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ejano

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Everything posted by ejano

  1. In my opinion, It's a tomato -tomatoe thing but there are some subtle distinctions. It's an effort to remake the Pit Bull's image. Rather like the difference between a rental property and a home owner! Good grief! That's lack of representation! Liz
  2. Years ago an animal trainer told me to do that when our Lucky girl was a very barky adolescent.. I was to capture the bark, then teach her "No bark" to quiet her. It's a theory, but I must admit, it never worked, but Lucky did grow out of the barking on her own....
  3. I agree with Julie....the dogs needs to be reported for the harm they could do to another dog or a child. Now that they have a "taste" of violence, it won't stop. It sounds as though the woman is abusive to her animals as well and should be reported to the SPCA. Also, the vet as a third party could possibly help to place the report. Your friend might not get the money for the vet bill, but if she is reported, the neighbor could be brought up on charges and then the court would order her to pay. She will probably never pay the bill anyway. It is tough to stand up, especially if you don't particularly safe in doing so. But on the other hand, your friend and her animal obviously aren't safe at the moment either. Mick will never breathe an easy breath as long as they are next door. In addition to reporting the incidents, your friend might feel more comfortable moving to another apt. if it was at all possible to do so. Hope Mick does well, and from my experience with chemotherapy, whisper in his ear that hair does grow back! Liz
  4. Hello, your dogs and puppies are absolutely beautiful....we too brought home two pups this spring -- brothers! One, like your black and white pup has a target on his rump, though that is fading as his hair grows out. He's a good little guy and can't wait for his own try at sheep herding . They're nine months old now - no more puppy breath, but a great deal of fun! Liz
  5. Thank you ...these are all very helpful suggestions. I like the "dig" for feet wiping too . I'll report back! Liz
  6. How would one go about teaching a dog to spin? I was thinking it would be very handy if the dogs would spin around, conveniently wiping their feet on the porch rug as they did. Liz
  7. I watched this documentary last night and I am glad to see that some good is coming out of it. The plight of the King Charles Spaniel as related in this piece is particularly sad. They are such a sweet little dog and their needless suffering is heart breaking. It continually amazes me that anyone would deliberately breed and sell a dog with so many health problems and, thanks to the efforts of the ABCA, I remain thankful for my wonderfully, happy, healthy dogs. This is by no means the worst horror story about the AKC world, but it drove the point home for me: One of my obedience classes had a nice Aussie puppy from a rather popular breeder. Her owner proudly explained to me that this pup's mother had won breed and best in show titles even though one ear wasn't tipped correctly. They tried a number of things to get the ear pointed properly, including glue and clothespins (!) but eventually discovered if they pinched the ear quite hard just before the dog went into the show ring, it stayed tipped over just long enough for her to earn her titles and them the opening to sell some very expensive puppies, some of whom will have non-regulation ears, I'm sure. While he was snubbing his nose at my Brodie for his non-Tuxedo coat and his little bat ears, I had to wonder how many of that dog's progeny would be suffering similar treatment just for cosmetics.
