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Post by countrymom22 on Jan 15, 2021 20:25:14 GMT
On Saturday we went to the local shelter/rescue and brought home a 1 year old pit/hound mix dog that we call Dozer. He is sweet, affectionate and smart. So far he and Tela are getting along really well. He was very sick and emaciated, so it will be a long time before he has the energy to really run with her but he does wrestle with her. They are both enjoying each other's company. He is spending a lot of time eating and resting. He loves to play with toys, almost too much as he hoards them! He is also starved for human companionship and pushes his way in whenever I'm petting Tela. Hence the name Dozer! Luckily Tela doesn't mind sharing and she's doing her best to teach him to be a good dog.
Right now he is here on a foster to adopt basis to make sure that the match between he and Tela is a good one. So far so good. Please send up prayers that this really works out as we are all in love with the little bugger already and wouldn't want to send him back! Hoping that in a week or 10 days we can call the shelter and tell them that he's staying and they can consider him adopted!
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Post by Woodpecker on Jan 15, 2021 21:16:57 GMT
Aww, sounds like he’s a keeper countrymom22, I’ll lift Dozer up in prayer, for him to remain part of your family and thrive!
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Post by Maura on Jan 15, 2021 21:48:25 GMT
New dogs are expected to be on their best behavior for the first two weeks. When Dozer is feeling better and has accepted that you are his new home, his attitude may change. After two weeks you will see the true Dozer. He may be as sweet as he seems right now.
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Post by countrymom22 on Jan 18, 2021 19:29:44 GMT
Yeah, I'm aware that the Dozer we are seeing today may not be the real one. The shelter said I can keep him for 2 months if I want before making up my mind. We have adopted from them multiple times, and since we only live 5 miles away they are very willing to work with us. The only downside to fostering to adopt is we are all getting attached to him. He's so easy to love! But I'm not going to make any rash decisions. He goes back tomorrow to be neutered (at their expense) and they are going to do a teeth cleaning and remove 2 retained puppy teeth. The only thing that isn't perfect about this dog for our situation is he always wants to be with me and when I'm grooming he has to be crated. But he will learn to be quiet in time since he doesn't make a sound when he goes to bed, so I know it's possible. Thanks Woodpecker, for the prayers. And thanks Maura, for the reminder. I know that a lot of people wouldn't realize that you get a honeymoon period when you first adopt a dog.
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Post by countrymom22 on Feb 3, 2021 20:09:06 GMT
So it will be a month since Dozer joined us this Saturday. His recovery from the neutering and hernia repair was uneventful, thank goodness. The dogs are still getting along well but every once in a while I think he plays a little to rough for Tela. She lets out a little yelp, then goes behind the couch for a while. Then she won't want anything to do with him for a few hours, but she always comes back for more. I know he is hurting her by accident, as they are in the room with me and under close observation. There are never any marks and she is never lame or sore after this happens. And it has only happened twice. So I haven't contacted the shelter yet about making the adoption official. When he was away for the day being neutered she searched for him all day. He is 95% housebroken and knows sit, wait, down and take turns.
The toy hoarding has gotten better, too. And he has put more weight on as well. So I'm still trying to decide if this little hiccup with playing is something that I can manage long term or if its a deal breaker. I think when the weather is better and they can spend more time outside running, which is Tela's favorite thing to do, that it will give them both another outlet for their energy and make it easier for them to get along when inside as they will be tired.
I think Dozer is still learning about getting along with dogs as he spent so much time being sick. But I still haven't made up my mind. In every other way he seems like the perfect dog for us. I'll have to make u my mind in the next few weeks. Wish me luck!
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Post by countrymom22 on Mar 7, 2021 19:32:07 GMT
Well it's official. Dozer is ours forever. He has gained 6 pounds since he's been here. As he's feeling better it's become obvious that he has never had any training, so it looks like I've taken on another project. He is quiet in his crate while I groom. The only issue is when he is crated at night, he barks, loudly, for the first 5 to 10 minutes and then he's quiet. I ignore him when this happens, but he just isn't giving up. I know he doesn't need to go out because I make sure he pees and poops before bed and I'm staying up until 11. I have successfully crate trained at least 12 or more dogs in my lifetime and they have all gotten the message fairly quickly. He's been here for 8 weeks today.
Any advice?
Oh and please don't suggest letting him sleep in our room as we get up numerous times during the night, and if he woke up every time we leave the room it would make me crazy! His crate is in the far end of the kitchen right next to Telsa's. She loves her crate and never makes a sound once put to bed.
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Post by Woodpecker on Mar 8, 2021 21:21:26 GMT
I’ve had many dogs in my lifetime, too. It’s so important to train them to the crate and never give in to their barking or whining.
We always called the dogs crate their “den.” Bedtime, anytime would be a simple “ den up” and they would walk right in and it was their safe place, their very own den.
