The dog musing/vent thread

[CharlieDog]

SpaceMutt, if you don't feel comfortable using aversives, and don't know how to use then, DON'T.

Honestly, I would either return her and get a puppy, or put her on a SERIOUS lockdown for 2+ weeks. Start at step one with hand feeding her. No interactions with Astro. Treat her like a puppy, and ZIP TIE the crate shut! Carbiners are great, but I would probably invest in a airline crate for her. Wire crates are SO easy to bust out of. That is, if you've decided you do want to try to work through this with her.

My brutally honest opinion is that despite them being good at the shelter, she is not the right dog for your situation. I would look for a dog in foster, or a puppy to raise, because without a behaviorist, or CPDT trainer, it's going to be rough going for all three of you. And with a cattle dog, she may just ignore aversives. They have to be applied correctly, swiftly, and effective enough that the dog decides that that behavior will only cause bad things to happen. If you're not a dog trainer, this is difficult to do, and I would not suggest it at all.


If you are really wanting this to work out, start contacting trainers in your area. GRILL them on how they would fix this issue. You can always always come back here with their answers and get a variety of input from different perspectives on whether their methods will work or not.

Herding breeds can be crazy. Cattle dogs are hard dogs in the sense that they can take a licking and keep on ticking, because that's exactly what they've been bred for.

It will work out one way or the other. And if you decide she isn't right, there is NOTHING wrong with that!!!!

 

[Southpaw]

My anxious little Juno went to a disc playdate last night and well... wasn't anxious. She played when it was her turn and solicited attention (perhaps too much) and was happyhappyhappy. And then completely zonked out on the car ride home. She just keeps getting better

 

[SpaceMutt]

SpaceMutt, if you don't feel comfortable using aversives, and don't know how to use then, DON'T.

Honestly, I would either return her and get a puppy, or put her on a SERIOUS lockdown for 2+ weeks. Start at step one with hand feeding her. No interactions with Astro. Treat her like a puppy, and ZIP TIE the crate shut! Carbiners are great, but I would probably invest in a airline crate for her. Wire crates are SO easy to bust out of. That is, if you've decided you do want to try to work through this with her.

My brutally honest opinion is that despite them being good at the shelter, she is not the right dog for your situation. I would look for a dog in foster, or a puppy to raise, because without a behaviorist, or CPDT trainer, it's going to be rough going for all three of you. And with a cattle dog, she may just ignore aversives. They have to be applied correctly, swiftly, and effective enough that the dog decides that that behavior will only cause bad things to happen. If you're not a dog trainer, this is difficult to do, and I would not suggest it at all.


If you are really wanting this to work out, start contacting trainers in your area. GRILL them on how they would fix this issue. You can always always come back here with their answers and get a variety of input from different perspectives on whether their methods will work or not.

Herding breeds can be crazy. Cattle dogs are hard dogs in the sense that they can take a licking and keep on ticking, because that's exactly what they've been bred for.

It will work out one way or the other. And if you decide she isn't right, there is NOTHING wrong with that!!!!

Don't worry, I'm not trying anything new or unfamiliar to me during this shutdown. I'm working with her on stuff I know and have done before to keep it all breezy, and the rest is management/part of the shutdown.

We've had no more incidents since I got the crate secure (two caribiners and a stronger cord tie), and personally I feel more relaxed. She seems to be calming down as well, she is happy out of the crate and (even with the immense amount of time she's spending in there) happy in it. She's making much less noise and settling better. I'm still not sure she's the right dog for this home, but I'm trying to just see if I can't stay in the moment and give her these two weeks. She deserves the work on basic stuff no matter what, the girl needs some serious impulse control.

She is definitely herding-crazy, specifically. Still very space-oriented, controlling. She saw another dog on one of our short potty walks (I don't have a yard for her during the shut down, we have to make do), and she crouched loooooow to the ground with that characteristic stare. It's not that Astro was easy, he definitely was not - I've been amazed at how much more quickly she grasps certain things than him - but Pei-crazy is different than herding-crazy.

I have to get more wet food and bully sticks for Astro anyway, I will see what airline crates are available. I will see how this shutdown goes and evaluate from there, I don't want to make any pronouncements until then. Thank you for the advice! I am soaking it up from everyone I can, in person and on here.

 

[stardogs]

I have to get more wet food and bully sticks for Astro anyway, I will see what airline crates are available.

FYI airline crates at pet supply stores are insanely expensive - check CL or Amazon first!

 

[noludoru]

Even if I don't wind up keeping her the dog needs work.

My opinion? You've put up with enough. RETURN HER. I couldn't handle everything you're going through in such a short time. Maybe she deserves a two week period, but you deserve your apartment and Astro deserves his face. Sometimes we don't get what we deserve,

Have a cooldown period for you, and get a puppy instead of an adult. OR foster an adult.

<3 Many good thoughts going your way.

 

[teacuptiger]

Spacemutt, I would really lean on the side of returning her. I have to agree with everyone else... it seems like she's just too much for you and Astro right now.

She sounds like she has potential to be a really great dog, but I think she might be more suited to somebody who can give her a shutdown and will be the only dog. Tulip might just be dog social outside the home, but living with another dog might be too much for her.

 

[meepitsmeagan]

My brutally honest opinion is that despite them being good at the shelter, she is not the right dog for your situation. I would look for a dog in foster, or a puppy to raise, because without a behaviorist, or CPDT trainer, it's going to be rough going for all three of you. And with a cattle dog, she may just ignore aversives. They have to be applied correctly, swiftly, and effective enough that the dog decides that that behavior will only cause bad things to happen. If you're not a dog trainer, this is difficult to do, and I would not suggest it at all.


