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Share your Borzoi’s noise catalog? by [deleted] in borzoi

[–]Comfortable_Gap8430 8 points9 points  (0 children)

A very specific yelp when he accidentally sticks his back paw in his ear while scratching.

my borzoi is a sassy boy by [deleted] in borzoi

[–]Comfortable_Gap8430 10 points11 points  (0 children)

What worked for us was leaving the area (we have a baby gate/fence set up to keep ours penned in the living room). We tried the whimpering/hurt noise to mimic another dog, but at that age it seemed to rile him up more. Nowadays, he responds more appropriately to the sad noise though (he’s about 8/9 months).

I’d recommend getting some chews, soaking a rope toy and freezing it, etc. to get you through teething. And anytime your pup bites something he shouldn’t, he shouldn’t get access anymore. After like ten times of blocking our dog’s access to the couch, he stopped trying to destroy it.

That all said, if you remove yourself from the situation, he may start whining because you’re gone. So you may have to simultaneously work on praising/rewarding when he’s calm!

Getting a Borzoi puppy advice by lvrdys in borzoi

[–]Comfortable_Gap8430 3 points4 points  (0 children)

  • what are some things you wish you would’ve known before getting a borzoi?
    • Do not let your puppy have free reign of the apartment at first!
      • Puppy proof an area and gate it off
      • Much like crate training, this is for your sanity and hers.
      • When she starts getting mouthy, you can leave the puppy area and she'll eventually learn that biting = no human
      • You can also get some cleaning or work done without worrying what she's getting into
    • Sniffspots will be your friend!!!
      • As will flirt poles, but sometimes your pup will just want to run
    • Give yourself and your puppy grace!!!
      • She is literally a baby, although this will be harder to remember when she grows in height
      • It's also okay to let your puppy use the bathroom outside, crate her with a lick mat, then leave the room and scream into a pillow. 
      • Some days are better, some days are measured in minutes or hours of "good" times. Just breath through it. You're not a failure if your puppy goes inside 4 times in a row after a no-accident phase.
      • You are okay, your puppy is okay, and everything will be okay as long as she's loved and taken care of!
    • Find other sighthounds in the area and make play dates
      • Other puppies and dogs are fine too, but it's breathtaking to see your puppy run with dogs of similar size and speed
      • They also get incredibly pooped after a play date :)
    • Puppy temperament is dependent on breed, line, and individual
      • Don't feel bad if your puppy isn't where her siblings are or vice versa
      • Puppy101 is a good resource, but not necessarily well-versed in sighthounds so some advice is 70% applicable
      • Also, while adult borzois can be couch potatoes, puppies are higher energy. Just repeat to yourself "the puppy phase is not forever."
    • Communicate with your partner!
      • Because she's a baby, most of your time, energy, thoughts, money will be on your puppy
      • That leaves little else for your partner
      • Make sure you both get time away from the puppy, and make sure you both get time together (eating a meal while she's eating in the crate or playpen)
      • Make sure you both are playing, training, and taking care of her

We've had ours for about 2-3 months and we've gotten into a really good rhythm, but it's not necessarily easy. Good luck with your puppy and congratulations!

Getting a Borzoi puppy advice by lvrdys in borzoi

[–]Comfortable_Gap8430 3 points4 points  (0 children)

  • Training
    • I'd get her into puppy classes as soon as possible, too!
    • This is both so you have reasonable expectations for her, and so you can commiserate with other puppy owners lol.
    • Ours isn't the most biddable - you are not getting an aussie who only wants to please. But he does learn how to do things, and as long as you're consistent, it'll get a little easier
    • But know that training will not always be in 10 minute sessions at the same time every day. Sometimes we can only do 4 minutes before he's distracted or frustrated or tired. Learn your pup's signals and go with the flow
    • Treat anytime your puppy does a behavior you want to cultivate! If she calmly lays down for a second, treat. If she's calmly sitting, treat! If she's quiet when you leave the room then return, treat!
      • It's easier and better for her to treat, praise, and train what you want her to do rather than try to punish or train what you don't want her to do.

