huski

I tend to agree LL, I don't think there can be too much socialsation at all... after all there is a lot more to socialisation than a dog playing with another dog. I socialised Micha in the wrong way, not because he was socialisation too much, but the wrong way, with the wrong type of dogs, and I allowed the wrong behaviour to develop.

Ever? Even if a dog is an only dog and the owner works 10 hours per day? There is no value at all in playing with another dog? What about enjoyment? I don't ket my dog play with every dog we come across, but I'd hate to think of the life he would live if I never, ever once allowed him to play with another dog. If you read K9's thread about neutralisation, it's not about the dog missing out on anything. The dog has plenty of stimulation, exercise, enjoyment etc - but the difference is that it comes through the owner not another dog. A dog that is raised through neutralisation/socialisation just isn't interested in playing with other dogs, it's not that they want to and aren't allowed to. They don't see them as anything terribly exciting or of a high value.

Hehehe, so true. Daisy couldn't give a crap if she couldn't find me, unless it was dinner time, and she was hungry (and the bin was empty, there was no food on the counter, and she couldn't get into the cat food)

Oh that sucks, Anna (all the vet work). I agree with vjb, work on making him see you as the most exciting thing ever. Is he very food motivated? Or toy motivated? As I said above - I wouldn't rush into getting him to focus or be calm around other dogs straight away, build his focus on you and gradually increase the distractions and the distance between him and another dog. And if you are going to let him interact with another dog make sure that it is on your terms - it starts and stops when you say. ETA: What Kavik said!

Daily if you count that he spend the whole day with my other dog... otherwise, not really that often anymore. I realise this lack of interaction is probably making things worse, not better - not many people walk their dogs in the dark at 5am (when I get up before work) so he rarely sees other dogs. Not necessarily, generally I don't let Micha play with other dogs, his behaviour has improved enormously just by following the right training program. I think some owners make the mistake of thinking that as much socialisation as possible will cure the bad behaviour but I did this for years with Micha and it made his behaviour much, much worse. Especially as he learned that his behaviour was a way to win, time after time. I stopped letting him interact with other dogs until he was at a certain point in his training and I had much better focus from him. Only certain dogs will make him react now, calm dogs don't bother him and he can meet them and will be fine with them, and even wants to play with them. Have you thought about getting a trainer to give you some pointers?

I'd go back to basics. Do some one on one work with him just running through commands in the backyard and get him focusing on you 110%... then slowly increase the distraction level. If other dogs are his biggest distraction, start training him from a wide distance away where he isn't completely focused on the other dog/s. I think getting back his focus in situations like this will be a gradual thing. When/how often do you let him interact with or play with other dogs?

I used to feed Royal Canin but I have recently changed Cherry and the cat over to Artemis which I am VERY happy with

I think Basenjis are gorgeous but I've heard they can be a challenge too! Although it doesn't surprise me considering that they are classed as both a Spitz breed and a hound - I don't even want to think about how "interesting" training one could be!

Maf.... I don't want to sound harsh so apologies if this comes across as such But I recall suggesting that you only take her out sensibly and not anywhere other dogs frequent - I used the dog beach as a specific example. I take my dogs out and about from the first day they get home at 8 weeks but I keep in mind that they don't have full immunity yet and you need to be sensible with it. I carry them around most places. Just be careful where you take her before she has full immunity

Thanks huski. We have been trying the treats. Sometimes it works and other times he just makes himself perfectly comfortable and won't budge! Will probably try the lead tonifght just as a back up if all else fails. I dont want to force him but if we have no choice maybe that is the way. tell me they grow out of this??? Do you find when they have been desexed they settle down a bit? i'm kinda counting on that at the moment!!! 1 month to go! No, desexing made no difference to Daisy. She was a stubborn little shit from day one They won't grow out of it on their own - it all depends on the rules and boundaries you set and if you are consistent and enforce them - but they do settle down as they get older. Have you got a bed or a crate for him to be on instead? I bought Daisy a crate to help with this very issue. It gave her a place that was her own and somewhere she wanted to be, an alternative to the lounge.

Daisy did that when she was a puppy too, Catandgrant. We didn't mind her being on the lounge but then she started growling at us when we moved her or told her to get off. Instead of confronting her (which made her behaviour worse) we taught her the 'off' command. I started by luring her off the lounge with a treat and giving her big rewards for being on the floor/in her crate. It took no time at all and now if she is on the lounge, we can move her without any growling, and she responds immediately to the off command.

I wouldn't be worried Supermarkets just like butchers have to abide by strict health and safety processes when dealing with raw meat. I've fed raw chicken for years even before feeding a raw diet and have never had problem.

I wouldn't worry, raw chicken makes up the majority of my dog's diet. IMO you really don't need to worry about salmonella, if you bought the meat from a proper butcher or supermarket and it was relatively fresh and had been refrigerated before you bought it out.

If he does well after eating RMBs you could try him on a raw diet too. Raw is supposed to digest more easily/faster than dried food. Definitely try go cold turkey with the dried, Cherry is not a big eater either and I find taking it away until the next meal time does the trick, even if she only eats once a day.

What a gorgeous little puppy Little Tails, you can tell just how much you love her already! I know you will just love raising a puppy

I am not sure how long it has been used here, but it seems quite common (and popular) in the US - where they run classes specifically for reactive and timid dogs. The idea is, I believe, is to give the dog time to calm down and adjust. They work towards taking the barrier down, but quite often will put it back up again if the dog is getting stressed. From the websites that I have seen (sorry, didn't bookmark any of them), it sseems to be common with clicker trainers over there. This wouldn't work for my reactive dog. Once he knew a dog was near him he's not going to forget just because he can't see it. The smell and sound of it would be enough if it was the type of dog he reacts to.

Can I ask a silly obedience newb question? If you do something like trip over (very likely if you are as un-co as me) does that d/q you? Do you lose points? I can just imagine if I ever get Daisy to trialling stage that is exactly something I would do :)

That is exactly the problem I had with Daisy She was moving up in obedience and was doing ok, but she didn't have that 'wow!' factor and I could tell her heart wasn't in it. Ed's enthusiasm is exactly what we are aiming for

Oh wow Nik - that is seriously awesome!!

I feed lamb bones but I feed chicken and turkey more often - lower in fat and probably the two main RMBs I feed.

I definitely agree some dogs wouldn't need these tools to work well for you. But for the right dog, with the right guidance, they are great tools. E-collars in my limited experience aren't used to issue a harsh correction, but used as an effective way to communicate with the dog, the stim I felt was lighter than a static shock. I understand clubs won't allow you to use them (although I know a few club instructors who use them outside of training grounds!) but if the goal is to get the dog working without them I don't see the problem. After all they are just tools not a complete training program.

I can't imagine how nerve wracking trialling would be But I'm sure you will both do very well, you've got Ed working with amazing focus.

Each to their own but IMO a properly used prong and e-collar aren't harsh methods ;)

Ed is amazing Shoemonster!! I am doing TID with Daisy too, we are also doing food drive ;) I hope she can be as good as Ed one day!! What a spunky fellow!

Generally switching to a diet that is lower in grain or cuts out grains will decrease the dog's daily poos. Do you feed many raw bones in their diet too?