KelliePup

It's a delicate balance in life, and I think the better question for being responsible is: what are you will to give up for your pet?

If it were all about money, then only the well-to-do who have cash to spare would own a pet, but there would be a sacrifice on the amount of time spent with the pet. Sure, the pet probably has the "best" healthcare, a dog walker, a trainer, a groomer, the "best" food, and generally wants for nothing... except more time with his/her person.

Now take the other extreme, a homeless person has nothing to offer a pet except to share whatever scrap of food can be found and time to be a companion. The training and walking happens during the time they spend together. Although there is a good chance the pet will pass away at a fairly young age, there is true mourning of the loss of a valued friend. The poor person also learns what they can to care for their friend so that they are together as long as possible. And, realistically with as many strays there are on the street, why not?

I am not rich, and lately my savings have been dwindling, but I have my priorities straight. I've been weaning myself off my two vices - both fairly physiologically painful to do separately let alone at the same time - because I know and have budgeted for the basic needs of my dogs. I know the monthly amount for their food, train and groom and vaccinate them myself, give them a quick exam at least twice a week to make sure they're still okay, and went to a low cost clinic to renew their rabies. This is all to keep the costs down for me. I also recently moved to find a better opportunity because there wasn't one where I was living, but in moving I had to leave Roxie, my 8 year old, 1,200 miles away with my mother because the stress would not have been fair to her and she's a special needs dog.

I consider myself responsible because I am willing to make those sacrifices. It might be a struggle, but I give my dogs the best care I'm capable of at the time, and work hard to do better in the future (even though it means I have to cut the time I spend with them). Being responsible means doing the best you can with what you have to work with, doing a job you feel is beneath you because you have another life depending on you.

Actually Karissa, PetSmart just started carrying the Thundershirt in at least some stores, but you're right that most of the time they haven't done enough research into the products to know how to effectively use them. Part of the reason to go with the Thundershirt instead of just a compression jacket is that it is supposed to also help with dispersing any electrical charges which might be in the air. There is a theory that one of the reasons some dogs are so afraid of thunderstorms (and consequently the reason some seek out the bathtub or other tiled surface to 'ground' themselves) is because the electrical buildup in the air delivers a multitude of shocks to the dog throughout the storm. That being said, there's actually very little research done on thunderphobia, but I know sometimes I can feel the electricity in the air, and I've been shocked more than once by my dogs.

Personally, I like the Thundershirt for some dogs, but realistically, there is no quick fix ever and you kind of have to try a few different things to see what will be effective. In the times between storms, I would strongly recommend a combination of systematic desensitization and counter-conditioning. If Pavlov, in addition to conditioning a dog to salivate at a bell, can make a dog salivate to an electrical shock (and I'm not making this up) because the value of the reward is high enough, then it's definitely worth a shot.

During the storm, the previous advice on a combination of meds and Thundershirt are good ones. Lavender, DAP, and Rescue Remedy are some other natural calming agents for some dogs that might help in the management as you're working on a behavior modification regiment. I'm not so sure, given the age and history, that you'll be able to completely stop the fear, but hopefully, you can get to a point of positive management.

{{{HUGS}}}

Yet another Care Credit vote. It was a real lifesaver for me. I wish I could help more.

Beyond a shadow of a doubt, KZ is the fastest dog I've ever had.

She's made a career out of startling people, in all disciplines, the first time they work her and see her really move. I haven't clocked her at all, but I know she can out run all the dogs at the dog park and have longer stamina than all of them save the greyhounds.

Now that I'm confident she's finished growing and her joints have settled, I'm introducing jumps, so it should prove interesting.

My mix, Maverick, has had seizures, however, we believe his seizures were the result of red #40 in his diet. Once we eliminated that, the seizures stopped. I can actually time it now if I wanted to. If Mav has anything with red 40 in it, he will seize in 30 minutes to an hour after ingesting the food.

At the UKC Premier last year we were told our dogs could not wear a choke, it had to be a flat buckle collar.

Sometimes for beginning dogs, the trainer will start with just the choke or prong. This can, and has, tell the dog that you only have to listen when you are wearing the choke at the beginning levels. The choke has a different feel and a different weight. Since Mav was never really taught with the choke, I never use it at home, it makes him nervous and he does not perform as well.

Our only experience with AKC obed, because Mav is a mix and until this year the AKC wouldn't allow mixes, is with our local 4H and they require the dog to wear a choke at all levels of competition.

Any type of training takes diligence, commitment, perseverance, consistency and good timing.

