Niques Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Ruby decided to 'remove' the tag on her trampoline bed...and it started to tear the cover. Eugh, I frequently curse the stupidity of whoever it is who keeps putting tags on dog items. Not too hard to forsee that the dog will eat them, thus unravelling whatever so-called "sturdy" item they're attached to I'm very jealous of anyone whose dog is actually repelled by Vicks. I tried it on the TV table when James was very, very young in an attempt to keep him away from the corded area - it drew him in like a moth to flame! He'd just stand there licking it. Second the calls for a video of Mr Koala's beg I was very impressed with Elbie and Hoover's condition Sleek puppies! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuffles Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Ruby decided to 'remove' the tag on her trampoline bed...and it started to tear the cover. Eugh, I frequently curse the stupidity of whoever it is who keeps putting tags on dog items. Not too hard to forsee that the dog will eat them, thus unravelling whatever so-called "sturdy" item they're attached to Especially on TOYS!!!! I always cut the tags off but the monsters still go straight for the stub, which usually unravels the stitching. Once there is a gap big enough for stuffing to get out, the toy gets confiscated because I am sick of snowy living rooms. This process usually takes about 2 minutes... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ark Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 KTB, you could probably retrain a normal beg pretty easily. Just ditch the word 'beg' and start fresh. I know in a lot of the videos from the US, people use the command 'sit pretty' instead, so maybe you could try that The next thing I want to teach Ava is to bow (and hold it!). (Edit: Actually the next thing I want her to do is an obedience retrieve, but I can't get her to hold the dumbbell no matter how hard I try ) You could try sticking some feathers on it - she used to like the feel of those...... Seriously - I love watching every new video you put up, Wuffles. Your training is very inspiring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
koalathebear Posted January 25, 2011 Author Share Posted January 25, 2011 Are the Canberrites bringing the 'men' tomorrow? Trying to work out if I should get mine up early to come along or whether that will just make him grumpy. I'm assuming at least Mr Koala will be there, he is so dedicated... :D He did ask me why I appeared to have some sort of violent objection to sleeping in but I can confirm that he will be there because he is extremely conscientious about his dog duties. He's also keen to see Hoover's first chance to run around on a HUGE grassy field :D Given that he'll probably just be chasing around after the doggies, unless Mr Wuffles really wants to come you don't have to force him into it just to keep my OH company Your thread about the weight of dogs was interesting I am paranoid about weight. Try having a dog like Ava with a long coat, eeeek, so hard to tell. She is very lean, OH wants me to feed her more but I'm undecided whether she needs it. Clastic and I were squishing and prodding our dogs like mad the other day to see how bony they were I've been standing around a few times when someone has walked by with a dog, looking all happy and proud of their dog and someone has commented on how fat the dog is. I feel mortified on the owner's behalf and worry about my own doggies. Niques - Urgh ... my two also attack those tags first - on beds, toys whatever... we try to remember to cut the tags off first before we give it to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuffles Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 You could try sticking some feathers on it - she used to like the feel of those...... :D Seriously - I love watching every new video you put up, Wuffles. Your training is very inspiring. :D Not much training lately I'm afraid... wedding appointment overload I think I'm going to go for the big guns and get the clicker out to try teach her. It's frustrating because she holds things in her mouth all the time - she always greets us with something in her mouth and wants to 'walk herself' with the leash when going for a jog. But she seems to think that picking up the dumbell then holding it for .5 seconds before throwing it at me as hard as she can is what works (And man that thing HURTS when it hits your foot) Yesterday when I got home there were no toys in sight so she grabbed one of my socks that was on the ground. She thought twice about it but couldn't resist. Then she held it really gently in her front teefies and brought it to me and wiggled her bum so hard her tail hit her head Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KumaAkita Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Mr KumaAkita will come along tomorrow Just took Kuma to the vet for his 12month booster injections. They said he's doing well and is a good weight. 47.3kg today Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clastic Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Mr Clastic will be coming along to watch the dogs frolic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
koalathebear Posted January 25, 2011 Author Share Posted January 25, 2011 Ha if there are going to be that many of us, maybe i will bring snacks along. From memory there are picnic tables there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genabee Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Just took Kuma to the vet for his 12month booster injections. They said he's doing well and is a good weight. 47.3kg today 47.3kg!!! Never mind the dog, that was me before I got knocked up!!!! Poor Genevieve... so mini. What she lacks in kgs, she makes up for in chewing capabilities. She ain't no pint sized princess! She was relegated to the dog house this morning. We woke up to find the corner of our leather sofa missing... and the lounge room looked as though it had been snowing as she had managed to spread foam (stuffing) from one end of the room to the other. She had completely mutilated the corner of the sofa.... there was nothing left!!! She was sitting all pretty, rather proud of her efforts too. I thought Simon was going to kill her... and I mean, I had to pick her up and take her away otherwise she was going to be tonight's dinner. When I asked him if he had taken a photo, I was met with the grim reply of 'It's not cute anymore. We are not putting the good couch in this room, so don't ask!' (The 'good couch' is currently in the baby's room with the intent to move it to the lounge once Missy stops 'chewing'. Needless to say, I want it out!!!)