Few issue with new puppy

shellk · Post by **shellk** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 2:21 pm

Hello everyone

We have adopted a staffie x boxer 3 months ago called Lottie. She is now 5 months old and has settled well into our home and with our older dog.

We have a few issues that we are unsure how to deal with.

1) We sometimes travel in the car to go to a large field, allowing them to have a good run round. The problem is that both dogs are out in the back of the car and Lottie tries to climb into the front of the care to sit on my knee. We have tried to out her back and praise her when she does sit in the back but she still tries to come back up front. What is the best way to train her to stay in the back of the car?

2) From day one we tried to keep Lottie from coming up the stairs and when we are both home she does well as one of us is usually down stairs, but she will try her hardest to get up those stairs. We are starting to get her to stay and going up the stairs and then coming back down and praising her if she stays...then the plan is to increase the time...is this the best way or should we be dong something else?

3) When we got Lottie she went into a crate and Lincoln our older dog has a bed (both in same room tho).....how can we start to introduce leaving her with the crate open (free run of the back of the house with Lincoln) in the hope that eventually she will not need the crate?

Thanks in adance
Shell.x.

Mattie · Post by **Mattie** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 2:35 pm

We need pictures of your dogs, they are compulsory

The best way to keep her in the back of the car is to have a dog guard up or a harness on her attached to the seat belt. Much better to make sure she can't get into the front in case of an accident. A loose dog can go through the windshield or hit someone in the front, killing them. Dogs very rarely survive an accident if loose especially if they go through the windshield.

Again prevention is much better, put a dog gate at the bottom of the stairs and she can't get up then. I have a dog gate on my kitchen door because I have some counter surfers but need to see what they are up to.

At 5 months old she is still a bit young to leave free, my 16 month old dog still needs to be crated or she will chew.

shellk · Post by **shellk** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 3:27 pm

Hi, thank you for your reply, I will get some piccies up soon, I promise.

I should have said I have tried a harness and the madam chewed through it by the time we got to the field.....lol.

I had thought about a gate...I guess I was asking to much as we trained Lincoln not to go up the stairs...hehe.

Thank you once again.
Shell.x.

Owdb1tch · Post by **Owdb1tch** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 3:56 pm

I have a custom-made wooden box in the back of my car for my dogs. I can recommend it -whatever happens they are totally safe.

if you know someone who can do basic carpentry, it doesn't have to be expensive. With mine the sides are solid and the front and back are weldmesh so the dogs get plenty of air and light.

Ocelot0411 · Post by **Ocelot0411** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 5:22 pm

shellk wrote:I should have said I have tried a harness and the madam chewed through it by the time we got to the field.....lol.

Yep Ellie did this too, she HATED it so she killed it, dead.

To be honest though she sits in the back now quite happily and doesn;t try to come up front so I just leave her to it. I would like to reintroduce the harness though from a safety point of view.