LuccatheLagotto

That'll be great, thanks Willem. I never thought to look into stock routes. I was thinking the State Parks around the Central Coast area, but haven't figured out exact route. Think I'll just bring his vet bed and tie him to a tree or something. I like to know he hasn't wandered off in the night chasing wildlife.

I’m keen to take do a 4-6 day trek/camp with my dog. Can anyone recommend some good tracks or websites with such information. I’m in Sydney and am happy to drive a few hours to the start of the track. Has anyone done this before – would be grateful for some tips re trekking/camping with dogs. We’ve taken him camping before and he was fine to sleep in his crate in the car. But since we will be trekking to a new camp spot each night, he won’t have his crate.

I think our relationship with our dog is such a personal one. So, the way that we raise our dogs will vary and we can’t expect everyone else to be the same as ourselves. The only thing that we can do is control the environment that we put our dogs in and to train our own dog to respond appropriately to other dogs (whether that be one that is rude, polite, timid, aggressive etc). Like StressMagnet, I’ve seen Lucca’s manners go from rude (running and jumping up) to polite (approaching in an arc and sniffing) and I put it down to being corrected by other dogs in off leash parks. So thank you to all those dogs that growled at and nipped him. I am now confident that Lucca is able to handle most encounters with other unknown dogs. Also, I take great joy in seeing Lucca enjoying himself running around, swimming, digging in the sand and interacting with other dogs. Obviously, I’m not the only one that feels this way because there are always other people with their dogs in off leash parks. There are always going to be irresponsible owners out there but I think we have to be careful not to be so quick to judge other people and their “rude” dogs. This is because that person may have the best of intentions but are too embarrassed/afraid to take their “rude” dog anywhere and hence that dog will never learn how to be polite. I know that Lucca wasn’t always the polite dog that he is now. How are dogs supposed to learn manners or dog body language if it never gets the chance to experiment and to receive feedback from other dogs? It’s the dogs that you don’t see in public because their owners don’t take them out that are the problem.

Thanks for your suggestion – I will give it a go. I can totally empathise! We look Lucca camping and even with a whole new environment to explore, he was still more interested in eating a dirty tissue he had somehow found in the bushes!

I agree with this completely. Now that your puppy knows what “sit” means, I would be applying that to daily activities, sit before going through the door, sit before dinner, sit before you throw a ball, sit to put on a leash, sit for a pat etc. IMO, this sort of “training” is much more useful than having a dog that knows how to sit 10 times in a row but isn’t able to apply that knowledge to everyday situations. It also means that you’re able to train throughout the day without tiring the puppy out.

My puppy loves eating paper and tissues! This is causing a bit of a problem when we go on walks as he will want to eat every bit of paper/tissue that is left on the ground. If I see some paper, I will divert his attention or cross the road etc so that he doesn’t see it but this isn’t always possible or I am not quick enough. Other than that, he walks fine on a leash - with some encouragement and a pocketful full of treats. Does anyone’s dog do this and how can I train him not to do it? If only I had a $1 for every bit of paper that he finds. Maybe I can teach him to find bank notes instead…

You could also try leaving the radio on on a talkback/news show so she gets the comfort of people talking. I give Lucca treats before I leave for work in the morning. He is then so busy with the treat that he doesn’t even come to the door to watch me leave *sniff. Its like he’s saying “Thanks for the treat mum, cya!”

You’re not the only one! I refuse to buy Lucca squeaky toys because I find the sound so annoying (and I’m sure my neighbours would too). Plenty of non-squeak toys out there so I don’t think your puppy would be deprived without one. Can’t miss what you don’t know.

Thanks everyone for your responses. Good point Staffyluv about hip dysplasia – I hadn’t thought about that but Lagottos are prone to it. Since going to the dog park that first time when it happened, he hasn’t been mounted again. Maybe he has become more confident and it is coming across in his body language? But if it does happen, I will be pushing those dogs off!

So true about not being able to find a rescue that suits my needs. As a first time dog owner, I just wasn’t confident that I had the skills or experience to deal with any preexisting issues that the dog may come with, especially if I didn’t know their history. I don’t regret my decision to buy a pure bred dog from a registered breeder, whom I can go back to for help or advice, but I am always self-conscious when people ask me what breed Lucca is – trying to say Lagotto Romagnolo without sounding snobby is really hard! Then explaining that they’re an old Italian breed used for truffle hunting makes it worse! Luckily, Lucca is overdue for a haircut and is looking a bit scruffy at the moment :D

I took Lucca, 5 month old puppy, to the dog park yesterday and there were about 7 or 8 other dogs there. All the dogs were polite and Lucca did really well greeting and playing with the other dogs. Though, two dogs mounted Lucca but he wriggled away and was then play wrestling with them. Is this normal? Did I mention that Lucca is male?!

