apocalypsepwnie

So far pics from 6-11 weeks. 4 weeks 6 weeks 8 weeks 10 weeks 11 weeks 6 weeks vs 11 weeks 9 weeks vs 11 weeks 7 weeks vs 10 weeks

Oh gosh she's adorable!!! I love danes, they are such beautiful soft natured dogs.

My vet advised us to give Vinnie raw meaty bones to help him start chewing as the person we bought him off had him on softened food. I haven't gotten any for him yet but I'd never leave him unsupervised with them. I've never heard of NOT giving them bones. Accidents and choking can happen with anything unfortunately.

At the lake yesterday and came across a great dane and a husky. Great dane has a collar friendly/do not feed which I don't understand why he has friendly on it. He's clearly a well behaved dog with his owner very close by. Husky owner says that great danes are usually vicious which is why he needs the collar. Grrrr The great dane owner picked my dog as an American bulldog and commented how well behaved he was for his age and that he was very respectful of other dogs and their space. The husky started growling at my dog for no reason, he was sitting and letting the great dane sniff him. His owner said that's just how huskies are. I'm not sure if that's actually true or if he's an ignorant owner. The danes owner called him straight off and we pulled vinnie away when it happened.

Clearly he was trying to clean up after the puppies.

I am certainly looking into a pen for outside after this thread. Safer for everyone. Thanks for the info guys. I wouldn't have known where to start and if they would have been big enough.

I'm lead to believe it's when it's the only form of exercise for the dog. This being the case when the only time you exercise the dog is taking it for a walk. I don't believe it's in the cases of dogs who are completely neglected. This is just what I've been brought up to believe. When we tried this with our dogs doing a 50/50 split they stopped trying to get out and escaping. I'm not saying I'm right here, just this is the methodology I use that has worked for my animals in the past. I have been looking into the portable structures and we do have a concreted area that this could go on and use a shade cloth. The real estate don't allow even blow up pools. They wont allow clam shells on the grass. This was something explained to us when we first moved in signing the lease. I told them about buying a dog. I asked if we could have a clam shell for him in summer because they wont allow pools and they said it cannot be on the grass. We cannot have any structures on the grass such as sheds, swing sets or cubby houses. They don't like the way it kills the grass underneath. In saying that though my landlord had a swing set they were getting rid of and asked me if I wanted it. I told them what the real estate said and they said they can go to buggerey. I don't want to cause issues for anyone though.

I know the real estate wont allow the run structure but since I know the owners and they have had issues with their dog escaping, I can always talk to them about it. Wednesday arvo I had vinnie in the yard and the 2 year old approached the fence. Vinnie loves kids so he trotted up there to say hello with me right behind him. Vinnie sat down and was sniffing through the fence while next door's dog, retriever maybe a lab unsure, came over. He was trying to move the child away from the fence while he sussed us out. I put my hand slowly over for a pat to reassure him and he froze so I pulled my hand back and stopped interacting while the child. The dog backed off and allowed Vinnie to sniff and lick the child and jumped up to my hand to pat him. Had the dog bit me it would have been my own fault. Even though I have played with the dog before, this is his yard. I told the owner just to let him know and he got mad at the dog. I explained this is normal behaviour and the dog was protecting it's babies in the pack. I said that this is his den and cautious behaviour is fine by me. I'm also trying to hint to the owner that his dog does have some very subtle aggressive behaviours which he needs to be aware of. He wont give up a ball, he gets very haunched and stiff when people move fast or go near the kids in the yard and he moves his head very quickly to snap when you're behind him. I took this as the opportunity to let him know I was concerned about the kids sticking their hands over the fence and coming over when I'm not in the yard. I said I'd prefer if they didn't touch the dog unless I was there and came around the front door to come and play with him. My step kids don't need to be there for them to come over but I do. He accepted that and I noted we were starting puppy school and obedience training. His kids are very used to a dog they can hassle all day with no issue but I don't know if Vinnie will cop that. I just want to make sure everyone was safe. He said he'd keep an eye on them. Haredown, this is something I've been guided to most of my dog ownership life. Walking is certainly an important part of their lives however as far as I know shouldn't be their main form of exercise and interaction. We already walk Vinnie 2 times a week but most of his interaction with us is training and play in the yard and in the house. When he's a bit older and has some training not guided by me (I'd rather have a professional input to make sure I'm getting it right) he'll be walked each morning and yard work in the afternoons. We're trying to make the yard the 'fun' place to be rather than him only knowing stimulation from outside. I'm extremely aware that dogs are more likely to escape if their needs are not met.

