Hope this ok but just thought I'd share our journey so far with our Bear dog and that it may assure another puppy owner that it will get better I'm so pleased that we took the plunge and let Bear off his lead when out walking pretty much when he was able to go out (after his Vaccinations) He didn't go far from us at most 2 metres. He's just over 6mths now and continue to let him off to have a runabout. Cars, vans and trucks still interest him so always on a leash until well away from traffic. He has to have 2 walks a day for around 30 - 40 mins now. We always reward when he runs back to us and this seems to work well when we want to recall him back to leash him. I then walk him home on leash, stopping if he pulls ahead. He's learning fast and trots happily beside me with only occasional lunging at a new smell. A pocket full of his kibble helps although he loves cheese the best but I limit this to every now and then. But for training at home this works better than anything I've tried so far. We still have many things to get right but find if we stay calm and assertive he responds better (most of the time lol) I so agree with mental stimulation being a huge part of wearing him out. He has many toys (Kong, everything else got destroyed in 5 mins......literally!) I hide kibble in toys and give him veal hooves to chew on. They stink but he likes them. He has mastered the 3 arts of the #1'saddest look', #2the 'I'm starving even though I've just eaten look' and #3the 'I'm gonna look sad coz you'll give me cheese look'. Gold medalist!!! He sleeps all night and tells us when he wants to go to bed around 10pm (still crated as I like my furniture) We go out in the garden for a last 'quickly' before he gets into his crate with a biscuit and he's away for the night until he peeps like a smoke alarm with the battery running down in the morning, normally around 7am or 8 at the weekends. Reggie cat is tolerating Bear's need to 'sniff his butt' but his face says he still finds this utterly distasteful and humiliating and wants it to stop, immediately! There's still lots to work on, he is reluctant to come back if he's got another dogs ball especially if it's a nice fluffy tennis ball. He likes to shred them to pieces and looks so proud if he is able to do this. I've learned to pick up his 'Bear love' very quickly as he thinks it's SO fun to either rip the bag from your hand mid scoop or nick my bobble hat and leg it. Before you say it, I no longer have the bobble but this has not deterred him so I got quicker and have mastered getting it up in the time it takes for him to find the kibble/cheese I throw a few feet away. It's all in the wrist action. When he wants attention he will continually paw at you and won't stop until you have given him the correct amount of stroking, scratching behind ears etc. He normally wants this when there is important work/emails on the laptop and a big, fat paw hits the keyboard and you either lose it or send it......Ugh! I've had a few embarrassing moments with xbtrnsjdlflfp;kdkwjhfkeriknwiglwrkfdorfkirjtlefj being sent to my entire mailing list. He's big enough to reach things on the kitchen worktop and if my husband so wanted that roast chicken sandwich then he should not have left it on the edge. I get him weighed every month, his last WI he was 25kg. I can feel his ribs and he has shape so not worried about him being fat. I think he's going to be a big boy as he still has to grow into those huge paws like his Gamekeeper dad. He has a magnificent stance when he stops to watch the world go by and lots of our doggy owner friends say he looks a perfect specimen with a beautiful shine to his coat.(Proud mummy moments) All in all, life is getting better with our beautiful black labrador. I do question 'whose stupid idea was it to get a dog?' when I no longer have clean patio doors or kitchen floor and I'm keeping the Miele company afloat with my monthly hoover bag purchases. Yes, it was my idea. So to any puppy owner that is thinking about throwing in the towel and I did on many occasions, stick with it. You will have the most fantastic companion with a little bit of patience, training and treats........oh and for you.....gin helps too.
Hi @Donerkebab You are really enjoying him. Lots of humour. And he sounds as if he going to be a magnificent dog. Congratulations on your patient and persistent training. Just two small quibbles. Why are you limiting cheese? If he is doing an excellent performance, much better than his norm, then why not reward him with a high value treat? Or find another high value treat. Chicken, sardines? Try to ignore his pestering you when at the keyboard otherwise you will inadvertently teach him to do that. If you get a Furminator deshedding brush, then that will cut down on the hair problem.
Thank you Michael. I think you need to have a sense of humour when working with animals and children.......I do both UGH! Needless to say, training Bear is a darn sight easier than our foster children at times lol To answer your quibble, I was worried about giving him too much cheese as I've heard that some dogs can be lactose intolerant and I didn't want to upset his tummy, although we've not seen any evidence of that. Plus I don't want him getting fat but I do only give tiny little squares. Do you think I should use it a bit more and that the 'hearsay' is not true? His recall is markedly improved when he knows I have cheese with me. I've heard about this 'magical tool' The Furminator! On your advice (which I've found to be most helpful on other peoples posts along with Jo Laurens) I will buy one. Thank you. I await more little gems of information from you. I really do value your opinion. Thank you. x
Hi @Donerkebab I very much appreciate your very kind words. The incidence of lactose intolerance in dogs is about the same as the incidence in humans. If you've been using it and not noticed any problems, then chesse is not a problem for your dog. I agree that weight issues are...well a weighty issue with Labs. And too much fat is not a good idea for dogs. Use a low fat chesse. You can use apple and carrot for treats too. Reserving the cheese for exemplary performances in the re'call. Jo swears by sardines for her recall work. All food adds to the kilojoules. Although uncooked carrot is not a big problem. So if Bear's waist is disappearing then cut down on the kibble. Early last year for example I was training my Lab about eight times a day--she loves apple--and she was putting on weight. I was teaching scent detection. Everytime she found the target odour she had to be rewarded. She has a good nose. And she loved scent work.So I slightly reduced the other portions she was getting.
