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The old puppy/new dog thread makes it sound like it is impossible for anyone to correctly raise a puppy so I thought it would be nice to have a thread for all of us muddling through the best we can this year. I've now had my Australian cattle dog puppy for 2 months and she isn't completely ruined yet! Here are some resources I've found super helpful with my new puppy: first off: Love Has No Age Limit by Karen B. London and Patricia McConnell for those good folks adopting adult dogs Social, Civil, and Savvy book by Laura Van Arendonk Baugh. This was so much less defeatist than Ian Dunbar's stuff and made me feel a lot better about my puppy who I got after that early socialization window. Socialization from your car.I did this a lot with my puppy when I first got her and getting out of the car was overwhelming for her Article about socialization with social distancing Socialization video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dU4tfOdTvnE Free puppy book Some places are able to have small, safe puppy classes that you should try if possible. I have to go all the way to my vet behaviorist's office over an hour away to go to a puppy class that accepted puppies up to 8 months. There are also puppy play groups that will take in the puppy without the owners present but I would be extremely careful with these and only go to one if you are 1000% sure that the people supervising understand dog behavior. I would not take a puppy or new dog to doggy daycare for "socialization", personally. Puppy class alternatives: Online puppy classes over zoom! Check out your local positive dog training facilities and see if they are doing zoom classes if they can't hold in person classes. Zac George's training series on the Pupford phone app. This gives you something to work on each day so it's great if you're goony like me and really like someone telling you exactly what to do. Other online dog schools: I have used the Fenzi Dog Sport Academy online for years and years with my old dog but if you aren't interested in dog sports they'll be rolling out a pet dog owner program later this month here. I also like the Absolute Dogs games/classes even though the one trainer's pants are distractingly tight and they talk about sexy squirrels more than I'm really comfortable with. Things that have made my life easier: Exercise pens: Just get a million of them and barricade your awful demon puppy away from everything she might destroy. licki mats/snuffle mats: Good for giving your feral beast something soothing to do for a while. Be careful if your dog tries to chew the licki mat in half instead of licking though. biothane or pvc long line: Until your pup has any recall at all it's a good idea to have them drag a line, the cotton ones get real gross fast. I got a 50' one to take up to the lake for $20. kongs: If the lickimat is too easy just stuff a bunch of poo poo into a kong and freeze it. I've had most of my kongs for 10+ years now and they're still doing good. bully sticks: They're so gross and so expensive but so worth the brief period of peace. If you're adopting a puppy or dog with unknown parents Embark dna testing is very accurate and super cool and I love it. My puppy is registered and has a huge long pedigree but she'll still be embarked for health testing. You can get the breed only test for under $100 and the breed + health testing for $120-$140 if you're patient and wait for sales. Anyway here is my hellspawn, Scout, who is the best thing to happen to me this year.     Please share all of your puppies/dogs and what you have done with them to get through this terrible loving year.
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Oct 10, 2020 20:34
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This is Nova, who despite being a quarantine puppy (we got her from foster at 10 weeks old in March) is the most social creature I’ve ever seen. She loves EVERYONE and EVERYTHING - she was very heavily socialized in foster before covid locked us all down, but I think a lot of it is just her personality. She was at the vet the other day, and the vet tech commented on it, laughing, because she was JUST SO DELIGHTED TO BE AT THE VET that she was 60lbs of wiggly joy that was really tough to actually examine. We’re working on the jumping up part of her PEOPLE EXCITEMENT OMG and definitely some progress since she’s gotten a bit older. Otherwise she’s definitely the smartest, friendliest, and easiest to train dog I’ve ever had. She’s a crazy mix of husky and Pyrenees and English bulldog and pit bull and ????, put into the extra blender of having littermate parents.  She’s a pretty great family dog, with the only the small hitches of jumping on people, and also alert barking her fool head off at every fly and car that comes within 10 feet of our property.  Sometimes puppies just turn out awesome despite us, I guess!
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Oct 11, 2020 17:59
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cailleask posted:This is Nova, who despite being a quarantine puppy (we got her from foster at 10 weeks old in March) is the most social creature I’ve ever seen. She loves EVERYONE and EVERYTHING - she was very heavily socialized in foster before covid locked us all down, but I think a lot of it is just her personality. Eyebrow dogs are always the best  Scout is also wildly excited to meet people and we're working hard on the jumping with limited success. It's hard to convince her that not everyone is there to meet her when it turns out most people really want to meet a puppy.
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Oct 11, 2020 19:21
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Instant Jellyfish posted:Eyebrow dogs are always the best It was easier when she was obviously a puppy, but now she’s a stocky 60lb creature with a deep bark who looks NOTHING like a 9 month old baby, so people are understandably wary of her charging at them. But she’s a huge snuggle monster and also pretty sure she’s a lapdog and has never even so much as shown a tooth at either of my kids - all attention is good attention. There doesn’t appear to be a human-aggressive bone in her body.
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Oct 12, 2020 04:11
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I love these dogs and look forward to thread pupdates. Great job giving these dogs a loving home.
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Oct 23, 2020 16:08
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Scout finished her first puppy class and I can't wait for her next one to start next month. She already knew the things but being able to practice in a new environment, get advice from a trainer, and commiserate with other puppy owners was really valuable. I'm glad I found a place that was taking covid seriously but also offered puppy classes for puppies up to 8 months. Most of the other places still doing in-person classes only took puppies up to 16 weeks then you had to join an adult dog class. I wish we could have gotten more than one session in at the dock diving place because Scoot is crazy about water. We go up to the lake and to a pond with fishing docks to practice on our own but it's not a sport I've ever done so some time with a trainer would have been helpful. Here's scooty puff jr enjoying my flooded pasture this week. She's almost 7 months old and does not ever stop moving.      
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Oct 24, 2020 02:19
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That’s a good dog
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Dec 25, 2020 23:30
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Ornery and Hornery posted:That’s a good dog Questionable: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTfh-E2xMHU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1Ev5QyTyXk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giixLF4rjqc She's just about 9 months now. Our second puppy class got turned into a zoom class which was kind of lame and now we're doing a Fenzi academy online class to deal with her people pouncing. If I don't have something to work on training her every day she gets bored and comes up with her own fun so it's good to keep busy. She likes snow almost as much as she likes water!   
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Dec 25, 2020 23:58
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Dog parks have been HUUUUGE for me socializing this covid-puppy. She gets to wiggle up to random people while also running her butt off. Win-win! Her favorite game is full-speed chest smash, followed closely by throwing punches. Bonus is that they get her so tired she slept through all the fireworks last night! Also her first birthday is in a couple days and  
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Jan 1, 2021 18:52
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When did my tiny baby start looking so grown up  She'll be 10 months in a couple of days.    She's maturing so nicely, finally starting to grow a brain, and has some semblance of impulse control. She still needs to be physically stopped from moving when she gets overly tired and refuses to just nap but we're getting there.
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Jan 26, 2021 19:40
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I've been posting in the regular puppy thread but here is my 1 to 2 year old idiot puppy that I bought with my gov't hush money.  She's still learning to be a chill baby and not ultra hyperactive puppy mode constantly, but she's sweet and has a cute face so we'll give her another chance.
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Jan 26, 2021 20:08
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I don't know how I went 13 years without bothering to check on Pet Island but hi! Both our doggos died last year and we finally decided we would maybe enjoy cleaning poop off the living room floor again, so please say hello to Ruby: Ruby weighs 9 pounds before pooping. She was born in Juarez, Chihuahua (Mexico) in May 2020. About a week ago, she moved to a shelter in Alamagordo, New Mexico for some reason. 2 days later, she moved to Albuquerque. 3 days later, we adopted her.  Her hobbies include naps, licking your face, naps on your lap, naps on your chest, being carried around, and naps. She enjoys walks but refuses to walk on snow unless it's in the back yard. It's okay, she only weighs 9 pounds. She also likes sitting on the dog perch I built for her, and watching the local fauna.  She is currently taking a nap on the bed next to me and dreaming about drinking water. My teenage daughter is head over heels in love with this dog, and has been more or less brought out of her quarantine funk, so high fives all around. You might notice a square shaved patch: this is how the vet in Juarez does hysterectomies. I can't find any English language descriptions of the procedure, but my high school Spanish has me convinced that they removed the uterus and at least one ovary, through the side of her abdomen, somehow. This might be something they only do for small dogs and cats. cruft fucked around with this message at 00:57 on Jan 28, 2021 |
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Jan 28, 2021 00:51
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cruft posted:You might notice a square shaved patch: this is how the vet in Juarez does hysterectomies. I can't find any English language descriptions of the procedure, but my high school Spanish has me convinced that they removed the uterus and at least one ovary, through the side of her abdomen, somehow. This might be something they only do for small dogs and cats. Ruby is very cute and good. I'd never seen this before but I googled it and apparently flank incisions are pretty normal for cats and small dogs in some areas. The incision is easier to monitor from a distance and reduces the chances of all their guts falling out if they gently caress with it so it's good for feral populations. Who knew?
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Jan 28, 2021 16:03
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Instant Jellyfish posted:Ruby is very cute and good. I didn't know, and wasn't able to magic up the right search terms to find this information. Not that it has any bearing on anything at all in my life, but it's still interesting. Thanks!
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Jan 28, 2021 16:29
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Crossposting from the cute thread because my covid puppy is a year old now! She got dino chicken nuggets   And a piece of cake  And a new corm, her favorite toy in the universe  Then today we went to the beach and there was no one there so she could be a wild and free hog    All of her genetic testing is done or in the process of being done now. I'm hoping to get her official BAER hearing test done this year (she passed as a puppy but I don't have the documentation to submit) and then next year she'll get her hips and elbows x rayed and have her eyes examined so she'll qualify for a CHIC number from OFA.
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Mar 31, 2021 02:15
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Instant Jellyfish posted:Crossposting from the cute thread because my covid puppy is a year old now!  cattledogs are a gift to the universe
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Mar 31, 2021 03:28
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perepelki posted:i love her They're the bestworst dogs in the world and I want a dozen of them. I really want to go to the annual ACD jubilee this year and see all the other freckledogs but Scout will probably be in heat and have to sit out some of the events. FastCATs and dock diving don't allow bitches in season.
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Mar 31, 2021 04:45
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Instant Jellyfish posted:Crossposting from the cute thread because my covid puppy is a year old now! Oh hey, Winnie just turned a year old too. 3 months:  Now:   I posted in the puppy thread that we at first were told she might be a St. Bernard or setter mix, but we've since learned that one of her brothers had a DNA test that came back as mostly American pointer. Which checks out based on her behavior, coloring, and the thing she does with her foot.  We made her a pumpkin cookie cake for her birthday.  
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Apr 1, 2021 16:13
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perepelki posted:i love her We are going to get a second dog, and every now and then an ACD comes up. After my experience with Sherlock (oh he will be so calm, everyone says) I am trying to be a bit more strategic and after the videos that Instant Jellyfish has posted I know I cannot. do. it. Especially in the middle of a city centre.
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Apr 8, 2021 13:28
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luscious posted:We are going to get a second dog, and every now and then an ACD comes up. After my experience with Sherlock (oh he will be so calm, everyone says) I am trying to be a bit more strategic and after the videos that Instant Jellyfish has posted I know I cannot. do. it. Especially in the middle of a city centre. Honestly, I don't think most people get an acd on purpose the first time. I thought I was getting a setter or pointer mix with my rescue. Oops, he's an acd mix/saint bernard. Once you've had one though it damages your brain and other dogs seem boring. Why get a dog that doesn't think it's fun to bite you??? What would I even do with my life if the dogs didn't dictate my entire schedule??? I'm already planning on getting another one in a few years, it's a sickness  TBH I used to want a malinois so an acd is probably a more reasonable choice. Instant Jellyfish fucked around with this message at 21:49 on Apr 8, 2021 |
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Apr 8, 2021 20:47
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Instant Jellyfish posted:Honestly, I don't think most people get an acd on purpose the first time. I thought I was getting a setter or pointer mix with my rescue. Oops, he's an acd mix/saint bernard. Once you've had one though it damages your brain and other dogs seem boring. Why get a dog that doesn't think it's fun to bite you??? What would I even do with my life if the dogs didn't dictate my entire schedule??? I'm already planning on getting another one in a few years, it's a sickness This is my parents, they got a border collie mix dumped on them and now they can only get border collie mixes because they get annoyed at dogs that can't comprehend being spoken to in full sentences and actively enjoy hard eye contact.
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Apr 9, 2021 06:04
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Sherlock is super high drive and I'm starting to wonder if owning him, a super high drive dog, never tired and constantly needing STUFF AND THINGS is like owning an ACD. Like seriously. Not a moment of calm and all of the walking that my partner does just increases his endurance. Fml.
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Apr 13, 2021 23:25
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luscious posted:Sherlock is super high drive and I'm starting to wonder if owning him, a super high drive dog, never tired and constantly needing STUFF AND THINGS is like owning an ACD. Like seriously. Not a moment of calm and all of the walking that my partner does just increases his endurance. Fml. IME bostons are pretty sporty little dogs, they just usually don't have enough of a face/ability to breath to actually be athletic. It's not because they don't have the drive. Find an activity for your little gentleman to excel at and have fun! Weight pull bostons seem pretty cute https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwWO-TQHYRM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGgwtJL1lQE This agility boston seems rad https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFwNvxyYsWE Stay cool with some dock diving? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whM-K9sCV84 I will never get tired of tiny dogs doing protection sports https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HS5xhmEw1Rg Or get a tiny spring pole and tell your neighbors you're starting a boston fighting ring, whichever is easier. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmZrYV44uY8
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Apr 13, 2021 23:56
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Double posting but this is why I always recommend nosework for wearing out crazy puppies. I was busy all day shearing sheep so I wore out Scout with some challenging hides that she really had to physically work to get to. Took maybe 15-20 minutes to do 7 or so hides and she was panting by the end then chilled for the rest of the evening. We started nosework in February so it doesn't take long to work up to this level of challenge. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwnNkv1j6gw
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Apr 14, 2021 03:22
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I’ve found a hole in puppy’s socialization - she’s nippy with kids that she thinks are too up in her business. I don’t mean it as a euphemism for snapping, at least... she just nips to back them up. Doesn’t actually make contact either, but obviously it’s alarming to them and me! She’s very good with my kids, and generally very chill. When she was a little puppy we socialized her with the kids in the neighborhood, which in retrospect maybe we shouldn’t have because they were pretty rough players? I definitely don’t want to make the situation worse, and I especially don’t want to escalate her. It’s not a blatant fear thing... it just seems to be how she thinks she can ask kids to give her more room? Or express her nervousness? Or something? I just need to figure out how to train HER to walk away, or an alternate behavior, or something? She hasn’t been around kids other than the ones she lives in (aside from passing them on the street during walks) since she was a couple month old puppy. She does go to the dog park, though, and I’m pretty sure she thinks that kids are actually puppies.
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Apr 18, 2021 15:59
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cailleask posted:I’ve found a hole in puppy’s socialization - she’s nippy with kids that she thinks are too up in her business. I don’t mean it as a euphemism for snapping, at least... she just nips to back them up. Doesn’t actually make contact either, but obviously it’s alarming to them and me! She’s very good with my kids, and generally very chill. When she was a little puppy we socialized her with the kids in the neighborhood, which in retrospect maybe we shouldn’t have because they were pretty rough players? Mine doesn't nip but she does bark if she's crowded too much. I've tried to talk the kids (neighborhood kids, she's fine with my kids) through how to approach her so she doesn't get freaked out, but they don't listen so I've pretty much just given up. It's a kid problem not a dog problem imo.
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Apr 19, 2021 05:43
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cailleask posted:I’ve found a hole in puppy’s socialization - she’s nippy with kids that she thinks are too up in her business. I don’t mean it as a euphemism for snapping, at least... she just nips to back them up. Doesn’t actually make contact either, but obviously it’s alarming to them and me! She’s very good with my kids, and generally very chill. When she was a little puppy we socialized her with the kids in the neighborhood, which in retrospect maybe we shouldn’t have because they were pretty rough players? This doesn't seem like a socialization issue, this just sounds like a dog growing up and wanting more space. It's up to you to manage these kids so she doesn't have to. Maybe it's time to start telling them they can't pet her while you work on it. My oldest dog will absolutely bite so I got real good at standing in front of him and hollering "HE'S NOT FRIENDLY" as kids book it towards him. Of course you can use "we're training" or something instead. Grisha Stewart's Behavior Adjustment Training is a good start for teaching dogs alternate behaviors to get space but kids can be so unpredictable and it would be just horrible if someone got hurt so I'd err on the side of no more dogpiling on the puppy while you're out and about.
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Apr 19, 2021 15:28
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