I wrote;

I also got a crate that I call the pokey - he gets put in it as he doesn't want me out of his sight even if my husband is with him so nipping that in the bud. I tell him to get in the pokey and his ears flop a bit as he slinks in.

I should clarify this to state that I don't make it a punishment - he knows that when he goes in it I will go away for a few minutes so he doesn't like it. He gets very agitated when I am out of his sight even with my husband and I know this isn't good. I got a PM suggesting I make crating him for separation issues more fun and I will. Better treats and toys and a happier voice when I leave and come back. I appreciate any suggestions on helping him feel cope better when he can't see me.

The word pokey to me is funny - but I don't treat him like I am putting him in jail - just my sense of humor.

Edited by Maggie MacDonald (05/28/2013 11:09 AM)
Edit reason: clarity

Oh, you're right to clarify. I already knew about "the pokey," but it could read like the crate was used as punishment.

We don't want anyone reading the thread to think that the crate is ever used as punishment. It's the dog's safe haven.

Besides this:
"I got a PM suggesting I make crating him for separation issues more fun and I will. .... I appreciate any suggestions on helping him cope better when he can't see me,"
I would also make no production of your leaving and returning. Also, sometimes I would leave and return almost instantly. I'd make random leavetaking and returning (with random lengths of time) a normal part of the day, even if I had to make them up.

In fact, leaving and then returning before he can react at all helps to put your leavetaking into the "unimportant" category. I don't know about happy voice, though .... I tend to make it less important than something requiring announcements,

(Adopted dogs often come with clinginess; putting the least possibly attention on it as I show how undramatic it is works for me. )

" ... he knows that when he goes in it I will go away for a few minutes so he doesn't like it."



PS

I would also make sure going in there isn't associated only with you leaving. Random pleasant associations .....

Thanks Connie - yes I have been working on making the crate not a big deal - sometimes even if I don't leave the room, I put him in it .. or as you said, make up reasons to leave for varying lengths of time.

He is doing well in it now - same as he does with his bed crate - he waits in a sit or a down until I put his leash back on. I don't make it an event - just a part of his life.

It's nice to have the freedom I have to admit. Thanks fr the advice.

How's it going with socializing? I'm hoping we get some responses here about non-reactive-distance acclimatizing to other dogs, shopping crowds, and so on.

I know from the puppy experts that he is right now in a very important "get used to it" age.

Well, I’m far from a “puppy expert,” but I’ll add two cents worth on the value of socializing--it’s a topic that I think is vitally important and sometimes overlooked in the realm of puppy-rearing. Everyone is naturally focused on issues like house-training, crate training, bite inhibition, intro to obedience, etc. as well as puppy health issues--but I’m convinced by my own experience that a well-planned socialization period with pups will help avoid a lot of potential behavioral issues down the line.

Daily--or as often as you can manage it--puppies should be exposed to as many “new” things as you can think of. This will vary, of course, by where you live, and the kinds of things the dog might later encounter, so you have to do a little forward-thinking. What are the experiences your dog will likely encounter in his life? The categories to think about include these (and many more):

Surfaces: beach sand, tall grass, gravel, wood chips, concrete, carpeting, tile, slick floors, open stairs, shallow water, wobbly bridges? Expose your pup to walking across as many different kinds of surfaces as you can think of.

People: dogs are funny about the categories they see among people--obvious things like gender, age, and race--but also things like people in wheelchairs, people with canes or walkers, babies in strollers, or even people in hats or dark glasses can be perceived as “strange” (and therefore scary). Finding opportunities where your dog can safely observe as many different shapes, sizes, and colors of people is an important part of socializing.

Noises: a big one, IMO, and this one will really depend on where you live--in my inner-city neighborhood, we have lots of sirens, loud car stereos, motorcycles, general traffic noises, sidewalk cafes, shopping carts, car washes, etc. Some pups will need socializing to the sounds of farm machinery (or farm animals, for that matter), gun fire, or power tools. Don’t forget the sounds inside the home too--vacuum cleaners, door bells, paper shredder, smoke alarms, or just the banging of pots and pans. Pups need to learn that the world is filled with random and sometimes loud sounds--but that they aren’t anything to be startled by.

