So I haven't been here in a good while. I'm almost done with school, and the courses and assignments have been quite extensive! I've been trying to come here and read all the posts every chance I get, and I enjoy it when I do!
Anyway, I came here in the fall looking for help with a spaniel who couldn't stop weeing in the house. For anyone interested, he's been doing great and hasn't done it in over a month! The strange thing is, the owner just put a blanket over his favorite wee spot and he stopped completely. Can anyone elaborate on this? I'm curious as to why this worked above all other methods!
Getting back to school, as I stated before I'm almost done for the summer. I'll have almost all the time in the world to go back to learning more about dogs and their behavior, as I have ambitions of becoming a dog trainer. I was thinking about this one month ago when I was in my school's library, so I thought I'd search for some dog training books. I only found two books that I immediately put back on the shelf. The first one stressed the importance of electric shock to teach dogs commands. I randomly opened the second one and put it back after reading the phrase, "The leash and choke collar are essential tools that must be used together." Needless to say, I was quite appalled.
So I turned to the Internet. I like to search for books on Amazon. Recently I created a Wishlist, which is here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishl ... LCO14O1BQL
Anyone else have any of these books? I was hoping to get a little more insight than just the Amazon customer reviews. Also, are there any other recommendations? I want to know as much as I can, and then some!
Some other books I have include:
It's Me or the Dog (of course
) So You Want to Be a Dog Trainer
It's Not the Dogs, It's the People
Don't Shoot the Dog!
AKC Guide to Care and Grooming
...and about ten books about Siberian Huskies, as that's the breed I'd really like to own someday!
Also, on the subject of dog ownership, my dad has seen how much I've been studying dog behavior, and he's decided that this family is past time to adopt a dog! He has his heart set on a Lab mix. Naturally, I'm very excited
I've already gone over some characteristics of the Lab with my dad, and I've determined that it has to be over three years old, as I don't think he could handle rowdier puppy behavior. The next step is to dog-proof the house, which we'll probably start when I'm out of school in a month. I've been practicing this already--on all fours, might I add--and I already know of some trouble spots.
I also found a good rescue organization that specializes in Labs and Lab mixes. He's already seen a few that he likes!
Now on to the areas of concern...
We have a guinea pig (Andy), age three, who lives in an open-top cage. Dad and I have already talked about this, and we've decided that getting a new sturdy cage is part of the dog-proofing process. Also, there is going to be a strict rule of "dog in crate before Andy comes out/when no one is home". I'm sure there are some who have dealt with dogs and small animals living under one roof, so any more advice would be appreciated
I'm a little concerned about how Dad is going to handle the dog as well. He's from the generation of harsher training, and he's had other dogs in the past. He didn't use choke collars of anything, but he may have hit them sometimes. At least, this is what I gather from what he's told me. I advised him to check out some of the books I already own, and he'll see me training the dog (as I have the feeling that a lot of it will fall to me, hehe
) My hope is that he will see the positive training I give it really works, and that he will think it's a good idea. He's usually pretty stubborn, though. Anyone ever work with someone like this? My biggest concern is my mom. At first, she'll object to bringing any animal home, but once she gets to know it, she spoils it completely rotten. She's also about as stubborn as my dad, if not more so.
Also, she doesn't exactly have a great history with dogs. Back when I was eleven, my dad brought home a sweet little Parson Russel x Beagle puppy. She was a wonderful little dog, but my mom was always scared around it. Of course, the dog picked up on it and started to act funny. As a result, the dog was deemed "horrible" and she took it back to the breeder. I don't know who was more devastated, me or Dad
So fourteen years later, I don't know what her reaction to a dog is going to be. I'd like for her to meet it before we bring it home, and then show her that there's nothing to be apprehensive about(sounds more like a puppy's fear period, hehe!). Since then, she's made more friends who have dogs, and I think this has helped out a lot. I think she'd really like a dog if given the chance, it's just she doesn't quite know what to do with it.
One more thing. I love reading my dog books, and I'm looking forward to buying more, but I know I'll need some hands-on experience with dogs in order to really learn more about them. That's why I'm going to sign up to volunteer at a local rescue shelter this summer! I'll admit I'm a little nervous, but it's not about being around the dogs. I'm not even sure I'll get asked to help, as you need to fill out an application for consideration. I think it'll help if I mention that I have an interest in becoming a dog trainer--I've seen some of their videos on Petfinder, and a lot of the dogs look like pure bundles on energy! But I just get nervous when meeting and working with new people. I'm fine once I get to know them.
Because of my current schedule, I won't be able to stop in and fill out an app until Friday or Saturday, and I'll keep updates posted!
So there you have it, the past year of my life in a nutshell! Quite an exciting time!
Any feedback about all of this is deeply appreciated. In fact, I may need some when I take a break from writing my final projects
Also, sorry if I put this in the wrong boards. With all the info, I figured this one was the best
