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Meet my new puppy!
- Thread starter diamondlil
- Start date
diamondlil
Mice! They taste so nice!
Yep, I've got no immunity. Apparently this should have been picked up 10 years ago! After a revamp of the 'puter system at Occy Health, lots of people have flagged up so they are playing catch-up to get us immunised. I know I had the rubella jab as a teenager, but looks like it didn't work. (And like most nurses, I prefer being the other end of the needle!)
MegF.
That's for sale???
I had both measles and mumps as a kid. They didn't immunize for it back then.
I didn't have immunity for rubella, but I got immunized when I went to radiology school. I'm immune to everything else as I had it as a kid...chicken pox, mumps and measles. All us kids got it around the same time....I prefer the other end of the needle as well!
I didn't have immunity for rubella, but I got immunized when I went to radiology school. I'm immune to everything else as I had it as a kid...chicken pox, mumps and measles. All us kids got it around the same time....I prefer the other end of the needle as well!
diamondlil
Mice! They taste so nice!
Some progress with Bertie's behaviour around my boys! I haven't had the chance to get him fitted for a muzzle yet, my local pet store hasn't got the right size and I have to wait until they have new stock in.
So, last Sunday I was having a family dinner with all 3 boys 'round and my D-in-law. I made them keep all interactions with both dogs to a minimum, as I've noticed Bertie's behaviour is worse when they over-fuss Rosie. Bertie had to sit and give his paw to get a treat, then get sent away until invited back to sit again. Then we sat at the dinner table with neither dog allowed near. They settled down and it suddenly occurred that I'd elevated the boys' status by us eating together while the dogs were hungry! It worked a treat, with Bertie only 'freezing' once, gently reprimnded and sent away by my midle son, who then recalled him to a sit and praised him.
So last night an unexpected visit from the boys in the evening, followed the same 'no fuss' policy, and again, Bertie was working to get small amounts of low-key attention. For the first time ever he worked as hard as he could for my youngest son to let him very briefly lay on his back in his lap, with his ears pinned to his head and leg lifted in total submissive position!
Finally the boys have got the message that BOTH dogs are better behaved if they are at the bottom of the pack and that letting Rosie jump all over them is one of the triggers for Bertie getting wound up, as he tries to assert his dominance if there is excitement. Seeing Bertie working so hard to be good, again every one of his 'sits' at their feet was with submissive leg lift, the boys fell into more calmly assertive roles and relaxed with him instead of being tense expecting him to snap or growl.
Still a work in progress, and yes I'll still get the muzzle as soon as his size is in stock, but a step forwards at last!
So, last Sunday I was having a family dinner with all 3 boys 'round and my D-in-law. I made them keep all interactions with both dogs to a minimum, as I've noticed Bertie's behaviour is worse when they over-fuss Rosie. Bertie had to sit and give his paw to get a treat, then get sent away until invited back to sit again. Then we sat at the dinner table with neither dog allowed near. They settled down and it suddenly occurred that I'd elevated the boys' status by us eating together while the dogs were hungry! It worked a treat, with Bertie only 'freezing' once, gently reprimnded and sent away by my midle son, who then recalled him to a sit and praised him.
So last night an unexpected visit from the boys in the evening, followed the same 'no fuss' policy, and again, Bertie was working to get small amounts of low-key attention. For the first time ever he worked as hard as he could for my youngest son to let him very briefly lay on his back in his lap, with his ears pinned to his head and leg lifted in total submissive position!
Finally the boys have got the message that BOTH dogs are better behaved if they are at the bottom of the pack and that letting Rosie jump all over them is one of the triggers for Bertie getting wound up, as he tries to assert his dominance if there is excitement. Seeing Bertie working so hard to be good, again every one of his 'sits' at their feet was with submissive leg lift, the boys fell into more calmly assertive roles and relaxed with him instead of being tense expecting him to snap or growl.
Still a work in progress, and yes I'll still get the muzzle as soon as his size is in stock, but a step forwards at last!
