The Pet Thread

[iamshack]

I'd love to know too. My mother in law has two 100-pound monsters who are awful about this. The minute they see you, they totally lose their sh*t and want to tackle you. Ugh

Unfortunately, my 14 month old Great Dane has this terrible habit as well...and since he gets the attention when he does this, the other dog does it as well, in order to compete for attention.

 

I am a terrible owner from a training perspective.

[G&T]

That's the same thing only mine is full grown at 35 lbs

 

I have the same problem but my dog is just under 30 pounds full grown. The real problem we've had though is random people coming up to him at the park and petting him.

 

With family and friends we've had success by standing between him and the guest and creating a block until he understands that jumping won't get him past. It actually doesn't take long and he has been good about remembering who he can't jump on. He still makes mistakes, but with repetition it will work.

 

That's not really possible to do with randoms who walk up and just want to pet him. You have to understand that my dog looks like a stuffed animal and his fur is actually hair that is as soft as cotton. No joke. So he gets a ton of attention from strangers and I find it hard to say no when all they want is 10 seconds of petting the dog and moving on with their lives.

[ChiSox_Sonix]

Any tips on how to break dog of jumping on people? I have tried water bottle, ignoring him when he does it, etc.

 

He will be 2 in May so I am starting to hope he just grows out of it. People think he is attacking them at first and all he wants is attention. Not biting or anything.

 

Have someone enter the house. When the dig goes to greet them and jumps on them have that person stop and stay still and not acknowledge the dog. You need to tell the dog no and make him go down or shoo him away. Have the person go back outside and re-enter a few moments later. What your doing is teaching the dog to greet someone in a calm and "respectful" manner. When the dog finally realizes this reward him and allow him to be pet by the "guest". Eventually they will learn. But it takes some time

[iamshack]

Have someone enter the house. When the dig goes to greet them and jumps on them have that person stop and stay still and not acknowledge the dog. You need to tell the dog no and make him go down or shoo him away. Have the person go back outside and re-enter a few moments later. What your doing is teaching the dog to greet someone in a calm and "respectful" manner. When the dog finally realizes this reward him and allow him to be pet by the "guest". Eventually they will learn. But it takes some time

This is what I have read.

 

When you first get your dog, this is the way you are supposed to train him to acknowledge guests.

 

 

[illinilaw08]

Our Vizsla pup, who we picked up last Saturday, apparently has fleas. And our two cats, who apparently have been eating the fleas, now have worms. We got the topical treatments from the vet for both the cats and the pup (and the cats got the pills for dealing with the worms) and I know we need to do a pretty thorough cleaning of the house to get rid of any and all fleas. Has anyone else dealt with the flea issue before? What do we need to do to make sure they don't come back? What products have people had sucess with?

[Kyyle23]

Our Vizsla pup, who we picked up last Saturday, apparently has fleas. And our two cats, who apparently have been eating the fleas, now have worms. We got the topical treatments from the vet for both the cats and the pup (and the cats got the pills for dealing with the worms) and I know we need to do a pretty thorough cleaning of the house to get rid of any and all fleas. Has anyone else dealt with the flea issue before? What do we need to do to make sure they don't come back? What products have people had sucess with?

 

man, that really sucks. When i lived in Carbondale, it seemed like every house we moved into had issues. 2 things that must be done are treatment of the carpet/upholstery and treatment of the lawn. fleas drop eggs everywhere, and those eggs hatch as soon as a host is available, so you have to kill the eggs. there is a carpet powder you can get, and a lawn treatment as well. the carpet powder is a total pain in the rear because you have to leave it on for a while, I think a half hour.

 

I would look on the petmeds website for some brands you could use, im sure they have some different things

[iamshack]

man, that really sucks. When i lived in Carbondale, it seemed like every house we moved into had issues. 2 things that must be done are treatment of the carpet/upholstery and treatment of the lawn. fleas drop eggs everywhere, and those eggs hatch as soon as a host is available, so you have to kill the eggs. there is a carpet powder you can get, and a lawn treatment as well. the carpet powder is a total pain in the rear because you have to leave it on for a while, I think a half hour.

