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bc4pack

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Everything posted by bc4pack

  1. Let's kill 'em with kindness (sigh) Quite a few horseowners do that too...
  2. Very simple Keep him on leash until you can trust him off leash... Behavior practiced is behavior repeated. In two weeks you haven"t even bonded yet... This dog has waaaaaay too much freedom and as your neighbour I'd be a tad pissed that you are letting your dog on my property uninvited.
  3. My predominantly white boy was defined (once) as some undetermined breed of LGD. Guess I'm lucky... even with my large (tall and long bodied) saddle patterned bitch, all seem to be readily accepted as BCs ... I just refer them to http://www.colliecorner.com :D
  4. With runners you are helping her work through the issue by breaking it into baby steps... Let her build confidence one paw at a time... Ya don't learn to swim by being thrown into the deep end, right?
  5. Always a real tree. Intact males. Never had a problem.
  6. My first BC was a helluva mouser and would occassionally catch a rat... Right now I have several that work 'mole patrol' and yes catch and kill but nothing beats a terrier for the rodent patrol job...
  7. You can do something about the fireworks. Turn it into a party with every boom... T-Touch; anxiety wrap; games.... Don't know what your vet prescribed... Was it something like 'acepromazine' which is actually contraindicated or an anti-anxiety med like xanax or valium... and some dogs can have adverse effects to one and not the other. Still too many vets using ace which basically 'stills' the body but not the mind. Dog is still anxious but is chemically restrained and more inclined to panic. Soothing CAN work for many dogs (fear is an emotion). The best thing is to do is whatever the dog finds relaxing or comforting. There's actually been some threads on this in the past...
  8. http://www.fearfuldogs.com and Shy-k9s Yahoogroup
  9. Double check to make sure there's no underlying medical condition... He's still young.. Sometimes it takes some longer than others... The whole snarky thing, well I 'd be on the defensive too if someone yelled at me angrily. How about going back to basics for a while... How much praise and encouragement is he getting for going where you want him to go?
  10. I guess I just look at things in a rather simplistic way... Dogs were around looong before kibble came into existence ...when our grain mill floor sweepings became 'convenience' food. Fresh food trumps kibble in my book...just like fresh food for us trumps processed stuff. Canine anatomy and physiology tells me what is appropriate to feed... My very meager 2 cents... ----------------------- A good site http://www.dogaware.com
  11. I second the sterile urine culture.
  12. Faceplant in a cow pie??? Or the ever lovely kicked up spray?
  13. Honestly, ck bcrescue Tx... There are a few really nice dogs being fostered right now... and a youngster I've got my eye on
  14. a good site to to see different coat colours http://www.colliecorner.com
  15. One problem with pepper spray, it can come back on you or your dog...and other dog owners can get particularly testy if you spray their dog. One can also use things like a citronella spray (as mentioned), I think Petsmart carries Direct stop or even a can of air freshener...an umbrella opened up in a dog's face works well too. Just a few more ideas...
  16. Yikes! Supervision!!!! They know the dog is scared and reactive and they are allowing baby to crawl around in the vicinity? Poor dog needs some help and it sounds like they won't have time to do it.Did they help prep this dog for the new arrival in any way? Sorry< I know they're friends and all but geez... They might want to FIND the funds to hire a Behaviour Consultant. It's not going to get better without some help. All the 'scared'dog books apply: Help For Your Fearful Dog- Nicole Wilde The Cautious Canine- Patricia McConnell Website: http://www.aggressivebehaviorsindogs.com http://www.fearfuldogs.com I think he would be ok in the right home...adult, scared- dog savvy. There is no quick fix to this... a lot of time and effort with counterconditionong/desensitization and there is no guarantee this dog will truly be totally happy around kids. From the description of how little was done as this pup grew up, I kinda wonder if they'll really put forth the effort now. Just my take...
  17. I think successive generations do begin to tolerate stuff like Frontline. Anyone notice the same thing with their horses and flysprays? I do think it helps to rotate though different flea stuff...
  18. Hon, You need to find a good,positive trainer that can help you implement a behavior modification plan and work with you. You need a pair of experienced eyes to see what is going on...to suggest a complete workup or meds if they think necessary or to help you learn or give you insight into how your behavior is affecting your dog's behavior. NO ONE here can truly tell you what to do. I think that with some professional help you should be able to turn this around, but none of us are there...
  19. Yes, but just like with clippers you need to spend time and effort desensitizing and making that positive association. One does have to be careful with long hair between toes but being able to give blunt ends to those nails is great. Oh, beachdogz, the only difference is that nailguard. I've heard alot of mixed reviews, but if your Dremel is not cordless...Personally I'd lean towards a new Dremel I can see where putting a brush by his food backfired...having to go NEAR the scary thing to eat from the get-go? Nothing againgst your trainer,I just think there was more of an issue than y'all realized...I kinda think the desensitization steps you have taken are waaay too big and done too quickly.Stuff like this goes slower and takes a lot longer than most think. Be aware of what your body is telling him too,if you expect him to react he will (NOT saying he isn't scared,just that a change in our behavior can really help) .Many times we aren't even aware of what our bodies are actually telling our dogs. Try being jolly and upbeat. You may have to do 'appearance of a brush at a distance = treat' teeny, tiny,babiest of baby steps to make that brush a positive thing.
  20. Me too. Folks lack knowledge of NORMAL dog behaviour... Have bought into thinking that dogs should NEVER have any aggressive displays and that they should somehow fit into this nice little 'perfect dog' package. I imagine we have quite a few that grew up learning 'empathy' towards animals. I've run into all too many parents who expect dogs to be babysitters and to act like stuffed animals,tolerating all kinds of rude behaviours from humans...and some of those parents grew up just like us.Maybe I have just seen a lot of "It's all about me." I don't get it.
  21. And of course "High in demand" <sigh> and no room to take him back... GEESH!
  22. Have you had a really good medical workup done on Ghost?Not just thyroid but tick borne and even ortho along with complete bloodwork. It is possible that there could be an underlying reason or perhaps contributing factor...even from puppyhood. Have you ever worked with a Dog Behaviour consultant or a Vet Behaviourist that is well versed in reactive dogs? Some times an 'outside' pair of knowledgeable eyes can really help. Have you availed yourself of free help on-line? Like the Agbeh Yahoo Group (Aggressive Behaviour in Dogs). Really sounds like you could use some specific help... I realize you are kinda at wit's end but I'm not sure how wise it would be to try and pass on a 'project' dog.
  23. Just remember though that things can happen, dogs can get out... Find a trainer/ behaviour consultant that uses positive methods and is familiar with reactive dogs.
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