poodlefan

Monie there are pinned topics on TOT and NILIF at the top of this forum. Just out of interest, what breed/s is your dog.

Sounds like you've got a few things going on here.. some behaviour motivated by frustration, some by lack of adverse consequences. How much daily exercise does your dog get Monie? What ever he's getting, my first recommendation would be to give him more. Some of this behaviour may have its roots in lack of physical stimulation. He sounds like he gets very excited during most interactions with him. I gather he's an outside dog? Time to introduce, in addition to some general NILIF, TOT training (if you're not already doing this), a few negative (not cruel) consequences for mouthing. As I do not know you or your dog, I won't recomend any specific training but my advice would be to find yourself a DECENT trainer who is willing to work with you and your dog to implement some changes. None of these behaviours sound particularly unusual in terms of what a decent trainer sees almost every day. He needs to learn not to mouth, not to jump and not to grab other dogs by the neck. He will not, IMO, learn these things by you attempting to deflect his bad behaviour into more positive behaviour or by leashing or ignoring him. Time to summon a professional. Dominant dogs can learn to become nicely mannered pleasureable pets. My guess is that you're going to have to step up to the mark and take a firmer (not nasty) hand with this one but that would be best done under professional supervision.

It could also be a grass seed, in which case the sooner it is removed by a vet the better. If you are taking her to the vet, don't try flushing or treating the ear yourself beforehand. It will be easier for the vet to figure out what's going on with an untreated ear.

I think you're now finding out one of the reasons people recommend against two pups.. two of the same sex is even more challenging. A general rule of thumb is the closer two dogs are in age, size and gender, the more potential for hierachical disputes between them. You've matched all three factors. Are they desexed? I'd suggest you summon a decent professional trainer but in the interim, there are a few things you could try. How much training and exercise are they getting. If they remain the primary source of stimulation for each other, they will continue to focus their attention on one another? Do you do anything with them separately? If not, then I would suggest regular walks and other activities apart. If nothing else, this may lower stress levels for both dogs - this fighting would be highly stressful for both of them (and you of course) If one of the two does seem to be the more dominant, then don't interfere with that order. Feed the dominant one first etc. I'd also be feeding them completely separately, (introducing the Triangle of Temptation and making them wait for food) and never feeding bones etc together will keep things calmer. I also think that if the efforts of a trainer don't help, you should consider rehoming one of them. It's the last drastic decision but it sure beats one of them (or both) spending his life in a highly stressful, potentially injurious environment. Sometimes pack order is not resolved easily or without serious bloodshed, if at all.

The only more challenging gundogs I've seen have either been adolescents or had "challenging" handlers. I once took a repeat Beginners class of which every dog member was an adolescent gundog. As youngsters, some of them have the attention span of gnats. They learn fast but can be challenging to keep focussed - that's not insurmountable. Some gundogs can be late maturing and that can be a bit exasperating for owners. A few can be stubborn or dominant - that's not limited to breed. I'm sure there are some right drongo gundogs around but I haven't met one.

Until you seek experienced professional help, don't allow this to happen. You cannot "cure" timidity by constantly making the dog fearful and forcing him to defend himself. If you remove his ability to escape what he fears (ie the leash tightens) then you force him to fight. Keep other dogs out of his face. Do not allow them to crowd him. He needs to be confident that you will keep him safe from what he fears. I expect that if you do that, you'll see a lot less barking. Are you doing any training with him? Obedience training can assist with building bonds between dog and owner. A good professional trainer can do a lot to build confidence but it needs to be done carefully. The very last dogs your dog needs to meet now are friendly bouncy, in your face dogs, especially those larger than him. Give him some space.

What Clyde said. I'd strongly recommend you build a secure run to house dogs when you aren't home. The downside of the e-containment systems as I see them is that they don't stop roaming dogs from coming in. If you live in the country, its best to be able to put your hand on your heart and say "my dog was in its run" if stock get attacked in your area. Get it wrong and your dog will probably get shot if it roams. I'd not risk your dog's safety to a containment system they can breach if highly enough motivated.

My younger mini poodle boy does the back up to poo routine... tall weeds, trees, all good. Guapa I would strongly recommend you take him outside at lunchtime or every few hours if possible. If you want him to be completely toilet trained then make sure every time he eliminates its outside. It will really speed the process.

