Postings by Carbon

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Carbon I'll just take a- nap until you- pet me.     Barked: Sun Jan 20, '13 8:25pm PST  By having him over for pets and treats it seems to have just reinforced that he owns that yard. My cousins had a very large mixed breed that did the same thing, they beefed up the fence in hopes of keeping the dog out but to no avail. Eventually my uncle started spraying him with the garden hose every time he caught him in there and that seemed to work well, it also can be sprayed without getting within biting distance of the dog. That is kind of a summer fix only though lol. It sounds like the dogs owners should dedicate more time to tiring the dog out so he feels less like roaming and more like taking a nap. Having a big yard is nice but boring, a dog with a large yard still needs the mental stimulation provided by trips away from the home. Being in a house with 2 other unaltered males is probably not ideal either, too much competition so he is finding his own range away from the other dogs. Changing the dogs behavior is hard to do when it's not your dog so the best bet is finding a way to keep him out of the yard, is it possible to add onto the top of the fence to dissuade any more invasions? Short of having the neighbors tie him in their yard when he is outside, or have a dog run with a cover put up for him there isn't a whole lot I can suggest, aggression can be dangerous for all parties if not handled correctly. If it were me I would suggest the dog run with the lid to the neighbors or inform them that animal control will be contacted when Koda is not in his own yard. Also why is he being studded out if he is just a mixed breed? It seems (IMO) irresponsible to breed a non-pedigree dog and house him in a house with other unaltered males. Don't get me wrong, I love mixed breeds, I just think if you want a mixed dog the local shelters/rescues are a better place to go then a backyard breeder. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Carbon I'll just take a- nap until you- pet me.     Barked: Sun Jan 6, '13 11:28am PST  I personally do not think they are as reliable as they should be, when I asked my vet he admitted to me that they are only about 64% accurate. I considered having Carbon tested but the cost didn't justify the results for me so I switched him to a minimal ingredient food (with ingredients he's never had before, the pet store I buy my food at told me dogs are less likely to react to things they have not been exposed to) and very slowly introduced more ingredients seeing which ones worked and which didn't. It takes a long time to get it narrowed down but it's 100% effective if you do it right Right now I feed Go! Natural: Salmon and Oatmeal formula, he also can have the Duck and Sweet Potato. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Dog Health > My Boxer Has Red, Itchy Ears

Carbon I'll just take a- nap until you- pet me.     Barked: Sun Jan 6, '13 11:21am PST  If he is getting reoccurring ear infections it could be caused by allergies and not just the fact that he has floppy ears. My dog Carbon was getting ear infections constantly (he also has floppy ears, he's a lab x boxer) and after spending almost two thousand dollars on vet visits, ear flushes and otomax I did a little research and found out it was food allergies. Carbon is allergic to poultry (with the exception of duck)wheat, eggs, beat pulp (which is used in some foods) and has mild reactions to snow mold in the spring. Try switching his food to something with ingredients he hasn't been exposed to yet. Anything with fish and potato or oatmeal. I feed Go! Natural Salmon and Oatmeal or Duck and Sweet Potato. Just make sure the food is wheat and gluten free, it can take a month or so to see any results but it's definitely worth a shot! As for home remedies for ear infection the best thing is to keep the ears clean and dry. I've heard great things about something called Blue Power but I have never used it myself. I'm sure someone here has a recipe for it if you want to give it a go! my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Behavior & Training > Dealing With Bone Aggression

Carbon I'll just take a- nap until you- pet me.     Barked: Sun Jan 6, '13 11:10am PST  I can see the merit for the 'trading up' method but I tend to think along the same lines as Charlie Brown Cocoa Puffs, my house my rules. Mind you none of my dogs have ever had an issue with resource guarding. I think it's a difference between a dog who is claiming the item as his in a dominant fashion VS one who becomes defensive due to mistrust or fear. My dogs have always known I'm not going to take one of their bones or their food unless I have a legit reason to do so and I trust them implicitly with giving up prized items because we have a great trust/respect relationship. A dog that has been teased and has developed resource guarding however would be a great dog to use the 'trading up' method on IMO. I disagree with not using kennels as a training aid though. My Carbon is in his kennel a lot and I never even have the door shut! It has become the 'safe zone' they go to when they become tired of playing with my room mates dog or company comes over and they no longer want to be petted or when they just need some down time. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Behavior & Training > Dealing With Bone Aggression

