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Post by wepamperpets on Oct 5, 2010 18:12:59 GMT -5
My boss raises/shows/breeds English Toy Spaniels. I'm around her dogs all the time and often bring dogs and puppy's home with me to play with I can say if I were looking to get a small dog, for sure I'd take one home. They are very very low energy, sure they like to play a bit but more so rather just sit around and relax with their humans. They are happy to do what ever you want, so you want to take them for a walk they'd be happy but if you rather take a nap they'd be just as happy They are small ( my boss dogs generally 8-15lbs), they do shed but not heavy, very easy to groom. Besides keeping them combed out (which their hair don't mat easy so easy maintenance) and bathed and nails done, they just get their pads and feet cleaned up thats it lol And they are quiet dogs, of all the ones I'm around its been rare occasion to hear one bark, even at my house. They get along with all other dogs, cats, small animals. Even the adults that weren't raised with ferrets they where great with my ferrets. Plus worse came to worse they have tiny wee lil nub teeth and can't bite like most dogs All in general I'd have to give them a A+ for temperament, easy maintenance, not barkers, great apartment dogs. They where bred to be couch potato's haha my boss calls them her granny dogs Here is pic of 2 puppies I watched Do note their hair gets like a cavalier. They are VERY expensive to purchase, especially one that is nicely bred. Very uncommon to see and more of the difficult dogs to breed so there's not many of them around especially in US My boss dogs range 1k-5k or so. She does sometimes have adults available for adoption at a extremely reasonable price but extremely particular to who she adopts too. If you were seriously interested in her dogs I could get you contact info. Puppies has waiting list, and I *think* there are a couple adults available for adoption.
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Post by littleweasels on Oct 5, 2010 18:27:04 GMT -5
Thanks but I already got a dog. He is a dachshund. He is not great with the small animals but I just never let him get to them. The ferrets have floor time in a room with the door closed. He has no interest in the ferrets when they are in their cage. The rats cage is up to high for him to get to them. My rabbits are in my room so I put up a pen so when I open my door if he sneaks in there is a pen blocking him from the rabbits. The guinea pigs cage is in my room so he cant get to them. He did really want to get to the hamsters so they were moved to a bedroom.
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Post by Chelsea on Oct 8, 2010 8:12:51 GMT -5
Thanks but I already got a dog. He is a dachshund. He is not great with the small animals but I just never let him get to them. The ferrets have floor time in a room with the door closed. He has no interest in the ferrets when they are in their cage. The rats cage is up to high for him to get to them. My rabbits are in my room so I put up a pen so when I open my door if he sneaks in there is a pen blocking him from the rabbits. The guinea pigs cage is in my room so he cant get to them. He did really want to get to the hamsters so they were moved to a bedroom. Good luck. Dachshunds were bred as hunting dogs, to go after tunneling animals. So, basically you probably picked the optimal hunter of your other animals I hope everything works out for you and this dog. Keeping them separated is the best option, especially if you have no experience training dogs.
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Post by littleweasels on Oct 8, 2010 9:44:19 GMT -5
So far its working out great. Its not hard to keep him from the other animals. I think he is learning that they are not toys or food. He knows he is not allowed in my room so I can open the door without him running in. When I open the ferrets cage he knows to stay a few feet away, and he does. Hes a good dog an I think it will work out.
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Post by Heather on Oct 8, 2010 10:59:02 GMT -5
I"m glad. I will keep my fingers crossed. Just remember at about 3 to 6 months into it or about that time, rescues usually start acting out. So, just keep a little closer eye on him. At first it looks like they've got everything right, and usually the new owners are shaking their heads as to why this "poor animal" ever got put into a shelter. They call it the "honeymoon period" in a rescue. This is the time period where the animal, becomes comfortable enough in their new home to start misbehaving. This is usually when an animal that has been getting along with it's peers suddenly decides to try for the dominant position and generally becomes a total jerk for a time. This is when they often start getting into the garbage, bullying other pets, chasing the cat.... This is also about the time frame when people show back up at the shelter saying this didn't work out I find if you're prepared for it, you can usually work it out (which is why I mentioned it to you ) ciao
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Post by Chelsea on Oct 9, 2010 8:44:24 GMT -5
This is usually when an animal that has been getting along with it's peers suddenly decides to try for the dominant position and generally becomes a total jerk for a time. This is when they often start getting into the garbage, bullying other pets, chasing the cat.... Dog training & behavior has nothing to do with "dominance", or the "alpha" position. Those are very old terms and methods, and have been disproven many many times. The term "alpha" or "dominant" isn't even used to describe wolf packs anymore (at least not by knowledgeable wolf biologists, anyways) because it just isn't true, for wolf packs OR dogs. There is no "dominant male/female" or "alpha wolf". Dogs, no matter where they came from (rescue, breeder, etc) after the "honeymoon period" where everything is new, they are going to push their boundaries. It has nothing to do with who is the "dominant" one in the house, the dog is not trying to "dominate" or become the "alpha dog". Any dog, just like a child would, is going to push their boundaries to see how far they can go, and what they can get away with.
