Dory the Doted One

I grew up with Lab x's in our family and a pure bred one that used to hang around my Nanna's Neighbourhood, so much that my Nanna taught her Budgie to scream out "Where's Ben, Where's the Bl**dy Dog?".:laugh: My Granny had a Aussie Terrier x, and then a Fox Terrier (purebred). I used to walk that Foxie everywhere, after the Lab died my parents refused to get more dogs. I was a lost soul looking for a puppy, 'Hooky' was a lost Foxie looking for a kid. We had loads of fun together. :) Then we got a GSD (pedigree) and I learnt a LOT from that dog. Aside from teaching me about dogs with 'issues', he also introduced me to Obedience, Showing and Breeding. He was never bred from, but through the GSDCV (back then) I was hanging around breeders and 'showies'. And so my 'weird teenage' years began and creeped into 'weird young adult' years. (No one understood my interest or passion...no one...:laugh:) When I left home I had to leave the GSD with my parents. I vowed I was going to get another one...I LOVED them...they were MY breed. And then my partner at the time said, "Uh Huh...NOT happening." I was . Until he mentioned it was going to be a Boxer or a Rottweiler. Rottweilers were my next pick after GSD's...so I was slightly mollified. That first Rottie (as much as a Poo Head as he was)...and subsequent Rottweilers later caused in me a shift. I had found my breed. And it was In amongst that I had a cross breed and a small dog. Who were the comic relief. I loved them and they were fun, but Rottweiler cuddles are the awesomest. Then a break and we got a Dory Dog...who is a one of a kind, never to be recreated super special Cross Breed. I toyed with the idea of getting other breeds, renting with big dogs is not easy. But when we found a rental that was very pet friendly I started thinking.....Hmmmmmmm.... maybe I can have a Rottweiler again....One Day...... We had a few come into work, and I just loved the hugs, the hair, the slobber, the leaning....OMG...I missed Rottweilers...but....One day.... Then I had a mad midlife crisis and I decided...NO...I shall make One day...TODAY!!! And Willow entered our lives. I didn't think I had forgotten how great a Rottweiler was, until...I got another one.... :cool: And I haven't had a decent sleep in since. :laugh:

Willow is 7mths old today!! Who would have thought it. :) No recent pics...she won't sit or stand still long enough! PS: She has cracked 30kg now. Her training is coming along. Not that anyone would notice this if they were to meet us in the street. She still thinks there are no bad people in the world, they are all her friends. :laugh: (Even when they are scary looking...her motto...'strangers are just friends she hasn't met'...)

I made a report on a near miss. We were charged by an off lead dog. The initial charge was quite aggressive and it scared the hell or of me. Really scared me. The dog did not continue the behavior into an attack, fortunately. But the owner was not anywhere close to the dog, had no lead and no control. The key point that caused me to report it was just how scared I was. I don't scare that easily but the dogs initial approach was such that I felt an uncontolled attack was about to happen. That forms part of the legislation that defines a potential dangerous dog.

I'm not sure how much Willow weighed at 8 weeks. But I do know she averaged a kilo a weight weight gain for a while there, she's 7mths old now and it's slowed. Her weight when she was gaining about a kilo a week was almost consistent with her age in weeks. eg. 10 weeks, 10 kgs....as an approximation. Some weeks she gained more, some weeks she gained a little less. Willow is a Rottweiler. :D (and fed a home diet)

Lots of towels, she tried to eat her mattress. And about 3, possibly more carefully stored (hoarded) bull chews, for Willow. Dory has loads of blankies, she doesn't chew. No toys, she kills. And no treats, because she's a guts. LOL Dory sleeps with me. Willow crated, because she's too big, too wiggly and wants to play at inappropriate times during the night. Maybe when she's less of a puppy.

