gooeydog

[quote name='Jan'][quote name='tom']the boy is 3 and the girl is 5 months.[/quote] I'm I right in thinking that the boy is 3 years old? if so and the girl is 5 months, I'm thinking that since he's been marking inside the house for the past 3 months then he's like this because of her coming into the home, therefore he's territory marking. Best thing is to have him neutered. I don't think breeding him with her or any other dog is a good idea, leave that for the pros. Your bitch should not be breed before she's 3 years old for her health. If you decide to stud him you could be opening a big can of worms where he will change in temperment and want everything in sight and do anything to get it. You could be setting yourself up for an unhappy home![/quote] I think you're right... I misread his first post. Either way, he doesn't need to breed the bitch, since after all, if her breeder couldn't tell him whether she was female, the breeder definitely isn't someone who will bother to tell him about the health problems in the pup's lines. And if he thinks his male marking the house is hard to deal with, wait until his bitch goes into heat and he has to keep them seperate for a month. Not to mention cleaning up all the blood from the floors :o

Three months ago, you didn't even know that your bitch [i]was[/i] a bitch... now you want to breed her with a male you just bought? And most unaltered males dog [i]do[/i] mark. It will likely get even worse after he's been bred. Also, in your post you said he's been doing it for 3 months, how is that possible when he's only 3 months right now? There are some SBT owners/breeders on this board: [url]http://pub89.ezboard.com/fdogcommunityfrm1[/url], if you want more advise than what you get here.

[quote=ROTT 'N' PIT] Its a given that if someone wants a "pitbull" then they are going to get one, The well bred ones are too expensive so they will get any cur or mix they can get thier hands on. These are the problem dogs and owners. If you spend a 1000 dollars on a dog you are going to show a lot more love and compassion as opposed to the 50 buck mutt you got from the guy up the block.[/quote] Not true. Look at all the "rare mastiff" breeds that are starting to turn up in shelters... Neos, Cane Corsos, Presas, they all cost quite a bit of money, but somehow they end up in the same place as the $50 mutt. Or how about the people who spend $1000 on a "rare color" pit bull, breed them until they wear out, then dump them at the shelter. [quote name='la duenda']Also if you are 15 you have no buisness being out and about with a dog agressive Dog[/quote] And at what age is it suitable for a person to be out and about with a dog aggressive dog? And why is age of the person so important, rather than their ability to control their dog and make sound decisions in any situation? [quote=ROTT 'N' PIT]Your dogs do not see you as the alpha, and that is bad. you should have supreme control over your dog at any given time, no matter what the distraction, if there are a hundred dogs running by you should be able to control your dog, SAFELY. From what i can tell you dont train at all, you have got to know that is not safe? Do you fell safe around your dogs?[/quote] Even if the dog does view the owner/handler/whatever as the alpha, there are some things that are enough to "provoke" even the most well-trained, obedient dog. Goo is very dog aggressive (with strange dogs, she can usually be introduced slowly, and tolerates them afterwards), but at the same time, she is trained to sit when she sees another dog, unless told to do otherwise. However, there are some situations (certain dogs, or if a dog runs up to us growling or barking, or if they hop all around in her "space") in which she [i]can't[/i] hold her sit, and will inch forward in an attempt to get close enough to grab the other dog. It's just too much for her to stand. She's very submissive to me, and if I yell at her (to her that's a pretty harsh correction) she cowers and is very "over-eager to please" for a while after (actually, if I even look at her funny, she gets real serious, as if she's wondering why I'm looking at her like that). Even with her being so submissive, she gets so "into" the other dog that she can't focus on anything else, including me. If I can get her attention before the dog does, I can usually keep it, but if I lose it, it's gone, and I really have to work to get it back. It's not so much a "lack of training" (though with more work, she will/would get somewhat better), or "lack of respect", but just her not being able to stand the other dog doing that. I try to keep her out of situations like that, and am also working with her on her control in those type of situations, but at the same time, training, etc will only change her behavior so much.

