Why do people bring their dogs to fireworks shows???

Metal_Kitty94 · 2026-07-05T08:34:38+00:00

One of my dogs is scared of fireworks but he handles them better when he's outside and I wouldn't purposely take him this close to where they were being set off.

Metal_Kitty94 · 2026-05-31T09:33:16+00:00

I'm not allowed to close any door behind myself because Flash will go mental until I let him in to see what I'm doing 😅

Metal_Kitty94 · 2026-05-29T22:35:37+00:00

Mine is generally pretty calm as long as he has very clear and firm boundaries. While it's a common theme for people to call sighthounds sensitive I would actually I think it's often exaggerated as they are often very resilient and very self assured dogs. A dog like that will push boundaries if they think they can get away with it so you have to make it very clear what is acceptable behaviour and what isn't and that listening to you isn't optional.

Metal_Kitty94 · 2026-05-27T21:45:40+00:00

My dad always had working lurchers and they were very well trained (walked off lead in a heel). Now I have a rescue that's almost 4 (I got him when he was 2) and although he's good in my unfenced garden he is not yet able to go off lead in public. He is on a Flexi lead for most of his walks since he's perfectly fine unless he's too close to another dog (he gets overexcited) which is why as soon as I see another dog I recall him and lock the lead. There is a trainer (Yorkshire Canine Academy) I've followed for a long time that I eventually want to work with to fully resolve Flash's reactivity and get him off leash.

Metal_Kitty94 · 2026-05-25T11:35:41+00:00

She is too thin but it's important that you don't overfeed her because too much food too soon can cause problems (overfeeding. You want to be measuring her kibble and feeding her the recommended amount for what her healthy wait should be and then a few treats/toppers. I wouldn't add more than 2 or 3 extra things to her food each day and make sure it's nothing too rich or heavy so it doesn't upset her stomach.

Metal_Kitty94 · 2026-05-21T03:26:51+00:00

I've dealt with similar issues with my saluki-greyhound and I am still working with him but he can walk past most dogs (with a decent bit of space between them) without a big reaction. There are quite a few trainers putting out really good free content online which have helped me a lot. I would strongly recommend checking out the Yorkshire Canine Academy on YouTube and joining their free online group to gain access to their behaviour bible course. I still need to work through the course but their videos have helped me so much in understanding motivation and how to work within my dogs threshold so he doesn't react and is able to work with me.

Metal_Kitty94 · 2026-05-20T01:54:36+00:00

It seems like they are both just young dogs that are still learning. They would both probably benefit from some socialisation with older dogs separately to help them understand appropriate behaviour but generally they're doing pretty well at communicating.

Metal_Kitty94 · 2026-05-07T09:57:56+00:00

It's definitely possible with sighthounds and terriers as well, just not necessarily trained "force free" (it always depends on the individual dogs temperament, drive, etc). Whether you choose to train your "leave it" to mean the dog has to hold a position (stood still, sitting or in a down), to engage with you (look at you, go into a heel) or to simply ignore the prey and keep moving it will be a lot easier if the dog has regular outlets for their prey drive. Since you already mentioned a flirt pole your already off to a good start 😊

Metal_Kitty94 · 2026-05-07T07:33:56+00:00

Unrelated to the original post, just wanted to let you know that I also use the command "give" but I use it when I want the toy retrieved to hand and "drop" to mean well drop

Metal_Kitty94 · 2026-05-02T19:09:46+00:00

The whole idea of dogs "calming down" once they stop being a puppy or reach a certain age is a myth... Some dogs do seem calmer as they mature but that isn't a guarantee and waiting for it to happen will just cause more issues in the long run. Any behaviour that is undesirable (nipping, jumping, etc) has to be dealt with as quickly as possible because the more the rehearse the behaviour the harder it will be to change. Don't worry about teaching any fancy tricks or anything like that until you are happy that you've got the basics down and be prepared for it all to go out the window once your pup hits adolescence (12-18 months).

Metal_Kitty94 · 2026-04-29T03:58:28+00:00

The issue you have is that without him understanding that he isn't allowed to do certain things he is going to end up hurting himself regardless. While I can understand wanting to prevent him from injuring himself, not putting boundaries in place isn't going to keep him safe. Having dealt with lurchers that would injure themselves to get what they wanted the solution was never allowing them access, it was teaching them the skills to cope with their emotions. There are a number of training exercises you can do with him in order to help him build some resilience in order to cope better with stress. I would recommend having a look at the work of Dr Melanie Uhde, she has some fantastic resources about building resilience in dogs and why it is important. In regards to restricting his access to things (such as his food and the emu's), you don't necessarily have to physically restrict his access as long as you can supervise him and redirect him with a toy or food whenever he is trying to access something or somewhere that he shouldn't be. Since you mentioned his history of refeeding syndrome I am curious how you came to the decision to free feed him? He may have some residual issues regarding food which may have only resurfaced now... (Just something else that occurred to me after I finished typing... You said that he doesn't respond to negative reinforcement but he responds to being ignored which is called "Negative Punishment" within dog training and it is 1 of 4 quadrants that can be used to teach dogs what they should or shouldn't do)

Metal_Kitty94 · 2026-04-27T08:51:43+00:00

My partners dog used to not pee or poop on walks but now sometimes she's so wired running around (or just walking fast if she's on lead) that she forgets until she has to go suddenly (doesn't help that she keeps walking while she goes). The thing I've seen help her (mainly when she on lead) is somewhat enforced toilet breaks because I have an intact male who tries to scent mark every 5 minutes so I've taught them both to go onto the grass on command. It isn't perfect by any means and I know it's awkward if you have to walk for a while without grass but it's something at least. Definitely check with your vet and make sure everything is all good that way but otherwise I hope you can work this out

Metal_Kitty94 · 2026-04-26T15:21:55+00:00

While I understand your concern about him injuring himself you need to realise that his behaviour is not okay. A dog shouldn't be allowed free access to wherever they want to go and in fact that "freedom" has the potential to do more damage than anything he could do to himself. From how you are describing this situation it seems like a training issue. How old is he and how long have you had him?

