Stubborn Dog

[Andy]

I agree with the opportunites for exercising and providing items he is allowed to chew on.

For Chewy, we had one bad behavior that was absolutely not tolerated - using humans as a chew toy. We put just a few coins in an empty pop can and shook it every time Chewy started this bad behavior. Just a few shakes is needed. Many dogs will respond to this sound by stopping what they are about to do. With your puppy, I would do this whenever he starts to get onto the table or counter. This takes perservence on your end. It works best when it is done EVERY time he tries. If it is going to work at all, you will see improvement almost immediately. If it is not working within a few days, discontinue.

The kennel that we board Chewy in has a friend of mine who brings her dog on days Chewy is there. They get to play! I see very positive behaviors in Chewy after I pick her up from the kennel because she has had the opportunity to expend that puppy energy in a positive way. Like all dogs, she listens better when exercised because she feels better.

We used the can thing very sparingly - just for one or two behaviors that was most intolerable. You don't want to have his day spent with a can being shaken at him for everything - that would be cruel and make the can ineffective. When she starts getting up on tables/counters, I will bring out the can again. For everything else, we practice redirection - a bone or toy that she is allowed to chew, time spent in treat training sit-stay-down and loose leash walking (that is one you need to get working on), and some pre-agility obsticle course activities (through a tunnel, weaving, on a board, ect - as someone said, no jumping for atleast one to one and one-half years).

We do the treat training. Having a set time each day to focus on training is most helpful - very short times but the focus is on him. Carry treats with you so you can treat good behavior as it happens - every time you ask for a good behavior, it needs to be recognized as such when accomplished. When he gets older, you can wean off the treats and expect the behavior but for now every act needs acknowledgement (can be a "Good dog" with a petting - not necessarily a food treat).

The key is finding positive things to chew on and ways to use that puppy energy. One thing that worked for us was a laser light. Chewy loved to chase the light and try to figure out how to catch it and why she couldn't catch it. She did all the running and I didn't have to keep up. Also try having two people each with treats call her to come. One person calls and the other move somewhere else to call him back. He gets treats from both people and again, she runs while you don't have to keep up. He gets to figure out where the other person moved to.

 

[susiestar]

Andy, please please please be VERY VERY CAREFUL with laser lights. they are okay for indoor dogs who are not out running in fields. But for ANY dog who needs as much running as Mama5's dog, they are incredibly DANGEROUS.

Not only can ANYONE with a laser light get your dog to come with him, your dog CANNOT distinguish between the laser light and a flashlight or car headlight. We almost lost my bro's dog to that - he would run head on at cars to chase that light. Anyone out walking wth a flashlight was there to play with him, and he would go with them.

Laser lights are tempting because they take a lot less of our energy than throwing a ball or stick or frisbee, or doing many other activities with the dog. It is just not fair or right to teach a dog to chase a light when the lights that he may see a LOT of are car headlights that are out at night at anytime and when chasing them is highly likely to mean being hit by a car. It is hard to take a dog anywhere at night when they want to chase those moving lights that are everywhere. It is even more dangerous if you dog gets loose at night - it is hard to avoid seeing headlights at night.

I know it sounds like I am being over-reactive, but I have seen quite a LOT of dogs in our area who are taught to chase laser lights and then come close to getting hit by cars because they get away from their owners. The vets in our area have begun warning pet owners about this, and they have seen a LOT of dogs who have been hit by cars because of this. The ER has seen more accidents recently that were caused because a driver swerved to miss a dog that was running to chase the headlights too. Our vet's son works at the ER and she mentioned it the other day when we stopped by to drop something off to my mom.

 

[Andy]

Susiestar - Thanks for the warning. We only did it indoors when she was younger - it has been a few months - so I have not seen what it can lead to. VERY good to know! We are still working on the retreiving which Chewy is starting to understand (finally!). She is now 8 months old and still is trying to learn "come" let alone bringing us something we have thrown (even a foot or two away - but did some the other night so .... someday!).

 

[Mamaof5]

*sigh* Just not having any luck with dogs lately...

The pup is improving to an extent. He ate a pair of 80 dollar headphones earlier this week (which were put away on a shelf no less). However, he's had no other incidents since that episode on Wednesday.

It's my old man, Kemo. He is now on prevacid (yes vet approved) for getting into advil. So on top of the prevacid to keep the ulcers from bleeding he's on a no food diet for another 12 hours and he is MISERABLE. It's been proven not to be a blockage (he's fully functional if you catch my drift) and he's drinking lots of water and electrolyte replacements. I never thought I'd have a dog on prevacid...money I didn't have to spend that was spent later...GRRR...not a good week this week.

