Got a few random questions....

[MiaRose100907]

So, I have a GSD/Pit Bull Mix... it's been a while since I've posted here. I also have a Chihuahua/Shih Tzu mix.

Some of the questions I have are as follows:

In regards to my GSD, why is he so rough with other dogs? Is it just pure excitement? Or some aggression mixed in there? I had to stop taking him to the dog park because all I seemed to do was get after him the whole time since he was playing too rough. Now, some of the dogs he was playing with like that didn't seem to mind (it was mainly the owners), but there were also some dogs that DID seem to mind, and he wasn't backing off.. When I first took him to this dog park he was a dream down there, no problems, played nicely and was well mannered. Now, it's a nightmare.
I also have to watch him when I take him on walks if there are other dogs nearby... He is not 'aggressive' in a sense with other dogs, but he does stare and seems really 'interested' in them; which I suppose could give the wrong signals to the other dogs we come across because more often than not the other dog starts barking at him and then it turns into a back and forth thing.
Same dog, different question.... I am wondering why he doesn't bark? I thought GSDs were big barkers, as well as Pits... The only time he barks is if he's instigated by another dog.. Other than that, all he does is whine, whimper, growl.. anything but barking. Is it possible he was punished for barking and that is why he doesn't do it?

Now on to my other dog...
She is going to be two years old in November, and is not spayed (yet).
Are Chihuahuas and Shih Tzus not very bright dogs? I don't mean any offense, but it seems almost impossible to train her. She does not listen and seems to want to 'go her own way' all the time. I point and tell her to go one way, and she goes the other. Now if I have a treat, then hell yeah I can get her to sit, and lay down; but other than that good luck. I thought about puppy classes from my local Petsmart would be a good idea. Do you all agree?
Also, does anyone recommend anything as far as the tear stains under her eyes? They get so gross sometimes no matter how much I clean around them.
I had one more question but I honestly can't remember lol

Thanks to anyone who can answer some of these random questions for me!

[emmabeth]

Gsds and pitties play hard - the problem is that play isnt sweet and innocent - its practice for fighting, hunting, herding, being a bully - and your boy got good at it!

Dog parks, quite frankly, suck. They are breeding grounds for dog-dog aggression and bullying behaviour and you'll do your dogs a HUGE favour by giving them a miss completely, they don;t need to play with other dogs anyway, they have you and they have one another for canine company.

If he is also staring at other dogs going by then yes, he is being a bit rude or threatenign adn that is why other dogs are then shouting at him. The best thing to do is find the distance he can be from another dog where he DOESNT do this, and then reward him really well for seeing and NOT doing that (work on getting him to see the other dog, then look at you for a second, dont worry about having him sit or down or anything else, just see the dog, see you, reward). Do whatever you need to do to achieve and keep that safe distance, thats his 'threshold' and you need other dogs to stay outside it for now.

What you are aiming to do is have him relaxed and confident within sight of other dogs, it may well take you some time so don't rush things - he needs to see another dog and think 'Hey, im gonna get some rewards now!' and not 'argh, another dog, must check it out, must see if i can kick its ***...'

For the first couple of weeks, just avoid other dogs - you won't manage it completely because real life will always chuck something in your way, but if you try (and you take evasive action whenver you see another dog coming, ie cross the road, turn around and run away, hide behind hedges or fences or parked cars) you will find he relaxes a little, because he will start to realise YOU are handling the problem for him. Then you should easily figure out what his threshold is and be able to begin rewarding him for seeing dogs outside that distance.

Now onto your Chi/Shi Tzu mix...

Neither breed are dumb, not at all, in fact Chis are sharp little things - but, BOTH are breeds many would call 'stubborn' - and what I would call 'independent thinkers' - that is, they want to know whats in it for them, they won't blindly follow commands because you said so.