Herding breeds can be crazy. Cattle dogs are hard dogs in the sense that they can take a licking and keep on ticking, because that's exactly what they've been bred for. THESE DOGS GET KICKED IN THE HEAD BY BULLS JUST TO RETURN TO BITE THEM IN THE HEELS AND GET THEM TO MOVE. They mean serious business and are stoic as all get out. It is EXTREMELY hard to tell when these guys are in pain, even if they have body parts falling off.

It will work out one way or the other. And if you decide she isn't right, there is NOTHING wrong with that!!!!

:hail::hail::hail:

IMHO, she's not the dog you were looking for and I agree she's a bit over your head. I'm going to fourth that giving her back is not failing her, it is being realistic.

 

[JazzyTheSibe]

Sometimes, doing the right thing, seems like the worst decision possible. This whole situation just sukcs. I realize how hard it might be for you to return him, but it IS for the best, not just for you, but for all of you.


In the end, it is your choice, & you make the decision of whether or not you keep her. Returning her does NOT make you a bad owner.

 

[Dogdragoness]

FYI airline crates at pet supply stores are insanely expensive - check CL or Amazon first!

Or even local flea markets! I saw like ... four or five at the last flea market (both the heavy duty plastic ones and heavy duty metal wire ones) so it pays to check them as well.

LOL imagine a cattle dog PUPPY, but she sounds a lot like how Izze was. Josefina is a piece of cake compared to her, she has energy and drive, but it's toy/prey drive not herding drive.

Maybe when you walk her, if she likes toys maybe carry a tug toy, a rope or something so when she locks in on other dogs (like when you first see her noticing the other dog, don't wait for her to crouch down) maybe you could use a toy to distract her?

Although I don't like aversives, sometimes it helps the dog to know exactly what they CAN and CAN'T do, like just rewarding the good and ignoring the bad won't work with some dogs, it doesn't work with Josefina not because she is trying to be a bad dog, she just didn't understand exactly WHAT she was doing was bad, so I had to show her by giving her a negative marker word (a gruff NO! Is what I used) and then showing her what I wanted her to do and rewarding her handsomely for it.

 

[JazzyTheSibe]

CharlieDog- How did you get your signature? I already customized my pet already.

 

[Dogdragoness]

Sometimes, doing the right thing, seems like the worst decision possible. This whole situation just sukcs. I realize how hard it might be for you to return him, but it IS for the best, not just for you, but for all of you.


In the end, it is your choice, & you make the decision of whether or not you keep her. Returning her does NOT make you a bad owner.

This, not every one is cut out to own these dogs. They are something else to say the least and they take a person just as cray cray lol

 

[Southpaw]

I don't understand rescues sometimes...
My sister applied to adopt a dog. She then went to a meet & greet event, really liked the dog, chatted with the foster. A home visit was set up, things went well, foster said they seemed like a really good fit and that the dog was hers. My sister couldn't bring the dog home right away because she's going out of town for a couple days, but in the meantime they decided to set up another visit, this time at the foster's house so my sister could see how she did in an environment more familiar to the dog. Again, things went really well, foster felt great about things yada yada yada.

An hour later she gets a phone call from the foster - she changed her mind, doesn't think it's a good match.

Like what the heck? My sister was totally crushed, she was told this was HER DOG. She doesn't want a puppy, but naturally she wants nothing to do with rescues now because she's sick of the 15 page applications and home visits. But she wants a boxer, sooo.... options are limited.

 

[Dogdragoness]

Boo, I just found something out about a breeder I thought was legit ... very sad and disappointed

 

[JazzyTheSibe]

Boo, I just found something out about a breeder I thought was legit ... very sad and disappointed

Is this the breeder you were getting your puppy from?

 

[crazedACD]

Boo, I just found something out about a breeder I thought was legit ... very sad and disappointed

Bleu Moon?

 

[Dogdragoness]

Bleu Moon?

Yes

@ JazzyTheSiberian no, thank god. It's an ACD breeder I THOUGHT was a good person ... evidently not.

 

[ThatCrazyGroomer]

Percy stole a 1/4 cup olive oil of the counter when I ran off to pee.
Why? I thought we'd broken the counter surfing habit. The most ridiculous part is that he wasn't even a little bit ashamed of himself and sat there starting at the bottle as I poured more.
Humph.

 

[CharlieDog]

CharlieDog- How did you get your signature? I already customized my pet already.

I grabbed the BBCode and used that, plus centered it.

 

[Dizzy]

Just looking at Bodhi and thinking she has been through every major life event with me. Break ups, moves across country, new relationships, moves back across the country, university, new careers, turmoil, happy days, and now pregnancy and soon baby.

She's ace

 

[Fran101]

I don't understand rescues sometimes...
My sister applied to adopt a dog. She then went to a meet & greet event, really liked the dog, chatted with the foster. A home visit was set up, things went well, foster said they seemed like a really good fit and that the dog was hers. My sister couldn't bring the dog home right away because she's going out of town for a couple days, but in the meantime they decided to set up another visit, this time at the foster's house so my sister could see how she did in an environment more familiar to the dog. Again, things went really well, foster felt great about things yada yada yada.

An hour later she gets a phone call from the foster - she changed her mind, doesn't think it's a good match.

Like what the heck? My sister was totally crushed, she was told this was HER DOG. She doesn't want a puppy, but naturally she wants nothing to do with rescues now because she's sick of the 15 page applications and home visits. But she wants a boxer, sooo.... options are limited.

This is such a sucky situation and I've known quite a few in the same boat. I understand the process but it sucks of that rescue to tell her it was a done deal and then pull the rug out from under her after so many visits.

Hope she finds her dream dog soon