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#1
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Introducing Buddy - and a problem
We got a call a couple of weeks ago from the neighbor at the house in
North Carolina. "Did David [David's friend who's caretaking the house] get a dog?" Well, no. But the house had a dog, a black lab (?) puppy who was hannging around it. David asked the neighbor to hold onto him for a couple of days until David could get down there. David took the dog to the vet to have him checked out. The vet revised David's age estimate (6 months) downward (12 weeks), so it looks like the dog has never had a home. They checked to see if he'd been microchipped (nope), and no one has reported a missing dog, so we've (well, David has, now that it makes a difference) adopted him. His name is Buddy. He's a *much* larger dog than either of us has ever had before, though...he's already around 40 pounds, so he's probably going to be huge. Not a long-term problem, because he'll probably end up living at the house, but it's kind of noticeable right now. His crate, compared to Toby's, is enormous. He's very sweet, and very smart...he's already almost completely house-trained, at least at the house, and David said it only took a few days before he figured it out. He's also figured out that the crate is his space, and goes in there to play with his squeaky toys and to nap. HOWEVER... He's now in the city and hasn't figured out certain things yet, like that he's supposed to pee on those little patches of ground. I took him on two good long walks this evening, hoping that he'd feel the call of nature and receive effusive praise and make the connection, but no. He waited until we got back inside, both times. (He *did* poop outside earlier this evening, so he's figured that part out.) Does anyone have any suggestions on how to convince him that outside in the city is basically the same as outside in the country? He doesn't seem nervous about the various city noises, and he loves all the new things to sniff at, including places other dogs have peed--he just hasn't figured out he's supposed to do the same thing. He hasn't even been here 24 hours yet, so this will probably sort it out in day or two, but any pointers on speeding up the process will be helpful. This dog pees more at one time than all of the other three dogs we've had all put together (come to think of it, he weighs about the same as the other three put together, too), so we're going through a *lot* of Nature's Miracle. But hey, even with the peeing problem, it's nice to have a dog around again. -- Kevin Michael Vail | a billion stars go spinning through the night, | blazing high above your head. . . . . . . . . . | But _in_ you is the presence that . . . . . . . . | will be, when all the stars are dead. . . . . . . . . . | (Rainer Maria Rilke) |
#2
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He sounds like a lovely boy.
This is one of the reasons why picking a phrase--I use "Go potty"-- and repeating it enthusiastically while the puppy pees/poops during the housetraining phase is a good idea. The puppy learns that this phrase means "we are out here for your to relieve yourself." It helps them get the idea in strange places, and gets them to hurry up about it when it's 5 below or raining torrents. Are you familiar with that technique? |
#3
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"Kevin Michael Vail" wrote in message
... David took the dog to the vet to have him checked out. The vet revised David's age estimate (6 months) downward (12 weeks), so it looks like the dog has never had a home. They checked to see if he'd been microchipped (nope), and no one has reported a missing dog, so we've (well, David has, now that it makes a difference) adopted him. His name is Buddy. He's a *much* larger dog than either of us has ever had before, though...he's already around 40 pounds, so he's probably going to be huge. Holy cow! I sure hope you like sweeping & vacuuming. A huge & hairy black dog, especially a Lab, is no fun to live with if you want a tidy house. But hey, even with the peeing problem, it's nice to have a dog around again. As Janet suggested, use a keyword. To kickstart things, and assuming you aren't terribly grossed out by this, try to capture some of his urine, carry it along, dump it in a nice looking patch of grass & let him sniff. This is a bit like putting up a large billboard saying Potty -HERE- . If all fails just wait it out. Fancy was really odd in that she wouldn't urinate on the cable tie behind the townhouse where she & Summer had about 20' of space to use with about 14' being grass. I had to walk her, and walk her for many minutes and sometimes in many circles in order to get her to go outside. I don't know what the deal was but it eventually resolved itself. -- Tara |
#4
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Kevin Michael Vail wrote:
But hey, even with the peeing problem, it's nice to have a dog around again. I don't have anything to add about the peeing, but I can tell you one advantage of a black dog: it's easier to see their hairs in the butter. G Sounds like a sweetie - I hope you enjoy him! FurPaw -- "Here we go round the prickly pear At five o'clock in the morning." - T. S. Eliot To reply, unleash the dog |
#5
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On Tue, 12 Jul 2005 03:24:06 GMT, Kevin Michael Vail
