JMFS

Esther is home. Esther May, to be exact, because dogs and children need two names. One for normal conversation and one to let them know they Better listen. My dad's wife suggested Jane, June, May, Lee, Lynn, and a few others. I decided May fit because that's when she was adopted and somehow "Esther" worked best for us paired with only one syllable. And I can make it real real Southern, lol. She's around 23-weeks old and I'm fairly certain she'll be around 50 - 55 lbs once she stops growing. We already had an incident and it's one I saw coming but was too slow to react. Abbi is not warm and fuzzy about any other dogs these days (not even Gertie) and she was in a vulnerable state (trying to potty with the husband assisting). Well, right before she squatted I handed him the flirt pole I was using with Esther and she was trying to get it from him. Abbi wasn't happy about Esther up in her beeswax and attacked. Well, Esther outweighs Abbi two-½-fold and doesn't have bite inhibition, yet. Abbi ended up with a puncture wound and laceration around her neck. I had to pull the puppy off of Abbi and felt safe doing so because she was lunging forward so I was able to grab the collar and scoop my arm under her belly while keeping hands and face out of bite range Abbi had an appointment for today for blood work already so she got fixed up during that. Abbi's area is now built like Fort Knox and we're doing our best to keep them separated outside. Scary, but Abbi will be okay. I found a gate for inside and we'll adjust how we do potty time in the future. Abbi's been lucky for quite some time in that Gertie has bite inhibition and just holds Abbi down instead of biting back. Having said that, Gerts did snap at the puppy after putting up with her antics for quite some time. Esther kept playing with her stuffed toy in Gertie's face and Gertie growled once to say, "knock it off," but Esther didn't catch on so the next time Gerts snapped. Fortunately Gertie has Excellent bite inhibition And I have good voice control. Gertie was wanting to sleep after all the playing she did at the boarder's and this young upstart was chasing the sheep Gertie was trying to count. I spent my evening thinking of sleeping arrangements and office space. I was about to buy 2 "Large" Furhaven beds when I realized I already Have 2 . . .. They're U-shaped beds that I can put back-to-back so there's a bit of buffer and then I need only teach Esther where her boundaries are. I found a replacement cover on Amazon so if Esther pees on one I have a back up. She responds marvelously to "yiping," and I'm aggressively training the bite inhibition (Abbi just needed styptic powder but she has a gnarly bruise on her neck so this is of the utmost importance as her trachea could have been seriously damaged). Today Esther and Gertie are playing together marvelously (Gertie has rested from some of that play at the boarder's). Esther is responding excellently to "uh uh," so I have my leave it signal. We've had a few "extinction bursts," and although this is tiring, it's fun to experience the things folks have been bringing to the forums as issues because in the back of my mind I'm thinking, "I've read about this, I've got this!". I have a video I'll put on YouTube to demonstrate an extinction burst once I get some time. Esther had to sleep in the crate upstairs last night because she would Not settle. She went so far as to start eating the bed she was to sleep on and stepping all over poor Gerts, trying to figure out what she was supposed to do. And I had to zip up my as-of-yet-not unpacked suitcase because she kept nabbing items (just like Gertie used to so I know there's light at the end of this tunnel!). I stayed at the foot of the stairs for 5 minutes through "aroo's," yips, "ah-woo-woo-woo's," whining, and gate shaking. Then it was quiet. No messes this morning until she got excited to see me then there were 3 little piddles. However! We designed our "crates" for these issues (including a solid piece of vinyl and 1" caulking tape along the floor and up the wall for those Big messes). A quick wipe up and spray down (with enzymatic cleaner) and all was well. She's a little brat (aka wild and untrained) but at the same time loving and full of floppy willingness. And she smiles! Momo would approve and the shelter has one more space free. DNA test is scheduled for the end of May. I think we'll see Labrador and Am Staff. She's going to be quite spectacular once she's trained. 💜💜💜

