cleptogrey

yup, that's my felix. but he does work for his food, behaves well,catches a ball no matter what, keeps us laughing all the time and is there in a sec when ever you need something to put a smile on your face. hard work staying awake all those hrs to keep us happy!!! d.h. is really a sucker for dogs, he has been trained by the bell as well!

"I would not call what you describe "aggression." She's growing up and starting to test the boundaries! Six months is right about the age where a puppy starts to do that. The cute little pup who followed you around starts to run off. The puppy who loved to rough house and just took it all in now starts to rough you right back. All very normal! Time to start training in earnest!" well said, georgeisone i went thru craziness w/ felix when he was that age(i got him at 7 weeks). sleep agression, he started biting my hand and arm when we trained and totally obnoxious behavior which i did not tolerate. we did obedience training starting at 12 weeks for ever. now we take breaks inbetween classes(currently doing agility) since i am broke. but i put in a good 67 weeks of non-stop training. well worth every penny.(puppy, basic 1,2,3, rally-o, review of basic 3- he got really bad and unstructered after rally intro-, a different rally class and a different basic 3 on the same night, 3 agility classes) felix's littermate was returned since he turned into an uncontrolable 70lb dog really quickly. they are full of ENERGY and need to be run, run, run and be played with and learn to focus on YOU. the structured obedience training will work, also teaching your pup to go after tennis balls, frisbees and soccer balls will also help helps burn off some of that energy. at that age we played in the morning, walked- taught felix to hold something while we walked(to this day he always walks w/ a stick in his mouth), he ate again, pottied, slept, when i returned from work- more structured play, another walk after feeding, and practice for classes. it's lots of work bringing up a puppy, especially a puppy w/ super powers....strenght, speed and intensity....that's a greyhound pup for you! feel free to pm me if you wish.

neyla's mom has described what i have done in the past. the biggest difference is that you are in an apartment, right??? if so, that means you need to go out to the street,it's down the hall, down the stairs or elevator and then out for your pup to understand that ringing the bell means going out. out is not just letting the pup into the yard. when i walk my dogs, be it a bathroom break or a walk they ALWAYS pee, so be prepared to walk and reward your dog. i target w/ all of my dogs and use the command touch w/ the peanut butter loaded bells(nursery school jingle bells on a string on the door knob). after they touch the bell, more peanut butter reward and i use the word "OUT" and out we go.then i quickly bring the pup in and target the bells again and out they go, in again repeating it at least 6 times rapidly. it should take you less than 5 minutes to do all of this. now getting your dog all the way out will be the next installment in teaching, you do have your leash hanging near the door right? just hook the leash up, slip your shoes(which are also waiting)on and out you go. felix has become so proficent at ringing bells that he will ring them for a meal, ring them so d.h. puts the quilt on the couch and just about anything he wants. he rings and goes to the item he wants, nudges it and rings again and returns to the item until we understand. watch out

why not recogize the spot and labeling the activity as wrong??? it's a word, not a physical action...a word reserved for WRONG ACTIONS ONLY. yes, we praise positive activites, but do we just ignore destructive or unwanted behavior? we often need to make corrections environmentally to rectify the sitation. a dog needs to have a sign that a behavior is not accepted. when the dog goes into the garbage, yes you put the garbage can away, but isn't the action of picking at garbage WRONG? when a dog destroys something is it just to be ignored and no mention of the word wrong? when they grab food off the counter or table and the they are off limits, the word for the action grabbing food is wrong? when they jump on forbidden furniture, you can use off or just say WRONG- they should be able to tell by the signal word that be behavior is not accepted. i can go on for ever....lunging out after cars, digging up plants,picking up garbage or feces when out on a walk, etc. too many words to that can show an action is underserable is too confusing, a simple firm wrong and it's over.if you don't like the sound of wrong, choose another key word that is reserved for actions that you do not want to encourage. then go on to positive things, plenty of those out there. how do you let them know that pissing in the house is not accepted? i do not tolerate urine in the house, unless it's a sick animal, then it can't be helped. trainers who i work w/ believe that if a dog starts to urinate in the house they need to be recrate trained. short and simple.

