General Dog Chat

[joshcowin]

I have loads of questions and sure others owners or potential owners do as well! Also just chat about your/family dogs!

Don't want to keep slowing the dog pic thread up (and boring everyone).

Training- this is going well with Ringo, I am following zak george (e book and youtube videos), going over the basics which he has down. Recall is taking time but getting there. He is currently on a choker which is far from ideal I am aware, do I need a harness? or will a flat non metal collar do? He doesn't really pull hard on his lead (anymore).

I have more questions, but will see if this thread takes of first,

[joshcowin]

Found this guys techniques pretty good, he is irritating though!

https://www.youtube.com/user/zakgeorge21

[joshcowin]

Thanks for the replies, think I will try the collar and see from there!

Fun weekend ahead for us, 3 nice long walks with family, couple of pub visits, a good bath all on top of the daily training sessions!

[joshcowin]

garythesign said:

I would also use a collar rather than a choke chain.

How old is your dog, Josh

Long time since I have had a puppy but If I remember correctly they need sort walks rather than long.

Lovely photo you have posted in the other thread

Thanks Gary, yeah he is a nice looking dog, and has a real personality!

I think is about 4 give it take 6 months!

Having walked him in an area with loads of dogs today he definitely needs to learn how to socialise more, he bounds around with excitement and scares the other dogs, or runs at them from a long way off and unnerves the owners
Any tips?

Loving it though!

[joshcowin]

HTP99 said:

Thevet said:

Jasandjules said:

I have two tips which I tell any new dog owner.

1. Feed raw
2. Invest the time NOW in your dog. This includes toilet training, walking to heel, recall (if allowed off lead) and socialising with people and dogs - including in your home and garden if possible.

Don't necessarily go for raw food.....or not, if your vet says only dry food or someone on here says raw, then see what your dog says, some do well on one source some on others. Agendas sometimes impact on balance.

Yep, I'm a raw advocate however I've got three dogs, 2 are on raw and the 3rd on dry as raw doesn't agree with her; when she was on raw she was underweight and had the most awful poo's.

Odd one this, Ringo (the dog) is on pretty cheap food however he is in good health doesn't have smelly breath or smelly farts! I am contemplating changing him over to slightly better stuff, but my cat ate nothing but go cat and lived for 24 years!

[joshcowin]

Sway said:

We just adopted a five year old male German shepherd/collie cross (long story, but bereavement lead to 21 year old student trying to look after a great dane, Merlin, a staffy and six cats...).

Our three cats really aren't happy at the moment - pet remedy plug in, and baby gates are giving them plenty of safe spaces.

Trainer coming tomorrow for a home visit. Ruffwear harness ordered, along with some trial sized packs of millies wolfheart.

Loving it at the moment, but can't wait for the cats to chill out and realise he doesn't give a stuff about them!

Got your hands full!!

[joshcowin]

Sway said:

We just adopted a five year old male German shepherd/collie cross (long story, but bereavement lead to 21 year old student trying to look after a great dane, Merlin, a staffy and six cats...).

Our three cats really aren't happy at the moment - pet remedy plug in, and baby gates are giving them plenty of safe spaces.

Trainer coming tomorrow for a home visit. Ruffwear harness ordered, along with some trial sized packs of millies wolfheart.

Loving it at the moment, but can't wait for the cats to chill out and realise he doesn't give a stuff about them!

Do the one on one home visits help significantly?

[joshcowin]

Great, thanks for the reply!

[joshcowin]

MXRod said:

Now got our labradoodle pup home ,she appears to have settled in ,except needing to have reassuring contact ,likelihood due to missing litter mates.

This manifested itself last night when we bedded her down in a bed cage in a cosy room off the lounge , there then ensued the most pitiful and heart rending whining and screaming you have ever heard.
A bit of googling and the bed and cage was moved to our room a bit better .but still up and down all night.
The brings back memories of our first child

Edited by MXRod on Sunday 28th April 11:21

I saw the pics on the picture thread! looks like a great dog!

Hope the nights get quieter/calmer!

[joshcowin]

MXRod said:

The problem is that there are so many different opinions as to the best way to settle a pup in. Blame Google !!
Keep it in a box/cage in your bed room , don’t etc
Get up every 2 hrs and put it out on the designated area to allow it to relieve its self , and shush it when it whines . thereby everyone is awake with lights on and general noise of clearing up wee etc from the cage floor .
Or from my Daughters friend , who happens to have been a dog behaviourist.
Put it in an enclosure in a draught free room , shut the door and ignore the pitiful cries ,HARD , then up every 2 or 3hrs to put it out .
We did the latter , and of course she cried , whined , but the noise was muted by closed doors , so apart from sharing the getting up , me first at about 1230/0100 , and OH at about 0330 ,then generally at around 0615 ,we had a better nights sleep .And no mess in cage
The dog is now catching up on its missed sleep , sometimes inside its bed sometimes out as seen on the photo thread , as I type this , she has had a midday meal and is now sleeping soundly on my feet.

Like you say everyone does something differently! I think if you pick a tried and tested method and stick with it you will be OK! I think consistency is the key.

[joshcowin]

Any tips on mixing with other dogs?

Ringo has had little exposure to other dogs and gets over excited around them, which then puts them on edge and can sometimes get a bit tetchy! I think he intimidates them tbh. I am keeping him on lead most of the time at the moment due to this!

[joshcowin]

Thanks for the replies!! And a great photo above!

The problem is he is chilled with other dogs in certain situations, our next door neighbour has a small dog that really goes at him, he just ignores it, even if he is in out garden. We sometimes walk with a mates dog, says hello and then isn't fussed. Even the first time they met!

However meet another dog on a walk and who knows what will happen, usually Ringo is sniffing and just being a total pain that the other dog gets naffed off and then a ruckus ensues!