I just got a dog.......

[day_for_night]

Re: I just got a dog.......

Fortunately he is house trained so I don;t have to worry about that, but thanks anyway Jib. I do need to teach him to calm down though when we are walking - he is pulling the bloody arm off me.

I broke my heart this morning when I left for work - I could hear him whining as I left! But there are always a lot of people around the house so he's never alone for too long

you need to make sure you are taking the dog for a walk, not the other way around. when he tries to lead, it means he thinks he is in charge. there are techniques you can do with him that will rectify this, like a (gentle) tug on the leash and the word "NO" firmly whenever he tries to pull you. you might consider a 10-week training course. we did that for our dog, and if you use what they tell you, you'll see measurable improvements in behavior.

[88Mariner]

Re: I just got a dog.......

don't worry. the dog will repay you with kindness in the incident of a coming earthquake.

[maddlingo]

Re: I just got a dog.......

That's awesome. You need to post pics. I want to get a Weimaraner also cause I love that gray color with the blue eyes.

[DIDI]

Re: I just got a dog.......

Do you have puppy schools? A lot of vets here run puppy schools , you get to to teach both you,and your dog, the basics and socialize them at the same time. I hope you have areas where you can let him run off lead, once he 's trained to come back of course.

Oh, and don't forget the bags for pick ups , there are distinct advantages to having a small dog

[DIDI]

Re: I just got a dog.......

Spot on Jenks !!

[minneec]

Re: I just got a dog.......

you'll want to housetrain him:

as so:

set him up in your kitchen (or similar room) where you can block him off and have newspapers on the floor at all times.

when he shits or pisses, rub his nose in it, not despitefully, but as a learning curve for the dog. after 2 or 3 time they learn not to do it. i shit you not (pun intended)

dogs learn thru being scolded, but dont confuse scolding with abuse. its one thing to rub his nose in it now, but another when the dog is fucking 5 years old.

i'm sure there are bleeding hearts who will oppose my advice, but having raised several dogs to be loyal to me, this was the method i used every time. they learn by being disciplined.

if you don't discipline them they will shit on your shit for all times to come.

dont get me wrong, they will still chew your shoes or remote controls. or mp3 players, but they wont leave a heaping mound of steam on your carpet after a few nose dives.

learning them NOT to chew your belongings is another story but learning them not to default in your house is #1 priority.

i had to write some things to refute these methods of training. dogs, or any animal, does not respond to negative reinforcement as well as they do to positive reinforcement. and their mentality is usually momentary. if you scold them even 2 seconds after they do something, they will not associate the wrong they did with the scolding. they will associate it with what they are doing at that exact moment they are scolded (aka walking away, scratching, etc). if you catch your dog in the act of defecating or urinating in the house, scolding them will work, but if it's hours after the fact, they will associate you as the schitzo one who sometimes comes home with smiles and sometimes with anger. usually the best thing for you to do is to praise them repeatedly for doing what you want them to do, aka urinating and defecating outside the house. praise when they are doing the act is the key. most dogs respond especially well to treats. you have no idea how many dogs i taught tricks to in the matter of hours just with a treat inducement.

as for having someone watching over your dog all the time-you can get a crate. dogs usually love crates, but they need to be trained for it. having a crate comes from the idea of dens in wild dogs. they like enclosed areas, which is their safe haven. this can usually go along with house breaking as well, because they tend to not defecate and urinate in their personal area. but for crating them, many dogs can go for hours at a time in their safe haven area happily with food and water available to them. and because it's really a cage, it prevents them from getting into loads of problems. of course nothing beats haivng someone looking in on them, but not everyone will have that option. lastly the responsibility issue, it comes with the territory. many people say its like having a kid, except without as many responsibilities.

[DIDI]

Re: I just got a dog.......

