The HrrGrr Chonicles. . .

[KellyR]

Ok, blood wasn't from his stool, it was from 2 torn nails from his fencecapades. Slightly elevated bacteria reading in his fecal exam, but other than that, 170.00 and a buncha anibiotics, he's in good health (I was freaking out cause the VetTech said she thought he had parvo). Anyhow, he was quite the gentleman at the vets, 2 different vets have said no anti-anxeity meds as well.

 

So he'll be resting for a few days and no unsupervised time alone at ALL in the backyard til next week sometime.

[Odin's Momma]

Yay! Glad to know he's okay!!

[OurBoys]

Thanks for the update, Kelly. Glad to hear he's going to be ok.

[caveninit]

I love this thread!

Thanks so much for the chronicles! We're all rooting for him!!!

You're doing such an amazing job with him! So inspiring!

Janet

[KellyR]

Thanks guys & gals. Insults aside, you've been a great help as things have progresses. Yes HrrGrr is 8months old. He's 22lbs+/- and about as big as *I* think he's gonna get. As I said above he was VERY charming at the vet's office, I had two threats to kidnap, about 6 ask where he came from, 2 asked if he was still growing. He got a lot of compliments on his manners and both the intake and 'pay us now' crew thought his name was cute.

 

He's resting off the sedative from the foot repairs and almost looks innocent.

[Tassie]

Hey, Kelly - while it's unfortunate that he had to go to the vets (for your pocket ), how great for you that he was such a gentleman and a charmer. And, although you wouldn't have planned it, it's probably a really good thing for Mr HrrGrr, to be able to be admired etc.

 

Looking forward to more of the chronicles. Sounds like your little man has come a looooong way in a short time. Well done to you.

[Samantha J]

Yes i agree, good experience for him to have a good vet visit.

Glad the blood was nothing serious, i would have panicked too if it was Holly.

[KellyR]

Yes i agree, good experience for him to have a good vet visit.

Glad the blood was nothing serious, i would have panicked too if it was Holly.

 

Well, I was thinking a piece of bone or internal injury from fence climbing, something. Then the stupid Vettech says during Triage 'Its probably ParvoVirus' and your heart sinks because you're thinking 'fatal, painful, expensive' pick 2 or 3.

 

Anyhow, it all worked out, he ate well last night, took his meds too. Had a decent walk this morning, he's heeling well, 50% or more. I just wish when he was on the lead in the yard he wouldn't fuss and fight so hard, he bites at the cable til his lips bleed. I really want him to learn to play alone, but he only seems to want to take off when given the yard).

 

I won't give up tho!

[KellyR]

Well, got home tonight after work/dinner and took the boyo out for a walk. Getting him in or out of the house is a tug-of-war nightmare. Once he's in the yard or walking, he's perfectly placid and happy, heels great (about 65% or so of the time) and can walk all day. As soon as we stop in the grass or park or something its back to tug of war. Another neat thing tonight, he paused during the walk and peed FOREVER. Yay! First controlled potty episode to date, so that was pretty cool. I think its time to move over to the clicker more and more.

 

I think I'll try to work on sit and stay some if I can get him to respond to his name more consistently. Anyone got any ideas to get him to recognize his name? He's not treat/toy motivated (yet) so I have to figure out something else.

 

(someones being camera shy under the computer desk)

[Tassie]

Kelly, I've forgotten if you're seriously calling him HrrGrr to his face? I think I'd switch to a call name which won't sound at all growly - something that's bright and has a happy tone - I've read somewhere names ending in "y/ie" can sound more appealing.

 

If you're using a clicker as a reward marker, what is the reward? remember the principle is teaching the dog that "click=treat" - instantly in the early stages.

 

Will he take a treat from you? If so, then try to find out what treats make him more excited - roast/BBQ chicken will do it for a lot of dogs, or soft-dried liver. Or you can find nice recipes for tuna treats. Tasty cheddar cheese is good too. I'd be experimenting to see if there's something that lights him up a bit.

 

If you can find some treats he seriously likes (soft is better as you can do rapid reinforcement), then you're ready for some seirous clicker training.

 

You could try throwing treats for him at first, and gradually throw them closer to you.

 

Sounds like the progress is still going on really well - potty on lead - yay!

[KellyR]

Kelly, I've forgotten if you're seriously calling him HrrGrr to his face? I think I'd switch to a call name which won't sound at all growly - something that's bright and has a happy tone - I've read somewhere names ending in "y/ie" can sound more appealing.

 

If you're using a clicker as a reward marker, what is the reward? remember the principle is teaching the dog that "click=treat" - instantly in the early stages.

 

Will he take a treat from you? If so, then try to find out what treats make him more excited - roast/BBQ chicken will do it for a lot of dogs, or soft-dried liver. Or you can find nice recipes for tuna treats. Tasty cheddar cheese is good too. I'd be experimenting to see if there's something that lights him up a bit.