Definitely lesson learnt for next time! Will take things slower and great tip about just taking him to the groomer without getting anything done. I'm actually a bit relieved (is that the right word?) to hear that it was an accumulation of factors that led to the out of character behaviour. Yes, I've also heard that Lagottos can show those traits if not properly managed. So far, exposing him to new environments/people is working well as he handles new situations well and is friendly (hence the shock today). I groom him on a table but without the food distractions, he just doesn't stand still. I am open to suggestions as to a better way as I've got more than a decade to go with Lucca.

Thanks for your reply. Yes, that is what I am thinking/hoping as well. In hindsight, I probably should have given the grooming a miss. I am going away for Christmas and so wanted to make sure that he was vaccinated and smelling nice for my mum, who has kindly offered to look after him :D . Hope he doesn't have a negative association with grooming now.

I took Lucca to the vet this morning for his 16 week vaccination. During the examination, the vet noticed that Lucca had an ear infection and has given him some ear drops. When the vet was examining his teeth (just lifting up his lips), he started growling. I then took him to get groomed and the groomer reported that Lucca growled at her quite aggressively when she was brushing around his head/shoulder region. He was fine when getting his nails clipped and back/hid legs brushed. By way of background, since I brought him home at 9 weeks, I have been made sure to touch him all over, paws, in between toes, check ears, open his mouth etc. I have also bathed him and brushed him at home and he had been fine. I usually give him a pig's ear to chew on while grooming so that he has a positive association grooming. He has also been to puppy preschool and I've taken him to meet people/dogs at cafes/tennis courts/shopping center etc and he's always wanting to go up to them to say hello; so I wouldn't say that he is fearful. So today's experience has really come as a surprise and has me worried. I am at a bit of a loss about what to do and would be grateful for some advice.

So does Lucca! Though the side effect is that he now loves eating paper. The council should be paying him for removing paper from the streets…

I should preface this by saying that I’m in no way a dog expert but this is what has worked for me as a first time puppy owner. Compared with the usual assortment of store bought toys like Kongs, Busy Buddy and soft toys, I find that Lucca likes my homemade toys the best. Which is great for me because it is cheap and I can give him new toys every few days. I just have to be inventive! Here are some toys/games that have worked well: • plastic bottles with some vegemite smeared onto it to encourage him to play. He likes chewing on it and chasing it around as it makes lots of noise on the pavement. Sometimes, I cut some holes in the bottle and put kibble in it so that it essentially works like a buster cube. The first time I did this, I didn’t screw the bottle cap on and Lucca worked out how to tip everything out within 10 seconds! He has not been able to chew through the bottles so there is no risk of him eating the plastic but this may not work if your puppy is a serious chewer. • soaked a soft toy in some unsalted chicken stock and put it in the freezer. Hours of chewing fun that can help with teething pains too. • tied his favourite toy to a bungy cord and hung it from the ceiling. Hours of fun as he can play tug by himself and the toy bounces back when he releases it, causing him to try to catch it again. Just be careful to not hang it too low as to cause an accident. • scatter kibble around the yard so that he has to go searching for it. Being a working breed, he loves this game and will continue searching long after the last kibble has been eaten. I also put a prize (eg. his favourite food, which strangely, is mango) in a hard to find place like inside a cardboard box. He then has to figure out how to get to it and then plays with the box for hours. • freeze some fruit suitable for dogs like watermelon or mango peel etc – it is cheap and delicious. • pigs ears or bully sticks always go down well; but Lucca can eat an entire one in 30 minutes so it can get really expensive. I now save them for “special” occasions like, grooming time or long car trips :laugh: . My main goal for Lucca is to be a polite family pet that I can take out with me so my “training” is geared towards exposing him to different environments/people/dogs etc. Like you, I have taken him for small walks around the neighbourhood and let him run off leash a patch of lawn near my house ONLY IF there are no other dogs/people around (which usually means getting up early!). I think you’re doing the right thing by taking the opportunity to practicing recall/sit etc in environments that simulates real life situations where there are distractions. So far its been OK for me too because he doesn’t wonder far, but I’ve heard that its harder during adolescence so I’m bracing myself. More reason to train now though! Playdates are a great idea to overcome fearfulness, so long as the other dogs are gentle and so it creates a positive experience. To expose him to various situations, I started by taking Lucca on quick trips to the local shops, train station, tennis court, friend’s house etc. Then I uped the anti and took Lucca to cafes/shopping centres and let him say hello to other dogs or make him sit calmly when a dog walks by then give him a treat. That way he is exposed to other dogs without necessarily having to engage in play. I’m careful to read Lucca’s body language and only add to the intensity if he is signaling that he is OK with it. Last weekend we went to a local fair and a marching band went by that took him by surprise; he tried hiding between by legs but I just ignored him and acted like it was perfectly normal and he settled down quickly. I really had to weigh up the risks of disease against making sure that I had a balanced dog and I’ve chosen the latter; I had a dog growing up that was just absolutely afraid of everything and so we couldn’t take her out much, which was really sad. Sorry for the drivel and again, this is based on my own puppy raising experience. I’m open to suggestions from other dog owners.

