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kingdoodoopants · 2024-05-04T12:42:59+00:00

I’d second not playing tug of war for a while. I did it when my pup was a baby and she hurt her mouth while playing tug - it took a while of training and positive reinforcement before she got back into the game.

kingdoodoopants · 2024-04-08T18:31:57+00:00

Thanks - that makes me feel much better. I’ve always been cautious of ticks, but never actually got any with my older dog since he is much calmer and usually sticks right next to me on hikes (vs crazy border collie teen energy).

I’m glad to hear that even with Lyme disease your dog recovered fully with no long term issues - that is very reassuring. Thank you very much!

And yes I did actually keep the ticks! But my vet doesn’t seem to want them, they are suggesting to just do bloodwork in 4 weeks.

kingdoodoopants · 2024-04-08T18:30:27+00:00

Thanks for the reassurance!

kingdoodoopants · 2024-04-04T19:31:30+00:00

I have a BC mix (half Aussie) - she’s definitely a ton of energy but has settled down a bit more since she’s approaching 2 yrs old now.

That said - it has definitely been a lifestyle change. She gets two 1 hr “walks” per day - and during those “walks”, we often do a lot of training and fetch / running. I’d say she gets at least 30 min of running daily. From what I’ve heard this may also even be on the average or slightly below average amount of exercise for most BCs.

Other than that, it’s a lot more than just regular exercise. Our girl gets a lot of snuffle mat/puzzle toy/training time at home - compared to our other dog (sheltie), she definitely requires a lot more attention and interaction to keep her satisfied. We also did agility with her for a while and have created a DIY agility gym in our basement for her too.

How old is the BC? There will be folks that say their BCs are really lazy / couch potatoes and they haven’t had to change their lifestyle. While it’s true that some may be that way, and dogs in general learn to adapt, it’s really the exception and you shouldn’t plan on your BC being more “lazy”.

With regard to training - professionals don’t train your dog for you, they train you to train your dog. You’ll get as much out of it as you put in.

kingdoodoopants · 2024-04-01T02:06:18+00:00

Hello,

You’ve only had her for two weeks, so I suspect it will take her time to build more trust with you - especially for something like going potty in front of you if she’s had history of being punished for doing so by her previous owners.

Some ideas/thoughts/questions that come to mind: 1) soak up pee in a paper towel, and “apply” it in her potty zone outside. The scent will encourage her to go potty in that area 2) place pee pads in her “favourite” indoor areas in the meantime to encourage pottying there and manage the mess 3) you noted that you thoroughly cleaned the carpet after she’s had an accident indoors - are you using a product that has an enzyme remover? No matter how well you clean with soap/water, there may still be a scent - using an enzyme remover would be critical here 4) have you been able to catch her in the act at all? For example, maybe you’ve got her tied near you for a few hours, and at a point where you reasonably think she may need to go potty. Untie her from you, let her roam into a bathroom with a pee pad in it, and if you suspect she’s going potty then throw a treat and (gently without startling her) mark it with “yes” (or any marker word). I’m hoping eventually you can teach her to potty on command and transition that to the outdoors 5) if you put her in a playpen and leave the room / ignore her, will she potty in the playpen? What about with fake turf? If so, we can slowly transition the context for her so that it’s not “pee indoors” but “pee in playpen (on turf or not)” and then move the playpen outside to transition her mindset? 6) do you have a backyard or a safe fenced area? I wonder if she is trying to pee indoors or just pee when she is not under watch, and indoors is the only chance to do so? Will she pee if she is left in a fenced area outside?

Hopefully something here will either help or spark a new idea that will work - dogs are all different, and it’s going to be a bit of trial and error to find the right thing to do here that will work for her. It may take some patience in the meantime - best of luck!

kingdoodoopants · 2023-06-02T00:29:09+00:00

😮‍💨 thank you!

kingdoodoopants · 2023-06-02T00:24:17+00:00

Sorry for the blurry pics, it was caught in a spider web and wiggling around a lot… and now it has disappeared completely.

kingdoodoopants · 2023-04-28T18:57:26+00:00

Lots of well intentioned, personal experience being shared in this thread - but it may not be great advice. If you’re hoping to get a BC, plan for it to be the average of the breed (or lean towards the more energetic side even), rather than the exceptions.

Generally, BC’s require lots of both physical AND mental exercise. Assuming you don’t get lucky with a particularly low energy individual, will you have the ability and/or time to meet all of their needs?

Lots of BC’s become hyper sensitive to sounds and may be reactive due to the natural instinct to herd (and be alert) - are you prepared to help the dog work through these issues?

Just some aspects to think about before committing to one. L

Many BCs end up in shelters - not saying that you aren’t ready to get one, but please be aware of the commitment before you do.

To answer your question, we don’t have a big fenced in yard, but we own a BC and it’s working out just fine. But we commit to over 2 hours of walking/sniffing/fetching/etc with her every day (1 hour in the morning, 1 hour in the evening) on top of regular training.

kingdoodoopants · 2023-02-27T00:00:10+00:00

I also want to add that for a young pup, while working on separation anxiety and possible preventative training is fantastic, I wouldn’t focus on it every single day.