Personally, I prefer to train positive. I like the fact that KZ is now 8 months and I can whisper a command or move my body slightly and she enthusiastically does what I wanted her to do. I like that we can do beginning off lead heel through a room with treats and toys scattered on the floor around people and other dogs, and I can trust that she's going to leave all of it and keep her attention on me. Most of all, I like the way training positive makes me feel.

I, personally, have not received that same level of willingness with dogs I've trained using traditional methods, but I know there are others who have. IMO, it comes down to the competency, experience, and method proficiency of the trainer. Great trainers exist on both sides of this divide.

I hold to the belief that a well trained dog should not need a choke, prong, or shock collar, and it's all the better for me if I can train without it. In fact, the UKC does not even allow choke/slip or limited slip collars in the ring. I had trained Maverick without a choke initially and then introduced him to one so we could break into competitive obed. Imagine my surprise when I was told I had to remove it to enter the ring! So I don't agree that the UKC is great way to break in to the world of competitive obed. In fact, it can be much more difficult if you trained traditionally. Mav and I scored high and beat out our local AKC Kennel Club--most of the AKC club dogs didn't even Q that weekend and I suppose it's because the dogs didn't know how to behave without the choke. That being said, we don't do nearly as well in AKC events. It's a different venue with a different mentality, and Mav hates the choke.

You are NUTS Kristine! LOL!!!

But that does sound like a lot of fun. Are you going to tape it? What level and events do you compete in? KZ's at very basic heelwork to music, but we can do it off lead. So, nothing really fancy just yet, I'm just stoked she focuses on me and not everyone else at this point.

I've only ever done it for fun, so no competing just yet. Mainly I use freestyle and agility as a way to show people the fun they can have with dogs and to entertain. Of course, the extra business my obedience classes get after a show is nice too.

Good luck with your competition! You'll have to let us know how it goes

Crazy!

I suppose my only beef is that I can go to the pound and pick up any of the listed "breeds" (and several that aren't) for under $200, but these breeders are selling these dogs for $500+

So...what about Maverick? He's Boxer X Border Collie and not registerable! I got screwed by my rescue!!!!! And here we've been calling him a "Boxlie" but there's no such breed

Wow.

Personally, no pups from them.

Ummmm..... Humans are animals, does that mean they should be bred each cycle? If so, please shoot me now. Just a thought.

OMGsh!! Congrats! They are so cute, I can't wait to see then grow up!

ETA: I really like that little B&W split faced male 4th one on the top row. His markings just appeal to me.

Kellie

May 12, 2004 - August 18, 2009

My heart. My Soul. My Protector. My All. You were taken from me far too early and taught me so much in the short time we were together. You saved me physically and mentally. I can still feel you gently crawling onto the bed and pressing against my side, trying all the while to not touch my knee after the accident. The only regret I have is that we didn'e have the 10 more years I was hoping for to live and play and work. Rest easy Kellie Pup, you are loved.

Sorry for all the extra pictures...I couldn't pick just one and the wound is still very fresh. I miss by baby...........

I'll do the best I can. My camcorder's on the fritz, but I'll see what I can do.

Go with your gut in most cases. If you wouldn't allow the person to dog sit your dogs, then don't adopt out to that person.

For Raven, I would check that they had a dog before and know something about border collies. Ask for a vet reference and check up on it (mine wrote an awesome letter for me when I went to get KZ. It went beyond the usual "all her animals are UTD on shots" and into my training and qualifications).

Ask if they have ever had to relinquish or euthanize a pet and why.

I ask how they train because there are some methods I see as abuse and I will not knowingly put any dog I adopt out through it.

Ask where Raven will be housed if it's important to you. I ask anyway. And visit the home.

Make sure you ask for an adoption fee, this will help weed out those people looking for a cheap dog for the kids to play with until they get bored.

Often times, I will tell the owner the worse habits/issues the dog has and gage the reaction. The one's I feel comfortable with are those that can give me a workable solution to the problem that helps the dog. Most of the time the rest just never call back after the initial meeting. It has worked for me so far. I only have had one dog returned and it was because of outside influences on the family that prevented them from paying her medical bills anymore.

I know she's driving you nuts, but don't settle for anyone who will take her, that never works well. She deserves a good home so hold out until you find one you like (and perhaps even a bit envious of )

Good luck!

First off, I love the freestyle sport. I had been working on a routine with Kellie to "Eye of the Tiger" before I lost her, and that was by far the most difficult one to choreograph. Maverick has danced with me to David Bowie's "Magic Dance" and Rascal Flatt's "Stand" and both of those were fairly easy.