Lots of towels, she tried to eat her mattress. And about 3, possibly more carefully stored (hoarded) bull chews, for Willow. Dory has loads of blankies, she doesn't chew. No toys, she kills. And no treats, because she's a guts. LOL Dory sleeps with me. Willow crated, because she's too big, too wiggly and wants to play at inappropriate times during the night. Maybe when she's less of a puppy.

Is it any good? I'm about halfway through - and yes, I'm finding it very good - but then I like the approach of both the authors to training. I'm in the middle of an interesting discussion about stress. Is it any good? I'm about halfway through - and yes, I'm finding it very good - but then I like the approach of both the authors to training. I'm in the middle of an interesting discussion about stress. I'm not that far into it yet, but what I have read is great. I have a dog with an injury atm (no trials for 4 maybe 6 wks) and I'm reading about recognising when there may be a problem with your dog. It's so relevant to our circumstances and I find I'm agreeing with everything I've read. It's also very easy reading Awesome! Is there an excerpt somewhere? I'd like to have a quick look. (although I'm sure I will make the investment LOL)

Is it any good?

"Purely Positive Training" Sheila Booth. Except everytime I pick it up...I get interupted...Grrrrrrrr. and I'm half way through "Tracking Dog. Theory and Method" by Glen R. Johnson. And I'm waiting for a couple of other books.

Willows nickname is Giraffe Girl at the moment. She's very leggy and super modelesque. You can feel her ribs, and faintly, oh so faintly see the last rib. She has a massive tuck up so she looks skinny. But she's not. She's just right. But between her long legs and tuck up. I wouldn't mind betting to some she looks unfed. Trust me, I'm throwing food at her, but she seems to be on a super model diet too. . (Unless it's chicken wings, turkey necks or bull chews LOL)

Really brightens a day watching their antics, doesn't it? :)

Phew. Glad it's not bones. Still it's not easy watching them limp around (while the little paranoid voice in your head recites all your fears despite evidence to the contrary ).

Similar here. "name, Come Here/On" "name, GET HERE" "OI!" "GET HERE!!!!!!!!!" Then it's on lead. My expected compliance varies from, come closer than where you currently are, say within 5 metres of me to time to put the lead on. Willow doesn't do off lead. Dory does off lead at dog parks and the beach. Results vary depending on the distraction and how quick I am calling her before the distraction is still not as strong as her compliance. The presence of food will generally increase the compliance.

:hug::hug::hug::hug::hug: I sooo know how you feel Cassie, every time I see Willow so much as falter I freak out. It's the down side to large breeds, the first couple of years you just worry that everything goes right. Because the long term consequences can be so hard to deal with, well aside from any aspirations you had re: Showing, trialling etc. I hope it's nothing serious. Let's hope it's just a bit of inflammation from growing so darn fast and nothing more serious. :pray::pray:

No not shocked, perhaps a little disappointed...I wonder if she is too friendly for their percieved notion of what a Rottweiler should be like. Willow LOVES people and LOVES LOVES cuddles from anyone willing to give them. She is not shy of people at all. I have been asked by someone, "Why would you want to get one of those?" Said in a very toff and sneery voice. I smile and say because they are the best dogs. Great with people, great with kids, fantastic family dogs. She's easy to train and I just love her to bits. (with a 'so NER' in my mind) My boss is a real cat person, he does like dogs, but he much prefers cats. I've overheard him telling clients what a brilliant dog she is. :D (I've also caught him talking silly nonsense to her when she's been out the back at work too. )

:laugh: I don't know. I'm quite enjoying no one knowing what Willow is. Random Person A : "Um...Err...Is that a Rottie?" With that upswing of uncertainty in the last word. Or Random Person B: "Oh, isn't she adorable. What breed is she?" I'm just gobsmacked at how short term memory people are. Only a few years ago everyone would have just assumed she was a Rottweiler, because she's big and black and tan.