We had to go to Petsmart yesterday to get treats for Abbi's stay with her sitter while we're in Aruba. The Humane Society was there with adoptions and my husband didn't want to go look, but I did. What can I say? The best thing to mend my breaking heart is a dog! They only had about 7 pups there and as I was looking at one my husband came around the corner. He kind of looked at the other pups and came over to me where we both looked at a 23-week old yellow lab looking puppy named "Trouble." They couldn't let us play with her there so we went to their kennel today and met her. She was so very sweet and loving. Gentle with toys, loved being pet, put her head in our laps, and let go of toys when we asked her to. We came home, loaded Gertie and Abbi in the car and went back for a meet and greet. Five minutes after sniffing the area and ignoring each other for the most part Gerts and Trouble started playing. They ran all around playing chase and tousled a little bit. Once we were sure it was a fit (we knew it would be - Gertie loves everyone and Trouble was just a doll) I went inside and filled out the adoption paperwork. We'll pick her up Sunday after we return from the trip. ♥♥♥♥ We all grieve differently and I just know Mo would want me to adopt another pup from the shelter like I did with him. She had been fostered, returned, 4 days later she was adopted by a family with an autistic child. She proved to be too much for them and was returned. I'm thinking they have to have their hands full with the kiddo because Trouble is no trouble at all - she's the calmest 6-month old puppy I've ever seen (other than Gertie). She was coming out of isolation today so the timing was spot on. I didn't want to bring her home only to send her to the boarder so we opted to leave her there for the week. Having said that, though, I can't wait to get her out of that noisy place and into our home! They're keeping her in isolation for us so that should help. She won't have to suffer Gen Pop. We may be nuts, but we'll have a new adolescent in the house next weekend. I guess I have a thing for that difficult / special stage of dog life because it's the age I gravitate towards. I like them out of the puppy stage and just before they're adults. Kind of like children. I understand middle / junior high schoolers where many folks find them insufferable, awkward, or just weird. I'm still shocked Mr. I'm Never Getting Another Dog was the catalyst behind this adoption. Until this afternoon I wasn't 100% sold. After seeing her outside of a crate and playing with her the deal was sealed. Oh! And they had my letter about Gertie on their bulletin board! I write a letter to update them every year and mail that along with a small donation to the shelter. Some of them remembered her and her namesake was the one who orchestrated the meet and greet. Gertie was originally named after this girl because they have similar "go with the flow" personalities.

Oh, Adrienne, I understand! My husband felt the same way but I still dragged him over to the SPCA adoptions today when we went to Petsmart to pick up treats for Abbi's stay with her pet sitter while we're in Aruba. They had only 6 dogs there, but one really spoke to him and we're going to go see her tomorrow. They'll hold a dog for 7 days and we'll be back Saturday evening so the timing works. I said it before and I stand by it, I feel the perfect thing to mend a wounded heart is a dog. I told him if "Trouble' doesn't work out (she came in with her sister and they were named "Double" "Trouble") that I want to reach out to the Golden Retriever rescues. With my experience with Momo being so challenging and his food aggression issues, and your guidance, I feel fully qualified to take on darn near any moderate to perfect dog situation. Not so sure about severe . . .. I'm almost ready to tell my kiddo to bring her roommate's Husky here to stay with me for a month so I can help her with the leash pulling and house soiling. I know Einstein was super duper special. Petra, too. They were gentle giants and they were fortunate to have you and your husband caring for them. ❤ To me the perfect balance would be a Rottie / Golden Retriever mix. My heart always goes to those rescues, though, and it's "you get what you get." I Really struggle with the breeder vs rescue conundrum. Based on Momo and Gertie I have to say you just Never know and a person might miss out if they insist on pure breeds. "Mutts" have so very much to offer! Heck, Gertie will turn on every light for me and she's helped me more than once to steady myself when I'm woozy from low blood pressure. I say it's just as much the owner as it is the dog. When we return from our trip I am going to write a letter to the after-hours hospital to let them know that the person who answered the phone needs to be put in a different position within their company because they lack the compassion necessary for the job they're performing currently. I don't want them fired - I don't believe in that. I do believe; however, that everyone has aptitudes and this situation was not one of theirs. Mo may have not made it even if we had made the stop, but he may have. We will Always wonder and we will Always kick ourselves for "what if" and "we should have." He was taking water fine on Thursday and only threw up when he bumped his stomach. We thought we had time and it wasn't so serious. I keep thinking back to him having made his way to my side of the bed (he always slept on the opposite side, close to the door) and how limp he was when I picked him up to put him in my vehicle. At that point I kind of knew it was futile, but we had to try. When Dr. Vickers at Banfield came out I lost my composure. He's such a sweet man and when I heard him say, "my friend, I'm so sorry," I couldn't keep it together. I only hope he doesn't blame himself in any way. He did Everything he could with the resources he had and he referred us to the people who should have helped. I can't blame them, though, because Mo was ambulatory and alert when we went in there. What he said about humans going to the hospital for a tummy ache made sense in conjunction with Momo's ability to walk. He was in obvious discomfort but he didn't whine, whimper, or otherwise complain at all, and his tummy was Always tight when examined because he was wound tighter than a drum any time he had to see a doctor. l We have an agreement now. If ever a Veterinarian is uncertain, we're going to Gainesville UF and that's that. Forget the cost, we'll figure it out. I never knew how much my husband had bonded with Mo until this week. He's cried more than I have. I hold it together until no one can see - have to be strong for everyone else, you know? Here's a link to the few videos I've posted to YouTube. This was the same day he saw the Stevie Ray Vaughn statue, walked past it, backed up, sat in front of it, and proceeded to bark at it, lol. He was challenging, and sometimes I didn't think I could do it, but overall he was my Mozies. https://www.youtube.com/user/shyanha/videos The more I look at him and pictures of Finnish Spitz the more I think he's Finnish, not German, Spitz. Some of them would be doppelgangers if not for the tails and ears. He had a low toned bark, too. Finnish Spitz tend to have a high pitched bark. Mo sounded like a Coon Hound that got pinched off mid bark, lol. He had a special preference for emergency vehicle sirens. They had to be Just the right pitch for him to sing along.