Body handling: a big one for me (that vet techs everywhere will thank you for later) is getting your pup very comfortable with having any part of his body touched, poked and prodded. Whether they need it or not, I start a weekly “grooming” routine with every pup that includes handling their feet (and grinding nails), brushing teeth (with your hands in the mouth), examining ears (including sticking your fingers in there) and going over the entire body including genitals, anus, etc., gently flexing joints, checking arm pits. With enough treats and patience, pups will submit to nearly anything if you start early enough and do it often.

Socializing rule #1 is not to force anything on a pup that shows fear to a new thing. Remove the pup to a distance that he can see/hear the new thing and only gradually reduce the distance. In my experience, most pups will look to you to gauge your reaction to the thing---if you don’t respond to it, they may not either. If you “pretend” you don’t even hear the motorcycle go by, they may not react at all. If you “pretend” that the man in the wheelchair is no different than anybody else on the sidewalk, the dog may not react either. So don’t set these things up as “important moments”--they just happen, and are no big deal.

If a pup shows fear, ignore it. Definitely don’t coddle them (stroke or coo) to try to soothe a fearful pup. I think that only reinforces it.

Connie, thank you for bringing up the topic and Tracy, I appreciate your wise advice very much.

Heiland is baking at other dogs - a lot - it's been a problem for 2 days now. We were in a pet store so I could try on some collars to get the right size when dog appeared out of no where and NOT on a leash.

I got between my pup and the dog and Heiland wasn't harmed but he didn't like his personal space invaded and he barked a lot - the idiot with the unleashed dog got upset at me and my pup because Heiland 'scared' his dog. Thankfully before I started to really tell him what I thought of him the owner of the feed store ordered him out. They then apologized to me but since then Heiland barks at all dogs. He was tired and hungry too as we had just come from the trainers.

I had him at the vets today - he was excellent there as I do go over every inch of him on a daily basis and it paid off - but he barked at the other dogs there.

After the vets we took him to a shopping center and had him observe dogs from a distance and he was OK - but only if they were quite far away. There are 2 other dogs that share the property I live on and I will have him interact with them after his nap. I will take him every day to town so he can see dogs but not too close.

I am totally POed at idiots who not only don't have their dogs on a leash but get mad if the other dog reacts - I have ordered the bear spray from LB - of course I can only use it outside but Heiland will not be put in that situation again. I won't spray indiscriminately but I will if a dog tries to attack him.

Tracy, thanks for the reminder not to coddle him - I didn't because I had read it here and it's in the videos as well - good thing as of course that's a moms (dads too) first instinct but I am trying very hard to do the right things with my guy.

 Quote: Tracy Collins

Well, I’m far from a “puppy expert,” but I’ll add two cents worth on the value of socializing--it’s a topic that I think is vitally important and sometimes overlooked in the realm of puppy-rearing. Everyone is naturally focused on issues like house-training, crate training, bite inhibition, intro to obedience, etc. as well as puppy health issues--but I’m convinced by my own experience that a well-planned socialization period with pups will help avoid a lot of potential behavioral issues down the line.

Daily--or as often as you can manage it--puppies should be exposed to as many “new” things as you can think of. This will vary, of course, by where you live, and the kinds of things the dog might later encounter, so you have to do a little forward-thinking. What are the experiences your dog will likely encounter in his life? The categories to think about include these (and many more):

Surfaces: beach sand, tall grass, gravel, wood chips, concrete, carpeting, tile, slick floors, open stairs, shallow water, wobbly bridges? Expose your pup to walking across as many different kinds of surfaces as you can think of.

People: dogs are funny about the categories they see among people--obvious things like gender, age, and race--but also things like people in wheelchairs, people with canes or walkers, babies in strollers, or even people in hats or dark glasses can be perceived as “strange” (and therefore scary). Finding opportunities where your dog can safely observe as many different shapes, sizes, and colors of people is an important part of socializing.

