JMFS

Hi Kat, Gertie does this with the husband because he inadvertently invites said behaviors. She's learned, like your pup, how I expect her to behave, but each new person brings an opportunity to push the boundaries. Okay, more like she's never met a stranger and hasn't seen said new person in like Forever, even though she's never met them. I've almost gotten the husband trained (ha) to accept the behavior he invites and to eschew the behavior he's not fond of. Example: Gertie will go over to him and nudge his hand while he's on the phone and he'll absent-mindedly start scratching or petting her. Then when he's Not on the phone and she does it he wonders why she's doing that. :rolleyes: I think it's a combination of training the people and the dog, with more emphasis on human training. We had a couple younguns over the other day and the sister pretty much ignored Gertie after the initial "oh my gosh, a puppeeeeeee!" while the brother hugged all over Gertie at every opportunity. Gertie ignored the sister and wiggled all over the brother. One thing I've learned is to load guests up with treats (our cherished Zuke's minis) and every time Gertie comes over to them they can toss a treat away from them and Gertie will go after the treat. Eventually she keeps her distance, hoping a treat will come her way. It takes longer with certain people. My mom is Not an animal lover like the rest of us so of Course the dogs and cat flock to her. ;) She's perfected telling them, "no, I don't want you," and proceeds to ignore them. They learn quickly that she's boring (sorry, Mom) and they move on to better things (sorry, again, Mom). My trainer, on the other hand, Loves animals and she can hardly contain herself, though she does manage. The dogs sense that energy about her and it takes them much longer to settle down. Especially Momo - he adores her. That wasn't really advice as much as it was commiseration. As she ages she'll mellow, and as folks are consistent with her she'll learn. I take Gertie everywhere I'm allowed so she gets exposure to all sorts of people and situations and the hope there is that she'll come to find new situations to be interesting but not Totally Amazingly Exciting Adventures. The more repetition other people are willing to do with her will also help. E.g., coming in the door - the more she sees that happen, the more commonplace and mundane it will become and the less energy she'll put into greeting folks. The biggest issue is getting willing humans to do repetition. We'd make awful dogs, lol.

Here's a thought, and I could be reaching for an explanation here, was your 3-yr old all by herself when this behavior occurred? Maybe away from where everyone else, or just you, was? I don't know much about herding, but I wonder if one stray human might be bothering him and he's trying to get that human grouped together with the others.

Hi Aaron, Here's something to get you started: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/forum/showthread.php?129-Self-handicapping-with-Abbi&highlight=handicap Mine didn't fight, per se, Gertie mostly steamrolled over Abbi. Regardless, I think the approach to rectify your situation will have similar components so I'm tossing it in here. Abbi is considerably older than Yoshi, but still, a young pup with boundless energy (especially Australian Cattle mix) is likely to annoy even a 2-yr old. Gertie still occasionally gets in Abbi's face and starts wiggling all around, trying to entice Abbi into playing, or she'll plop her big ol' paw onto Abbi (45 lbs vs 10 lbs, you can imagine how well that goes over). Last weekend we had an incident when we were working in the yard. Gertie was engaging Monkey (our cat) into play and Abbi, being the fun police, inserted herself into the fray and started attacking Gertie. Abbi sucks sometimes. We addressed it by separating Gertie and Abbi and life went back to normal. Had it occurred again I'd have thrown Abbi inside since she was the instigator and Gertie was behaving (mostly - the cat is sometimes open to play and sometimes not at all, this was a not at all day). If Gertie had started it I would have put her on her 50 ft lead and tied her to me so she would be within reach and I could reel her in like a fish if she didn't respond to my voice or whistle. Momo is a jerk with toys (mostly food toys like Kongs), and unlike Abbi he can actually hurt someone, so I address that by putting him in a crate with a long lasting treat. He's also not allowed into the office where Gertie's toys are all over her bed. It's easiest to address an issue by taking away the opportunity for an issue to arise. :) On rare occasions he wants to be inside with us so I'll put away all the toys before bringing him in. Is it normally Yoshi who's in your lap and being territorial of you? I ask because I'm guessing that's the dog who fits in your lap the best. Mo used to growl at Gertie when she'd come up to me while I was scratching Momo. I resolved that by giving Mo treats when Gertie would come near so now he thinks Gertie = treats. Abbi still does it because Abbi is a grumpus (and rightly so - she's saturated with arthritis) so husband sits between them and he moves Gertrude back over to her side if she does her sneaky slow wiggle over to Abbi's side bit. Abbi's tolerance of Gertrude is unpredictable so separation is the best bet with her. So there's a bit of info from someone who's been managing it for a year now. We're mostly settled around here nowadays and it calmed down significantly about 3-4 months after Gertie came home. Not long after I created that post and subsequently applied Adrienne's advice.

