Puppy Training Techniques

Itchy, Itchy, Itchy / puppy training techniques

Drew — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 00:09:03 +0000

Poor Ranger, she must be miserable! I encourage to get a copy of this month’s Whole Dog Journal… and start keeping notes. When is she most itchy, what does she eat, what’s the daily pollen count, etc. The more information you have, the better you will be able to sort out the cause.

As much as I like raw , I’m not a big fan of Nature’s Variety. It’s expensive and they add a multi-vitamin supplement, which is typically synthetic stuff from China. One of the less expensive and “simple” pre-made raw foods is Oma’s Pride (my husband has recently become a distributor for them). However, because of what’s going on I’m going to suggest a more “square one” approach first.

Ranger needs you “clean up” her world as much as possible. I would thoroughly clean the house (vacuum, damp mop with just water, wash all dog bedding and extra rinse, etc.). Change your furnace filters and keep doors and windows closed for the week. Wash both dogs. She is to have no flea or heart worm meds, no commercial treats, no processed foods.

Fast Ranger for 24-48 hours (but give lots of water), then give her very simple raw meals for one week… one protein and one starchy veg, like chicken and sweet potato (if you can, I would opt for organic meat for this test, bony pieces are fine). No supplements or fish oil (while generally good, some dogs are itchy with fish oil and the balance of fatty acids matters). Just as basic as can possibly be for a full week.

Your goal is to get her itching under control by removing as many potential allergens as possible. I would also give her 3 doses of the homeopathic remedy, Nux Vomica 30c, 12 hours apart. This helps clear toxins out of the body. If you succeed in getting her feeling better by week’s end, then we can discuss where to go from there.

Biting and sctatching part 3 – puppy training techniques

Drew — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 00:04:07 +0000

Our small golden mutt, Ranger, has been biting and scratching her whole
body a lot lately and we are noticing red areas on her skin. We are
suspecting allergies but we don’t know the source or whether it really
is allergies.

Nothing has changed in her diet or environment. She seems to be eating
grass more lately but of course we try to stop her. She is on flea and
tick
preventatives so we are assuming bugs are not the problem.

Her vet suggested we give her Benadryl (1.5 tablets every 8 hours–she
is
about 40 pounds) and we have been doing so but it doesn’t seem to be
helping.

We are planning to go to the vet to have tests done.

Scratching and biting part 2 / puppy training tecniches

Drew — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 00:02:07 +0000

I personally always thought dogs scratched and bit themselves as a way of
> cleaning themselves. I scratch myself so I never thought this was a problem
> My wife spends more time with the dogs and she said for several months
> Ranger has bee scratching more than usual. Looking at Ranger this morning
> we see that she is wet from licking and biting.
>
> We are feeding raw and have been for about a year. Mainly Nature’s Variety
> raw and cuts of raw red meat. She only likes certain flavors or Natures
> Variety and we keep her away from chicken because it seems to give her bad
> stool.
>
> Both dogs have been on the same flea/tick preventative since pups (they are
> going on 2 years of age) which is Vectra 3D. We very rarely bath them
> because we do not want to diminish the effectiveness of the Vectra 3D.
>
> We are extremely careful about cleaning products and usually use water. We
> use no air fresheners.