It could be fear aggression, it could be resource guarding or a bunch of other behaviours. Unless a trained professional sees you and your dog, you'll simply be guessing about what's going on. I suggest you get some professional assistance.

The easist method is probably to toss a few dog treats or a tasty bone away from the gate as you go to exit. By the time she hoovers them up, you'll be gone. I use this method with a dog I babysit from time to time.. he puts up an incredible amount of barking as you leave. A few treats in the grass and he makes no fuss.

Ravens: My guess would be that this pup has had very little interaction with other dogs and people. It could just be arousal but I think a call to AWL is the way to go. You've got Daisy in probably the most challenging stage of any dog's life.. adolescence. Obedience training for some basic manners will help with jumping and a large crate would be a good addition to your house so that Daisy can watch goings on while you can't supervise her.

Probably because the adrenalin he generates hauling you across to the oval and running round like a mad thing will take some time, possibly hours to dissipate. He's highly aroused, which makes it more difficult for you to get him to focus. If you want to get his attention, initially I'd suggest doing some training in the back yard, which he will find far less distracting. I suggest you keep him calm while you train and allow him some off lead time as a reward afterwards.

I know a few entire boys who, given the chance, would be this obsessed whether or not the bitch was in season.

Is he desexed?

Yep, get a professional in ASAP. The only comment I will offer is not to meet his aggression with more aggression .. it was human aggressiion that created this situation in the first place.

I think taking him to work is fine but perhaps work up to leaving him on his own for a few hours. You might also take him outside on lead and start getting him used to outdoor sights and sounds. Maybe mix it up with leaving him at home when he's a bit older. He is definitely not too old for a crate and if he does lack confidence, he may well enjoy the security they can provide. He is also unlikely to soil it provided it isn't too big.

Or that might simply be his temperament - it's not unknown in miniature poodles and if he's never been socialsed outside the place where you got him from he has some catching up to do. It's important not to feed his anxiety. Just be as matter of fact about everything that you can. You will need to be socialising this one heavily now. Puppy pre-school, ongoing dog training and getting him out and about in a way that doesn't over face him will all help. I honestly think that spending all day every day with you will not assist him developing some independence. He needs to learn to cope with being alone and some time in a crate in a secure place he knows may assist.

This would be my guess also. Most pups will squat right in front of you until they learn that pooing inside brings punishment. You need to set up the routine and stick to it. Outside after waking, after eating, after play. On the hour otherwise isn't a bad idea.l Take a book and a chair if necessary and just let him wander around. Praise him like crazy for doing the right thing and just clean up the accidents without comment unless you catch him in the act and if you do pick him up and whisk him outside. Move his play outside as much as possible. Feed him those bones outside too if you can. He should improve in confidence slowly. Close doors to rooms and keep him relatively confined so he can't get out of sight on you. A crate would be a very good investment if you don't have one. Where did you get him from? Early toileting habits can be very hard to break.

So much for that thought! Check her for ticks again. A week out from the coast she may still have one. Failing that, if it continues to worry you, perhaps a visit to the vet may be in order.

Do you walk her on a collar... perhaps she is leaning into it and putting pressure on her trachea??

For that price difference it will be worth a drive to Bungendore to fill the freezer! I agree!!

I really should know this stuff shouldn't I!!! Catch-22 though. If I clear the benches, then I don't care if he climbs on them Problem solved then. If you don't care, he definitely won't do it. :wink:

Raw feeding is pretty common here on DOL Goldens. My dogs are raw fed and have been so for about 9 years now. Life is not without its risks. Dogs can choke to death or contract salmonella or melamine poisoning from canned food or kibble. Informed choice is what we all need to make but bear in mind that dogs have eaten uncooked food for tens of thousands of years. Kibble has only been commonly available since the 1950's. Your dogs would probably handle a raw chicken wing better than raw offal. My dogs won't eat offal unless its mixed in with other food.

Clear the bench. If he doesn't gain any reward from the behaviour, my guess is he'll stop doing it. I assume he's not doing it for the view??

I'm a raw feeder but my vet advised feeding cooked food for a week after mouth surgery to lower the bacteria load in the mouth. I fed chicken and rice and made up a cooked stew based on the ingredients in my BARF mix. My friends kept lifting the lid on the pot of cooking stew and telling me how nice it smelled. I have no idea why they didn't want to try it after I told them it had plenty of chicken giblets cooking in it!!