Well Look Who It Is- Doberdog

[GrumpyCinnamonster]

He's lovely, and I'm so glad he's doing well with you. He's built a lot like the one my mother had when I was a very small child.

[Bethicus]

You've made me feel like a bad owner now xD I just realised I spend so much time drooling over Skoll and thinking how pretty is, that when I'm with Ozzy I tell him to grow a bit so I can do a quick swap and no-one would know the difference (Y'know, other than the fact your dog will have changed colour and look like it's been shrunk in the wash)
Skoll seems to be settling in so well, and the couch thing made me 'aaahw' so much ^.^ I have a quite random question! What's he like with water? Baths, pools, lakes, rivers, beach, etc etc?

[Jazi]

Tanks, Cinna <3

Hah Bethicus. I think maybe I might not notice until after I'm actually awake in the morning ;] But then I'll know who took him afterwards!

Baths and showers are sad times in this house, for sure. He tolerates them but he makes sad faces at me the entire time. Puddles are fun to splash in, and he tried to jump in a creek on the ride home on the 15th but it was freezing and I had no way to dry him and no knowledge of how polluted the water was, so I didn't let him do that. I'm hoping this summer to take him to the doggy pool I have free access to and try to teach him to dockdive in it.

[~Serenade~]

Sounds like fun for him and you! I've tried to get Bella to dock dive before, but she's a little spoiled diva dog who has to slowly walk down the steps to get into the pool. I tried standing at the one end and throwing a toy, hoping she'd just jump in, nope, she walked all the way around to the stairs.

[Jazi]

I got the free access to the dog pool because of some web design work I did for a S&R team. Famous bunch of bloodhounds around here, their handlers wanted my class to do their website, I got the honors since I'm obviously obsessed with dogs and also because I was the farthest along in the book (I'd finished the year's course by November) so... since school rules said they couldn't pay me actual money, I mentioned dock diving training and they said that I was welcome any time. Helps that I bonded with them a bit over the recent passing of one of their dogs due to bloat as I'd just lost my last GSD to it, and I had been asked to help socialize their newest puppy on top of that which I quickly obliged.

This one goes to foster mom was well.

Skoll is making baby steps, but at the same time huge leaps.

Two days ago Skoll was downstairs with me (babygated out of the kitchen, we like digging in the trash apparently) and my cat Saffron came out from her hiding spot and sat on her cat tree where she is used to going when she's uncomfortable because of dogs on the floor. Unfortunately for her, the dog she's used to escaping from is a 50#/18in chow mix, not a 95#/30in doberman, so she didn't think to sit on the highest perch. Instead she sat in the "house" which is quite perfectly aligned with poking height.

Skoll of course wanted to sniff the kitty so he stuck his entire head in the "house" like the silly dog he is and learned very quickly that kitties protest quite violently to such invasions of space. He had a red stripe on his nose that has since disappeared so I don't believe she broke skin, just let him know that her warnings were to be heeded. After that he demonstrated that he'd learned to leave angry kitties alone, especially when they're on cat trees which apparently amplifies their power 10x! They've been able to coexist- so long as he's loose- in the same room ever since. He still barks at them from his crate, BUT the most recent time he spotted Saff from his crate all he did was stand up, no barking or growling. My roommate's cat, now that they've had a proper introduction, is completely unfazed by this big barky individual and merely smacks at him as he walks by, thus he ignores her. It seems Saff's more violent reactions are amusing to him.

He's adjusting to the new food well. He's got a spot of the runs again- though I don't think its related to his food. While walking the other day there was a gentleman who was eating some sort of cookie it looked like and offered it to Skoll as we walked by him. Skoll of course thinks food is the best thing in the world so he took it before I even caught on to what this man was doing. Since he was eating it, I don't think it was poisoned and neither does the vet, but the timing lines up with the upset tummy. Granted my tummy is upset today as well so perhaps it's just a bad day for tummies overall.