Grass diet – puppy training schedule

Drew — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 23:55:58 +0000

It’s your call on the grass eating. My dogs have usually eaten it because it tastes good, with no ill effects. On occasion, they have eaten it because their tummies are upset, and it does help them to purge. As ML says, when eating it for enjoyment they seek out very specific types of grass. I noticed one day when one of my dogs was feeling ill that she was absolutely desperate to eat grass – any grass at all, and was ripping it out of the ground and stuffing it down. That was my clue that she felt sick.
>
> I usually make my own raw food. I belong to a food co-op and sometimes buy meats that are difficult to find at the grocery store. I always try to get just ground meat-and-bone as I can add in my own veggies and organs, and I can control the amounts. I have used Oma’s, especially for green tripe. I once tried Aunt Jennies, but that has Rosemary, not that it was a problem for my dogs, but they thought it smelled odd. I’ve also bought Steve’s nuggets. I wouldn’t think that any of these are “better” than NV, just what I have tried for my dogs.
>
> I think the vets do the standard allergy test with scrapings on the skin. People used to say that they’re not very accurate, but I think they have improved over the years.
>
> There is some allergenic kibble, where the protein molecules have been scrambled or something. I hear that it’s pretty awful stuff (compared to raw) BUT people are saying that it’s possible to try a bag just to see if it IS the food causing allergic problems. I’ve never tried it.
>
> A friend’s poodle has major allergic problems, and still needs to have steroid shots twice a year. My friend feeds grain-free kibble (Orijen) and special treats. She tries very hard with his diet, but still he continues to itch, especially at certain times of the year. I suspect that it could also be stress-induced in this case (because they get busy and have to leave him home alone for long stretches), but who knows.
>
> It’s good that you are giving fish oil. I forgot to add that if you give Omega 3′s, it’s necessary to give Vitamin E as well. Roughly 200 iu per day for a 50 pound dog.
>
> Glad you have checked for fleas, although that would have been an easier fix than sleuthing for the causes of allergies…..

Biting and scratching – puppy biting training

Drew — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 21:52:18 +0000

We are thinking of going the home made raw diet route. For Ranger we are going to try one protein and one carb. Since she seems to do best with beef I think we will try that and sweet potato for a while and see if that stops the itching and bad poop. I have a feeling the itching is environmental and I hope this doesn’t result in a false positive.

Scout (the GSD) on the other hand is fine stool-wise with most proteins and whatever carbs are in the NV.

I am wondering if it is better to give dogs cut meat or ground meat. I guess if we wanted to make our own patties we could use meat, bone, and sweet potato. My mother used to use a grinder with a crank to make ground beef. I wonder if I should get one of those.

We tried Orijen when they were babies and their stool was still bad so I don’t think dry kibble is the way to go for them.

I didn’t know Fish Oil contained Omega 3′s and I also didn’t know that I needed to use a supplement with it. Do Omega 3′s cause a Vitamin E deficiency?

Flying through the air re: puppy training techniques

Drew — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 23:49:19 +0000

Here’s my problem. About a week ago we were having one of our walks. Within
what now seems like a split second, a man with a dog jogged within sight. I
didn’t see Garth running to to greet them. I had the leash around my wrist.
When he got to the end of the leash (still not very close to the jogger) I
went flying through the air and did a very hard belly flop on the hard
ground. I may even have passed out for a few seconds; the next thing I knew
Garth was sitting near me and I was in extraordinary pain all around my
midsection and couldn’t move for a few minutes. Fortunately nothing was
broken and I managed to make my way back home. I guess my ribs are pretty
bruised since it’s still painful to move, but my biggest concern is that I
haven’t taken Garth out for a walk for a week (he has ample time in our
backyard with his bf our other poodle). And, I don’t know whether I can use
the 20 foot leash he enjoys so much again. As alert as I try to be, it seems
impossible to be 100%. I am hoping y’all have some advice for me so that
when i feel better we can resume our long-leash walks. By the way, there are
NO dog parks anywhere near me that I can take him to instead.

