Trixie

[Stacia]

Don't be too hard on yourself, from my perspective (which is probably quite wrong!) you are being a bit formal for a puppy. Shut Shama away when you train her in house and garden, just five minutes is great, puppies cannot concentrate for too long. We used to do 'kettle training' which is when the kettle is boiling do a little simple training. Kiko pups videos are very helpful. Walk Trixie on your left so that you can easily turn her away, lure in the beginning with a treat, which needn't be over exciting, just smelly fingers! Create a habit so that it becomes automatic. I know you are doing your very best and I admire you for that, just try to relax a little. Mouthing hands will stop.

 

[edzbird]

Training 2 dogs is a total nightmare! Hats off to anyone who manages anything. I think (I'm sure) that's why Meg has not really progressed very much with us (and I feel Coco is neglected). You ARE doing good. Reading this thread gives me pointers with my 2 (old now) dogs. Keep posting, keep trying. We are learning something every day, from every one of us.

Angel & Trixie are so different to one another. And you have had them more or less back to back. Keep at it.

 

[Shamas mom]

Different, and similar lol. I'm currently looking after both girls and you can see that angel is more needy, emotional whereas Trixie has a more assured way about her. To be sure, she enjoys attention...but she doesn't NEED it the way angel does
The first couple of hours looked like this:


But now they're settling down. Kind of....Angel wants to sleep and is telling Trixie to go awaywe really did hit the puppy reset button, getting Trixie 3days before moving out Angel....but I think it's worth it. They have similar play styles and energy so once trained, they'll have a blast.

Today I had a bowl of turkey and introduced the word "enough " to play session. I want to pair the word with rewards, so that if they get wound up I can use it to call them away from the game and over to me. "Enough" is to be translated to "enough of what you are doing-come here instead "

For today, I simply waved turkey in the vicinity on the sniffers and stepped back to wait for them to disengage to get it. I feel it's a good way to Guage the play, because as long as it IS play, they'll be able to disengage for high value distraction and reward. And it interrupts them before they wind up enough to get offended at overly physical play styles.


Shamas is having his first sleepover at my dad's house, where he and Toby are sharing the bed. Toby doesn't normally share the bed but Shamas likes his personal space as much as Toby does,, so I guess there's nothing to get peevish about there.

 

[Shamas mom]

Well, separation anxiety goes both ways and AM just picked up angel to take her home. The dog was doing fine. She however has not spent a night apart since quitting the night job.

It's OK...this was a trial run for when we actually have to take her overnight and she did fine

 

[Stacia]

I think you did remarkably well having the two dogs, hope the sofa was torn before hand

 

[edzbird]

They are so cute

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

hope the sofa was torn before hand

I was thinking the same thing.

They sure look like they are having fun!

 

[Shamas mom]

I think you did remarkably well having the two dogs, hope the sofa was torn before hand

It was...It's gotten worse over the last year, but this is the designated dog couch and has been for a good ten years. I usually have blankets on it, but those are in a pile on the floor beside the couch at the moment of the photo lol.

 

[Shamas mom]

Today we learned that Trixie's limit for "good behavior" is about 45 minutes.

Not that we were pushing for it, but we were at Canadian Tire for longer than usual. After 45 minutes, I noticed that she was starting to pull at the leash, and whine. So OH took her outside, and I kept Shamas with me to pay.

It was hard work for her today, since I had a shopping cart with me for the last part, and she had to focus on where that was. I was asking her to walk behind it with me, rather than up near the front right side, where she might get run over if I turned. And I did a lot of standing around, trying to find the best latches and hinges for an indoor gate that will self-lock when we push it closed behind us. She's learned to open the dining-room gate, and I want to replace the latch...and the bathroom is getting too hot with the door shut all the time...so I want a gate to the hall, so I can leave that door open. I'm a bit annoyed at paying to heat the outside(bathroom window open so we don't suffocate in there)

She's doing pretty good with not soliciting attention...until someone acknowledges her. Then it's game over, and her face is in their hand LOL. Some poor guy made the mistake of saying hello whilst crouching, and got her nose in his ear!

She gets lots of positive attention from all dire3ctions for her walking around staring at me with her tongue out, waiting for treats. She knows that "good girl" means treats incoming if she's at my side

 

[Shamas mom]

Well, I didn't get as much done as I'd hoped..