eliminate access to the room he has peed in, i agree- maybe keep him in one room or kitchen and it's adjacent room. see what happens. did you bring him over to "the spot" and say WRONG and go crazy over the WRONG SPOT? try cleaning it w/ nature's miracle. if he is good in a contained area, then success!!!! other wise see if he starts peeing in the same spot...marking it then time for other measures. he needs to learn that it's a negative behavior. if he continues then check for a uti. i only use belly bands on incontent dogs or boarders who are stressed out. other wise i will keep a dog on lead in the house and make sure they don't mark.

i wrapped up the meds in turkey bacon, to the very end my gal took her meds w/ delight. emily indulged in lots of extra rides in the car(her favorite sport) and all of our left overs at every meal. she slept on a double decker bed-much softer. be prepared there are bound to be some accidents in the house. when they don't feel comfortable they seem to pee.

best of luck, enjoy every second of your pup's second chance.....strenght to both of you!

i too have receintly delt w/ osteo, emily was diagnosed the beginning of decemeber(symptoms looked like lyme in novemeber). i personally do not believe in amputation, so we did pain management. the cancer was agressive, most likely her shoulder had a hairline fracture and she was relieved of her pain jan.2nd. i too cried like hell, listened to all the options, cried more, and was in a difficult place economically(dh is on unemployment)as well. you will do what is right for you and your pup. just remember that you have given this boy a fantastic life at your home and to look at the expected duration and quality of life after amputation. can you deal with that??? personally my living will would not include an option like that for me, that's what i went by. so, sorry to hear that yet another dog and another person is in the same place. it stinks.....

if you are on good terms with your neighbors just explain that your dog is learning to settle into a new living situation. unless he is terribly miserable in the crate the howling should subside. i remember crate training dogs in the past. my scottie worked his way down from howling at night for nearly 2 hrs to nothing with-in a week. try feeding him in the crate, give him dog biskets in it, make it a comfortable place: blankets, water bowl hanging.try give him raw marrow bones and toys in itwhen you are home w/ the door closed and then reward him verbally for being quiet, "good quiet". if you have a dog bed, put it away so he will use the crate or even put the bed in the crate.make sure the crate is in the living room or at the center of your home. try this, see if you can condition him to thinking of the crate as a positive place. then see if there is a difference. at my house there usually is a line of dogs waiting to get into the crates! i have found 2 dogs in there who have raced in trying to get the "comfy"spot". when i travel and visit friends or family there never is an issue when we all go out. i just open the door to the crate and we never worry about our pups at someone else's home. there are benifits to using a crate.

i agree w/ kennel mom. use a used worn out tooth brush and hydrogen peroxide and water combo, brush and then take a paper towel and wipe. i use my thumb nail to easily chip off tarter, wipe again w/ peroxide and water. the worst teeth any of my dogs had was due to long use of predisone and forineff, my scottie had addison's disease. but generally i just brush, wipe and look for tarter. generally a big chunk will fall right off and then the rest follows if there is tarter.

it seems as if the y gene has problem following directions if it's not mechanical. i go thru the same thing, i write up instructions and he still does what he wants. looks like we are all in the same boat.

i just staple or tape two baby diapers together and fit it to the dog. if i am lucky only one diaper gets wet and then i can reuse the other. when i had a dog staying here his owner gave me 2 belly bands, yup-2. it seems as if they slip and need to be washed daily. so you need a backup. try the cheapest generic diaper, you will figure out the size a lot cheaper and who is going to be seeing them?

as to dish detergent, my arborist swears by original palmolive dish detergent. he told me to put a band of it on the trunks of the trees for carpernter ants and other bugs. i use it to wash my bushes down. read jerry baker's gardening books for excellent organic advise and greyt humor. he believes in washing everything thing w/ soap. your lawn making a cocktail for them using shampoo, beer, amonia and i think epson's salts. can't remember the exact combo since we no longer have a lawn(felix has roto-tilled it). ticks and fleas should be horrific this year in the north east. in ny we already have grass pollen being counted at the lincoln center pollen station, oak trees are a month early. the buggers should be following their pattern.i am using frontline until it stops working. but i do brush my pups off and check toes before i put them in the car after a walk in the woods. unfortunately i can't find the lavendar baby powder here in the nyc area, wanted to try that. and yes, dawn detergent kills the fleas on contact.

yes!!!! if he passed out when you returned home that means he was not only using his body but his mind!!! thinking can be exhausting, i know. when my pups return home from obedience classes they zonk out big time! way to go!

