hankdog

Well done to you and Zig.

Different dogs need different amounts of attention. I worked from 8 till 3 when I had Hank. He got a run in the early morning and then hopped in the car for the afternoon sports go round and would at some point get a walk or we would go to the dog park. He was absolutely fine by himself for the day and was a perfect gentleman so had house access all day. I work from home now and quite frankly I wouldn't have been able to keep Jake if that wasn't so. He needs constant company and supervision. I don't keep a collar on him because he is one of those dogs that would end up hung on something. He's unhappy on his own although we have built up to a few hours alone.

So true. Thanks.

That's strange maybe Justice is getting grumpy old man syndrome. Jake has also decided he doesn't want Jammie's on this year. He does however go through phases when certain things won't do anymore so I figure it's just part of his charm and getting finicky as he gets older. At the moment he is absolutely refusing to walk across the lawn, he normally has a mild avoidance for the center of the lawn and will stick to the edges off lead but will train in the center. He has a cough at the moment and can't have a collar on so I tried training him outside but he simply refused to come away from the edges. My sister tried all the normal things that work on her Labrador, she learned about getting the bulldog finger.

Wow that's amazing she could go to a group dog event. If be giving out bones with big red ribbons for that. Better late Im the only one who handles Jake because my boys just don't get it. I don't know why but they somehow come up with weird ways to deal with Jake. He's never allowed outside unsupervised and because he's Jake,master of getting into stupid trouble, I don't leave a collar on him. I left one of the boys in charge of him for an hour, when I got home he was in a collar tied to a verandah post with no human in sight. Apparently he was crying (sep anx) at the front door so they decided he would be better waiting outside. Now I tie him on a longline when I'm gardening but he's always within reach of me and on a harness. Why they thought that was a good thing to do is astounding but I just figured that it's better to not let anyone ever handle him except me.

Jake always likes to poke through the grocery bags as I bring them in, one day he hit jackpot and managed to pull out a tray of mince and make enough of a hole to get his tongue through and lick out quite a bit before I spotted him. He's not normally a chewer but just every now and then if I'm not paying him attention he will lay into the plastic crates in my work room. He's always looking at me when he's doing it, and bad trainer that I am, I always get up and go play with him.

Oh that's a good out come Snook. Jakes reactions are very phobia like and the Prozac has been our savior. Every time I try reduce it I realise just how effective it is. Lynette was remarking the other day how the stuff that is effective with Jake is so contrary to traditional reactive dog training techniques and I do believe it is because his reactions are based on a qualitatively different phobic type fear rather than a Rational fear response. Justice does at least have one dog friend so that's great he has that interaction. It is going to be hard to accept him not going back to being the way he was, it took me a very long time to wrap my head around Jake never having a dog interaction and a tiny piece of me still hopes one day he will. It is something that I eventually accepted, (99 percent). The Prozac does slightly alter Jakes personality and he loses some fun aspects as well as the bad bits and that does make me sad. You may need to juggle the dose to get the levels right. Big hugs to you two.

Good update Terry. I have the same problem. I don't go to the off leash park at the end of my street but then I do get cranky if I'm trying to do obedience work in an on leash park that I've walked half an hour to get to. People will tell you it isn't fair they have no off leash near them....tough make that part of your decision when you get a dog or house. The Tubster has been in kennels for nearly ten days as I'm in uruguay. I'm getting home Friday and having a consult with our very own Nekhbet on Monday????????????. Looking forward to meeting the crazy maligators and seeing what Jake makes of them.

The best half of me is dog....and if you wake up with your nose 3cm from a Bulldogs butt, breathe lightly.

Jake always jumps on the bottom end of the bed when I go shower, then when I come back and get in bed he comes up to the pillows and puts his head in my neck and does this waggle, snuggle manouver to settle all his gums and wrinkles in, the he does this huge noisy, delicious yawn. You just cant help feeling sleepy.

Training is a funny thing. If I try to really work a skill then I get to a "nah, I'm bored of that "response. So I have to only do things on maybe two days a week otherwise he just gives me the finger. I also find there's a limit to how many skills I can put together, so I tried to teach him "patty cake" just stringing together little skills he already had, once he cottoned on to that he decided he didn't like that. As soon as I start the rhyme I get a hurmp and he wanders off. I think if you define intelligence as the ability to gain the most reward for the minimum effort then I own Einsteins reincarnation.????

Jake isn't stubborn but he likes to consider all the options, for a while, and then the consequences and the ramifications and all the future knock on effects. He makes a well planned, considered response to your requests. You can offer peanut butter to help sway the decision your way but you have an even chance of it working. Smart dog.

Jake will take a dislike to the odd person, normally those who are intent on interacting with him to prove they can handle him because they have those Magic dog powers. I have found it pretty hard to distract such people as they will wait until your back is turned and then do a sneak attack. It's better to just put the dog out of their reach. Some people cannot be reasoned with.

Hank was the same with balls, would never pick one up but would bark his head off at anyone at the park who had a ball just so he could chase it. Guess they just want a good gallop.

Most likely you will need to do the work anyway but for us it made the work "stick". Before Prozac and anytime I reduce his dose he turns into Teflon dog who ignores anything you ask him. With Prozac he has a brain and ears it is quite amazing to see.

Amazing training session today. Our doggie partner for today was a very excited, whining and yipping cattle dog. We worked in the shed going around doing a little circuit and doing the bulldog version of what the cattle dog was doing. We managed to get a down stay about 5m away from her and Jake was pretty confident climbing onto a raised platform and doing a little jump. I was able to encourage him to take himself away if he seemed to be getting overwhelmed and basically he just had a very nice fun time????????.

.....I think Ernie deserves special mention for sticking the stick in himself.????

Having two dogs is going to amplify the problem. Since it's just starting I would try nip it in the bud and get to a behaviourist. There isn't one particular thing but rather a raft of things that get implemented and exactly what will be decided by looking at both dogs and your relationship with them. If you say where you are people can give you reputable names. Not all trainers are good at dog aggression, go with a recommended one.

Good on you. I'm too chicken after once cutting Hanks nail and getting an impressive fountain that required emergency vet attendance. Jakes' nails are softer but since he's at the vet a lot I just get them to do his dew claws and the rest seem to wear down while walking.

Jake barks at the tv. So I used to take him to the kitchen, give him a treat and then go back and do LAT. Of course that became Jake wanting a snack whilst watching tv and barking and running to the treat cupboard. Mind you most of my family argue with the TV so I can't blame him for copying us. Now I just laugh at him, nudge him in the butt if he's close enough or throw a cushion at him if he's far away and then tell him shush.

Jar of peanut butter. They actually don't get that much once they've licked the top into a hollow but Jake finds it inspirational.plus he has a lovely shiny coat. For my friends more Obedient dogs a teaspoon in a ziplock bag with a handful of kibble works well.

I go for training at pet resorts, dural. Affordable and very much tailored to you and your dog. Take care to get the right one, it's 425 Galston rd.

Baby gate your bedroom door? Then everyone else gets the night duty but don't forget it's there and smash your shins the first night????.

Haha they clearly have not hung out with Bulldogs or their owners. Once you've been owned by a bulldog you realise how underrated they are.

When the dog is frustrated just walk away. Go back in a few hours. That way he learns that chucking a trick tantrum isn't productive. Our newest trick is to put a paw on a lifted foot, kind of fun to walk back wards going touch, touch but has taught the terror to Paw things when he is frustrated. Why does my dog always have to go that one step too far? Now when he starts doing the crazy paw thing I just walk off. Somehow I know that's going to come back to bite me too.