Rosebud

[Claire]

I want to let everyone know the success story. I closed down the last line simply because I was too heart-broken to want to hear about it. I actually called Safe Haven to talk to them about returning her and spent a day in mourning (depression). All my previous dogs I got straight from the litter, this is my first shelter dog. Well, a couple of trainers called me with .. are you ready for this? ... free advice. I would have happily paid either of them, but their advice worked. The main word being that I'm not being firm enough. This seems so silly to me. I was in the service, and have a great "command voice", but guess what? I'm not using it. I got to thinking about it and it is true, my "no" sounds the same as my "yes", my "good girl" the same as my "bad girl". I also took Mom's advice and rolled up a few pages of newspaper. The good news about that is we've never had to use it. Just tapped her once (and I do mean tapped her) and just showing it to her works. She's back to doing just puppy mouthing, which I can deal with. It was just when she jumped 5' to snap at my face (I'm 5'9") she'd have to go. Well, we got that behavior to go. Yay! For our dinner party, and for the day before when computer guy came by, and the day before that when a couple of folks came by for a nightcap, and even yesterday when an impromptu guy and kid came by, she was perfectly lady-like, sitting under the table. So, happy ending.

 

[DaveSoMD]

Yaaaaa!!!!!! We love happy-ending pet stories here! All four of the canine family members send a "good girl" to Rosebud!

 

[babetoo]

i am so glad to hear this. good for you. give her a hug from granny.

 

[LPBeier]

Claire, you just made my entire week! As Dave says we like happy ending pet stories (and people ones too of course!). I had so hoped you would be able to keep her. Violet and Joie send congratulations to Rosebud (I think they could actually take some lessons from her!)

 

[taxlady]

I'm soooo glad to read your good news.

Don't over use the newspaper. If you do, she will think of the newspaper as a weapon for attacking her. Then it wouldn't be a big surprise if she attacked the mail carrier or paper boy as they approach the house, "weapon" in hand.

 

[buckytom]

lol, taxy. good advice.

is that why i feel like attacking the guy at the mall who sells men's belts?

i'm glad to hear about the happy ending with your little lady, claire. i hope you have many many years of doggie fun with her.

lol @ a command voice. hoorah master chief woof!

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I am so happy for the three of you! Hooray!

 

[Barbara L]

I'm so glad to hear that it is all working out!

 

[Katie H]

How beautiful!!!! I'm so happy for everyone. Our Sadie Sue sends her best.

 

[jacky77]

 

[Claire]

No, taxlady, I don't overuse the newspaper. As a matter of fact, it touched her nose maybe 3 times. And I do mean touched. I made it very flimsy on purpose. Now, when she "mouths" me, I whack my own wrist (of the hand she has her mouth). The noise startles her enough to stop the behavior. Believe me, I could never be the type of person who thinks beating someone into submission is a way to go. But mostly showing it to her will stop her behavior. We're doing well, and she is as well.

 

[Claire]

I can't help but this back up, but she's had bad and good days/weeks. Yesterday she was the doggie from hell. Not really! But we had just terrible horridly windy, sleety, even snow and hail and she got adgitated and lost it all around. But we persevered. We're trying not to give in and let her sleep with us (which all our previous dogs did), since the one thing she is is perfectly crate trained. But if we hear her wihmper in her crate we're terribly tempted to take her to bed with us. She lost it potty training for a couple of times, but the main reason for that is that we haven't figured out a consistent way to get her to show us when she needs to go out.

Good weather would help a lot on all fronts. WE both love to walk, and neither mind walking in cold weather as long as it is snowy and/or dry. But we've had nothing but wet, miserable, just barely above freezing weather for weeks now. No sun. Everything is slimy and slippery and just plain miserable.

My next issue is that I feel (and husband agrees) is that her crate is too small. When we crate trained our JR we got in Hawaii, knowing we'd have to ship her to Virginia, we went to a trainer friend who taught us how to do it, and and the time the airlines industry specified that dogs had to be able to stand up, sit down, turn around, and lay down in their crates. We both feel she needs a slightly larger crate (and we know, too large isn't good either), but would like to keep her feeling secure in her own environment. She climbs in there even when we don't lock her in it, but it really is way too small for her (she can curl up in it, but really barely move in it aside from curl around in another direction)(this crate was given to us by the humane society where we adopted her, and we'd like to give it back to them at best, or keep it for a "taking her to the vet" case).

I guess I'm asking, am I better to keep using a crate I know is too small for her, but that she is familiar with, or start training her to a larger crate? I mean, now, when she sees us getting ready to go out or go to bed, she climbs into her little familiar cove. I don't want to screw with that.

 

[Bolas De Fraile]

Well done claire! maybe you should put the bigger crate next to the old one and let her explore, here are some flowers for you Max picked them.

 

[LPBeier]

I was thinking the same as Bolas, but with a different twist. Why not put the old crate IN the new one. After she has gone in there several times without hesitation, then remove the old one, set it next to the bigger one and see what happens. It may take a few tries, but could work.

Our Joie was crate trained and we bought him a nice comfy dog bed much like Violets (but much smaller). He wouldn't go near it so we put it inside the crate. At first he pushed it out, but then he started sleeping in it and now the bed is at the foot of ours with his crate in the closet (which remains open for him at all times). He makes his decision as to which he wants.

But the other side of the coin is that animals often prefer cramped quarters. Violet's bed appears way to small for her but she curls up in it and is quite content.

 

[Claire]

DaveSoMD -- what breed is that on your icon? That is what my dog looks like. When I look around on line, I get German short hair pointer, except she's way too small. Heaven help us if that's what she is! We aren't large dog people! I'm just kidding, she really has according to more than one vet, achieved her full growth (I think 15, 16 lbs), but her markings are like that. Red face & ears, freckled body. Her killer point is she looks like a gal who put too much eye-makeup on. So when she looks at you it's -- all sins are forgiven!

 

[tinlizzie]

Trying out the spare cat bed for size.

 

[Silversage]

She lost it potty training for a couple of times, but the main reason for that is that we haven't figured out a consistent way to get her to show us when she needs to go out.
.

Here's trick a trainer taught me years ago. Tie a bell to a string and hang it next to the door at a height she can reach. Every time you take her out the door, hit the bell to ring it. Don't play with it at any other times.

Eventually, she'll connect ringing the bell to going outside, and will try it herself. Just make sure you put her out EVERY time she rings the bell. Don't let her think it's a toy to play with.

 

[DaveSoMD]

Here's trick a trainer taught me years ago. Tie a bell to a string and hang it next to the door at a height she can reach. Every time you take her out the door, hit the bell to ring it. Don't play with it at any other times.

Eventually, she'll connect ringing the bell to going outside, and will try it herself. Just make sure you put her out EVERY time she rings the bell. Don't let her think it's a toy to play with.

That will take some time but it will work!! We did that and it took maybe a month or so but eventually they started to swat at the bells.

DaveSoMD -- what breed is that on your icon? That is what my dog looks like.

She is a Boxer and Irish Setter mix (we think). She was a rescue dog so we know definitely she it part boxer because the marking are the brindle markings of a boxer AND that is what we were told.

I am guessing setter based on the body shape and face/ears.

 

[Kayelle]

Trying again for photo.

That is so durn cute lizzie.......thanks for the smile.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Trying out the spare cat bed for size.

Well, if the cats won't sleep in it!

I just buy cheap terry towels for the cats, gave up on those actual cat items they ignored.