 

[FlowerGarden]

My friend uses a spray bottle filled with water. Whenever one of her dogs gets into something they shouldn't, and she catches them in the act, she sprays the water at them. It is to the point she just has to pick up the bottle and they stop what they are doing.

 

[Steely]

Oh poor Kemo. Not to freak you out, but this is how my dog Chester died. (He was also 15-ish). He was SO sick. I hope Kemo gets feeling better soon.

 

[Mamaof5]

Oh poor Kemo. Not to freak you out, but this is how my dog Chester died. (He was also 15-ish). He was SO sick. I hope Kemo gets feeling better soon.

Yesterday he couldn't hold down even water. Last night he was holding water, today he's holding water well. Yesterday he puked up the prevacid but today kept it down. He's spunkier than last night (slept mostly and stayed on stayed in an upright position now he's laying on his side again).

His gums are pink compared to the slightly grayish it was yesterday and the day before. He maybe puked twice today (yesterday was approximately 3 or 4 times an hour). It's still granular the vimetrus (vomit) but lighter brown compared to the very dark brown\black it was yesterday. The bleeding ulcers are slowing down. He's only slightly dehydrated compared to yesterday. He's starving though. I'm going with the doggie version of the brat diet for him in the morning. Start with liquid no salt chicken broth, on to boiled chicken (small pieces, smaller meals) then start reintroducing his doggie food (I buy all natural special diet that costs me 45 bucks at a local pet store, they make it themselves) slowly with no salt broth.

The work involved. Funny thing is, even if I drop an advil on the floor he doesn't go after it. Because of halloween though he must have mistaken a missed pill (they were dropped) or two that weren't found right away in my room for candy. Sweet sugary coating on the advil pills makes for a bad bad mistake.

Mo Man (aka kemo) is 9 yrs old going on 10 in April. *sigh* he is improving s.l.o.w.l.y but surely.

On a brighter note, pup has been taking care of old man by keeping close and being a comfort to him (to his annoyance though lol) but you know the pup (Koda) loves and cares for him. So do we. Mo Man hasn't left my side very often in the last two days though, he sleeps under my desk in my bedroom (where he most likely found the advil pills that were dropped). I could just cry, I mean the money is nothing. I'd give my left arm for Mo Man, he's like one of my kids but I hate seeing him so dang miserable like this...

Wish me a better dog week next week please and thank you!

 

[Steely]

Yes-sending you a MUCH better dog week from now on!!!!

Chester wouldn't even drink chicken broth let alone water - and forget the Pedialyte theory. The dogs can taste whatever is in it, and hate it. Slowly I just stated giving Chester baby food, and then that increased his water consumption.
I shouldn't really say advil is is how Chess died, I actually had to put him down - because on top of him struggling physically - we discovered he had cancer. God, I miss that dog. I had to put him down 3 days after I got fired.........life blew. I cried so inconsolably that I think the vet became worried. Later, he sent me a super nice card. Dogs - they are amazing anchors to our life.

 

[Mamaof5]

Yes-sending you a MUCH better dog week from now on!!!!

Chester wouldn't even drink chicken broth let alone water - and forget the Pedialyte theory. The dogs can taste whatever is in it, and hate it. Slowly I just stated giving Chester baby food, and then that increased his water consumption.
I shouldn't really say advil is is how Chess died, I actually had to put him down - because on top of him struggling physically - we discovered he had cancer. God, I miss that dog. I had to put him down 3 days after I got fired.........life blew. I cried so inconsolably that I think the vet became worried. Later, he sent me a super nice card. Dogs - they are amazing anchors to our life.

I'm so sorry you had to go through that. I would die inside if Mo Man (I have so many pet names for him - pun intended... mo mo, mo man, momilies, momer, ke-mo-mo...I love my furry little fuuu yeah you get it right! LOL).

It is ABSOLUTELY TRUE that dogs are really our anchors in life. I did an article once on how dog behavior changes with chronic pain patients. How they seem to just get us as fibromites or chronic pain patients and how they accommodate us and all. When I'm feeling really bad or in the dumps it's momo man that plops his head in my lap and looks up at me with those big doggy eyes that say "hey, it's all gonna be okay mama". He'll chest bump my knee or sit on my feet and give that special momo man hug (wraps his head around me, kind like someone pulls you into them and wraps an arm around you except..he doesn't have an arm to do that with so he uses his head instead).

I love that fur brat of mine, he's like one of my kids.