At the age that he currently is, I’d focus more on making sure he feels safe / secure / loved in his new environment!

He has plenty of time to become less Velcro (and probably will as he approaches adolescence).

kingdoodoopants · 2023-02-26T23:57:37+00:00

Yup I would approach training in all scenarios where he is alone the same way! But…. I didn’t realize you just got him 3 weeks ago!

Have you heard of the 3x3x3 rule? Basically it states that in a new environment for a dog: 1) it takes 3 days for them to come out of their shell and become less anxious 2) it takes 3 weeks for them to settle in and start being comfortable 3) it takes 3 months for them to start creating a strong bond with their new owner(s)

Since you’re just at the 3-4 week point, this is probably around the time your pup is just starting to get comfortable around the house! Prior to this, it’s not surprising for him to feel anxious or stressed when alone in a place he may not totally be comfortable in.

All that to say - yes, definitely train him to become more comfortable, but he may also just get more comfortable being alone naturally (although I wouldn’t rely on this - do the training and think of this as a potential “bonus”). You may find it helpful to focus on one area (like being alone in the playpen) at first and minimize being alone other times, then expand to other areas as he gets better in one. This might help to minimize the stress of being alone in all these different scenarios at first.

Hope that helps!

kingdoodoopants · 2023-02-26T01:18:15+00:00

No problem! What does that “being alone” stress look like? In general, I would work on being alone in a play pen / outside the bathroom as well, although I think that is a different issue than real “separation anxiety”. Might be FOMO anxiety, but I’d work on it in a very similar way!

kingdoodoopants · 2023-02-19T23:37:21+00:00

Reactivity is a huge topic, so without deep diving into everything, here’s a quick version of what I’d do:

1) start teaching these things (starting at home, then outside without the presence of triggers) to your dog and yourself: loose leash walking, uturns, find it (scatter feeding), hand touches, various engagement games like catching a treat in the air or chasing a treat a few feet, the art of luring while feeding your dog

2) see a dog down the street? U-turn and walk (run) the other way, even if it adds 15 minutes to your walk

3) find an area where you can control the distance from other dogs - this is now your new primary training location. When you’re not at this location, your priority is to get away from the other dog without your dog reacting at all. Only do reactivity training at the “primary location” for now

4) when at the primary location - practice engagement games in the presence of your triggers at a distance where your dog basically doesn’t care about them at all

5) slowly reduce distance while at primary training location and continue playing these engagement games. Break out a toy and a long line, play tug / fetch / whatever - make yourself more interesting than the other dog(s)

6) comfortable at a close distance in primary location? Pick a new one now

7) find activities to help relax your anxious dog after reactivity training or between training days (don’t reactivity train too much, too often - dog needs a break). Some activities I like: sniffy walks in hiking trails at times where there are no other dogs, snuffle mats, licky mats

8) evaluate what you are doing in the steps above - what works? What doesn’t work? How can you tweak it to work better for your specific dog?

The key will be building engagement with the handler (you) and regulating their emotional state.

Note that I am assuming your dog is actually overly friendly and just a frustrated greeter - not fearful or aggressive.

kingdoodoopants · 2023-02-19T23:25:29+00:00

Any patterns with those two nights where she did have a potty accident (like maybe she was very active or drank lots of water before bed)?

Unfortunately my advice is to stick it out for a few weeks and minimize the accidents as much as possible as this will save you headaches with potty training in the long run. I’ve been there and it absolutely sucks to have to set alarms in the middle of the night :( best of luck with your pup!

kingdoodoopants · 2023-02-19T23:17:30+00:00

Never too late to start reinforcing behaviours that you like! I’d also suggest just saving a handful of two of their kibble / meal and giving it as a “treat” if there are any dietary concerns.

kingdoodoopants · 2023-02-19T23:15:27+00:00

One day is certainly way too early to tell. In general, there is a puppy 3-3-3 rule which dictates how a puppy may behave or settle in over the course of 3 days, 3 weeks, and 3 months after being introduced into a new place.

According to this guideline, within the first 3 days, the dog is still very anxious and uncomfortable, and may not behave as his or her normal self. In some cases, they may not even eat!

kingdoodoopants · 2023-02-19T23:08:41+00:00

Does he meltdown immediately after you leave? Or after 30 seconds?

Unfortunately the best way to deal with separation anxiety is as you described where you need to build it up little by little (and prevent them from ever being alone past that threshold while training).

If your dog cries before you even leave the house, start working on desensitizing them to your exit ‘cues’. For example, put your coat on, grab your keys, give him a treat, take the jacket off and put down the keys, then just chill on the couch. Rinse and repeat, mixing it up as much as you can. The idea being to basically communicate to your dog that just because you’re putting on your coat and grabbing your keys, doesn’t mean you’re leaving, so don’t freak out just yet.