I've discovered that he walks best and is the least stressed when he's got his backpack on and I've clipped the 2ft lead to either his collar (we're learning not to pull YAY!) or harness (for control when in higher stress environments, currently). We are no longer barking at passing strangers, now we think it's okay to jump up and put our noses in their face to greet them. I shall have to fix that. I was SUPER IMPRESSED- today he did not bark, growl, or lunge at any dogs we spotted and there were a good few due to the nicer weather. He was even okay with the (illegally) offleash english bulldog barreling toward him (until its owner realized what it was doing and called it back), he actually playbowed to that one. Yesterday he about lost his head over a neighbor's cane corso but only growled a bit at the other dogs he spotted. I've been making dogs Not A Big Deal, rewarding calm behavior when I see it, and using parked cars/buildings/dumpsters/whatever as a shield to abruptly remove the dog from sight if he's not consolable. Apparently, it works!

Because strangers are no longer The Scariest Thing Alive, we've done a few stranger meetings. Well, "stranger", I know who they are but he doesn't. Mainly old buddies from back when I used to take the GSDs to the dogpark and some of my college's staff who I've "talked dogs" with previously, and one business owner (bookstore). He has done very well so I'm crossing my fingers that he'll do well with dogs eventually too.

Sidenote, speaking of cats my second roommate with the cat has finally moved all the way in, so we have started cat introductions too. Saff is greatly displeased that she has yet ANOTHER housemate to deal with, but they're giving each other space for now. Before going to bed tonight they were peacefully coexisting in opposite ends of the living room; Z on the cat tree and Saff sprawled on her favorite couch. We're working a modified temporary crate/rotate with the cats and dog (Skoll is upstairs with one cat at most OR downstairs with one cat at most, not both cats yet) until we get a feel for how much they'll all rile each other up.

[Jazi]

No one likes Skoll? Poor boy.

Re: Dog reactivity

I had this mostly stopped in the third week; he'd lunge and get bouncey and excited (he does like other dogs, he just doesn't like approaching other dogs) but no barking/growling/going mad at the sight of another dog and lord forbid if it barked back at him. There was an incident where someone who, sadly, I don't think understood the severity of the situation (possible that he had a mental disorder- his speech was slurred and he was in a wheelchair), followed us for about a block trying to sic his puggle/pug mix of some sort on Skoll. Luckily the dog was connected to his chair and I walk faster than electric wheelchairs, so no physical damage ever happened.

After that though it's been an uphill battle to get Skoll back to that good point. We were having a good walk yesterday where he'd ignored THREE!!! dogs, I went around a corner at the same time an elderly woman with a pitty mix came around that same corner and we ended up practically face to face. Identical reactions on both dogs, lots of "I'm so sorry!"s thrown over our shoulders, but again no physical connections. He also calmed down after about 5 steps away from the dog- was agitated but only paced in a circle, no more violent (loud) outbursts.

Re: People reactivity

He very rarely barks at people anymore, on walks or otherwise. The couple times he has, it was at night, they were far away, and they were acting rather shady so I was getting nervous and I think he's been picking up on that. He's done his guard dog impression (quiet and no teeth, but body language that says "GO AWAY"... hard to describe, looks kinda like he's pointing at them with his body instead of a foot?) at people who are about to walk past him and I guess only just then notice that he's a doberman? They get very close, then freeze and act afraid of him.

Cowering is hit and miss still. If someone moves toward him that he's not expecting, mostly kids jumping out of cars to greet the doggy before their parents yell for them not to do that, he'll cower. Also if we're passing someone holding a tool/trash can/bag/whathaveyou. He recovers quickly, it's just a flash of "whoa that was pretty scary" and then he's back to normal.

At the moment the most common reaction with greetings is, if we're passing a stranger he wants to jump up and bop his nose on their face. I know this, because this is how he thought to greet my roommates when they get home until he learned they tolerate jumping far less than I do. If we're inside, such as in the bookstore where he is currently a celebrity, he's a leaner and a licker and generally loves everyone.

Re: Mommy and boys

Roommate's boyfriend was over for the first time since last night. We started with boyfriend behind the kitchen gate for safety, Skoll was fine. Stepped over it, wiggles and love and leaning. Whatever he didn't like about the boyfriend previously, it's fine now.

