StarFox

Ok, I need some suggestions on books that will help with Zebra agression and how to train him. Let me give you some of the backstory. For the last week and a half Zebra has been abnormally agressive. Just a few days ago he was on the couch (I know mistake number 1 but i'll get to that in a second) anyways he was licking real bad at where his scar is from surgery and he was making it red, so i lightly pulled on his collar (mistake number2) and said "no". He turned around and snarled and snapped at my hand. I got real upset and took him by the collar while basically yelling "NO!", "Wrong" and had to drag him into the back of the house while he was tring to bite my hand. I put him in a time out and he wined and wined and everyone ignored him and then later when i tried to touch him he acted like someone had hit him or something and kept wincing everytime i pet his head. Then thursday Zebra was out and my brother was standing about 2 feet behind me and for no reason at all Zebra snarled at my brother and tried to bite his hand, but my brother moved and all zebra got was some T-shirt. Now it's prety obvious that Zebra thinks he is alpha dog with my brother but it's getting worse and worse lately. Zebra has NEVER been this bad before, he groweld at my brother today when my Bro was eating dinner. Zebra's behaviour was great before he had his surgery, could that be part of the problem? That he was in his crate for a month? My other problem and a big one at that, I am the ONLY one that trains him! My dad thinks that the only way to get rid of his agression is to either beat him or scare him and i got into an argument with my dad the other day about this. My mom has the mindset of "he is your dog you take care of his problems". And my brother is macho and is afraid of Zebra and has a has a very difficult time training him. No one listens to me so I need books that they can read! I spent a long time in petsmart today looking at training books but I ended up not getting any because my mom refused because she said that we have "tons of training books at home" and we don't! (Wow this is a long post! :oops: ) Ok..so back to the original question! Are there any good books that can help me and my family train Zebra.

Ok...kinda long story. I was watching changing rooms, *ya know the british version* anyways it was lawrence who did that zebra/red horrible room...and i loved it. but i loved the way they say Zebra in england. It's like they say it "sebra". Ok..i saw that show on a firday night and I thought "wow that would be an awsome name for a dog if i ever get one". So the next day, saturday we had to get up early and get some hay for our rabbit, so we went to petsmart and they were having there pet adoptions that day. And of course I just had to "look" and there were all these puppy's in this big cage, and I was looking at them all and I saw this little mutt and he was soo cute and had the sadest eyes ever! and this dog just looked so sad so I asked the AC officer lady if I could see the brown/black mutt in the back and she got all excited because he was her fave dog. Well they took him out and while having a better look at him I noticed that on his right back leg he had black stripes like a zebra!! It was fate, I begged my mom untill she finaly said yes, and my dad was soo pissed at me! But I bought him w/ my own money and decided that his name would be Zebra. And that's how Zebra got his name! :P

midori115- I got the Mallard at Petsmart. They have a bunch of different sizes, like small bones, medium size squirrels, and the large mallards and pheasants. And they all come with extra squeakers that you can put inside velcro pouch thingy.

Zebra LOVES stuffed toys because he can rip them apart. So we stopped giving him stuffed toys but we found the best plush toy with no stuffing to rip apart! It's his fave toy ever! A mallard made out of thick fabric and a velcro pouch in the middle that you can put changable squeakers in. best toy EVER! It's vurtually indestructable! Best 8 dollars i've ever spent. and the toy has lasted months! A plush toy that has lasted for months! Amazing! :lol:

WOOHOO! That's great news! Sounds like Cody is getting use to being around black dogs and other dogs! :P And stop forgetting your camera!! Tape it to Cody's leash or something! :lol:

I think I might be the exception in this case. I like the way dogs with cropped ears and docked tails look. BUT...I do think it is cruel and wouldn't be upset if they stopped doing it. I personally love love love the way Dobermans look with croped ears and docked tails but I would never do it to them. I think if I wanted a cropped/docked dog I would just go down to the pound and get one that is already like that. I have heard thought that certain breeds are better with docked tails. I think it is the Boxer (I could be wrong). I think Boxers don't have allot of muscle or fat on there tail so if they hit it against something hard while wagging the tail will split. I've heard some boxer owners say that they got there dogs tail docked after the dog split it open 3 or 4 times by hitting it on something.

Yup I have the same problem with Zebra. My brother and I push and play punch eachother allot (just for fun) and Zebra get realy upset and runs and growels at my brother. Today my brother grabbed my hand and Zebra comes running up takes my bro's hand in his mouth and pulls him away. I guess it's just his way of saying "Don't touch my master!". :roll:

In my experience dogs that jump up on you want attention, or are very exited to see you. What I learned is that if the dog jumps up give a firm "OFF" command, cross your arms and turn your back towards them. Then you turn around, give the "Sit" command and when they do you praise them and pet them. In my experience this has worked but each dog learns in different ways, good luck with whatever you do. :P

I don't realy know what I'm going to get Zebra this year, he has EVERYTHING! But I did see these realy awsome squeak toys in a mail order catalog. They were multi-coloured squeak cans and on the outside it had a funny pic of a dog face and under it it said "Dog Beer" :lol: .

