Bully Stick/Cow Trachea/Antler Question

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Jscott1
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Joined: Tue Aug 17, 2010 3:50 pm

Bully Stick/Cow Trachea/Antler Question

Post by Jscott1 »

My mini doxie LOVES bully sticks and the cow trachea's we give him. He likes the antler too, just not quite as much. He is 7 months old and can go through them quite quickly. The trachea he can go through in about 1/2 a day. Is this too fast? I watch him, and it seems he isn't getting very big pieces off at a time, he will just chew it until it is gone.

He likes them so much in fact, he has started guarding them (which we are working on) but that leads to my previous question of how much is too much, and how fast is too fast? Since I have to work slowly at the guarding issue, I can't just take it away in 10 min. or an hour. Should I refrain from giving them to him at all? I would hate to do that because he really does love them and if he is chewing on that, he isn't chewing on something else. The guarding issue is a completely different story, but we are working on it.

I have tried the small bully sticks and he destroys those rather quickly - I gave him the long, curly, fat bully stick and it lasted him a week. The trachea might last an entire day. Is there a point at which I should be tossing them (too small) or is it ok for him to eat the entire thing? of course with supervision. Can these be a normal part of his diet, and should I adjust his food accordingly?

Thanks in advance, I want to do what is best for him of course - he just adores these items and I want to make sure I am looking out for him.
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Nettle
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Re: Bully Stick/Cow Trachea/Antler Question

Post by Nettle »

These are all fine, assuming no chemical additives, but you need to adjust his other food so that he doesn't get too fat. :)

For the guarding - these are wonderful possessions to him, and the best way to tackle guarding is for him to feel comfortable that he can eat his chewies without anyone attempting to take them off him. Can you describe to us a guarding situation with him, and exactly what happens? Then we can help more.
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Jscott1
Posts: 24
Joined: Tue Aug 17, 2010 3:50 pm

Re: Bully Stick/Cow Trachea/Antler Question

Post by Jscott1 »

Thanks very much! I have found a few good sources for these that do not include any chems or additives, and I am glad to have confirmed the need to adjust his food. (ummm, on a side note - do the bully sticks and other such chewy items give them gas? We sometimes feel the need to evacuate the area... :) ) So, there really isn't a limit to how many he goes through or how quickly? (besides my wallet that is) as long as his diet is adjusted.

As I said he is 7 months old so just getting into another phase of his growth (teenager mixed with a new fear stage)
His guarding just started a few weeks ago by running away with his chewy if one of the family members went by him, but nothing more. I do recall taking it away once or twice (without protest, or so I thought) so I am most likely to blame here on him starting the behavior. I was doing it to save it for later, not as a punishment - of course he doesn't know that. He does not do that with anything else, and he is not food aggressive, and is not bothered by his toys being touched. He will drop his toys when asked when we play, then he gets to "get it" again.

He growled at me the other night when I went towards him, actually to get him because we had tricker-treaters at the door, and since we live on a crazy busy street, I wanted to pick him up before the door was opened. He does not have a problem being held, he was sure I was after his chewy- it was a short, quiet growl to which I did the absolute wrong thing, and confirmed his fear by taking away the chewy. Right after that incident, I looked up how to handle resource guarding and since then he has had them, and I give them to him and leave him be. Occasionally when i have to walk by, I will just drop a treat by him and keep going. My plan is to do this for a few more days and move on to the next phase (it was an article I found online, but has also been posted here) I hope I didn't do too much damage by taking his chew away that first night. He is still young, and this is really the first signs of it so I hope we can reinforce the good stuff, in him AND me!

I do have a question though regarding what happened the other night, what happens when I do have to get him for some reason and he has his prized possessions? We are still very much working on recall (going slow) and sometimes I do need to move or remove him without him thinking I am going to get his goodies.

The other thing he has done twice now is growl at my DD (17) when she tried to move him while he was on the couch. (physically picked him up and moved him a few inches away) He has not done this with me at all. I told her not to touch him anymore, but to instead make him move off of the couch and treat him once he gets off the couch, or moves over. (two different commands)

Thanks very much for the info - as a first time dog owner, i am still very much learning and feeling my way through. I want to teach him to be the best dog he can, but that means I have to also learn to be the best owner that i can.
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Nettle
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Re: Bully Stick/Cow Trachea/Antler Question

Post by Nettle »

First off, you are doing a great job :D don't beat yourself up about any wrong moves because we've all been there. That's how we have learned, and now we gladly pass on our knowledge.

Now - read back what you have posted and see the common denominator. Yup, your dog is telling you loud and clear that he doesn't want to be picked up. He only has so many ways to tell you, so he is growling because his subtler body language (yawning, lip-licking, ear-flattening, turning his head aside) have not been "read" by you (not your fault - humans have to be taught these things). Growling is GOOD because it is communication, and we need to listen when a dog growls.

Dogs HATE being picked up. Humans like to pick up. We have to resist that. Don't do anything with a little dog that you wouldn't do with a Rottweiller :lol: While I am on what dogs hate and humans love, include pats on the head and hugs. Dogs learn to tolerate hugs, even offer snuggles, but the simian enclosing of the body with our arms that we love - frightens them. Pats on the head are always horrid. You may not do these things, but others will try when they come and visit, and you must stop them at once or your dog wil begin to fear visitors.

So - what to do instead?

Arrange your home with baby gates or other barriers - the only limit is your genius - so that your dog can never get to the door when people call.

Train your dog so that when the doorbell goes, he goes to his bed and gets a treat.

As you told your daughter (well done) if she wants him off the sofa or wherever, she does not manhandle him, but lures him off with a treat. At another time, you can teach him ON the sofa and OFF the sofa on command - make a game of it - then he learns to get off on command. :)

He has no concept of you saving his treat for later, so leave him to eat what he has in his own time with no disturbance. If there IS reason to part him from his chewie, use a swap for something really yummy. There's an art to this - again, practice with items of less value, and work upwards. Also teach him to retrieve, beginning with teaching him to give things and take them. Start with low-value items: don't go straight to the thousand-dollar bill :lol: Then when he runs off with something of yours, you can call him back to swap it for something MUCH BETTER.

All this takes time, and we will help you all you need. Have a look at some of our other threads on resource guarding, clicker-training and exercising the mind, and come back with your questions. No question is trivial or stupid - please feel free to ask whatever you want to.
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog

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Dogwoodblossom
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Joined: Mon Dec 01, 2008 2:06 am

Re: Bully Stick/Cow Trachea/Antler Question

Post by Dogwoodblossom »

Also, if you're concerned about him eating only the chew, or just about having to buy too many, remember you can always cut them up. I have a mini poodle, and she loves those cow tracheas too, but I don't give her the whole long thing at once, she gets them cut into inch long sections.

And if you have to pick him up for some reason (like on halloween) just let him bring the chew with him.
Jscott1
Posts: 24
Joined: Tue Aug 17, 2010 3:50 pm

Re: Bully Stick/Cow Trachea/Antler Question

Post by Jscott1 »

Thanks again everyone for responding!
I just bought a bunch of bully sticks online (all natural, no added chems or additives) for a heck of a lot cheaper than anywhere in town even with shipping. I thought about cutting them down too so they last longer, but also so he doesn't have so much at one time. They are pretty rich for him, but man do they keep him out of trouble!
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