dee lee

You also get good at teaching 'back up', 'out of the way', 'go to your beds', and 'no you don't fit there'. And my favourite which works best is "Beep Beep" ;) I am definitely teaching that!!!

I hate it when this happens. Oh the joys of dog parks and people who cant be stuffed to teach their dogs basic manners. I would certainly try to stop my dog doing this! I really dont understand why others think it is ok. There is a tiny terrier type mutt at the park I go to, the owner walks his staffy onlead and lets this little terrierist offlead to harrass all the other dogs! It rushes any dog they walk past and tries to bite them. I avoid it like the plague. Im lucky because the park is big and I am able to avoid any other dogs usually.

You teach them the 'move' command, so they get out of the way of where you are going, and the 'wait' command, so they don't attempt to enter a confined area with you. You just get used to giving these commands without thinking too much, and the dog learns to stay out of the way too. We have enough trouble with Honey, I'd hate to think the paws I'd tread on with a greyhound or a mastiff!! There is no where to move to.

You have to be a GR owner to fully appreciate this book. I've just finished it and although I also own two GSD's it's totally for the GR lovers out there. That's it! I'm not going to bother finishing my current book and go straight to A Big Little Life. A friend recommended it the other day so I immediately bought it on my Kindle :D Thanks for the recommendation Gayle K and gsdog2! Sounds like me! Honey certainly has turned my life around. I'm going to look for it asap! Jed, reading your post it struck me how well suited to small yards big dogs are! Generally speaking they are much calmer and less likely to race around. The only issue I have is physical size- I love giant breeds but would find it hard to live in my house with one, not enough space to negotiate .

Its funny seeing this thread surface again! Not long after I started it I adopted Honey, my 3 year old GR. She has fitted into our lives perfectly and our courtyard has not been a problem. When we go out she is left inside (she stresses if she is outside) and doesnt even use our yard for toiletting! Really, the only time she goes out there is when we give her a bone. I take her for an offlead jog at the park every other morning and all others we walk and play fetch. We walk the kids to school and then have coffee together before I go to work. We go to dogtraining and she pretty much comes with me anywhere I can take her. She is one happy dog. So in short the large dog (well she's small for a GR, but still... ) in a small yard is working brilliantly for us!

I have been using Adult Artemis for a couple of months now and I have to say Im very happy with it. Im about to switch to the Power formula (Honey is very active and its higher in fat) and hope it will be just as good. I'm a bit bemused about the earlier poo comment though- I find her poos fantastic on it, light, formed and easy to pick up. Her breath is much better and her coat is very soft. Why is poo turning white a good thing? :cool: I totally understand your reasoning for using dry food- my freezer is too small too! I used to feed my last dog (staffyx) mostly raw but as Honey is that much bigger I find the kibble so much easier. And the poos are easier too. :D

One from column A and one from column B I would one day like a pup from a registered breeder (DOL or not makes no difference, though DOL recommended does.), but only after my kids are in their teens. But... Only months ago, I would never have thought I'd consider a rescue dog again, however, Honey has been such a blessing that when the time comes I dont know if I could go past another adult rescue goldie. Maybe I'll do both. DOL hasnt influenced my (in)decision, but has educated me on the pros of going with a purebred dog. Even if I get another (non GR) rescue it will be from a breed rescue that comes recommended.

Here's me feeling quite happy that Honey isnt allowed on our couch or beds (OH's rule and I concede its a good one ) then I look over and realise she has a huge bed that takes up more floorspace than our couch! Considering OH and I share the couch, I'm not sure who gets the better deal!?

Thats terrible!! Poor little thing. But can I just say she is SOOOOO frickin' gorgeous!!!!

I guess because I tend to be the balls with these kind of things - he's a big softy, seriously, huge softy. He's done all his stuff for becoming an officer but decided to join in another area, contact centre work taking police reports, calls and triple-0 calls and stuff. He decided he couldn't point a gun at someone - i could have told him that. He honestly is the sweetest guy, but such a pussy, lol. I will ask him to come with me and chat to these people. I always tend to do anything that needs done, he's so supportive and devoted but hes such a freakin wimp. He's a consoler and a supporter, but not a doer. I wish he was sometimes and that I could just hide and have my man deal with stuff like this but its just not him. Bugger. I can empathise- my OH is somewhat like that, its always been me that goes off half cocked at the neighbours. Oh well, maybe he can practice frowning and stand behind you as support.

I'm sorry you are going through this- I would hate it. However, I prefer 16Paws letter and agree that it is risky putting in writing that your dog may be a threat to their safety. Forget about whether your dog is liable if they jump the fence- If you piss them off for anything at all, then they have written proof that they can take to the council to put in a dangerous dog order. They know you have a defensive dog- she has bailed them up before hasnt she? Sorry if too personal, but if you find these men intimidating why are you the one dealing with this and not your husband? Perhaps a quick chat by him may make them stop entering your yard? Especially if somehow he lets slip he will be joining the police.

We have to attend to be tested, the next class up though the dog has to pass a club trial to move to the next level..... something I am sure we wont be doing for a very very long time lol! Sounds like my club. We had to attend for 6 weeks in the beginners then up we go to 1st class. Once in 1st class you can go whenever you want but have to trial to go up to 2nd etc. I dont have such an issue with the time spent in the class, but then my dog is a bit older and very calm. I figure that its me that is getting the training and its only once a week, she will survive. However I imagine it would be pretty difficult with a bored pup. Erny I was comparing the OP's to my club. Imagine if you could go to training every day!!

