Akitaowner

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i was trying to teach Rogue 'catch' last night - i thought she would get it really quick she does with everything else - but no!! had food bouncing off her left right and centre! she got bored so we did some other training. i didnt have much else (food wise) to try with her so will have another go at the w/e. Mav can catch food from almost anywhere - its really useful when you are teaching stays etc and im gonna start 'box' clicker training her to be more confident on her own...hopefully she might use her brain instead of eating the house and digging holes!!

i thought dogs were attracted to where they have been previously - you might do better if you just move the poo rather than clearing it away. Also does he play on the grass? - dogs tend not to poo where they socialise...

hmm me thinks i may have to teach this to my 2 OH wants me to teach Rogue how to catch treats first tho!! My boy isnt very quick and needs a command warning to be able to catch! it was the only thing i taught him with a clicker- it was mainly so i could get him to stay at distance and be able to reward him from a distance! Im always looking for new tricks to teach - but never remember what to do when i get home!!

yep but i think they would consider the hydrobath a luxary and a bucket and sponge sufficient it would also depend on where the water went after .... down the drain or on to the grass...

there was a notice inour local paper a while ago with regards to washing dogs - were on level 4 restrictions but it said youwere allowed to wash a dog with a bucket and sponge, providing the run off stayed on your property (ie you did it on the grass etc) i doubt technically you would be allowed to use a hydro bath with level 4 water restrictions....

its friday and been a LOOOOONG week!!!

my dogs will let me do anything - them eating is of no effect - however i wouldnt want them to change character coz i hadnt used a command. I believe it is mutual respect to command before a task, so they get it right and i get what i want, however not every one knows their manners and someone strange may do something untoward and i dont want my dogs reacting negatively, so they are trained to follow command but not react adversed should it not be given ....

ok maybe i didnt explain well enough - but i would always use a command before doing anything (maybe thats just natural to me!!) - if i tell them to leave it they will step away so i can move the bowl etc... i only have 2 so i dont have any issues with stealing food from bowls - both would prb let the ther take it!! Rogue like to lick Mavs bowl after hes finished but its after he has walked away and hes not fussed by it....

1 were talking about an energetic JRT puppy - that has obviously been getting a bit hyped up about a few things - this is not what i would consider a dangerous dog that is going to rip my arm off!! we each train differently and i believe its important that i or anyone else can approach my dogs and take things from them without any form of conflict - what if it were a child that didnt know the command etc. i dont set up my dogs to fail and they never have. i dont interupt their dinner every night - but sometimes they look liek they are about to push their bowl off the deck and i simply retrieve it fromthe edge and they continue....its not a big issue sounds like Jak is back to normal and shes on top of the situation anyway....

Hi, what do you mean by hands on in this circumstance? Is this a smack? Dogfish in this circumstance (im sure the owner knows her dog and whether it is actually likely to bite her!) i will push the dog away/down from me for undesirable aggressive behaviour Do that to a pup or dog with serious resource guarding issues and I'll virtually guarantee you'll get bitten AND make the problem worse. We were given a bigger brain for a reason. Confrontation with an animal wilth any kind of aggression issue will more often than not end in grief.... for you and the dog. Thank you Poodlefan. I couldn't believe that anyone would give advice of that nature over the internet without seeing the dog in action or having any idea what caused this behaviour. This dog needs to be seen by a qualified behaviourist. Akitaowner I strongly disagree that it's good practice to take the food away from the dog when they start eating. That's a pretty sure way to make many dogs resource guard their food. Our dogs need to trust us and we can hardly expect that to happen if we take their meal away from them. There are far better ways to train a dog to release what they have in their mouths. it is well known that if your dog will not let you take their bowl away they can become guarded/protective of their dinner, from you or anyone/thing else. i believe this is a young pup (<12months) which is why it was suggested. If the dog trusts you to be its leader it should have no issue AT ALL of you removing its food. What happens if dog picks something up you dont want it to eat (eg dangerous) how are you supposed to remove it - without having trained the dog you may take things from it that it might want to keep!! no its nore the tone of your voice that is the issue and whether they believe you mean what you say. no i never advised to 'hit' a dog ....

yep i would be making sure pup knows your authority. its also good practice with young pups to give them their dinner bowl etc and then remove it again once they start eating - this should not cause any problems - its important you can remove high reward items from your pup without any aggression. as soon as pup snarls/bites SHOUT at it a loud NO and if necessary hands on. (not too heavy handed... with littlies) also make sure that the friend comes back and you get them to do the same thing - you want pup to be below any human not just u....get lots of people to visit and if the behaviour occurs tell them what to do.... it may also help your friend over her traumatic pet sitting if she knows what to do...

cooked or raw meat is fine - just to make u know :D - sure NEVER feed cooked bones (like an old cooked chicken carcass) the bones shatter and can cause severe gut damage. some dogs with sensitive tummys go better on cooked meat , personally i feed raw bones. Also dogs with reduced appetite (sick/injured) often get cooked as its more appealing.....

put the crate where you want pup to sleep in the long run - its much better to train them to be further away (like in the lounge/kitchen) and if you want they can comein the bedroom when older... make sure you have a toilet routine set up, baby pups can only hold for about 4 hours so i would suggest you actually set your alarm for toilet break in the night - get pup out of the habit of crying all the time. When i first had my pups i was going to bed at 10 up gain at 2 and up at 6 regular as clockwork. Slowly move the 2am stop further and eventually you have happy well trained pup that will go thru the night without any worries. Cover the crate, close doors, i used to leave the TV on a screensaver with very low noise - kept mine entertained/quiet. its often the quiet they dont like. perservere - the crying will stop - but it may take a week.... dont give in AT ALL

generally i prefer my visibility - we have some little scruff down the street that bounce off the walls all day at everything (including cars)behind 6 ft iron gates drives me crazy!!

just had to stop by and say that that pic of him infront of the lake is gorgeous and the first one on his bed - he has the same eyes as my boy :D

if u are worried about liability - get someone (read solicitor etc) to draw up a document about no liability for loss or damages and they can sign on their way in sounds like a great plan to me (will be great for dogs as they age - you can make sure they stay healthy with a swim :D )

i presume the foxie has always lived with the GSDs.... its prob sep anxiety from them .... i didnt some work with my girl when i first got her to avoid that issue - involved seperating them at all times when i was not physically in the room/yard - i did it from a baby and she now 10 months - very few issues with taking 1 out and not the other. they will bark a couple of times (to express their displeasure!) and then shut up. yep ttry crating and distraction - does foxie cry if you let the other 2 in and not him or visa versa.

why not you could 'rent' out its use to other local doggies

:D Sorry it wasnt better news - but as the others have said make the most of him and spoil him for a bit - if hes not in pain, its borrowed time to say goodbye

even if it is the worst (which i sincerely hope it isnt) the vet will never make u make a choice on the spot.... when my parents finally decided it was time for my old family boy we were ready and so was he

also to add you will find if your older dog isnt in such great condition it will greatly improve coat and immune system

i would highly recommend you spend a little time finding a butcher/chicken shop that will sell you the carcasses - they are great for all dogs providing they chew them! i feed mine a little premium kibble with some tinned fish for brekkie and a couple of carcasses for dinner. Its a very cheap diet! check out the BARF thread in this section

last time i got my vet to do some research she said it would be about $350 which is pointless - and at the time i couldnt find any boarding kennels that would accept it anyway...so didnt bother too much Recently they said they do not have the 3 yr vaccine yet here either...but when it does come it will not be KC or ? cant remember but would still need a yrly visit to top up the other ones...