[quote name='hillside']For me it's the white dobie bit AND the 5 year old and 3 1/2 -4 year old having their own dogs, that they can BREED LATER IF THEY WANT TO. The whole idea just kind of skeeves me out. What 4 or 5 year old , or even if they wait til the wizened age of 9, is mature enough to handle or make that decision?[/quote] Hey, food for two kids is expensive, and they gotta start "paying their way" sometime, right? What better way than to have them breeding their dogs at age 10? :lol: And I really hope they don't think a CGC is enough to justify breeding those dogs, because it's not. And not only are they breeding white Dobies, but over half of the dogs on their "bred by/owned by" page ([url]http://www.alltel.net/~thaxdorn/wdinfo.htm[/url]) are carriers for VWD, and on some of the dogs' profiles they state that they are "slightly aggressive" (one was "moderately aggressive"). Not to mention, that if their dogs are "consistently producing pups with superb working temperments", then where are the titles to back it up?

[quote name='lpcongas']8) Is anyone out there interested in Spanish Alanos also known as Alano Espanol from Spain? If so what do you know? Where could you get one, and what do you know of them?[/quote] I have no personal experience with the breed, but as far as I know, there are only a few Alanos in the US (less than 10, I think). If you're really interested in owning one, you'd probably have more luck finding one in Spain, but I've heard that some of the breeders aren't very willing to sell to "pet owners" or other people who won't use them for their original purpose. You also have to consider the fact that they are a serious working breed, and would require a lot of time to train/exercise them. There is also some debate as to whether [i]some[/i] "Alanos" are really descendents of the original breed, or if they're a "recreation" of what the Alano used to be.

Like everyone said, spiked collars are basically just for show. I do agree that owners of some breeds need to be more "conservative", because when people are already watching your dog with suspicion, a spiked or even studded collar is likely to make them even more unwilling/unable to see that the dog wearing the collar isn't really "bad". I like the collars on the site that K posted much better (the ones with the brass fittings and Staffordshire knots), but that's just me :lol:

There used to be a company that was selling kevlar dog toys (in the shape of snakes, birds, etc) which held up pretty well, but when I looked for the site, I couldn't find it anymore. I did find this frisbee though... [url]http://www.petandhorsesupply.com/toy2.html[/url]

Annie [i]is[/i] very high prey drive, and I used the ignoring thing when I first trained her to bring me the toy, but it hasn't seemed to work for her actually bringing it to me and "giving" it to me. I my not have been making it easy enough though. I'll try to work that into our regular catch playing, and see if it makes a difference. She thinks "the game" should go on all day :lol:

[quote name='Black GSD']I didn't realize she was a Dachshund. THANK DOG I have tall dogs. lol Anyway. YES, they do have to deliver the dumbell and hold it until you take it from them. And you CAN bend down to take it from her. Will she take the dumbbell if you hand it to her? If so I would hand it to her, say "Fetch" (Or the command of your choice), then take it back (tell her "Out", "Give" or whatever command you use) then "good". You just have to make sure you take it BEFORE she has a chance to spit it out. If she tries to spit it out immedately before you have a chance to take it back, hold her mouth shut for a second then take it back. Gradually increase the time she has to hold it before you take it. I wouldn't let her retrieve with the dumbbell until AFTER she is reliable about holding it. You don't want her to learn that it is OK to spit it out. Is this making sense?[/quote] I'm pretty sure she'll take it if I get her really excited about it. Should she be in a sit when I give her the dumbell, or just doing whatever? Also, I use the toy/tug as her reward (she does what I want, I drop the ball or play tug with her for a second), so would it be best to continue using a seperate toy as the "reward", or to reward by giving her back the dumbell?

Well, I'm not in any hurry :) . I don't use clicker training, but do use marker training (just telling her "good" instead of clicking), and it's worked well so far. Also, she has a this "thing" where once she's got a toy/whatever, she won't want a different one. I'm guessing this will be another problem? And because she's so short, if we were to do obedience trials, would I be able to bend down so she could give it to me, or would she have to "reach" to me (I'm guessing I can bend down to her level, but not sure)?

Can you get her busy playing? Catch or tug or something? That way she'll be concentrating more on the game than on the "scary fireworks". Turning on the TV/radio might help too.

