Hi

I am a newbie and have written quite a long help list for my doggie problems in the introductions forum.

If anyone has time can you have a quick peek and pass on any advice please?:

Hi yes you do!
There's so many things going on with your dogs that it can seem very overwelming. Without seeing you personally it's hard to give an accurate opinion. However having said that one thing that is clear is, if a dog misbehaves on leash it's because it lacks respect for it's handler. This is not to say that your dogs don't love you but love and leader ship are two different things.
There are so many questions that I usually ask a client before I can offer the right advice it's impossible for me to really deliver one. Yes you'll here posts saying it's lack of leadership, and they'd be correct too. However it's a short ended statement that requires alot more explaination.

I'm going to copy a piece off my Website and post it to you. It may take me a couple of days so bare with me.

Don't worry though all your problems can be sorted out with a little determination and commitment.

Hi, I took a look at your other thread,

Mines the same with guests, we have been working on crate trainning since day one with him, and he quite happily settles down there (after we manage to get him to stop barking) - we never close the door on him though - he's free to walk in and out.

I think it is important to speak to guests and explain that they just need to egnore the god until he stops barking/ jumping. That really seems to work with archie, and when hes calmer we get the guest to give him a treat, he realises then that they are not a theat and they are welcome. But we only do that when hes calm.

I would speak to your neigbour and explain that you are trying to do something about the barking and it really isn't helping what he is currently doing, I'm sure it just gets them more upset. We are currently using the pet corrector spray (you can get it from pet shops - its just air in a spray can that makes a noise) and say quiet in a stern voice, once he stops barking I then say good quiet in a much brighter happier voice, its working in the house and garden as ours hates anyone walking past - this is a real problem for us as we live next to a church and school!

Don't know if any of that can help you, and good luck!

Thanks everyone, l don't feel so lost now l am here. Just watched dog borstal and saw a dog aggressive chocolate lab doused in water when he lunged at another dog. Has anyone tried this? Previously one owner was advised to shake a bottle of pebbles to startle the dog.
Does anyone think l should try these on my mutts? I don't want to make them nervous of me. Also should l walk them separately at the moment? I have thought of that but l would spend half the morning walking and l would have to get them together sometime.

Thanks Karen in advance for sending me some info. One person mentioned that if l have dog insurance that l could be put in touch with a behavourist. I do have insurance on all 3 of them thank goodness. Just paid £377 on my GSD as l managed to get him to the vets in time before his gut twisted. I have to pay the first £105 excess as he is 12. Anyway l'm rambling on again. i have stacks of books on dogs and l have just read Cesar Milan How to be pack leader but still not absorbing the message. I do realise though that l am the problem and not the mutts so thats a start.

got to dash now and read through this forum. I will try and add some pictures to go with my posts. ttfn Kittysoo.

PS Gemma - l will get my hubby to look out for the pet correcter spray. I will try anything as l am completely embarrassed about my lack of control. I have always related to dogs more so than people but l admit to humanising them which is not fair on them. Schmoo was my 50th birthday present from my hubby and he is the first little dog l have had and he is just so cute. I just look at him and it's like seeing a new baby - l just melt!

Hi yes pet corrector is very good but not on timid dogs. It's good for hightened behaviour like aggression and over excitement.
The dog borstal is pant's in my opinion. Water will have very little effect on an aggressive dog unless you can catch it the second it's attention is focused on the object of it's aggression. The pebbles are a sound distraction much like the clicker and the discs.
Cesar millan uses the tsst sound and it has the same result. His books are very good as is his program( if you can get around the american production).
What the introduction of sound does is make the dog have an aversion reaction to what ever stimuli you have placed before it.
Walking your dogs individually will help you control any situation better, however by walking your dogs in a pack you can effect all your dogs at once and rehabilitate as a pack.
The key is to rebalance the roles within the pack structure. Yes you love your dogs but LOve isn't the number one thing on their list. they need structure, consistance and rules.
Exercise is major but the right type of walk is key to a balanced pack. That'snot happening here.
Im my opinion it's the structure within the house that plays a key role in mastering the outdoors leadership role. An owner can't expect to have a total following pack if inside the "den" the dogs get away with everything.

I have removed this post due to unpleasant posts in another thread.

The above post is a work plan i give to my clients, who are experiencing leadership problems. Like I said before it's hard to give an accurate rehabilitation program without seeing the client and dogs. But the previous post is something I would advocate to all owners experiencing behavioural problems. It really can work wonders. Understand your dog Understand the problems. Lack of canine understanding creates behavioral issues. What these dogs are doing is acting natural because of the role we've allocated them. It is my opinion that to rebalance the role inside the house first will have a knock on effect. Remember they want you to lead them, they need you to lead them. If we are to make them truly happy then that's what we must do.

[quote=kittysoo;72496] Previously one owner was advised to shake a bottle of pebbles to startle the dog.QUOTE]

We tried that 1st with archie, bad idea as he barked at the bottle, also couldn't leave the bottle to hand as wherever we left it he would find it, and try and kill it or just bark at it.

Archie is quite a shy dog (hes a sheltie so a bit timid by nature) and he dosn't mind the pet corrector spray, they say you should only use it for one displinary thing at a time or you will confuse the dog.

We have a current problem with archie not letting us garden, he barks and whines and attacks spades and rakes when you are trying to use them, he also tries to get between the tool and you. Its very danagous behavor as so far only we have been injurued by him bashing the spade into us, but we can see him getting seroiusly injured by it - so i asked down the local pet centre and they said to squirt him with water from a sports like water bottle, haven't tried it yet (current weather stopping us from gardening) but it sounds like it could work.

Thanks Karen and Gemma for the info.

Karen l must be your worst nightmare of a dogowner. Rule no 1 - dont let them on your bed, furniture!

Not only are the little ones allowed on my bed they actually sleep in it with us! If l had a big enenough bed l am sure my GSD would be up there too! eek

OK - I can see where l am going wrong and basically it was right from the word go. My husband likes the bedroom windows wide open, no matter what the weather, plus it was freezing when l got both pups. It's going to be tough but tonight they are on the floor in my dear departed Lucys old bed. She was a GSD X so it is big enough for both of them. They can lie next to Seiger on my side as its more protected.

Must get ready for work but will be back later. Thanks again - l''l definatly keep in touch.