New Puppy

[Marsha Cassada]

Our new puppy sometimes acts like those obnoxious little dogs on Cesaer Milan. Usually we just put her in her crate; it seems to happen most of the time when she's been playing a while so we think she is ready for a nap.
Today I had her out by the horses. I'm scared she will get stepped on so I tried to put her in a harness and leash to keep her out of the way. She was furious with the harness. I don't know whether she she got scared because she couldn't get out or because she was mad.
She escaped from it, and I tried to put her back in the harness and she turned into Cujo. I am not sure of the correct way to go forward. She is only 2 months old, so we don't want to expect too much.
She absolutely loves to go out to the barn and corral area. I hate to keep her from accompanying me. But she likes to play under the horses' feet and I cannot allow that.
What is an appropriate restriction/discipline for a baby? I think terriers don't react well to negative, but some behavior is just not allowed. We are using all positive training for house breaking and it's working very well--for her age.

 

[Silver City Heritage Farmstead]

Our new puppy sometimes acts like those obnoxious little dogs on Cesaer Milan. Usually we just put her in her crate; it seems to happen most of the time when she's been playing a while so we think she is ready for a nap.
Today I had her out by the horses. I'm scared she will get stepped on so I tried to put her in a harness and leash to keep her out of the way. She was furious with the harness. I don't know whether she she got scared because she couldn't get out or because she was mad.
She escaped from it, and I tried to put her back in the harness and she turned into Cujo. I am not sure of the correct way to go forward. She is only 2 months old, so we don't want to expect too much.
She absolutely loves to go out to the barn and corral area. I hate to keep her from accompanying me. But she likes to play under the horses' feet and I cannot allow that.
What is an appropriate restriction/discipline for a baby? I think terriers don't react well to negative, but some behavior is just not allowed. We are using all positive training for house breaking and it's working very well--for her age.

What I recommend is continue the positive. You see it's already working. No punishment.

Terriers are TOUGH and once in fight mode they cannot 'hear' anything. They're not thinking. Also, she more than likely felt trapped and afraid in the new harness, then being tied made it even worse. She wanted to escape, so fought until she did.

On the other hand, they learn quick. If you'll use treats to lure her into it, then give her her dinner, favorite toy, etc., she'll associate it with GOOD things and want to put it on.

I adopted a 10 year old Parson Russell mix (maybe with Beagle?) from the animal shelter. She was a door-dasher, would slip a collar in a heartbeat and had no idea what a harness was. The advantage I had is that she's housebroken. It took less than a week to teach her 'put your clothes (harness) on' meant a tasty treat and out to potty. Even now, I always put her harness on at the door.

I'm on my cell. Hopefully, what I've offered above will help get you started on a more effective method for her.

P.S. I wouldn't use the crate as punishment. I'd throw chew toys or treats in there so she associates it with good things and with being calm.

Edited for spelling.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Yes, we are going to work on the harness for play and treats. It is a new thing, and is just barely fitting her.
That "cujo thing" is what we need to deal with. On one hand, we think she should not get away with that, and on the other we think a terrier goes into "the terrier mode" and forgets to think. So release as quickly as possible, or distract before it escalates?
The crate is a safe, quiet place for her. I don't think it is punishment when we put her in when she is a cranky, sleepy puppy. She usually goes right to sleep.
Thanks for the reply!

 

[Dragon Hill]

Since the harness and tying isn't where she's at right now, and the crate isn't a negative, why not have her in a crate where she can see the horses and what you are doing, but cannot get into danger? May not work, as she might bark and carry on, but may be worth a try.

 

[MerMaeve]

Forgot to update, we brought our puppy home last Sunday…Meet Benelli! She has the face of an angel, but teeth of a shark!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I can relate to the shark teeth!!!!

 

[Silver City Heritage Farmstead]

Definitely distract before it escalates!! Use lower value treats the farther away you are, and highest value treats to distract (meat treats/cheese/squeaky toy) when you're as close as can be without her going ballistic.

The crate close by with a super duper super great treat for her is a wonderful suggestion. Biscuit likes her peanut butter bone-peanut butter smeared on a nylabone-when placed on a mat during dinner. Otherwise she uses these boogley eyes to beg for tidbits:

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Definitely distract before it escalates!! Use lower value treats the farther away you are, and highest value treats to distract (meat treats/cheese/squeaky toy) when you're as close as can be without her going ballistic.

The crate close by with a super duper super great treat for her is a wonderful suggestion. Biscuit likes her peanut butter bone-peanut butter smeared on a nylabone-when placed on a mat during dinner. Otherwise she uses these boogley eyes to beg for tidbits:
View attachment 48655

Is she a rat terrier?
We are finding that rolling Pepper around and rubbing her belly can calm her down sometimes. Otherwise, she goes into the crate to settle down. A ball distracts her for a moment, and then she is back for skin.

We are having trouble finding treats that agree with her. So far boiled chicken is the only thing that is safe. Science Diet puppy food agrees with her. I'm going to donate our collection of treats to the pound next time I go to town.

 

[chandab]

We are having trouble finding treats that agree with her. So far boiled chicken is the only thing that is safe. Science Diet puppy food agrees with her. I'm going to donate our collection of treats to the pound next time I go to town.

Perhaps one of the Science Diet treats would work.

 

[Silver City Heritage Farmstead]

Is she a rat terrier?
We are finding that rolling Pepper around and rubbing her belly can calm her down sometimes. Otherwise, she goes into the crate to settle down. A ball distracts her for a moment, and then she is back for skin.