Mostly just for "normal use", but I've been thinking about trying to do obedience competitions with her (I must be crazy... obedience with a dachshund :o ), and don't they have to be able to bring the dumbell back "to hand" when in one of the advanced levels? I'm probably just confused though, and even if I'm right, I'm still not even sure whether we'll try obedience. Newfiemom, she has a good retrieve (and an even better "ANNIE! Spit that out!" :lol: ), but just drops the toy/stick/whatever at my feet. I just can't get her to actually bring it to my hands, she always drops it at my feet (she'll even run around my hands to put it there) :roll:

[quote name='IReallyReallyWuvWucy']Do ALL dogs have brains? Mine ate her's last month and I gave her mine, and I don't have one.[/quote] Of course ALL dogs have brains :lol: Humans on the other hand.... :o

A pup can start learning things as soon as you're ready to teach them :wink: . You have to remember though, that at first it will seem like a lot of repetition to get nowhere. Keep the training sessions short, and fun for both of you.

Anybody know how to get a dog to do (I think this is what it's called) a retrieval to hand? I've been trying to teach Annie to do it, but she won't actually "give" it to me. She'll bring it up and drop it at my feet, but not my hand.

[quote name='Luka-pop']What are the best kinds of toys for a dog, especially if they have EXTREMELY severe separation anxiety and are going to be left alone? :( Rawhides, kongs, squeaky toys, tennis balls, safe stuffed animals, chewing toys, toys that record the owner's voice, toys a dog has to work at to get treats (like a yuppy puppy), etc. Are there any specific toys that would catch a dog's interest and get his teeth away from the crate bars and would keep him occupied while we're gone? And for kongs, how much peanut butter or cream cheese can you use in a day? I'm sure over feeding it is very bad, but I want it to last the duration of our absence... What to do? I mean this dog can't even be left alone for 5 minutes yet, :o which I guess is more a training problem, but we have to leave the house at some point or another... Yeah, I also have a message about his separation anxiety... somewhere. :-?[/quote] I wouldn't let a dog have a rawhide unsupervised, because if they pull off a piece and choke, you're not there to help them. You also have to be careful with squeaky toys (some dogs will eat the rubber/plastic and and up with blockages), tennis balls (the normal size ones are perfect for a medium/large size dog to swallow/choke on, and they can pull off the "fur" and eat it), and stuffed animals (if they get a hole, the stuffing will most likely be pulled out, and may be eaten). Most dogs have a hard time demolishing Kongs, but some can. I guess what I'm saying is to try things out while you can supervise, and make sure they're safe for him before you leave him alone. Out of curiousity, is the crate in a corner? Or more out in the open? What would probably work best if you need to have the Kong last a while, is to pack it with a variety of food (dry, canned, whatever), with just a few layers of peanut butter/cream cheese to hold things together, then freeze it so it's harder to get out. You may have to start out with it being easy to pull out at first though. Then feed him a little less at regular meal time (taking out how much you used in the Kong).

[quote name='Luka-pop']We're going to the vet's for advice on motion sickness, valium, doggie daycare, training sessions, a therapist, or a behaviorist. >>>>>>>>>>>> Plus, how can you give up a dog that trusts you and follows you around everywhere? Does anybody know whether his problem is more of a personality thing, or his past trauma? And does anybody know whether valium is something a dog needs to be on constantly for the rest of his life, or just when he's alone, or what? :-?[/quote] The vet is a good place to start, but remember that they "specialize" in medicine, not necessarily behavior. Of course some are [i]extremely[/i] knowledgeable about dog behavior/nutrition/whatever, but others may not know (not saying not to believe the vet, but at the same time, follow what [i]you[/i] think too). It might be a good idea to also contact a behaviorist, and see about just getting him evaluated. Then you can decide where to go from there. The following is probably because he's still feeling pretty insecure right now, or he could just naturally lack in confidence. Using the "tie-downs" I mentioned above should help a little with that, because he'll start to realize that he [i]can[/i] do his "own thing" while you're busy. His problem could be caused by just his upbringing, or just his "natural attitude", or a combination of both, you may never know.