Not sure if these are viable with the travel, but it might be an option to let puppers outside instead of doing the potty thing inside. Since you're traveling I limited my searches to Petsmart and Petco since they're usually easily found. https://www.petsmart.com/dog/training-and-behavior/potty-training/poochpadandtrade-indoor-turf-dog-potty-classic-premierandtrade-53213.html# (this one wasn't available in my area, but it may be in yours) https://www.petsmart.com/dog/training-and-behavior/potty-training/top-paw-disposable-dog-litter-pan-36426.html (same with this one and I'm not sure if this is even a good alternative) https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/dog/poochpads-indoor-turf-dog-potty-plus (this one is showing available in store, but that's for my area so no promises) https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/dog/so-phresh-dog-litter-with-odor-control-paper (the litter that goes in it the litter pan) https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/dog/so-phresh-dog-litter-box (the litter pan - these two paired items are showing as available in my store so perhaps they would be in yours, too) https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/dog/poochpads-indoor-dog-potty-pro# (this one has 2 stars but I don't know why - I can't see reviews so don't know if it's a superficial complaint or something important) And then I found a pad holder that could be put outside, but would keep pups off the ground. It appears available for pick up in my area: https://www.walmart.com/ip/OUT-Floor-Protection-Dog-Pad-Holder-Fits-21-x-21-pads-or-larger/24093554 I tried! I was thinking of astro turf that could be set down on the ground and then hosed off before putting it back in the motorhome. I did have a co-worker whose dog would Not go outside at night so he trained Oliver to go in the tub instead. Not sure how strong your aversion is to that idea and if you have an area that would be suitable for that (most motorhomes I've seen don't have a tub, but they're getting fancier every day), but I'm throwing it into the pile just in case. We do what we have to sometimes! Never in my life did I think I'd be squeezing anal glands, but there I am, every month, fixing up poor stinky Gerts.

I'm teaching Gertie to wipe her paws herself and thought that might come in handy in this situation. My end game goal is to get her to file her own claws as I'll replace the towel with sandpaper. If nothing else it may help with getting your pup to come to enjoy the sight of a towel. It was a video I saw and they didn't show many repetitions, nor did they address the Back feet, but it was enough to get us started. I put a treat under a towel and point to it. When Gertie touches the towel with her paw I say, "yes!" and toss a treat a couple feet away. If she noses at it instead I say, "nope!" and point again until she touches with her paw. Even accidental touches get rewarded - they'll put it together eventually. She comes back and we repeat the process. After about 7 tries she started pawing at the towel instead of only touching it. That only took about 3 minutes of time and I ended it there because she was still succeeding and enjoying the game. I'm using Zuke's minis for this exercise, but if yours sincerely dislikes the paw wiping then you may want to upgrade to chicken or the jerky treats. Something super enticing. Just never use Chik Fil A nuggets. Trust me on That one, ugh! :D Who knew just 3 nuggets could cause such mayhem to a dog's tummy!

Aw, what a cute crew! And happy to pose together for a family picture. :) You're thoughtful to have planned for their future. I still don't know what my dad did with my grandmother's dog - she was 78 but her passing was still unexpected as she was healthy, but a car accident that took her sooner than we were ready for. I was warned about "free to a good home" when my cat had kittens (because I was not yet a responsible animal guardian). I was told to put at least a $10 fee for each kitten to keep sickos away, and I've shared that with as many people as will listen. When I found adopters I "waived" the fee and explained why there was a fee to begin with. Spread the word! The four kittens went to two good families with adorable kiddos. And I got my cats spayed and neutered (I don't only preach, I try to learn, too!). I understand the adopter's position about not feeling up to the task. I went 8 years with Momo being food aggressive and it was stressful. I was finally in a position to have a Behaviorist come help us and we've got a new lease on life. Up until that point, though, there were a couple times when I thought I couldn't do it any more. Thankfully, I'm stubborn and am strongly opposed to quitting just because something is difficult (thanks, Dad, for always telling me there are no quitters in this family, haha). There's a Humane Society adoption event at Petsmart this weekend and I keep urging my husband to go. I want to take Gertie so "Kat" can see how happy this pooch is. Kat was not going to let us take Gertie because I said Gertrude was going to be primarily outside with Momo and shelters don't like that answer; however, I'm a firm believer in honesty so I told the truth. (Turns out Gertie is a Great inside dog and she's my office buddy, though she Wishes she could be outside more.) Kat had made up her mind before even seeing our yard. With the screened in pool. And tons of trees. And 1.3 fenced acres . . .. Another worker had a good feeling about us and I showed him video of our yard so he came to our house for the assessment before Kat could. So, yes, I want to be a wee petty and gloat by showing her how much Gertrude has changed since coming home with us. We see Kat often at the grocery store, but she doesn't recognize us. I'd like to change that, lol. I'm a wee embarrassed at my pettiness, but apparently that situation really stuck in my craw and I haven't reached closure! :D The first step is recognition, right? My primary motive, though, involves a 3-yr old Dachshund they have for adoption, and the husband will only accept a Dachshund for our next addition (ugh). I'm not a fan of the breed, but his two Dachshunds didn't grow up with me and were largely untrained so I'm open to trying One more. Brownie passed a few years ago and Abbi is getting up there in years so I'd like to have another one trained and acclimated before Abbi passes because she helped him greatly through Brownie's passing. Plus, it would feel too still and empty in the house with only Gertie inside. Momo comes in at night until the weather is warmer - in the warm months he's our critter control. We get armadillos, raccoons, opossums, and moles, and Mo keeps them all out of our yard. Bonus - he couldn't be happier about it. He spent his first 3 years mostly crated while I was at work so he enjoys the heck out of his outdoor life.