Fantastic! Thank you Michael. Happy to use sardines as he has a great nose and loves to sniff things out. I hide things for him to find and reward when he fetches and gives. He has such a soft mouth too! What sort of sardines as I can only imagine the tinned, soft and covered in tomato sauce type? Sorry to be dense but am a little obsessive in getting it right for him. I would ideally like him to be a Service/Therapy dog for our foster children. Do you have any ideas on where or how to start training him to do this please. Sorry for the questions but this is the only place I seem to be able to get truly helpful and inspiring advice. If any other trainers/owners have any ideas, I'd love to hear them x
I think people use the tinned sardines- preferably in water, but failing that in plain oil I guess. It is pretty messy, but I'm sure the dogs love it and it builds an amazing recall. I have been using tiny bits of leftover roast chicken (or buying those readymade 1/4 roast chickens from the supermarket for the dog!) or pouches of tuna in spring water for Chewie. He goes wild for both and luckily he is a slim boy so far so we aren't too fussed with the volume of treats.
Thank you Chewies mum. Still mulling over the thought of wet, smelly sardine in my coat pocket, over my hands etc.........hahahaha Perhaps will save that for the training at home and take something a little more solid like chicken or cheese on his walks and reward with a sardine when we get home. Who would've thought training a dog could get that messy. Husband has stated categorically that he will not, under any circumstances walk round with a smelly little fish in his pocket. Some people have no sense of adventure............. Thank you again x
Hi @Donerkebab Chewies_Mum is correct. Sardines come packed in spring water. Tip the contents into a plastic container with a lid. Use a portable spoon to get out the contents. Alternatively combine mackerel and soft cheese together into a blender so that it is smooth paste, and add to a container like GoToobs. This is not my idea. Kudos to Jo Laurens. And simply squeeze a portion in dog's mouth for a positive reinforcement. Your fingers never touch the treat, except posibly when you're making it at home. Re the therapy dog, I will search to see what are your rules on therapy dogs. Or perhaps a member already knows
Loved your update of the puppy journey. Sorry I am blanking on the name of the toy.... The orange and blue ball flingy thing? It flings the tennis ball farther than this 50 year old woman can throw. They have regular tennis balls and they have a rubber ball that the dogs can't chew up. After spending a lot of money on tennis balls and seeing them destroyed in seconds and worrying about them swallowing a piece I tried the rubber ball and it's great. Have had the same balls for about 6 months. Lost a couple in the snow which we will find in the spring and one is faded but these are worth the money to us. Sticking with apples and carrots and kibble for treats as we have a fish allergy.
It is a Chucker. There are some other brands that don't work quite as well. Some dogs chew up tennis balls and some don't. Ours mostly just fetch or catch them, and rarely chew them up. The chucker balls are better but expensive if you lose them.
Thank you everyone. We have a chucker but I really need to practice flinging it..........I fling like a real girl. I'm sure I saw Bear shake his head in disgust at my pathetic attempts to get it further than 10 foot......although in my defence, I think it's a cheap one and I'm sure I would be better if I had a decent one. Will definitely get some sardine in water in the next Tesco shop to use on training at home first. I tried him on a piece of apple today and he initially looked at me as if I had completely lost the plot but shrugged his shoulders and ate it anyway. I've just cut him down to 2 meals a day as he is over 6 mths now. Will see how he does for a week or so. Thanks again and please feel free to share any further tips x
'Chuck It' is the good one. I had to go look. I did get tendonitus on my right elbow trying to fling it far enough for him to have a good run. Then tried to do it with my left hand. Hahaha talk about bad throw! I had to explain to my neighbors my problem, they were laughing at me from their kitchen windows! It gets better. Have fun with your baby.
Thanks Camk. So glad I'm not alone out there........although I do not have tendonitis so no excuse other than I am a girl lol Will see what UK equivalent we have online. x
Hi @Donerkebab Here is the link for therapy dogs in England. https://petsastherapy.org/join-us/join-pat-dog/ I had a look at the examination. The organisation is testing for obedience (e.g. will the dog walk on loose lead?) and the dog's disposition (e.g.Does the dog have bite inhibition? Does the dog startle when there are sudden loud noises? Does the dog not mind being petted? etc). I know an owner who works at a hospice, and I know the dog. She is a Golden Retriever and incredibly gentle. Comes from a long line of dogs that have been selected for temperament. Weight problems are an issue because the dogs are constantly offered biscuits.
FANTASTIC! Thank you Michael! I will have a looksee. No to all but will only react to sudden noises if we do........fireworks no problem now. He still mouths a little but quite gently and we remove the arm/hand and ignore. It's getting less as he's getting older so think he may be a possibility. Thank you again x
Oh I really loved reading your post all about the lovely "Bear" he sounds perfect and just like my lovely girl Isla