You need to think outside the box here, and I would highly recommend clicker training. I would also make sure you are not using direct bribery for behaviours she ought to know well (things like sit, come, down etc). If you ARE (ie, she will ONLY comply if the treat is right in front of her) then you need to change that aspect first and its not that hard to do. Start out with the treat visible.. then start having the treat in y our pocket but 'mime' having it in your hand.. then quit miming so much, then quit it cmpletely.. then have the treat in a pot a little distance from you.. then have it right across the other side of the room.. eventually, have the treat in another room.

This is kinda like moving from your Dad waving a few $ at you to clean the car, to a weekly pocket money, to a monthly allowance... take it slowly but work at it! Then mix up th etreats so sometimes its right there, sometimes its in your pocket, sometimes its a really high value treat, sometimes its just ok. Keep her guessing (you never see people addicted to a vending machine, but look how many people are addicted to fruit machines!).

I wouldn't have thought at this point that puppy classes would really help you, in fact that might be quite a distracting environment and you still need to learn how to train her at home and out in the real world anyway.

For the tear staining, look at what you are feeding her. I find taht grain based foods and those high in sugar mean the yeasty bacteria that lives everywhere has a LOT to feed on, and thats what produces the horrid brown tear stains. I would also have her eyes checked by a vet in case there is a medical reason rather than a conformational reason that her eyes weep a lot.

Then, wipe them with cooled boiled salt water, and with my dog who has slightly runny eyes, I then put a smear of vaseline on the fur under his eyes so any tears don't stick. Since we changed to a raw diet though (over ten years ago now) his tear staining is much much better (barely there at all where he used to have thick sticky brown stains and discharge under his eyes all the time!).

[MiaRose100907]

Oh Emmabeth thank you for all that wonderful advice
I remembered the other question I was going to ask too!
In regards to my Chi/Shi mix.. Is it 'normal' for dogs to be hungry one day and not hungry the next? She's been hit and miss lately with the food. I had both my dogs on Taste of the Wild and they both liked it, but they don't have different sized kibbles in that brand and it seemed like she was having some issues eating the big sized kibble. I switched to Innova because I got tired of running out of dog food and not being able to go get more because there is only one petstore in the area that sells Taste of the WIld and they aren't open on weekends. Petsmart carries Innova, and I've heard it's a decent brand of food. I also got Innova cause they had kibble in the smaller size and wanted to see if that would help her eat better. Unfortunately, she still has days where she will go all day without eating.
She however has always had the tear stains, no better or worse with the food I've had her on, so perhaps I'll get her checked out by the vet to make sure her eyes are good.

LOL unfortunately yes he did get good at being a bully! At the dog park, man he would get up a good speed and literally pummel other dogs; body slam them too! It just made me nervous and I felt bad because I could see the looks on the owners faces... Boy they didn't like my dog lol Hell, *I* wouldn't like my dog! But he really is a sweet boy with humans.... and his little sister.
Any idea on his lack of barking? I don't mind the not barking, but I was just curious because I would like a warning if someone were to break in or something... I mean, a growl isn't gonna do much if I'm asleep.

Thank you for the advice though in regards to other dogs and him. I do avoid other dogs as much as I can, but sometimes it's unavoidable and that is where the reactions come in. Like for instance when I took him to the vet recently. Coming out of the exam room there was another bigger dog in the waiting room and of course they made eye contact and a bark fest insued. He seems to only have issues with dogs his size or bigger. But I'm confused too because where I used to live there was a huge Mastiff, and while at first I thought there would be an issue, once my dog was able to go up and sniff him, he didn't have an issue with him after that. So sometimes I think that if maybe I just let him say 'Hi', he will be fine, but then that fear seeps in about whether that's a good idea or not...

[Ari_RR]

How old is the GSD boy?

I have a similar character ... Very sweet and patient with small dogs and young puppies of all kinds. But dogs his size - most of them are fair target to test the limits.
Small dog people love him (except those whose small dogs are afraid of him).
Big dog people - not so much...