MegF.
That's for sale???
It's great that you've taught the boys and important lesson!! Good for you!! This will stay with them for the rest of their lives (I hope anyway)...that calm assertive energy will do more than excitement. You've taught them to be in a position of leader in the pack and it's what Bertie needed (especially the lack of excitement-remember excitement leads to aggression) to learn to interact properly. Making Bertie work for affection (NILIF) and making him go to the boys for affection instead of the other way around puts him in a more submissive state. EXCELLENT!! You're a good pack leader Janine! Your trainer should be proud!
diamondlil
Mice! They taste so nice!
Thanks Meg. They still tend too much to treat him like a 'normal' dog and then get disappointed with how he reacts, so really getting them to see the difference when he's kept down the pecking order and why he thinks the stars and moon shine out of my backside is the key! Also getting them to see that Rosie prancing about and yipping is not cute and not acceptable. The eldest two just visited briefly and made Berts sit and give his paw for treats, one 'freeze' and attempt to snap, treated with calm disdain, turned him into a well-mannered and polite boy! He's still a work in progress but we'll get there.........
diamondlil
Mice! They taste so nice!
Today a chance for Bertie to run free and let off steam! Mick had some work in Margate, so we loaded up the dogs along with his tools. We stopped on the way to visit his daughter so the dogs got a comfort break and played with her awesomely well-behaved working cocker spaniel (he's undergoing gundog training)
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diamondlil
Mice! They taste so nice!
As the beach is about 200 metres long, set below the street level promenade, I could let the dogs run and run and chase the seagulls without any worries Bertie could get into trouble. So as well as the running around, I then practised recall to the whistle, which was hampered by the fierce coastal winds! So instead I had to wait until Bertie turned towards me and jump up and down and run away to get his attention. It worked beautifully, he did really long distance recalls. Of course there wasn't really anywhere else he could go, but to have him racing towards me for a change was a great feeling!
I ended the off-lead session on a high note, before he could get bored, then put on his tracker lead to explore the rockpool area. Then after another half hour or so, on with the normal leads and into the town just as Mick was finishing up. Both dogs are utterly exhausted on the sofa now!
I ended the off-lead session on a high note, before he could get bored, then put on his tracker lead to explore the rockpool area. Then after another half hour or so, on with the normal leads and into the town just as Mick was finishing up. Both dogs are utterly exhausted on the sofa now!
Attachments
diamondlil
Mice! They taste so nice!
It was lovely to be able to relax and let them run! I've really been working on 'wait' as a general command, 'wait' before I put the leads on to go out, 'wait' before coming to me for a treat, 'wait' before we cross roads, before handing him his dinner, so mainly it's before we do something Bertie wants. So when he recalled to me, 'wait' before letting him run off again each time and then 'wait' before I snapped his lead back on. As Bertie is pairing 'wait' with good things, I'm hoping it can generalise like it did with Rosie, she 'waits' when she runs ahead out and about offlead and gets ahead more than I like. She stops in her tracks and looks for her next command, whether I'm changing direction along another path, whether I'm going to recall her, or whether I want her to stay where she is to catch up.
diamondlil
Mice! They taste so nice!
My old girl, Ellie, made me look like a natural born dog trainer, because she always focussed on me and what I wanted. She was so easy to train! She was a pit x collie/lab, so her drive to work and to please me was incredible.
Rosie was more of a challenge. Not treat orientated (she eats like a cat), quite aloof, with the need to run and chase. Cracking recall with her took until she was at least 18 months. The jumping around like a looney trick was the main thing, my dog walking friends got a lot of amusement out of that stage, seeing me flapping my arms doing star jumps to get her attention! She does like to roam at a distance of 100 yards or so in open areas but constantly checks where I am and responds to 'wait' or 'here' straight away. In scrubby or wooded areas she either stays at my feet or comes back every few minutes. When she's had enough exploring or if I tell her to 'stay here' she stays at heel. Simple quiet praise works better than treats for her. (at that time, the field where we mainly walk had safe fencing, one of my problems now is that all the fencing has been removed to 'open up the vista' by the local council. Which means open access straight onto the roads. I found out two dogs have been killed over the last few months, so Bertie was incredibly lucky to survive his run across the roads)
So I know I will get better response from Bertie in the end, as long as I can find safe areas to practise in and use the 30' tracker lead where it isn't. Today I'm going out to the woods with little cheese and cooked sausage cubes in my pockets with Berts on the lead so I can guarantee he can't get in trouble and he gets a treat every time he recalls.
