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Post by motdaugrnds on May 29, 2016 17:58:26 GMT
Maura has some great suggestions...as usual. The only thing I would add is for you to start including "silent body signals" with your commands. Example: When you tell her to "sit" raise your arm. When you tell her to "stay", put your palm toward her and hold it still, etc. (You can create your own signals.) Another I taught my GS was when to stay and when to follow me by the foot I used to step out with, i.e. stepping out with my right foot and she stayed; whereas, stepping out with my left foot and she started "heeling". It is fun and quite impressive when others see it occurring. Even now when I give my dogs (a Karakachan LGD and a labradore) treates, I do it with hand signals. This also contributes to their attentiveness as they never really know what instructions they're going to get. ROFL (When one or both come into my house uninvited, I just give them each a dirty look, raise my right arm and point my index finger toward to door. Both dogs turn right around and walk back out. LOL) As young as that puppy is, it will have a short attenton span; yet will pick up your signals quickly and, also learn your "intent" quickly. A tip in this regard: Be sure of yourself! In other words, if you want your dog to be sure about what you're asking it to do, be sure yourself that you actually mean it.
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Post by KyMama on May 30, 2016 12:24:28 GMT
Thank you. I tried the turning technique but that just made me dizzy because she would just run and pull in that direction. It was a very small square I was getting to walk. I think I will try using treats held at my side. I made a little pouch to hold her treats and maybe I can get her to associate the pouch with walking a little more calmly. That will also come in handy if we meet a stranger because I never seem to have treats on hand when we get company or see someone on our short walks. I know she will get it because she is smart girl, we just need more practice.
I started out using hand signals with her so she understands sit and stay already by word and signal. I thought stay would be hard for her, but that came pretty quick when she realized I wasn't going to put her food bowl down until she sat and stayed in the other room. Of course, I end up with puddles of drool in my living room, but it's worth it. lol
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Post by motdaugrnds on May 30, 2016 18:23:07 GMT
The jumping behavior can be stopped by the person she's jumping on standing still, not backing up and "touching" her with his/her fingers just under the neck. Do this until she completely stops and steps back giving that person their rightful space. (Oh yeas, I've been watching "Dog Whisperer" and his techniques work.)
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Post by KyMama on May 31, 2016 1:49:02 GMT
The jumping behavior can be stopped by the person she's jumping on standing still, not backing up and "touching" her with his/her fingers just under the neck. Do this until she completely stops and steps back giving that person their rightful space. (Oh yeas, I've been watching "Dog Whisperer" and his techniques work.) This is why she doesn't jump on me. Love me some Dog Whisperer!
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Post by Maura on May 31, 2016 17:24:27 GMT
Are you using a 20' lead?
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Post by KyMama on May 31, 2016 21:50:39 GMT
Yes, and she does better on the 20' but I really need her to walk on a short leash because of traffic. When we are in the backyard she doesn't get too far from me and very rarely pulls on the 20', I'd say she gets about 10' before she comes back.
I may end up getting her a no pull harness. I used them with my other dogs and I know they work, but I still plan on getting her to walk on just a collar and leash for convenience.
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Post by Maura on Jun 1, 2016 14:55:45 GMT
Using treats when she arrives at the heel position should give her the right idea. I have also done this:
At home, situate yourself with a wall on your left. Call the puppy to you (she behind, you in front) and lure her to your left side. Treat and praise. Repeat several times. Then, call her to you using "heel" and help her to be right. Praise and treat. Take one step forward, say "heel", praise and treat, take one step forward... If you want her to sit when you step (very practical in the city), lure her into a sit in the first sessions. This way, "heel" means sit on my left and you won't have to teach it later.