Hi Vicki, You must be so excited!! Milo is such a cute name Lucca has just found the garden and has a great time sniffing and digging around – no truffles though. His paws are permanently brown from the soil now Betty

I am looking to set up playdates with other puppies or dogs who are gentle with puppies for my 13 week old male Lagotto puppy. He is outgoing and lively without being hyperactive. He has been socialized through attending 4 weeks of puppy preschool and has also met adult dogs at cafes/street etc. I am located in Hornsby, Sydney and am happy to go to your house or you can come to mine – I have a smallish court yard. I am available week nights or weekends. Please let me know if you are interested.

I agree with the others to do more mental work as I have found that it tires Lucca out faster. In the morning before work, an exercise I do with Lucca is bring him into the garage and scatter his kibble around. Then I give him the “find it” command and he runs around sniffing and searching. I then come in with a few known and teach unknown commands. The whole process takes only takes 15 minutes but it really tires him out and by the time I leave for work he is calmly chewing on a toy. The best thing about this is that he is tiring himself out with little to no effort from me. I am usually enjoying my morning cup of coffee while he is doing this :D .

Thank you for all your responses and suggestions. It’s good to know that I am not the only one. I think I will have to pick one rule to enforce (that is, no engaging Lucca unless seated and calm) and the rest I’ll just have to learn to let go…

Lucca the Lagotto is now 13 weeks and all is going well with training/socialization etc. I’m looking for some advice around how to politely but firmly prevent friends from inadvertently teaching him bad habits! I feel like such a nark telling people to do (or not do) this or that with Lucca but at the same time I don’t want all the hard work I put into training undone! For example, I ignore Lucca when he jumps up and only engage him when he is sitting calmly but friends will pat him when he is on hind legs. Also, I always enforce a command so that he doesn’t learn to ignore me but friends will randomly say “come” when he is on the other side of the yard and obviously won’t come or when he jumps up on them, they’ll say “No! Down!” when that just isn’t going to work and is just adding to his excitement. Or they’ll feed him food from the table and talk to him in high pitched whiny voices that just gets him worked up. I know it’s all done out of affection for Lucca but it’s making me not enjoy social situations. Do other people feel the same when other people try to “train” their dog and what do you do about it? Thanks! Betty

Thank you for your suggestions so far. Here he is!

Hi All, I adopted a 9 week old Lagotto puppy (Lucca) 5 days ago and so far he has settled in well. From day one, he slept through the night without crying or soiling. He has learnt to toilet outside and has so far only weed inside twice, but it was my fault because I couldn’t get the back door unlocked in time. He also knows to sit calmly for his dinner and is usually happily playing by himself when my boyfriend and I leave for and return from work (so I assume that he is busying himself with his toys and not barking when I’m not home?). I haven’t started any formal training with him yet by having him sit, down, stay, walk on leash etc on command. The only ‘training’ that I’ve done so far is ignoring him when he does something that I don’t like eg. jumping up or crying for attention etc and then praising when he is good. I’ve also taken him to my mum’s house, café and tennis court to meet people. I am slightly paranoid about screwing him up and don't want to regret not doing something that I should have. I would like to ask the community for some guidance as to what some ‘must do’ things are, in addition to teaching him the common command words, that I should be doing with Lucca to lay the foundations for a solid relationship. I don’t intend to show or compete him but just want a calm and polite family pet that I can take out. Thanks!