Cheyenne_Fury Posted November 4, 2005 Share Posted November 4, 2005 Hi, I have an older beagle/basset cross who I am having problems with gaining and keeping his attention on me for anything length of time. He is quite aloof and will not come when called. He was a rescue dog and I have had him for approx. a year. He is much better than he used to be, but is still more interested in everything going on around us rather than focussing on me. Food doesn't really seem to help all that much either. If anyone could offer some suggestions that would be great. Thanks Anne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicko Posted November 4, 2005 Share Posted November 4, 2005 Sorry i dont have much advice! (well any at all) but i demand pictures pleaseeeeeeeee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lablover Posted November 4, 2005 Share Posted November 4, 2005 I will have a go at your question. Why not, its Friday and my husband is away. X bred - scent hound on both sides???? They follow their noses. In many arenas this would be cherished and valued highly. Rescue, who knows its history. Small steps in my humble opinion will have to be performed, bearing in mind its genetic capabilities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheyenne_Fury Posted November 4, 2005 Author Share Posted November 4, 2005 This is Murray, he is an old man Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheyenne_Fury Posted November 4, 2005 Author Share Posted November 4, 2005 (edited) This is Jake :rolleyes: Edited November 4, 2005 by Cheyenne_Fury Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Becky in Oz Posted November 4, 2005 Share Posted November 4, 2005 I have no constructive advice, just oodles of admiration. He is a good-looking, happy-looking dog. Maybe he's got attitude with the good looks! :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheyenne_Fury Posted November 4, 2005 Author Share Posted November 4, 2005 Thanks Becky They are both cuties, but yeah Murray definately has attitude, he thinks he is the boss! He isn't really naughty but he just ignores me until unless he's hungry or wants a pat :rolleyes: My fault I know he was a rescue dog and even though we get along great now, I need to assert my authority which is kind of hard to do when he doesn't really pay any attention to me... Anne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted November 4, 2005 Share Posted November 4, 2005 Hi...sounds as if he has no NEED to look at you (from his point of view...) Tryt feeding him a little at a time ONLY when he makes eye contact ,and or comes to yu !! NO "meal" in a bowl or whatever.... WE have done this with a couple of "inherited" dogs..and have also given them water from our cupped hands on the occasion of them being very aloof. You become their lifeline..their ONLY source of food & water and company for a few days,..and believe me, they will start watching you very quickly!! One dog in particular was to be shot..as she saw no need for humans whatsoever...had lived in a pen..had food & drink provided..got let out. worked sheep...went home..got patted & fed...but paid no attention! Dunno.. a suggestion only...:rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheyenne_Fury Posted November 4, 2005 Author Share Posted November 4, 2005 Thanks persephone, sounds like a good idea, I will give it a go. The only thing is that when I am ay work both of my dogs are left together for company. Do you think it would work if I didn't separate them during the day? Anne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted November 4, 2005 Share Posted November 4, 2005 Hi..don't know...with ours we are with them all the time..& so can feed/water them frequently this way ... maybe try on non-working days ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erny Posted November 4, 2005 Share Posted November 4, 2005 CF - first, may I ask what you do with the dogs when you're home, and when you get home? Do you give heaps of attention; pat them when they want a pat; make them do things for you before they get anything from you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheyenne_Fury Posted November 4, 2005 Author Share Posted November 4, 2005 Hi Erny, A typical week day will see me up at 6.30am take the dogs for a small walk and then get ready for work. I feed about half an hour before I leave, which is around 10 to 8. They are put outside a few minutes before I leave for work. I then return home just after 4pm. I leave them outside for a few minutes before letting them in. I normally get changed and then will let the dogs inside. Murray will bang on the door because he knows that I am home, but I do not let him in while he is doing this. He must stop banking and jumping on the door and sit before I let him in. Once they are inside I say hello to them both, give them a pat and then we go for our walk. This is sometomes in the streets around my neighbourhood and other times I will take them in the car and go for a walk down the beach or take them to the park, which is a fenced cricket oval where they can both run off lead without me worrying about them running away or being distracted by other dogs etc. as I will only use the park if there is no one else there. Murray only comes occasionally when called, but Jake my Dalmatian will come 9 times out of 10 when there is not other dogs or people around apart from me and Murray. I usually let them run for half an hour and by this time Murray is well and truely tired and will come back to me and I put his lead back on and back in the car and home again. The dogs are allowed to play outside or be inside during the evening. They are fed outside the same time that we eat dinner. Later in the evening they are put outside to go the toilet for between 15mins and half an hour and then are brought back inside. Murray usually sleeps on the end of my bed and Jake sleeps either on my bed or on the couch in the lounge room. Anne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