 

If you can find some treats he seriously likes (soft is better as you can do rapid reinforcement), then you're ready for some seirous clicker training.

 

You could try throwing treats for him at first, and gradually throw them closer to you.

 

Sounds like the progress is still going on really well - potty on lead - yay!

 

Hrm, I haven't found a treat that lights him up yet. I tried liver and chicken, no dice. A few minutes ago, he did lick some peanut butter off of my fingers when I gave him his antibiotics, so there may be some promise there. I'll give the cheese a try too (didn't remember that one). The lack of reinforcing treats is why I haven't moved over to clicker yet.

 

He's kinda odd, when we're sitting/laying together, he's fine with being petting or touched. Moving him around, walking, picking him up, giving him food, illict an standoffish sullen response (water is the one exception). The leash issue is a good example, when we're walking, he very curious, looking around, heeling well, but getting him out of the yard/door, or back in, is like pulling teeth.

 

As for the name bit, I alternate between Hrrgrr (Herger) and Bud/Buddy (old habit). I suppose I can use buddy a lot for the time being.

[Tassie]

Yep, I'd certainly go with Buddy for the time being - sounds much friendlier (to a dog - though we like HrrGrr ).

 

Hard to say without seeing him, but it almost sounds like he's still pretty uncertain about anything which involves a chnage of location. But still, if he's happy to accept petting and attention while you're sitting with him, that's pretty huge - and if all he does is be sullen and stand-offish at other times, that's not too big of a deal, considering where you started from - likely it'll improve as he gets more used to things.

 

You guys have something called 'string cheese' - I have no idea what that it is , but people seem to find it useful in training. There's also some sort of cheese in a tube which dogs apparently like. Most dogs I've found like a tasty cheddar - not too tasty or it'll be crumbly. You can cut it easily into small cubes. I'd be tossing some of those around. You could probably try the peanut butter on some small cubes of toast/dried out bread, and see how that goes.

 

If he shows interest with thrown treats (away from you, less stress on him) you could introduce the clicker then - click just as he eats the treat.

 

And hey - who'd have thought a couple weeks ago, that this sort of discussion would be happening. I say again - you guys have come a huge distance ISTM.

[KellyR]

Oy, he must be feeling better, the walk this morning was 90% tug of war. He's eaten a good bit and taken his meds, so a lil step back is understandable. He did pee again on lead, I think he started out peeing scared cause of a loud Tuner driving by with the fart can exhaust, but once he started he was happy to go.. and go.. and go a bit longer. No poop yet tho and I haven't seen him poop since the diarrhea just before the vets office day before yesterday.

 

Maybe a little quiet supervised time in the run will relax him enough to try.

[KellyR]

Well, one step forward, two steps back. LOL

 

He's gotten great about getting up and being ready to walk room to room or outside whenever I pick up his leash. The one exception being when he's in his crate, he's rather not come out. But once he's outside, all bets are off now. He's back to heeling properly only about 10-15% of the time. *sighs*

He is peeing/pooping outside quite nicely. So every cloud has a silver lining I suppose.

 

"Never Give Up, Never Surrender."

 

If you have the unfortunate luck to remember that movie. LOL

[Rockstar]

"Never Give Up, Never Surrender."

 

If you have the unfortunate luck to remember that movie. LOL

 

 

Unfortunately, I remember......

[PSmitty]

I realize you have your own agenda, but really, it sounds like he's making terrific progress. I, personally, would not worry so much about heeling at this time. That just seems to be asking a lot. This is a dog who wouldn't walk on a leash at all, just a short time ago, right? If he's walking with you, albeit ahead or behind, I think at this time, I'd be tickled pink with how far he's come. JMO.

[Shetlander]

I realize you have your own agenda, but really, it sounds like he's making terrific progress. I, personally, would not worry so much about heeling at this time.

 

I agree. With fearful and traumatized dogs, patient persistence is the name of the game. I'd recommend setting goals and objectives but being a bit more flexible about timelines. I'd look at building trust and confidence as job one for now. Celebrate all you're accomplishing but accept him for who he is and let him go at a pace he's comfortable with. You can't build Rome in a day and all that

[mbc1963]

You guys have something called 'string cheese' - I have no idea what that it is

 

Huh! Who'da thunk! No string cheese in Australia!

 

String cheese is just mozzarella cheese, in the shape of a small sausage. When they form it that way, you can tear "strings" off it, the long way. Most people don't tear the strings, though... I think most just bite the end off. Dogs do LOVE it... though it gets mushy and messy in my pocket if I try to carry it! My Buddy would leave me for Casey's mother, who carries string cheese in her pocket every morning.