Try to find something that really gets him tired... and use that to get him really tired before you have to crate him. That way he'll be tired, and will sleep/relax for at least a while after he's crated. It might mean you have to get up an hour early to go run with him, or eat breakfast as you throw tennis balls through the hallway, but if it helps to keep him quiet/content, it'll be worth it :lol: . Also, try crating him for short times (they may at first need to be very short) throughout the day while you're home. You need the crate as "nice" and "fun" to him as being out with you. You can do this several ways (or a combination of any of them)... 1) Get a safe toy that he [b]really[/b] likes... that will be his "crate toy". He only gets it when he's in the crate. When you want him to go in, show him the toy, say in, and when he goes in, give him the toy and shut the door. 2) Feed him in the crate. Put him in there a few minutes before he gets fed, and when he's quiet, give him his food. He'll learn to associate the crate with food, and will get to be pretty eager to get in there. 3)You "take over" his crate... put some of his "favorite things" in there, and shut the door. Then you get in the crate, sit down, and watch tv or read, or whatever you want, but he's not allowed in (door closed). This is best done when you are the only one home, so he can't follow anyone else. He should start to show some interest in the crate, because "if you think it's great, it must be". (I've never actually tried this one, only heard of it.) You can do both 1 & 2 in one toy... just fill a Kong with tasty food he'd never get otherwise, and give it to him only when he's in the crate. You can also try using "tie-downs" when you're home, secure a 6ft leash somewhere where he can't get tangled, and won't be in the way, but is still "in the center of things". Put him on it for a few minutes (5-10 at first) a few times a day. He won't be able to follow you, but won't be as "confined". It's best to do this while you're walking through the house doing things, that way you can check on him often. Let him have his crate toy/treat/food while he's there, and when you walk by, praise if he's paying attention to it or otherwise occupying himself, ignore if he's whining for you, or "pouting" because he can't follow you. I can't guarantee any of this will work, but it's worth trying. You also might want to check into getting him into "doggy daycare", or maybe getting him into adog playgroup so that he can build some confidence. There's also a chance that no training,etc will "fix" his problem, and in that case, meds might help.

Dogs are [i]usually[/i] allowed in stores like Home Depot and Lowes, I've heard that in some of them the employees actually carry around treats in their pockets :lol: . I've heard of a lot of people taking their dogs there for socialization and getting them around "different" things, like machines, etc to work on their confidence.

Maybe you could put his food in sandwich bags, so it'd be easier to switch it? Mei-Mei, last summer when we would take Annie and Goo out in the little boat, we had to hide the bait bucket, because Annie would tip it over and chase the shrimp around the bottom of the boat :lol:

Pros... -dog will quickly learn to obey the command in order to avoid the correction -prong collars, when used properly, don't require as much pressure/force to use a a slip/choke collar, and "pinch", rather than "contract" Cons.... -dog may decide that what it wants to go "see" is worth the correction, and barge along anyway -prong collars often break (you should always have a back up collar on with them) -it's difficult to issue corrections at the exact right second -some dogs will go into avoidance or completely shut down when corrected Go with what you think will work best for your dog, if she's been doing well on a flat collar, stick with that. You know her better than the trainer, so watch her carefully, and see what she "tells" you. If at any time, you feel uncomfortable with one of the trainer's methods, or the pup does, tell the trainer you're uncomfortable with it. If you can, go without your pup to watch a training class or two, and see how the trainer interacts with the dogs/owners, as well as how the dogs/owners react to her and amongst themselves. If you're in the US, you can look at this link to see some things to look for in a trainer (they also have a thing where you can search for trainers in your area)... [url]http://apdt.com/[/url]. Newfiemom also suggested a good site to look at.

[quote name='Carolk9s']Does ANYONE see ANY pit bull in Candy? [/quote] The first pic I saw of her (it was a while ago, and I don't remember which one it was), I wondered if she was a pit/lab mix, but she definitely looks more like a JRT/lab, and that agrees more with her size. If you're worried about someone trying to say she's a pit bull, you can always have your vet write a "letter" stating that she is [i]not[/i] a pit bull or pit mix. It may or may not help, but might be useful just in case.