Interesting! I told my husband tonight about the teaspoon of sugar in a swimming pool. He was lamenting Abbi's fascination with a spot she'd already sniffed three times and I got to share some knowledge that made him go, "where on Earth did you learn that?! Wait, never mind, I know where." :D

Hello! I trained Momo to walk on the left, but now that I'm walking on tracks and trails that's changed. I Used to have Mo heel on the left because I'd walk against traffic and he'd be on the inside, near the curb tucked away safely. All of the trails and tracks I go to want you to "curb your dog," which means they're going to have to walk on the Right side. Ugh! Momo can change to the right, but he tends to amble to the left after I've lost focus. We adopted Gertie after I learned all the tracks and trails around here want dogs on the curb side so she's trained to walk on the right. For me, it boils down to the laws of the land. However! There's absolutely No rule that says you can't teach them Both. :D For Momo "heel" means "left" and "right" means, well, "right." He's now an ambidextrous walker. It comes in handy because you can adapt to the situation at hand.

Hey there - glad she's home with y'all! I'm going to try this one. I think what's meant is when the kiddos are in action. Mornings may be a good example. When you're running around getting everyone ready for the day, keep (China? Jericho?) behind a baby gate so she doesn't have an opportunity to practice unwanted behavior. She can see y'all and take in the happenings, but she won't have the chance to make the wrong decision, like jumping on the little ones to join in the excitement. Especially since I'm sure you have your hands full and your attention will be divided and you may not catch undesirable actions as quickly as you might when you're actively training. When you're training, stay behind the gate with puppers while the kiddos are playing and reward her for remaining calm. I'm sure Adrienne can explain it better, but I wanted to give it a whirl. :) If y'all are just chilling out then there's little for her to get excited about so separation shouldn't be needed. She's in a new situation with a lot of stimuli so the more you can reduce the additional craziness, the better. Think of it as the new kid in class. They don't know the rules, the personalities, or the routine, and it can be even more overwhelming when there's a language barrier.

Four is the max I think I'd go as well. We've been up to three and I manage it, but I think four might stretch me thin. If I didn't have to work and could dedicate all my time to pups And didn't want to travel (I don't really, but we get a free trip each year and I'm not turning That down!) I would have many more. I read that Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth have Fifteen! I can see her being a dog person - she's got the energy for it. It's not the training or the loving, it's the Cleaning. Oh em gee the Cleaning! We have very sandy soil and the dogs and humans track it in by the pound. I can't Stand sand - the grittiness, yuck, lol. I took the shedding blade to Mo today and we had fluffy white undercoat covering the back yard. He doesn't look like a Husky, but when I start shedding him it's there. At least the birds will have solid comfy nests this year! He was so bad I could see tufts of hair poking out and I could pull them out effortlessly. I really fell behind with the poor guy, but he's all fixed up now. Handsome as ever! I give a shot at convincing the husband to foster once in a while. So far he's held steadfast, dangit. I think it's an honorable and selfless thing to do. Now you've got me curious since he Does intend to have us retire in the next 5 years so I'll need something to do! Is that a rule specific to the shelter you foster for about the returns, or is that usual? We saw someone bringing a dog back the day we adopted Gertie. The girl behind the counter shook her head and said, "we're taking more in than we're adopting out." I thought about that a month later and wrote them a letter with an update on Gertrude and a small donation to tell them if Gertie's brother ever came back I'd take him in a heartbeat! He looks just like her and had the same disposition so I seriously doubt he was going back, but I had to try. :D

