What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

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delladooo
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by delladooo »

Did a little bit more down with MiMi this evening, she's doing really well - doesn't need my leg as a prompt to down anymore :mrgreen: and Laufey was obviously practising too :lol: It has further solidified by belief that I could train the cat to do things too - I somehow had him sitting in turn with the dogs but he's not exactly patient :lol:

In other news, I'm trying to build up MiMi's jaw muscles with larger bones (we were cutting them up for her) and I don't know who's having more trouble; mum or MiMi. Anyone would think I have her a whole chicken and left her to it :roll:
bendog
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by bendog »

I know you guys will understand my geekiness!

Been trying to teach Pops "back up" (walk backwards) for AGES using a couple of different methods, but I've never been keen on using a lure or body pressure to teach it so was trying to get it by shaping mostly, anyway, she would offer a couple of steps, but then veer off to the side, and we never really got anywhere with it.

A couple of weeks ago I taught a rear foot target on a book. Today we combined rear foot target and positioned the reward in front of her so she had to step off the book to get it, and then step backwards to target the book again and BINGO!
Still lots to work on, including distance etc, but she is doing really well stepping a step or two backwards in a straight line, onto the book, instead of turning round or veering off to the side :)
JudyN
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by JudyN »

Well done Amy and Poppy :D I taught Jasper 'back' not by pushing him but by getting very close into his personal space when he was in a narrow space (it's easier to find a narrow space for Jasper than for Poppy :wink: ). He also veers off after a couple of steps, though. It still comes in useful, mainly because he's not very good at manoeuvring in tight spaces and will try to do a multi-point turn when it doesn't occur to him to go into reverse :lol: I used it just yesterday when I was grooming the cat in the airing cupboard and Jasper managed to get through the bathroom defences, stuck his head in the airing cupboard and tried to eat the cat food an nick a bag of cat treats :lol: I was worried he'd get a bit guardy, but managed to snatch the food away while it was still 'Up for grabs' and before he'd got into the 'Now it's mine' frame of mind.

We had a walk in the park yesterday. I'd spotted a young entire male dog so had him on lead at one point. A couple with a dalmatian walked past and the man said, 'That's something I like to see - a sighthound in a muzzle. I saw a sighthound rip a fox apart here a while back.' At this point the entire dog came into range of the dalmatian and the dalmation growled and snapped at it. How I wish I was quick enough to say 'Maybe yours should be wearing a muzzle too' :lol:
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
JudyN
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by JudyN »

Awww, I've come over all gooey....

Just now, OH and I were chatting in the bedroom and Jasper had settled down on the bed. He then got up, but must have tweaked something and started caterwauling (dogerwauling?) as only a lurcher can. OH approached him and he moved towards OH, but OH was wary about touching him when he was on the bed and in pain, and I can't say I blame him :wink: Jasper got off the bed gingerly, still crying, came straight over to me and presented his rear end to me, looking at me to say 'Mummy, make it better.' I gave him a good back/hip/thigh rub, and he was fine. I love that he thinks I can magic away owchys :D
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
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Nettle
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Nettle »

Says a lot about the relationship you have built with this complex dog. :)
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog

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MPbandmom
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by MPbandmom »

Awwww so sweet Jasper. :)

We finally got the dogs out the the quiet park across town today. It was finally open. It had been closed a few days I guess due to the snow. I thought the snow would have melted off of the paved paths by now, but it had not. We took one loop through the woods and OH decided walking in the snow was too much like work, so we instead took to the roadways. Unlike earlier snow where they seemed to throw chemicals all over the roadways, that had not been done this time, thankfully.

We walked the road loop twice and then took Sirius to the after hours emergency vet. Both dogs had pooed while walking the wooded trail. It is not unusual for Sirius to poo and then keep squatting and straining for a little while to get some last little bit out. Well, today she kept squatting and straining every few yards that we walked and only producing a drop of this or that or maybe nothing at all. She also looked very unhappy, her tail was down and she seemed kind of scrunched up.

I keep her muzzle in the van. She stayed in the van until they had a room ready for her. I went in with 2 bags of dehydrated liver treats. Both the vet tech and vet were male. :roll: But, they both also had very good presentation of themselves for a fear aggressive dog. Sirius did calm down to where she was no longer reacting to the vet speaking. The vet did indicate that he thought I was rewarding her for barking at him. It was questionable. We do a lot of LAT with her, so she would look at the vet, bark at him, and then turn to me for a treat, which I gave to her. Whether I was rewarding her for barking or rewarding her for turning away might have been a bit fuzzy from the observer's standpoint. :lol:

He had me drop her leash and she walked over and checked the vet out and he continued to ignore her. We won't say her exam went smoothly. There were times where she seemed okay with him touching her and then other spots where she spun around lunging and snapping and snarling and telling him off for all she was worth.

