songsparrow

If noise is your primary consideration, I used one of these crates with a plastic frame and wire inserts in my last car, and it was significantly less noisy than an all-wire crate (although it wasn't completely noise free). I strapped it down with tie downs, to try to keep it immobile in case of a crash. When we got a new car, there were no suitable spots to secure a crate. After doing a ton of research, I decided to go with a seat belt instead of a crate for riding in the car. I have a soft-sided crate to take along to use at our destination, if needed.

I was looking at Skye's coat today, and realized I could see dull, brownish patches of fur around his front shoulders and upper legs. I looked closely, and his top coat is very thin there and it's his undercoat showing through. He has recently blown his coat, but I've never seen him lose this much of his top coat. The top coat that remains is still very shiny. I'm wondering if I should be concerned, or if I should just wait a couple months and see if it grows back. The only things that I can think might have impacted it is: (1) I switched him to grain-free food about 6-9 months go, and to a different brand (Orijen) about 2 months ago; and (2) I've been keeping the a/c turned up higher (not so cold) this year and we've spent more time outside - maybe he is losing more coat as a result? How much of their top coat do your dogs typically lose in the summer?

Thanks for the warning! I googled it and it seems that it's easy to overgroom and irritate the skin with the Furminator, too. I'll stick with my comb or pin brush, too. A groomer I took Skye to once actually advised using just a comb, and not a pin brush - he said the pin brush irritates their skin. I guess I can see that I'm more likely to put pressure on the pin brush than I am with the comb. Has anyone tried the Kong ZoomGroom? It has nubby rubber teeth; it says it feels like a massage to the dog. I might try that.

If there are mats behind the ears, close to the skin, I start by cutting into the mat itself. Maybe cut half of the mat off, in that felt safe, or just the edge if it was really close to the skin. Anything that I was certain would not catch the skin. That would usually let me tease the mat apart sideways (so I'm not yanking on it) to open it up a bit, and some bits might come off. I'd continue to snip off little bits at a time as I felt safe, and continue to tease the mat apart. I never cut the skin using this technique (if you can call it that ). I only cut the skin once when I was overconfident and wacked off a big mat in one go - I thought I had more space above the skin than I did. I still feel awful about that! I love that BC fur is so self cleaning and low maintenance! With my last BC, we got questions all the time about how did we keep his white parts so white. When I'd sheepishly answer that we didn't do anything at all, they just stayed that way, I don't think the other people believed me! The biggest issue we had with my last dog were his dew claws. We didn't need to trim his regular claws, as they wore down naturally. But his dew claws were prone to getting caught, and they would break way back and bleed. This happened enough (with resulting trips to the vet) that I considered having them removed. And Skye is shedding like crazy right now, too, I can't keep up. What type of brushes do people use during high-shed periods? Does anyone use the Furminator?

Just got the book yesterday!

I would like to get Skye certified as a therapy dog, but before I do, there are some behaviors that we need to work on. One of these is: Skye loves to be around other dogs. When I walk him on leash, if we see another dog, he gets very excited and wants to run over to greet the other dog. Being restrained by the leash, he gets frustrated and begins jumping up and barking. This behavior often appears aggressive to the other person, and so they often move away, which upsets Skye more. So, how do I teach him to remain calm as other dogs approach? I've tried putting him in a sit, refocusing his attention on me, but as the other dog gets closer, it just gets to a point that he can't contain himself any longer. One technique that has worked, and that I will continue to use, is to sit on a bench at the park with him next to me, and give him treats for good behavior as other dogs approach or walk by. But I haven't been able to translate that into better behavior when we're also walking. I am thinking of this approach: while walking him at the park, if I see another dog approaching, focus his attention on me and reward him with treats when he focuses on me. If we get beyond his limit and he can't contain himself (begins tugging on the leash, jumping or barking), turn and walk away from the approaching dog. Stop a ways off and try again. If he stays calm as the other dog approaches, ask the other person if the two dogs can greet each other. Does that sound like a good approach? Should I keep him walking toward the other dog, or have him stop as the other dog approaches? Any other suggestions? Thanks!

Thanks, everyone, for the advice! It turns out I didn't need to worry - when we got to the river, Skye waded right in! The river was quite shallow, and he enjoyed wading around. There was a rock in the river that he liked to climb on and jump off. He played a little with a stick and a floating frisbee. He got a little freaked out if he got in deep enough that he couldn't touch - he would leap back towards shore, but then he'd go right back in. We all had a ball!

Poor Seamus! I am glad he is home safely, and hope you can find something that will help his anxiety. All of the dogs that I've had became more sound-sensitive as they got older; for one who got very bad, it was a blessing when he went deaf.

I wasn't sure at what age puppies get their vaccinations (last time I had a puppy was 15 years ago), or what the recommendation is to safely balance socializing puppies versus protecting them from risks like parvo, so I didn't want to say to just take him out willy nilly. Since it seemed like the OP is not very experienced with puppies, either, I just thought that her vet would be a good resource for advice specific to her situation and puppy.