 

Mary

[KellyR]

In case I haven't said so, I -am- very happy with his progress. He's made huge strides in only 2 weeks when you step back and look at it. He's so cute, napping after lunch, lil nose hanging over the corner of his waterbowl, little ripples each time he breathes.

 

No I'm a pretty happy camper.

[KellyR]

Someone is getting their bearing around here. It used to be that if HrrGrr was in the room with me, he was content to just lay there and watch. Now he's been getting up, and dashing back to his old den in the hall. What makes this interesting is that he's really just pushing to see if I'll react or respond (different). I just calmly walk out into the hallway and pick up his leash and he follows me back to where ever I was just as pretty as you please.

 

Interesting development, when we just came back from our noon walk, he raced inside to the den and plopped down. When I called 'HrrGrr' he walked out of the den on his own, watched me for a second and then went to his usual spot in the office and plopped down under the computer. Thats the FIRST time he's ever moved based on a verbal command of any sort. I immediately brought his bowl of cold water to hime and praised him profusely.

 

Another little step.

[Guest WoobiesMom]

Ok, I tried to resist, I really did, but I have to say this because if anything happens, I'll feel bad for not saying something.

 

Skittish puppy + electrical cords + water = danger!

 

Please be careful! I just see a terrible accident waiting to happen in that pic.

 

Please take this in the vein it's intended, I only want the best for you, HrrGrr, and your equipment.

[KellyR]

Ok, I tried to resist, I really did, but I have to say this because if anything happens, I'll feel bad for not saying something.

 

Skittish puppy + electrical cords + water = danger!

 

Please be careful! I just see a terrible accident waiting to happen in that pic.

 

Please take this in the vein it's intended, I only want the best for you, HrrGrr, and your equipment.

 

Oh no I understand, and yes I realllly know its an issue. The water is only down there when I'm RIGHT there. Once he drinks, I move it back to the table. And for the record, HrrGrr's harness came off today. He's on a Greyhound 'No Slip' collar and loving it. I think he really hated the harness, he's walking really well and consistently now and just jingling his collar enough to make his tags clink causes him to correct his pace. He also seems to be getting the gist of 'wait' when we stop. Before he would just go batsass crazy "why are we stopping, I'm gonna die, etc", now he'll trot in a circle and then stand still, so thats really good. He looks over when I use my standard 'rally up pup' whistle, but doesn't come.. yet

 

I think the next big hurdle is going to be taking food from me consistently, which means handfeeding. This will lead in turn to accepting treats, which is the big impassé at the moment.

 

Anyhow, I'm going to try and get some video tomorrow and post it up.

 

Wow: This just happened as I was writing this. I dropped HrrGrr's leash to the floor. He trotted out to the den in the hall, laid down and after 10 seconds or so came back into the office with me and laid down! He chose to be in here with me rather than the safety of his den. WHOA.

 

[OurBoys]

That's great!! Sounds like he's on the road to trusting you!

[mbc1963]

Wow: This just happened as I was writing this. I dropped HrrGrr's leash to the floor. He trotted out to the den in the hall, laid down and after 10 seconds or so came back into the office with me and laid down! He chose to be in here with me rather than the safety of his den. WHOA.

 

That's wonderful! What a great feeling that must give you. There's something about these "challenging" dogs - when they take a step forward, it's just so rewarding!

 

Mary

[KellyR]

Murphy's Law of Dog ownership. You will always step on that one dog turd you didn't pick up. Last night he was antsy at 10pm so I took him to the run and he pooped really fast then blazed back inside. Guess what I stepped in the next morning? Oh well...

 

And SOMEONE has finally gotten to the point where he's comfortable doing stuff... all... night... long...

First, I had to remove 3 bones. *pause* chomp chomp chomp *pause* chomp chomp chomp chomp chomp chomp chomp *pause* chomp chomp chomp chomp chomp (etc)

 

And then he decided he just couldn't get comfortable. *thud*jinglejingle* (10 minutes) *thud*jinglejingle* (6.3 minutes) *thud*jinglejingle*

So I moved him to a pallet in the corner.

 

*chuckles* Be careful what you wish for, you might get it.

 

Anyhow, HrrGrr is making great progress. Walks are mostly uneventful, even long jaunts around the park rarely result in more than 3-4 tugging sessions over 1.5+ miles. He can also trot out to the dog run and back inside, off lead which is a big deal. He's finally responding, to some degree to my standard 'rally up pup' whistle, at first he'd just raise his head, then I began to use it to let him go back to his crate (something he really likes). Now he'll come to the office or bedroom door when I whistle, but not to my side, yet. He's really opening up.

 

He immediately wolfed down some steak scraps last night, so I may have found a weakness in his food aloofness. So thats all the news that fit to print.