Banfield draws his blood annually and nothing odd has turned up thus far. He's always been hyper. He's a Spitz / Husky / Spaniel mix, all three are energetic and smart. Pair that with the Husky's endurance and you have a Momo. :D The funny thing is Mo was sleeping against a plastic pool the day I adopted him. His brother and sister were jumping on the pen, each other, other puppies, hopping up to greet people, wiggling to and fro, nipping, licking and pouncing anything that moved or didn't. To think I got the calm one of the bunch! I may or may not have fostered his perpetual energy (I Totally did). :o When I was also younger and had more energy, as well as less aches and pains, we would wrestle, run around wildly, chase each other, and I fully and wholeheartedly supported his zoomies. When I got home, rather than piddling around a bit before letting him out of the crate, I'd greet him enthusiastically, fling the crate open and playfully smack him on the tush, which sent him into a whirlwind around the house. Ah, had I only known then what I know now! He's still the best trained of the three pups and it's apparent when he and Gertie are together. I'll call them in and Mo will stop in his tracks (okay, slide to a stop) and look at me. Gertie is off in the woods, pretending to be utterly oblivious. In fact, I've sent Mo after her to herd her in to me several times. It's hit or miss, he's got about a 65% success rate. The other times they end up chasing each other again. My Behaviorist said several times each session that Momo needed a job. She suggested flyball but I don't have the time (and they do it early - I'm Not a morning person), though he'd dominate at it. She was going to borrow him so she could learn more about it herself, and how to handle, but then she got an offer she couldn't refuse and back to the Ivory Coast she went. I have been trying to devise a cart that he can pull to help me in the yard, kind of going with the Husky thing. The husband thinks I'm bonkers so he hasn't built one for me, yet. Maybe this Christmas will be the one! :D Mo is only 35'ish pounds so it would be small stuff, but I think he'd dig it. Or, perhaps the husband will finally bring home the 1" pvc pipe I've been asking for so I can set up an agility course! We have plenty of scraps around our job sites and he's built some of my other crazy ideas with it so I'll keep trying. Oooh, think of the foraging games we could create with different sizes of pvc pipe! If he asks why all our houses are missing toilet flanges it Wasn't me! Gertie is The happy-go-lucky dog. She has not a care in the world . . . except loud noises. She's not fond of those. Otherwise she is like furry Valium - complete opposite of Mo. She is as content to chill with me in the office as she is to dive into the pool or run around like a maniac with Momo. I sent an update letter to the Humane Society and told them I'd be happy to set up a playdate with her brother who was adopted the day we went to look at dogs. Heck, I'd adopt him if his family ever had to give him up. Okay, that was Way more information than necessary, as usual. Can't help myself sometimes - dogs are just too good Not to talk about!

The thing about the Nina Ottosson toys is that many (I'd even venture to say Most) folks think they can load the game up and walk away as if it's a dog sitter. I made that mistake with Momo's first game long long ago. Live and learn! Then these people end up with a destroyed toy and post a bad review. Positive reviews come from people with dogs who either don't tear toys up (Abbi) or dogs who are supervised during play (Gertie and Momo). If I walked away Gertie would absolutely, and gleefully, destroy the plastic bones. It might take her a while to build up to it, but it would happen - I have one defunct plastic bone as proof, lol. Mo would have when he was younger but he's Finally beginning to mellow a tiny bit at 8½ years. He Might leave it alone after getting the treats out now, but before he'd have destroyed it without a second thought. Here's how it went for us with the Level 1 toy the first time: Momo: Systematically picked up each bone and set it aside, until that last one that got away from him and broke his attention. Honestly, I'm surprised he didn't flip the entire game over with his paw to get it all in one fell swoop.: Gertie: Mostly doghandled the thing with her paws and yipped at it a couple times when she couldn't get the treats. Funny thing is, she's the most delicate of our three pooches when taking food from our hands and has yet to touch me with her teeth: Abbi: No video of her. She pushed the bones aside with her long nose and lost interest a couple times out of frustration, but with encouragement she caught on and got excited when it was her turn. She struggles more than the bigger dogs, but her games are usually less than 90 seconds even with the arthritis. Gertie and Momo finish it in less than 45 seconds now. The Level 2 toy is the Dog Tornado. That's the one that has 3 different levels that spin and there are numerous options to make it easier or more difficult. Gertie and Mo do great with it, Abbi hasn't been tested. This one takes them quite a bit more time. And then I found this page while I was looking up the second toy. I thought it had interesting ideas: https://www.nina-ottosson.com/news-tips/tips-tricks/ Two negatives I have to say about the toys are: 1. Even though my dogs aren't drooly like say, a bulldog, the toys get slimed. Well and truly slimed. Especially by Momo - he leaves it looking like an oil spill. That means resetting the game is dirty work. 2. They're noisy. We have wood floors and the racket the dogs make is akin to a construction site. Especially Gertie since she doghandles it. On carpet it will be less noisy, but if your dogs slobber then your carpet is likely to suffer. That's easily remedied by putting down a blanket or mat, though.

