Dog advice please!

[Tyrone Biggums]

Terriers are such ***** of dogs.

 

[CP 0 3 BHA]

We have a young Border Terrier - she's two in April - and I honestly can't imagine life without her now even though she's our first family dog and I'm the wrong side of 50.

Borders are terrific dogs - great fun, endless energy, very loving and caring - but however well you train them (and a lot of the advice given above is spot on) I suspect there is always a risk that they will take off if they are off the lead and see something they want to chase or play with. I'd certainly not describe ours as cautious - but I do know one locally that is and that stems from it being savagely attacked when it was young.

I think I'd be inclined to follow the advice to socialise her with other dogs - perhaps avoiding ones that you know to be agressive - and don't pick her up!

 

[Baldseagull]

Watch a shed load of Caeser Milan videos on youtube. He covers most things, but the overarching concept is be the pack leader.
Socialising can be the trickiest bit, because you can't know how other dogs will behave, and you might tense up giving the signal to the dog that a fight might be in order, easier if you have willing calm friends with calm dogs to meet up with.

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

I've got a springer and whilst mostly obedient, is never 100%.
He's male and is fine with the bitches but every now and then wants to show a male dog that he's Alpha.
Took him down the [deserted] cricket club the other day with his ball & chucker. There was a pheasant stuck in one of the middle of our 4-lane nets - stupid bird couldn't work out that the only way out was the same way it walked in - kept running into the side netting. Anyway, dog went mad trying to get at it, but also kept running straight into the net, from the outside. Quite funny for a moment until the bird found its way out and was pursued across two cricket pitched by my spaniel who turned a deaf ear to my calls of "leave" and "come".

Eventually caught up wit them both, the pheasant was playing dead as it realised it could not out-run the dog. Put dog on the lead and the pheasant scampered off. Isn't there a clip on you tube of some bloke trying to recall his dog who has got into a field of sheep?

 

[SeagullinExile]

It sounds like your dog has an elevated status, and is unnecessarily protective over her pack.
She might not be cautious, but she might be attempting to be domineering.


Dogs are pack animals, and so they need to be treated as the bottom of the pack.

This sounds like bollox, I know, I was certainly unsure but it's definitely true.

The hound needs to be:-

- Fed last.
- Not eat your food.
- Walk into rooms last.
- Not sit on laps.
- Not sit in elevated positions.
- Not picked up.
- Sits on command before doing anything.

Basically think of how your life is with your girlfriend, then make sure the dog is beneath you!!

If you do all of that already then you're on your own.
However if not, you need a new regime, which the dog will initially hate, but if you stick rigidly too it, that'll soon pass.

As someone who has trained and worked dogs to the gun in the past, this is good advice.

The being fed last tip is a must, not only that, but also being made to watch you eat first. Only allowing her to eat when you have finished.

Basically, you just need to think the same way as a dog would in a pack situation.

 

[Ex-Staffs Gull]

To be honest, I have a rescue Staffy x and she is not well socialised with other dogs. I always keep her on a lead and choke chain. Correct her pulling and to walk at my pace.

I also take her out late at night to the dog park so she gets a run. We are trying distance behaviour, i.e. teaching her to ignore other dogs from a distance and then getting gradually closer. Always use verbal commands to control where possible and back up any actions, such as pulling on the chain with verbal commands such as heal.

 

[Stat Brother]

I have missed one incredibly important variation to the theme.
Granted it probably doesn't apply to a little Terrier but the reverse could help:-

- Never let your dog stand over you.
Or even stand on your foot.

If anyone is on the floor never let the hound walk in and across them, they will only get half way!!

Obviously the reverse is a good occasional way of promoting your own dominance.

 

[Doc Lynam]

I have missed one incredibly important variation to the theme.
Granted it probably doesn't apply to a little Terrier but the reverse could help:-

- Never let your dog stand over you.
Or even stand on your foot.

If anyone is on the floor never let the hound walk in and across them, they will only get half way!!

Obviously the reverse is a good occasional way of promoting your own dominance.

Dog stands on our feet all the time and sits on them! Looking at buying Jan Fennell book as has been recommended.

As a side note apparently some poisons substance has washed up on the beach and dog walkers are being warned about it!

http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/1423...vered___now_in_Brighton_and_Hove/?ref=mr&lp=9

 

[cjd]

Dog stands on our feet all the time and sits on them! Looking at buying Jan Fennell book as has been recommended.

As a side note apparently some poisons substance has washed up on the beach and dog walkers are being warned about it!

http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/1423...vered___now_in_Brighton_and_Hove/?ref=mr&lp=9

I have just bought a labrador puppy which I will take home to France with me and someone recommended Jan Fennells book, 'The Dog Listener'.

Having read a lot of the reviews, it gets good feedback from the general public, but is slated by people who 'appear' to have much more knowledge on behavioural patterns and scientific information.

Am now confused !

 

[Return of the Rev]

I have just bought a labrador puppy which I will take home to France with me and someone recommended Jan Fennells book, 'The Dog Listener'.