Congrats on your good check-up!! :P They just love thoes shots don't they? :wink: :roll:

What? I'm confused. I think I missed something too Hazel. :-?

I realy have no clue what the deal is with DogListener or Kaleb124, nor do I particularly care. But I do have something to say about that Leerburg site. That site is just absolute junk with no real training value. For example: [b]"QUESTION: I have an 11 month GSD female who I am trying to stop jumping. I try and reinforce her to sit before she gets anything and to be petted, which is getting better. I have seen No Jump Harnesses in the store, but the one I got was nylon and very hard to put on and was very tangled. It would take me a 1/2 hour just to try and get in on. ANSWER: Jumping is simply a dog with bad manners. A NO JUMP correction needs to be followed by a correction. When a dog jumps on you, the solution I use is to grab the front feet and pinch the toes until the dog screams. The pinch needs to be held for several seconds (the dog will usually chew on your hands a little.) I can stop a puppy from jumping on me in one training session. If the problem is with an older dog it

Yes please post some pics soon! I just love GSD. :P I just read a study recently done on dogs with HD and diets. It basicaly stated that HD was a genetic disease but with the help of a balanced diet cosisting of certain nutrients that low HD can be avoided by the slowing of bone growth. So the Hip sockets have more time to form and capture the head of the femur. But the MOST important thing....the dogs weight! The dog will have a much higher change of getting HD if he is overweight. "Nutrition in the young dog is one of the most studied exogenous elements affecting the development of hip dysplasia and may have a profound influence on the development of the disease. One study noted that only 33% of dogs that were fed ad libitum developed normal hips, whereas 70% of the dogs that were fed one quarter of the same diet developed normal hips. Another study in German Shepherds showed that 63% of the dogs weighing more than the mean, developed dysplastic hips. In contrast, 37% of the dogs that weighed less than the mean developed dysplastic hips [2]. Puppies that are genotypically susceptible to canine hip dysplasia will exhibit an increased incidence and severity if placed on a high caloric diet. These studies strongly suggest that limiting caloric intake in young, growing dogs (especially the larger at risk breeds) is beneficial in preventing the development of canine hip dysplasia. " And Regulating exersize is a MUST for a dog with HD. Short 15-20 min walks is absolutly correct. No harsh playing, no jumping allot, not allot of strenuous activity. I think if your dog is running and bunnyhops allot or falls suddenly then it might be a sign that your dog has HD (that's how we figured out that our dog had it). Just because your dog has to have limited play dosn't mean that they have to be board, walks are great for dogs (and people), toys like kongs and things that they have to work at are wonderful too. It may seem difficult to regulate exersize but it is worth it if you can keep your dog from developing HD. Another precaution you can take is x-rays. yup Every other month have an x-ray done by a doctor who specalizes in HD. It might sounds somewhat drastic or parinoid but it's a good way to tell if they have HD. Here is a web-site that might help you. It talks about Diagnosis, treatment, ect. [url]http://www.acarc.com/ailments/hip_dysplasia/hd_intro.html[/url]

Thanks for asking Dal! Zebra is doing perty good right now. Not in any pain, and you can't even tell where they had gone in to do the surgery. But we do have another recheck this friday. And no, no more turkey for Zebra. :roll: Oh and for everyone who didn't know, Zebra has been groweling at my 13 year old brother and being rather agressive with him. I'm trying to get my brother to work with Zebra in some obedience comands instead of him just getting mad and stomping off into another room. But he is a teen age boy..and we all know how impossible they can be. :roll: Apparently ever since the operation Zebra has some how figured out that he is the Alpha dog again and is now acting like the dog from hell. :x Little bugger keeps acting up and growls at me when he dosn't get his way. *Sigh* guess it's obedience training from square one. :-?

I agree with what everyone said. Two little steps would probabaly do the trick. You could make it yourself out of ply wood and a few scraps of plush carpet. But....if you don't want to spend the time or energy on that they have these hard foam ramps that I have seen. They are specifically made for small dogs or dogs who can't jump due to medical problems. They are in 2 or 3 sections and you can form them to the left or right depending on where you want it to be. I'll try to find a pic of it but I know they have it in the DRs. Foster and Smith dog Catolog.

Oh Dal I'm so sorry, I hope everything is ok with Zoey. Maybe it's just some fatty tissue or something. I'll keepy you, Zoey and Cody in my thoughts.