Mo passed away this morning. He was still okay'ish last night - same as he's been, but with us going out of town we decided we'd take him first thing this morning to the pet hospital for ultrasound or endoscope so we could decide whether to stay or go, but he didn't make it there. At some point he took a turn for the worst this morning and at 7:25 he was in Really bad shape. We tried to take him to the local emergency hospital but they told us they were closing in 20 minutes and all they could do was put liquids into him or something and then they'd have to send us on our way. Still processing that and will be contacting them again about it. I think that's callous for a business that's supposed to tend to pet emergencies. They're a 5 pm - 8 am clinic, but still an emergency hospital for pets and to tell us we have to go 60 minutes further because they're closing isn't sitting well with me. I'm going to let the emotions calm first, maybe cooler heads will prevail. They're also the ones who recommended not admitting him. "We Can admit him if you want to, but it's kind of like having a stomach ache and going to the hospital as the first solution," is what the doc said. Made sense at the time. In retrospect they didn't treat it seriously enough. Retrospect is so very wise. Then again, I haven't seen thousands of dogs with similar symptoms. Having said that, what kind of after hours hospital says, "sorry, we close when we close, good luck getting to our 24/7 hospital in time," after you tell them your dog is barely breathing and limp? Maybe there's information I don't have, but it seems irresponsible and cruel to me. He took his last breaths in the backseat on our way to the 24/7 hospital. He was a challenging dog, but a happy one. Wickedly intelligent - smarter than most humans, but silly. He was spoiled beyond belief with his free reign of the yard, a swimming pool at his disposal, a screen room around that pool with ample shade or sun - his choice, and all the squirrels he could ever care to chase. Either he had an underlying condition that was massively aggressive or that racoon got the last word in. Hard to believe he and Gertie were tearing up the yard running around Tuesday afternoon and not even 96 hours later he's gone. He was supposed to outlive us all with my dad, sharks, crocodiles, and roaches. Momo, "Mozies" "Dosie Dozies" "Dosie Doe" "Mo" "Butthead" "Mozers" 07/10/2010 - 04/30/2021 Enjoy your Rainbow Bridge squirrel chasing, buddy.

So Momo killed a raccoon a few days ago. He's gone from squirrels to 'possums and now raccoons. What's next? Deer?! The problem is he May have swallowed bones. Or it could be something else entirely. They're just not sure, though it seems the most likely scenario. He's not eaten since Tuesday morning and if he gets his fill of water he throws it up. I've resorted to ice cubes in a bowl so he gets a couple ounces every hour and he seems able to keep that down. He finally peed this afternoon, but that's to be expected with the limited water intake. He woke me up this morning with another impressive river of clear liquid vomit. The x-rays showed nothing in his stomach other than a "shiny mineral deposit" and a small mass that may be tissue or something foreign. That's super specific. I'm guessing they mean like fur from the raccoon. Nothing is blocking the way in or out of his stomach, though. They have him on gabapentin for pain so he's wobbly. He just wants to go outside and lay in the grass, but I can't watch him from here. He's mostly laying down but gets up once in a while to pace. Refusing even the highest regarded foods so we Know it's bad. Walking gingerly and allowing me to pick him up. Yikes. He Hates being picked up. Vet tech said he even tolerated the temp check - they usually can't do that with him. He goes back to the Vet tomorrow morning for a follow up. We were sent to the emergency hospital, thinking he'd be admitted based on the x-rays, but the doc there said he didn't think it was necessary and to follow up with our Vet this morning. I opted to hold until tomorrow because Mo is stable, though uncomfortable. I did learn today that dogs can have Pedialyte. Our store doesn't have the unflavored so we opted for strawberry since I know he likes strawberries. I skipped grape because if they use real grapes that's a whole other issue with potential renal failure (for those who don't know, grapes and raisins are majorly bad for dogs, some don't have any issues and others have died within the day so real real bad stuff) and the orange because dogs generally don't care for citrus and it's on more "no" lists than "yes" I've seen for canines. Just hope he drinks it because right now he's refusing anything with a scent, though I did get some chamomile in him earlier to help with inflammation and belly upset. I may have to water it down. Anything is better than nothing, right? We're supposed to be going to Aruba on Tuesday . . .. If he doesn't get on the mend sooner than later we're going to miss out on that unless I can find someone I trust to watch him. Even then I'm just not sure about leaving him. I don't know if the boarders are going to want to take him in if he's still in bad shape come Monday (when we're supposed to drop them off). I don't want to ask them, yet, because I don't want to alarm them. If it is something he can pass then it will resolve once it's passed. If it's something more serious well, I should know by Saturday. Husband thinks we should schedule an endoscopy with the hospital to fast track a more informed treatment plan. I agree. The craziest part about this is he and Gertie were running around the yard like little whirlwinds Tuesday afternoon, then Wednesday around 7:30 am he vomited and it was 99% clear liquid. Hardly any of the normal stuff you would expect to see and no odor. And scratch that, he just threw up again. <sigh> Mostly water. I think he may have caused that by trying to jump up into the crate area before I could get over there to assist - he bumped his tummy. It's going to be a long 18 hours until that appointment.

