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Looking for advice about a new dog

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TheArchitect

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I was in college when I did it.
The effect is real.

BTW, I never peed on an electric fence again.

Just like my cat hasn't jumped up on that bed again.

It is a proven example of negative reinforcement changing behavior.

I recommend positive reinforcement (i.e., rewards) for creating behavior.

However, when an existing behavior needs to be attenuated, like peeing on an electric fence.

Trust me, negative reinforcement works really well.

Tim, I'm only speaking for myself here when I say that while negative reinforcement may work, it's not something I'd do to a pet. Pain as a training tool isn't the right approach, IMO.
 

Sibhusky

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I'm picking up a new dog soon. Supposed to be a handful. Hopefully, there won't be any learning experiences on my end. It's coming from Bend Oregon. A bit younger than I wanted but he looks like a beauty in his pictures. Apparently, he's "the dog we designed the house for". Climbs, shreds wooden fences, kills ducks, digs, etc. Fortunately, he's arriving before ski season starts. Yes, I can keep the screen name still.
 

Tricia

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I'm picking up a new dog soon. Supposed to be a handful. Hopefully, there won't be any learning experiences on my end. It's coming from Bend Oregon. A bit younger than I wanted but he looks like a beauty in his pictures. Apparently, he's "the dog we designed the house for". Climbs, shreds wooden fences, kills ducks, digs, etc. Fortunately, he's arriving before ski season starts. Yes, I can keep the screen name still.
That sounds exciting. Can't wait to see pictures.

@TheArchitect how is your pup doing?
 
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@Tricia Mia is doing well. She's gotten a little better with the resource barking but it's slow going. On all other fronts we're settling in nicely. She obeys my commands and doesn't try to run away anymore. She still self-corners in order to let me put a leash on or pick her up. She refuses to let me do either in the middle of the room but Ellen has no problem doing that. It's weird. We joke that she's only willing to let me pick her up "on her terms". Regardless, I don't have to chase her around so I'm thrilled with the progress.

We're coming to the conclusion that she may not be an affectionate dog. Even with Ellen she doesn't like to sit or cuddle very long. It's like she's putting up with us touching her. She does like to hang out in the same room or follow us around so that's good. She refuses to play with anyone but Ellen. Maybe in time these things will change but who knows.

How's Gypsy?

I'm picking up a new dog soon. Supposed to be a handful. Hopefully, there won't be any learning experiences on my end. It's coming from Bend Oregon. A bit younger than I wanted but he looks like a beauty in his pictures. Apparently, he's "the dog we designed the house for". Climbs, shreds wooden fences, kills ducks, digs, etc. Fortunately, he's arriving before ski season starts. Yes, I can keep the screen name still.

Good luck with the new dog!
 

Tricia

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@Tricia Mia is doing well. She's gotten a little better with the resource barking but it's slow going. On all other fronts we're settling in nicely. She obeys my commands and doesn't try to run away anymore. She still self-corners in order to let me put a leash on or pick her up. She refuses to let me do either in the middle of the room but Ellen has no problem doing that. It's weird. We joke that she's only willing to let me pick her up "on her terms". Regardless, I don't have to chase her around so I'm thrilled with the progress.

We're coming to the conclusion that she may not be an affectionate dog. Even with Ellen she doesn't like to sit or cuddle very long. It's like she's putting up with us touching her. She does like to hang out in the same room or follow us around so that's good. She refuses to play with anyone but Ellen. Maybe in time these things will change but who knows.

How's Gypsy?
That all sounds like progress. The Behaviour specialist we went to said that it can take a dog with trauma up to a year to settle in and realize its okay. He also said that some who experienced a lot of trauma may never be 100%, but it sounds like Mia is doing really well, all things considered.

Gypsy wants to be in the same room we are in and follow us as well. I thought she'd spend more time in the back yard since its such a great fenced in back yard, but she doesn't care to be out there unless we are.
She is a ton better with other dogs but will still growl at them if her toys or dog bone are involved.

Poor Tule (Andy's dog) experienced enough of Gypsy's early snarly behaviour, she doesn't trust her. I think Gypsy would like to play with her now but.....
When the Minks come over with Tule and Pepper I put the toys and bones away.