Anyway, I wanted to do something special for our local Boy Scout pack meeting and Christmas party. In between classes, work, and puppy play, I worked out a nice little routine to Alvin and the Chipmunks singing "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town" with Kayzie in mind.

We stared practicing the routine in October. After a brief scare where she got sick for almost two weeks from drinking paint (apparently red is best flavor ), we got back to practicing 4 days before the show. I was a bit worried she wasn't going to perform like she should, I mean we had a little less than 8 weeks to practice the dance.

The day of the dance (the 15th) I had to cut out some of the more difficult tricks when KZ looked at me like I was on drugs for wanting her to go around me in a circle and spin at three points. But we finally got on stage, it was her first time being in the school, and you would've thought she was born knowing the routine.

Not an ounce of stage fright in that little pup.

We were the lead in for Santa and Mrs. Claus, who are usually the highlights of the party (we are talking about kids after all). KZ completely stole the show. The kids didn't even notice Santa's arrival until the third time it was announced even with Santa on the other side of the stage. Normally Santa gets a crowd after the presents have all been passed out and the kids are heartbroken to see him go. This year, the boys met Santa, got their pinewood derby cars, and gravitated to KZ where they had a blast getting her to do some of the same tricks they saw her do on stage and I showed them a few others. Even the adults came over to KZ.

I feel kinda bad that we showed up Santa (especially since Mrs. Claus was with him this year), but d@mn I am proud of my little girl. I think her debute was a huge success. We'll have to figure out something for next year to fade KZ off in the backgroud so the spotlight can be on Santa and then maybe bring her back out after Santa leaves.

2.) Difficult to give advice on this without seeing the actual behavior. I usually give a time out to all the dogs for a couple of minutes if I feel play is getting too rough.

3.) Another vote for as soon as possible. Just be careful of beginning obedience classes calling themselves a puppy class. A true Puppy class should promote socializing with other puppies and exposing them to new experiences. There are plenty of qualified CPDTs in and around CT. I would recommend their classes because they have had extensive training and their puppy courses are actual puppy courses. If you go to the APDT website, you can search for trainers in your area. Make sure the trainer is CPDT or higher...I know of a trainer in CT that I would not take my dogs to because I don't agree with the methods. This trainer is a member of the APDT, but is not CPDT certified, so be careful. Above all, make sure you like the trainer and trust him/her.

One thing I've done to help with Supervised Seperation with my pups is to "trade" dogs with people I know and trust, and have them work with the dog for about ten minutes or so. At first, we're in the same vacinity/room, then we start taking short walks out of sight. Next thing you know, you can pass your dog off to someone and take off for several minutes or an hour. The really cool thing about this is that we (the humans) are helping each other out. Maverick, ham that he is, buttered up to the woman I left him with for the test. I think he was trying to get treats out of her since that's what always happened when I left him with someone. Point is, he never let on that he knew I was gone, and the more people you practice with, the better.

Other than that, it just takes time like everyone else has said.

I also teach down with an upraised hand, but that comes later as a new cue.

First I teach a solid down next to me and in front of me. Once that is solid, meaning I can say "down" and/or just point ti the floor and the dog downs immediately, I'll toss a treat either directly in front or behind the dog. At this point, if so desired, I add the upraised hand signal before giving the verbal command and then, if needed, I'll give the old hand signal. The goal here is to have the dog anticipate the other two after the new signal. From there, I'll take a step away, while the dog is in a standing position, and give the signal to down. If the down is solid before this, the dog should drop to the floor immediately and I can toss a treat or other reward. Over the next couple of sessions, I'll increase the distance.

Troubleshooting:

Every once in a while, a dog will come to the owner and then drop. If this happens, the dog is not rewarded. It might be useful to either tether the dog to a tree so he can't come closer, or set up a "reward station" behind the dog. A reward station can be a lid or bowl with treats in it, and the dog must have a solid "leave" and "take" command for it to be effective, or else the dog will just reward himself. Sometimes having a person ready with treats standing some 5 feet or a little more from the station helps since they can put the treats in the station after you tell the dog he can "take."

In a nutshell, make sure you do not reward the dog from your hand when teaching a distance down. Either throw the reward to him or set up a reward station that sits behind him. Do not just reward the dog for downing, you want some distance between the two of you. Start with small distances and work your way up. Have a solid down before adding distance.