Just a puppy – puppy training techniques

Drew — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 23:42:43 +0000

My something pound 3 year old German Shepherd pulled me over on some black ice
(on a 15 foot lead) and i’ve been recovering from a rotator cuff tear (unable
to type for some time)……I used to walk him on a 30 foot lead hoping to give
him extra exercise because I can’t let him off lead……but as Cricket said -
he got up WAY to much speed and dropped me too many times.
What I’ve been doing is walking him – on the 15 foot lead – but having REALLY
yummy treats with me – and breaking his interest in the environment with games -
like a collar grab and release- or just simply saying his name and rewarding him
for coming to me….I even bring his favorite toy and put it in my pocket and
show it to him when he least expects it. Working really hard to be more
interesting in the environment – but then rewarding him sometimes with sniffing
trees, etc. I’ve seen a change in him and now he is beginning to always have an
“ear” out to see if I will be starting a game that ends up in a liver treat.
He’s pulling less.
It’s a lot of work trying to be more interesting than a running rabbit

Issue with long-leash walk and 90 lb dog / Puppy training schedule

Drew — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 23:35:50 +0000

I am embarrassed to say that I too have a rotator cuff tear from my 11 lb. Havanese! She has been pulling me for months which was annoying but not painful at the time. I followed a suggestion and now … Continue reading →

Junk food dog diet – Puppy training techniques

Drew — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 23:32:35 +0000

Wow…how sad. You don’t usually see the other end of the spectrum like this. There was another dog in England, a Rottweiler, on a show on Animal Planet. The owner fed her dog on enough meat from the butcher to feed a whole family. That dog looked like it weighed 200lbs+. Sad thing was, the owner felt there was nothing wrong with the dog…who could only waddle, and looked like a pig being fattened for slaughter.

Dog won’t budge-the puppy training schedule

Drew — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 03:17:24 +0000

Scout loves walking and really enjoys her time when we are with another dog, but if it’s just me or my husband and her, she will stop walking
and lay down. This can happen a block from home or after a long walk, we
just never know.

Just last night after we finished walking with our friend and his dog
and they went inside their house, Scout didn’t want to move any further.
I had to get the car and pick the hubby and Scout up because she
wouldn’t move more than a few feet at a time without being pulled.

————————————————————————–

I can think of three main reasons why a dog may “put on the brakes” like
this… (1) fear, (2) a physical issue – pain, a thorn in the foot,
etc., and (3) ’cause they want something other than what you want

All three may happen at different times so it pays to consider them all
each time she stops. With the other dog going in the house, I’d bet on
number 3… she wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye to her friend.

In this case, I would just give her a moment or two. Wait calmly while
telling her it was time for her friend to go home. Then remind her that
it is time for you all to go home as well. Ask her if she is ready and
then cue her with “let’s go” and take a step toward home. If she moves,
great, praise her and give her a treat and keep praising and treating
periodically all the way home. If she’s still stuck, keep your body
facing toward home and just give her little “tugs” with the leash. You> are NOT pulling her, just taking up the slack in the leash to put a
little tension on her collar/harness and then releasing that tension.
Sort of like gently tugging on a person’s sleeve to get their attention.
These serve as little reminders about what you have asked her to do
(let’s go). You may repeat your cue about every 10 tugs or so if
needed. By “asking” her (with words and your leash), you patiently
persist, but are not “pushing” her to move. If you “push” (or really
“pull”, in this case), she will be more likely to NOT move because it
triggers the opposition reflex. So you just want to keep “asking” until
she decides to come with you.

Some dogs also just seem to get mentally stuck at times so asking her to
get up and walk at the same time may be too much. So you can try some
puppy push-ups or luring her into a stand and doing a few tricks (like
“spin” or “touch”) as a way to break her mental tension before trying to> move forward.

I *might*, depending on the dog and the situation, tie the leash to
something sturdy and say “fine, I’m going without you” as a way of
calling their bluff if they don’t respond to the “ask”. Walks a short
distance then step out of sight and peek back to watch. At some point,
most dogs will start to get a bit anxious about being left behind.
After a minute or so, go back to her and ask her to go with you again.

Be aware that walking with other dogs may be exciting enough for her
that she “powers through” some sort of pain issue (hip, back, joint),
but when the other dog leaves she may suddenly realize she is tired and
sore. So be sure to keep pain in your mind and/or have her really
checked out by the vet. Look for signs of pain in any other activities
she does too.