Oh, aren't all dog training clubs like this? It sounds like mine, though my instructor was pretty relaxed as it was a beginners class. She also reiterated every week that the dogs would get restless after a short time and that the class was more for us to learn than for the dog's training. We only just graduated into first class so haven't started it yet, but it also goes for an hour. How do you do your exams to progress if you dont attend the classes? Sorry if this is a dumb question but I just assumed the only way through was to attend then be tested?

My yard is TINY, but Honey rarely goes out there and even wont toilet there unless she is absolutely desperate. We adopted her late last year and Im sure previously she would have lived in a much larger yard. She is 3 now and doesnt seem to miss the extra space as long as she gets time with us. I just make sure Honey is worn out (physically and mentally) everyday. I take her for an hours jog or offlead walk/fetch session at the parklands every morning. She is taken on our morning "chores' (school drop off/coffee) then she is left inside the house sleeping til someone gets home that afternoon. Then we go for a short walk to a little nearby park, a later toilet walk and her day is done. We do dog training on sundays with practice during the week. She is a very happy pup. I would love more space but we all cope. Im sure your dog will be fine SM.

Consider all the strays with unknown names that end up in a pound and then are adopted out - they learn easily enough. We changed Honey's name when she came to us (she was nearly 3)- from day one she came to anything we called her and even now even when I call the cat she comes.

I think that as a first time owner the OP needs to be very careful as to the breeds they choose. I know that Sharpeis and bullbreeds can be fabulous pets- indeed I have seen plenty of both- but there are definite breed descriptions that mention a potential for dog aggression. Imagine if the OP did not socialise properly due to inexperience... I'm not bagging these dogs but I know that people will tell you all the great stuff about their breeds and not reveal any bad points. Recipe for disaster IMO, forewarned is forearmed Spottydog0, I think a spaniel sounds great! When I was shopping around for breeds, with similar requirements and situation to you, I looked at Springers and Field spaniels. They seemed better suited to being left home alone and were a good size for me. They also dont need professional grooming. My other wishlist dog was a Keeshond, having owned one as a teen. They are lovely dogs and wash + wear despite their fluffy coats. In the end I got an adult rescue Golden Retriever and she wont be my last goldie! They are fabulous dogs. (but probably too big according to your list)

Have a look at breeds that you like in the Breeds 101 forum- there is a question about whether the breed is suitable to be left alone for extended periods. I live in the inner-city and have owned a Staffy x and now own a Golden Retriever. Both have been fine on their own while we have been at work. However, the Staffy x did tend (as many bullbreeds do) towards being destructive and was very aggressive towards other dogs which did make it difficult to walk her (she was never allowed offlead). Both dogs were/are good WATCHdogs but not guard dogs. Really thats the best you can hope for- a good bark .

Wow, I almost feel guilty- Honey gets washed every couple of weeks. I would love to do it less frequently but I walk her in wet grass in the mornings and I find that her tummy skin gets irritated if I dont wash her regularly. She always looks so purdy and fluffy when I do too. :D

I can empathise with your mum Kirty, when I had Evie she was exactly the same. Some dogs are just tougher to teach to loose lead walk than others. If your mum wants to try a harness, I think that's better than being constantly stressed while walking her dog.

Thanks PF, thats great to know! I love Artemis but I havent seen the Power formula, will have to ask the chick where I get it to get some in. I am currently going through the Adult Dog at a rate of knots! $$$!

Do you think if you left 4 separate kongs lying around the house that would work just as well or would she eat them all at once? Have you tried freezing your kongs to make them last longer? My staffy X used to have a couple of frozen ones out the back with her when we went out and it took her a while to get through them. Of course she wasnt as food obsessed as a GR. :D But then its harder for GRs to get the food out of Kongs than staffies.

We have Honey inside when we arent home, its a max of 7 hours between when I go to work and come home again. She wont use our yard for toiletting anyway. So she gets a big run in the morning comes with us to take the kids to school, gets a last toilet stop before I go to work and then is inside all day til I come home and take her to the park to go to the toilet again. We started doing this when we adopted her late last year and she was fearful of the builders next door. We figured it was better to clean up any toiletting than have her hurt herself trying to get away from them. I'd rather have a doggy door but she is too big so this has worked ok. EXCEPT yesterday... Honey had obviously eaten something that disagreed with her and my MIL (who brings the kids home from school some days) walked in to find a massive pile of sloppy poo in the kitchen and had to clean it up. :D At least she had done it on the tiles.

Are you absolutely sure your OH is completely innocent?

Anything? Hmmm? I think you need to keep your underwear drawer padlocked from now on- I think Timmy is trying to get to Mardi Gras...

Aw thanks RnL. Your post brings one to my eye too! I know I dont have to tell you what a completely different experience this is. I have had a dog that completely did my head in years ago - not aggression issues, but geez he was a pig! I just love that you get to experience the joys that dog ownership can bring. You deserve it. I hope hubby is realising just how good it can be to own a dog now as well. Big hugs to Honey. Its been amazing, what I had always dreamed of. I had actually given up hope of feeling this way. I appreciate it so much now. Hubby is thawing very well too! He helps me with Honey with no complaint and I see him patting her subconsciously (but dont tell him. ) Everyone loves her, its hard not to. She has been an absolute healing gift.