Cheers Ruairi, Natural yogurt huh, never heard that one before (have actually always thought all dairy products were off the menu, but that said I do give my fella the slightest bit of cheese now and again, loves the flavour of it even though it's so tiny you can hardly see it) Think much of this just comes down to having had many of the same experiences with our own dogs over the years.... I'd suggest meeting up sometime also, but truth be told my fella is not good with strangers (people or humans), so I wouldn't take a chance with him tbh. Am obviously happy to pop in without my fella though, if ever I can help out at all.
Pretty much - experience is a great teacher. Most of my experience comes from helping others with their problematic hounds. Had a woman of 4ft 6 and about 4st try to handle a full group male rottweiler. Think we all know who was walking who there Couple of sessions with her and the dog and had the problem sorted. The dog just needs to learn and we need to find the best way to teach them. The same method will not work on all dogs. I probably said it earlier in the post but we used to partly finance our voluntary search team but running these socialization and obedience classes and my learning has come from guys with 20+ years experience. A trained and trusted dog really is something special. (Managed to stock proof my search dog as well. She's a collie cross and they're breed to "chase" sheep but my one will not go near them any more. All thanks to a local farmer you agreed to let me into his yard (after lambing season))
Hi, Just wondering if any of you guys have done "pet friendly" hotel holidays before and if so, where did you go / what was it like etc. ? All hotels seem to be on the self catering option given you've got to look after your dog etc. which is fair enough, but you still get access to hotel facilities, so no real issue there. Personally, I've been to: Waterford Castle, Waterford houses ("lodges") are large and modern, good grounds to walk the dog, bit of a novelty being on an island, about 10-15 minute drive into Waterford city with lots to do, 5 min drive to a few local restaurants, pubs, shops etc, food in the clubhouse or bar in the hotel is grand for daytime, restaurant was pricey and a bit more formal than I wanted though. Inchydoney, Cork Great beach about 2 minutes walk from your accommodation, but accommodation itself was only ok (bit small, although easy access through patio door on ground floor was good), bar food was good, but main restaurant wasn't great. Felt a bit isolated in terms of places to go in the evenings, taxis not always easy to get to bring you to nearby towns etc.) Kenmare Bay Hotel, Kerry Great location (despite the long drive from Dublin), easy walk into the town and a decent selection of places to eat etc., the Mrs. thought the pool and spa were good, accommodation was okay but quite worn in parts.
Had to put the dog into the kennels today for 2 nights as we are having people over and it’s the little fella’s christening at the weekend . It has to be one of the hardest things to do. I know I’ll be getting him back in two days and then the interaction with the other dogs will do him the world of good. Happy to say since I last posted in this thread he has improved massively. He loves my little boy and vice versa. He still barks at his shadow but we have learnt to deal with that. He is a great guard dog though. If anyone or anything is outside the house which should not be, he goes mad. He could be trained better but hey he is a pet and still really a puppy as he is just over a year. My advice to anyone thinking of getting a German Shepherd would be to research them before you get one. I done a small bit of research but only read the good things. I did not realize they are so full off energy , or they love to bark or they very territorial. But when it’s all said and done he will be missed around the house for the two days and it will be quieter.
Delighted to hear things have improved Ron. I think an important lesson that everyone has learned, is that you need to be a tough and strict master if your are getting a young male dog and particularly one that's a reasonably large breed (German Shepherd's are not the most trouble by a long shot, btw). I went through a bit of grief with my own fella early on - basically, it took a while to get him to accept that I was the leader of the pack and not him etc. There's no doubt in the world that daily training / practice sessions, and loads of exercise is the way to go though - once they are tired, they are a completely different animal. Your fella is still very young. In fact, I'd say you should be able to train him a lot more if you keep at it, certainly for the next 1-2 years. In reality, most of them are fairly attentive until around 5 years, whatever stage you have him at then is where he'll peak. It's a bit of a pain in the nutts sometimes, but stick with the regular training and the exercise mate. Some of the toys you can get are great for when the whether is bad and you don't want to go out, but will still tire him our or keep his mind occupied for a while. For my guy, the bigger and more robust the toys the better, as anything small, soft and squeaky normally doesn't make it to day 2 ! Best of luck with the christening btw (and no sneaking off to visit the dog, wait until the end of Day 2 to pick him up ).
Anyone ever deal with food aggression in Dogs? I’ve noticed over the past week my German Shepherd snarling and snapping lately when it comes to treats and food. Example been on Saturday I gave him food with a sausage in it as a treat and went to reach over him and he snarled and snapped at me and scrapped me. Broke the skin and was slightly taken back by it. Then tonight I put treats into his kong to keep him entertained and the kong was over by my feet and he snapped again and snarled but didn’t touch me. Only teeth showing. Each time I have corrected him and told him that was bold. Nothing has changed in the house over the past week and nothing in his food has changed. Slightly worrying behavior. Has only happened with me, but kinda weary when I’ve a 16 month old in the house .
