Dog Owner Chat V. 5

[drift.]

@Barnes
I'm so glad my jumbled mess of 'advice' helped you out. c:
I wish I knew more to help you, but most of my dogs are taught heel from a young age.
messaged a friend and they said that with their foster dogs, they use the rounded prong collars. I'm not sure if that's any different than a pinch collar over where I live, but they seem to work wonders if you just give the leash a small pop to the side and say oof, I don't know, any command, "wait", "heel", "woah"
I'll also add that Nineteen has NEVER ONCE been harmed by the headcollar. She feels pressure on her nose and a change in my voice and catches on that something needs to change.
Sure, a not-so-intelligent or extremely stubborn dog may pull a little to hard and get frustrated at some discomfort the headcollar is causing, but almost immediately that dog will realize "Oh, when I quit pulling, the uncomfortable feeling goes away".
Don't give up mija! Your girl will get the hang of it soon, no doubt ♡

[Zeena]

Hey guys,
Just a simple reminder to respect one another and all opinions on any topics discussed here. Everyone is allowed to voice their opinions and hold a discussion regarding those opinions, but please do so in a respectful manner. Thanks!

[Imzadi83]

...
Honestly I'd be one of those people giving you a dirty look as you passed too. Your dog is showing rude behavior to both dogs and humans and would terrify my dog and upset me having my 11lbs dog pulling and trying to get away and doing everything she can to tell the other dog that she's not a threat/not interested.
...

Ok but , glaring and giving dirty looks to people is a rude and aggressive behavior too. I find it very hypocritical that you would display that kind of of body language to someone. Positive reinforcement works for humans too! Why punish someone when they are obviously working to fix the situation? I just don't get it, especially when you are so adamant that others use only purely positive methods, which probably the most effective in the long run, also take quite a bit of time.

I'm not saying I don't get annoyed or that I don't cross the street to avoid dogs I see pulling. But unless the owner is letting their dog run right up onto you or not doing anything at all then I just don't see the need to be so rude? Just because they are at a different stage in their training than you are?

I try not to be nasty or rude, usually if they have control of their dog and pull it away right away I will still smile when they pass and tell them they have a pretty dog. Sometimes though when they don't have control of their dog, are letting it get closer, are ignoring my dog with her tail tucked between her legs trying to escape in fear, and are acting like it's okay because their dog is "friendly" that is really upsetting and I'm sure it shows on my face.

Is it hypocritical? I don't know. I guess I thought of it more as a defense, I want to make it clear that me and my dog do not want to be approached. The other dog is not understanding/respecting Chloe's 'please don't approach' body language so sometimes I feel I have to do the same because I'm worried about Chloe's safety at that moment, not teaching. I have had people mistake a smile before as an invitation to let their dog approach in the past and I don't want that to happen again either.

You're right that positive-reinforcement works on humans too, and I do try and respect people who are actively trying to control their dog. I didn't mean to be rude or upset anyone. I personally don't think my body language or a brief dirty look is all that rude, I just get frustrated in that kind of a situation and it shows on my face is what I mean. Once I realize they are actively controlling their dog I will usually smile.

I can understand both sides of the coin because I've been at the other end of the leash trying to control a pulling, aggressive, dog. I only added that part to illustrate what it feels like for those other people they are passing. I didn't mean to make anyone feel attacked, I'm very sorry I did. I just wanted to show that what the owner interprets as "friendly" can be very frightening to other dogs or cause them to become anxious/aggressive in the moment and having had bad encounters in the past can cause people to react with a dirty look in a similar situation.

[coën]

Anyone have any tips on deterring mosquitoes? They've never attacked my cat, but keep biting Nemo's ears which makes them very itchy and prevents him from concentrating. I don't want to use any products that could be harmful to the dog, especially since he's still very young.

[.muse.]

Anyone have any tips on deterring mosquitoes? They've never attacked my cat, but keep biting Nemo's ears which makes them very itchy and prevents him from concentrating. I don't want to use any products that could be harmful to the dog, especially since he's still very young.