Rosie was more of a challenge. Not treat orientated (she eats like a cat), quite aloof, with the need to run and chase. Cracking recall with her took until she was at least 18 months. The jumping around like a looney trick was the main thing, my dog walking friends got a lot of amusement out of that stage, seeing me flapping my arms doing star jumps to get her attention! She does like to roam at a distance of 100 yards or so in open areas but constantly checks where I am and responds to 'wait' or 'here' straight away. In scrubby or wooded areas she either stays at my feet or comes back every few minutes. When she's had enough exploring or if I tell her to 'stay here' she stays at heel. Simple quiet praise works better than treats for her. (at that time, the field where we mainly walk had safe fencing, one of my problems now is that all the fencing has been removed to 'open up the vista' by the local council. Which means open access straight onto the roads. I found out two dogs have been killed over the last few months, so Bertie was incredibly lucky to survive his run across the roads)
So I know I will get better response from Bertie in the end, as long as I can find safe areas to practise in and use the 30' tracker lead where it isn't. Today I'm going out to the woods with little cheese and cooked sausage cubes in my pockets with Berts on the lead so I can guarantee he can't get in trouble and he gets a treat every time he recalls.
diamondlil
Mice! They taste so nice!
The treats worked until we found a decent sized flock of woodpigeons that were reluctant to take off because of the high winds. So back on the short lead and heelwork practise intstead! I got to be UBERPACKLEADER on the way home, when a very nasty collie charged us, meaning business with teeth out and hackles up and backed up by a biggish terrier cross. I stepped between and sent it off sharpish, made my dogs heel and ignore and had to block it a second time. (I did think I was going to get bitten but it veered off at the last second) So all the way home my two were adoring followers. I gave the owner a piece of my mind for letting his dogs charge me. His excuse was that they only do it 'sometimes'. I told him it was lucky there hadn't been a fight as I'd have reported him and he scuttled off.
diamondlil
Mice! They taste so nice!
I got lucky in that I saw the dog ahead of us crouch just before it charged, whilst Rosie and Bertie were still casting longing looks at the woodpigeons! I haven't seen that owner and his dogs before but shall keep an eye out for them in future just in case. I seem to have a reaction to the MMR, swollen glands, 'flu like symptoms with high temperatures, so I'm off work sick and only short lead walks for the dogs today.
diamondlil
Mice! They taste so nice!
Thanks Meg. The dogs are not amused, or at least they weren't until due to my fuzzy head I forgot to use the door lock on the fridge and they found a ham hock. I found the door open, 2 guilty looking dogs and the remains of the ham hidden in their bed! All I said was 'What have you done?' and found it so hard not to laugh at their classic 'sorry' faces. Luckily they hadn't got to the cheese, butter etc. I suspect only Rosie actually got to eat any (she's dominant over food) but Bertie did a good job of looking guilty too!
diamondlil
Mice! They taste so nice!
A little bit of grooming! Just a quick and very light stripping out of Rosie's dead hair to tidy her up. Because she's half beddy she doesn't moult and needs stripping periodically, but I left her coat quite thick as the winter isn't over yet. Then out with both the stripping comb and the scissors for Berts. I'd been quite nervous about trimming his face but his topknot was out of control and getting in his eyes. He did really well, actually trimming under his chin was worse because he was bored by then and wanted to play. I didn't touch his body hair with the scissors at all, just a light stripping out of dead hair.