I managed to build a little fence, around the flower bed off the patio area--I was out there earlier in the day and remembered there are Bleeding hearts, which I don't want dug up in spring. So I blocked off the garden. She already tried to dig up my blueberry bush. If I get time, I'll extend the little fence to all the way round the patio, and pull down the 4' snow fence....it's only in that section to prevent her pooping along the fence line and I hate it--it's ugly. Come spring, if I can get my hands on some 4' fence panels, I can make things look a bit nicer.

My main goal when I threw the fences up was to keep the dogs contained to one area for easy clean-up after work. When I'm leaving in the dark and coming home in the dark, I don't want to be hunting for their poops across 120feet of back yard. And Trixie reacts badly to being tethered--it spooks her.

I prefer the idea of them pooping in the patio area for winter--I can wash that down with Baking soda and water. Can't really use baking soda and water on grass--it'll change the PH

I need to do the yard gate ASAP. I watched her trying to decide whether to clear it and run in the field today. She only needs to figure out that the gate is not as high as my bed, and the gate becomes little more than a suggestion. She leaps onto my 36" bed no problem, and most of the gates hang at 32" Right now she's not clearing it because she can ask me and I'll usually open it. So no point working to get over it.

 

[Shamas mom]

Well, I knew it was coming...Trixie figured out the gate is lower than the bed and sailed over it tonight.

OH said "she's establishing boundaries lol"

I said no.."she's establishing that she doesn't RESPECT the boundaries. So when she looks like she's going to breach them, you tell her "Off"or "leave it" and redirect her"

I've been reading a good book the last few days--your German Shephard Puppy Month By Month--it's got a combination of information on what to expect in growth, development and behavior, as well as training information that's more in line with this forum than what I've found other places. I'm considering getting the paperback version so I can get out the highlighter and pull out the information that really helps. Things like how to introduce to other animals calmly, how to deal with the protective nature as it shows, house rules and behaviors to teach("leave it" around trash cans, wait at thresholds, sit for leash, etc

Speaking of "leave it"

Every time I tell her to leave it, she sits and grins at me LOL. I think because of my poor timing, I'm rewarding the sit post-leave it. and that works great for me

I'm thinking I'm gonig to replace the pen with a crate for bed.....I don't watn her getting into her head to leap the pen and getting hurt. I grabbed Angel's crate from AM's place, as she's not using it. It's a 32" That's the correct size for her....I have just always used a pen due to her height. I'm still considering getting at least a 36 for her final crate. Perhaps a 42Mostly for her height.

I can't get the tape measure near her, but the spot on the wall where she started to chew the doorframe it at 28" Which would put her about 24" at the shoulder. At 9m

 

[edzbird]

but the spot on the wall where she started to chew the doorframe it at 28" Which would put her about 24" at the shoulder.

lol! Normally annoyed at chewing the wall....but not here. So funny.

 

[Shamas mom]

lol! Normally annoyed at chewing the wall....but not here. So funny.

Still annoyed at chewing on the wall...but as I can't get a tape measure near her, it's convenient damage

I've measured my closet, where we set up the pen for her to sleep...it's about 42 1/2 wide. So as long as I get a side opening crate, I can get a large one. Pet Valu sells side opening ones.

We pulled all our clothes out and are using a wardrobe instead...so the closet is basically her cave

 

[Shamas mom]

We ended up with a 40 inch plastic crate. It's the biggest we can fit in the car. We could have gone 48 on a wire...but it has the same height as the plastic, and the height is my concern. It's for a 28inch dog. Trixie is 28inches tall now. The 40" plastic crate has clearance of 30 inside.

If I need to...I can get my dad to help me get a 48" plastic crate later.....but I hope that by then we won't need to lock her up. The plastic crate she dens in in the dining room is a 30", with the door off.

 

[Shamas mom]

She did it!

She broke her fixation on the other dog to look at me!

The dog in question is a big fluffy white dog, walked by someone who must be new to the area...because while they gave us lots of space, it seemed more for their dog's sake than ours. Most owners who know Shamas simply book it when they see him.

With the 40odd feet they were giving, combined with their meandering pace, Trixie got to practice "watch me" and get rewarded for every time she looked at me un-prompted. For Shamas, this is old hat, and he was only interested in stuffing his face. But for Trixie, this is new. Stare at dog, look at mom, TREAT. repeat.

