SalTheGal

Definitely something we are talking about ... but in the short term, we have neither the time or the money to do it properly....

Thanks so much for your reply Erny!! Thats what my thinking has been re the visibility of the tape, vs the hidden wire/collar... that she will associate the zap with the tape that she touches. Make complete sense re the positioning, I don't really know much about how it all works, would it electrify the whole fence if we were to weave it through the chicken wire so she gets it low down.... or I guess we could run it slightly out from the fence so that she hits it before she gets to the fence. The only issue there is I have two young children who might interfere with it... and if it was out from the fence I'd probably not want to leave it there long term. I've been punched by a electric tape too... and your right, its not that big a deal, and I keep telling myself its better than a car out on the road... but still makes me feel guilty doing this to her!

Our 11mnth old Cocker has just learnt how to "climb" our fence to get out of the backyard. We are on 6acres out in the bush, with an enclosed yard of around 1acre... where she spends her days while we are at work. We have a waste high chicken wire/wooden frame fence, and we chose her because we wanted a breed that would stay small enough not to jump the fences- which she can't do, but she has learnt how to scale them. This has only happened in the last couple of weeks, when she started coming out the front when I was leaving for work... we've resorted to tying her up during the day till we find a solution. Last week she got out after I left for the day, and we are just lucky that we live in a great neighborhood where everyone looks out for each other and someone picked her up. But knowing she was out there I just felt absolutely SICK with worry. :( I've been looking into electric tape to run along the top of the fence... just for long enough for her to get the idea that she can't get past it... my husband wants to try the hidden wire that works with the collar? Both options I would hope would be only used for a short term. The only time she ever gets out is when I am leaving, she is my baby.... and I'm not sure how we could 'train' her not to follow me? If anyone has any other suggestions I would be most appreciative! She has been a very hard to train puppy too... so anything new takes some time for her to pick up. TBH I feel sick about resorting to electricity, but I HATE having her tied up during the day too.... and its not realistic for us to change fencing in the immediate future (and idieally we don't want to at all as we don't want to have to build up a big fence to shut out the beautiful bush we are amidst). Any advice, reassurance about the use of electricity, or suggestions most appreciated.

THanks for that kelpiechick... that makes a lot of sense- a good rule to go by. T-Time (or anyone else who can answer) how do you go about finding an offlead park? We live 30mins out of town and on 6acres, so she gets plenty of offlead exercise... even when walking her she is generally off lead as it is out bush.... but I would love to give her more socialisation. I take her out with me as much as I can, and take her to visit other people with dogs, but have no idea if there is an offlead park anywhere in my area that is enclosed.

don't worry poodlefan so do I!!!! OK thanks for the feedback everyone, am happy to wait till she is older- just thought it might be another opp for her to get out and about.

Penny is just on 5mnths, so still a puppy really... and I was under the understanding that extended jogging/running is not good for pups? I try to get out and walk her a couple of times a week- but can't go more often as I try to go for a jog every second day- so she gets left home on those days. She gets LOTS of off lead exercise on our property- so she doesn't necessarily *need* the exercise, but just to get her out and about can I take her jogging with me? I am not a *fast* runner by any means, and it is only about 4kms distance. If I could take her with me then I could get *my* exercise in more often, and she would get 'jogged' more often that I have the chance to walk her.

We've just managed to get Penny to do her poo OFF the deck and on the grass full stop... let alone getting her to go further away from the house to do it in a corner. That said- she will usually go to her 'wee' spot, for poo too, so I think she will get better with time.

