A day at the dog park

[jas humbert]

I think you are doing quite well. You seem serious and willing to put in the time. And more importantly, you seem to be seeing progress. I was merely pointing out that it can sometimes take a long time to see significant changes. There is this common idea that all dogs can do anything/be anything with the right training. I agree that most dogs are capable of a good deal of improvement but like kids, dogs are individuals and will only bend so far. The thing is, no one no has any idea how far she can go or what she is fully capable of yet. Just like human kids, its a fun adventure with few bumps along the way. My adult daughter adopted a handful. Daisy was a nearly grown pup who was pee-herself super shy, food aggressive from living on the street, didn't trust other animals and was not all that affectionate . Three years later she is a treasure. She loves to go places and meet new people, she plays well with other dogs and she is a love. My daughter say she felt like giving up a a few points in the process. Hang in there and if one thing doesn't work, try something else. Good luck.

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

I think you are doing quite well. You seem serious and willing to put in the time. And more importantly, you seem to be seeing progress. I was merely pointing out that it can sometimes take a long time to see significant changes. There is this common idea that all dogs can do anything/be anything with the right training. I agree that most dogs are capable of a good deal of improvement but like kids, dogs are individuals and will only bend so far. The thing is, no one no has any idea how far she can go or what she is fully capable of yet. Just like human kids, its a fun adventure with few bumps along the way. My adult daughter adopted a handful. Daisy was a nearly grown pup who was pee-herself super shy, food aggressive from living on the street, didn't trust other animals and was not all that affectionate . Three years later she is a treasure. She loves to go places and meet new people, she plays well with other dogs and she is a love. My daughter say she felt like giving up a a few points in the process. Hang in there and if one thing doesn't work, try something else. Good luck.

I personally think there are no "bad dogs" just bad trainers/owners. Most people go into adopting a dog thinking its gonna be awesome. It will...in time. You need to work with them. Each dog has a different personality.

 

[jas humbert]

While I think it is important to have a positive attitude and explore all possible fixes, realistically there are always going to be poor living situations for certain dogs (some have too strong a prey drive to ever peacefully coexist with cats for example). And while it is not popular to say so; I have seen the occasional dog who is too damaged, either because of genetics and/or bad experiences to manage in most home environments. Trouble is you can't always predict what who that is based on present behavior. I've cared for dozen of dogs short or long term in my home and interacted with a lot more. I've seen some amazing transformations - BUT- while it may be rare, I believe there can be mentally ill/damaged dogs. Just like human mental illness, some can achieve a near normal life and some cannot. (I have mental illness in my family and know how heartbreaking it can be that some things cannot be fixed no matter how hard everyone tries).

I am in no way implying that is the situation with your dog. It seems things are moving in the right direction for you. I just don't think every dog can be fixed. I love dogs and wish they could.

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

While I think it is important to have a positive attitude and explore all possible fixes, realistically there are always going to be poor living situations for certain dogs (some have too strong a prey drive to ever peacefully coexist with cats for example). And while it is not popular to say so; I have seen the occasional dog who is too damaged, either because of genetics and/or bad experiences to manage in most home environments. Trouble is you can't always predict what who that is based on present behavior. I've cared for dozen of dogs short or long term in my home and interacted with a lot more. I've seen some amazing transformations - BUT- while it may be rare, I believe there can be mentally ill/damaged dogs. Just like human mental illness, some can achieve a near normal life and some cannot. (I have mental illness in my family and know how heartbreaking it can be that some things cannot be fixed no matter how hard everyone tries).

I am in no way implying that is the situation with your dog. It seems things are moving in the right direction for you. I just don't think every dog can be fixed. I love dogs and wish they could.

Thst is true that some dogs could be mentally ill. I suppose I didnt even consider that. Or dog loved the cat too much for comfort when we brought her home. Teaching "leave it!" helped immensely. I practiced with her by playing with her toys. I'd tell her to leave it and then throw it. If she chased after it I just said "no...leave it" and rinse and repeat. Finally she got to the point I could throw it and then say leave it. She knows now to sit calmly if the cat is around. Unfortunately now my cat (who was an "only child" for almost all her life) now just sits there and meows, "mom! Shes looking at me!" I told her she needs to learn to get along with her sister. But I can do that now because the dog is no longer a threat to her. Duchess could be running down the hall and she will stop dead on in her tracks if shes near the cat and then calmly walk around her...then back to running. It took us a while to get her to where she is now.