He's still a little unsure of my mom, but she's decided she doesn't like him and I think he knows that. She's taken his reactivity personally and now she's been trying to convince me to rehome him before I fall in love (too late, did that the first day) and since dogs react to the nervous energy and tension between people... Likes my dad though!

Re: Pulling!

We heel on command! Not for very long if he figures out that I don't have a treat but we're working on it.

I had to stop using his harness. It works, but because it tightens around his shoulders, he's got a nice horizontal bald bar on his front now and he's starting to worry at it because the nylon is irritating his skin. Luckily he is mostly controllable with just his (leather) collar but I've had to fall back on the halti for control which I was desperately trying to avoid. I've only used it on the 2ft lead (meaning his head can't snap around because he can't dash) and only when I start noticing a LOT of dogs around. He's pretty good otherwise on just the collar by this point though, sometimes if he's VERY excited for the walk he needs a stop&pivot reminder that I'm not going to let him haul me down the street, but otherwise if he hits the end of the leash he "corrects" himself and gets back beside me.

[Bluebird22]

Skoll is making so much progress! What kind of training are you doing (just at home positive reinforcement, classes, etc)?

[Jazi]

No classes yet I'm debating doing some one-on-one training with the trainer I like for his resource guarding. He threw a temper tantrum a few nights ago when I tried to take a bone he was about to swallow (it was HUGE and he would have choked) and threatened to remove my hands at the wrists. We've removed high value items from the floor since, still deciding on what to do about it.

Mostly it's just +R mixed with "consequences". Decide to be a butthead about the bone? Well now you don't get it. Can't learn to keep your head out of my trashcan? Hope you like that baby gate. Throwing a fit because you don't want to go in your crate? Welp the door's locked now so that sucks for you doesn't it, you can come out when you calm/quiet down. There's a variety of methods I use depending on how he reacts to something.

And he smiles! Dober smiles look pretty intimidating so it took me a while to get used to it, but he does smile.

[Bethicus]

Awww! It sounds like you're doing great, and making so much progress! If you have the camera handy during a Dober smile, I'd sure as heck love to see it
I think you should definitely do the one-on-one training with the trainer, well from what I hear anyway Obviously it's just my opinion etc etc. But I think there'd be a lot of benefits in it! Not only will it build an early relationship with you/dog and the trainer, which may prove useful if you join full classes later (which I also recommend ) but it could get these problems nipped in the backside quite early on before they develop into worse things, and of course it never hurts to get a second opinion from a professional about something Just my opinion, of course ^.^
Are you trying clicker training, because I'm sure you mentioned buying one (Could be getting confused though). If so, how's that going? And any improvements on the Skoll + Cats thing yet?

[Jazi]

I'm a bad person and dropped off the clicker training. It's more difficult to train myself to use the clicker than it is for him to learn how I mark, so the only time I really use it is when we're walking. Today we had a small outburst over a toy, but I'd put a leash on him like someone on my dobe forum suggested and simply asked him to drop it again, which he did and got a treat for it and then seemed to snap out of it. I think once he realizes that my training him is going to be different than what he experienced, he's more receptive to what I ask of him. Also his "drop it" has been improving daily.

Skoll vs Cats is going well. My Saffy has decided that she will not tolerate the intruder and the cats have been separated to preserve sanities. She's now an upstairs cat while my roommate's is a downstairs cat. Both cats have been on the floor at the same time as him the last couple days with minimal incident. What usually occurs is that he forgets the "training" the cats gave him and pokes them and they remind him that kitties have claws. Nothing funnier than a 95# doberman being sent scrambling by an angry 8# cat.


Fingers crossed that tonight goes well. It's the first night since I got him that I trust him enough to try letting him loose in my room while I sleep. I've napped a bit during the day with him out but only for a few hours so this is a huge test. He seems to have figured out that I'm testing him and has not been much of a pest after 10pm (his usual bedtime crate time) and once I turned the lights off he went in his crate anyway and has been sleeping there ever since. He's restricted to my room and the cat's access to the loft is not dog-accessible, and I've Skoll-proofed it so hopefully everything will go well and he'll be allowed out at night to make me feel less guilty about long crate times.