We did have a problem with my daughters Jack Russell. He was mighty high strung and had more energy than any dog we ever had. He did learn to “ den up” right away, but never fully wanted it or liked it. He was relentless...at night he would bark for hours and finally at 5 months of barking and no sleep for anyone, we gave in. He ended up sleeping on his bed in the kitchen all night, without a peep. . We have the invisible fence indoor and outdoors. He couldn’t go into the other areas of the house. If inside he was in the kitchen and only let into the whole house when we were there to watch him. He never got out of the puppy mode. Chewed everything!
Sorry I wasn’t any help, except I feel some dogs just never will get used to the crate. I hope Dozer does, you know more than I do in regard to dog training. Hope he Dens up on his own😉and ends up loving his den.
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Post by countrymom22 on Mar 13, 2021 1:35:48 GMT
He loves his crate at any other time. He will go in and take a nap during the day if I'm working in the kitchen, all on his own, so he does like his crate. I think it's more a matter of wanting to be with his pack/people. From the research I've done, these dogs are known for that. He doesn't want to be left loose in the living room while I'm grooming. He jumps the wooden gate that hubby built between the kitchen and living room so he can jump on the door to the grooming shop so he can see me.
He's really smart, so I know he can get this. The question is, does he want to? We have gotten used to his bedtime hysterics but we'll be having company before my son's wedding in June and they may not appreciate the noise.
I've tried covering the crate but that didn't help at all. I've just run out of ideas.
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Post by Maura on Mar 13, 2021 5:07:50 GMT
Only had one dog that couldn't be crated. It took me months just to lure him into it and close the door. I even got a big crate for him, golden retriever size for a Boston terrier. But, he had been abused in the crate, left in it for 24 hours and longer with no food, water, or potty breaks. His adoptive owners were fine with him not being crated.
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Post by mogal on Mar 13, 2021 18:00:21 GMT
Only had one dog that couldn't be crated. It took me months just to lure him into it and close the door. I even got a big crate for him, golden retriever size for a Boston terrier. But, he had been abused in the crate, left in it for 24 hours and longer with no food, water, or potty breaks. His adoptive owners were fine with him not being crated. When I read something like this, it just makes me want to give the abuser a taste of his own medicine. Same with children who have survived abuse.
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Post by countrymom22 on Mar 13, 2021 20:44:31 GMT
I could understand his reaction if he just didn't like the crate. But that's not the case. He can be crated during the day with no problem. He even goes into his crate when he chooses to so he can nap. It's only when he goes to his crate at bedtime. I'm sure it's just because he wants to be with his people, so it's a form of separation anxiety. But we just can't have him upstairs with us. It that isn't going to happen. For safety reasons and because our other dog prefers to sleep in her crate at night.
So the problem remains, how do I get him to be quiet when we first put him to bed? Most nights he only barks for 5 minutes and gives up. But this has been going on for 8 weeks now, every day without fail. I make sure he is good and tired before I crate him, so that isn't a factor either. Thank goodness we don't have any neighbors close by, cause he is loud!
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Post by Maura on Mar 14, 2021 17:05:34 GMT
Other dogs get used to being separated at night, he will too. I would rather have him in my bedroom, but this is your choice. Give him something to chew on, something he loves and only gets at bedtime. Chewing helps relieve anxiety and also to distract him.
Mogal, the owner had been approved twice by our rescue to adopt dogs. She developed dementia, which of course got worse and worse. Her son lived out of state and never visited her, so nobody saw the gradual decline. When she was put into a facility we got both Bostons and a beagle to rehome. I got the dog that was most messed up. I had him for a year, longest of any foster. His anxiety level was through the roof, but he finally settled down. A learning experience.
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Post by mogal on Mar 14, 2021 18:11:14 GMT
Other dogs get used to being separated at night, he will too. I would rather have him in my bedroom, but this is your choice. Give him something to chew on, something he loves and only gets at bedtime. Chewing helps relieve anxiety and also to distract him. Mogal, the owner had been approved twice by our rescue to adopt dogs. She developed dementia, which of course got worse and worse. Her son lived out of state and never visited her, so nobody saw the gradual decline. When she was put into a facility we got both Bostons and a beagle to rehome. I got the dog that was most messed up. I had him for a year, longest of any foster. His anxiety level was through the roof, but he finally settled down. A learning experience. I guess as much as anything, I was thinking about a situation in SW MO where a couple ran a group home for girls--don't remember exactly what the girls' issues were--and the husband/wife are now in jail awaiting trial for all the terrible things to which they subjected the girls. This "home" was open for years and no one caught them before last fall. An owner with dementia is a far different situation. It's a shame she suffered so long without intervention. We went through Alzheimer's with DH's mom. She didn't know her own name before she passed. How lucky those pups were to be rescued. Thank you for giving that most affected dog a good home.
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Post by countrymom22 on Mar 18, 2021 18:08:42 GMT
Update: I am cautiously optimistic. Dozer has gone to bed for the last 2 nights without any barking! It's taken 9 weeks, but I think he finally gets it. Let's see what happens for the next week. If he can go that long without barking at bedtime I'll consider it permanent!
