and have never had this problem before). Fast forward a week- we boarded up the hole- he still jumped on the fence. We fenced off the area- he jumped onto the temporary fence, and barked at the main fence- although he is about 1.5 metres away from it. We have now put his kennel, and a few other things in front of the temporary fence (only things we have that are heavy and large enough, til we get to the weekend and can investigate what to do)- well, last night, he was still frantically trying to get to the fence, despite all this stuff in the way. We were actually going to put his kennel in this area in front of the fence anyway, as it fits, and is nice and sheltered- so I am wishing we had done this a few weeks ago! What to do? This is the first time he has displayed this sort of behaviour- I am annoyed that the neighbours were thoughtless/stupid in putting the cage in front of the hole in the fence, and no where else in their big backyard, but I acknowledge that it is OUR dog causing the issues, so we need to find a solution. We have tried citronella before- without much success. He has toys/treats etc, and get exercise and attention, so maybe he will just give up in a few days? I am considering plastic bags filled with water, so if he jumps up, he'll get water on him, and we are also thinking perhaps having the MIL babysit him for a day or two, and perhaps he will have forgotten about it when he gets back. For the past few days, and I have been trying to put toys, and treats etc around the other side of the yard, to encourage him to focus on something else, but he always goes back to the guinea pig. We are worried that if we continually tell him off, he will perceive his behaviour as a way to get attention (even if it is negative) - but it is getting to a point where he is being a nuisance- although it has only being about a week, and the other 3 neighbours have never had a problem with him (we have asked them all directly), I guess I am worried that this 4th neighbour will use this as a reason to get narky (they once complained about our other dog barking, when she hadn't being at home for a week!). Any thoughts? It hasn't been going on for very long, but we want to deal with this issue before it gets out of hand, and we are really not sure where to go from here. Many thanks for your advice/tips in advance. R

We use Sentinel Spectrum, and haven't had any issues with it. R

Our new pup was a jumper, particularly where food was involved. When using treats in training, and he started to jump, we ignored him, and turn away. In terms of him jumping when we have food- he has quickly learnt the meaning of the word 'No'. Just be consistent, and things will improve.

sorry leanne 386- crosss posted with you. Well, good to hear they responded to your concerns. Sad to hear about the poor pup