Carbon I'll just take a- nap until you- pet me.     Barked: Sun Jan 6, '13 12:24am PST  Smokey, I have a hard time trading one desirable item for one of even higher value. That kinda seems like you are rewarding the dog for exhibiting possessive behavior, and what if the time comes when you NEED to get something back from the dog quickly but have nothing to trade with? I have no problem 'trading' if a dog has trust issues, low confidence or anxiety/fear with people being close to an item or food. I don't think a dog should be bullied into giving up the item however. I think, if done correctly, body language alone can be a great tool when used in dog training. I personally do not agree with provoking the dog daily in order to correct the problem however and depending on the severity of the possessive behavior a trainer/behaviorist should be consulted in lieu of home training for safety purposes. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Carbon I'll just take a- nap until you- pet me.     Barked: Sat Jan 5, '13 11:56pm PST  My friends two dogs do this sometimes. They start out playing amiably but then the smaller of the two starts to get a bit pushy/dominant as he plays then it turns into a minor disagreement. They've never actually drawn blood but my friend usually just separates them until the energy level drops a bit. The smaller guy (who is the older dog) will sometimes get after the other if he's too energetic in his space. I don't think it's anything to worry about, just keep an eye on them for a bit and see whats going on, could have just been a fluke. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Behavior & Training > Hyperactive GSD

Carbon I'll just take a- nap until you- pet me.     Barked: Fri Jan 4, '13 8:36pm PST  I was going to suggest running with the car (I do that with my two) but didn't know how well it would be received here lol. It's a great way to challenge her activity level without getting tired yourself! my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Behavior & Training > Dealing With Bone Aggression

Carbon I'll just take a- nap until you- pet me.     Barked: Thu Jan 3, '13 2:26am PST  First, if she has kids make sure the dog is kept in a crate or in a separate room while he gets anything that he tends to become possessive of to avoid injury. Depending on what style of training works best for you I would suggest starting with NILF (Nothing In Life is Free) training just to lay a solid foundation of respect between owner and dog. http://www.terrificpets.com/articles/102212265.asp http://k9 deb.com/nilif.htm And a few links that I think may help with the possession itself: http://www.thatmutt.com/2010/03/26/how-to-break-a-dogs-po ssessiveness/ http://dogtime.com/dogs-with-food-aggression-issues-a spca.html http://dogs.about.com/cs/behaviorissues/p/resource_guard. htm Good luck and keep us posted! my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Behavior & Training > How Do I Teach...

Carbon I'll just take a- nap until you- pet me.     Barked: Thu Jan 3, '13 1:54am PST  I personally do not use treats to train as I prefer praise to food reward but I have heard wonderful things about clicker training. Dogs are like children, not every tool or technique will work with every dog. Just remember to be patient and consistent and she will catch on for sure. I would suggest giving a "watch me" command (I use 'hey you') and when she looks in your direction reward her, slowly start expecting longer 'watch me' periods working from a low stimuli areas to higher traffic ones. Keep working on the heel in the house like you are, I find teaching 'watch me' even without the actual heel part outdoors lays a really good foundation for transitioning from heel in boring spaces into higher distraction zones. Another good thing to try is making her sit and wait at street corners, between 'watch me' and 'wait' she will make the connection easily from there, breaking up the walk into mini training sessions is a great way to sharpen skills! As for the barking when you leave is it possibly a bit of separation anxiety or just boredom? Try taking her for a long walk or shorter run before you leave if possible. At the very least a good session of fetch in the back yard. A tired dog is a happy dog. I like to leave the radio on for my guys, not too loud mind you, just playing softly in the background so she doesn't feel too lonely! Good luck and keep us posted! my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Carbon I'll just take a- nap until you- pet me.     Barked: Thu Dec 20, '12 11:59pm PST  My dog Carbon is allergic to poultry and wheat as well. I absolutely LOVE Go! Natural, I feed the Salmon and Oatmeal formula. It's a bit pricey but worth the money. Orijen is also a very good food. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

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