Dog Owner Chat V. 5

[rainbowwrowell]

My puppy, Atlas, (almost 9 months old) is teething and so we have spent a lot on chew toys, ropes, nylon bones, etc. yet nothing is as tasty as my older dogs, Pippin, collar. We have already bought him a new one - yet one day of wearing it and it is so chewed up it barely even functions as a collar. Since it's been rather sunny, both dogs enjoy sunbathing all day and rarely come inside and whilst there is two glass doors that showcase all the yard, we only really pop in and out of the kitchen (the kitchen/dining room, utility and yard is the only areas the dogs can go). Atlas only chews on Pips collar when we are not around, as well, so we can't scold him. And he is too quick to jump in and catch him in the act.
We have also tried that spray-liquid that you spray on surfaces, shoes or anything really that a dog is excessively licking/chewing (we have put it on Pips paws too) but Atlas seems to enjoy the taste?
Can someone help in regards to his chewing? I get that he's a puppy, but we give him so many toys to chew on and something as valuable as a collar that gives the dog an ID incase its lost can't be chewed

Maybe try put a little bit of pure lemon juice or vinger on the collar, dogs dont like the smell or taste of either

[Zeena]

Hey guys,
Posts that were becoming less civil regarding the E-collar debate have been removed. Please remember that we expect every user on CS to remain respectful of one another and everyone's opinions. Whether you do or don't agree is completely fine to share so long as you respect what other people believe.
Please change the subject and move onto something else; further posts on this subject will be removed. Thank you!

[Marley.&.Me]

my buddy

[Skysong]

So..... I’ve been thinking in moving Lilly and Thor to a partially raw diet?

Partially raw because I can’t afford all that meat right now and can give them some kibble to go with it.

Any tips from those who feed raw?

[astrohund]

hello everyone ,, i'm not a frequent visitor of this thread ,, but i had came here to ask for a few tips for taking care of my recent
addition to the family ,, luna. i adopted luna in september from a relative who was giving them away ,, she is a mix of a poodle &
some other breed we don't know about -- her mother ,, addie ,, was adopted from the shelter whilst she was pregnant with her &
gave birth to nine puppies ,, including luna ,, unfortunately , one of the puppies had passed away soon after birth... luna is a very
disobedient nine month old ( ?? she was born on 18 august ) ,, and i was wondering if i could get some tips on how to train her pro
perly ,, it is my fault that she has gotten this way after all...

examples of luna's behavior includes ripping open trash bags and chewing on the garbage ,, running away when you try to catch h
er ( we once spent 15 minutes trying to catch her && when i call her and try to persuade her w/ treats ,, it doesn't work ) ,, going
into trashcans and chewing up paper ( she really has a obsession with paper ) ,,, being difficult when it comes to bathing and groo
ming ,, and always biting and licking people when they try to pet her.

i was wondering if i could get some help with some of these things ?? i know you all aren't dog trainers and whatnot but maybe jus
t a few pointers ?? oh also ,, maybe some for grooming a poodle mix ? she has quite a lot of hair and i think it has become matted,
we plan on getting her to a groomer next week but we can't go all the time ,, so i was wondering what i need to do to groom her??

here she is a few days ago :

[Imzadi83]

My puppy, Atlas, (almost 9 months old) is teething and so we have spent a lot on chew toys, ropes, nylon bones, etc. yet nothing is as tasty as my older dogs, Pippin, collar. We have already bought him a new one - yet one day of wearing it and it is so chewed up it barely even functions as a collar. Since it's been rather sunny, both dogs enjoy sunbathing all day and rarely come inside and whilst there is two glass doors that showcase all the yard, we only really pop in and out of the kitchen (the kitchen/dining room, utility and yard is the only areas the dogs can go). Atlas only chews on Pips collar when we are not around, as well, so we can't scold him. And he is too quick to jump in and catch him in the act.
We have also tried that spray-liquid that you spray on surfaces, shoes or anything really that a dog is excessively licking/chewing (we have put it on Pips paws too) but Atlas seems to enjoy the taste?
Can someone help in regards to his chewing? I get that he's a puppy, but we give him so many toys to chew on and something as valuable as a collar that gives the dog an ID incase its lost can't be chewed

Do you mean you tried Bitter Apple spray? I think it also comes in cherry so you might consider trying another flavor.

Some dogs need to be trained to like chew toys, try spreading a little peanut butter or plain yogurt on them to make them more appealing and only leave them with him when you're away. Also give Atlas more exercise before you leave him alone, a tired dog is a good dog. And keep looking for different types of chews to try, you just may not have found one he likes yet.