Practising her Look for the Sleep Clinic Ad Campaign?:laugh:

Do you treat an obviously alpha dog different? There is only one Boss. That would be Me. Everyone is treated according to whatever it is they are doing at the time. Boisterious puppies that annoy and bounce on older dogs are turfed outside or crated. Older dogs that bully and boss young puppies...same. Everyone has their spot for eating (crates, we have resource guarding), no one is fed 'first' as such, but we do seem to have gravitated to an 'order'. Which is often disrupted by the fact that Dory does not need to be fed everytime Willow does. Dory gets this, and a simple 'back' command keeps her at bay. Because I'm the Boss. What I say, goes. We try to greet him first verbally when we get Home I walk in the door and both get quick pats, no one really gets first pats unless they are sitting still. It's usually chaos, so I manage it by taking them out to the backyard where Willow does zoomies and Dory sits on my feet. There is no pushing and shoving. If there was...I get up and walk away. NO ONE gets pats if there is pushing and shoving. NO ONE. Pats only happen when there is some decorum. We let him out of his crate first in the mornings Only Willow is crated, so moot point in our home. When both are crated I take who I need first, not who I think should go first. Or if Willow needs toilet time, she goes and Dory stays. It's mixed up a bit. If Dory needs something, then she goes and Willow stays. We treat him first in "dual treat situations" Whoever sits the nicest, gets the treat. Anyone who gets up or gets pushy...well...then no one gets a treat. So it's bum's down and all attentive and everyone is patient. It's based on behaviour that I want, not who I think should be 'Alpha'. Cos remember...I'm the Boss, I dole out the resources to who I see fit (ie. Who is behaving). And we put his bowl down first when feeding. It's whoever is the easiest to feed first. Generally it's Dory, because she's usually already sitting in her crate and waiting, where as Willow tends to follow behind me. There is no song and dance about feeding time. They only get fed when they comply to my demands...ie...waiting in their crates. Am I creating his alpha behaviour or helping it? You could be potentially creating a problem. But that is hard to know without assessing the behaviour. My General Rule of Thumb: Are you behaving in a way that I deem appropriate? If Yes. Reward. If No, No Reward. Reward being any kind of food or attention. If in the course of giving a Reward, in appropriate behaviour is displayed...I'm walking away. My House. My Rules. I Giveth, and I Taketh Away. My dogs are not physically punished. Any pushy behaviour is headed off at the pass, so to speak. In other words, it is stopped before it can escalate to a potentially hazardous point. PS: I'm no expert. And all of the above is subject to change as the situation requires it.

Love Nova's range of 'looks'. :) Here's Willow's Vogue Look...

Can't wait for some piccies. :D

Love It!

I was having a panic on with Willow and some retained puppy teeth, she had retained her P2's and they felt pretty solid to me. Even had her booked in for them to be removed. In the mean time I decided to give her some hard chewing bones (lamb vertabrae...or it could have been roo tail...they look the same to me!). Gave it to her frozen...and VOILA...first day she lost one of the retained teeth, day 3 the last one was gone...Woo Hoo! I was stressing because I didn't want her to have misaligned teeth, if you're not going to show, then I would hold off.

Oh, that reminds me of Ex-Mother in law...Who in a VERY offended tone said to me.... "You Vaccinate dogs, not Children. Children are immunised." But then she thought Hepatitis B was an airborne disease.

I'm getting a bit tired of people telling me that my dog is trying to be dominant, because she's a Rottweiler, and I should 'get stuck into her'. eta, some context... She gets very excited when we go out to training, works like a dream, but with loads of enthusiasm, sometimes she gets a bit bouncy. She likes to lean on you for cuddles (Ummm...Rottweiler, it's what they do) and will nudge you with a ball. She was a bit of a PITA to teach her to show her teeth nicely. Apparently that was dominance too. (PS..she shows teeth like a champ now). I would say it was less dominance and more me just trying to redirect some behaviour more appropriately in our own time and not in the time frame of others.

He didn't unlatch one of the latches and then squeese through the door? That's Dory's favourite trick, so we have to clip her in with snaps from old leads (usually Dory casualities too :laugh:) If not....check for opposable thumbs....