Initially I like to get the basics down - that training usually serves as brain training for a new pup so it's a double win. Sit, down, stay, leave, drop is where I start.

I still contend they do. This time it was Momo. That little stinker managed to snag himself a treat today after his vaccinations. I was in line with him and he had behaved the Entire time, leaving the rawhides and whatnot when told to. As Soon as I was distracted that sneaky boy grabbed one of the treats they had next to the register. (Dear Petsmart . . . clever placement, that's one way to drive sales! ) The gentleman behind us alerted me to it and thank Goodness Mo dropped the treat when I told him to. That could have been a tricky situation. I took the snack and placed it on the counter saying, "I guess I'm buying this!" Smiles and chuckles all around. Then I take out my card to pay and that opportunistic brat sits Beautifully, perks his ears, tilts his head, and gives me that kind of attention you see in every training video. Everyone cracks up and awwwwwws. Little do they know what a terror he can be, lol. Not one of them would believe me if I told them of our past foibles. Training works❣️

I'll preface this with: I haven't read everything Adrienne wrote. :D I agree that there's no reason to put our hands in their bowls. A well-trained "leave" and "drop" is a much better, and safer, option. I dealt (poorly) with food aggression for 8 years before finally getting professional help. Between that trainer and Adrienne we're going on a year without incident (Mo is 10½ now). It took a Lot of work and a Gob of patience and Oodles of repetition with the Most Boring Training Ever, lol, but we got there. :) Y'all have a major leg up on us in that you're addressing it and instilling good behavior early on. For the kiddos, if Adrienne didn't address it already, I'd recommend teaching them to respect a dog's space, especially when they're eating. That should extend to friends', relatives', and strangers' dogs. One of my favorite metaphors is to imagine you're sitting down, eating, and suddenly someone comes and puts their hand in your food or takes your plate away. Or heck, even starts scratching your head - how annoying! For children you can use their sibling as the example of that someone. ;) And play up the value of that meal because to us food is food, to dogs food is like . . . ice cream or cake - super important high value. The other thing I'd personally do (and practice with Mo) is to feed on a schedule and away from commotion. That helps the kiddos because they know that at x time it's puppy time and they have to stay out of that area only for that time. Lastly, oh em gee, that face! What a handsome boy!

She loved that bed. My only complaint is that they're awkward to wash - ours don't have removable covers. I have a larger one for Gertie and her glands leaked onto it and I'm not sure how the heck to wash it when Abbi's barely washes. We found a new set up for Abbi at IKEA. A "fold out couch," that's entirely waterproofed And it was only $50. Can't find many dog couches for that price. It has stiff tall arms to keep her coralled so she can't slide off. She's lost most of the use of her back legs and there's a shunt in the one now for drainage because it kept filling with synovial fluid so wouldn't ever dry out. She's pulled the stitches several times because dogs are insanely tenacious about mobility. She's more seal-like than ever these days! The medication they put her on is working well for the autoimmune issue and she'll be on that indefinitely. She fell off the human couch tonight, sigh. Husband came over to sit next to me and Abbi decided to try to walk over to him, missed the couch and fwoop! Down she went. Then when he picked her up she tried to attack Gertie, as if it were Gertie's fault. Poor Gerts. Abbi didn't seem hurt, she kind of slid down instead of a solid fall so that likely helped. I Knew she was going to take a header sooner or later because she keeps getting excited about her food and seems to have no depth perception any more. I have to watch her every night to ensure she doesn't fall off. Did Not expect her to try to come over to us tonight so I wasn't paying attention (and it's been a long 3 weeks so I'm tired and not on top of things). It's a couch with a chaise lounge on each end. My best guess is she tried to come up from the lower part of the chaise to step onto the couch but that corner of air was too much for her to traverse. She'll probably be sore tomorrow and fortunately didn't reinjure the leg. Going to have to rethink the couch set up if she's going to pull these stunts! She's absolutely Ravenous from the prednisone. Despite having a healthy appetite to rival a Mastiff's, she's only gained 1 pound and needs 1 more. She tried to snatch a pretzel out of my husband's mouth the other night, lol. She went from a finicky eater to food thief! I'm super busy with work but wanted to give an update. Bought the course for my kiddo so she can train her roommates' dogs so you may see her popping up around here for some advice to get those two settled. I've given the advice I can and decided she needed a more expert set of hands to help. :)

Those were what I found on the first page after weeding out the posts that had other issues involved. With Gertie my Favorite way to address this is to use a bungy style leash and a front attachment harness. My leash encircles my waist so my hands are free and that helps me with balance. With Momo we seriously didn't get any further than the end of the street the first few times out with all the turnarounds we had to do. He eventually got it after the 4th day. There's still pulling in the first 5 minutes these days, but after he gets over himself (he's wired for sound - no human has ever tired him out and only one dog has succeeded in that respect).