We used to go often to dog parks, but then stopped. Too much tension and negative energy, as, like in your case, not that many dogs actually like big (he is 90+lbs) strong adolescent bad-mannered bullies. He is intact, which doesn't help in this context.

But.. He is growing up. He is 18 months old now, and much less interested in bullying others than he used to be. Now, when he runs into other big dogs - he plays very nicely with few whom he knows well or likes, ignores (quick polite sniff, then move on) most, but still can get into a staring match and growling with others. Overall, as he is growing up, he is becoming less interested in random dogs. Very good trend. Perhaps, if your GSD is a growing teenager, you will start noticing a similar trend..

As for eyes - not sure this is relevant, but we have a Himalayan girl, white fluffy thing with huge eyes, and those eyes require daily maintenance.. Cleaning solution, powder treatment.. No way around it. It's just like brushing her hair - gotta do this every day, unless you don't mind an animal with matted hair and stains on her beautiful face. But again, I sort of know my Himalayans, but know nothing really about caring for chihuahuas.

And lastly re dog parks... We don't go there anymore, but I miss it. I wish we had one or two good playmates for him to get together with on a regular basis outside of dog park, but we don't. Our dog friends have small dogs.. Mostly we walk or jog in a nature park, where I keep him on a long leash. But when we run into dogs whom he can play with, I let him loose, and it is so much fun for him when there is a good playmate.. Chasing each other through the woods, running up to the river, exploring water, running around together.. A lot of fun, with the right playmate..
So, if there are any dogs at that dog park who play well with your GSD boy and enjoy the body slamming and wrestling and all that (some dogs do, and can play this way for a long time, until dead tired, without any escalation)... If there are such dogs, perhaps you can find a way to get together with them elsewhere? Or get together at dog park at off hours, when there is no one else there?

[Nettle]

Little dogs should be able to manage big kibble - they certainly can manage bones! so I think getting your chi/shi's teeth checked out would be a good plan.

Or maybe you are feeding too much? Her stomach will be very small - our terrier gets one heaped tablespoonful of food a day.

[jacksdad]

Now onto your Chi/Shi Tzu mix...

Neither breed are dumb, not at all, in fact Chis are sharp little things - but, BOTH are breeds many would call 'stubborn' - and what I would call 'independent thinkers' - that is, they want to know whats in it for them, they won't blindly follow commands because you said so.

I have a Chihuahuas terrier mix (most likely JRT) and he is a smart cookie and most defiantly an independent thinker. we joke sometimes he is short on brain power only because we are looking at things from a human perspective. but if you stop and look at what he is doing...he is exploring, thinking, figuring out stuff. when I play games with him, he is thinking and trying to figure out what we are doing. I wouldn't call him a genius, but he isn't brainless. a nice in between.

[MiaRose100907]

Little dogs should be able to manage big kibble - they certainly can manage bones! so I think getting your chi/shi's teeth checked out would be a good plan.

Or maybe you are feeding too much? Her stomach will be very small - our terrier gets one heaped tablespoonful of food a day.

I got their teeth checked at the vet not that long ago because of the bad breath situation, and the vet said everything is in order... I thought I could be feeding her too much, but I put enough food into the bowl to just cover the bottom, and some days she will eat it all and others it will just sit there.. But I can tell you if I add wet food to that she gobbles it all down no problem, so maybe she's just being picky lol

[jacksdad]

kibble just isn't that inviting a food for some dogs no matter how "high quality" you buy.

[MiaRose100907]

How old is the GSD boy?

I have a similar character ... Very sweet and patient with small dogs and young puppies of all kinds. But dogs his size - most of them are fair target to test the limits.
Small dog people love him (except those whose small dogs are afraid of him).
Big dog people - not so much...

We used to go often to dog parks, but then stopped. Too much tension and negative energy, as, like in your case, not that many dogs actually like big (he is 90+lbs) strong adolescent bad-mannered bullies. He is intact, which doesn't help in this context.