 

I would look on the petmeds website for some brands you could use, im sure they have some different things

It would make me very suspicious of the breeder if I just purchased a pup from him/her and it came with fleas...

[Kyyle23]

It would make me very suspicious of the breeder if I just purchased a pup from him/her and it came with fleas...

 

I would be disappointed to say the least, and call and raise some hell about it. At this point the damage is done though

[Iwritecode]

Our Vizsla pup, who we picked up last Saturday, apparently has fleas. And our two cats, who apparently have been eating the fleas, now have worms. We got the topical treatments from the vet for both the cats and the pup (and the cats got the pills for dealing with the worms) and I know we need to do a pretty thorough cleaning of the house to get rid of any and all fleas. Has anyone else dealt with the flea issue before? What do we need to do to make sure they don't come back? What products have people had sucess with?

 

Frontline seems to work pretty well for us. We've always found it cheapest at Farm & Fleet.

Edited February 16, 2012 by Iwritecode

[Brian]

For future reference, this is Fisk. He will be 2 in March. His mom was a beagle and we have no clue what his dad was. I think his mom was a whore because there seems to be some Corgi and I think daschund.

 

[LittleHurt05]

Holy crap. That might be the cutest puppy I have ever seen.

[Brian]

Holy crap. That might be the cutest puppy I have ever seen.

 

He thinks he is. Probably why he acts like a D-bag sometimes.

[G&T]

So we have a dog with very serious possession issues with bones. When he is tired and has a bone he will guard it like a hawk. He will growl and bite if he feels threatened. He won't go out of his way to hurt anyone.

 

My real fear is that some kid is going to get near him at the wrong time and he will bite. We don't have kids so we just ignore him but I'm kinda sick of this. Anyone deal with this?

[Steve9347]

So we have a dog with very serious possession issues with bones. When he is tired and has a bone he will guard it like a hawk. He will growl and bite if he feels threatened. He won't go out of his way to hurt anyone.

 

My real fear is that some kid is going to get near him at the wrong time and he will bite. We don't have kids so we just ignore him but I'm kinda sick of this. Anyone deal with this?

No bones with kids in the house.

[G&T]

No bones with kids in the house.

 

Yeah but that's a bandaid. He could just grab something else I suppose.

[knightni]

So we have a dog with very serious possession issues with bones. When he is tired and has a bone he will guard it like a hawk. He will growl and bite if he feels threatened. He won't go out of his way to hurt anyone.

 

My real fear is that some kid is going to get near him at the wrong time and he will bite. We don't have kids so we just ignore him but I'm kinda sick of this. Anyone deal with this?

Use a broom, mop, or foot with shoe and "claim" the bone by covering over it and pulling it to you. Take it from him using it. Hold it until he gives up interest in it. Repeat as necessary until he gets the hint.

[TaylorStSox]

nm

Edited February 19, 2012 by TaylorStSox

[Brian]

Anyone ever use those Greenie treats to try and get your dogs teeth cleaned? Do you just let the dog chew on them or do you brush their teeth with it?

[G&T]

Anyone ever use those Greenie treats to try and get your dogs teeth cleaned? Do you just let the dog chew on them or do you brush their teeth with it?

 

It's a chew. It just looks like a toothbrush. We've tried that stuff in the past but I don't really think they work. Dog liked it though as a treat.

 

I should add that brushing works because of the friction that helps remove plaque. Those things arent hard enough to get the dog scrapping it's teeth on it. A good bone will work better than those. Or just use a brush.

Edited February 19, 2012 by G&T

[Brian]

It's a chew. It just looks like a toothbrush. We've tried that stuff in the past but I don't really think they work. Dog liked it though as a treat.

 

I should add that brushing works because of the friction that helps remove plaque. Those things arent hard enough to get the dog scrapping it's teeth on it. A good bone will work better than those. Or just use a brush.

 

I give him bones but I can see some plaque on his back teeth. Wasn't sure if it was a big deal or I should take him in for a cleaning. Will try a greenie to see how it works. Hope it doesn't mess with his bowels.

 

Not sure he would let me brush his teeth or not. Is there doggy toothpaste? Never thought about it.