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

At one point in this thread, you did talk about seeing a behaviorist, so forgive me for thinking that was still on the table. I can tell from what you've done with her that you have some skills. It is important to properly vet those from whom you are taking advice. Check the creds for those you tube videos. If it's off the table, ok, but there is value from going to a professional, they don't just teach you, they observe the dog, and your and your family's interactions with the dog as well. Just sayin', and I'll stop beating that dead horse. I stand by all the books I've already recommended plus anything by those authors. You might enjoy Patricia McConnells blog, also. Suzanne Clothier also has a blog that's good, and if you can get to one of her seminars, I highly recommend her. She's pricy, though. There is an herbal supplement for anxiety called Composure that may help her also. I use it on my new kid, who's very jumpy around other dogs, and wind, and random plastic bags, and who knows what will be next, lol. I get it from Chewy. It's not a cure all, but it helps them be able to relax a little. Some folks have results with CBD for anxiety also, if you can get it.

Ive been watching SolidK9training. Not sure where I'd look up their creds.

 

[CJLR]

I decided to take our new dog to the dog park for a little fun today. Shes been doing well with her training so I thought a little reward was in order. Plus it was a great opportunity to socialise her with other dogs. She's shown some aggression in the past weeks we've had her so I want to socialise her very slowly.

I went at 930 in the morning to our local park. Its an "off leash" park but I kept her on leash to be safe. There was only one dog there when we arrived (not on a leash). He was a 150 pound dog. Looked like a lab but very overweight. We walked parallel with him along the fence line before we walked in the park area. He then growled and bit her on the nose. The owner grabbed him and apologized saying "I didnt know we are just dog sitting". I'm sorry...but that is unacceptable. I understand if you dont know if your dog is aggressive but you should KEEP HIM ON A LEASH until you do! Either way I shrugged it off because he kept him leashed from then on.

Duchess was in her element! She wanted to sniff and pee on everything! She even continued to try and pee when nothing was coming out lol. I gave her a lot of water the whole time we were there. They have workout equipment for the dogs there (ramps, hoops and jump rails) and I was shocked that she knew how to use it all. She was excited about the other dog (even though he bit her) but I wouldnt let her near (especially since the owner was so irresponsible). She listened to all my commands though and was a very good girl.

But then...someone else showed up. A twenty something with a medium size mix...just a little smaller than our dog. Duchess was on it. She began whining and crying because she wanted to go see the dog. I held her tight as the owner approached. "Is she cool?" He said. "I'm not really sure but I have control of her". He immediately leashed his dog and the two of them sniffed for a bit at each other.

Grrr...Duchess growled and opened her mouth to attack. I immediately pulled back on the leash and corrected her with a strong "No! We don't do that!" I had her sit and she just sat and whined. "Looks like shes aggressive then." He said. I shrugged and said "I think she's just had a bad experience. I think the shelter lied to us though about a lot of things. Maybe if we walk parallel she will calm?" "Oh ok...sure"

We chit chatted a bit but not much as we walked them parallel to each other. Duchess kept watching his dog. The convo started changing from just two owners walking their dogs to one owner criticising anothers. My cutting point was this:
"Maybe you should go to a different dog park"
Maybe I too it a little too personal. Maybe he didnt mean how it sounded. But I was mortified. "Well we've been here a while now and I think she's getting tired so we will be leaving then. Nice meeting you."

I quickly brought her to the car and we went home. I don't know if we should go back. I liked the exercise equipment but the people...

Are all dog parks like that? I haven't had a dog in over 10 years because I lived in apartments. Now that we have a house we could finally have one. I was excited about being able to take her for a nice long walk that wasn't through the mosquito filled woods. Feel free to share your stories this was just our walk in the park.

a dog friendly state park might be a good idea they are well-managed and there is almost always a park ranger walking around make sure nobody Breaks the Rules

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

a dog friendly state park might be a good idea they are well-managed and there is almost always a park ranger walking around make sure nobody Breaks the Rules

I dont think we have one near us though. I'll have to check but I know that a lot of the parks in our area say your dog must be on a leash at all times...and people still let them off. The one state park I know of does have a leash law. It also says no dogs in the water and you must clean up the poo. Last time I went there there were several dogs off leash, at least one in the water and dog poo within walking distance. I think if you "get caught" you get a ticket. People just dont care. It doesnt matter if the rules are "stupid", they are in place for a reason.

 

[townchicks]

Here is a link for Patricia McConnell http://www.patriciamcconnell.com

 

[so lucky]

Every day that passes without your dog biting you puts that behavior farther in the background. Everything you teach her to do, and she gets rewarded for, brings her continued good behavior to the foreground. You're happy; she's happy.
You just have to go forward and assume the best. You go, girl!

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

Here is a link for Patricia McConnell http://www.patriciamcconnell.com

Thanks! I'll check it out tomorrow. Idk if its the site or my phone but it's a little sluggish. I'll use the desktop tomorrow