But.. He is growing up. He is 18 months old now, and much less interested in bullying others than he used to be. Now, when he runs into other big dogs - he plays very nicely with few whom he knows well or likes, ignores (quick polite sniff, then move on) most, but still can get into a staring match and growling with others. Overall, as he is growing up, he is becoming less interested in random dogs. Very good trend. Perhaps, if your GSD is a growing teenager, you will start noticing a similar trend..

As for eyes - not sure this is relevant, but we have a Himalayan girl, white fluffy thing with huge eyes, and those eyes require daily maintenance.. Cleaning solution, powder treatment.. No way around it. It's just like brushing her hair - gotta do this every day, unless you don't mind an animal with matted hair and stains on her beautiful face. But again, I sort of know my Himalayans, but know nothing really about caring for chihuahuas.

And lastly re dog parks... We don't go there anymore, but I miss it. I wish we had one or two good playmates for him to get together with on a regular basis outside of dog park, but we don't. Our dog friends have small dogs.. Mostly we walk or jog in a nature park, where I keep him on a long leash. But when we run into dogs whom he can play with, I let him loose, and it is so much fun for him when there is a good playmate.. Chasing each other through the woods, running up to the river, exploring water, running around together.. A lot of fun, with the right playmate..
So, if there are any dogs at that dog park who play well with your GSD boy and enjoy the body slamming and wrestling and all that (some dogs do, and can play this way for a long time, until dead tired, without any escalation)... If there are such dogs, perhaps you can find a way to get together with them elsewhere? Or get together at dog park at off hours, when there is no one else there?

My GSD will be 4 at the end of July. But he's a mix with Pit.
He's quite good with our little Chi/Shi mix here at home and they play together but I do wish sometimes he could let out his bully energy on a bigger playmate that would play the same as him. I know he gets his companionship from our little one, but he can't really play with her like I know he likes to play cause she's just too tiny.
He loves it at the dog park though; you should see him get all excited; and like I mentioned before it's mainly the owners who have issues with how he plays. A few dogs who are timid with every dog of course don't like him cause he's an 'in your face' kind of dog, but most of the dogs down there don't mind how he plays (or so I think).
He HATES to be dominated though and will snap or bark at a dog that tries. I can tell you that there are some that do try, to the point of obssession and they get no where lol But mainly at the dog park, he wants me or the other people to throw the ball. He is obssessed with balls. He will ignore everything else around him if there is a ball involved.
I stopped taking him to the dog park too just simply because it was becoming more of a negative experience because of constantly having to get after him about being too rough.
It's hard to know when know one will be there since it's a pretty popular dog park in the area. I would love to take him there simply cause it's right down the street from me.

For the stains on the eyes, what products are you using?

[MiaRose100907]

Now onto your Chi/Shi Tzu mix...

Neither breed are dumb, not at all, in fact Chis are sharp little things - but, BOTH are breeds many would call 'stubborn' - and what I would call 'independent thinkers' - that is, they want to know whats in it for them, they won't blindly follow commands because you said so.

I have a Chihuahuas terrier mix (most likely JRT) and he is a smart cookie and most defiantly an independent thinker. we joke sometimes he is short on brain power only because we are looking at things from a human perspective. but if you stop and look at what he is doing...he is exploring, thinking, figuring out stuff. when I play games with him, he is thinking and trying to figure out what we are doing. I wouldn't call him a genius, but he isn't brainless. a nice in between.

I can relate to the independent thinking... My Chi/Shi is quite independent and what I take as not being too bright, is just her wanting to go her own way and do her own thing. Here and there she will listen, but she mostly follows what my other dog does lol If I tell him to go lay on the couch, she will follow. If I tell him to go to the bedroom, she will follow. I tell him to sit, she will follow lol Hmmm.. Come to think of it now she doesn't seem much like an independent thinker anymore lol Perhaps she seems him as 'top dog' and not me?

[Ari_RR]

For the stains on the eyes, what products are you using?

"Eye Envy" - Tear Stain Remover and Tear Stain Remover Powder