[G&T]

I give him bones but I can see some plaque on his back teeth. Wasn't sure if it was a big deal or I should take him in for a cleaning. Will try a greenie to see how it works. Hope it doesn't mess with his bowels.

 

Not sure he would let me brush his teeth or not. Is there doggy toothpaste? Never thought about it.

 

Yes. There are tons of cleaning options. My dog used to love getting his teeth brushed because he liked taste of mint. But he's lost his fondness for the toothbrush.

[JPN366]

How about dental sticks?

[iamshack]

Those Greenies are insanely expensive!

 

Go to your local butcher and ask him if they sell femur bones. Have him cut one to accommodate the size of your dog.

 

 

[illinilaw08]

Thanks to everyone on the board for their insights on my new pup. I forgot how difficult and stressful a new pup is (he makes up for it by being really freaking cute).

 

Both my fiance and I are professionals. She worked from home last week to help the pup adjust. I live close enough to work that I can get home at lunch to let the little man out until he's old enough for doggy daycare.

 

We have his crate in the living room and set up an exercise pen (6x6) outside the crate to give him a play area. Lined the pen space with puppy pads to try to minimize the damage from the inevitable accidents.

 

Today was the first day with this arrangement. I came home at lunch and he had a couple accidents on the floor. I'm not overly concerned by the accidents because, well, he's a 9 week old puppy. The biggest issue seems to be that, with the sole exception of bedtime, when he's left in the crate, even if one of us is home, he barks until he makes himself sick. I've been feeding him in the crate and he goes in and out of the crate on his own so it's not the crate that's bugging him; it's the separation. He just freaks out when the crate latch clicks (again, with the sole exception of bedtime). Any suggestions on how to handle that adjustment?

 

My other question is, should I not put up the exercise pen during the day? Putting the pen up was our way of acknowledging that accidents are going to happen in the 4 hours he's home alone in the morning and afternoon and that it will be more comfortable for him if the accident is outside the crate. I know he can hold it for 4+ hours because he does so at night and when he's napping during the day. But he's not used to me working and his biological clock hasn't figured out that someone will be home at noon everyday...

 

Long winded, I know...

[Jenksismyhero]

Thanks to everyone on the board for their insights on my new pup. I forgot how difficult and stressful a new pup is (he makes up for it by being really freaking cute).

 

Both my fiance and I are professionals. She worked from home last week to help the pup adjust. I live close enough to work that I can get home at lunch to let the little man out until he's old enough for doggy daycare.

 

We have his crate in the living room and set up an exercise pen (6x6) outside the crate to give him a play area. Lined the pen space with puppy pads to try to minimize the damage from the inevitable accidents.

 

Today was the first day with this arrangement. I came home at lunch and he had a couple accidents on the floor. I'm not overly concerned by the accidents because, well, he's a 9 week old puppy. The biggest issue seems to be that, with the sole exception of bedtime, when he's left in the crate, even if one of us is home, he barks until he makes himself sick. I've been feeding him in the crate and he goes in and out of the crate on his own so it's not the crate that's bugging him; it's the separation. He just freaks out when the crate latch clicks (again, with the sole exception of bedtime). Any suggestions on how to handle that adjustment?

 

My other question is, should I not put up the exercise pen during the day? Putting the pen up was our way of acknowledging that accidents are going to happen in the 4 hours he's home alone in the morning and afternoon and that it will be more comfortable for him if the accident is outside the crate. I know he can hold it for 4+ hours because he does so at night and when he's napping during the day. But he's not used to me working and his biological clock hasn't figured out that someone will be home at noon everyday...

 

Long winded, I know...

 

The pen is probably a bad idea. I'd stick him in the crate until he's older and can be trusted not to destroy the house. People think it's cruel to lock dogs up, but they like it, it's their little cove where they can feel protected and sleep. The crate also helps with the potty training because they won't go if they have to lie in it. So long as you feed him/let him have some water, then let him out, then put him in the crate without anything he should be able to hold it for a few hours.

 

The barking thing you just have to fight through. Maybe put a towel over it. If he's learned that barking = being let out then you gotta break him of that. Also don't make a big deal out of saying goodbye for the day. I've read that compounds the problem.