Our dog lives outside.... she comes in during the evening, or if I am at home during the day and its bad weather. Othewise my son is usually found outside playing with her. She sleeps outside (her choice in the early days, now its habit).... in a den under the cover of our deck. She gets walked every few days, but we have a large enclosed back yard and a further 6 acres for her to run on when we are outside with her.. she gets her exercise in lots of ways. If I am heading to the shops etc she comes too and will get on the lead then.... otherwise we are out bush so there is rarely a need for her to be on the lead (for a cocker her recall -to me atleast- is remarkable). She hates the rain, so I haven't even tried to walk her in inclement weather. :D

Sorry to hear of your news, I hope you get as much fun filled time with your boy as possible... As well as photos- try to take as much video as you can.... I took loads of photos in the last few weeks I had with my boy, but forgot about video- I have one video of him playing with my eldest son- and it is truly one of my most cherished videos, i watch it all the time.... I wish in hindsight I had taken more video.

Have been reading along with this thread, and want to wish you all the best in catching the cheeky boy!! You are all amazing, and should be so proud of what you are doing.

The OP shop will become your new best freind!!! With our last dog who lived outside we made a trip there every month or two to invest in new blankets/doonas/quilts... and replaced the old quite often- you can get it so cheap there! I dunno....I am fairly convinced that a dogs instinct will not allow them to freeze... our puppy has decided she prefers to sleep outside- and it gets pretty cold here atm, she is in a really snug den that my husband made and he lined with wool carpet (all sides cept roof), it is on our deck and facing into the house- our deck is sheltered on 3sides, I have added a wool blanket, a sheepskin, a polar fleece blanket, and I heat up a wheat pack before she goes to bed so that it starts out warm- then her body heat keeps it warm... she comes inside in the mornings still feeling toasty!

My Old Boy Toby BullmastiffxGSD lived till 12.5, we had him PTS in Jan this year due to a permanent spinal condition that rendered him lame. I know he wasn't what you would term an 'old' dog compared to a lot in this thread- but old for a mastiff, and he was a picture of health apart from the spinal condition. He was fed on Chum dry and wet, and table scraps, he lived outside (cept for the later years he slept inside during winter), in the last few years he was rarely walked- but we live on 6acres, so would wander around the property with us.... but left to his own devices he was very lazy! He hadn't been vaccinated since he was about 8, and even though he lived at the vets up until about then due to bad skin allergies/ear infections... he rarely went to the vet in his later years.... and I honestly couldn't tell you when I last wormed him! But he was LAVISHED with love and affection, and I think his happiness contributed to his long life. Cindy was what you would consider a tad 'broad around the girth'. This would be a rather apt description of Toby too!

We stop playing with her and give her a OUCH whenever she does it- and she pretty much ceases straight away- but its not so far stopping her from trying again to see how far she can go... I think she is getting gentler though.... if she jumps or nips my eldest he stops dead, and stands still- again she stops straight away as she isn't getting the response she wants. He then starts playing with her again once she is calm. If she heads towards my youngest and I see her I only need to give her a uhuh and call her and she comes- her saving grace is that she has brilliant recall, and a water tight sit response... I can get her to sit from across the room. The frustrating thing I think is that she knows what is expected of her- eg she knows she can't go in the pantry- so when I go there she follows me and sits at the door... then she gets treat for doing the right thing... but if I am not watching her she will often go to the door to try her luck if it is open. She knows she is not allowed on the couch- when we sit down, she sits at our feet to wait till we invite her up.... but if we aren't there she will try to jump up anyway. If I am supervising her play with 1yr old she will be ever so gentle.... really great... but if I am not right there- she will jump on him and nip at his ears... I guess the moral here is that I need to supervise her at all times!! I think I am getting the picture!!