lots of good suggestions listed above. but one thing i would like to suggest is to try to impliment them one at a time and ALONE! it's a royal pain, but you need to get your dog to focus on you and what you want him to do. too confusing w/ another pup around, no matter how well behaved she is. try some practice sessions just down the block and back, use your food/treat, gentle leader or what ever and praise him for staying w/ you. short sessions will help the acquire the desired walk. a regular harness will not assist in this situation, they are good security for keeping a spooky pup around, but there is absoutley no control w/ a harness. a series of obedience classes at a local school will really help. the intructions from a professional and their feedback and corrections will make all the difference.

if they weren't so far away we could let the hounds hang out and sit around together!!!! now it's just a matter of applying it in heeling and recalls....then the fun will begin.

i could not try the sit/hillside in my area.and was starting to get really frustrated. the trails i frequent are a composite for horses and are not condusive to sitting what so ever. i have been working our new gal,annie, into a sit from a down position. i thought that she just wasn't getting it....that was until sat. nite. i had the dogs at the kitchen gate, i was feeding one of my borders and extra meal and the other 3 hounds were dying for some rice and chop meat. i took out a bisket, said,"Annie, sit!" and low and behold ....she got it and sat. then we tried it again, and again. at one point she couldn't figure out the sit, so she went into a down and then pushed herself up into a sit. since then she now sits right in front of me when she wants something....mmmmmmm. that will be redirected to heeling at obedience classes.

"we started to give Molly a really yummy/special treat when we get home from a walk the last few days. That seemed to help a lot - now she has a reason to want to get indoors quickly" food, glorious food- just what i was thinking!

why gind the brocolli/string beans? mine take veggies like dog biskets and chomp away! they also adore carrots. as to the giardia comment, it usually is spread as run-off thru water/rains. so if your area/yard is getting run-off that could be the source.

felix had it at an early age, somewhere around 6 months too. it took more than 2 rounds of flagyl to clear it up. my rice cooker was working overtime and it took forever to get him on kibble. but once it was really cleared up, he has been symptom free and gained all the weight that he lost and kept on growing big. time. my vet is as old fashioned as can be and likes to use flagyl. it worked, but be aware of flare ups and get her back on it if she seems symptomatic. then after his bout w/ giardia he developed some bald patches, it looked like mange, but tested clear. it was a rough time between 6 & 10 months.

my black female always had dandruff associated w/ shedding. don't worry! i use a soft rubber curry comb or a stripping stone(used to roll a terrier's broken coats) to help remove the dead coat.

the worst is when they decide to eat the tall decorative grass..... talk about puking after a bing, one stand of that stuff and oppps.....here it comes! those long strands take forever to come out the other end as well...hysterical watching a dog run around w/ a piece stuck at the other end! it's so much fun removing it! yeah, i have a female here who goes out and grazes every morning and leaves a pile of vomit right on the walkway. a nice morning greeting!

missed the original instructions, i can get my new gal to sit from a down. she does what i call puppy push-ups....can you please post the original instructions?

i went thru this w/ felix(who never had track training, he has been w/ me since week 7). i don't know if it was part of adolescence, but he couldn't decide if he liked my vet or not and i couldn't decide if felix was making the hair on my vet's back stand up. it was a wierd match. i spoke to my vet(who i have used for over 30 years), started having him look at felix outside the office in the parking lot after we would sit on a step and chat. then he was able to do a scraping with out any problem. felix was fine for a while, then his teeth/fear popped up again. i know that felix was fearful. i popped on a muzzle and let my vet do his work holding him really securely. felix has had numerous staples, generally i just get peed on while i hold him(they hurt, but my vet is really fast). i always treate felix w/ dehydrated liver treats, i use them for training. ultimately we found out having the muzzle availabe was necessary. we don't use it all the time, but have it ready, somewhere in my pocketbook or the exam table. also, having his tech or better yet, his preteen kids are around on weekends to distract felix has worked well. but a handsome reward is always the conclusion to our visits.

vegetable oil, it works wonders. my terrier stepped in some oil based paint on a rainy day(nasty garbage debris)....what a mess w/ those hairy paws and it was old old thick paint. paper towels and veg. oil and off it came. a tad of work but it was clean, you should have the same result.