Fixation is an issue we've been working to address because she's old enough now that she's starting to trigger other dogs to react to her rudeness. Perfectly well-behaved dogs, walking by with their owners, being stared at the whole time and trying to turn and bark at her for being too direct. And I've not been able to break her focus. Today I have freeze-dried beef. She likes that even better than dogs, I guess

One thing I've noticed--If I stop with her when the dogs pass by, she will sit and watch them. But if I try to move with her at all, she barks and lunges. Movement=reactivity. They can move, but she can't

 

[Shamas mom]

Pawsitively has openings starting March 12th for beginner classes. I'm going to get Trixie in there. Some socialisation will do her wonders, and they're positive trainers. Angel thrived in there.

She barked at someone's dog at Chapters today, and her hackles were up. I'm considering a t-shirt for her. "All bark, no bite" or "Puppy in training"

She's a good 70lbs, so when she jumps in the direction of another dog with hackles up, they don't see a puppy who wants to play, they see a potentially dangerous dog! She's just excited to see another dog, and would like to meet it

I'm hesitant to "correct" the behavior, because I don't want a negative association to dogs. So I've been bringing her down and turning her away. Like I used to do with Shamas. I'm trying to work with Focus. The KEY will be to teach her to break the fixation.....

 

[Shamas mom]

Oop..little forward body language today as she noticed the neighbour through the fence. So we made a big, excited fuss to redirect, and had a game and brought her in for some treats.

She was RIGHT on the cusp of interest vs caution vs territorial display so I thought let's make a positive association here. She's not seen the neighbours all winter, and has done her back yard romps alone in the snow, or with us...and his vegetable garden/farm is right adjacent to her favorite playground so I want to keep it friendly.

 

[Shamas mom]

Trixie's getting skinny. I'm feeding her 4cups/day, plus treats...but she didn't gain enough weight after her last growth spurt, so she's showing ribs. She has always been thin...but I'd have expected her to put on some pounds along with her size. she only went up 2lbs in the last 2months, and dropped to a 3 on the body scale. Weigh in put her at 65lbs even.

I need to get a stool sample into the vet, and I'm looking into the best bowl toppers to help her fill out a bit. I'm more used to dealing with the opposite problem. Haven't had a SKINNY animal since taking in the feral Midnight, 8 years ago. Even Shamas, for all he was THIN, was on the low end of healthy weight. He was just inside the 3score at 55lbs with an ideal weight of 68.

I've added another meal just before bed too, when I crate her. which will bring her to 5 cups plus treats.

This morning I added a bit of cream cheese and fish oil to her bowl.
Last night, peanut butter in her KONG

 

[Shamas mom]

I've gone over her photos over the last little while. She was a good weight at Niagara, in early November and weighed in at 63lbs for her pre-holiday check up. She's had three growths since then. What I'm seeing makes me think of teens, when they suddenly go from 5'5" to 6"2 and become rail thin.

Even now, she's not like "see the ribs at a glance skinny. It's more if she moves certain ways, and when she stretches, she looks like skin over bones.

My dad's dog Toby is thin like this naturally--he tried for years to put some weight on him. He topped at 45lbs, and never got a layer of fat. Her mother is very slim too. so I'm not terribly worried. But I DO want her to put a little meat on her bones, given the temperatures she likes to frolic in and the fact that burying herself in the snow is a favorite pastime.

 

[Stacia]

I've gone over her photos over the last little while. She was a good weight at Niagara, in early November and weighed in at 63lbs for her pre-holiday check up. She's had three growths since then. What I'm seeing makes me think of teens, when they suddenly go from 5'5" to 6"2 and become rail thin.

Even now, she's not like "see the ribs at a glance skinny. It's more if she moves certain ways, and when she stretches, she looks like skin over bones.

My dad's dog Toby is thin like this naturally--he tried for years to put some weight on him. He topped at 45lbs, and never got a layer of fat. Her mother is very slim too. so I'm not terribly worried. But I DO want her to put a little meat on her bones, given the temperatures she likes to frolic in and the fact that burying herself in the snow is a favorite pastime.

Does the vet think she is too slim? She could have a worm burden? Tripe is a good food to put weight on. In UK you can buy it ready 'loose flow' frozen and is a good topper.