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Post by KyMama on Jun 1, 2016 18:15:29 GMT
I took her for a longer walk last night. We walked almost to the end of my road in both directions. I stopped short because the neighbor's dogs were already getting worked up before we got there. My road is not too long, I think we walked between a half and three quarters a mile total. She met a lot of my neighbors and one older dog. She did pretty good. She's still trying to jump on everyone when she meets them and likes to give them lots of kisses. I think that is going to be a longer lesson with a more controlled practice area. I think I spent the whole walk making noises so that I could keep her attention. But other than when she saw someone or an animal she didn't pull too bad. There were a couple of instances but she responded to me and that's all I'm asking right now. She also did really well with sitting when a car or four wheeler would pass. Only in the country do you stop to let a four wheeler pass you in a subdivision. lol Btw, pretty sure she's had a growth spurt. I swear she looks taller and now she just walks over to the couch and steps up on it with just a little struggle. She used to get a run and jump. Unfortunately for us she still thinks she's gonna be a lapdog so we find ourselves with a dog stretched out over us most evenings.
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Post by KyMama on Jun 11, 2016 13:10:40 GMT
Luna had a doctor's appointment Monday and she weighed in at 26.4 pounds. She got her adult boosters too so now we'll only be going in to get her weighed for her flea & tick and heartworm medicine. Figured it was time for some more pictures.
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Post by countrymom22 on Jun 12, 2016 23:01:28 GMT
She's turned into a beautiful girl! Congrats!
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Post by aoconnor on Jun 13, 2016 5:40:47 GMT
She's so pretty! I just love her coloring.
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Post by shellymay on Jun 13, 2016 11:39:05 GMT
Growing well, she looks great girl!
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Post by manygoatsnmore on Jun 14, 2016 3:22:33 GMT
It's a wonder, isn't it, how fast they grow up? She's starting to look more like a DOG instead of a puppy. She's sure a pretty girl.
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Post by KyMama on Jun 20, 2016 3:52:08 GMT
Luna made her first real trip to Petsmart today. We took her the day we adopted her, but she was really too small to appreciate all the toys. She started out on her leash but she got a little overwhelmed by all the people and dogs so we put her in the cart and she loved it. She got lots of loving from other people and got to pick a couple of toys and treats. I can't believe she is big enough to lay her head on the window of the Suburban. Seems like yesterday that she couldn't even see out the window while sitting in my lap.
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Post by countrymom22 on Jun 20, 2016 22:59:29 GMT
They're like kids, they grow up too soon!
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Post by motdaugrnds on Jun 20, 2016 23:35:01 GMT
She's growing so well and still adorable. How is her jumping behavior toward others? I'm guessing you have instructed others to respond to her jumping as you respond to them...since you stated she does not jump on you. A tip about barking: When I was living in town and barking was loud, I learned to place my hands around my German Shepherd's mouth, holding it shut and saying "shhhhh" while she woofs. This taught her that, when I say "shhhhh", she made sure her barking was very quiet.
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Post by KyMama on Jun 21, 2016 2:07:15 GMT
We're still working on her jumping on people. I blame the other people. lol Not really, but my mom came over the other day and told her "Off" and then "Sit" and she didn't even hesitate. She gets super excited when DH gets home from work so we've been meeting him outside so we can work on calming her down. Whenever she starts pulling towards him he backs up. When she sits down, he walks toward her. We just keep repeating it until she lays down and waits for him to get to her. I think that's helped more than anything because we're able to practice it more. I'm really hoping it transfers to other people too.
Thankfully she's not much of a barker. She'll bark if someone knocks on the door which I'm happy about. And we discovered yesterday that when she's in the truck she barks at people when they have their music up loud next to us. That was the only vehicle she barked at. She occasionally "talks" to me, but it's not really barking as much as snorting. lol
My curiosity got the best of me and I ordered a doggy dna test. It's supposed to be here tomorrow and I'm gonna get her cheek swabbed and sent back in as quick as possible. I'll be sure to let y'all know what it says.
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Post by shellymay on Jun 22, 2016 0:21:29 GMT
Weird, I thought doggie DNA was only done if they had parent dogs dna samples to compare with and they could agree or disagree with the parents samples, but going in blind with the pups dna and no parent stock? ??