I'm teaching KZ her distance down right now. The way she's learning, because she wants to stay right next to me, is through use of an "away" command. Basically, I send her to a target, click, and toss the reward to her or behind her so she doesn't come back to me right away. Next, I withold the click for going to the target and give the "down" command. This isn't too difficult since her default command is down and is usually the first behavior she tries when she doesn't hear the click. What makes it more difficult for us is that I don't always want her down, sometimes I'll have her sit, stand, or spin/twist, but then we're working on a dance routine for the BSA Holiday Party....

Hope that helps.

Quick background story: My nephew was diagnoised with Wilson's disease about two years ago. No way around it, at some point he will need a new liver, and guess who's a match and said "sure, just let me know when you need it." Yep, me.

I don't mind that at all, I mean, he's family and it's the least I could do. The problem is that I had tried to put off getting a new puppy until after the transplant. Of course, that didn't quite go right because after Kellie was killed, I needed to get Kayzie for my own mental health.

So now, my promise to Nephew is quickly coming due. I just recieved word tonight that he is steadily getting worse and the transplant will likely happen very soon. No exact date yet, which I'm seeing as a good thing.

This puts me in a bit of a spot with Kayzie. She has made remarkable progress in the month and a half she's been with me, and I've been teaching her to act as a service dog to assist with limited mobility. However, she's also starting to enter that goofy teenage phase. I missed out on some important phases in Kellie's teenage era, and we had aggression issues as a result.

I'm concerned that I won't have the time to train Kayzie and curb the unwanted behaviors that crop up before the transplant--and to be honest, I don't trust the people around me to do a good job with KZ since they're ones who looked after Kellie.

So, I'm asking, once more, for some advice. Is there anyone here who has had any experience with undergoing a major surgery while a dog was in puppyhood? Is there anything else I should be doing with KZ to prepare her? I want her to be able to visit the hospital and see me, and Maverick too (especially since Nephew loves Mav and, should anything happen to me, Mav will go to him), so we are making visits to assisted living homes and I'm getting them aquianted with crutches, canes, wheelchairs, etc.

What else can I do?

I'm so sorry to hear this Make the most out of the time you have...

I contacted a behavioral specialist in the area last week and they're only recomendation was a citronela (sp?) collar. I wasn't in love with the idea...

 

Tim

Sounds like a "trainer"in this area who has a Masters degree in Animal Behavior. This person has taken so many bully breeds with minor problems and turned them into mega-reactive dogs with his methods. I usually get them after he's done with them and I have to go through and undo everything he's done. Talk about a major headache. The really sad thing is that I don't have the "degree" or certifications (I'm almost completely self-taught and the only claim I have is that I spent some time down at Purdue), so people keep taking their dogs to him, but I understand that he has determined that bullies can't be trained and he doesn't allow them in his classes anymore. I suppose that's a good thing. We have another training center here that does the same thing and claims it's right because of years of experience and titles and ribbons...I wonder how many dogs failed their course. They call it "sucess" training; I call it abuse.

Good luck with Tobey! You've gotten some excellent advice!

I have a bigger problem with the Red 40...gives Maverick seizures

Even though Scooter isn't a "foodie", there are a few things he's gaga about---cheese, chicken, animal crackers (I know...) But, since we've had him on the weight loss program (successfully), I'm concerned about how these "high value treats" used during training fit in with the diet. Seems like a lot of the high value treats aren't especially high nutritional value. So, do I give him less food at his evening meal? He's not getting that much right now as it is.

You can count the calories and feed him less in his meal, you can give smaller pieces of the snacks, replace the snacks with something non-consumable (ie ball, rope, frisbee, etc, or you can start a more intense exercise program. Swimming is a good way to burn off those calories.

My pups get a lot of exercise and I rotate what the reinforcer is going to be. This helps in keeping them guessing and more interested in the game. If we have a day that's heavy on treats, I'll cut back on their meals. I also use pieces of kibble in training.

The most important thing to remeber about reinforcers is that the dog chooses what's high value, not the human.

There are many people and a startling number of "trainers" who believe the dog is "being stubborn" beacue he doesn't want the piece of hotdog they cut for him. The dog isn't "stubborn" or "defiant," he just might prefer a tennis ball. In that case, the ball is a reinforment that has "higher value" than the hotdog.

Oh yes...I see your point. It's also the reason why I don't go to any of their clubs despite being invited. Definately a different metallity and method that had some disasterous results with Kellie. After having Kayzie a month, she already behaves better than most of the dogs in their "advanced" course. And without the "training collars."