Howdy! I'm not the expert, but my dogs love the Find It game, even old arthritic Abbi. Abbi does great with treats rolled up in a blanket as she's easy on them and therefore they remain intact. Gertie takes her meals out of an Orbee Tuff and it's become her favorite dispenser. She started with the Kong Wobbler and she still enjoys that, but we've packed up some boxes and so there's limited room for her to move that around these days. I've been known to wet her food, stuff it in her regular Kong and freeze it. Sometimes with peanut butter or yogurt to really stick it all together. Keeps her busy for quite some time! Momo loves to sniff his food out in the yard. He doesn't get toys because he's a resource guarder, but he seems content with the yard being an oversized snuffle mat. When I had more room I'd hide Gertie's food in little piles around the room that's now filled with boxes. All three dogs enjoy the Nina Ottosson toys. Momo has a slow feed bowl that everyone thinks is the craziest thing they've ever seen. I don't see what the fuss is about, it's just a plastic bowl with walls that create a flower design so he has to work his food out from between the walls. There are numerous examples of these bowls on Amazon and Chewy.com. The short of it - it's a great way to stimulate, exercise, and tire their minds and it's often encouraged around here - so much so that it's offered as part of a solution to many issues which occur as a result of boredom. In my household there are no free meals - all require work! Even the cat has to sit before I'll pour his food. That's about all one can expect from a cat. Abbi is an exception for her regular meals - we have to cajole her into eating those and I'm not above putting them in the shape of a smiley face. Astonishingly, it actually works. :rolleyes: Spoiled. Princess.

Either name is great! There is a question that was posted recently about changing a dog's name that Adrienne responded to so you're covered there. It's sad to hear about the stroke. Several people I know have been dealing with the aftermath of strokes in the last 3 years with varying degrees of detriment so I understand her decision. Having "Chinicho" there probably helped her through the worst of it on a mental and emotional level. Dogs are great for healing those types of ailments. :)

Lol, like I said - I have an ex who was a thorn in my side when it came to our kiddo. Always right, Always knew best, and Always in my business. It sure felt good to drop those 230 pounds in one fell swoop. It's been 8 years since we've heard from him so it's funny now, but for the first 7 years it most certainly was Not. ;) I hear you about that alone thing. If Gertie and Abbi weren't here I'd look like a crazy lady always talking to myself and I would be b-o-r-e-d. :D How old is she and why is she being adopted out? You don't have to answer, I'm just curious. Curiosity killed the cat but satisfaction brought it back! I'm from the school of "it doesn't hurt to ask. People can always say no." If y'all are running her often she's going to be in a great state of mind for physical well being, not to mention how wonderful that is for bonding. The fact that she's friendly with other dogs and even a cat is definitely heartening. That makes me think of a story. Gertie and I were at Petsmart a while back and this lady kept moving away from whatever aisle we entered. Finally we ended up in line with her and she dang near flipped her lid, saying that her dog might attack mine and she kept tugging the leash and moving her dog with her leg. Well, lady, if you know your dog has social deficiencies why in tarnation would you bring her to a pet-friendly store?! The fellow behind me had some choice words when she left and I was laughing and shaking my head. If the lady had relaxed even a little bit I think her dog would have as well. The poor pup was reacting to her owner's panic. So, since your girl sounds Much better off than the one from my story I'm thinking your trainer is going to give her high marks. Plus, when you get a professional's opinion you'll have that at the ready the next time the ex feels like inviting himself to your household decisions. :rolleyes: I did the Wisdom Panel DNA test for Gertie through Banfield. Hers was a blood test that the Veterinarian drew and sent in. I Think it was $160, and it's more accurate with more breeds in the database than the swab version you can do yourself. They were taking her blood that day anyway so I figured, what's another drop? I have the Optimum Wellness Plan through them and they divided the test cost up among the payments to take the sting out of it. Momo's test was $70, I believe, and it was also through Wisdom Panel. That was 8½ years ago and I had to order the test online whereas they're much more readily available now. His was a swab that I did at home and mailed in.

Hi Ahmee - quick question. When you put the dogs in a separate room do you also give them something to keep them busy, like a peanut butter stuffed Kong? Or take them for a walk first, or exercise them? There have been a couple posts about training more than one dog. They're difficult to find because the keywords are common words (dogs, two, multiple). I did manage to find one of them here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/forum/showthread.php?138-Working-with-more-than-one-dog&highlight=training+dogs Ooh, found another: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/forum/showthread.php?86-Double-dog-training&highlight=training+dogs Those might be helpful in getting you started.