Her examination came back as normal. He didn't run any tests because we didn't have stool sample and he didn't want to take one by force. (Of course we had trown that away before we realized there was an issue.) He also said he didn't feel she presented as urgently needing to have blood work done. He gave us some antibiotics and probiotics. I'm not normally big on the idea of giving meds without a definitive diagnosis, but the way she was acting said infection to me based on past experience with her and other animals when a diagnosis was able to be made.
Grammy to Sky and Sirius, who came to live with me, stole my heart, and changed my life forever as I took over their care and learned how to be a dog owner.
delladooo
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by delladooo »

Awww bless him, Jasper is so cute, I often tell mum stories of him :)

Took the kids on a walk this morning / afternoon around a walking path that goes around the back of the zoo and near a golf course. The mud was horrendous (didn't think about that) but they had fun. MiMi is now a mess and will need a good seeing-to later once she's dry but that's okay. Laufey isn't as bad but will still need a good brush. We came across two horses, it was MiMi's first encounter and she was amazing and Laufey didn't bark which was a bonus as he usually does. He did have a good bark near the zoo though, on the other side of the big fences were deer, giraffe and tigers so all new to him. I'm not sure MiMi wasn't bothered or just felt safe as she was being carried at the time (the walk was too long for her to walk all the way). Hopefully they'll do some sleeping now!
delladooo
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by delladooo »

Has anyone seen the advert for the RSPCA that goes 'bad food, bad health, bad home' or something to that effect?

I ask because the poor shivering dog out in the cold could be Laufey when we went out this morning :roll: he decided he didn't need his coat because it wasn't raining but then decided it was freezing. We made it to the grassy bit at the other end of the road, peed and couldn't wait to come home. From the look he gave me you'd think I was trying to kill him :roll:

In other news MiMi's new harness arrived today, same Roman style as Laufey's which she's hopefully going to like more than her vest one :mrgreen:
bendog
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by bendog »

I think the advert is actually for pedigree food! Winds me up coz it's clearly not good food at all!

My OHs parents got a puppy at Christmas, I was (and am) furious since no way can they look after her properly. And I admit I've avoided meeting her properly, because it breaks my heart.

Anyway, she's 6ish months old now and we had to pick up something from my OH parents house so took her out with our gang for half an hour or so. My OH has also taken her out with our lot once before on his own but didn't risk letting her off lead. Other than that she's only ever been walked round the block (5-10 mins, pavement, on lead) since they got her.

It's a poor video from OHs phone but here she is on her second ever "real" walk, and first ever time off lead!
Needless to say, she LOVED it!

http://youtu.be/PqlqqU0SIbw

She's a fairly timid little thing, very friendly, and I hate to say it but at least she is a better match for them temperament wise than poppy was. Even if she is already overweight and bounces off the walls and not housetrained :evil:
She didn't want to leave me to go back into her house afterwards :(

Pleased how my lot handled it too, charlie really isn't very tolerant of pups but did well today and just politely stood still or turned away when she got in his face.

For the behaviour geeks - not sure what Poppy's scratting is about? And Charlie's bounce into her is his (rather rough) invitation to play.
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minkee
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by minkee »

The more stressed out he is, the more Breeze scrats. He does it a LOT when we go on our more urban walks around the cemetery. I would say it's probably just a kind of 'stress reliever' action, based on absolutely no more evidence than that :)
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minkee
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by minkee »

I've just come across this: http://www.ultimatepuppy.com/ which seems like it might be a nice resource, but I don't have the time or energy to decipher it at the moment. If anyone wants a look through it and to find a nice place for it to live on the forum, feel free!
delladooo
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by delladooo »

bendog wrote:I think the advert is actually for pedigree food! Winds me up coz it's clearly not good food at all!
Possibly, I can't remember it exactly (although pedigree adverts always annoy me) but just the dog shaking and looking upset was very Laufey. I'll never understand because we've always been out in the rain :shock:

That's a brilliant video bendog and she's clearly enjoying herself so at least there's that. I have no idea about the behaviours though.
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Nettle
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Nettle »

minkee wrote:The more stressed out he is, the more Breeze scrats. He does it a LOT when we go on our more urban walks around the cemetery. I would say it's probably just a kind of 'stress reliever' action, based on absolutely no more evidence than that :)

There are scent glans in the feet so scratting is very much a graffiti tag.


There was a rumour a few months ago in the dog press that the rspca was about to unleash its own dog food brand. Maybe Pedigree did a deal with them.
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delladooo
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by delladooo »

Nettle they do have their own brand. It's available online and at their rescue centres. I've also seem a couple of bags at their annual dog show and in one of their charity shops. The food is on a par with anything you would buy in the supermarket sort of range and, imo, quite pricey for what it is. (I volunteer in my local charity shop so see these things quite often). I don't know if it's in a deal with pedigree or any others but I wouldn't be surprised. Although I think pedigree are with the dogs trust?
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minkee
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by minkee »

Nettle wrote:
minkee wrote:The more stressed out he is, the more Breeze scrats. He does it a LOT when we go on our more urban walks around the cemetery. I would say it's probably just a kind of 'stress reliever' action, based on absolutely no more evidence than that :)
There are scent glans in the feet so scratting is very much a graffiti tag.
He always scrats, but when he's stressed you best not be within 15 feet behind him because you'll still get a face full! He goes from just scratching about a bit on a normal walk to moonwalking with full leg extensions and puffing when he's stressed out.

Not fun when he decides to do it to his poo! :(
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