Im going to have to talk to sarabelle..

“about essential doggy gear for a newbie dog :)”

“Booties for the wet and cold and a sweater, gold plated water bowl (a matching one for dogfood), Steaks, soft bed, ... and Belle will take it from there ...”

“I've always wanted a dog I can put a sweater on! :)I have to get out my knitting needles :)
last edited: 9/13/05 4:34:25 PM”

“Remember that if you only give your doggie dehydrated water to eat that the response will be that the doggie will die.
last edited: 9/13/05 4:35:22 PM”

“i picked up some great travel water bowls at a locale dollar store called deals...they were, um, well...a dollar each

were's the "Help Me Name My New Pooch" thread anyway?
last edited: 9/13/05 4:39:35 PM”

“hey we say some last year at the dollar tree. We will have to go check it out again! (we were kicking ourselves for not getting them then)”

“Seriously, I can recommend one piece of dog gear. If the dog is a puller you have to stop that at once. I hate choker collars or even "limited slip" collars ("sort of choking" is still choking).

Dogs have an instinct to pull into a load. If you know this you can respond accordingly. I got a "gentle leader" collar for my dog, a "head collar" and it's amazing... as close to a magic trick as you can get with a dog. It gently tugs on the dogs muzzle when they pull (hence turning their head sideways when they pull on the lead). The gentle tugging causes the dog to turn back into the direction of resistance rather than pulling against it. Used properly it’s very subtle and highly effective. My littlest can walk my rottie while he is wearing it. He hardly ever pulls now and I don't really have to use it that much, but as a training tool it was the best investment I ever made, and VERY humane.
last edited: 9/13/05 4:40:03 PM”

“pitts, I was recomended by a trainer how to fix that problem (no choke or lead needed) which I am going to try. I talked to someone from Dog Scouts Of America and he gave me great advice. I'm gonna enroll the pooch so he can win rewards :D”

“were's the "Help Me Name My New Pooch" thread anyway?
last edited: 9/13/05 4:39:35 PM”
thriftyhiker
4:37:59 PM
9/13/05
ignore this user

well, I dont want to start too many threads.....


:D


Actually I was thinking he needed a big bad ass backpacker extreme name cause well, lets face it, he aint gonna be scareing anyone with that face.”

“we have like 6 of them...we keep one in the glove compartment of all our cars, that way we always have one (travel bowls, that is)
last edited: 9/13/05 4:52:25 PM”

“I am really glad to hear you will taking a non-violent approach, not that I would have expected otherwise from you SC. It doesn't take much to twist a dogs brain and make them forever miserable. They don't think like people, obviously, and how we THINK they intrepret an event is often the exact opposite of how it winds up wired into their instincts.”

“you have to make him think he's training you, thats what the guy said. Take him for walks and reward with treats everytime the leash is slack. After a while they will learn. And for the trail, I will use a cane pole to keep him from getting ahead of me (holding it in front of his legs) But the very first thing I will teach him is to think that the clicker sound means positive :)”

“What about Denali for his name?”

“SC: If you want I could send you some good books. You would have to trust me with your addr however... :)”

“Oh, and I always wanted to own a beagle I called "awk" or "grep"... ;)”

“thanks pitts, but I got plenty of reading meterial now :)”

“The one thing I wish my dog would stop doing is pulling hard. I have just about tried everything even things I didnt wanna try and nothing is working :( The Gentle leader does work while she wears it but the problem is she still tries to pull with it and it causes her fur to come off where the lead is around her muzzle and it also causes sore spots.

Even though I hate them I decided to try choke chains and she is just determined that she is gonna pull no matter if it hurts or not. She has gotten some what better but not enough. :( I know alot of it is my fault and not the dogs fault because I am the one tring to train her and I am the one failing. I just cant afford professional help right now and the last time we did try that the person refered us to the gentle leader which then turned into that other problem. ARGH”

“I am shocked that the gentle leader is taking fur off of your dog. Is it a hairy breed?

I would like to offer some personal tips, just thing I do that have worked for me. There are many ways people do this.

NEVER jerk the Gentle Leader. It's not a replacement for a choke collar. When the dog pulls (on it's own) on the leash hold it still and let the pressure off the INSTANT the dog stop pulling. This takes practice.

