 Re: So, The Honeymoon Is Over...
[Re: Aaron Myracle ]
#201338 - 07/10/2008 01:38 PM |
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Another thing, Melissa...
It has been pointed out so many times that mental exercise can be every bit as beneficial as physical exercise. The great thing is you don't even have to leave the house to do it. Motivational, positive OB sessions, (done behind a baby gate, for example, so you can keep an eye on the kids) will tire Winston out, teach him manners, and teach him pack structure.
Frequent, short sessions. You can do them one-armed, sitting down...shoot, you could spit treats to reward him, freeing up your hands entirely.
I'm glad you have the Pack Structure DVD. Personally, I think with so much going on in the house, pack structure will need to be implemented for everyone in the house, and not just Winston. I found for myself that when things get unmanagable it's time to strictly manage everything until the situation cools down.
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Re: So, The Honeymoon Is Over...
[Re: Connie Sutherland ]
#201342 - 07/10/2008 02:03 PM |
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Does he have to be crated, or can he simply be teathered away from your child(ren)?
Going back to an older post, how was the high indoor energy problem resolved?
Is it possible that the energy was simply redirected into the behavior that you're seeing now?
The answers and resolution to these two important issues are probably key here.
Oops. My error. Crating was NOT one of my "crucial issues;" sorry for the bad paste. They were:
How was the high indoor energy problem resolved?
and
Is it possible that the energy was simply redirected into the behavior that you're seeing now?
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Re: So, The Honeymoon Is Over...
[Re: Sarah Morris ]
#201343 - 07/10/2008 02:07 PM |
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It has been pointed out so many times that mental exercise can be every bit as beneficial as physical exercise. The great thing is you don't even have to leave the house to do it. Motivational, positive OB sessions, (done behind a baby gate, for example, so you can keep an eye on the kids) will tire Winston out, teach him manners, and teach him pack structure.
Frequent, short sessions. You can do them one-armed, sitting down...
HUGE.
Positive OB is fun for him, bonding for you both, tiring to him, and confidence-increasing to a dog with some (possible) fear-aggression in the background.
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Re: So, The Honeymoon Is Over...
[Re: Connie Sutherland ]
#201346 - 07/10/2008 02:14 PM |
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The energy hasn't been so much resolved as realizing what it actually was. He's skittish as all holy heck. He jumps around at noise, startles easily, tries to hide.
As far as excercise goes, he gets a lot. Typical day...Hubby takes him out at 6 am, and has him out for a good half hour to 45 minutes, running, walking, doing some OB. He then feeds him in his crate and heads off for work. Winston gets another walk around 9 am, after everyone's had breakfast, etc. Then again after lunch, again around 4pm, then after supper (7ish) and then before bed, btwn 9-10 pm. None of his walks are under 20 mins, and usually btwn 30-45 mins. I get my eldest to pull the wagon with the 2 youngest in it, and occasionally, due to bad weather or one of the littles napping, I allow her to walk him. I know, at almost 10 its not the greatest idea, but better than the dog not getting his exercise. She is a very mature kid though, and I've had her read the articles here on pack structure, and she'll be watching the dvd with us as well so she fully understands what the training is and the importance of it.
I'm honestly doing everything I can to address his issues, but I don't know how to make him unafraid and confident. The kids aren't allowed to maul him, rush him, etc. Nobody has EVER screwed with his food, he's never fed outside his crate (except for treats during training.
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Re: So, The Honeymoon Is Over...
[Re: Melissa Charles ]
#201347 - 07/10/2008 02:31 PM |
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Obedience work, time, and consistant pack structure will make a more confident dog. Not allowing people to loom over a small dog helps a lot too. Having unfamilier people get down on one knee, and look past the dog- not AT the dog, can be a great way to start socializing him.
There's nothing wrong, IMO, with a 10 year old walking a dog. I was walking full-grown Boxers at 12 years old. It all depends on the kid. BUT, beware of the dog getting confused about pack structure when so many different people take it for a walk.
My dog listens to simple commands from my husband- she'll recall, sit, go to her crate, and lay down on command. Beyond that, he doesn't give her commands. He doesn't walk her. He'll go on walks WITH us, but he never walks the dog. I'm her trainer- therefore I'm her walker.
Every single interaction your dog has, for the duration of it's life, is a form of training.