  8. This was really helpful. I've been trying to find ways to work with all three together (Ladybug insists on being in the mix too, which complicates things) and doing so definitely lets them know that I'm the leader of this little pack. We've had fun tonight doing variations of sit, down, and stay, practicing for the big XMAS picture...the thing that intrigues me about Border Collies is that they are so darned happy to be going anything with you. If by "send away", you mean "Go lay down", then we're working on that to...I also found out tonight that Robin knows what "take a break means"...a new phrase for him. He headed right for his mat, which is something we've been working on. Brodie is learning where his mat is and as for Ladybug, well who needs a mat when you've got a recliner? Liz
  9. Hi Julie, good points. What happens is they are chasing around in the yard, happy go lucky, then someone flips a switch and Robin starts harassing Brodie, herding him around, pouncing on him. Sometimes Brodie instigates the chasing game but it still ends with him upset because Robin has gotten the better of him so when he gets inside where he has a protector - me, or Ken, he snarls silently at him. Picture two little boys in the playground and one runs to Mamma because its gotten too rough. This started about a month ago. (Halloween, I think) - about the same time that Robin got remarkably bigger than Brodie - both taller and heavier. Brodie's catching up though he'll never be as big boned as Robin. I have been going out with them individually ...getting a little one on one time as well as a quick lesson on something. They do enjoy the individual attention. .... it was me who said that Scotty was okay being the sheep -And the game was sheep and wolf -- or,if you like, tag your " it" - pure chasing, no herding. Scotty was a rescue, an "only" dog from a suburban home, most likely from pet lines as he didn't have any real interest in livestock. He didn't feel threatened or bullied by her. He was just happy to be playing a game and he loved to run. He'd never had a chance in his first four years to flat out run, so he was happy running at full speed with or without Ladybug in pursuit. When I think of him now, its an image of him flat out running in the field behind the horse barn at the farm. I buried him on the edge of that field. If the pups were happy to chase each other like Scotty and Ladybug, there wouldn't be a problem. Thanks for all of your tips regarding handling Robin and Brodie. I've been able to pinpoint where the problem is and move to correct it. I"m more aware of their posturing now and will be able to prevent a real problem from growing. Robin is growing up faster than Brodie -- he's starting to really look like an adult male dog now and he definitely needs more to do and Brodie is on the timid side so he's an easy target. They are for the most part, good pals who willingly share resources and don't raise a fuss with each other just out of simple dislike. As for in their crates...the only problem there is when the cat goes up and smacks the cage door. They're calm and quiet and never even try to look at or bother each other. I'm in the study with them during the day when they're crated and they're just down from the bedroom so I'd hear them at night if they were going after each other when I wasn't in the room. It doesn't happen because they don't actively dislike each other in the way that some of the others have been described on the boards. They're delighted to see each other if they've been separated for five minutes or five hours. Brodie's just tired of being pushed around and I can't say that I blame him.
  10. Thanks -- it was an easy shot because he'll stand on that ball forever! Liz
  11. Thanks - the treats are a good idea, though Brodie is more motivated by love than food. He is so narrow that he could hide behind a fence post and one day I will take a picture to prove it. Hey, I love that red dog -- he looks like my Robin - Brodie's brother. His ears were up when he was a puppy -- we called them "devil horns" because he was - and still is into everything. Their mother's ears are still pricked, but Robin's went sideways and Brodie's flopped frontward. Liz
  12. Brodie is a great little fella and Ken would really like to play fetch with him -- why, I don't know. He wore out his rotor cuff throwing the ball for Ladybug . Brodie loves the ball and watches very intently -- he chases it down and stares at it, daring it to move. Then, he gives up and lays down beside it with a forlorn look. He's a great goalie when it comes to kicking the ball - he stops it, but won't bring it back. We've tried a couple of different things to turn him on -- he will catch it and drop it at your feet if you're playing up close with him, but as far as chasing it across the yard and retrieving it, no way. Robin picked it up a couple of months ago, but then he's always mouthing things so I just called him when ever he picked up the ball. When he by accident brought along on a recall, a couple of clcks later, he had it. Suggestions? (I know, he can't pick up a basketball -- well, he could now that Robin's punctured it -- we play with assorted sizes and ones he could pick up, he doesn't.) Liz