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Post by countrymom22 on Oct 26, 2021 22:36:59 GMT
Just an update on Dozer. We did successfully conquer the barking at bed time thing, and I'm happy to report that that is no longer an issue. When we adopted him, due to covid, I was meeting all of my clients outside and bringing their dogs into the grooming room myself, which Dozer was fine with. He would bark for a minute then settle right down. Now that things are loosening up, I have had to allow some clients inside to assist with their problem dogs. When that is necessary, Dozer will not shut up! He is so interested in people and wants to be a part of whatever is going on that he just can't control himself. I'm hoping that as he gets older this will end as well. he is a fence jumper if a human or another dog is on the other side, but he never jumps over to get to the chickens. But he does have a really high prey drive and has already caught a squirrel!
He is not destructive in the house, which is a huge relief. He and Tela are best buddies and he gets along with my son's dogs, which is very helpful as they are here for days at a time fairly often. He is very reactive when we are out for walks if he sees another person or dog. He's not aggressive, just hard to control and very loud because he wants to get to them. He is very strong and pulls while being walked. I've tried harnesses, choke collar, martingales, halti and now I'm using a harness with a front ring so I have more control as it makes it harder for him to pull against me. We are making some progress, but as with the barking, this is going to take awhile!
But he did turn out to be the sweet, good natured, fun loving dog that he appeared to be. He has gained another 10 pounds and has gotten a little bigger so I'm wondering if the shelter misjudged his age when they got him. But he's still a good size for us, so no complaints.
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Post by Maura on Oct 27, 2021 1:40:32 GMT
I am glad you are working things out with Dozer. He is certainly not the first dog that is difficult on a walk with distractions.
I think when you have a problem client maybe Dozer should be put in another room, maybe the basement, as his reaction could be very upsetting to the client and/or owner.
I have had client dogs that are like Dozer out on a leash. Is he on a regular 6 foot or a 20 foot lead?
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Post by countrymom22 on Oct 28, 2021 0:45:06 GMT
Maura, I've tried putting him in the other end of the house but it doesn't seem to make any difference. But I'm sure than he will eventually come around. When I'm walking him it's on a 6 foot leash. I would never use a longer leash or those retractable ones with a difficult to control dog as you have even less control with those. I'm hoping that when I get my knees replaced it will be easier to handle him as well, since right now I can't really brace against him if he makes any sudden movements. But it will all work out. It always does. Some dogs just take longer to get the message or need me to try a different method.
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Post by mogal on Oct 28, 2021 2:29:25 GMT
Countrymom22 said:
"But it will all work out. It always does. Some dogs just take longer to get the message or need me to try a different method."
My Papa always said that to train an animal, you had to be smarter than said animal. Sounds like you fit his description with your persistence. Good for Dozer!
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Post by Maura on Oct 29, 2021 2:45:49 GMT
I always use a 20 foot lead, especially with a pulling dog. It's called long line work. Some people are harsh with the long line, but you don't need to be. Use a harness and never a choker.
Go out in a large area with him and let him frolic. The instant he hits the end of the leash, that is, twenty feet from you, abruptly turn and walk in a different direction so that he has to follow you. A harness controls the shoulder area and you may find you are pulling him after you. That's okay, he'll quickly correct himself. If you physically cannot do this, then ask someone who can.
Do not speak to him in any way. Change directions every few minutes (2 to 5). He will soon learn that he needs to stay within a 20 foot diameter of the person at the other end of the leash. This is usually accomplished within twenty minutes. (But, I did have a terrier mix who took a week with two 45 minute walks per day.) You will notice the dog paying attention to you and keeping within the 20 feet. You can go home, or go to the next step.
Next step is to work on bringing him back to you. Cajole him, say "come" if he is trained to it. Also pat your left leg to encourage him to come to the left. Give him a praise and pet, then release him (at ease, go on, freedom...) You don't need a food treat unless he only works for food. A pet and release is reward enough. Keep calling him to you and releasing him. Go home.
Train him to the left side because some people assume he is not trained if he goes to the right side.
On session three (or two if you jumped to the recall), work him more on the recall, and if you've previously trained him to sit, have him sit a few feet from you. If he wants to run up to you to sit, then go to him so he has less distance to go. Give treat if you deem it necessary, then release. You want him to sit exactly when you say the word. This keeps him from running across the street for the sit and otherwise keeps him out of trouble.
During these sessions, speak very little. You just want to be able to take him for a walk without drama. You will be able to give him much more exercise than you are getting. So, you can incorporate what he is learning on your walks. Eventually, you can work on having him on a six foot lead and heeling, then you can take him places.
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Post by countrymom22 on Oct 29, 2021 22:21:02 GMT
Maura, I agree with all the training advice in your post and have used it on all the other dogs I've had in my 56 years. But Dozer is a horse of another color. He is always on hyper alert if we're away from home. His recall, even at home with food, is questionable on a good day. He is just too interested in everything going on around him. I've trained many dogs for obedience competition as well and they have always had a rock solid recall. But either Dozer is dense, which he could be as a pit, or maybe he's a little slow. He gets lots of exercise and trying to wear him down is a losing proposition! Although I do make sure he's been exercised before we go for our walks. But we'll keep trying. Thanks for the advice.
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