Think about what the dog imagines when it is pulling on a lead. It thinks that in order to walk forward it has to pull you, that is to pull a load like you are a “sleigh”. What you have to teach it is that the way to make the "sleigh" move forward is to make the leash slack. That "tight" means stop, “slack” means go.

One way (that is very frustrating for a while) is when the dog starts to pull just turn around and face the opposite direction. Now the dog is behind you and the direction of the walk has changed. The dog has to move in front of you now (slacking the leash) to make progress and you can move. If it pulls again, stop and reverse directions. Get ready for a lot of walks that go nowhere when you start this!

But it does work with a lot of dogs given patience and time. Don’t get angry if you get frustrated. The dog is learning and will eventually figure it out.

Also, as SC said, when the dog is walking slack on the lead have treats in your hand. Feed it LOTS of treats, something it really loves. My dog loves pepperoni (human kind, not pet store dog kind which is gross) more than anything else. Dogs like things that STINK, so get something really grade-A good. Put your hand down low as you walk and let the dog nuzzle your hand. Give it treats as you walk, a few each step (as long as it's not pulling). Over time you will have to take fewer steps until you have to give a treat.

For both these exercises be sure to choose a distraction-free environment. Start out small and look for gradual progress. It takes dogs time to learn to do the same things when there are distractions around, often much longer than the time it took to teach them the behavior in a controlled environment.

Those two situations, by the way, are one the only times I don't use a clicker to mark the positive behavior. I have never found it necessary.

One final note and I’ll shut up (yeah, right). You have to teach your dog to take cues from you. You can tell when a dog is doing this because as you are walking they will periodically look at you to see what you are doing. Often this is a twitch of the eyes or a slight turn of the head. They are checking out what the alpha-dog is doing so they can do the right thing! This takes time to establish but it can be done. I start by having the dog stare me in the eyes and hold a treat out at arms length where the dog can see it. Of course the dog will look at the treat and not you. The INSTANT it looks at you click the clicker and give it the treat. Over time the dog will look at you for longer periods before it breaks to look at the treat. If you do this right, the dog will learn to take it’s cues from you and that really helps.

Good luck! Like I said, I love dogs and they constantly amaze me what they can do if they are loved, treated humanely, and you understand what their wants and desires are.
last edited: 9/14/05 2:12:54 PM”

“Oh, and I am betting you could get 4l of biodiesel from a good mid-sized breed.”

“One way (that is very frustrating for a while) is when the dog starts to pull just turn around and face the opposite direction. Now the dog is behind you and the direction of the walk has changed. The dog has to move in front of you now (slacking the leash) to make progress and you can move. If it pulls again, stop and reverse directions. Get ready for a lot of walks that go nowhere when you start this!

I learned this in dog school too. Except the turning around was combined with an "uh-uh" and light tug on the leash and a pat pat on the knee as if asking the dog to come. And then walking in the new direction. Also the dog should never be in front of you. It should walk next to you.

The purpose behind this is to let the dog know you are leading. Not the dog. Turning around and starting to walk the other direction then puts the dog behind you and you leading.

And yes for a good month I barely made it around the block with all the turning around, but my dog got so good on the leash that some kid asked me if he was a show dog. LOL! Yeah, like my pitt/greyhound mutt looked like some purebred showdog. LOL!”

“PS at the end of our walks, I would let my dog know it was his time and I would let him sniff stuff everywhere and lead ahead. I gave it a command, but forgot what it was now.”

“Spirit, I mentioned on the other thread that you need a bed for your dog if you don't already have one.

Keeping a traveling water bowl, even if it is full size in your car with bottled spring water is good. I stop every two hours to give my Capri a potty break.

I hate to say that Capri sits in my lap in the car. The harness is best. Many people in WA have that metal mesh separator in the rear of their station wagons or SUVs to keep their dog in the cargo area. The harness is the safest thing if it doesn't drive the dog nuts.”

“pitts, the advice you just gave is what I have been reading about! :) A way to get the dog to focus on your cues (i read this havent tried it yet) is to have a stareing contest game. Hold a treet in your hand the dog can see but cant get to. when he stops looking at the treet and at you, click or give him a treet the moment he looks at you with the other hand. Keep doing this lengthening the time he looks at you before rewarding him.”