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Post by KyMama on Jun 22, 2016 1:18:15 GMT
I bought the Wisdom Panel 3.0 and this is how it says it works, "Wisdom Panel® Canine DNA Tests determine the breed ancestry of a dog by determining the genetic make-up, or "genotype" of the dog, at hundreds of individual sites in its DNA. We then compare those results with the genotypes of the more than 10,000 breed samples in our database. This process is called genotyping and is conducted on a canine Illumina® Infinium® chip created specifically for Wisdom Panel Canine DNA Tests. The chips are processed and analyzed at GeneSeek Laboratories in Lincoln, Nebraska." I don't know if that helps explain it or not. There is plenty more information on their site: www.wisdompanel.com/
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Post by shellymay on Jun 22, 2016 11:27:19 GMT
Very interesting, So when you send the sample in your not going to tell them what the adoption center told you that the dog was part this and that are you? Will be interesting to see what they come up with on results Looking forward to updates!!!!
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Post by KyMama on Jun 22, 2016 12:02:58 GMT
Nope, the only thing I remember being required to answer about her was her name and whether she was spayed. Weight and birthday were optional. We swabbed her last night and I'm putting it in the mail today. Should get the results in 2-3 weeks.
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Post by KyMama on Jun 26, 2016 3:26:30 GMT
Luna lost a puppy tooth. She doesn't seem to know what to think about it.
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Post by shellymay on Jun 26, 2016 3:35:37 GMT
Oh you bet her butt she knows, she knows the tooth fairy brings gifts
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Post by greatgreenfarm on Jun 26, 2016 20:22:47 GMT
I've used the Doggie DNA test on both my mutts and found them to be pretty accurate! My first girl, Maggie, came back with a number of different herding breeds as well as Saluki, which is one of the sight hounds like a greyhound and that's where she gets her body shape. She's also smart as a whip and loved agility when we did a class a few years ago which is where, I believe, the herding breed genetics come into play. My second mutt gal, Roxie, came back with German Shepherd DNA which is evident in her size (around 70 pounds!) and her coloring - she's got the black coat with tan markings and she also has some cattle dog genetics which I see her use on Maggie when they play - she always tries to grab Maggie's back legs which makes her crazy! All that to say KyMama, that based on my experiences, you should get good results from Luna's DNA test! I'm excited to hear what they come back with.
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Post by KyMama on Jul 7, 2016 23:02:12 GMT
Y'all ready for the DNA results? Sorry it's so big, I wanted to make sure you could read the breeds.
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Post by shellymay on Jul 8, 2016 12:37:22 GMT
That is so cool...........I was floored that there was no lab in her, I do believe that the Cane Corso shows in her appearance very well Thank you for posting and sharing this with us, I for one have learned from this!!!!!!!
Did you get hit by the storms, hope all is okay by you?
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Post by KyMama on Jul 8, 2016 13:13:53 GMT
The Cane Corso was a huge surprise to us as it never even crossed our minds. No Lab and no Boxer so I guess the shelter was all kinds of wrong. lol My husband has been wanting a Mastiff pup forever so I guess he is sorta getting his wish. I told him we're gonna need a bigger house. And yes you can see the Cane Corso once you start to look for it, I spent hours looking at Cane Corso puppy pics yesterday. We haven't had any damage from the storms, just lots of rain and wind. I saw on the news this morning that there are more storms moving in today. I'm quite tired of all of it.
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Post by gracielagata on Jul 11, 2016 3:21:40 GMT
I love checking in on this thread for new photos, as she is absolutely beautiful, KyMama! I can definitely see those different breeds in there. How much was the test? We have a roadside special that would be interesting to test... tho I hesitate to learn the results!