animalsluvbree Posted November 4, 2005 Share Posted November 4, 2005 you must have a HUGE bed... i think the feeding idea does help....i did some training with steve austin and to get my dogs to watch me i had to feed them from my hand everyday for awhile. harry only got a bit of his dinner when he looked at me..so no dinner from a bowl, we would go down the park for abit more distraction. Steve did tell me not to feed my dogs for 24-48hrs...but i'm too soft and only managed a day i think!! harry did start to watch me more as he was hungry! you do have to make yourself alot more interesting than everything else..it can be hard at times, but that how dogs work....'how can i manipulate the environment to better my needs'....so you have to do that same ' how can i manipulate the environment to get my dogs attention and needs'...i work too so am at home all day and i do have two dogs awell...so it can be hard..but i'm not sure if this is right, but sometimes abit of competiton is healthy, my dogs will compete for my attention so i use it to my advantage, who ever sits first gets to come in first, or the quickest sit etc, it does teach them patience and gets some behaviours shaped alot quicker Not sure if this helps! :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheyenne_Fury Posted November 4, 2005 Author Share Posted November 4, 2005 Thanks Bree, the only thing is that while I get a lot of attention from my dalmatian because he loves to be patted and hugged etc. I don't seem to get hardly any attention from my beagle unless I have food. I think that the food thing may be the way to go. Not feeding him out of his bowl and making him eat from my hand when he is watching me. It won't hurt him to go without food for a day or so because he is a fatty. Thanks for your suggestions, everything helps Anne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheyenne_Fury Posted November 4, 2005 Author Share Posted November 4, 2005 Just a little update that happened just now. My two boys were inside here with me as I am on the computer and a dog or cat or something was at the front window. Both of them started barking and so I called Jake my Dalmatian. He came straight to me and I made him sit and he was looking right at me and watching me for what he was to do next so I praised him, told him he was a good boy and gave him a pat. The dogs stopped barking, but then a neighbours dog started barking. Both dogs ran to the back door and were barking. As soon as I said Jake's name he was at my side again. I decided to try with Murray. My neighbours probably think I am crazy because I called Murray in a really loud excited voice as he usually will at least look at me when I use this voice. I called him and he actually came. I asked him to sit and he was watching me and so I gave him lots of praise and a dog biscuit which I always have on hand. I did this several times over and he came 3 times out of the 4 so that is pretty good for a start... Anne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
animalsluvbree Posted November 4, 2005 Share Posted November 4, 2005 that's really good! trying to get dogs away when they are barking with/at another dog is really hard, so congrats..its a good start!!! what you also need to have by you side is extra yummy treats for when he gets bored of the biscuits or when you think they distraction is higher...so cabanosse (spelling??), chicken, liver...the really yummy stuff!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheyenne_Fury Posted November 4, 2005 Author Share Posted November 4, 2005 Yep Bree you are right. I am going to have to make a trip to the pet supplies and stock up on extra yummy treats :rolleyes: Anne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted November 5, 2005 Share Posted November 5, 2005 just remember if he is old and already a little on the tubby side dont start buying high fat/refined products. You may be teaching him that mum is the proverbial Pez dispenser, and if you remove the food he may start slipping. And be careful of falling into the trap that he comes up to you and behaves for treat ... thats training mum! :rolleyes: wean him onto human attention, start cutting back the treats and replace them with extra smoochy love. Treats are not to be expected but an added 'bonus' if you get my drift Poor pooch probably didnt get a lot of attention in his old life so he may not be used to it, he's soooooooo cute !!! :p I'd get him off the bed and onto his own little bed on the floor/basket. Letting him sleep on you is showing him he's still on your level and being a hound he'll treat you as a pack mate not as authority all the time. Maybe feed him after you have finished your dinner too. Also, randomly walk up to him while he's around, give him a pat and a cuddle and then leave him. Start getting him used to your terms, and I'd keep him on a lead until his recall his better or he's learning to ignore you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheyenne_Fury Posted November 5, 2005 Author Share Posted November 5, 2005 Thanks Nekhbet probably good idea to get him off the bed, will give it a go. I don't let Murray off unless we go to the park, but maybe best to avoid the park for awhile with him at least. Yep I have to be careful with what I give him as treats because I don't want to make him any more tubby :rolleyes: Thanks Anne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelpie-i Posted November 5, 2005 Share Posted November 5, 2005 HI CF I'm going to have to agree with Lablover on this one. That particular mixture of breeds are and will always will be extremely difficult to achieve attention and focus from. He is a scent hound (on both sides) which means that his breeding and drives will point his nose to the ground. Unless you can provide him with a reward which will outweigh the enjoyment he gets from scaling the ground for interesting smells then you may be in for an uphill battle. Most certainly your leadership skills can be stepped up in he must work to earn anything from now on, but through experience with these breeds, he will not do too much for you unless you have a tasty bit of morsel in your hands as a bribe/reward. So best to reserve all food treats for when you want him to do something for you. And be consistent! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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