Having read a lot of the reviews, it gets good feedback from the general public, but is slated by people who 'appear' to have much more knowledge on behavioural patterns and scientific information.

Am now confused !

Just stick to the advice on this thread that will keep you busy.

 

[goldstone]

Dump your girlfriend?

Is the right answer. Never start a relationship with a girl who has pets.

 

[Stat Brother]

Dog stands on our feet all the time and sits on them! Looking at buying Jan Fennell book as has been recommended.

Sorry not any more.

If you think about it the dog is being incredibly dominating.
You aren't allowed to move until she says you can move.


When this was explained to me, and writing it now, my subconscious is the shrill voice of a crackpot American psychotherapist making a fortune out of convincing overweight rich yanks they have a fear of napkins.

I just want to shout 'what a load of bollox'.
But sadly it's not.

She has to be bottom of the pack.
I'm going to take a punt and say if you stood over her today, she'll go nuts and instantly run off.

Put her at the bottom of the pack with no slip-ups and in a few of months she'll accept it.
Although her eyes will still give away her desire to be alpha.

 

[Biscuit]

I'm very lucky with my dog, and a few things like eating last etc will help with behaviour. However you need to remember that a dog will respond far, far better to positivity than negativity. So I do allow the dog on my lap and on the sofa, and when he does wrong I point and shout but I don't go over the top. If he's being annoying but not actively naughty, I'll just ignore him. However, when he does something right I give him loads of attention. Treating good behaviour is more likely to see a repeat of it. Punishing bad behaviour makes a dog nervous, and this can actually instigate more bad behaviour.

Another useful tip is say "Good boy!" (or girl!) when he's good and "Bad dog." He leaves the gestures and the words I use to praise/punish and as a result he knows where he stands.

 

[Arthritic Toe]

As someone who has trained and worked dogs to the gun in the past, this is good advice.

The being fed last tip is a must, not only that, but also being made to watch you eat first. Only allowing her to eat when you have finished.

Basically, you just need to think the same way as a dog would in a pack situation.

Try sniffing its bottom.

 

[black & white seagull]

It sounds as if the dog has been scared by the fight and is now reacting with fear when she goes out - here's a good link on fear aggression and some tips on how to handle it (basically, lots of positive reinforcement) - https://positively.com/dog-behavior/aggression/fear-aggression/

I know I'm the dissenting voice here, but I think the whole dominance/pack leader thing is a load of bunkum, and Cesar Milan is a total charlatan.

I recommend reading In Defence Of Dogs by John Bradshaw for a really good insight into the flawed research on dog behaviour.

 

[Return of the Rev]

It sounds as if the dog has been scared by the fight and is now reacting with fear when she goes out - here's a good link on fear aggression and some tips on how to handle it (basically, lots of positive reinforcement) - https://positively.com/dog-behavior/aggression/fear-aggression/

I know I'm the dissenting voice here, but I think the whole dominance/pack leader thing is a load of bunkum, and Cesar Milan is a total charlatan.

I recommend reading In Defence Of Dogs by John Bradshaw for a really good insight into the flawed research on dog behaviour.

I don't think dogs want to be the boss thats why they are unhappy when we hand over control to them,much like kids they will fight authority but feel safer when parents have clear guidelines/rules!

 

[Return of the Rev]

Is the right answer. Never start a relationship with a girl who has pets.

If she has cats keep well clear!

 

[Giraffe]

It sounds like your dog has an elevated status, and is unnecessarily protective over her pack.
She might not be cautious, but she might be attempting to be domineering.


Dogs are pack animals, and so they need to be treated as the bottom of the pack.

This sounds like bollox, I know, I was certainly unsure but it's definitely true.

The hound needs to be:-

- Fed last.
- Not eat your food.
- Walk into rooms last.
- Not sit on laps.
- Not sit in elevated positions.
- Not picked up.
- Sits on command before doing anything.

Basically think of how your life is with your girlfriend, then make sure the dog is beneath you!!

If you do all of that already then you're on your own.
However if not, you need a new regime, which the dog will initially hate, but if you stick rigidly too it, that'll soon pass.

All of this. In short treat your dog like a dog. However much a part of the family it becomes it is still an animal.

Ours is not allowed any other food than it's breakfast and dinner. It is not allowed on the furniture. It is not picked up (although as a black lab that's hard anyway). It know it's place in the world. She is nearly 11 now, but the hard training that we did when she is younger makes her a dream to have, a really lovely dog. We can walk her on the street off the lead without any concerns.

Being tough on dogs when they are young is key, much like women.

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

Being tough on dogs when they are young is key, much like women.

Being tough on some breeds won't work. It'll ruin a Whippet pup for example if you employ tough tactics.

 

[Mr Putdown]

As someone who has trained and worked dogs to the gun in the past, this is good advice.

The being fed last tip is a must, not only that, but also being made to watch you eat first. Only allowing her to eat when you have finished.

Basically, you just need to think the same way as a dog would in a pack situation.

Another working dog trainer here. None of our spaniels have ever seen us eat, they are not allowed in a room if we are eating and they are fed and kennelled outside.

Basically the opposite of your advice but I guess both ways work in the right hands.