Don't scold him if you catch him in the act, it could create a negative association with Pip instead of the act of chewing on the collar.

Ultimately though I would recommend keeping them separate when you're not able to observe the dogs together or at least removing Pip's collar. Not only would it prevent chewing but it's a safety hazard. Dogs have strangled other dogs accidentally by getting a tooth caught in a collar while play fighting. You can have Pip micro-chipped instead to provide ID in case lost. There are safety collars on the market available as well, but I wouldn't utilize them until the chewing is under control.

Since he only does it when you're not around it's possible that there is some seperation issues going on as well. I recommend working on alone training as well...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGxhcb-itO4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqPQKLh883s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYm7baUqpew
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwZI1isnvPQ

[taurus ;]

Spade looking good this summer. She isn’t as conditioned as I would like but our new spring pole and carpet mill got here today! Now the wait for her weight pull harness haha.

[Imzadi83]

hello everyone ,, i'm not a frequent visitor of this thread ,, but i had came here to ask for a few tips for taking care of my recent
addition to the family ,, luna. i adopted luna in september from a relative who was giving them away ,, she is a mix of a poodle &
some other breed we don't know about -- her mother ,, addie ,, was adopted from the shelter whilst she was pregnant with her &
gave birth to nine puppies ,, including luna ,, unfortunately , one of the puppies had passed away soon after birth... luna is a very
disobedient nine month old ( ?? she was born on 18 august ) ,, and i was wondering if i could get some tips on how to train her pro
perly ,, it is my fault that she has gotten this way after all...

examples of luna's behavior includes ripping open trash bags and chewing on the garbage ,, running away when you try to catch h
er ( we once spent 15 minutes trying to catch her && when i call her and try to persuade her w/ treats ,, it doesn't work ) ,, going
into trashcans and chewing up paper ( she really has a obsession with paper ) ,,, being difficult when it comes to bathing and groo
ming ,, and always biting and licking people when they try to pet her.

i was wondering if i could get some help with some of these things ?? i know you all aren't dog trainers and whatnot but maybe jus
t a few pointers ?? oh also ,, maybe some for grooming a poodle mix ? she has quite a lot of hair and i think it has become matted,
we plan on getting her to a groomer next week but we can't go all the time ,, so i was wondering what i need to do to groom her??

here she is a few days ago :

Let's start with the fact that Luna isn't being disobedient, she's being a puppy. Puppies don't come programmed to follow house rules, you have to teach her what it is you want her to do, and prevent her from doing what you don't want her to until she learns that following the rules you've set up is the better choice.

More freedom should only be give in small amounts as training progresses. Outside don't allow her off leash until her recall is further trained. In a pinch if she gets loose I recommend calling to her (her name or attention noise) then turning and running the other way to entice her to chase you. It will be easier to catch her that way. And you'll have to train her to accept being caught as well.

Train a recall...
Puppy Recall - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjd99MlmqqI
Training 'Come' - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PL9Rk-8KF9I&t=63s
Distractions - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIR3MtTSyIw&t=3s

Also I would add a collar grab (or harness grab) when your puppy comes. So to get the treat they have to allow you to hold onto them as well to prevent the situation where they come just close enough you can't reach them then run off. If you can, don't use a recall to take your puppy inside as this can poison the cue because the puppy learns that coming means an end to outdoor fun. Use high value rewards at first (real meat, cheese, sardines, peanut butter, whatever your dog really loves) but also use the environment as a reward by releasing her to go back to what she was doing before you called her. Remember to add distractions slowly, if she won't come when called in the living room five feet away from you she's not going come from across the yard when chasing a rabbit. Dogs don't generalize well so also practice in as many environments as possible. Ideally you should keep her on leash (or long line) until her recall is improved, and put her back on leash if she doesn't come when called. Treat being off leash as a privilege that is dependent on her ability to successfully recall. That being said do not punish her for not coming when called as it can make her more inclined not to recall in the first place because she associates you with the punishment. If you have to go get her do it as quietly and unemotionally as possible.

Working on teaching her to love being caught as well to help if you need to get her https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jaxuTuH2ow


Trash Troubles...The first step in training is management. Do not leave her alone ever. The behaviors you are talking about are self reinforcing, every time she has the opportunity to do them she is rewarding herself and is more likely to do them again in the future. Crate train her or put her in a play pen or puppy safe room when you can't be with her. When she's with you keep her on a leash attached to you if need be so she can't get into anything. While your keeping her away from the trash work on keeping the trash away from her. Block off access to the area where the trash can is and/or put the trash away in a cupboard, pantry, or closet. Just like you would baby proof your house for human infant you have to do the same for a baby dog.