At 4½ months old Everything is a new sensation. Let me see if I can dig up some of those posts because Adrienne's gone into super detail mode in them. Be right back!

Just a quick bit of advice: replace the pull back with an emergency turnaround. This is a great tool for your kit to have trained because it can save your dog And it makes walking on the leash nicer for you. It takes a little work upfront, but they do eventually catch on! When your dog starts pulling you can say something like, "oops," and you turn around and walk the other way. When he's walking to your satisfaction again you can turn back around and continue on the intended path. With Momo I have to do this over and over and over because he's so darn hyper. Gertie gets the idea right away. That is to say - it's largely based on your dog as to how quickly they pick this up. I've gone on walks with Mo where we haven't gotten further than 2 blocks with constant turnarounds where Gertie and I walk 3 miles and it's a breeze. There are more tricks in the bag, and there are numerous posts around here that have excellent advice. I just wanted to let you know about that emergency turnaround because it's such an easy thing to do and highly effective. It works well if your dog is about to chase a squirrel or put their mouth on something on the ground (like trash because dogs are weird). It teaches them that every time they pull they're going to end up moving in the Opposite direction of that interesting thing, but if they walk nicely they'll get closer to it.

You can, Denise. They're part of the training course. If you're on a desktop / laptop you can right click and open in a new window or tab (I'm notorious for having multiple tabs open) so you don't have to keep coming back to the forum. The forum and the course training will log you out after 2 weeks, and I usually have to log back in if I navigate away from one or the other, but otherwise you shouldn't have any issues bouncing between them. I'm so happy to hear animal control won't have to get involved! That likely takes a load of weight off your shoulders. I've been thinking about this all day and was anxious to hear how everything turned out!

l know it's scary! My best friend's dog bit her mom (mom is deaf and tried to pull Chester off the bed by his collar - didn't hear his growling) which caused a hospital trip and he's still living with my friend so don't get Too worked up! Animal Control took him for a 3 or 5-day quarantine period during which my friend was a ball of nerves. It's a super stressful situation, but I think when they see you're trying they'll give you a break. They may even be able to suggest trainers for you so it Could turn into a good thing. The fact that all dogs survived is a tick mark in the pros column. You had Tito on leash so there won't be a fine for off leash. You may be responsible for Vet bills, but beyond that I can't see them hitting you with anything else if Tito doesn't have a bite record. Have your vaccination records ready as well. I think one thing that will be suggested is the emergency turn. That's when you're walking him on the leash, see a small dog and say something like, "oops," and turn around to walk the opposite direction. Another thought that comes to mind is that there are vests you can get that warn others your dog needs extra space. If possible, walk him at times when there is less traffic. I tended to walk Momo just after dark because he was a hyper pita. :D It was easier for me to walk him without other dogs around because even at a mere 34 pounds that boy is all muscle and Strong. https://smile.amazon.com/munglab-Not-Patch-Harness-Leash/dp/B07F71FP8R/ref=pd_bxgy_img_2/137-7611886-3650752?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07F71FP8R&pd_rd_r=c388ac6d-b038-43c6-af26-4e1572f03566&pd_rd_w=AdFeQ&pd_rd_wg=Y9Ffu&pf_rd_p=f325d01c-4658-4593-be83-3e12ca663f0e&pf_rd_r=DJB7T9TEDK357E00B5FR&psc=1&refRID=DJB7T9TEDK357E00B5FR https://www.etsy.com/listing/167352345/jacket-vest-for-dogs-working-on-issues Something like those - it gives others a bit of warning. I saw on a forum years ago that tying a piece of yellow yarn or ribbon on your leash is another way to signal that your dog needs space. I saw something I really liked on a video and it was a girl explaining that just because her dog needs extra space and doesn't like to be approached doesn't mean he doesn't deserve a quality life. The other dog owner was likely shaken up as well and was thinking only of getting her pups to safety rather than taking stock of wounds. Dog fights / attacks sound horrifying and even with my dogs who have been with each other for 2½ years now my blood gets pumping and the adrenaline leaves me shaking. It's entirely possibly she got home and the wound wasn't as bad as it seemed (even small head wounds bleed like crazy, for example). Get some rest so you're ready for that visit tomorrow. I'm sure they'll see a responsible owner who needs a bit of guidance. They're in the business of helping animals, not hurting them. <3

