Benji's Mum Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 Even when you go crook at the older one, he taunts you barking and laughing at you saying ner ner ya can't catch me ...suck eggs....he's a right so n so that boy. I'd be nipping this behaviour in the bud quick smart, too. Even if it means being separated from his toys, bones, friend and freedom until he realises that you mean business. It'll probably get worse before it gets better as he bungs it on - hang in there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ojay Posted November 15, 2006 Author Share Posted November 15, 2006 Yes he gets his time-out when he behaves likes this but it still makes me laugh on the inside, just glad he's not a human teenager, much more difficult to manage Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stacey and douglas Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 Hi, I'll put in my 2 cents. Firstly the rott is a working dog and as such need's a very and I stress very tolerant owner. My experience with rotts was one of mixed love and hate. So saying that I feel rott's are great dogs if you keep a firm hand on them at all times. If you let them have an inch you'll fight a foot. Set the limits and don't take no for an anserer. If you need to buy a pen to contian them do it. Sometimes it’s just a mater of putting your head down and not looking up till it’s done. Amen... OK, so I've had a batch of hard headed dogs, its true but i feel you can end up with the best mate ever if you make it through. sorry for going on and the poor spelling but i guess this is close to my heart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NaturallyWild Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 All the other deterents to interupt the behaviour need to be imployed eg as stated, chicken wire, buried poo, distasteful products, etc. There is quite likely a result of frustration from limited stimulation, so a good idea would be to create as many mind stimulating games to take up the time, eg such as the suggested burying treats in the sand pit, stuffed kongs, hanging toys. The other thing would be to put the digging behaviour under stimulus control - shape the behaviour in the sand pit - once put on cue it will need to be repeated a lot of times before if becomes habit (1000 or so), but no rewarding the behaviour if offered without you asking once it is on cue. Also no need to have the sandpit near the area they are digging, you want them wanting to dig away from it from the beginning. Try to then utilise this cue, rewarding lots when you are around so it is a less attractive thing to do when you are not around (they get no rewards). As i said earlier it is important to interupt the undesirable digging as it is often self rewarding. Doing this you can change the habits/desires from digging anywhere they want to only digging when you ask them to. Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ojay Posted November 15, 2006 Author Share Posted November 15, 2006 Hi, I'll put in my 2 cents. Firstly the rott is a working dog and as such need's a very and I stress very tolerant owner. My experience with rotts was one of mixed love and hate. So saying that I feel rott's are great dogs if you keep a firm hand on them at all times. If you let them have an inch you'll fight a foot. Set the limits and don't take no for an anserer. If you need to buy a pen to contian them do it. Sometimes it’s just a mater of putting your head down and not looking up till it’s done. Amen... OK, so I've had a batch of hard headed dogs, its true but i feel you can end up with the best mate ever if you make it through. sorry for going on and the poor spelling but i guess this is close to my heart. Yeah, know the feelng sasjeep, but the rottie in my avatar died nearly a year ago so he is not the problem, it's his successors causing the trouble NW, so to put the digging behaviour on cue, I guess I bury their treats with them watching and only let them at it with their command of OK (used to release them for food). Thanks for the hanging toy reminder, they love that but had not gotten around to putting up another toy since they killed the last one. Have lost the kong so will have to get another one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAX Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 If you feed dry food I have heard of people sprinkling kibble around the yard so the dog has something to do looking for it. Those treat balls are fun too but my dog's killed them pretty quickly. Can't your Oh just have a nice front yard, your dog's are both young they will get better but they are partners in crime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ojay Posted November 15, 2006 Author Share Posted November 15, 2006 Good in theory PAX, but there is no front yard, the house is right on the front property boundary! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benji's Mum Posted November 16, 2006 Share Posted November 16, 2006 Electric fencing? We gave up on the back lawn, but luckily ours don't touch the citrus and fruit trees. (so far) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ojay Posted November 16, 2006 Author Share Posted November 16, 2006 Got electric across the front of the property so the boys don't escape, can't really run it around the beds as the kids play there also and don't want to zap them. Have thought about the ping sting collars but they boys would eat them or the older one would swing the other around by it and choke him (can't have collar on the younger one because of this) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NaturallyWild Posted November 16, 2006 Share Posted November 16, 2006 NW, so to put the digging behaviour on cue, I guess I bury their treats with them watching and only let them at it with their command of OK (used to release them for food). Thanks for the hanging toy reminder, they love that but had not gotten around to putting up another toy since they killed the last one. Have lost the kong so will have to get another one. Not quite, Putting the digging on cue and hiding treats in the pit are 2 separate things. The hiding of the treats in the pit will increase the desire to dig in the pit rather than elsewhere, putting the behaviour on cue will increase the potential that digging will only occur when your there and ask for it. to put on cue burying a treat will help get them to offer the behaviour initially, but you want to reward them after marking what behaviour you want ('yes' or a clicker when they start digging). You should then be able to get them offering to dig in the pit (even if the treat is not there) at a high rate (shaping to this level). At this point then add the cue that you want to use for the behaviour, eg 'dig', before the behaviour occurs (sometimes it helps to dig a little yourself after saying dig to prompt them to do it) but once they are reliably responding to your cue you only reward the digging when you ask for it, not if it is just offered (this is what gives you the control). With general hiding of treats in pit to encourage at that location, I wouldn't worry about using the TOT technique (unless your trying to improve leadership issues) with the treats in the pit as you want it to be something that they are happy to do without you there (assuming the OH doesn't do to much work with dogs, but might be happy to bury a stuffed kong as part of the feeding routine) - I have my guy watching from inside while I hide the treats then he gets let out to search for them as I leave home (i just lie them on the surface initialy till they realise that searching in the pit often means treats). Hope this helps more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaxSpots Posted November 16, 2006 Share Posted November 16, 2006 Your OH has said "it's the dogs or the garden" or something like that?? What is your garden like? At our old place we put in sleepers along the fenceline, abour 3ft out from the fence as a garden bed and put in Bangaloe Palms fairly thickly. and filled around the bases with fist sized river pebbles as a mulch. Added a sand pit Part of the lawn was replaced with pavers and decorative gravel. Other plants were put in heavy pots. And a vege patch up the back corner was fenced with reo mesh. As were small trees (with a ring of reo mesh) hope these ideas help added some pics that shows some of the pebbles and sandpit we have since moved , this new place has lawn and gardens with bark chips but she hasn't touched any of it, I think the habit was broken at the old place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaxSpots Posted November 16, 2006 Share Posted November 16, 2006 and this photo sort of shows the gravel and large pots ... looks messy as the leaves hadn't been raked in a while (Molly is jumping up in the air trying to catch the totem tennis ball Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ojay Posted November 16, 2006 Author Share Posted November 16, 2006 This section of the yard is lawns and garden beds. Most beds are along the fenceline with fruit trees, tree ferns, weeping cherries, box hedge around the borders which have a very low rope barrier across them as protection. Since the rope barriers went up they really don't go in those beds much anymore (need to train the OH not the dogs me thinks). I did ask him to put barriers around the problematic beds which are offset along the path that leads from the house to the garage. There are two other fenced off sections, one for the vegie garden and more fruit trees and one where the washing line is. The latter section is where they will be now residing when unsupervised. There is a lean-to they can access down the side of the garage for shelter. Your garden ideas are great Max and definitely something to consider when we have the time and funds to overhaul the section of garden they will be staying in. We kind of want to make that area into an outdoor living section with pavers etc, don't see why it can't be doggy outdoor living too with a nice sand pit and space with different textures. They killed the tennis totem much to my sons disgust, but there is a huge conifer that I can tie stuff to without problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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