Work on her alone training ...
Train dog to be left alone - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGxhcb-itO4&t=3s
Puppy Play Den - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYm7baUqpew
Crate Training - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4K_lNLw83k
Crate Training Game - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQwQY332xhc
Crate Training Game bait locker - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4nTwVSmpV4
Crate Training for Puppies - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bl3VjwWuKlA&list=PLsTGSaiFI2cdnRuJrSox2F1yZaPMpK8nt&index=48

Increase the amount of exercise, and exercise Luna before you leave her alone, as the old adage goes a tired dog is a good dog. When you do leave her alone leave her with a puzzle toy or a chewy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwZI1isnvPQ&t=4s At this point you shouldn't be feeding your dog in a bowl, so when you leave, give her her meal in a puzzle toy.


Bathing...Practice handling and calm restraint. Use counter condition to get Luna used to being bathed and groomed. Pair the experience with treats. As she learns to be calm and accept bathing and grooming you can slowly phase out treats.

Handling Excercises - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AElTVoIPlOw&index=28&list=PLsTGSaiFI2cdnRuJrSox2F1yZaPMpK8nt&t=0s
Puppy Restraint - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1Otlr6RX7o
Counter Conditioning - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PhqFdaNduo
Counter Conditioning the Fearful Dog - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9I1vir3xyg

Biting & Licking... Personally I don't mind the licking, but if you do you can train her in the same way to inhibit licking as you do biting.
Puppy Biting - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c77--cCHPyU&t=1s
Surviving Puppy Biting - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wbLzz1QlDw

And of course I am using the term treats because that is the most commonly and easily used reward but toys and life rewards should be added and rotated in as well when possible. You don't always have to rely on food to reward your dog, but since your feeding her anyway you can easily use food as a reward. As with all behaviors you want to fade out the rewards over time and put them on a variable reinforcement schedule. Think of it like a person sitting at a slot machine, there's a low chance of wining but they keep putting coins in anyway. You may not reward every sit once you're dog has mastered it but everyone once in a while they still get a reward for it.

Many of these tutorials use clicker training which I highly recommend. Clicker training is using a clicker as a reward marker and is commonly used in positive reinforcement training (one quadrant of operant conditioning). You can use positive reinforcement training without a reward marker but I highly recommend one and you can use any marker you like so long as you take the time to teach your dog what it means. Studies have shown that animals (and people) can learn quicker and retain learned information longer when a reward marker is used.

I highly recommend against using (whether entirely or in addition) any form of positive punishment (chain, shock, prong collars, smacking, throwing a can of pennies, etc.) While that training can work it can also (even when done correctly by trained professionals) cause serious, even dangerous problems. It does not happen with every dog, nor is there any sure way to tell which dogs will be negatively affected but such methods, so personally I feel it is not worth the risk. And you really don't need it, scientists who study animal behavior, zookeepers, etc. have all stopped using positive punishment as the scientific consensus is that is not as effective or humane of a training method as positive reinforcement.

Here are some links to more general information that can help you in training Luna...

What is Clicker Training - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wv1uvvqaSw&index=32&list=PLsTGSaiFI2cdnRuJrSox2F1yZaPMpK8nt&t=0s
No Mugging - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRT6r6d79OU
Another No Mugginghttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4IzTn-kMU0
Marker Training - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1RyeMfS0Vo
Reward Scaling - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7XxG5KchQ8
Increase Kibble Value - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUBFESLDSws
Positive Training Trifecta - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smCgn-qM8ps
Progression and Rehearsals - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3OdLTxEQBE
Using Your Dog's Name - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEmaUSFRFpM

I know that's a lot, take a deep breath, take your time and go through it. Try to look at training not just as problem solving but as a wonderful bonding experience with your new puppy, which it is!

Sorry I don't have any tips on grooming, I've never had to groom a poodle mix.

[orpheus.]

Lyra finally figured out that she can swim! It only took her four years lmbo.
We found a nice quiet spot at the river and threw some sticks in for her, it was really hot out so she didn't want to leave the water. I've been trying to get her used to swimming for ages so I'm happy she's finally made some progress and is starting to enjoy it now.

[Imzadi83]

Lyra finally figured out that she can swim! It only took her four years lmbo.
We found a nice quiet spot at the river and threw some sticks in for her, it was really hot out so she didn't want to leave the water. I've been trying to get her used to swimming for ages so I'm happy she's finally made some progress and is starting to enjoy it now.

Yay Lyra! I'm glad she's enjoying the water.