I'm with PF here. You need better management. Lay down the groubd rules with her, get some leadership happening. She shouldn't have the opportunity to jump on/nip/scratch your kids. She should either be on lead or crated in the house at all times until she earn the right for you to extend her freedom. Toilet training is 100% your issue not hers. If you can't be supervising her -as in you can't control her every move at that time, she needs to be crated, penned or outside. If she is destroying or stealing yours or kids belongings you need to be confining her to a smaller area where this can't happen. This might sound harsh and in reality it's not easy. Toilet training is not easy, dealing with a screaming puppy at 2am is not easy, watching puppy have a tantrum at the end of her leash in public is not easy. But laying down the law now will pay off big time as she matures. Promise I absolutely agree with you both here! Especially with the toileting.... I DO take full responsibility for her accidents, I never berate her for them... and TBH she is getting better- she seems to have zero warning though when it comes to wee- she will literally stop, drop the bot and do it without any warning, I swear!!!! I've been sooooo obsessive about watching for signs! I take her out every 30mins or so, and she is brilliant at wee on command... but not so brilliant at learning to let me know if she needs to go out.... I know this one we will get there- and tbh its the least of my concerns. We have a large living open plan living area.... I have been looking into getting a pen that opens up and stretches out so I can pen off the rumpus/toy area and the rest of the living space so she can't get in there- its definitely been on my mind. I've tried having her on the lead- but I end up feeling so guilty for keeping her tied up like that! I guess I just need to change my attitude.... and I end up with a very sad 4yr old who wants to play with her all the time if she is penned or on the lead. Again- I know that all of this is not her fault.... and i don't blame her- and certainly don't take any of it out on her- but honestly I just needed to get it off my chest!!!!! Better that I vent my frustrations here than take them out on her!

puglvr... its those sweet innocent Cocker eyes that get her through I tell you!!!! At the end of the day when the boys are in bed, and she is worn out from all the play/training etc.... she is just the most adorable thing! And yep those eyes- they do make you melt....

We don't crate her- but we do pen her... she has her pen with toys ,chew stuff etc that I can put her in.... I just prefer not too, when we've been out all day the last thing I want to do is put her in her pen.... if I need to go out of the room etc then she goes in there... but after work we like to try and include her and play with her as much as we can so she isn't feeling left out.

Oh I so hear you!!! My old boy was unpredictable around other dogs- especially males, so I would always do as you- and make him sit whilst other dogs passed us.... usually people would get it and keep there dogs away- but every now and then you get some stupid NONG who doesn't know whats good for them or their dog.... and then we get the blame when our dog gets aggressive?!?!?! SOOOOO frustrating!

We are about to start obedience with her in a couple of weeks.... just waiting for footy season to finish as its on a Sunday mornings... but I have had several discussions with the dog behaviorist out my vets, and she says everything we are doing is correct- we just need to persist with her- she seems to be extremely stubborn!!! The boys are surprisingly resilient so far, fingers crossed it doesn't change, my 1yr old will still gladly give her a pat and smile and laugh when she is around, and when I am supervising she can be incredibly gentle with him.... its just when I turn me back she makes the most of the opportunity- she is too smart for her own good!

I’m Tired…. I’m tired of my naughty puppy... I’m tired of cleaning up wee and poop. I’m tired of soothing my 4yr olds scratches and nip marks. I’m tired of getting my clothes wrecked when she decides to jump up and latch on whilst I am walking- therefore ripping them. I’m tired of not being able to put pantyhose on until just before I leave for work for the above reason. I’m tired of having to console my 1yr old everytime I turn my back for a second because she has jumped all over him or nipped him. I’m tired of the fact that if I am supervising she doesn’t go near said 1yr old- so I know damn well she knows it’s not ok. I’m tired of her being so obsessed with food, and constantly scratching at the pantry/dishwasher door in the hope it might magically open. I’m tired of trying to praise and reward her for her good behaviour- when it most often follows straight after the bad. I’m tired of trying to be patient and not scold too much when I feel like she is getting away with blue murder, I’m tired of not being able to vent my frustrations at her! I’m tired of the fact that I only have to start to say “ahuh” when she is doing something wrong and she ceases straight away- but won’t learn not to do it in the first place. I’m tired of being the only one who is trying to train her properly, when my husbands answer to her naughtiness is to put her outside (ok I exaggerate- but he still isn’t as diligent as I am). I’m tired of missing socks and chewed shoes. I’m tired of tripping over her as she constantly gets under my feet. I’m tired of wrecked stuffed toys that are precious belongings of my children, because yes as much as I try to tidy up after them, there is always going to be something left out. I’m tired of trying to be patient and integrate her into our family life as much as possible now that I am back at work- they last thing I want to do is pen her half the night when she is outside all day. I’m tired of her new trick of barking at us if she wants something she isn’t getting- like getting up on the couch with us. I’m tired of her responding so well to food rewards as a part of training, but not actually learning whats right and wrong any further than that…. If there is no food reward then there is no good behaviour. But most of all I an finding that I miss my big beautiful boy who was gentle, and kind, and obedient, and cuddly, and didn’t bite, and didn’t jump, and wasn’t food crazy, I find myself getting angry that she can’t be like him. She is such a dear thing when she wants to be…. But honestly she has put me off getting another puppy for life, and I hate that! (Gawd I realise I sound so overly melodramatic.... I know she will be fine- and its probably not all that bad- I just only get a couple of hours when I get home from work to spend with my boys, and I am getting a bit exhausted by Penny constantly ruining our mood!!!!) :D