AGGH! My mother NEVER listens to me! :x On thursday (thanksgiving) we gave Zebra some potatoes and turkey for dinner (mixed with is dry food). No problem or anything, at it all up. The next morning I get up and take him to go poo, well he goes and it's bloody diarrhea. Not allot of blood but enough for me to notice. So I knew it had to be the turkey we had given him. So I watched him to make sure he was ok, and he ate his regular food and went the bathroom later on and it was fine. I figured maybe the turkey had just irritated him or something. So the next day (Saturday) I was going out all day with some freinds that were home for the holiday weekend. I specificaly told my mom NOT to give him any turkey!! So I come home and my mom tells me that she gave him some for dinner! :evil: What the heck?! And she had him out of his crate all day long! (something else I told her not to do since he is still healing and should not walk on all the tile floors we have). So this morning I wake up to Zebra making all this noise in his crate. I get up and take him to go the bathroom and he goes and it's all blood!!! Like a pool of blood! Oh god I freked out so much. Called the vet right away. They said to give him Pepto-Bismol 3 times a day and he can only eat baby food and white rice for 48 hours. They told me that the turkey had irritated him intestins very badly and he just needed some time to heal but if he kept bleeding to bring him in right away. Thankfully after the White Rice/babyfood dinner he had he went again and it was ok. I'm just so pissed, that woman NEVER listens to me! And she gets mad when i tell her what to do and not to do with Zebra and I always get yelled at. Like today when Zebra went down the two little stairs in my room to go back in his crate. She yelled at me because I didn't have the harness on his back legs. But oh I guess it's ok for her to give the dog food that makes him sick!AGGH! :evil: :agrue: Oh sorry, didn't mean to make such a big rant but I realy needed to get it all out.

Just a little side note about the Benydril Spray[b]...[color=red]IT BURNS![/color][/b]. If there is an open wound or scratch and it gets into it, it hurts like you would not believe! Once I used it on Zebra and it just made him itch and made his skin red. I realy don't think I would recomend using it.

DL- No it didn't attack me with any kisses but it did attack me with it's most powerful weapon..it's tail! Man her tail kept beating againt my side when I was petting her. :lol: Nadooshkinz- Don't worry one day you will get to see one in real life..oh oh oh..you can go to the pound and play with one too if you have the time. :P

:lol: :lol: What a smart dog! I just love how he gets back into his kennel before anyone shows up. :lol:

I'm with malamum on this, how in the world did this person know your phone number, and Laurels name? :-? Some people are just scum. :x

Thanks Nancy, I read the info on the web-site. The main reasons I feed zebra from raised bowls is because he seems to gulp air when the bowls are on the floor and he burps allot after that, since we got the stand he rarely if ever burps. And just like K I don't let zebra do much of anything after he eats, i let him rest and let the food settle. Plus I don't know how good it is for him if he leans so far down to get his food, with his bad hips and all. Hmm I'm going to ask our surgeon next time we go about Bloat and see what he says.

I saw two Pits today!!! Today when we took Zebra to get his staples removed they took him in the back and told us to wait so we went outside because the waiting room was too full. And while my mom and I were sitting outside this woman with a tan colour pit walked by and my mom was like "oh how cute!" and the woman came over and started to talk to us. Her dog was soo nice! But it had the strangest eyes and it kinda freaked me out. She told us that she got the dog from the pound and never expected to get such a well behaved dog from the pound. :D Then a bunch of people started to come out with there dogs and the pit wanted to play so bad with the other dogs but they had to leave. (Oh by the way the doc told us that zebra's recovery is a week and a half ahead of scedual and that he is doing better then they expected! and now we can take him for short walks!) Ok then we went to Petsmart and there was this guy that had a boxer and I walked away into another isle and my mom said that the guy had hit the boxer on the back when he didn't sit when he told him too. :( :x My mom was realy upset she almost started to cry. (my mom gets realy upset when she see's animal abuse, she can't even watch animal presinct yet she tells me that i get to emotional?!). Then we went to go look at the sweaters since Zebra is partally shaved I worry about him getting cold. And there was this young couple. The woman had a mini-pincher type of dog and he kept barking and lunging at other dogs. And they guy had this BEAUTIFUL pit! It was a blue/grey colour and was soo freindly! They were both whearing sweaters, the mini-pin was in a maroon sweater and the Pit was whearing a grey sweatshirt with a hood :lol: . The mini-pin kept barking and making all this noise but the pit just ignored the other dogs and was happy to sniff the floor. :lol: Well since they were looking at the sweaters too the guy said excuse me to my mom and grabbed a sweater. (now this is funny)..He got all excited and said "Honey come here! look look! It's a bathrobe and it's in a large! it will fit her perfectly!" ....He was getting a bathrobe for his Pit!! :lol: They ended up behind us in the check out and the small dog kept barking and the guy told his girlfriend "you better take him outside he is being to noisy and is too excited"..he looked so embarassed! Turns out that his pit was a year and 5 months (just like Zebra), I wish I could have talked with him longer about his dog because his dog was soo nice and beautiful! Oh by the way I didn't go near that Mini-pin! It kept barking at me, but the pit was so freindly I kept petting her. :lol: See so it goes to show that not all pits are mean and that there are some good Pit owners out there! :P So I had a great day (by the way I wish I could have taken pics of them for you all to see but i didn't have a camera and they would have probably thought I was crazy if I asked to take pics of some strangers dog! :lol: )

WOW that is so awsome that she knew something was wrong! What a smart dog! :P :angel:

Oh god, thoes images make me sick. I think both are desgusting. I understand that is some contries people eat dogs and cats just as we eat cows and chickens but the condition that thoes animals live in are just desgusting. And that dog with two heads...I don't have words to express the desgust I feel. :cry: That poor dog just looks so sad. :cry: