Coming out: We're getting a puppy (PICS ::grin::) (Edit: MORE pics, post 8 :giggle)

[LovinBeingMommy]

I agree that manners are a big deal, even if others don't get it. My mom feels that a dog should be free to roam and play no the leash. I do not. Our 30 pound corgi can practically tear my arm out of the socket because she doesn't want him to "have to" heel, which translated to him never learning it because I was the only one who ever tried to teach it.

[duckwithoneleg]

Originally Posted by LovinBeingMommy

I agree that manners are a big deal, even if others don't get it. My mom feels that a dog should be free to roam and play no the leash. I do not. Our 30 pound corgi can practically tear my arm out of the socket because she doesn't want him to "have to" heel, which translated to him never learning it because I was the only one who ever tried to teach it.

That is so frustrating! For Mr B, on walks, I have found the two things that help him most when he gets a wild hair and wants to rush ahead are to either put him in a controlled sit until he calms down (that's my last resort ), or to command him to "turn" and turn around. Sometimes I like to tell him to turn randomly on walks even when he's doing just fine, because ... I don't know, it seems to change his mindset. Like he'll look up and check in with me to see if which way I want him to be going.

He does stay outside a lot . We don't have a fenced yard, but we live off in the country. I was REALLY vigilant about it the first few months he was outside. I was checking on him constantly. I still check on him a bunch, and he is always either laying on the porch or under the bush in the front yard.

I actually am really floored because when he was younger, if he was outside by himself, and I heard a pack of dogs coming up the road or a car or a person or something (cars travel VERY SLOWLY on this road, out of respect of a neighbor of ours who rides a motorized wheelchair and is often hanging out in the road with his dogs ), I would call him up onto the porch. He is *very* reliable with coming when called ... anyway NOW, whenever I hear any sort of ruckus, and go out to check on him, I can just look out the window and see him high tailing it back up to the porch . It's like I accidentally trained him that the porch is where you go in case of any unusual happenings. I mean, I'll take it .

We are wanting to move, though, and one of my main requirements is a fenced yard. 'Cause he has to go in his crate if we all leave the house. And that just sucks for him, I think. We don't often go more than a few hours, but that's because he needs to get back out to pee or whatever.

I want to move, like, yesterday .

[LovinBeingMommy]

The corgi naps in his kennel during the day for hours, even though he's not required to. It's a safe place for him. Mr. B may not mind it, either. The little furball is too hyperactive to ever sit. It's like asking a toddler to be still. I tend to forget he's not still a puppy because he acts like one. It probably doesn't help that his brain appears to be the size of a pea. Poor thing doesn't understand anything.

It's amazing the things you can accidentally teach a dog. I taught a dog to heal once out of pure necessity, without even realizing it. He belonged to a friend and was just so big it was impossible to work with her horse if he was jumping and weaving, so I'd hold his collar with my free hand. When she said I could train him, he already knew how to heal. The only catch is that I hadn't required him to sit when we stopped, so he didn't know that one and 4-H requires it. It's actually pretty typical to ask a dog to sit any time you stop. If you do it consistently, you'll notice Mr. B starting to do it without being asked. The dog I had before this pair did everything without being told. I used a choke collar with him because he felt the tiniest shift in the leash with it. Never had to pull it hard because he responded so well, but he could feel which direction I'd moved the leash so I didn't step on him turning or something.

[duckwithoneleg]

Originally Posted by LovinBeingMommy

The corgi naps in his kennel during the day for hours, even though he's not required to. It's a safe place for him. Mr. B may not mind it, either. The little furball is too hyperactive to ever sit. It's like asking a toddler to be still. I tend to forget he's not still a puppy because he acts like one. It probably doesn't help that his brain appears to be the size of a pea. Poor thing doesn't understand anything.

It's amazing the things you can accidentally teach a dog. I taught a dog to heal once out of pure necessity, without even realizing it. He belonged to a friend and was just so big it was impossible to work with her horse if he was jumping and weaving, so I'd hold his collar with my free hand. When she said I could train him, he already knew how to heal. The only catch is that I hadn't required him to sit when we stopped, so he didn't know that one and 4-H requires it. It's actually pretty typical to ask a dog to sit any time you stop. If you do it consistently, you'll notice Mr. B starting to do it without being asked. The dog I had before this pair did everything without being told. I used a choke collar with him because he felt the tiniest shift in the leash with it. Never had to pull it hard because he responded so well, but he could feel which direction I'd moved the leash so I didn't step on him turning or something.

That is so fun! I love doggies

And yeah, I agree...Mr B is fine in his crate for a few hours, but if we want to spend a day in the city (where ALL of our friends are), that can end up just being WAY too much time in his crate, really easily. We spent the day doing fun stuff with friends in the city and then stopped by Target on the way home and got ds some shoes, and by the time we got back, it was dark. We left at 11am. That's the second time puppy has been in his crate way longer than I intended. He was okay. Just REALLY had to pee.

But if he had been in a fenced yard, he would have been MORE ok.

Of course, when we move, it'll be TO the city where all our friends are, so. That figures .

[Mommainrwanda]

Interestingly, Juba much prefers to be in his crate when we are gone over being left in the fenced yard. The yard is still kind of overwhelming for him because he can hear and smell all sorts of things going on. I think he's confused because he's still trying to figure out where his boundaries are (he doesn't understand that he could just consider the fence his boundary and not worry about anything outside of it ). I always feel *super* guilty when he's been in his crate longer than 3 or 4 hours, but he never seems to mind.

[LovinBeingMommy]

My dogs would rather be inside, too. Way too much going on outside. There's also the problem of people harassing them if they're out unsupervised, but that wouldn't be as big a deal where you are now.

[duckwithoneleg]

Yeah there's like... NOTHING going on out here. Like, ever. . When Mr B is outside he's just laying there. On the porch. Reliably. Like a dog rug.

We never ever leave him outside when it's dark out. Or when we're gone.