My dog is lying at my feet at the moment making little dream barks

[Jibgolly]

Re: I just got a dog.......

if you scold them even 2 seconds after they do something, they will not associate the wrong they did with the scolding. they will associate it with what they are doing at that exact moment they are scolded (aka walking away, scratching, etc). if you catch your dog in the act of defecating or urinating in the house, scolding them will work, but if it's hours after the fact, they will associate you as the schitzo one who sometimes comes home with smiles and sometimes with anger.

no shit! (pun intended )
i've never beat a dog out of anger. and just last year when i helped raise a 6 week old puppy i did just as you stated, and not hours after the turd had been dropped, either.

usually the best thing for you to do is to praise them repeatedly for doing what you want them to do, aka urinating and defecating outside the house. praise when they are doing the act is the key. most dogs respond especially well to treats. you have no idea how many dogs i taught tricks to in the matter of hours just with a treat inducement.

i guess i didnt add this in my "method" i completely understand this and also did this when helping raise that pup. he turned out to be a rad little dog and was house trained in record time. i'm not some animal beater, i happen to love dogs a lot.

as for having someone watching over your dog all the time-you can get a crate. dogs usually love crates, but they need to be trained for it. having a crate comes from the idea of dens in wild dogs. they like enclosed areas, which is their safe haven. this can usually go along with house breaking as well, because they tend to not defecate and urinate in their personal area. but for crating them, many dogs can go for hours at a time in their safe haven area happily with food and water available to them. and because it's really a cage, it prevents them from getting into loads of problems. of course nothing beats haivng someone looking in on them, but not everyone will have that option. lastly the responsibility issue, it comes with the territory. many people say its like having a kid, except without as many responsibilities.

aboslutely. we did this, and after a short amount of time he would run to his cage and lay down when he knew we were leaving. this was to prevent him from chewing up my cdj and computer cables, and also to prevent him from dooking and urinating all over the place. some people dont agree with crate training, but i feel it's a necessary part of house training.


having read my "method" over again i must admit i was a little drunk buzzed last night. i didnt even remember making that post this morning please don't mistake me for someone who condones animal cruelty, because i absolutely do not, and when i hear stories about it i want to kill the guilty!

[Jenks]

Re: I just got a dog.......

Jibby loves his animals.

[Jibgolly]

Re: I just got a dog.......

i do. i didnt mean to come across like a meany in my other post.
and even though i'm allergic to cats, i like them. go figure.

[toasty]

Re: I just got a dog.......

Anyone have any problems with young dogs?

EVERYONE has problems with young dogs. They're problematic -- but they're so worth it.

I've got two dogs, a Boston Terrier and a Yorkie. Great dogs both, but totally different. All dogs are not the same, and esp. when you're dealing with purebreds, breeds behave in pretty predictable ways. That, in my opinion, is the number 1 reason to get a purebred dog -- not because you get to say that you have a "purebred" dog, but because you kinda know what you're in for and can find a dog that matches your situation. Get a book on Weimaraners, and you'll get much more relevant info than surfing [ms].

Here's a dose of reality for you -- puppies are incredibly cute and fun, but they are a lot of work. They do grow out of their behaviors, though, and before you know it, you've got a full-fledged member of the family that lives to be at your side. I love coming home to my dogs each day -- they bring so much joy into my life.

A few closing bits of advice:

1. Get a doggie door and a fence, if you don't already have one. I don't care what it costs, as it gives both you and your dog enormous freedom that you will both value immeasurably. If I had to let my dogs out every time they decided they wanted to go out, I'd lose my damn mind.

2. Get your dog enrolled in an obedience class as soon as you possibly can. It's more that teaching your dog how to sit and stay, it's teaching your dog who's boss, and that's critically important. That doesn't mean you have to be a dick, btw. Dogs are hardwired to look to a pack hierarchy, and if you don't establish yourself as the unquestioned leader of the pack, that's when you have issues. Dogs actually appreciate knowing where they are in the pack hierarchy more than they care about where they are in the hierarchy, i.e., they'll be happy as a clam at the bottom of the pack as long as you've established yourself as the clear leader. They look to you for guidance, and that makes them happy. That's what you want, as opposed to them thinking they rule the roost.

3. FInd a message board specific to your breed and join it. You might be surprised how many "issues" can be resolved by talking with other people with the same breed who've been through the same thing. We were ready to take our Boston to the vet to check his teeth because he would just grab onto blankets and suckle on them, but I learned from a Boston site that that is a Boston "thing."

Most of all, enjoy -- dogs are awesome!! Can't imagine my life without them...

[Dhar_2]

Re: I just got a dog.......

i'm surprised johns isnt spamming this thread for pics!!!

[Life on Other Planets AKA Johns]

Re: I just got a dog.......

^^ Funny that. i just logged back in and this is the thread i looked for first.... Where are the pic's .. I want pic's