  13. What a lucky day for Daisy when you brought her home. She sure sounds like a BC -- I've seen all of those behaviors in one or more of my three....they're always a step ahead! Have fun with her! Liz
  14. Glad you didn't lose Ben to the snow. I might trade him for Robin, who jumped a six foot fence . Or, Ladybug who nabbed a wild turkey - she broke its legs as it was launching itself to fly up into a tree to get away from her. So far, only Brodie's perfect, but just give him time:). Liz
  15. Six inches of snow, then ice, then rain here in NE PA....don't think I'll be going to the holiday reception at the college today. In fact, there likely won't be a reception . Pups are loving it though -- they can't get enough of this new kind of weather. Our poor Ladybug is starting to show her age though (nearly nine years). She's out and right back in -- though, loyal to a fault, she was running to every window, wanting to be at Ken's side as he works at snow removal. Our good little girl. Spring is coming soon! Liz
  16. She's a real sweetheart and a fortunate one too! If you decide to not keep her, you'll have no problem finding a loving, forever home for her. A nice Christmas story! Liz
  17. I read somewhere that a Border Collie definitely needs interaction - more so than other breeds. They want to be with you, doing something productive. If the owner/handler isn't there, they just wait. I've been thinking it over and perhaps its just "I'm here, I"m safe, leave me alone." kinda thing. I'll work double hard to be sure RObin doesn't pick at him for his own amusement when they're outside. Robin never does that inside. They're pretty well behaved. Liz
  18. Thanks Ruth, Husband is trainable...for the most part. As I noted with Julie, I felt like putting Brodie away seemed to be making him more vulnerable.He does have SA as well so you're right, the separation just plays into it. And, as Julie noted, the exchanges tend to occur when we all meet up after being apart for awhile so managing that is something to pay attention to. Brodie went visiting tonight and when they came back, he was good. They have mats where they can't see each other, though their crates are side by side and have been right from the beginning (a mistake I know, but fostered by a lack of space and convenience ). Ladybug used to step in and stop their little puppy squabbles like any good mother would but once they got to be about five months old, she said, "I'm done - your turn now." This behavior is about a month old, so hopefully we've got time to correct it. I agree about the herding. It's a darned nuisance they way its happening in this situation. They play and chase for a bit, then all of a sudden the switch flips, and they get serious. I can tell when its going to start and if I'm fast enough, I can step in and stop Robin who is testing his powers, playing a cat and mouse game. He's been like that right from the beginning, seeing just how much mischief he can stir up. In puppy class he tried to stare down a Stafford shire Bull Terrier and caused quite a commotion...then he turned to one of those beautiful Anatolian sheep dogs and the dog said, "Give it up kid, you're just a pipsqueak" and Robin just shrugged and looked away. He's very self confident, but quite affable. Brodie is like his mama with a genuinely sweet nature. He's a real cuddlebug and is not at all shy of people. Give him an entry and he's wrapped around your neck like one of those old fox stoles. I didn't think enough of the herding when it started as Scotty and Lady used to play sheep and wolf all the time -- he was always the sheep and didn't seem to mind it but Brodie is actually the more "cued in" as far as herding goes and really hates to be the sheep. If I'm not careful, Robin will get his comeuppance when Brodie goes for herding lessons in the spring and gains confidence in what he's doing. He needs more opportunities to learn how to be his own dog and be comfortable in his own skin. As for bringing in same sex siblings, if I'd been in my right mind, I wouldn't have done it. . Or even gotten two puppies even close to the same time. Robin and I were a match right from the start and in visiting him over the weeks, Ken and Brodie developed such a mutual attraction...I thought, gosh, there has to be a reason these two are so well suited. Ladybug is Ken's girl and well, she's nine years old now...I don't want to think about losing her. Everyone knows what that's like. But Brodie will be there for him. I researched and knew the problems we were letting ourselves in for and have from the start, been active in giving them opportunities to develop separately. And, for the most part the "boys" do well together, but it is a tremendous amount of work. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who was working away from home or more than part time because the dogs become your life. It's like having twin babies -- a great deal of work and effort all the time along with some fun moments,at least during this growing up phase. When Ken takes Ladybug and one or the other, or I take one somewhere away from home, its so much easier to work and talk with just one of them. One could do so much more training and interaction with just one dog and I feel like they both suffer for lack of attention...but then, I had only one child so perhaps that's just the way it is and I never knew it. Enough philosophy -- gotta go play with the pups .