... So not only is she destroying her new toys the day she gets them (to the point I have stopped buying them), she has moved on to furniture!!! (Damn her cuteness and ruining my nursery plans!) And I ask you KA, what did Little Miss Naughty have to confess to you about that one?????? If she keeps it up, she is going to need a good lawyer because I am not sure if the puppy dog eyes and waggily (as my God-daughter says) tail is going to be enough!!! Clastic - Genevieve doesn't have a dog bed. She'd just eat it (as recent activities would suggest). We use a soft crate for night times (which she has partially chewed) and during the day, she has hyjacked two of my crochured rugs for her own, so now they are hers (I mean, who'd want them back??!!)... She has one under the desk and one outside our bedroom door. I think she likes them because they smell of us. I do wash them once a week!!! KTB - Love the video!!! I had myself a giggle. Don't worry, Genevieve is too posh to beg. She does this weird dance thing instead. I love your oven by the way (no wonder you bake awesome things!). I will be celebrating Aust. Day with you in spirit. We are planning a BBQ and a trip to the park to play cricket (a tradition we do every year), so Naughty G will be running around. Hopefully some locals will have their muts out and about too, so she might leave our cricket ball alone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kyliegirl Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 (edited) bit of frustration today, Echo just doesn't get leash walking, I spent over an hour then stopping and doing exactly as kikopups videos but he doesn't get it, he is back to pulling ahead the second we go.. There was no way I would have gotten home at the rate we were going.. and he doesn't want to go in one direction, he wants to go ALL directions so its impossible to just change direction because he will instantly pull in that direction too.. I am at a loss If i make like a tree, he just runs around pulling, and even when he finally stops, I take one step and that's it. does anyone have any tips.. This dog just wont get it.. He walks fine in the yard.. Edited January 25, 2011 by kyliegirl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuffles Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 bit of frustration today, Echo just doesn't get leash walking, I spent over an hour then stopping and doing exactly as kikopups videos but he doesn't get it, he is back to pulling ahead the second we go.. There was no way I would have gotten home at the rate we were going.. and he doesn't want to go in one direction, he wants to go ALL directions so its impossible to just change direction because he will instantly pull in that direction too.. I am at a loss If i make like a tree, he just runs around pulling, and even when he finally stops, I take one step and that's it. does anyone have any tips.. This dog just wont get it.. He walks fine in the yard.. kyliegirl... my girl is almost ready for formal obedience trials yet she has only just mastered loose leash walking at 13 months old. I spent many, many walks almost in tears because Ava would just run on the end of the leash (now we joke, at least it filed her nails ). I took an hour to get 5 houses away once Don't stress! You will get there. Do you want to use purely positive training or would you be happy to use small corrections? A martingale collar can be helpful if you know how to use one, that's what helped Ava realise what I wanted her to do. I wouldn't use it until Echo is a bit older though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kyliegirl Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 thanks wuffles, he is still very young but the more i read the more it sounds the only way to control a dobermann on walks is to use a prong collar.. I was hoping to train him to never pull. At the moment it seems impossible. Oh well.. keeping at it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuffles Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 You should see Ava when we get to obedience class She nearly rips my arm out sometimes. The best thing you can do is be consistent. Don't expect too much or he will feel your frustration which will make it worse. If you go to obedience classes, they will be able to help you My big boy walks alright on leash, he is 36kg and I have no problems controlling him. It just takes time... a lot of time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
koalathebear Posted January 25, 2011 Author Share Posted January 25, 2011 (edited) kyliegirl: Elbie walks beautifully on a loose leash at obedience class but pulls like a maniac when we go for walks. For a while I was using the ezywalk harness which helps a lot but it doesn't solve the fundamental problem. As I know his pulling frustrates me like crazy and I end up pulling too hard on the leash, I've been going back to absolute basics with Elbie. Basically for his dinner time, I go out with his dinner in a treat bag and just walk up and down the street, constantly changing directions. I pretty much do this every day ... He has been walking beautifully and not pulling. If I try to go off our street he'll probably pull again so I'm just going to keep working away at him on our street until he gets into the habit. It's not exciting for him because I'm sure he'd like to go on a walk to new places but he seems happy enough just to be out of the house or the backyard The other thing you could do is go onto an oval - it's much easier to change directions there than on a street. We found with Elbie, even though he is a champion puller, that we take one step in one direction then quickly change directions then change again. Also, every time Echo looks up at you, you reward. The other thing that helps with Elbie is to change the pace up - I'll walk then jog a couple of steps then walk, change directions. Don't be frustrated. Seriously, loose leash walking and heeling are the two things that we