I'm sure Rolo will settle down! Have you tried just letting him go bonkers? Might sound daft but Stanley would never settle at my mams so I took everything "breakable" out of the room and let him run riot for about an hour - sniffing everything and getting it all out of his system. Now he's done it he just has a little sniff round to make sure nothing's changes then settles with a chew or a kong and quickly falls into a snooze xx
Same here! Last night Plum was dead to the world at her usual bedtime so I carried her (yes, I know, but she is a titch) through to the kitchen with her barely raising an eyelid. Put her gently in her bed, eyes still closed. Moved to the kitchen counter near fridge, one eye lazily opened, then head lifted up. I placed a little biscuit in her mouth, it rolled out!! coz she was so sleepy but I gave it to her again , down the hatch and back off to sleep.
@Atemas although I have late finish times, I have the daytimes free so lots of play with my boy - when he's not sleeping of course
Yay, confirmation of Puppy course 2. I will only be able to do 5 of the 6 as we will be away for the last one. Trainer who I really like is going to work on managing distractions, manners around people and dogs, walking on a loose lead and recall - these are the things I need the most with Red so pleased about that
Am I trying to do too much? Yesterday, I didn't have much time in the morning so took Red for a walk just 15 minutes from home and back using her lead on her flat collar. She walked to heel on a loose lead and only pulled once when she heard a noise. Obviously I felt bad about that one pull as I know that isn't a positive experience for her. However, apart from that she walked beautifully and really seemed to enjoy her walk. Today, I have done the same walk with her harness (which is a Perfect Fit and was measured and fitted by the Trainer) on - she does not walk so well with the harness on and she pulled so much. I managed to get her walking to heel with the lead loose for about 50% of the time so that was good but the rest was horrible and she made several muttering noises. Frustrating for both of us. She can also 'hoover' the ground more with her harness on, yet her head was head up with just the flat collar on. I need to get this right as I am trying to educate DH as ultimately he will be doing the walking with Red in the future and I only want him using kind methods (he has years of experience with dogs - I don't - but his ways are 'old school' - but he is beginning to listen to me). Sorry I know I am posting a lot today.
You could try using a double-ended lead, attached to both her collar and the harness. Then, you just hold the lead so that when she pulls forward, the pressure is across her chest and if she tries to put her head down, you can prevent her with the collar. If she's muttering and getting frustrated, you're asking to much, yes, and need to go back a few steps in that environment (or, at least, in that environment with those specific environmental factors that you may not even be able to see). Be led by your dog's reactions, rather than your own expectations. If she's moving to the end of the lead too much, increase the rate of reward for being at your side. Walk up and down on the same 10m section until she can do that easily, then you get the opportunity to reward her lots, and set her up for success before moving on. Remember, it's not about completing a loop of a walk or getting to a specific destination, so spending that same amount of time walking over and over the same patch of ground is fine.
Yes Snowbunny, I wondered about a double-ended lead - I have one so will try your suggestion, thankyou. I had no expectations of doing a loop or getting to a certain place - in fact, I ditched that idea weeks ago. I gave her lots of treats when she wasn't pulling but was getting it right. Guess I try the double ended lead and just do a 10m section up and down just outside and see how that goes.
I have come to love this idea. It's really opened me up to my relationship with my dog. Our partnership. This way, any expectations are smashed and we continue to blossom every day. I can accept the blips, because I ride on the daily triumphs - no matter how big or small.
The double end lead is really useful to have anyway, I find, tripling up as a short, medium or longer length, I have a couple of the double end halti leads which are very comfy to hold and washable. Two of them together make a shorter training lead. They have few chew marks in now but are very durable.
Tried the Halti lead just now on her harness and flat collar. Made a big difference. Red walked to heel apart from several times where petals being blown by the wind totally distracted her and a couple of bits of hoovering up the path!! After the walk yesterday she had the terrible diarrhoea that I posted about in the thread 'Diarrhoea again' so I reckon she wasn't feeling too good. Anyway, I will use the double ended lead from now on.
Had a fabulous walk with Red using the Halti lead. Lasted 20 minutes and apart from once when she wanted to 'hoover' up catkins, she walked to heel and I had the lead loose. I had forgotten my clicker so just kept saying 'yes' as she kept moving into position. I treated her approx every 5 'yeses'. She had her head up and was trotting along by my side. She really seemed to be enjoying herself and it made me so happy. (I feel my postings are becoming a journal of my ups and downs with Red and hope this is an acceptable use of this forum - please tell me if not appropriate).
Still really really slow work getting our puppy Red (19 weeks) and 10 year old black lab Sky together. Red is just far too enthusiastic and of course getting bigger daily (she is going to be a bigger dog than Sky). She just wants to jump on Sky's back and bite her collar. Sky hates it but instead of letting Red know, she just tries to get away or rush to us looking for escape. We are being very careful about the times they are together. We now give them both a kong in the evening - putting their beds together in the sitting room. They both love this time but it is very short as Red can now finish her kong in less than 20 minutes (I give her two). Last night we tried something new. When Red had finished her kongs, we let her wander round the room. She was ok initially but then started to pester Sky. So my DH put her gently in her crate. 10 minutes later, he just released the door so she could come out. We encouraged her to settle on her bed which she did initially before pestering Sky again, so back she was put gently in her crate. We did this several times and in the end, Red came out and settled on Sky's bed (Sky had finished her kong by then and was lying on the floor quite chilled) and went to sleep. This is the first time we have actually spent time with both dogs really settled (and we were able to read our kindles) without Red being on her lead. Was so lovely and normal! When we got up to go to bed, Red just trotted into the kitchen, let me take her outside for a wee, then got in her kitchen crate for the night. I so want to give Red more freedom and not be on her lead so much but she has to learn that Sky just does not want to be jumped on - hard for a puppy but that's the way it is. I really hope they can find a way to be together. DH as always says it will happen and it will be ok - I so want him to be right.
He is right. Popping her in the crate every time, then letting her out to try again, will give her the message, she'll try it on from time to time but the penny will drop. We have had the same with Mollie with counter surfing. She's (almost) over it now - she's the first pup we've had to do this. If they don't test your patience one way it's another! The other thing which will come quite soon is maturity - which means they are better at settling. Mollie still shouts at Tatze to play . But not as often.
Great news @Atemas - your OH is right indeed. I can relate to how Sky feels about having boisterous pup wanting to play in the evenings - Cass used to do it to me, I in the end I used to put her in her crate , in and out, and in and out, eventually she did get the message, they're not daft. She's not allowed on that sofa, I take her bed in there when I want to watch TV, but she will still parade about and grunt and groan to herself about it --- I can see her thinking about it and deciding it's not worth it
I really empathise with that joyful feeling when a bit of normality returns and you can take pleasure in reading, cooking, watching tv again, whatever it is you enjoy. I'm in the garden now while Plum is pottering about. I'm sitting in the sun reading. Small pleasures .
Magic moment this evening. Both dogs came and sat together by the table as DH and I were eating. Admittedly I was feeding them treats (cos I had asked them to sit!). They sat for quite a while and looked so adorable together. Made my heart soar. DH didn't say 'told you it would happen' but I could 'read' it on his face!
