poodlefan

Different strokes for different folks (or dogs) I'd say Vickie. Run each to get the best from them. I think its easier for us if we run our dogs in the same manner but I think each dog deserves the handling that gets the best from it.

Where are you? Based on what you've said, its difficult to conclude anything about his behaviour. It appears he hasn't bitten another dog, nor displayed any aggresion toward people. He may have been unhappy with behaviour from other dogs though and this is what you need to get to the bottom of. I'd suggest you consult with a qualified, experienced professional about him. However, you should be aware that not all dogs enjoy meeting other dogs and quite a few are intolerant of pups. If he pinned the Lab puppy for jumping on him or mouthing him, I'd consider that to be an appropriate response. Telling another dog off is appropriate when they display rudeness. Growling is a warning. Discpline the growling and the dog may stop warning and move straight to fighting. Again, seek professional help if you are concerned.

Experience is a great teacher and you've learned lessons you'll never forget. Personally I think buying from a good breeder (puppy or adult) and finding the right dog trainer can see you through most challenges. The thing about puppies is that they (apart from genetics) are largely blank slates - you get to train the sort of dog you want to live with. With adults, you get what someone else has trained. Sometimes that's easier to live with than others. Your greatest challenge will probably to find the right pup or dog to fit in with your current girl.

Dee136 The difficulty with young children is that they tend to generalise what they can do with an individual dog and apply it to all dogs. What happens if the Mal gets the same treatment the Husky enjoys?

Enrol in some training classes or join an obedience club. There's no substitute for face to face instruction. :p

You've got several months to work on your recall Cookiez. I suggest you start NOW. He isn't going to be any more reliable offlead unless you train for it. If he won't come when called, you shouldn't let him offlead. He may interfere with other beach users and their dogs and/or get himself into trouble. No recall means taking him on either a flexilead or a long line. One of my dogs wears a float vest because he's a hopeless swimmer. All the others swim well. I started them in still water before taking them to the surf beaches. They all love it.

How many channels can she pick up on her ears? :D

I buy the bike ones from Kathmandu when they are on sale. They're too big for the poodles but good on Howie's collar. He's the only one that ranges far anyway.

Sounds like prey drive to me. The only safe place for a dog when the whipper snipper or lawn mower is going is locked up somewhere else. I have tooth marks in my vacuum cleaner but I don't mind.

:rolleyes: Beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder and thank God we have so many different breeds of dog to choose from. It's only when people can't feel good about themselves without putting others down that the stupid comments start.

Holding a puppy by the scruff of the neck to discipline/deter it.

Mulitply this sort of prejudice and invective by 100 and it gives you a feel for what APBT owners go through.

No luck for Howard on the weekend. And he is NOT a fruit bat! :rolleyes:

When a pup mouths you and you push its lip over its teeth with your thumb and add some pressure to create discomfort.

in 750 ml or a litre (like most spray bottles) is not a great amount...Don't they use citronella in no-bark collars? before I realised it was used as a deterrent- our dogs used to be rinsed in water containing a few drops of citronella ..to keep mozzies at bay .I never noticed a problem with using it like this. Yes, they do use citronella in some no bark collars. Its toxic to dogs if ingested in sufficient quanities, deadly to cats if absorbed through the skin and apparently carcenogenic too. I'd no more squirt my dog in the face with citronella than I would with with DDT. Its also highly aversive which of course is why it works but some folk seem to regard it as benign. A good lip roll or scruffing (which some folk would be horrified to administer) is over immediately - citronella remains on the dog's skin and potentially in its mouth and nostrils. No thanks. :rolleyes:

If this person was the provider of paid services I'd have told her that since she thought so little of my dog I'd take my money elsewhere and make sure other dog owners like me knew of her views. Sometimes the victory isn't won by arguing but by voting with your wallet :rolleyes:

I'm pretty sure Genevieve thinks fish and chips are on the way when I have sprayed vinegar! The citronella oil could be worth a try though! Does it ruin wood furniture or leather? Not sure about wood and leather but it certainly wouldn't be good for dogs. It's toxic.

I hear ignorant comments about my dogs all the time. There have been plenty made right here over the years, usually by folk whose arguments were failing and who wanted to take a cheap shot at me. I just don't care much for the opinions of the sorts of people who would criticise my much loved pets . Its about as acceptable as criticising other people's children IMO.

Have I been dog snobbed? Not by anyone whose opinion I give a toss about. No one type of dogs' owner has a monopoly on stupidity, ignorance or rudeness.

To a dog he would smell quite different. Is the person a smoker?

All dogs are trainable. Some dogs display more apptitude for dog sports than others. I agree with Agility Dogs that taking a dog that's not a "natural" through to titles is extremely rewarding, not to mention highly educating for a handler. It can also be a great team builder too. My Lily was timid to the point of flight when we commenced agility training. She'd get overwhelmed and bolt to her place of safety - my backpack by the fence. It took 6 months (many with me inside the tunnel) to get her through a full length tunnel and 9 months for the A-Frame. Every new club we trialled at meant unfamiliar obstacles that challenged her nerves. I'm not sure she ever went over one of Hawkesbury's multi coloured broad jumps. She ended up CCD AD JDX and I was so proud of her the day she blew me off to run 10 metres for an off course tunnel. She actually won a JDX class one time when all the other faster dogs had DQs.

Put the outside hutch somewhere separate from where the dogs can get to it. My guess is even the smell of the rabbit might trigger another fight. Without knowing what triggered the fight its hard to give advice but it seems that the rabbit is stimulating them to very high levels of arousal - something to be avoided at all costs for both the dogs AND the rabbit's sake. If it were me, I'd be returning the rabbit.

So they DNA tested his parents for PRA?

Let him out, let him toilet, put him back in his pen. Cover your heads with a pillow and ignore him. I'd expect most dogs need to toilet after a night of sleeping. I'd not make him wait for that but he'd be going back in his pen afterwards.

I'm not trying to push a point here, but I suggest that it's not so unlikely. For example, the dog park at it's busiest is less of a distraction for my dogs than a single dog on a leash when we are walking them on leash in the street. So that's kinda what I was getting at. For them to be good off leash in a distracting environment and on leash in a distracting environment is assuming the off leash environment is inherently more distracting than the on leash environment, but that's not necessarily the case if the off leash environment is the everyday one where all the training gets practised. Eh, I think I'm just confusing the subject for no real reason. Never mind. Actually you're not. You've raised the concept of "situational obedience" where dogs can learn a behaviour in a specific environment and context and yet behave differently elsewhere. A dog that heels beautifully in a triallng ring or in the backyard is not a guaranteed good heeler anywhere else. Ditto loose lead walking and recalls. I know of at least one handler who won a State Obedience title but basically had very little chance of an effective recall outside the formal environment of the trialling ring. People often seem to forget that a behaviour needs to be generalised (different times, different situations, different distractions) before being considered generally reliable. Then there is the fact that OWNERS often behave differently in different situations.. and dogs can read this.