wrote: He's now in the city and hasn't figured out certain things yet, like that he's supposed to pee on those little patches of ground. I took him on two good long walks this evening, hoping that he'd feel the call of nature and receive effusive praise and make the connection, but no. He waited until we got back inside, both times. (He *did* poop outside earlier this evening, so he's figured that part out.) Keep him tethered to you when you go inside so that when he tries to go inside, you see it coming, say an "nuh-uh" and take him outside to pee, even if you have to pick him up to do it. Even if he doesn't get to the patch of grass before he pees, he'll get the idea that he isn't supposed to go inside and from there will be more into finding a good spot outside. I have heard that dogs tend to pick the most absorbent spot around to pee on, which is generally carpeting. When he notices mostly concrete outside but lots of carpeting inside and has been wandering around outside a lot, it may make more sense to him to hold it and pee inside until he gets the idea that is not what you want. -- Paula "Anyway, other people are weird, but sometimes they have candy, so it's best to try to get along with them." Joe Bay |
#6
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On Mon, 11 Jul 2005 23:59:38 -0400, "Tee"
wrote: Holy cow! I sure hope you like sweeping & vacuuming. A huge & hairy black dog, especially a Lab, is no fun to live with if you want a tidy house. My cocker spaniel mix is actually worse. She leaves tons of long blond hairs all over the place that look really icky. You'd think she would be bald for all the hair she leaves around, but, no, she always has plenty more for new rounds! The black hairs don't seem to be as much of a problem, but maybe they just blend in better, being shorter and less clumped up and all. There is a local sweet older lady hoarder type in my area who has had a stroke. When her daughter came out from Colorado to help her, she found a house full of poodles. They actually are well cared for and great dogs. The mom was breeding some of them, but not all of them. From what the daughter told me, she hates the whole concept of conformation because dogs "shouldn't have to sit like statues for hours on end" but also hates indiscriminate breeding. I am not sure what basis she uses for discriminating, though I know the majority of her dogs are altered. Anyway, the daughter now has a mom on oxygen and tons of medication and who has trouble getting around and a bunch of dogs and is trying to find homes for the majority of them. The idea is to keep a couple of the favorites as pets, but not a couple dozen like she has now. My younger daughter thinks the fact that I got a call about fostering is a sign that her begging for her very own dog (like her big sister has had for a few months now) should be over. I am having a hard time with it, though. I have had a really strange reaction to losing Diva. I have walled myself off emotionally from the other dogs that we have and feel like I never want to get another dog or even allow serious attachment to the ones that I already have. I don't suppose I can stay closed off and dead inside forever, but I sure can't seem to be anything but for the time being. I guess I can add to the plus side that a poodle wouldn't shed all over the place like my current dogs and also would stay pretty small (the ones she has are in the 5-8 pound range). Thanks for helping me see something besides pain in the whole discussion that has come up around my house. Maybe this would be a good first step. I don't have to interact much with Anna's dog as she is permanently attached to Anna at all times. I am sure it would be the same if I got a dog for Mimi because the biggest complaint Anna has about her dog is that Mimi likes to carry her all around the house with her while Anna is convinced she prefers to lounge around the house with her. It makes me think our house must be seen by dogs as either dog heaven or dog hell. If the dog likes to have kids smooching and fawning all over it at all times, it's heaven. If not, it must be sheer hell. -- Paula "Anyway, other people are weird, but sometimes they have candy, so it's best to try to get along with them." Joe Bay |
#7
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LOL........Only a true dog lover can state this..........
one advantage of a black dog: it's easier to see their hairs in the butter. G Sounds like my house, if you have a hang up about fur in everything no matter how hard you clean then my place isn't where you want to be. Celeste "FurPaw" wrote in message ... Kevin Michael Vail wrote: But hey, even with the peeing problem, it's nice to have a dog around again. I don't have anything to add about the peeing, but I can tell you one advantage of a black dog: it's easier to see their hairs in the butter. G Sounds like a sweetie - I hope you enjoy him! FurPaw -- "Here we go round the prickly pear At five o'clock in the morning." - T. S. Eliot To reply, unleash the dog |
#8
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Spot wrote:
LOL........Only a true dog lover can state this.......... one advantage of a black dog: it's easier to see their hairs in the butter. G Sounds like my house, if you have a hang up about fur in everything no matter how hard you clean then my place isn't where you want to be. Celeste With two goldens, there are always little drifts of blond undercoat floating about. Even minutes after vacuuming. But at least you can see it and pick it up. Those short little black lab hairs weave themselves into everything....not to discourage you or anything! G |
#9
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#10
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"Tee" wrote in
: Holy cow! I sure hope you like sweeping & vacuuming. A huge & hairy black dog, especially a Lab, is no fun to live with if you want a tidy house. However they can be more fun than a barrel of monkeys! -- Catherine & Zoe the cockerchow & Queenie the black gold retriever & Rosalie the calico |
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