Afraid I've had experience with this too mate ....basically, the dog becomes overly protective of the food, for some odd reason thinking that they have to protect / defend it, often with no logical reason that we can see. A few suggestions: Stop giving specific treats, if they are causing a real problem. For example, no more sausages for a while. Replace them with raw hide chews (preferably decent size ones, as that will keep him occupied for a while, and tire him a bit with all the chewing. In time, reintroduce the cooked sausages, but break them up into little pieces, and make him earn them (hide them in places around the house and let him sniff them out, for example). He needs to be reminded that these are a reward, and he has to earn them. Fill a few big Kongs (a mix of some dry kibble, a bit of mashed banana, and even a little bit of carrot), then put them in the freezer. Then when you give him a Kong in the future, it'll be frozen, so it'll take him ages licking it to get the food out and while he's enjoying the flavour, he'll be distracted by trying to keep licking to get the food and less likely to be guarding it. Again, this can help tire him a bit. Make a point of keeping your distance as soon as you give him his meals. Let him see you don't have any interest, aren't going anywhere near him etc. Hopefully in a little time, he'll conclude that you are no risk to him or his food, and he'll stop watching your every move etc. Change his food routines, feed him at different locations - for example, some days feed him in his bowl outside, another day in the kitchen, sometimes food in the bowl, other times on a food mat where it's out lose. Only basic food though, no treats mixed in with his meals. He needs to get back to understanding that his basic food is just that, basic. While you are right to be correcting him every time he does something wrong, food is a very high value item with a dog, so as long as he's convinced that there's a risk of you taking his food. That's the bit you need to really overcome. This took a little while to deal with fully with our fella, possibly 4-6 weeks and even now, it still pops up once in a while and we need to change things again ... Keep the faith mate
Cheers Pal for the lengthy reply. Really appreciate it. Had done a bit more research on it , and having looked a bit further into it, I am going to bring him back to dog training as I think he could do with it. Really appreciate the advice you have given there and some good points made too. Did you regain your trust in your dog after it happening to you ? I know it’s only been a week with me but I haven’t forgot it and can’t seem to either .
Yes, I won't lie to you, it takes a bit of time and we've been trough a few "issues" with our fella, but two things to keep in mind: they are only animals, so don't think like we do. What he did wasn't premeditated, no more than he probably forgot about it moments after he did it. you are the boss, so keep reminding him of who is in charge, in control of the food and other luxuries that your dog enjoys. Sorry, I can't recall, but did you have him neutered ? If not, you may want to consider it, as it can help calm male dogs down and is often suggested, if you've had a male dog snap at you. The various herbal remedies, tablets etc. never worked for my fella in terms of calming him down a bit. Ultimately, the thing that works the best is keeping him tired - run the legs off them
unfortunately after loosing my mother I’m not really in a position to look after this guy, he’s just too much work for me, especially as some of you no I’m on crutches, no idea of his breed,he’s around 7.. he’s a fantastic dog with me but the thing that’s making it difficult he’s quiet aggressive around strangers, his bark would scare the hell out of ya.. finding it hard to get a rescue center to take him and don’t want the pound as I fear he’d but put down.. has anyone any advice or suggestions Thanks
We are in the process of considering getting a dog.Im thinking of holding out until after christma.Hoping to maybe go and adopt one from a shelter/home.Im more towards a jack russell or a labrador.Any suggestions would be appreciated.(One 4yr old child)
I’d have two Labs and one German Shepherd. I think the lab would be a great bet. They are a lovely placid dogs and around kids they are great. Saying that my Shepherd is the same but I would get a lab if I was getting another one. That’s just my opinion, I’m sure some of the other lads will give a different one.
There are plenty of considerations such as: how much space have you got ? how much time have you got to commit to exercising a dog ? have you, or family members, got experience with dogs ? There are some good websites, which help you select the right bread of dog for your environment. I'd suggest running through a few of them, to get some ideas tbh. Personally, I think Labs are great family dogs. Go for a female, if you want a dog that's a little easier to manage (but get her "fixed" so you don't have her coming into heat).
Could not recommend more adopting from a animal welfare shelter - i got some awesome dogs (Lab & Puggle) & cats over the last while from Limerick Animal welfare - Unfortunately (fortunately for you) they will be loads of dogs to choose from in animals shelters come Mid Jan onwards.
Dunno much about dogs, but is that the breed that's used for fox hunting and the likes. If so I suggest seeing if you can contact a hunting club
Question for the doggy folk on here. What food do you feed your dogs and is there a certain brand/type they lap up compared to others? We've 3 so it's an absolute minefield, if we could get them all to settle on the one feed it'd be nirvana.