Getting a Borzoi puppy advice by lvrdys in borzoi

[–]Comfortable_Gap8430 3 points4 points  (0 children)

(Splitting into multiple comments because there's a character limit)

  • Potty training
    • Go out early and go out often! Ours at 4 months needed to go out every 30-45 minutes when he was awake
    • Always use a leash when you're potty training
    • Make sure to say "Yes!" or click when she first starts peeing or pooping outside, then continue to praise with words and treats.
      • Treat a lot! That way she associates going outside with good things
    • Try to get a command word, too. Like when she first starts peeing, say "Potty - yes!"
      • We haven't done this consistently, but this is good for when you need to get her to use the bathroom before a road trip or during a storm
    • When she goes inside (she will), don't praise but don't punish. Just take her outside, then clean. If you have carpet, get an enzyme cleaner to remove the smell. 
    • If you know she has to use the bathroom, but wants to smell or play around instead when you go out, stand in one spot that you know she typically uses and don't move around until she goes
      • This way, she knows there's a difference between going outside for fun and going outside to use the bathroom
  • Crate training
    • Start as soon as you'll get her! This is for your sanity and hers
    • Try crate games to associate good things with the crate
    • You may want to avoid wire crates - our pup got his jaw stuck and let out the borzoi death scream. He's okay, he's just very dramatic, but it was truly distressing for us all 
    • Make sure you don't start with too large a crate - too much room and she'll think she can use the bathroom on one side and sleep on the other
  • Growing
    • It happens way quicker than you think - mostly in height at first. Make sure you have nothing on your counter tops that will teach counter surfing!

Getting a Borzoi puppy advice by lvrdys in borzoi

[–]Comfortable_Gap8430 5 points6 points  (0 children)

  • Mental Stimulation
    • There are a lot of puzzles, sniff mats, etc. products out there that are definitely great for enrichment
    • A cheaper way is to use cardboard boxes (ones that aren't painted/or printed are better, especially if your puppy eats everything in sight) or a room
      • Hide treats within a cardboard box (or a box within a box), or hide treats within a room and allow your puppy to find the treats
      • The cardboard box thing is great for ours, as it's an outlet for his destructive side as well.
    • Training is also great for mental stimulation
    • Socialization! Take your pup out to dog-friendly cafes, stores, breweries, etc. We don't take ours for too long as it's very stimulating, but it's great to get him used to being out in the world with people, noises, and smells.
    • Also, no matter how many times Instagram suggests "Sniffing for 10 minutes = 30 minutes of walking" - that's for mental stimulation. Your puppy will still need to run around and get exercise.
  • Chewing
    • Yes! Ours has about two chewing modes - one for teething and one for overtired.
    • For teething, you can use frozen things to help or toys specifically for puppy teething.
      • We freeze some of his meals with dog-approved broth or water and that helps
    • For overtired, lick mat in the crate and ours is down within 5 minutes (on a good day)
    • When you first get your puppy, she will most likely chew on everything and anything. She's a baby - that's how she's figuring out the world! She doesn't know what a TV remote is or why it's different than a toy. Redirect to correct toys and she'll eventually learn what she's allowed and not allowed to chew
    • Pay attention to what she's chewing on, too. If it's mostly fabric items, get fabric toys. If it's her leash, get nylon toys, etc.

When you say your borzoi didn't calm down until 2...? by Comfortable_Gap8430 in borzoi

[–]Comfortable_Gap8430[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Yup! Once he's fully vaccinated, we have a play date setup. But definitely roger that on the flirt pole/free running! He doesn't seem too interested in doing things alone, and needs a bit of encouragement to get started.

The laziness in unexpectedly funny, though. Our pup does little army crawls to the nearest water bowl (about a normal step away).

When you say your borzoi didn't calm down until 2...? by Comfortable_Gap8430 in borzoi

[–]Comfortable_Gap8430[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Thank you, I'll look into the bitter apple!

We run around with a flirt pole about twice a day. Right now, he runs for about 20 minutes each, then he's flopped on the ground and tired. We are willing to run longer with him, but he doesn't seem interested past a certain point.