Lemon eucalyptus oil! It's 100% holistic and safe. My mom gets it for us when we are camping and I've lightly spritzed it on the dogs to help them too. I think they do sell it specifically for dogs at some pet stores, but I'm pretty sure it's no different than the kind my mom buys with just a different label.
Don't quote me on that though, I'd double check to make sure it's the same. I don't see why it would be any different though, it's pretty basic ingredients. Neither her nor my dogs have ever had a bad reaction to it it other than making weird faces if they happen to lick it while playing. ><

[Imzadi83]

Anyone have any tips on deterring mosquitoes? They've never attacked my cat, but keep biting Nemo's ears which makes them very itchy and prevents him from concentrating. I don't want to use any products that could be harmful to the dog, especially since he's still very young.

If you could put up a bat house it would really help with the mosquitoes, each bat eat about 1000 mosquitoes a night. Also I think there are certain plants that deter mosquitoes you could plant in your yard, if you have one.

[coën]

Thank you everyone for the tips about the mosquitoes, I'll do research on those!

On another note, Nemo's biting is becoming a serious issue. I tried the squealing technique, but he won't even notice and sometimes just bites harder. Just a minute ago he bit me so hard that I actually squealed from pain and he just kept going. I really don't know what to do anymore. He's still a puppy and it might be a phase, but what if it isn't? My hand still aches, but luckily he didn't draw blood, I have a tough skin.
We'll be going to a puppy date in two weeks, which people recommend for bitey puppies to learn that biting hurts, but I don't want to take him there if squeals of pain will only make him bite harder. He could seriously hurt someone's puppy, since he's already fairly large. (He will be going to the large puppy date though.)

[Imzadi83]

Thank you everyone for the tips about the mosquitoes, I'll do research on those!

On another note, Nemo's biting is becoming a serious issue. I tried the squealing technique, but he won't even notice and sometimes just bites harder. Just a minute ago he bit me so hard that I actually squealed from pain and he just kept going. I really don't know what to do anymore. He's still a puppy and it might be a phase, but what if it isn't? My hand still aches, but luckily he didn't draw blood, I have a tough skin.
We'll be going to a puppy date in two weeks, which people recommend for bitey puppies to learn that biting hurts, but I don't want to take him there if squeals of pain will only make him bite harder. He could seriously hurt someone's puppy, since he's already fairly large. (He will be going to the large puppy date though.)

Here's a few videos on puppy biting that may be helpful...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c77--cCHPyU&t=28s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wbLzz1QlDw&t=5s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=068K5Zlph9U

Also you could try a bit of bitter apple (a product designed to taste bad) on your hands to help deter him. What kind of chew toys do you have available to him? Make sure you have a variety as some dogs prefer different things to chew on.

I would try saying "Ouch" (or nothing at all) rather then squealing, depending on how you're doing it he could think of as a similar sound to a squeaky toy or prey animal and it might encourage biting. Some dogs seem to do good with the squealing technique and some it makes them bite harder. I'd also recommend exercising him before training sessions and the play date so he's not quite so hyped up. If he does bite too hard during the play date and won't leave the other puppies alone go and remove him from the playing and sit with him leashed until he calms down before releasing him to play again.

Just to be on the safe side you could have a vet or veterinarian dentist take a look at his mouth. Puppies going through teething just like human babies, it is extremely painful and can contribute to his biting. If he has a problem with a tooth/teeth that is causing him a lot of pain that could be contributing to the problem both with the biting and the reason training isn't working.

[Marley.&.Me]

Mattie girl ❤️









Mattie is a presumed Dachshund/Yorkie/Shih tzu mix, she’s my aunts dog (:

[Taiger Lilly]

...
Honestly I'd be one of those people giving you a dirty look as you passed too. Your dog is showing rude behavior to both dogs and humans and would terrify my dog and upset me having my 11lbs dog pulling and trying to get away and doing everything she can to tell the other dog that she's not a threat/not interested.
...

Ok but , glaring and giving dirty looks to people is a rude and aggressive behavior too. I find it very hypocritical that you would display that kind of of body language to someone. Positive reinforcement works for humans too! Why punish someone when they are obviously working to fix the situation? I just don't get it, especially when you are so adamant that others use only purely positive methods, which probably the most effective in the long run, also take quite a bit of time.