oh my lord. I had similar with my cat but it was a carpet thread that was about a foot long. Poor bugger was spinning in circles trying to get away from it flinging crap everywhere. And the ant bite... oh dear. My cats occassionally need doing, they scoot and spend many hours fixated on their bums followed by gagging. I am prepared for the bog of enternal stench if I need to do vinnie.

The idea of losing my pets is too much so this has me bawling at work :laugh:

Yep american bulldog. I suffer from anxiety so having a little time waster around who just loves every second of my time helps heaps. He's a great ice breaker when in public. Thanks for the suggestions and advice! I will keep an eye on him with puppy pre school. So far with other dogs, big and small, he's gotten on well with them. He doesn't show any submissive/dominate tendancies from what I'm aware and has reacted well with a dog who does have some obsessive/aggressive tendancies around toys and space. I think he approaches appropriately with neutral body stance and pace. He allows other dogs to give him a good sniff and will present his butt without any issues heh. He doesn't get too licky/jumpy and backs off when he's given the cue. Unfortunately it's a rental property so I don't have an option with fencing. I am going to try and have a serious chat with the neighbour and hope it's not taken as 'you're a bad parent' but a concern for their children and my dog. I'd NEVER let my step kids go out of the yard without permission and I don't let them in the yard even without the dog unsupervised.

Thanks! I didn't know that was an option. We'll certainly look into it if the day care doesn't work out.

our fence is about 4 feet and is wire and steel. I know there was a discussion between the owners about changing it but the ones either side had no interest. The owner of our property had an escape artist staffy.

TBH I have no idea. I understood when my step kids were there but they have done it since. There is NOTHING in my yard except an old tennis ball and some stacks of firewood. I am very aware it's not safe. I know that no matter how well I dog is trained sometimes things can happen. Being little kids they have no idea how to interpret dog behaviour. We're already addressing the dogs getting in by patching up the fence and blocking any holes.

That is a tough situation. I think the issue with the neighbours is important to settle for long term happiness of everyone, that is dangerous.The daycare I worked at, and others I have seen, all have more than one area, but I still saw a lot of dogs that were stressed just by being there. Maybe I'm paranoid and a control freak :laugh: but I trust my dogs alone in the yard far more than I do in a situation where they are being looked after by people I don't know, surrounded by a lot of dogs that I also don't know, while I am not there. They are only little kids of 2 and 5 years old. I've already asked them to make sure their kids don't come in without letting me know by coming to the front door however right after that the 2 year old was in their yard without supervision and was pulled into our yard by his sister. It took 15 minutes for the parents to realise where their kid was. They are 'softly softly' parents and expect a safe environment to be provided for them rather than taking the responsibility for their children. I accept that daycare might not be for him and trust the people there to let me know. I also accept that dogs there might not be appropraite in that situation and things might happen. I can only try and have heard very good reviews, they are quite receptive of dog behaviours and asking people not to bring their dogs back because they are not suitable.

If the gate is locked the kids simply climb over the fence. The dogs next door can sometimes get in by jumping the fence or digging under it. I think the garage is the way to go. He's on his last attempt at being secured inside alone. If he gets out this time, he's only alone for a few hours, he's in the garage. He never tries to escape when we are home and he's in the pen/crate which would be quite easy for him. He's in the laundry with the door blocked with the pen which is 3 times bigger than the pen/crate.