Thanks for the thread... interesting to hear the replies, we are having much the same issues with our 13wk old!! She literally stops and pees... she is good at trying to let us know she wants to go out *most* of the time... but if we miss the cue- or if we are in another part of the house to where the back door is, we are screwed! And this week she has also started sneaking off to hide to do a poo inside.... this behaviour I find totally confusing as she was perfect with outside poos right from day dot! Nushie Love your story about when you had friends over- totally gave me my giggle for then night!!

atm.... Every.Single.Day...Several.Times. With two young children in the house and a puppy who is SO mischievous, and honestly- she KNOWS what the right thing to do is- I only have to start saying AHUH and she stops nipping at my 1yr olds nose... but she just goes back time and time again! She has started going into hiding to poo inside, she barks at us when she doesn't get her way, and food- obsessed much?!? My peaceful house has become a place of tears, and tantrums, and craziness!!! She is adorable.... and as I look at her now fast asleep across my feet, I love her to bits but she has honestly put me off getting another young pup for life!

I think the opposite - that first time owners should be forbidden from owning small dogs so that they realise that a dog is not a walking teddy bear. Too many people use lack of size as an excuse for a completely out of control dog. There are some good small dog owners out there but there are also a lot of small irritating untrained shits. I'm so sick of people thinking it's ok for their small dog to jump up and basically do whatever it pleases because it's 'cute'. Always makes me feel tempted to egg Ella into a state of excitement and try to get her to jump on them and say "Still think it's cute?" Having a large dog as my first dog really forced me to take responsibility for being a dog owner as I thought, "I can't have a large, out of control dog" so I stepped up. It was a learning curve and I may not have been the perfect owner but we did lots of obedience and I learned a lot about dogs and myself, then came Ella the dynamo - two thirds the size and twenty times the energy - thank dog she wasn't first!! COmpletely agree with the bolded bit.... and agree with all PP who say its about the owner not the dog... if a person is prepared to do the research and do the right thing by the breed, then anyone can own any dog I think (within my acknowledged limited experience with a broad range of breeds ) My first dog as an adult was a Bullmastiff x GSD, and I took the responsibility of owning a large dog VERY seriously... attended obedience, made sure he never jumped, was very clear who the leader was, and he turned into the most beautiful loving well behaved dog- I often had compliments on him (apart from his recall... but I just never let him off the lead unless I was in a safe area to do so).... Fast forward to our new pup- Cocker, and I can see I am going to have my hands full with her- she is soooo challenging already to me!

Gorgeous!!! Wish I could get my pup to get that interested in her kong!! Beautiful dogs too!!

Awesome Video!! I want to go out and adopt one now!!! I was very surprised to see how calm they were- not too mane dogs would cope with that kind of environment- no matter how bomb proof.... very impressive!!