I think this sounds very promising! It sounds like he is bonding nicely with you, and displaying normal puppy behavior with you in your house and back yard. He'll even go up to people - that's great! It's excellent that you have a mellow older dog who can help him see that the world is an OK place. I'd say that if you are happy with the way he behaves indoors and in your backyard where he feels safe, the odds are extremely high that he'll behave the same way out in the world once he has time to get used to it, with your help. From this description, I'd be less likely to describe him as scared, and more likely to describe him as "adjusting to his new environment.". His whole world has been uprooted and he's in a strange environment; it will take time for him to adjust. (How long has he been with you - I got the impression it's only been about a week.) Once your vet says it's OK, if he's comfortable outside in your arms, I'd carry him outside so that he can get used to the noise, smell and bustle of the city. (Have his collar and leash on.) Take your older dog with you (maybe have a friend come along to help) and see if that helps. Maybe carry him to the park and find a quiet spot, and sit on the ground with him in your lap. If he wants to stay in your lap, that's fine, but he might start to explore the area around you.

Good questions! Can I ask you a few questions to get a better idea of your current situation? The answers might help people give some more specific suggestions. * You said you've had the pup only a short while. How are his interactions with you? Is he timid with you, or is he comfortable? * Are there any other people or animals in your household? If yes, how does he interact with them? * Have any people (or animals) come to visit? If yes, how did he respond to them being in your house or yard? * You mentioned holding him. Have you taken him outside when you've been holding him? If yes, how did he respond? I would suggest that the first bond you need to build is between you and him, with lots of playing and loving. Keep him with you as much as possible, or within view of you if he's in his crate. Try to put aside any expectations and frustration you feel at his behavior for now, and just follow his lead and have fun with him. Once he's bonded to you, you will be his safe spot as you and he venture out into the world. Next, I'd bring people and perhaps another dog into his safe zone (your house and backyard), making sure to keep initial visits brief and positive. Make sure the person will be calm; a dog-savvy friend who understands the situation would be ideal. Some timid dogs don't like to be approached by people (physically, verbally or even eye contact), but prefer to be ignored so they can approach on their own, so you and your friend could just sit on the floor and talk. Make sure your friend has treats or a toy for the pup when he does approach (whatever he loves). If you bring in another dog, choose one that is calm and sociable with puppies. Another puppy would be ideal. As far as getting used to the world outside, you said he approached the open door. That's good. If you can fence off the porch with a baby gate or something, and keep an eye on him, I'd keep the door open as much as possible and let him approach as he wishes. This will also let him get accustomed to the city's sounds and smells. Have good things happen around the door - maybe leave treats there for him to discover. You can sit by the door and play with him. Gradually all of this can inch out onto the porch. If he's content when you're holding him, you can carry him out onto the porch - at first just briefly, then building up the time, and eventually going off the porch and up and down the sidewalk. In everything, pay close attention to your pup; if he shows any signs of stress or fear, back off to where he feels safe and next time move more slowly. You have the benefit of the pup's natural curiosity to help you here. He'll want to explore the world, once he feels safe enough. I hope that helps! ETA: Do you mind if I ask the puppy's name? And if you'd like to share a photo of the little guy, well, there's not much better than puppy photos!

I can answer your first question with a resounding yes. When I got my first BC as a puppy, he was very scared of everything - even us at first. First, he learned to be comfortable in our apartment and he learned to trust me and know that he was safe with me. We would open the apartment door and he would be afraid to go into the hall. Once he learned to explore the hall, he was afraid of the steps. I used to take him out to sit on the stoop of our apartment building and we would sit and watch the activity; he wouldn't even get off of my lap! Everything was a slow, gradual series of baby steps. But eventually he turned into a normal dog who would greet me at the door and be excited to go out for long walks. One thing that helped a lot was that there were two other dogs in the building that he adored and he felt confident when they were around. He learned to go up and down the stairs by following them, and he learned to get down on the sidewalk by following them. They were a big help in teaching him that the world was OK. However, we did not mind taking things slowly and at his pace. Working through his fears was a rewarding process for us; we celebrated every little victory. We enjoyed watching him come out of his shell and blossom. But even after he was over his fears, it was always his personality to be generally more reserved and shy, and that was fine with us. He never became an outgoing, boisterous kind of dog. So, the question for you is: do you want to put in the time and effort to work through this process with your puppy? I think the odds are very high that you can successfully work through your puppy's fears, but you may have a dog that will always be reserved and quiet. If it turns out this way, would you be OK with the situation? If you really want a gregarious, outgoing dog, you may do better with a different puppy who is bold and outgoing. I think that loving dogs is like loving anyone - you need to be able to accept them for who they are, rather than try to change them into something they are not. Also, you said that you can't take the puppy anywhere to socialize. Why not? Socialization is extremely important with this pup. You need to find situations for the pup to interact positively with people and dogs.

Skye is around 5-6 years old; he's been in our family for 4 years now. He was so extremely afraid of water when we first got him that I just kind of mentally took all of the water holes off of the list of places to take him. But since he has mellowed out a bit, I thought it was worth another try. It is definitely encouraging to see and hear about your dogs who were afraid of the water, but got over the fear with time and exposure. It would be nice to be able to take him swimming on a hot summer day! I'll be playing things by ear as I see how he responds, but now I have a variety of ideas of approaches to try. Thanks!

Skye is afraid of water. When we first got him, he was super spooked of water - for example, he didn't want any droplets of water to touch him, was frightened of splashing water, was terrified of the doggie water fountains at the park. Over time, he's settled down - now he'll drink from the doggie water fountains, and the other day I found him standing ankle deep in a puddle. This weekend we're planning on taking a family trip that includes going to a river to play (shallow, low current). I plan to take his clicker along, and reward him for any steps he takes getting in or near the water. Any other advice or suggestions?

Here's a beautiful boy at a shelter in Lapeer, MI. And another boy at a shelter in Saginaw, MI.