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Post by bluecoyote on Oct 9, 2010 15:28:21 GMT -5
i dont know if thats the case with all dogs though. i was given a full grown female(intact even) American Bulldog and we never had dominance issues or a honeymoon phase with her. she was just an all around good girl. our problem however came from OTHER dogs literally going out of their way to pick fights with her. she would play with any dog and approached them politely..... but once in a while we'd have a dog get away from their people and travel a good distance across a park or over a fence just to jump her.. We've actually had good luck with both our bullies... neither one were prone to buck out of harness or push their boundaries as long as we remained consistent on the rules... no dogs in the kitchen, on the furniture, no begging, no stealing, no leash pulling etc. we also didnt allow them to chew stuffed animals or anything with a squeaker.... JUST in case one of them decided to "forget" there was a difference between a stuffy and our pet cat. Kaydee, the bully has since passed on but yeah..... i never knew her origins... just that a co-worker found a skinny bulldog eating out of a hotel dumpster in tampa. looked like she'd recently had pups, but they were no where to be found. she took her in, fattened her up and then decided her house was too small. she was everything you could hope for in a family dog. and her obedience level was off the charts.... where ever she came from... someone worked very hard on her.. or she was just incredibly smart by nature. i swear she could read minds :/
but.... i havent had the same luck with every rescue.
so its always best to keep vigilant and prepare for the worst. Kaydee's worst fault was ... she HAD to protect me. she took that job seriously. no fence or gate would hold her if she decided she needed to be with me. not separation anxiety exactly, not destructive. just determined to be with me.
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Post by Heather on Oct 9, 2010 16:07:59 GMT -5
Hmmm, the words dominance and alpha no longer fall into the correct speech. Something that I had forgotten when I posted, I apologize. Whether we wish to acknowledge them or not they are there and they are an "issue" with "some" dogs, it doesn't matter what you call them. I believe they are now referred to as "unwanted" behaviours, and we don't train we practice behaviour modification. Whichever way you play or talk it, one has to change a behaviour that is not acceptable (better?) These behaviours often show up about 6 to 8 weeks after adoption, up to about 6 to 9 months. Some people who adopt are lucky, their new furkids were trained, loved and properly cared for or just have an innate "need" to please. Some dogs no matter how they are treated, how poorly they are used and abused, never, ever loose that. Many rescues are not they've been abused or ignored to the point that they've reached the "I don't care and there's nothing I can do right and the only way to get your attention is to be bad" and that's when one must often consult a dog "specialist". Dogs basically want to please, but they often lack the knowledge on how to please, this is when we teach them how to please. Where people want or don't want a specific behaviour but lack the knowledge to make it happen, hence the referral to looking up someone who might be able to assist the owner to properly work with their dog. This isn't a matter of casually playing a game for a week or two and getting it right but working it forever. In this case, it's more than just behaviour modification....it's taking part of what makes this dog tick...it's very instinct...what it was bred to do and be and tell that dog to ignore it and not do it. That's like having a rash and being told "don't scratch it". It can be done, but it's very difficult. It may be something as simple as offering a bone, or playing chase games before going in and playing with the ferrets. Chances are it's going to involve more than that. A trainer, will help find the alternatives. I'm not talking about doing a Ceasar on the dog.....that's a joke and it's dangerous. There are many methods out there that the dog can and will respond to and that the owner can work with. Clicking is only one method. I've used it to do behaviour modification with ferrets to stop biting. I had a dog that didn't respond to it at all. With him all I had to do was say his name, and frown. That's how sensitive he was. Mithrandir responds entirely to liver treats and whistles. I've been training for years, no I don't bring out the horse whips and the choke collars, I didn't abide it then, I don't abide it now but taking years of observation and denying it exists doesn't work either. I never did abide by the let me dominate you thing, but there is a social order, you just call it what you may. ciao
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Post by bluecoyote on Oct 10, 2010 2:25:32 GMT -5
Heather, got to say i agree with you. i've lived with dogs since i was little. one reason bullies are special to me is because when i was still in diapers i had my own personal body guard so to speak... and old white bulldog named Lady. many people now would have heart attacks at the idea of this big monster potential killer being the only "person" in the room but she was such a mamma.... and who knows, maybe i WAS lucky. no i didnt repeat the same thing my grandparents did - leaving me on a pallet and pillow under a shady tree with the bulldog nearby so they could work in the garden - but when i knew i was having kids i KNEW the dog i wanted them to grow up with... add to it that BECAUSE of Lady i have been mad about dogs my entire life. i read book after book on training and behaviour, taught my own dogs tricks and obedience and have seen a lot of changes in the lingo... i cant keep up with it! i'm like you.... call it what ever you want... it still needs to be dealt with. i dont know how many times i've seen someone throw down the leash in exasperation only to see someone else pick it up and get results from a "dumb dog".. some friends of ours do just that. they own a small kennel/business and take people hog hunting in north Florida.. but they dont breed dogs. they go by the local shelters, or the shelters call them if they get in certain breeds and the man takes them home for training. once he's taught them the basics of hunting he either keeps them or passes them along to another hunter who needs a dog for what ever purpose. i got one of mine from him... probably his only "failure" because Ben just isnt cut out for the hunting life. He may look like an American Bulldog, sound like one, smell like one... but i swear he's a cat trapped in a dog's body. drama queen and primmadonna pretty much sums him up lol but....... he sure does a good job of fooling strangers with that big ugly head, teeth sticking out and constant frown! unlike Kaydee i wouldnt trust my life with him lol he's easily frightened and nothing i've tried so far will get him out of that fear factor except just being calm and quiet... its almost like there is a shut-down button when the heat is on. he just freezes and you WONT move him unless you literally pick him up and carry him. cant say i've ever had a dog like him.. but he's a good boy
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