I'm so sorry that happened. I'm going to say the fact that he's good with other dogs his size is a good sign. If he were fully dog aggressive it would be a steeper hill, but still climbable! I think there will be questions needing answers before Adrienne can give a well-informed answer so I'll try to help with getting that started. - Is he the only dog - Is he neutered and how old is he - Were y'all on the same side of the road as the other dog or was there distance between y'all - Was there damage to the other dog, or was it mostly noise? (Puncture wounds, blood, or mainly snarling and growling) - Was there any food or another resource nearby that could have contributed? - Was the other dog interacting before the attack? (Eye contact, tense body, barking, growling, etc . . . ) - Is this the first attack? - What does he do when another dog walks by the fence? There's much work that can be done solo before interacting with other dogs so take heart. :) Dog fights are scary - we've had a couple amongst our usually loving pooches ourselves (they're all protective of their food from one another) and those sounds are just awful! The fact that you're willing to train instead of rehoming him is Fantastic so give yourself credit for being brave and proactive on behalf of your pooch. I'll leave it at that and hope I asked all the pertinent questions, though Adrienne may have more.

I'll go ahead and admit I skimmed the post to get the gist of it because I also use a bell. To drive home the point that the bell is for "business trips," I say "potty," after she rings the bell. Initially when she was ringing it just to go outside I started putting her on the 50' lead I have. That meant she still had plenty of room to sniff, but not a whole lot to play and outside got boring quickly. If I initiated the trip outside I left her off the lead. Eventually she got it into her head that bell = business trip <> play. Now she rings the bell only when she's downright serious about needing to go potty. Rarely I have to reinforce the idea because she's a smart little toot and will ring the bell to play. I've gotten to where I can read her body language to tell whether she's serious or not. It's Usually after the cat has killed a squirrel, or something else interesting, is outside and she wants to get back to it. She tattles on herself pretty quick because she goes straight to whatever it is so the rest of the day I'll put her on the lead to remind her the bell is only for true calls of nature. I hope that helps!

Oh my gosh, I watched a video of avoidance training with dogs and the dogs were focused on the trainer the Entire time. I mean, sure I was jealous of the eye contact and focus, lol, but the dogs didn't acknowledge the "snakes" a single time - they merely followed the trainer. Then I watched one with a collar that emitted a buzzing sound. I'm Guessing it was a shock, but the dog didn't seem fazed by it by means of physical discomfort so I'm not sure. They did end up giving the snake skin and live snakes a kind of wide birth, but I see an issue with that, too. A snake can strike up to 1/3 of its length. I don't think a dog is going to calculate that distance. So, yes, best to train a strong leave it. That's what my brother said about the vaccination - it simply buys time and we'll need that if we get into a situation because the closest Vet is 30 minutes away. It saved Gordo - he was sniffing in the bushes and a snake was there, struck Gordo in the lip and gum line. It actually took them overnight to figure out it was a snake bite! I wasn't there so I can't roll my eyes and the story my brother told had reasonable cause to wait. Gordo's been through the wringer! He's definitely living his best life and getting bang for his buck, and what an absolutely Sweet dog he is. I didn't expect him to be so loving what with being this superiorly bred and trained hunting dog, but when we were there for Thanksgiving I discovered he's a big cuddle bug. He absolutely loves the hunt and doesn't pay one lick of attention to his physical shape - he's one of those dogs who'd run himself into the grave. I digress - I fell in love with that Gordo and could go on and on. I also read that 4x the Benadryl a dog would normally need should be kept on hand as well as your phone and something else (I'll get it figured out before we take the pups, good questions for our appointment). I believe what I'll do is place "snake kits" at the places we're going to hang out on our property so I'll know where they're at and I'll just carry Benadryl on me since it's small enough. I have a .380 right now, but I'm going to get a .22 for that house - they're easier to shoot. Another snake was posted today - they used a 12 gauge! I prefer to live and let live, but venomous things don't get that courtesy. They wouldn't think twice about protecting themselves, neither will I! The neighbor on the lot next to us is planning to build this year so that's a little comfort, knowing there may be someone else around to help because our street is pretty bare. I'll also be investing in boots and will forgo shorts in favor of jeans. Hm, probably good thick work gloves when moving the rocks, too. Wonder if there's a rattlesnake vaccination for humans . . ..