[quote name='IlBLisSlI']I do agree with you, sources do lie, but the insurance company is not in the business of caring, they are in the business of saving money. If they see a number that says one breed is statistically more dangerous than another you bet your a** they are going to ban that breed. They don't care if the sources are wrong. And did you ever think, that perhaps, if a victim could mistake a dog for a pit bull, that the insurance adjuster could come out to the house and mistake the same dog for a pit bull??? I'm pretty sure that can happen. It's called human error. And it's very likely that the same group of dogs that have been "oh so wrongly classified as pit bulls" or any other breed, will be classified the same way by an insurance adjuster. Therefore, making the statistic a reasonably accurate one.[/quote] If the insurance companies are that worried about losing money because of dog attacks, then they better stop selling life insurance to people who live in areas where there are thunderstorms... after all, a person is more likely to get killed by lightening than they are to get killed by a dog attack. Of course, dog [i]bites[/i] are a completely different story, they happen almost every day. Then again, they usually involve small, nippy breeds, so why worry about them? Even though a 10lb Yorkie is perfectly capable of "removing" most of a child's nose. The dog in this case belonged to one of my mom's friends, and it was her grandchild who got bitten, but if it had been someone elses kid, the insurance company would have been paying out for the several plastic surgeries the child had to have. It's possible for two people to agree that a dog is or isn't a pit bull, but not as likely as say... two people agreeing that a dog is a dachshund. There are so many different "types" of pit bulls, and everyone has a different idea of what a pit bull looks like. Most uninformed people think pit bulls are short, barrel-chested, 90 lb dogs with bowed out elbows and big heads. Show pit bull people or people who only know show lines are likely to think they are "square", stocky dogs. Performance breeders/people usually prefer lanky, tall, and structurally "smaller" dogs. I'm not sure exactly which statistic you're talking about in the last part of the message though :oops: :lol:

[quote name='IlBLisSlI'] Seeing as how they have no way of moderating these things, they go with statistics. And they have put a ban on the dogs that are statistically proven to do the most harm. "Well what if someone has a lab mix that goes ape sh*t and i have a pitt that behaves...?" As with anything there will always be an exception to the rule. The rule being the statistic. The numbers don't lie. It's just that simple. The company is looking out for number 1. [/quote] The number don't lie, but the sources can and [i]do[/i]. It's sometimes very difficult to identify a dog's breed, especially when it's one of the "bully breeds" since they are often varying in appearance, and many breeds/mixes can look similar. Often even people experienced with the breeds can guess wrong, but according to the CDC, their stats are derived from hospital records (distraught victims who likely never got a good look at the dog that attacked them, so are really just guessing), media reports (and we all know the news is [i]always[/i] accurate and never lies for the sake of the headlines, right?), and animal control records (many ACOs, though well meaning, aren't very good at identifying breeds, not that it's their fault, but some are definitely questionable as far as breed knowledge goes). Then the CDC statistics lump about 6 different breeds (American Bulldogs, APBTs, AmStaffs, Staffy Bulls, Bull Terriers, Mini Bull Terriers, and possibly more) and any dog that [i]looks[/i] like it [i]could[/i] be a mix of one or more of those breeds all into one group, which they label "pit bulls". But oh no... the numbers don't lie. The reason the Temperment Test is a good indicator of the dog's true temperment is because it's up to the dog how to react to the threats presented... it cannot be corrected, or reassured, but instead must rely solely on it's natural drives/instincts to decide how to act. There are several scenarios that closely mirror "real life" possibilities, so it's a fairly accurate guage of the dog's real temperment. Here's a few of the results from the ATTS website, there's more on the actual site, as well as a description of the test. [url]http://atts.org[/url] Breed Name / Tested / Passed / Failed / Percent American Pit Bull Terrier / 376 / 311 / 65 / 82.7% American Staffordshire Terrier / 415 / 341 / 74 / 82.2% Collie / 679 / 533 / 146 / 78.5% Golden Retriever / 590 / 484 / 106 / 82.0% Labrador Retriever / 579 / 525 / 54 / 90.7% Shetland Sheepdog / 419 / 280 / 139 / 66.8%

[quote name='IlBLisSlI']Nah, it