“Also the dog should never be in front of you. It should walk next to you.

Hehe, with Elvis that's almost impossible for the first block. He is so excited he runs right out but doesn't pull. After a block or so he calms down and falls behind me. Funny. I always took that to mean he was just excited and not a statement of his wanting to "lead" which I still think is the case.

When I used to run with him people said I was taking my rottie for a "drag" because he would lag so far behind. He hates running, which was sad for me. I always wanted a running buddie.
last edited: 9/14/05 3:00:47 PM”

“Yeah, not all dogs are cut out to be running partners. By nature they aren't endurance runners but sprinters, so what do we expect? ; )
I feel bad for the times when I was a teenager and I used to drag my grandma's poor dog on runs. I didn't know back then I could have being doing harm to him. : ( I didn't even start him slow with a mile or less. Forced the poor guy to do 3! I feel bad now.”

“My chihuahua walks way faster than me and sometimes I have to hurry to catch up to her. When she walks her legs are like a blur.”

“I had a huskie, Wilmot, and HE was a runner. That dog would run me into the ground. After 9 miles we would run back home sprinting the 10th until my lungs seared. He would take a drink and look at me with eyes (creepy parti eyes mind you) that said, "Is that all you got?" What a beast.

”

“Ah yes, but they are bred for long distance, non? : )

Wilmot is pretty. And look how lean and healthy he looks!”

“pixie, who are you talking about "lean and healthy" the dog or the owner? They both are in great shape, but I guess your dog is gone now if it's the same husky you mentioned.

Everyone says my dog looks like a mini Siberian Husky and one guy actually thought she was one. I can't seem to copy her picture, but here is her biography page w/a picture of her, not her best but the only one I could get to fit their requirements.

http://dogster.com/pet_page.php?i=34681”

“anyone have any advice for a dog that is officially housebroken but still has accidents about 1 or 2 a month?”

“thrifty, the vet? Sure the dog doesn't have some kind of bladder/kidney problem?

When does he/she have an accident? In front of you? When left alone? etc.

lipstick, your Capri does have neato markings! She looks like a little princess. : )”

“thrifty, it may depend on the dogs age. Sometimes there comes a day where it just stops and they "get it". Some chihuahuas tend to start using puppy pads where they go half on and half off the paper, then there's a turning point where they stop and go straight on the paper. I think it's best to not yell at a dog when you see them going where they shouldn't. I think that makes them only hide when they go and makes them scared of you. But to answer you question as what to do, I don't know except to take the dog out for a walk more often.

Thanks pixie! People think all chihuahuas are tan, so she confuses people.”

“Pitts- As far as the leader goes. I never yanked it, When you mentioned your dog being excited for the first block , think of my dog being excited all the time and constantly pulling. As for what type of dog she is, Her mother was a stray and we use to think she was a Mixed German shepard, Since then and after much research we have found that she is very like to be a Belgian Tervueren. All the pictures that we have seen of then look so much like Sacha. She does have alot of hair/fur, and it is very thick.

She actualy does a good job with any commands or hand signals we give her, except for any attempt at getting her to not pull. I will give the turn around trick a try and see how that does.

She is an extremly smart dog, she basicaly has a way of communicating with us to let us know what she needs. She even house broke her self. I truely love this dog to death, and when I am not at work I spend ALOT of time with her (Playing, walking, jogging, brushing, petting, talking.) She will be 2 years old in Nov. and we have had her since she was 6 weeks old.

Thanks for all the advice!”

“frantic, the turn around only works consistently and takes a long time to work. Like pitts said, be ready to not go very far on your walks with her for awhile. It took my dog over a month to get better, consistently doing that trick every time we went for a walk.”

“Im more then willing to do it if it is going to work ;) its worth a shot. Thanks :)”

“my dogs feet smells like fritos :)”

“My dog's farts smell like farts!:) She's low to the ground, so I have to have her in my arms to get a whiff. It always comes as a surprise when she lets one rip. At least if you can hear them coming, you'd have a shot of getting out of the way. That's why men always say it's their dog farting, because you can't hear a dog fart, so you can always blame them! LMAO!!!!”