I don't know what happened to my response. The snake is just about center. Its head is to the left of the green leaf in the middle - kind of blurry but I Think its mouth is open and likely the only thing that alerted the picture taker to its presence. The body runs down the picture to the left of the stick below the green leaf and it's curved into a little more than an 's' shape. The majority of its body is the same color as the leaves. In fact, there are 3 leaves to the right of its body that I keep thinking are part of the snake, even after looking at the image a multitude of times. Yikes! Gertie has a fair leave, Momo's is weaker so we'll work on that. His prey drive is just so stinking strong I kind of think all the training in the world isn't going to override that drive. Like asking a Beagle not to sniff things. Given her current status I don't think Abbi will be going to Texas, she'll forever be a Florida pup. I'll skip that avoidance training - no one shocks my Gerts and I think we can say with certainty that Mo would respond very negatively to something like that. Poor boy has enough issues, we'll leave him be. We're doing a traditional Texas cedar post fence - cedar trunks with wire (not barbed, though - we don't want to harm the beneficial wildlife and there Are good snakes). Since we won't be building for a couple years (that's the plan now, anyway - if we get lucky it could change) there is time to figure things out. I will be building paths down to the creek with the available rocks (I'll just have to be careful as I pick them up!), something my brother and I used to do as kiddos to help me find my way back to the house (he doesn't get lost - I always get lost, lol). If we stick to using those paths we'll have a better chance of spotting anything out of the ordinary since it will be tamped down and clearer than the rest of the area. Getting the dogs to follow the path . . . different story! Can't believe that snake had the audacity to eavesdrop. It must have been out cold to not move with you there - that's quite extraordinary! Makes me wonder how many I've been close to now. I've always operated under the knowledge they have sour dispositions and will let you know right away of their presence. Double yikes! I found the zoomed-in image:

I'm going to chime in with some encouragement. Gertrude Marie is a clingy pup and she can now stay home, uncrated, for several hours without destroying things. When we first got her she ransacked the house, ate a portion of her bed, jumped on tables, ate my crochet hooks (grrrrr), ate my crochet project (extra grrrr - that was a difficult intricate pattern with a small hook!), dragged several skeins of yarn to the middle of the floor and thoroughly entangled them, and was basically a horrible house guest! Nowadays I can put treat containers around the upstairs and (we finally got our door last week) shut the door. She whines a little bit and paces here and there, but for the most part she chills out in her bed and enjoys her treats. I also hide smaller treats around the room and we have a Furbo camera that I can use to shoot treats at her. To help her adjust to the door I've been leaving the room and going downstairs and watch her on the camera. When she heads towards the door I "toss" the treats at her. Eventually she gets to the point of starting towards the door, pausing, looking at the Furbo, pausing . . . we're still working on it because that door is only a week old, but she's getting there and I can see her processing, "treats vs following - which is more rewarding?" She's the type of dog who jumps up any time I shift in my chair, grab my purse, say "alright," (I'm in the habit of saying that before I go to bed for some reason), grab something from the printer, etc . . .. Even if my husband is up here with us she'll still make to follow me. I send her back to her bed with a "yes!" once she's settled and occasionally she gets a treat to remind her good things could happen if she stays. It took about 2 years to get to this point, but I will follow that by saying I wasn't giving it my all. If I had pushed for it we would have made faster progress, but since I work from home and prefer to stay home it hasn't been a high priority. She was also fine in her crate, just barked a little more than she does with this new freedom.

We have some time to work on this one so I'm in no hurry for an answer. :) We bought land in Texas, hooray! I'll get to go home eventually - don't think we'll build for a couple years, though. The folks who live there are on a FB group and there are pictures of the properties. About 20% of those are dead rattlesnakes . . .. Coyotes, bobcats, a fox, raccoons, a ringtail something, hogs, and lots of deer. With these two prey-driven knuckleheads of mine I'm going to have my work cut out for me! We'll fence in about an acre, but that leaves 4'ish we'll keep "wild." The HOA head person-type's wife (I've never had an HOA, lol - president?) said she put her dogs through snake avoidance training so now instead of going near snakes they actually alert her to their presence. Have you ever heard of such a thing? I don't know if Momo is capable of that restraint, but Gertie has promise. I'm going to ask their Veterinarian about the rattlesnake vaccination as well. Here's the kind of thing we're dealing with. There is, indeed, a copperhead rattlesnake in this picture (so anyone who's scared of snakes, don't look too hard!). Husband and I agree we'd both be dead because neither of us were able to find it without the zoomed in image. Even knowing where it is my eye sometimes goes to the leaves beneath it, thinking that area is the snake. I asked about how common they were (sometimes sensational things get posted more often than the more mundane) and I have been assured that the snake picture to commonality is accurate. When I grew up there we didn't see or hear any in the woods, but moccasins in the lake were a usual sighting. We were constantly having to get out of the water because a dang moccasin was having a swim near us. So, this is nothing new to me, but I didn't have dogs back then so that aspect is new and I want to be as prepared as possible (I'll be foregoing shorts and wearing jeans and boots as well as using a walking stick). We were always told to make lots of noise when walking, stomp our feet and walk deliberately kind of noise, and I'll be doing that for sure. I'm not scared of snakes or spiders and they eat roaches so they're a-okay in my book, buuuut, when it comes to the venomous varieties all bets are off and I'll be carrying my .380 when I'm on the property (unless I get a .22 before then)!

