flea type biting

[shorthorsemom]

For the stranger work.. aclimate with food... ie... see a stranger, get a treat... see a stranger approaching, get a treat, dog will begin to look at you for a treat when on lead and sees somebody approaching. Your dog will know the difference between allowing a stranger to pass and protection, they are smart enough to know the difference so getting your dog to accept quietly walking by strangers without barking is a good thing and will not keep your dog from protecting you. I never let strangers hand feed my dog by the way.. just me, but I don't want my dog seeking strangers for treats. I do on occasion allow my puppy to take a treat provided by me, or my vet or a friend but I choose the treat, and I give the dog an ok word for allowing the "stranger" to give the dog a treat by permission, but these "strangers" are always somebody I know. You never know when somebody will try to slip your dog something weird so in crowds you must be aware. ps, I don't allow my dogs to run "at large" even though we have 200 acres. I have a tracking line that goes out 50 feet. I don't want to be caught in the position where my dog takes off after a deer or a goat or horse and not have direct control. I have seen dogs trained to the highest level of obedience have a "brain toot" and take off and leave the handler following in their wake exclaming "they never do that". Direct control is the way I go, best to prevent the act than punish or try to undo the act. Most dogs in obedience are that way... handler just needs to prevent. My dogs can get up quite a full speed run on my tracking line. Wear a glove and give a verbal signal when they are running out of lead so they don't pop off at the end. On puppy training I can usually housebreak in a day or so. Why? Because they are either in the crate or on a lead and not allowed free roam during the training phase. Dogs are so smart, they pick it up right away. (harder to do if pup eliminates in crate) anyway.. I am starting to get too chatty.. haha. Take care and best wishes!

 

[paintponylvr]

I really like this thread, ladies. Thank you!!

Wish I'd known more about clicker training when I had my two Aussies. They are both gone now, but I hope to have another one or two some day.

Right now we have two rescues that are a smaller, petite spayed female kinda like a golden retriever Irish setter mix - but in miniature (neat little dog!). The 2nd one is a pitt/dalmation/something mix (huge 90lb lap love!) and the 3rd was supposed to be a show dog Finish Spitz shared between our daughter and a breeder judge out of GA - but he dug out of our 4 ft chain link fenced back yard and we think he was "tagged" by a car. That dislocated his hip before he was shown and it took forever to heal (after $1,000 vet bill) so we had him neutered and turned him into a family dog. It's taken time to get them all to be well behaved house dogs - but now they all "ask" to be let out front to go on the line to visit nature, sit and wait to be fed their breakfast or dinner. They share couch time with us and/or sleep on the couch or in bed with me. I know if I have strangers arrive when I'm in the house alone. They spend days outside when they can during the winter in fenced back yard & during the night during hottest days of summer. They've all had crate training but we currently don't have crates set up anywhere for them. They are all good on leash, but suck off line (no recall) - all passed thru puppy and next steps in dog obedience and also all three have gotten their GCC (I think that the acronym).

However, Shorthorsemom, you have given several hints/ideas to further their training and work with them. THANK YOU for sharing the info and links!!

I have rescued 3 other "Finkies" (1 died and 2 were put to sleep but their last weeks were clean and loved in a house with warm beds, clean water and good food) and also have been part of a transport "pipeline" for rescued Brittney Spaniels... Haven't heard from any of those folk lately and should probably check in...

I have a dear friend who also has rescued two shepherds and they are AWESOME dogs with the work she's done with them. Recently, she participated in a Search and Rescue (for the possible body of a missing soldier from Ft. Bragg, Fayetteville, NC. She's now been missing for a year.) w/ the one of her dogs and was on horseback for the day with him. She's now arranged for more training for him so he can become an official S&R dog and she will regularly go out with civilian rescue groups on horseback with this dog. I appreciate and miss the "old time" shepherds that I remember family friends and breeders having many years ago - I don't care for the dogs "we've" bred for showing these days... Ugly, "misshapen", neurotic things, imo. In our current situation, I couldn't handle a rescue shepherd, but maybe later???