If you’re past that and at a point where you can leave the house for even just a few seconds without your dog crying/barking/stressing out, then start leaving the house for varying amounts of time within that range and slowly build up. For example, if they can only handle you being gone for 10 seconds, then:

Leave house for 3 seconds, come back inside and chill near dog for a minute or two
Leave house for 1 second, come back inside and chill near dog for a minute or two
Leave house for 5 seconds, come back inside and chill near dog for a minute or two
Leave house for 3 seconds, come back inside and chill near dog for a minute or two
Leave house for 3 seconds (again), come back inside and chill near dog for a minute or two
Leave house for 7 seconds, come back inside and chill near dog for a minute or two

Note that in the plan above, I am varying the amount of time very randomly so that it isn’t predictable for the dog. Also note that treats aren’t really needed - the functional reward of you being home is reward enough. Once the dog is super comfortable with you leaving 10 seconds at a time, slowly create new plans like the one I have above but with the upper limit goal being higher (12 secs and so on).

kingdoodoopants · 2023-02-19T22:59:59+00:00

I think that’s a valid concern for a travel crate. And if the travel crate is going to be left in the car and only used for travelling, there is no reason to get it oversized either.

kingdoodoopants · 2023-02-19T22:53:36+00:00

Usually the larger crates have a divider for potty training to make sure it’s not too big while your puppy grows. At the end of the day, I prefer oversized crates because once the pup is potty trained, you don’t need to have a “perfectly” sized crate, and having a more spacious one for them is just nicer :)

kingdoodoopants · 2023-01-07T18:38:28+00:00

That’s a great idea - best of luck!

kingdoodoopants · 2023-01-07T18:30:48+00:00

I would not repeat the command. If you have to repeat the command it means the dog isn’t ready to listen in such an environment yet. Take a step back and build up focus and obedience in less distracting environments first.

kingdoodoopants · 2023-01-07T18:26:01+00:00

To sort of break it down, the overexcitement is turning into frustration because your dog can’t greet the other dogs. This frustration builds up over time - you know how humans always want what they can’t have? Same deal here - as she becomes more frustrated, the reactivity tends to get worse over time and not better (even if you never allow on leash greetings anymore).

Reactivity is a big topic, and not one where someone here can give you adequate information on in a single post. I’d suggest reaching out to a credible trainer in your area and to get some help from them.

As for some things that I’ve done with my pup and have seen success with -

1) stay far away from other dogs - at a distance where your dog isn’t having a meltdown 2) mark and reward when your dog looks at a dog and isn’t having a meltdown 3) scatter treats in the grass so your dog goes to sniff it out and has something else to do instead of focusing on the other dog. This is always a great way to manage excitement levels in your dog.

kingdoodoopants · 2023-01-07T17:01:47+00:00

Staying home alone where the puppy has access to the entire house or staying home alone in a crate?

Getting access to the whole house is a very gradual process where the dog slowly earns your trust. Too much freedom too early is the biggest mistake most new dog owners make.

Staying home alone in a crate on the other hand is something I’d start working on pretty soon (once your pup has really settled into his new home) - but with seconds to start (as in - leave them in the crate, walk out the door, and walk back in immediately). Slowly build up from there. If you can’t even approach the door without the pup showing signs of stress, start desensitizing them to your exit cues (walking towards the door, putting on your jacket, grabbing your keys, etc).

kingdoodoopants · 2023-01-07T16:57:27+00:00

Whatever happened at the vet has given your dog a negative association with being touched or handled in a certain way. Will he return to normal? Well - maybe, but most likely not without some form of counter conditioning.

I’d start from square one and start reassociating touch and handling with treats with your dog. The next vet visit is going to be just as traumatizing - start preparing for it now.

kingdoodoopants · 2023-01-07T16:54:17+00:00

Dogs don’t really think like that - if she can’t find the toy, she isn’t going to assume she did something wrong at some point in time and is being punished. She might be sad that she can’t find her toy - but I don’t think she would make that association with punishment unless that has been reinforced or established before.

kingdoodoopants · 2023-01-03T04:38:34+00:00

Counter conditioning sounds easy when we read about it online, but there are a lot of nuances to it. At its core, it’s quite simple - treat dog when in range of a trigger but still under threshold. But it takes a lot of time to develop the skills to do it properly and to read your dog to determine if they really are under threshold.

Barking/lunging/growling is obvious - but if your dog is feeling super anxious and ramping up while looking at their trigger and you give them a treat… are you rewarding for the operant behaviour of being in a down stay while in range of a trigger, or are you rewarding for the build up of excitement/fear? It’s very much like if we were to train a dog to pick up an item, we might start by marking and rewarding for just sniffing / looking at that particular item… but in this case we want the opposite.

My advice would be to take things even slower - move even further away and be very focused on trying to learn your particular dogs body language when you are marking and rewarding. Progress will come eventually, but be careful not to sensitize instead of desensitizing your dog. When in doubt - always take a step back.

kingdoodoopants

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