  19. Good suggestions, Julie. I couldn't help but think that crate time was just exacerbating the problem as it takes away the security that Brodie feels. He's a little lovebug, quite the snuggler. We'll just keep trying to build his confidence. I have been rotating them out by themselves some of the time and they each sit there in the yard quite forlornly waiting for the other to come around. I am either out there with them, or looking out of the back door window since Robin jumped the fence a few months ago in pursuit of a crow --I've trained them out of that game, thank goodness. (six feet is apparently not tall enough to keep a Border Collie in and I don't intend to lose another dog to the road like I did Scotty, or to hunters, bobcats, coyotes, or whatever else might be lurking out there to hurt my babies !) so I'm handy to jump on Robin if/when he gets pushy. (ETA - Inside, I rotate them out of their crates when I am doing housework or whatever, and of course, each gets to go on trips alone) Most of the time they are quite friendly with each other The secret outside is in how long they are together. When they've had time to visit and romp a bit, then boredom sets in and Robin starts pushing him around. Inside, its still a mystery, but I know Robin goes to great lengths to avoid walking past Brodie -- he walks along the fireplace ledge, across the couch, under the coffee table, anywhere but inside Brodie's personal space. Yet, in the next second, they've forgotten it and are curled up together or playing tug of war with the rope. Hormones, perhaps???? I've made an appt for neutering in January -- can't wait through next summer, especially with Robin's fence jumping capabilities. They'll be nearly a year old and won't be working very hard throughout their lives so I don't think I need to worry about growth plates, etc. and it will make life easier all around, I think. BTW, Robin did try to lift his leg again and again the cat was right by him. They've become pals of sorts, even though their hide and seek play is irritating as heck. I really roared at him and he just went flat. I don't think he'll try it again. Liz
  20. My pups came from a local farm - Mama Daisy works every day with sheep, goats, and chickens. They got to watch her from the porch. They're used to all kinds of noises heard around the farm and don't get all crazy and barky when something with wheels goes by and are very quiet - the only barks I hear are when "Mr Squeaky Toy" comes home. Then they howl like banshees, but with delight. They are ABCA registered and have well performing trial dogs as "grandparents" on one side and what appears to be sport/agility dogs on the other. We've got some adolescent "getting along" issues to work out (see the vampire post) but overall they're very even tempered and what you would call "bomb proof." Liz
  21. Brodie is still revealing that silent vampirish snarl to Robin whenever he gets a chance. He's really at the low end of the totem pole. I know that Robin pushes him around a bit too much when they're outside playing and I try to keep a lid on that. I'll catch Robin "herding" Brodie or preventing him from coming back to the porch when I call (For which he is corrected) When they come in, it's Brodie's turn to be difficult. Brodie snuggles up to Ken, or me, or even Ladybug and bares his teeth at Robin. They never guard food or toys anymore, mostly, I think that because of your suggestions, we are more aware of those kinds of resources and take steps to head off situations and they seem to have given up quarreling over resources. Brodie has just established this personal zone inside when he thinks he has reinforcements. I see little progress in training Brodie out of this fang bearing thing. When Brodie finds sanctuary and feels safe, he'll bare his teeth when Robin comes by and predictably, Robin growls, which is often our first sign that the little sneak is at it again. We've tried , moving him from the spot he's guarding and isolating him in the time out crate for a few minutes, then letting him back when he settles down. I'm trying to catch the first sign of trouble and work to calm him and let him know he's safe when Robin approaches. He really does stiffen up and you can feel his neck muscles tighten as he thrusts his head forward. He might indeed bite one day, if he felt brave enough. He's got his rug and Robin has his and they do retreat to their spots voluntarily. I've been putting him in the time out crate and if I catch him starting, I reassure him as I call Robin over then they both get petted until Brodie calms down. It's interesting that while Robin is king of the outdoors, Brodie rules inside. Suggestions? Liz
  22. My other rescue, Scotty came from a very lax home, which explained why his behavior became intolerable for them and they gave him up. He roared into our house put his big paws up on the kitchen counter and his expression was, "What's for dinner?" He was adorable, but one roaring "NO!" fixed it. He was very adaptable. It's fun to get to know a new dog and watch their special personality bloom. Liz
  23. There's something about those min pins -- Robin was in puppy class with one and found the little critter quite enticing. He did learn to leave it alone though and your Keira will learn to coexist with the cats with a little control. A four letter word -- Ball. Or any other toys and tricks that you can use to exercise her body and mind. Sometimes one thing will get her really excited, but if you've only had her for a short time, she's still trying to get comfortable and figure out the rules. It will help if you be very clear about the rules (i.e. no cats, no sleeping on furniture...whatever behavior you expect. She'll learn very quickly to do any number of things. Our Ladybug was four years old when we adopted her and she came pre-programmed...knew everything - we just had to ask her what she knew so now that Keira's feeling better, you could try basic obedience commands to see how much she's been taught. Pictures? Liz
  24. What a beautiful dog! Bet he snuggles really well! Liz
  25. My niece is sick with the same thing. Poor kid -- she delivered her baby on Nov. 4 and now this... Drink grape juice...for some reason, it really does help. Feel better soon. Liz
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