The question is, what is the dog learning?
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Re: So, The Honeymoon Is Over...
[Re: Aaron Myracle ]
#201350 - 07/10/2008 02:52 PM |
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Actually, we've followed Ed's advice and NOBODY is allowed to pet him when we're out. We haven't had company to the house since we've gotten him, and even the kids are taught not to pet him to leave him be when he's tethered to us. Mind you, the 22 mth old just crashing around has him jumpy as hell, and that's not even her approaching him.
I've emailed back and forth with the person I got him from, and she's now admitted that what she dismissed as 'puppy' behaviour is exactly what I'm seeing now in him. He was skittish and ducked and ran from her when she'd try to call him in the house, etc, but didn't worry about it because he'd follow along with the other pugs in her home. Apparently he was never 'friendly' with her, her husband or her dd...but she didn't have any alarm bells go off despite my being very clear about what we were looking for in a dog, and the personality and temperment that was needed.
Lesson learned on my end. Never again go anywhere but a registered out the wazoo breeder with tons of references. Although,if we can't resolve Winston's issues, I think I'll go with a cat. Or fish.
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Re: So, The Honeymoon Is Over...
[Re: Melissa Charles ]
#201352 - 07/10/2008 03:08 PM |
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I am such an animal lover and yet IMO there are SO many great dogs out there that need a home and your kids safety isn't worth messing with. I would call a Pug rescue. See if they have a canadate that would hbe better suited for your family.
Michelle
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Re: So, The Honeymoon Is Over...
[Re: Michelle Berdusco ]
#201361 - 07/10/2008 04:18 PM |
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I'm going back over all the Winston related posts, because I'm not convinced this is bad nerves, and I think Winston deserves, like any dog, a fair shake.
Tonight, my 22 mth old, attracted by the noise he was making, crouched down in front of the crate. She was a good 18 inches to 2 ft away, but he lost it, snapping and snarling at the door of the crate, even biting the wires.
That sounds almost like a toddler locked eyes with a dog while it was eating, and he flipped out. Not necessarily bad nerves. Some dogs are just food aggressive- especially one that came from a home with other dogs, and was permitted to get semi-doggy, and may have had to fight for his food.
Problem I'm having is that he gets completely hyper when in the house. Great in the yard, but in the house he's trying to run around, jumping up, etc.
That doesn't sound like bad nerves- that sounds like energy.
A nervous dog would be as bad, if not WORSE outside, where there are even more scarey things to peg their "freaked out" meter.
Coming in to the house after a walk, he'll start bounding around...
Again, that's not necessarily nerves.
And the fact that the kids cause him to be even more wound up, isn't automatically nerves either. Kids have that effect on puppies. They are closer to the ground, they move quicker, and their voices are higher pitched.
They're a lot like other puppies, and they get puppies worked up.
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Re: So, The Honeymoon Is Over...
[Re: Aaron Myracle ]
#201363 - 07/10/2008 04:24 PM |
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The fact that the toddler doing typical toddler wipeouts in the same room, freaks him out, isn't necessarily nerves, either.
If I was that small, a big person who loomed two feet over me, crashing to the ground, etc, would scare the crap out of me too!
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Re: So, The Honeymoon Is Over...
[Re: Aaron Myracle ]
#201368 - 07/10/2008 04:33 PM |
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She wasn't in the same room...or even in view. Noise scares the heck outta him. Littles were down for a nap, so I had him out in the yard tethered to me. He ducked around a railing and I was untangling him, which meant making him walk back around the railing...he tucked his tail btwn his legs, ducked his head and then growled at me. No idea wth brought it on, I was speaking in a nice tone, wasn't upset with him at all, nada. Just the fact that I had to get him to retrace his steps had him reacting.
Oh, and he brings his food to the end of his crate, and eats with his back/profile to the door of the crate, depending on if he thinks someone's around. I could see clearly what was happening when he went for the crate door. She was crouched almost on my feet (I was sitting on the couch) and babbled. He turned, growled and lunged at the crate door, biting at the wire. The growl and lunge was pretty much simultaneous. She wasn't attempting to touch the crate, gesture at it, nada. She just made noise cause she heard him carrying on,and he turned and attacked the front of the crate in response.
Edited by Melissa Charles (07/10/2008 04:38 PM)
Edit reason: add info
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