I used to take Brownie and Abbi for swims to take stress off their backs. Dachshunds and those darn long spines! Last summer I got a life jacket for Abbi so she could float while we hang out, but she kind of tips to the side, lol. It has a handle and I hold on to her to keep her righted. We'll see what this summer brings. She doesn't Hate it, but she's not a fan, either. I think if it were a bit warmer she'd be more willing to take a dip; however, I know it's good for her little legs to work while they have no weight on them so it's a matter of weighing benefit against distress. If she were to show a clear sign of not wanting to go in then I'd leave her be. It's a tough call. Gertie on the other hand could be a dock jumper if I had the ability to set it up. Mo mainly takes a quick dip to cool off, then he's out. If I throw a ball he'll go in time after time, though. Thank you for pinning! I love to see the dogs folks are asking about.

I'm posting one of the first pics of Gertie in order to bump this thread. I couldn't figure out how the heck she was getting wet except for her back. I knew she wasn't swimming - hadn't gotten her water wings just yet and her head nor her back were ever wet. She kept disappearing around the corner over the week and I thought she was just going potty. One day I crept over to the pool area to see what she was up to. That little stinker had figured out the fist step was perfect for cooling off. These days she loves launching off the edge after a tennis ball. I convinced her to swim by diving into the pool with me. Monkey see, monkey do! I wonder if we could get this thread pinned so we can get more pooches posted here. <pleading eyes>

Does he have his own bed? You could put that near the kitchen to establish a boundary. I like the play pen idea, but if you could get him to elect to stay in one spot on his own that would be ideal. Much easier to teach him where a boundary is if you're traveling or staying with someone else for whatever reason. Gertie sometimes won't stay out unless I put something down for her. I'm unsure whether it's comfort or being able to see the area I want her to stay in. Either way I know even just that towel is enough to get her to settle in.

When it was broken down like that for me I felt the same way - makes total sense! With her getting agitated over the high value treat it may be too much too soon with putting it in her bowl. Here's what our week one of training looked like: Bowl on ground, empty (feed Mo before training), Mo in a sit (this is to give us reaction time in case the dog snaps - it takes them a little longer to do so from a sit than stand). Touch bowl with hand, treat, walk away. Touch bowl with hand, treat, walk away. Meals - dump food in bowl, walk away. This forms a positive association with the bowl and you touching the bowl. I practiced that for a week, several times per day, before we moved on to the next step, which I can't remember and I don't want to give bad advice because of a faulty memory so I'll stop with week 1. It was a Very slow process, though. Lots of baby steps, and practicing those steps. When your nephew is over it's probably going to be best to a) manage - make sure there's no food around, even your own b) separate dog and human - if there is a room that can be gated, for example c) train the child - sounds funny, but I'd say humans are the number one cause of dog bites. On average humans don't understand dog body language. The dog can be giving four or five clear (in their head) signs that they're not happy with a situation, but we humans completely miss it. Children especially. Teaching your nephew to respect her boundaries is going to be key to his safety. Children also Love giving dogs things. Toys, food, fingers . . . and with a guarder that's a bad mix. A fence will make your life so much easier. I have a lead for Gertie but she manages to tangle it on all our shrubs (she Loves diving for lizards). I'd say 75% of the time I go out there she's managed some confounding configuration of entanglement. It's handy, though, for when we have people working around the house (we're Very slowly getting it ready for sale, waiting for that right moment in the market). I can send her out on the lead, workers are safe. Most of the time, though, the dogs are let out in the front yard and I just cross my fingers Gertie and Abbi don't roll in something disgusting (for whatever reason Momo, the only male, doesn't roll but the girls thrill in getting stinky).

My eyes are drooping, but I'll ask a couple questions that may help before I crash and burn. :) I'm almost certain someone else had this specific issue and there's a post about it around here somewhere. I'm not 100% on that, though, and it's possible it was in a video I watched. Darn CRS! Do you have a separate room you can put him? You can't leave the room, but perhaps he can. :) What about a Kong or other toy filled with treats to occupy him while you're cooking? You mention that you do use them, but it wasn't clear if it's during these times of barking. They can chew through food quickly and that's probably not giving you enough time to prepare your own food before he starts "talking" at you. I Love the lick mats - even got one that sticks to the shower wall for Gertie's baths. Momo ate one of the mats so he doesn't get those (I neglected to pick it up once Gertie was finished and wasn't aware he was happily chowing down on it). My special boy! Our dogs are not allowed past the cabinet in the kitchen, for example. If they go into the kitchen they are told, "out" and they've learned that means they've crossed the threshold I'm willing to accept. Initially I had to put a towel down for Gertie so she had a clearly defined area she was allowed to watch from. Momo had to be put in another room altogether, his panting drives me batty! I used to block him with a baby gate. He could still see me, but was out of the way. I know your issue is sound, not proximity, but sometimes proximity will cause the sound. I don't have any experience with the sound collars so I don't have feedback there, but I did see the question.