We went on a hike with Gypsy last weekend (off leash)and came across at least 10 other dogs, Gypsy sniffed, circled, actually wanted to play with a few. When I redirected her, she followed command and came with me.
As for snuggling, she sleeps on her bed at the foot of our bed, will ask permission to get on the bed in the morning, snuggles for about 5 minutes and that's it. That's all the snuggle we get, and that's the only time she gets on the bed. We'll take it.
These rescues are definitely worth it.
B1731818-B3EE-47A7-9127-C43D128AB5B5.jpeg
 

Ogg

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Gypsy wants to be in the same room we are in and follow us as well. I thought she'd spend more time in the back yard since its such a great fenced in back yard, but she doesn't care to be out there unless we are.
She's a herding dog, she wants to keep the herd together. My last dog would do the same thing. When the neighborhood kids came over to play she kept them all in the middle of the yard.
 

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What a great Mia report! She really has settled in well -- and established some rules, which you have learned!

I've had a couple of dogs, neither was a rescue. Brittany, a beagle-dachsund mix, was confident, independent, and liked to snuggle up against me. Toby, a beagle, was totally connected to me on an emotional level, but would lie at one end of the couch and, if I was too close, would give me the look that said, "do you not know where your spot is?"

They are as individual as we and, in each of us, there's a whole lot of "I Yam What I Yam".

So nice to read all of the progress you all have made.
 

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@Sibhusky how's it going with your new pup?

@TheArchitect I trust that the training process with your girl is going well.

We have had some fun times with Gypsy the past few weeks that show how much progress she has made.
Today we went to a storage facility to meet up with a Rep and help her sort out some of her samples. We took Gypsy, and she had her new beagle pup with her.
Gypsy was amazing. She played with the Sneakers without hurting her even though Gypsy is significantly bigger.
When she was nudging her with her nose, Gypsy was carfeul to not user her teeth at all.
When Sneakers came to me to play and get attention, Gypsy was completley fine with it and even played with Sneakers and me together.
The thing I found really interesting is that the rep's son was there as well and Gypsy didn't pay any attention to him at all. Almost disinterseted in children.
Screen Shot 2020-12-12 at 7.48.29 PM.png
 

Sibhusky

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@Sibhusky how's it going with your new pup?
He's a love, a devil, and a puzzle.

The biggest issue is we have a series of dog doors that allow them to go out and potty in a secure area anytime they want. This is the 8th dog we've had here and it's never been an issue. They "get it" within an hour. Well, not this guy. Our other dog uses it, so it's not a smell thing. But he must have been trained to never go on some patio or something. I've put his poop on it, and now put a pile of grass, just in case it's a texture thing. So we're having to take him on walks to get him to pee or poop. And since he hasn't learned "show me" yet, I can't tell if he wants to go out, wants a biscuit, wants attention or what. (That's the puzzle part.)

The devil part is he can open drawers and is a ninja counter surfer of the first order.

Fortunately, he willingly goes to his crate at bedtime, because the above issues mean he can't have free run of the house yet. He needs supervision.

This is why I don't like adopting puppies. Normally, I want them around 5 years old. This guy is 2 years, eight months. His current buddy here we got when she was six months and I swore off puppies forever. But I was 12 years younger when we got her... He should be "coming around" for the devil part in a few months. But this "I won't use the dog bathroom" thing is really frustrating. We're barely any snow yet, so a walk around every 1-2 hours (trying to figure out why he's barking at me) is not a big issue. Once winter starts and the snow is 3 foot deep, it will be.

Obligatory picture:
original_eb1eb587-d0f4-4921-a230-ce01bba31aaf_PXL_20201130_005639280.NIGHT.jpg
 
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TheArchitect

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@TheArchitect I trust that the training process with your girl is going well.

Nothing exciting to report here. She's still barking like before but all other things are going great. The barking is definitely related to defending Ellen. When Ellen's not at home Mia doesn't bark at me but If Ellen's in the house and I make a sound or movement it sets her off. I expect/hope that as time goes on it will slow down.

So great to hear how well Gypsy is doing!
 

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But he must have been trained to never go on some patio or something.
My beagle-dachsund would only go on grass or dirt. Or maybe it was just dirt since there was never any grass without dirt. Landed at the Frankfurt airport and rushed her outside to ......Concrete! I saw a shrub some yards away. There was only a couple square feet that wasn't concrete, but as soon as her feet hit the dirt, she squatted.

You picked him up in Bend, IIRC. Do you know if he was a city dog previously?
 

Sibhusky

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My beagle-dachsund would only go on grass or dirt. Or maybe it was just dirt since there was never any grass without dirt. Landed at the Frankfurt airport and rushed her outside to ......Concrete! I saw a shrub some yards away. There was only a couple square feet that wasn't concrete, but as soon as her feet hit the dirt, she squatted.