I'm not saying I don't get annoyed or that I don't cross the street to avoid dogs I see pulling. But unless the owner is letting their dog run right up onto you or not doing anything at all then I just don't see the need to be so rude? Just because they are at a different stage in their training than you are?

I try not to be nasty or rude, usually if they have control of their dog and pull it away right away I will still smile when they pass and tell them they have a pretty dog. Sometimes though when they don't have control of their dog, are letting it get closer, are ignoring my dog with her tail tucked between her legs trying to escape in fear, and are acting like it's okay because their dog is "friendly" that is really upsetting and I'm sure it shows on my face.

Is it hypocritical? I don't know. I guess I thought of it more as a defense, I want to make it clear that me and my dog do not want to be approached. The other dog is not understanding/respecting Chloe's 'please don't approach' body language so sometimes I feel I have to do the same because I'm worried about Chloe's safety at that moment, not teaching. I have had people mistake a smile before as an invitation to let their dog approach in the past and I don't want that to happen again either.

You're right that positive-reinforcement works on humans too, and I do try and respect people who are actively trying to control their dog. I didn't mean to be rude or upset anyone. I personally don't think my body language or a brief dirty look is all that rude, I just get frustrated in that kind of a situation and it shows on my face is what I mean. Once I realize they are actively controlling their dog I will usually smile.

I can understand both sides of the coin because I've been at the other end of the leash trying to control a pulling, aggressive, dog. I only added that part to illustrate what it feels like for those other people they are passing. I didn't mean to make anyone feel attacked, I'm very sorry I did. I just wanted to show that what the owner interprets as "friendly" can be very frightening to other dogs or cause them to become anxious/aggressive in the moment and having had bad encounters in the past can cause people to react with a dirty look in a similar situation.

The topic of the discussion was someone actively trying to control their dog and still getting bad looks, so when you said you would be one of the people glaring I was basing it in that context. Sorry if that was a misunderstanding.

I still feel personally that it isn't a good thing to do and only adds to the tension/aggression of the situation. In the short term it just raises the stress of the handler, distracts them from focusing on their dog, and in the long term it can discourage them from going out to train their dog. Obviously we can't help our emotions and perfectly control them in every situation, but we can have more understanding of the nuances of the situation and not respond aggressively just because the dog is.

I totally get the smiling thing though, usually I just 100% ignore the dog and owner, even if I don't have Olive with me.

Thank you everyone for the tips about the mosquitoes, I'll do research on those!

On another note, Nemo's biting is becoming a serious issue. I tried the squealing technique, but he won't even notice and sometimes just bites harder. Just a minute ago he bit me so hard that I actually squealed from pain and he just kept going. I really don't know what to do anymore. He's still a puppy and it might be a phase, but what if it isn't? My hand still aches, but luckily he didn't draw blood, I have a tough skin.
We'll be going to a puppy date in two weeks, which people recommend for bitey puppies to learn that biting hurts, but I don't want to take him there if squeals of pain will only make him bite harder. He could seriously hurt someone's puppy, since he's already fairly large. (He will be going to the large puppy date though.)

I would be cautious around essential oils. NEVER use 100% strength around pets. Remember that many are able to be absorbed through the skin and are easily ingested since dogs lick themselves much more than humans do. Always check the species of plant (the Latin name) when verifying the oil is safe, since many species of plant share a common names but have different toxicity. Essential oils are highly concentrated chemicals and are not always safe just because they come from a plant (it takes massive amounts of the plant to produce a small amount of oil), many can cause neurological issues.
Also they smell really strong. As an anecdote I love using Lavender essential oil but Olive hates the smell of it. She will walk out of any room I use it in. So make sure it's not too overpowering for your dog.

As for the biting, have you tried removing yourself from the situation if he doesn't stop after you yelp? What made the "ouch" method work for Olive was realizing that we would pull away/stop playing/not want to be with her when she bit. You can vary how far you go, for example just moving a few feet away, or setting up a gate and stepping to the other side, or leaving the room. Just for a few seconds (10 -30 seconds was good for Olive), you don't want it to be a punishment or make your dog feel abandoned.