Dog Owner Chat V. 5

[rainbowwrowell]

Lola owned by Joe Kerr

Welcome to the 5th thread of the dog owner chat! All of the tail wagging, paw drumming and slobbery kisses are welcome to be discussed here. Need tips on training or nutrition or just wanna talk to other dogs owners? That's what we're here for!

Some of the members here have a little more experience than others in certain areas. You'll find them listed in the resources post down below. Feel free to pm them if you need more one on one help than what the thread can provide! If you'd like to be listed, send me a pm explaining why you feel you'd be a good fit. I'm looking for some more people who are willing to give general training advice.

Also please do not remake this thread. I will do so when it is appropriate. Thank you x.

[rainbowwrowell]

Daffy z Chotinskeho udoli, owned and worked by Dakonic German Shepherds

1. Be respectful. If someone posts something you disagree with, debate it respectfully. Personal attacks and intentionally being rude will not be tolerated.
2. Disagreeing with you is not bullying you. If you are not being called names, then you are not being bullied. Many of the members here are blunt, do not take this personally. We all just want to help.
3. If you have a problem with a post or feel an argument is getting too heated, just report it to the mods. This will help prevent you from getting a warning yourself.
4. Do not fake a dog in order to post. If you make a post claiming to own a dog that is not yours, you will be reported. CS mods do not take lightly to stealing photos.
5. That said, you do not need to have a dog to post here! Just keep the conversation dog centered and you'll be fine!
6. Please, dont recommend and condone irresponsible use of training methods which could have a negative affect on the dog. But, these methods can be used, in a responsible manner and this must be explained in all post. Anyone can comment on the use of these; but not all response to using these will be postive. Once you reply and post responsibally, and you use the methods correctly and safely, you can talk about MIXED AND POSTIVE TRAINING. Solely negitive training is harmful to the dog.

[rainbowwrowell]

Dixie owned by Macguyver

Thread Advisors-
General Training Advice: Cardinal, MacGyver, Anade
Nutrition Advice: Transkitty, Cardinal
Thread Moderators
.siren.Transkitty
Skysong

Helpful Links-
Dog food ratings
Breeder Checklist
Kikopup Training Channel
OFA database
The stance by The American Veterinary Medicine Association on pediatric spay and neuter.
Golden retriever on spay and neuter conducted by University of California DavisLong term health effects of spay and neuter in dogs
Interesting study done of Rotties and longevity
German Shepherds and early spay/neuter triples the risk of one or more joint issues.
Behavior and spay and neuter

What breed for me?
We get this question a lot on this thread, so I figured I'd go ahead a simplify it by making a form for you to fill out! Answer each question as best as you can, and we'll suggest breeds that seem like a good fit.

Code: Select all

Have you had dogs before? What breeds?
Are there any breeds that have already caught your eye? If so, why?
How much time a day do you have to devote to training your dog?
What kind of grooming needs are you prepared to handle?
What kind of energy level are you looking for?
What do you plan on doing with your dog?
What size dog are you wanting?
What age dog are you looking for?
What kind of livestyle do you live? (Active, couch potato etc)
“It’s important that my dog.... (finish the sentence)
What do you want the dog for? (Family dog, companion, ect)
Do you have other animals? If so, what do you have?


[rainbowwrowell]

Perhaps we'll need this later....

[Imzadi83]

Continuation conversations from past thread:

Heya guys! Just got a mix breed dog today from someone on Craigslist and she is very sweet! She is a pit bull x Labrador mix. The problem is that she pulls on the leash and she is very, very strong. I am able to keep her from running off but it would make walking easier if I could get her to walk by my side. Any tips or tricks you guys might have for that? Also, she has a tendency to bark at passerby people and dogs, but she is not aggressive. I'd just hope no neighbors would complain from the noise lol. I've already had somebody who was walking their dog turn the other way. I will totally start working with her tomorrow, can't tonight since its late. We are getting a clicker and other supplies tomorrow, hopefully that'll help. Any tips or tricks on that as well? Thank you so much!