I just saw this, and being an adopter of two shelter dogs, and having an opinionated ex, I'm going to weigh in. Gertie Looks like a "pit" because of her ears, but really she's mostly Golden Retriever and then Boxer / American Staffordshire Terrier. I had my own concerns initially, but holy Toledo was I proven wrong! She is loving with a sweet temperament. Have a look at the AKC breed descriptions. They have a short, but informative, write up of the "pit" breed, which dates back to the 1300s. They crossed bulldogs, known for their imperviousness to pain and incredible jaw strength, with terriers, known for their feisty never quit disposition. In the 1800s pit fighting was outlawed and it went underground. While some continued to breed "pit bulls" to fight, most bred Out the aggressive traits to make these dogs companion animals instead. That's darn near 200 years of breeding out the aggression. "Pit bulls" were actually bulldogs that would be used against a bull that was chained in a pit. Then bets were placed on the outcome of the fight. We've come a Very long way from those days and the original bulldog has changed drastically. "Pit" is now usually used to refer to a class of dogs, rather than a breed, but if you were to say anything was a "pit bull" it would be the bulldog of yore. https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/staffordshire-bull-terrier/ A Lot of shelters will slap "pit" onto a dog without actually knowing its family tree. Same as they label other dogs who are Clearly Not Labrador Retrievers as "lab mix," or darn near every little dog is a Chihuahua or Terrier mix. They try to give an idea, but in reality they can't say. The Humane Society had Gertie listed as "pit" and she's 50% Golden Retriever 25% Boxer. Only 25% of her is Am Staff and that isn't even a "true" "pit." You'll notice a healthy dose of "" in my response because I've learned quite a bit since adopting this girl and the "" is to indicate misinformation, or misconceptions. Having said all that; if the ex doesn't live with you then he has zero say in the matter. He can certainly have an opinion, but that's where it ends. They're exes for a reason, right? :D If the dog checks out per Adrienne's advice, Especially the reputable shelter part, and you feel comfortable with the dog's temperament then do what you feel is right. Don't go getting all stubborn and think "I'll show him" - I've been there, done that, have a couple t-shirts - because that clouds judgment and he Is right about considering the safety of your children. However, I will also submit that children should Never be left alone with a dog anyway. Not even sweet loving Gertie. Children grab, tug, pull, pinch, and generally know Exactly how to push even the sweetest dog's buttons, and if an adult isn't there to set them straight, well, that's when we get the news stories that likely have your ex in a tizzy. Dang near every one of those stories includes a statement about "stepped out of the room for a minute." Some dogs don't realize they're being too rough and can hurt a child even when just playing and a minute is all it takes for things to go South. It's perfectly okay to pass on this dog, guilt-free, if you're not 100% comfortable. The ex Is right - there are thousands of dogs of all breeds needing homes. I know the feeling of wanting to get that pooch into your home so you can start lavishing it with love, buuuut, it's worth the wait if you're not solid in your decision. We're talking a 10 - 15+ year investment here and that's worth taking extra time for consideration. You can get the DNA test done once you adopt. Then you can gather information about the breeds that make your pup who she is. Plus, it's fun to see the results because then you can start seeing each breed's traits in the pup. E.g., Momo's hyperactivity and intelligence is from his Husky and Spitz ancestry, and his Never shutting off is probably from the Husky as they are bred for stamina (sled dogs were bred to run miles upon miles dragging weight). If you do go through with it, try the DNA test. It might be a good way to stop future arguments with the ex to be able to show him information on the different breeds that make up this adoptee. $60 is well worth that benefit! Lastly, it's not so much that they're notoriously dangerous. It's more that parents, or adults in charge, are notoriously at fault for leaving children alone with dogs - always a potential for trouble. How many friends do you have who have scars from dogs? For me it's 6, and in each case it was because a family member left them alone with a dog and they got in the dog's face or pulled their tail or tried to take their toy / food. Momo punched my daughter in the eye trying to bite her when she got in his face and tried to take his rawhide. She was 12 and we didn't know Momo was an insufferable dink about food until that day. I was in the shower and thought, incorrectly, that a 12-yr old should be fine with a 30-lb dog who'd been with us for 3 years and used to sleep in her bed (until he peed on her computer one night, lol - it was game over after that).