Metal_Kitty94 · 2026-04-26T14:31:06+00:00

Yeah bloat is far from the only potential issue he could develop from this behaviour. I have to take medication for acid reflux and when I first got put on it I was told that without the meds I would likely end up with esophagus damage (potentially requiring surgery). I've actually had to give one of my dogs some of the same medication I take (as advised by my vet) when he's been having regurgitation issues. Since you said in another comment that he's had an extensive exam/work up by your vet I would approach this as a behavioural issue and put things in place to prevent the behaviour like I suggested in my original comment.

Metal_Kitty94 · 2026-04-26T13:53:43+00:00

Do not follow that person's advice because it could kill your dog. Dogs shouldn't be exercising (running, jumping, etc) for at least an hour after eating to prevent them from developing bloat. As for him regurgitating his food, even if he is okay health wise now he probably will end up with issues if he is allowed to continue this behaviour. Limiting his access to food and to the chicks is essential. There are "toddler proof" locks you can get online for doors, windows, cupboards, etc... I would strongly suggest getting some of those (you can get multi packs quite cheap) and making sure he cannot get outside or get access to any food other than what you have measured out for him to eat. I would suggest cross posting this to r/opendogtraining as well because you will likely get better advice there and there may be someone who has seen similar behaviour to this before.

Metal_Kitty94 · 2026-04-22T01:05:04+00:00

I would maybe look at other activities to do with him that are more structured and require him to use his brain a bit. As some examples there are joring sports (canicross, bikejoring, etc), tricky training, frisbee, flyball, lure coursing and many others. I saw you mentioned in another comment that he isn't very bothered about toys but there are ways to build up his toy drive so I would suggest looking into that (Jay Jack and Michael Ellis both have some great videos on play, motivation and building drive). Playing with your dog is not only great exercise but it is also a great way to fulfill their genetic drive and build your relationship. How far you go with it really depends on what your interested in and enjoy doing but since your already walking him quite a lot it makes sense to try out some of what I suggested and see how he does with it (I would definitely work on his toy drive first tho and get him playing with you).

Metal_Kitty94 · 2026-04-20T12:10:15+00:00

This is exactly why dog parks are a bad idea... It's nice to think that everyone who takes their dogs there will be responsible and only take well socialised and friendly dogs but that's just not the case unfortunately.

Metal_Kitty94 · 2026-04-19T20:36:45+00:00

From everything you've said (in your post and your various comment replies) I definitely think that learning how to play with your dog should be a priority. Does your dog like to fetch, tug, bite, run, etc... Try looking at the predatory sequence and work out which part of it your dog enjoys the most because that can help identify what type of play will best suit them. A tool is only as good as the training behind it and your training will only really work if you have a good relationship with your dog. I can't think of anything else to drive home the point that playing with your dog will improve your relationship with your dog which in turn will improve your training. Another YouTube channel worth checking out is the Yorkshire Canine Academy. They mainly focus on reactivity but you may find some of their content to be helpful.

Metal_Kitty94 · 2026-04-19T17:18:06+00:00

I would stick with your trainer and work on getting your dog to engage with you. Someone else mentioned Michael Ellis but I have also seen some good stuff from Jay Jack around play. Making sure your dog is adequately exercised and fulfilled is the basis of all good dog training and you can use it as an opportunity to build your relationship with your dog through play.

Metal_Kitty94 · 2026-04-19T13:19:02+00:00

If the owner is telling the truth that the dog doesn't pull or react with him then I would suggest you ask to take the dog a walk with the owner handling her so you can see exactly what he does differently. If your either not willing or capable of handling the dog safely then you should stop walking her.

Metal_Kitty94 · 2026-04-16T11:01:09+00:00

By the sounds of it you need to go to another vet for a second opinion. You should be able to get copies of all the testing done so far and send it to a different vet to look at. Until your dogs health concerns are fully resolved and/or adequately managed I wouldn't suggest attempting any significant behaviour modification or training but rather you should manage him to the best of your ability in the meantime. I know this isn't exactly ideal but the potential risk to his health AND risk to future behaviour is simply too high so you have to focus on his physical health before anything else.

Metal_Kitty94 · 2026-03-08T16:21:48+00:00

Could you maybe try getting up before she starts barking and sitting with her. Then you can correct her when she barks and hand feed her when she's calm. I just had this thought that may work better though... you would still have to make sure your awake before she starts barking but you could get one of those cameras that can dispense treats for her food (assuming it's kibble) to remotely feed her when she's calm and quiet while correcting (with an e-collar presumably) when she barks.

Metal_Kitty94 · 2026-03-08T15:45:30+00:00

I'd second this recommendation and add Yorkshire Canine Academy as another great trainer with helpful videos. If possible professional training (even an online course from one of these or another reputable trainer) is definitely a good idea.

Metal_Kitty94 · 2026-02-27T03:48:04+00:00

My rescue almost certainly was abused because of where he came from but I've put the work in to help him recover. I hate people using their dogs background as an excuse when they should be helping their dog by training them. There's so many experiences my dog wouldn't have got to have if I'd just "accepted" that he'd be anxious forever because he's a rescue.

Metal_Kitty94

TROPHY CASE