poodlefan

Hmmm...So what do you think the problem is? WHy is he crying when we leave him? Its not fear of confinement as he will happily go in there now and sometimes (although rarely) when we are at home and he's sleeping in his crate, I open the door and he just stays in there anyway for a few more minutes. The crying is when he thinks we're leaving (or when we actually do leave) or even when crated in the next room while I'm at home. When I leave the house, I always crate him as it would be highly irresponsible to leave a pup uncrated and unsupervised with choking hazards. One time I left him for 10mins uncrated and he did what I expected...he peed and pooped everywhere out of nervousness/anxiety (even if I emptied him right before I leave). Also when he is uncrated and I go into another room with the door shut, he will cry and claw at the door and pee there as well. Sometimes if he's highly anxious in his crate when we leave, he will also soil his sleeping area and ignore all treats in there and also clawing at the walls. Of course, we ignore all the crying and if excessive crying goes on for 10mins, I get my shoe and slam it against the house door to make a loud bang so he associates a negative thing with being whiney. We only EVER let him out when he's quiet and calm. CW_EW, thanks for the input. I will try that and see how he goes. I do occasionally give him treats through the crate, but wasn't sure about the praising. I've been told to let him out in the backyard when we leave so I might puppy proof the backyard and give that a try. Just wanted to see if there's anything else I can do to stop the whining and clawing. Do you feed him in his crate? What's his reward for being quiet in there are the moment. Does he get anything to occupy him when you leave? Does he voluntarily spend any time in there just chilling when you're around?

But what is a guard dog guarding when it is clearly off its own property? I think the instinct to guard territory is strong in some breeds. It's instinct and it results in DA or HA. It could be argued that this aggression is 'provoked', and is desirable in some situations. Especially if the dog first tries to warn the intruder to back off in an effort to avoid escalating the aggression. I posted up a 'hypothetical test' to test for aggression that goes beyond any normal territorial guarding. They are the dogs I am really scared of. Those dogs have different rules in their head about why they have to be aggressive. Who knows? But surely the more relevant issue what the dog is doing off its property and not under its owner's control.I'm sure not going to have an issue with a dog that takes a piece out of someone that assaults its owner of its own property and that would fail your proposed aggression test Greytmate. We don't need a bunch of breed specific bans and licenses to deal with the issue of dangerous dogs. We simply need effective enforcement of existing dangerous dog legislation. Furthermore, potentially an individual of ANY breed can pose a risk to the community - how do breed bans and licenses deal with that? Lets not through the baby out with the bath water or start meddling with temperaments and drives without knowing the consequences. Reduce the 'nerve' and confidence in some breeds and you end up with dogs that can easily be provoked into fear based aggression..

No offence but a 13 week old is highly unlikely to have separation anxiety. I'm a little confused about your post. Is the issue with the crate or when you leave the pup at home? What happens if you leave the pup uncrated?

The more things you expose your timid dogs to, the more experiences that become "old hat" to them, the better their ability to cope with life. Personally I found agility to be a wonderful confidence booster for my timid girl and most people who havent known her long would not know of her predisposition to timidity. But its always there..

I couldn't agree more with all of what you've said here. All dogs have a purpose, which shouldn't be forgotten In the bigger scheme of things! And not all types of dogs are for everyone, lets not keep punishing certain breeds because they don't fit our ideal of what a dog should be I can also say with certainly that if I were to find myself living alone on a small rural acreage, I'd be talking to Lilli about one of her dogs. Clearly the dog would need to be managed sensibly but I would take great comfort from having a such a protector around.

And another. I use the Biodynamic full fat one (sparingly) and the dogs love it. We're not talking about a particularly fatty product anyway.

How does a guard dog guard if no humans are around to 'command' it?? The answer is simple - by instinct. That will involve a genetic predisposition to be DA or HA in most cases. I don't have an issue with dogs that are prepared to be DA or HA as part of their 'jobs' if the job is lawful. What I do have an issue with is people who get such dogs and fail to ensure that they don't become a danger to the community through poor management. Lets not blame such dogs for the fact that their owners are irresponsible, ignorant or criminal. Let me tell you, if I lived in some of the world's most dangerous places, I'd own a Fila in a heartbeat. South Africa would be a case in point. If I lived in Johannesburg I'd probably have several. I'd want people to think twice about the dogs before entering my home and I'd be happy for the dog to step up to protect house or family. Such dogs are only an issue when they're placed in the wrong home.

What you said. Put it on and leave it on. I assume its fitted correctly?

Personally I was more concerned about the harm the dog might cause to others! I'd think a halti on a big powerful dog with an owner who was physically challenged to manage it. I'd never use or recommend one on any dog under knee height..

Was it grass or grass seeds? My guess is that the foreign material was the cause of the wound, not a cut. If that's the case, you're going to have to pay extra attention to keeping her paws free of it. Do you remove excess hair from the underside of her paws - that can be a real trouble spot for trapped material. There's a reason poodle folk have traditionally kept their dogs feet shaved.. and you're just experienced it!

Keeping it lean and fit is a good investment too. Like humans, fit dogs have less health issues. If it worries people how much a dog will cost them over a life time there's a simple answer - don't own one. I think the article is a good idea. Taped to the front of a few petshop windows, it might slow down the impulse buyers who find themselves confronted with costs they'd never thought about. Frankly, if those of the costs of keeping your "average pet" I'm not even going to think about what mine cost me. I spend four figures every year on canine chiropracty alone!

Sounds promising!

Your prerogative. However you've assumed that because this trainer may use such methods, he is going to on your dog. That may not be the case. I don't even recall reading that he did use e-collars or prong collars? Personally, with a reactive dog you need to use what works. A trainer with a track record of success with such dogs is someone I'd be talking to BEFORE I jumped to any conclusions about him. In the meantime, muzzle your dog when its outside your yard. If the strongest control you're prepared to use is a harness and you're not willing do use anything other than reward based training, you're going to have issues with control if you get involved in an incident. You have no control of the dog's head for a start.

My thoughts are with you Cordy.

Still totally unsuitable to fit to a lunging dog.

Yep, Look for a registered breeder who's raised the pups in the family home. Be wary of anyone trying to sell you a purebred Shih Tzu without pedigree papers. Personally I wonder if a Shih Tzu pup will be robust enough to cope with a family of kids and a toddler in particular. Dropped puppies can be seriously harmed.

Sam was a pro. Its worth bearing in mind that Sam was considered an unadoptable rescue before he found his final home. This years winner was a stray too. I think Sam won the WUD comp for many years running. No idea why. ETA: It was three years running. Look him up on U-tube! Someone called him "the Tiger Woods of ugly dogs". ;) I think he had his own peculiar charm.

PF needs to pull her finger out and get her own CD title.. on Howie!

Breathe.

Yep, he was an old, hairless CC with a very devoted owner who had a sense of humour. I like the fact that people can celebrate their dogs very unique looks. Most of these dogs are old, have tooth loss (hence the tongues hanging out) and my guess is both they and their dogs thrive on the attention. I can't see the harm in it. If Miss Lily goes bald () with her lumpy freckled skin, she might have a new career in these pageants. ;)

My guys love icecream. Howie gets a Macca's cone after a show on a hot day. He very delicately licks his but usually only wants half and I have to give the left overs to another dog!

Sam WAS cool.

ooops double post

Yoda's no Sam. I doubt any dog will ever be as ugly. He was one of a kind.

Tablets are very evenly milled. If this wasn't the case, you'd be no more certain of how much of the drug was in a whole tablet either.