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Post by KyMama on Jul 11, 2016 4:17:44 GMT
You know I was really hoping I'd have an answer when people ask what kind of dog she is, but it's still all kinds of confusing. lol We went to Petsmart yesterday and I can't tell you how many people asked. Plus she got tons of loving, she is definitely a people person(dog). Unless we are home or in the truck, then she doesn't want strangers anywhere near us, which works for me. We went to the store to get a head collar/harness. Nothing seems to work when I'm trying to walk her down the road or anywhere in public she's just too excited. She does good in the house and yard, but once we step out onto the road it's nothing but a tug of war with her. I've tried stopping and turning around and it hasn't helped. Today was the first time using the head collar and boy did she hate it. I put it on her for a few minutes this morning and she went crazy trying to get it off. This evening I put it on her again and she did the same thing until we got about 5 minutes into our walk. I only planned on walking about 10 minutes with it just to get her used to it, but once she started walking we finished the whole walk easily. It was great and I was finally able to enjoy our walk. She's started growling at us if we get too close to her while she's eating. Probably started about 2 weeks ago. I tried a couple of things and didn't see any improvement until I broke out the hotdogs. For now she is on the leash while she's eating just in case she tries to bite. It hasn't escalated to biting, the leash is just a precaution and it helps me snap her out her intense concentration when I see her body language change. You can definitely see her whole body tense and she kind of hunkers over the bowl. At first I started just saying her name until she looked up at me and sat down away from the food. Whenever she responds quickly she gets a bite of hotdog. Today was the first day I touched her while she was eating, the first time she growled and then backed away - no hotdog because of the growl and she was still posturing a little. The second time she let me pet her without tensing and she got a bite of hotdog. I know hotdogs aren't the best training food, but she doesn't get any human food at all and I wanted it to be a special treat. Any help or tips on this would be great. Especially if you think I'm doing it wrong. Oh and she's destroyed most of her toys. Just the other day I put her in the crate while I got in the shower - 20 minutes max. Came back out and she had destroyed the tennis bowl that I didn't even know she had in there and had eaten parts of it. She also ate some of her tug rope on a different day, that one made her sick. So now I crawl into the crate and make sure she isn't hiding anything in there under her bed that she can eat. And now all of her toys are Kongs, other brands don't even last a day with her. She still has a Kong stuffed animal from the day we brought her home. She loves her Rosie the rhino toy and we've bought a backup just in case. lol Thankfully she only chews on her toys, not our shoes or furniture! gracielagata, I got the Wisdom Panel 3.0 from Amazon for $80.00. It seemed like a lot at the time and I was hesitant on ordering it, but I'm so glad we did. At least it gives us some insight into training, they also test for the MDR1 genetic mutation and they gave us an estimated adult weight. They estimated her weight to be between 61 and 98 pounds, which is pretty wide range when you think about it but it's better than we had before. Since she is a little over 5 months old and 37 pounds I'd say we are going to be in that range.
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Post by shellymay on Jul 11, 2016 11:41:03 GMT
Not good on the growling during eating time, you will need to correct this now while she is young before it is to late, me if I was a dog I would be confused that I get a hotdog after growling? I know you said after she calms but to the dog it seems she would relate the hotdog to growling? A dog owner when training a pup should put food down for dog and let dog start eating, once dog has started owner should pick bowl up and say wait, then put bowl back down and let dog eat a little more, then pick up and repeat wait and then give back to dog, I would pick up at least twice and then let her finish it after the second time you return to floor, I would do this with every feeding until this habit stops, remember to tell her good dog when she lets you take it and she doesn't react, and tell her no and wait when you pick it up........
Things to remember is you take vacations and at some point will have family/friends over and it will be during dogs feeding time at some point, you don't need her biting a sitter if your on vacation or a family members CHILD or anyone who might be over, petting her is good while eating and I am all for that, but taking the bowl away while she is eating is the best way for her to learn that you might take it but you will give back.....She growls because she doesn't want you near her food and she doesn't want you to have it, she must learn that you are Alfa and if you want it she must let the pack leader have it.
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