You picked him up in Bend, IIRC. Do you know if he was a city dog previously?
Actually the dog is from Bend, but he was relayed to Kellogg, where I picked him up. I guess I could stalk the owner and look up an address. But the dog was a master escape artist, so I'm guessing it's been able to find grass even if he did live in an apartment. He killed ducks, so I picture a relatively grassy area. I found the address, it's a duplex development with fenced backyards. Which I should have remembered from pictures of the dog in the yard..duh.
 
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Sibhusky

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So, here's a new one to me. https://forum.greytalk.com/topic/311472-panic-attack-from-the-smell-of-lamb-cooking/

Nuki is TERRIFIED by the goat stew my husband is cooking. Ran through two sets of dog gates, upstairs, and hid under the printer in the office. After an extended time of calling and offering treats, I dragged him out of there and now he's hiding in his crate still, 4 hours later. We're moving the slow cooker to the garage.
 

Sibhusky

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Well, it's six days later and I can finally say Nuki is back to being "normal". He has not returned to counter surfing, but he will enter the kitchen again. I guess the "goast" smell is finally eradicated. We washed all the kitchen towels and oven mitts and any other item that might have retained an odor. The windows were open (in spite of it snowing) for three days plus an air purifier. All I can say is, it made me realize how useless these methods might be against Covid if we had guests for Christmas. Even yesterday, he was barking AT the kitchen, even though everything has been scrubbed and washed. That was a nice change from terror, though.

The first couple days if we took him out of the house we had to carry him back in. He'd hide in the kennel or my bedroom inside. Each day after that he'd get a little more in proximity to the kitchen, but had to be escorted through it otherwise. It was crazy. Apparently this phenomenon has been seen with lamb and horse meat as well in other dogs. No more horse or goat meat isn't that much of a problem (although we haven't tossed all the frozen goat still in the freezer, it will be), but no more lamb might be a a tougher change. But there's no way I would risk it.
 
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So, here's a new one to me. https://forum.greytalk.com/topic/311472-panic-attack-from-the-smell-of-lamb-cooking/

Nuki is TERRIFIED by the goat stew my husband is cooking. Ran through two sets of dog gates, upstairs, and hid under the printer in the office. After an extended time of calling and offering treats, I dragged him out of there and now he's hiding in his crate still, 4 hours later. We're moving the slow cooker to the garage.

Wow. What a strange reaction. I wonder what it is about goat, lamb and horse meat that terrifies a dog?
 

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Sorry I have not read all this thread, but did you get a new dog?
 

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Not sure how I missed this thread.
Phil and I started going to shelters to meet dogs, walk dogs and spend some time visiting dogs.
If you go walk dogs you are doing a service to the shelter and you get a chance to get to know the dog as well.
Today @Philpug and I brought home the 6th dog we visited. When it was a good fit, we knew right away.
We posted about it in this thread.

We originally wanted to get a dog about 2-4 years old, but after seeing how many older dogs were in shelters, we decided to adopt this 8 year old.

Another thing to remember, some of these dogs have been in a shelter for a while and have been visited by many people so they may not really settle in with you until you have them home.
Gypsy was friendly but also a little aloof, but Phil knew right away that she was a good fit. I was wondering because of the aloofness, but as soon as we got her a toy and a collar, played with her a bit in the yard, she was not aloof at all. Its like she knows this is her forever home.

Take a chance and visit some shelters. You'll be glad you did.
View attachment 97145
Today is the anniversary of our Gypsy adoption.
What a crazy year its been.
She proved to have more anxiety than we originally thought but the progress she has made through training, agility courses, time and routine is incredible.
While she still has her moments of anxiety, its pretty rare and usually associated with something going on with us. The amount of calm with her has been evident after my cancer treatment was complete and also after @Philpug's heart surgery. This dog is more "in tune" with us, our health and moods than any dog I've ever had.
EE8CF5A2-66CB-4102-AA86-3C15DA434678.JPG



Oh and the squirrel toy we got her on the day we adopted her is still in tact and is her treasured toy she carries around the house.
If the video doesn't play you can go to this link. Gypsy Squirrel

 
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It's definitely been a crazy year. I'm glad you and Phil got Gypsy as I'm sure she's been a great way to focus on something other that the other things going on. On our front, we've had Mia for a year and she's settled in nicely. She still barks at me when Ellen is around but much less than usual. Everything else is going well and we're teaching her new things when we can. She's not big into playing with toys but loves to race around the living room at top speed when we pretend like we're going to chase her. It's a good thing she's tiny or the place would be destroyed.
 

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