Haha, maybe you could try her for small segments and have a friend take her if she starts acting up. Momo doesn't get to go places with me because of his energy level - he Exhausts me. Abbi would bark her head off or shake to death. Gertie has thus far been a perfectly behaved pooch, with the exception of the Veterinarian's office. She has to greet Every Single dog and person and cat by wiggling her body all over the place like she hasn't seen them in Forever . . . even though she's seen them never. I take her to as many places as I can and she helps me get out into the world more. I wouldn't call it social anxiety, it's more of an aversion to people. I'm a loner, what can I say? :D Incidentally, I saw your grass post. Momo is a grass addict. You'd think he was a horse with the way he grazes. What's worse is he got Abbi and Gertie doing it, too! Addicts, the lot of them! I joke that we must have the most delicious grass in the county because they don't really do it elsewhere. $10 says Mo is out there mowing the lawn right now. The Vet told me if they're not throwing it up or getting diarrhea afterwards not to worry. They may like the taste, they may like the dew on the blades, or they may simply like the texture. I was told it's Probably not a missing nutrient and that studies have been done to debunk that, but then there are those who say it could be a missing nutrient. My opinion is that Mo started it because he has no tail and he's a speed demon so he grabs tufts of grass or weeds to help pivot himself when he needs to make a tight turn. I can't tell you how many times that boy has spun out of control and gone tumbling no-tail over nose, haha. I think he then acquired the taste and started doing it out of boredom and it's become as much a habit as my twisting hair custom. I even bought a bag of mixed lettuce to see if I could offer something better (healthier / cleaner) than grass, but nope. It's something about our yard. It's simply tasty. :rolleyes:

That's fanflippintastic! Gertie won't settle if I'm in the kitchen unless I put down a blanket for her. Spoiled rotten, I tell you! It works out, though, because I don't like having dogs in the kitchen, and when I put her blanket down she stays out of the way, but can still kind of be a part of the action. Can't wait to hear how Piper does at the booth. I'm betting she'll be a big hit. :)

Do you have any friends with dogs? Y'all could trade doggy daycare days, or even visit each other for an hour so the dogs can play each other out. Your saying you're tired reminded me of 20 years ago when my daughter was colicky. From 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. she would wail and scream and Nothing would console her. My neighbor would take the little noise maker over to her house so I could get 30 or so minutes of peace to recollect myself, which made me think of trading off dog duty. :D Raising a puppy is similar to having a new baby. With fur. And teeth. And claws. And destructive tendencies. 🤣 Hmmm, babies might be easier. Until they're tweens . . ..

I'm here to offer encouragement! I work from home and it sounds like you do, too. Gertie used to be just like Piper with needing constant attention. Nowadays she chills out on her bed while I get my work done, but in those first six'ish months it was a challenge to get anything done! Establishing a schedule helped immensely. Each morning she now knows that I spend time in the bathroom, then we go outside and she spends some time in her bathroom ;), then she either follows me to prep food and water for everyone, or she goes to say hi to the husband if he's here. Then Monkey gets food and water, then Gertie gets food and water, then Momo gets food (he refuses fresh water and prefers to drink from the pool - weirdo). After all the fur folk are tended to I get my water and settle in to the office. When my water is empty I take the girls outside before getting my refill. Now, 5 months ago this was Quite a different story! We were still deciding if she gets to sleep on our bed or not, who gets fed first, how she's going to take her meals (it started in a bowl, then the Kong Wobbler and now she eats on her bed with her Orbee Tuff and a regular Kong), she didn't know rules and she had No manners, whatsoever. I'll always remember the day I went to look for her and she was standing on our table. WTH?! Duuude, you can't do that! Lol. She turned our household upside down for those first six'ish months. Still does some days. :rolleyes: Another thing I do is play "soft" music (Cowboy Junkies, K's Choice, Natalie Merchant, Depeche Mode, pretty much anything I'll sing along to that's got a slow'ish beat) and I have a diffuser I put lavender essential oil in. On allergy-inducing or headache days I'll throw in Rosemary or Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus is not safe for cats so be aware of that caveat). When weather permits I'll open the window so she can get all the sniffs, when it doesn't she still gets to look out the window as her bed is right below it. We also rearranged our office so my desk is near Gertie's bed and Abbi is next to the husband's desk. When little miss is having an ADHD day I'll give her a shin bone filled with marrow and she'll usually soothe herself into a calmer mood with chewing and licking. I toss them after a few days, which is when they start to show signs of chipping. Of course Kongs are king, but her Orbee Tuff is another good toy - I can get bigger snacks in there so they last a bit longer. I was able to put one of her shin bones in it. She got so frustrated with that she started barking at it, so that game ended quickly. :cool: It's not often I can trip her up so I took that win, haha. Training her to go to her bed was another key factor. Every time she stepped away from it I'd toss a few Zuke's minis onto it to entice her back. Eventually her stays lengthened to where she's now a lazy pup, content to veg out while I work. Okay, perhaps not Content, but she's a more willing participant than she used to be. The "find it" game is a favorite. I don't get as much work done because she's quick with finishing the game, but it at least offers me a break and her some stimulation. Flirt pole to reinforce "leave" and train "drop" is a good way to tire her both physically and mentally. Especially if we do it outside in the heat. I'm not ashamed to enlist Nature's help! Heat speeds up the tiring process. As a last ditch effort, when she's über resistant to all my tricks, I'll bring Mo out to the front yard and let them run each other out. Here's a (hopefully upright) pic of Lazy Bones this afternoon for inspiration (all her toys labeled - stuffed are supervised play only because she likes to chew the squeaker ends off). You'll get there!