Noises: a big one, IMO, and this one will really depend on where you live--in my inner-city neighborhood, we have lots of sirens, loud car stereos, motorcycles, general traffic noises, sidewalk cafes, shopping carts, car washes, etc. Some pups will need socializing to the sounds of farm machinery (or farm animals, for that matter), gun fire, or power tools. Don’t forget the sounds inside the home too--vacuum cleaners, door bells, paper shredder, smoke alarms, or just the banging of pots and pans. Pups need to learn that the world is filled with random and sometimes loud sounds--but that they aren’t anything to be startled by.

Body handling: a big one for me (that vet techs everywhere will thank you for later) is getting your pup very comfortable with having any part of his body touched, poked and prodded. Whether they need it or not, I start a weekly “grooming” routine with every pup that includes handling their feet (and grinding nails), brushing teeth (with your hands in the mouth), examining ears (including sticking your fingers in there) and going over the entire body including genitals, anus, etc., gently flexing joints, checking arm pits. With enough treats and patience, pups will submit to nearly anything if you start early enough and do it often.

Socializing rule #1 is not to force anything on a pup that shows fear to a new thing. Remove the pup to a distance that he can see/hear the new thing and only gradually reduce the distance. In my experience, most pups will look to you to gauge your reaction to the thing---if you don’t respond to it, they may not either. If you “pretend” you don’t even hear the motorcycle go by, they may not react at all. If you “pretend” that the man in the wheelchair is no different than anybody else on the sidewalk, the dog may not react either. So don’t set these things up as “important moments”--they just happen, and are no big deal.

If a pup shows fear, ignore it. Definitely don’t coddle them (stroke or coo) to try to soothe a fearful pup. I think that only reinforces it.

Tracy, a billboard post for sure.

"I am totally POed at idiots who not only don't have their dogs on a leash but get mad if the other dog reacts"

Join the club. It's a huge club with millions of us in it. Unfortunately.



I quietly scan all the time. No big deal, just second nature by now. I make it a point to see the dog 4 blocks down the street who is 12 feet from his owner (or no owner), and we calmly choose a different route, all before my dogs are ever aware of it.

I don't go to dog parks (pretty much goes without saying among regulars on this board ), and I don't take my dogs into petsmart-type stores. (I do use them for edge-of-parking-lot work with a reactive dog, though. Lots of dogs coming and going, but not close, and I set the distance.)

When we are "desensitizing" at a distance from a trigger, we are doing stuff. We are doing rewarded focus work, upbeat marker work, etc., that's too much fun and too well rewarded for the dog to want to zoom in on anything else that's in the background.

PERFECT post Tracy....you are so correct...so many overlook the importance of the optimum socialization period of 8-12 weeks of age with some extension to 16 weeks.

You only have that time frame one time around & all experiences should be positive experiences. Those experiences good or bad are what the pup will carry throughout his entire life. Make them count!

Pups that you have fear of exposing to 'germs' when limited vaccine protection is in place...can still be exposed to many things if carried around in areas that you feel are 'threatening' to put them down on the groud. Now that does not mean to carry them everywhere...just is those areas that you may feel are a bit unsafe at that time in the pups immunization cycle....making sure to revisit those places again when vaccine protection permits.
My pups go everywhere with me in my truck & get alot of exposure to see & hear many things that way also.

You can NEVER over socialize pups. For future service dogs...remember to visit office buildings with elevators, revolving doors, automatic doors, fire escape stairs, all kinds of stores, home depot type stores, every & any place that you can gain access to. Buss stations, train stations, schools, sport events etc etc. For some stores...I would often go in ahead & ask the manager if it is ok to bring the pup in & many are happy to comply with puppies. Many times for future service dogs....your doctor & dentist may allow you to bring your puppy in for a couple of minutes to expose him to the sounds & smells of a medical office.

I also visit boat docks & ramps in all kinds of weather as the docks bounce around in rougher water & wind. Also getting on & off boats..if this is in your pups future.