have found most difficult with Elbie. Other people might find it easy but we really struggle and Elbie's very smart and compliant usually. With heelwork, he has a bad habit of not sitting right at our left side - he'll sit out slightly at a 45 degree angle. Also it's hard to maintain his attention without the use of treats. For the loose leash walking, he wants to dart out ahead! With Hoover it's a lot easier. He's a lot more food-focussed and compliant than Elbie. It's easier to get his attention. When Elbie's out, he sometimes snaps into a strange trance where he can't hear us, won't even look at us and I have to stop and refuse to move until he gives us his attention. With Hoover, just calling his name is enough to make him pay attention. All dogs are different .... Elbie's been much better to train at tricks, he imitates well and he has a natural understanding of language but he's a shocker on a leash and he's hyperactive. We love both our monsters but they present different challenges that keep us on our toes. ETA: Elbie is 11 months and loose leash walking is still eluding us - and it's not for want of trying. We have been working pretty hard at it! Also, random link - these Doberman puppies are soooooooooo cute Not sure how I feel about cropped ears though. Edited January 25, 2011 by koalathebear Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genabee Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Sorry to hear Echo has been giving you grief. Not sure I am much help, but after a few issues we started using the easy walk harness too, and I have never looked back. She still carries on like a pork chop if we don't put it on her. As Wuffles said, it takes ages.... some dogs can be years old! Don't let it put you off though. Find what works for you and make the most of the small milestones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minxy Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 I wouldn't stress about it too much, Kyliegirl. My trainers were talking about LLW the other night and said that it's at the very top of the list of dog training points that people/dogs have trouble with. Do you take any food rewards when you go? For us, rewarding Kyojin actually makes him walk badly as he starts swaggering like he's some awesome cool dude if we praise him on a walk, and so then he'll forge ahead. But without praise, he's lovely - go figure! But I know a lot of dogs respond really well to getting food rewards on a walk. The thing my trainers said is to make sure you never let your dog drag you anywhere and so even if that means that sometimes you only get 5m down the road, then so be it as long as they didn't pull to get there. I'm sure that would be frustrating as hell, but as someone mentioned, KTB I think? that try not to let it stress you out as Echo will pick up on that. Not sure where abouts Niques lives, but maybe you, me, Niques and Sammie could all get together for a walking session soon and give each other some pointers?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
koalathebear Posted January 25, 2011 Author Share Posted January 25, 2011 (edited) wizzle: I know it's wrong - but I find it hilarious that a creature so pint-sized as Genevieve is so destructive. Kind of like how Ruby has that innocent face but is so cheeky It's probably just an attention-seeking phase - she may get even MORE chewy after Wee Wizzle arrives!! In other news, I normally keep an eye out for the Kelpies in the rescue threads but this little fellow made me so sad tonight. He really has the most sweet and mournful face ... I'm also horrified to see that some evil creature dumped their 17 year old dog at the pound. Who does that??? Edited January 25, 2011 by koalathebear Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kyliegirl Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 KTB: glad I am not the only one, guess I am letting the long hours of work push my patience, will try to be more patient with him, typical I had to get the most stubborn and dominant breed lol. This is going to be hard! Wizzle: I guess Echo is no exception lol! Minxy: thanks I think you are right and yes I had TONNES of food, but he loses interest in food and has a higher interest in surroundings when we go out his head never comes up from the ground. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilli_star Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Kind of like how Ruby has that innocent face but is so cheeky Cheeky? Moi? Surely not! :D Wizzle, I was laughing (and gasping in horror!) at your post and had to explain why to my niece. She couldn't believe it either! :D Naughty, naughty Miss G! How can such a small, sweet-looking doglet cause so much destruction?! Of course, I am well aware of how something so sweet looking can become such an unholy terror and create such a huge mess. I'm dreading going back to school in more ways than one- coming home to a mess is not fun. Have fun at the dog park tomorrow, Canberrans. The rest of us look forward to pics and videos so we can live vicariously through you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clastic Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 (edited) kyliegirl - As everyone has said, don't worry too much. We've all been through it one way or another. When Mars first started training at the local dog club he had his good and bad days. When we tried LLW his head was constantly to the ground just sniffing, he also wasn't very food motivated when he was younger to the point where he would actually refuse treats, it was like trying to make a child eat something they don't like. With Pepper when she was younger we wouldn't even attempt to walk her without a head halter on (some people don't like them, but its what worked for her), without it she would just constantly lunge in different directions and be in her own world, we tried but could never get her attention.. she would never look us in the eye. We tried a walking harness, but she still managed to lunge and carry on. Good luck with it, its tough and we know what you're going through. :D ETA: KTB - I don't like going through the rescue thread, but always seem to.. makes me so sad seeing so many at the pounds. Edited January 25, 2011 by Clastic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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