Adrienne gave me some great anti-cling tips for Gertie, who also follows me from room to room. Some days it can get to be too much and I throw treats on her bed so she'll stay and give me a minute to breathe! Here's that post: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/forum/showthread.php?130-Thundershirt&p=572&viewfull=1#post572 It took her about 2 months to get to the point of being Right by my side 24-7. I just turned around and she's staring at me because I'm standing at my desk instead of sitting so she's ready to follow. :rolleyes: I work from the house so I haven't put full effort into breaking her habit, but the training I have done has helped quite a bit. I can be gone from a room for about 10-15 minutes before she comes looking for me, and we can leave the house without her having a panic attack. Getting a larger area for her than a crate helped with that - we rigged an exercise pen to divide the office in half so she can move around but can't get into things she ought not to get into. She no longer barks her head off when we enter the house so the tips have helped.

We changed Gertie's name after training her with no issues. They pick it up quickly, especially when good things happen after you say their name. Mostly I use the cue for what I want her to do, rather than her name, which makes it even easier. Gertie, sit, for example. The name comes in handy for when I need Momo to stay there and Gertie to come here - they can differentiate most of the time, but otherwise it's just an attention getter. It makes me think of the comedian John Pinette's skit where he explains that salad is a promissory note - wait here because there's something else coming and it's even better! That's kind of how a dog's name works. Gertie has numerous names, depending on our mood. Gertrude, Gertie, Gerts, Gertrude Marie (when she's in trouble it's Both names and boy does she hustle!), Gertmeister, and my husband's favorite, "Fat Gertie." She's Not fat in the slightest but he sure thinks he's funny because I train with her so often and thus she gets a lot of (2 calorie) treats. You'll typically say their name with the same intonation and they'll pick up on that more than the word. In another post we discussed a phenomenon that happens when we ask our dogs to do something, which we humans often miss. Usually when we ask our canines to sit, come, stay, etc . . . we make gestures or facial expressions, sometimes both. Dogs pick up on that more than they do the words. For instance, when I ask Gertie to stay I normally nod my head subconsciously, or I'll consciously put up my hand in a stop signal. She's learned to read that body language and follows those cues far more accurately than when I use only the word. I could say, "Oreos," and put up my hand and she'd stay. When it's both she and Momo I'm sure I look like a policeman directing traffic. :D All that is to say, I've never had an issue with it and it's pretty darn easy to acclimate them to the new name.

Nifty! Thank you - that's what I was hoping to hear. :) That's precisely how my lead works - it can only slip so far so she's not going to choke, but she can't escape it, either.

I saw an article that mentioned a Martingale collar today. Wouldn't that be the same as a slip collar? It looks like the same theory to me. I created what I call a safety slip out of Gertie's lead - it only slips to a certain point. It used to get super tight on her so I improvised by tying two knots. One is loose and one is tight enough to where she can't slip out but nowhere near tight enough to cause discomfort like it was before. I've come to view the leash as a thing to tie us together to keep her safe rather than a thing of control. I was wondering if the Martingale collar works similarly to my safety slip. Her neck is bigger than her head so she can slip out of the collar, which is why I was thinking that Martingale might be a solution, but I'm just not sure. Her current collar needs to be loosened a bit as it's getting to be tight around her neck, but I'm concerned about it slipping off. I'm not a fan of harnesses, especially since her hair is thin around where a harness would hit and when we walk we book it full speed ahead (14:06 minute mile currently and I'm pushing to get back to a 12:30 minute mile). I don't want miss thing to be in discomfort from a harness rubbing and at that pace it most likely would. My brother's poor dog was rubbed raw by his set up the last time they went hunting. Ol' Gordo covered 11 miles in 30 or so minutes according to his fancy schmancy GPS collar (I can't remember the exact minutes, but I'm in the ballpark). Our piddly pace is nowhere near that, but with the heat and humidity here things tend to stick to the skin and rub. Even though dogs don't sweat moisture does accumulate in warm areas of the body due to the humidity. We look Lovely after our walks, haha.