Congratulations on your new addition. Since you've just gotten your dog here are some videos that may be of use to you just starting out...

First Days - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHHXfkk4qV4
Reward Scaling - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7XxG5KchQ8
Reinforcements - https://dogmantics.com/what-to-use-as-reinforcement/
Clicker Training - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wv1uvvqaSw

For loose leash walking first I would recommend practicing in as non-distracting an environment as possible. If your dog can't walk on a loose leash down your hallway there is no way they will be able to around the neighborhood. Practice often for short periods of time and if you can try to exercise a different way other than walks for awhile. Obviously this isn't practical for everybody, but if you can it will help things go faster as every time your dog pulls and gets to move forward the behavior is being reinforced (behaviors that are reinforced are repeated). If you have the time/ability to never move forward when your dog pulls (go another way or stand still) then the dog will soon learn that pulling does not get it what it wants and the behavior will diminish.

Here are several videos on loose leash walking...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFgtqgiAKoQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueE1S1k74Ao
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voW2Vkq0u6Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rwJ1FiZxTA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4LoPU1g310
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHwu0T7PoSw

Since you’re having trouble managing your dog’s pulling you might want to try a front clip harness. Some people have said they can mess up a dog’s gait so I would only use it as a training tool, but it can be a useful one in the beginning to help cut down on the severity of the pulling. Some harnesses come as just a front clip or with both front and back clips.

Regardless please do not walk your dog with a leash attached to their collar, as it can severely injure your dog not only immediately but over time. https://dogmantics.com/is-it-harmful-to-attach-a-leash-to-your-dogs-neck-2/

Some people choose to switch back to using a collar once the dog has learned to walk on a loose leash. I personally would not risk it, as even if your dog never pulls again there might be an instance where you have to pull them for safety and risks an injury. What ever you choose to use make sure it fits comfortably. It should not hinder the dog’s movement, be too loose or too tight, and should not chafe.

And though it should go without saying, don't use a retractable leash, these encourage your dog to pull. If you use a device that encourages pulling you can't complain when your dog does so. Unfortunately I've encountered too many owners who will have a choke/pinch collar to deter pulling but will use a retractable leash with it which encourages pulling. Don't confuse your dog. If you want your dog to pull in some situation, put the behavior on cue.

For the reactivity I would start with teaching your dog to give into leash pressure and teaching "let's go". Don't ever allow your dog to greet any person or other dog when she is barking so as not to reinforcing the behavior. By contrast if she isn't barking and isn't pulling you can allow her to greet (in safe situations of course). Obviously this only applies if your dog is truly friendly and overexcited. If you don't have a history of her behavior around other dogs (I would be really cautious since you got her off Craigslist) it might be best to have the opinion of a positive reinforcement based trainer or behaviorist to make sure her behavior is in fact friendly.

If your dog is fearful (aggression usually stems from fear) you'll have to use counter conditioning to help build her confidence and teach her there's nothing to be afraid of.

Leash pressure - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4vEayrRyB0
Let's Go - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eo-L2qtD7MQ

Good luck with your dog, let us know how things proceed. What's her name? Do you have any pictures you can share?

[eleutheromania]

marking this for now, :3

[Mintu1]

Mark~

[Cardinal]

Sentrys dumb face must grace the new thread. Basically an accurate representation of what living with him is like.

He turned a year old! Its been so cold this winter we are both going stircrazy and hes driving me past the point with his naughtiness. Cant wait for warmer weather.

[cornspurrd.]

Its freezing where I live, And We have Quite A bit of snow, But my dog is A crazy man who needs His energy Released! Fun indoor game recommendations? And Anybody have any dog coat recommendations??

[rat pack]

This is Duke. He's a 7-year-old Pitbull Rhodesian Ridgeback mix (: He's very noisy when he wants something, usually food, and drools a lot. He's a bed hogger and will plop down in the middle of the couch or bed and takes up as much room as possible. He loves roast beef and spaghetti as a treat!