If anyone ever hears of a mini aussie, preferably w/ no tail, that needs to be rescued (not purchasing from a breeder) - I'd be interested. The rescue groups online don't seem to ever be the true "mini's" and the sites don't seem to stay updated either... Would like to find one no more than 15-20 lbs - to share my time with. When the time comes, I can either ship or work the transport lines...LOL. Would take in another "Finkie" too. DON"T do hound dogs, beagles or bassets which all of our pounds seem to have in abundance (we are southern I suppose, LOL)... Have also been on the look out for some terriers too (hubby likes the Norries, I like Jack or Parsons T) - haven't found that special dog that needs a home and just figured our home "isn't ready" again yet... We have a regular Pet Cemetary where our beloved dogs and cats have been interred after their lives have been lived. We support our local spay/neuter clinics (both by taking dogs/cats to them and I am able to occasionally volunteer or donate needed $$). It's been a good life!

 

[chandab]

If anyone ever hears of a mini aussie, preferably w/ no tail, that needs to be rescued (not purchasing from a breeder) - I'd be interested. The rescue groups online don't seem to ever be the true "mini's" and the sites don't seem to stay updated either...

Me, too! Only I can go a bit bigger, but so want another Aussie. [We currently have two dogs, so don't know when I'll be able to get another dog, but never hurts to put feelers out.

 

[shorthorsemom]

Hi, best place to check for local rescue dogs in my opinion is to go to petfinders . com (leave out the spaces, I didn't want to attach the direct link here). In pet finders you can search local rescue agencies using your zip code. You can even search for specific breeds, male female, young, old, puppy and local rescue agencies will come up with photos and descriptions of dogs. There is a rescue fee donation and different clubs have different criteria that you must meet to adopt a dog such as fenced in yard. They will flag dogs that are not cat or dog or kid friendly too and most clubs give really accurate descriptions of the dogs and many are in foster care which is a plus having a home environment evaluation.

Clicker training is just one tool of many. I also believe you must stimulate the brain, get plenty of exercise and for different breeds find outlets for the energy they are bred for. In other words, herding dogs like to herd, sniffing dogs get to track. I enjoy doing scent training and search training of all breeds. I had a min pin once that could do tracking and search and rescue training and she loved it. She was a busy little mite and I had to keep her mind busy or she drove me crazy. Cant beat obedience and agility and rally training to keep a puppy or dog sane. Lots of dog misbehavior triggered by boredom. I take my bassett hound out on a sniff walk as often as I can. he loves it. He comes home and is less barky and he lays around and has a smile on his face. You can even hide toys or treats and teach your dog to "find" on command. Really funny to watch them use their nose and search out something you have hidden. You start by hiding the item in plain sight. Then you cover it while the dog watches, repeating the "find" command. Pick something with alot of scent to start and go from there. You can also play hide and go seek if your dog has a decent sit stay, or a family member can hold the dog while you go hide. Then say "find mom" and watch them look for you. They LOVE it. I had a shepherd that after finding and tagging me he would go back to the sit stay spot and plant his butt and wait for me to hide again. Hilarious. Dogs are smarter than most folks give them credit for and the more you work the brain and exercise the body the better it gets.

By the way, well trained dogs get plenty of freedom because you are proud and want to take them places. In all my years of obedience training I have found that the dogs that the owner tells me is "stupid" is more often than not has above average intellegence. If anybody was following my thread about training my neighbors dog Zeus... They called that puppy "stupid", when in reality he has above average intellegence and is really good at making a monkey out of his owners. He is very difficult to live with due to his above average intellegence. Happens often. training is the key. Ps. I also have had handlers with severe handicaps that can be taught to stimulate and train their dogs in obedience. Nothing cooler than seeing a handler in the ring in a wheelchair with a dog heeling becide the wheel and doing hand signal exercises... yup... there is always a way if you really want it to work... take care and enjoy