We had this for the first 2 weeks we had Vinnie. We used a combination of adaptil spray on his pillow, interesting toys, leaving the tv on and doing as you do with no attention while in the room. As hard as it was we had to just leave him. When he'd settle on his own and was quiet for 5 minutes we'd come back in the room to treat him, say good boy and leave again. We let him out at the same times each day when we are home. Before meal times as he usually falls asleep right after eating (ha ha porker). At night, he's allowed to cuddle and settle with use before bed time. We also treat him and say good boy when he's being settled but if he plays up too much he goes back in the pen and ignored for 5-10 minutes. I honestly found the adaptil to be the best tool we used. We were doing all the other things anyway but this really reduced the number of times he'd go off and the length. It was an instant difference so I don't believe the reduction to be completely because of training.

My neighbour's kids have a bad habit of inviting themselves in. As much as the neighbour doesn't like it, they still do it. I'd hate for him to bite the child or anything as I know my neighbour wouldn't take too kindly. He already threatened the previous tenant, the owner of the house and his friend, with reporting the dog they had. We're also getting our lawn mowed while we aren't home and have a cleaner who sometimes visits when we aren't there. I don't want him to be aggressive with them. We didn't get a dog for protection of the home. I have no interest in that at all. There's also many dogs in our neighbourhood. One either side of us. I don't want them barking at each other all day and if another dog comes in the yard I don't want them to fight if possible. I basically want to be able to trust my dog when I am not with him. The daycare he'll be going to is highly recommended by a friend who is a dog behaviouralist. She sends her dogs there twice a week. They don't just have one large area but separated ones for cases as have been mentioned.

I have a 10 week old ambull puppy. ATM he spends alone time inside when my partner and go to work. Due to our schedules he's only at home 3 days a week for 8 hours at a time alone. We're also careful not to take him on street walks on these days as I've been told that walking them as their main exercise will cause them to escape, I don't want him to associate alone time with leaving the house so we play in the backyard for at least an hour instead and do leash training. He's a little small to leave in the yard alone because he can slip under the front gate. However he's growing fast and will soon be too tall to be left inside with just the pen fence. He'll be able to get over it and has escaped by pushing it out of the doorway (hello poop all over the house because he can't get back in to his pee pads). How old has everyone else left their pups in the yard alone? Our other option is to set him up in the double garage. It's lovely and cool in there and has a screen door for external access to allow lots of light and cool air. Is the opinion it might be better to do that to transition him out of the house? We're sending him to doggy day care one day a week when he's been to puppy pre school. They don't have a specific age, just that they have basic obedience and they are vaccinated past 12 weeks. Did anyone send their pups around 3-4 months old? I want him to be socialised with dogs and other people without us being there as much as possible. I also want him to have exciting things to do so he doesn't start boredom behaviours and habits.

Uh, if they are the dogs in your signature even I can tell they aren't chis... If I can tell the difference without pictures then everybody should. What I don't know about things could fill a warehouse. If *I* know something, my rule in life is that everyone else should. ps berners are soooo adorables.

'You got an american what? WHAT ABOUT YOUR STEP KIDS?' This coming from my mum who was always the first to go in to bat for our BTxAMSTAFF growing up and had friends who bread BT, APBT and AMSTAFF puppies that she let me be around from when I was in nappies. He's an american bulldog. Just as sooky and cute as an english bulldog. And for anyone else who tunes out after I say 'American' and assumes my dog is an unstoppable natural born killer. I am apparently a mental case for owning one and should be counting down the minutes till the council ranger comes to shoot my dog on site. Um, he may only be 10 weeks old but unless you are a fly, a cicada or a chicken treat I think you're pretty safe. Oh gumnuts, he has a fancy for them too. PEOPLE ARE THE PROBLEM! NOT PETS!