We are having trouble finding treats that agree with her. So far boiled chicken is the only thing that is safe. Science Diet puppy food agrees with her. I'm going to donate our collection of treats to the pound next time I go to town.

She's a Parson Russell Terrier/Beagle mix. Ten years old and adopted from a local kill shelter in August this year. She definitely has a hunting dog mentality! She can buck with the best of them, in her harness at the end of a 30-foot lunge line. I use a harness--which she can still slip out of--since I learned after her second day with me how slick she was at twisting out of a flat collar.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

She's a Parson Russell Terrier/Beagle mix. Ten years old and adopted from a local kill shelter in August this year. She definitely has a hunting dog mentality! She can buck with the best of them, in her harness at the end of a 30-foot lunge line. I use a harness--which she can still slip out of--since I learned after her second day with me how slick she was at twisting out of a flat collar.

Oh , yes, I know about slipping out of a flat collar! My last dog was a rat terrier and when I went anywhere with him I used a chain collar with the leash. They don't have necks, or skulls or something... I bought him a nice flat collar with his name on it; it went missing, but turned up months later having been through the lawn mower. He might have been okay with a harness, but the chain collar for his occasional outings worked fine.
My little one will do the harness until she gets a little older. Here she is learning to wear one.
Have to look up Parson Russell Terrier.
View attachment IMG_4478.MOV
View attachment IMG_4478.MOV

 

[HersheyMint]

Could be Houdini's assistant

 

[Kelly]

My neighbors barn kittens never leave my barn! And I’m not complaining, I love them! I think she did it on purpose…. I mean she knows I have black and silver horses after all. LOL LOL I was trying not to get too attached so I just called them Black Kitty and Silver Kitty but since they are ALWAYS here I think they need actual names. Meet Nova and Thunder.

 

[Kelly]

Get that mean harness off that poor puppy

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Get that mean harness off that poor puppy

You should see us torture now--the Water Bottle.

 

[Kelly]

Small problem… black kitty/Nova got up under my van yesterday. I went driving down the road and she came flying out, almost got hit by the car behind me and then took off. Luckily we were only a couple of houses down from my house when this happened. I was hoping she would come back overnight last night but I haven’t seen her yet this morning. I told my neighbor about it yesterday and her young boys didn’t seem too concerned, saying: “she’ll find her way home, she knows where the barn is.”

So now gray kitty/Thunder is left by herself. Hubby keeps reminding me these aren’t my cats but now I kinda want to bring her into my sunroom at night with my other cats so she would have some company. I lock mine up at night only because I’m afraid of the coyotes in the area. What do y’all think I should do? She pretty much lives in my barn, only sometimes does she go home.

So…. Should I leave her out there at night by herself? She isn’t my kitten after all.
Or
Should I start bringing her in at night with my other cats?

I feel so bad, poor black kitty!

 

[MaryFlora]

For years we have been live trapping feral, stray, and ‘dumped’ cats that have just moved in, then taking to our vet for spay/ neuter, vaccinate. After recovering, they are released back into the stable area . Most of those cats have stayed right here and some are close to 10-12.

My thought is she may already have identified your home as her home. If possible, having her spayed and vaccinated would be the way to go. Even though she isn’t yours, she may surprise you one fine day with a litter of kittens.

She sounds comfortable in your barn. If your tack room is enclosed with a door, could she be locked up there at night to be safe from predators?

We love cats and have three former barn strays as house cats, but managing cats that appear on your property is definitely a challenge for so many of us. We have settled on our ‘solution’ thanks to our vet clinic that gives us a lower price point for stray and feral cats.

It’s a tough problem probably world wide!

 

[Kelly]

My neighbor is the horse vet so I'm pretty sure she will spay her when she is old enough and give her all the required shots.

My tack room is wide open so I wouldn’t be able to lock her up in there at night. I would only be able to lock her up at the house in my sunroom with my other cats and pup. My neighbors barn is more secure for her but I don’t think she hangs out there at night.

Hubby keeps asking me if she has made it to our sunroom yet once she figures out it is heated and AC she probably won’t ever leave, just like my other 2 “barn cats” …I wonder… how many “barn cats” will fit in my sunroom I love cats too


Gray kitty has had to learn the hard way that not all dogs are as sweet as my Lacy. She was attacked by my neighbors dog the other day (I think the boys were trying to take her inside) luckily no injuries, just a whole lot of dog slobber

Still no sign of Black Kitty, I’m thinking someone must have picked her up.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Puppy updates, please!
Pepper is figuring out house breaking. Husband ordered a bell and plans to train her to the bell. She is so smart, we think she will pick it up quickly. And he is a man of perseverance. She will whine a little and look at the door. But if we are not vigilant, we miss the signal.
Going out to take care of the horses started out as a fun outing for Pepper. But now I need to restrain her fun. Billy isn't getting any more tolerant, and it isn't fair for Dapper Dan to be tormented by this silly puppy. So, we will work on leash and collar for a few times until she understands that she cannot have the horses as playmates.
We are actually at a good time in our lives for a puppy. Home all day, time to be entertained by her antics, and in the "grandparent mode" where we are not that concerned about strict discipline. There is a bed in nearly every room and the house is strewn with toys.

 

[MerMaeve]

Benelli is 15 weeks old today! She has grown LOTS recently, is getting to be accident-free most days (hopefully I didn’t just jinx it), and is a smart pup who knows Sit, Down, Touch, Spin, kind of Leave it/Drop it/Take it. She has been pretty good about leaving the Christmas tree and tree skirt alone.