10 1/2 old sheepie with an attitude
& how long should one leave a sheepie on larage breed puppy food... |
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| Hi welcome, how old is the dog? sounds like a young dog from your post, an oldoe fro the title?
If its a young dog - try short lengths of time when you are around, also try only feeding in the crate. If s/he si not housbroken thatcrate is way too big. if not - if you have the room why not? |
| Hi Sharon,
Welcome to the forum. Perhaps more members would offer more advice if you give us a bit more info on your dogs background. It sounds as if you just got her and are trying to resolve separation anxiety. If she's a senior dog and has never been in a crate before she may view it as a way of being penalized rather than comfort. Dogs are pack animals and sheepies as you know tend to be velcro dogs. She may need to feel comfortable first in a new environment before crated. Catch 22 as I understand those with separation anxiety also can be destructive if left alone so it's best to ease her in the new situation slowly to build up her confidence. One of my previous rescues had horrible separation anxiety and worse had never lived indoors. I had to take it slowly - one room at a time and allowing him to get to know me and trust me. After 3 months time he became more confident, I would also leave him in one room for a mere 5 mins and return with a lot of praise. Eventually building up the time so that I could allow him in the rest of the house and build up to longer periods of time. I have three dogs, 2 OES and 1 Pitbull/Mastiff and feel confident to leave them alone uncrated with nothing touched. Each situation is different and as with anything new or dog it takes commitment and time. I hope you give us more info to your sitation and perhaps as a group we can offer more advice. Cheers! Marianne |
Sharon Prentice wrote: Hi, new to the group. need advice.. this is my 2nd sheepie and talk about a different personality!! issue: Crate training-with separation anxiety..tried when we first got her didn't work now want to re look at this-- thinking about a "Giant dog crate. Present sheepie is 42" long, bout 22.5 at the shoulder. is this crate too big?
& how long should one leave a sheepie on larage breed puppy food... I'm guessing 10 1/2 months old? If so, get her off the puppy food, please. Also, is it the crate that is 42" long? (It can't be the sheepdog because then it wouldn't be a sheepdog but rather an over grown basset hound or maybe a corgi or...  sheepdogs are supposed to be roughly square. If she's 22 1/2 " tall at the withers, she should be roughly that long. The crates come in 36", 42" and 48" lengths. My girls are roughly that height and (presuming she is indeed not 42" long  ) a 42" is a nice size. I use 36" in the car and that's fine for car rides. I have a 48" one because I foster for rescue and you never know what size a foster dog will turn out to be, but my 42" long crates get the most use.
If she has separation anxiety she's not going to like being in a crate or anywhere else that isn't immediately near you. In some instances a crate is still your best bet, so why not leave the door open and start feeding her in there with the door open and tossing cookies in there for her to go in after. Put some blankets over the crate to give it more of a "den" feeling. Put a nice blanket or crate mat in there if she won't pee on it or shred it. Give the crate some good associations. If she's making messes, the crate may be too big, like Kerry suggested. Though if the messes are from stress, she'll probably have accidents no matter what the size and in that case I'd stick with the 42" one so she doesn't have to walk in it. My current foster didn't like the crate either. She was about that age when she was surrendered, separation anxiety, barked like a banshee, she was given up because the woman who owned her was about to get tossed out of her apartment. When she came to me I explained to her that she was going to have to learn to deal with a crate. The first three days she had accidents even when left for very short periods. I didn't say anything, just let her out and cleaned it up. Once she was over the worst of her anxieties the messes stopped and she hasn't had an accident since. Making sure she's well exercised so (a) she doesn't have to go and (b) it's nap time anyway before you put her in the crate can also lessen anxiety. If nothing else, I want every dog I come across to be crate trained because it's probably the safest way for them to ride in the car, and what will they do if they have to spend time at a vet's office or a groomer's or heaven forbid have to be kept quiet at some later date to recuperate from surgery and need to be crated? Better to get them used to it before it becomes an absolute necessity in a more stressful situation. Make the crate a pleasant place to be. Get some kind of long lasting chewie bone or toy (a kong works well for some dogs) and only give it to her when in the crate. In these cases close the door for a short period of time. When you let her out, pick up the chewie. The point is, the good stuff only comes out when she's in the crate. Two nights ago my foster tried her paw at being snotty with one of my dogs, the dog let out a big woof to tell her off and she streaked out of the room and into "her" crate. Good choice, I told her, and dropped a couple of cookies in there to reinforce that. It's her personal time out area. My own dogs haven't been crated since I don't know when except on the road or at trials but when I bring home an especially obnoxious foster dog my older girls will find an open crate and take a nap in there to get away from the bugger. That said: is she destructive? Is she potty trained? If she's not destrucive but is pottytrained, you may not need to crate her but rather you can leave her loose, sometimes gated in a dog proofed smaller area (bathroom, kitchen) just in case she forgets herself. Kristine |
Mad Dog wrote: If nothing else, I want every dog I come across to be crate trained because it's probably the safest way for them to ride in the car, and what will they do if they have to spend time at a vet's office or a groomer's or heaven forbid have to be kept quiet at some later date to recuperate from surgery and need to be crated? Better to get them used to it before it becomes an absolute necessity in a more stressful situation.
Excellent suggetion! With my 1st OES we didn't have a crate. She was a nervous wreck riding in the car. I remember her only having to be kenneled & or crated twice in her life.........when she was spayed & when we finally went on a vacation. Luckily, she did fine in those 2 situations. When I got Melody, my conformation instructor happened to be walking past my van as I opened the cargo door to let her out. She was 7 months old, loose, riding in the center section of the van (seat removed). He asked if I had a crate. When I said no he said "Better get one right now. She's going to have to get used to staying in one at dog shows & it the safest way to travel". No truer words were ever spoken. |
| thanks for the suggestions, she is still a Puppy, not a rescue dog,, and yes she really is 42" long from nose to tail. I read about the creates and said that they shoud be about 6" longer than the body. so a 48 or even a 54 in is what I will be looking at.. We tried one when we first got her but it did not work. but will try again.
as for the puppy food, will consider taking her off but gradually. she is cute as button and will get her pic online shortly. another question for all of you. do you normally have other dogs with your sheepie or do any of you have just "one"? just curious... thanks |
Ahh - the body length is not from the nose. 
It is from the point of the shoulder to the rear of the dog. That explains the confusion. It was sounding like giant basset proportions! (I have a basset and do basset rescue). Re: the other dogs question - I have had 3 OES, but each separately from each other. We do have lots of other dogs, though! 
This group has just about every possible combination of dogs and other pets. |
got sheep wrote: Ahh - the body length is not from the nose.
It is from the point of the shoulder to the rear of the dog. That explains the confusion. It was sounding like giant basset proportions! (I have a basset and do basset rescue). pop quiz: what part of the shoulder are you talking about Dawn? Diagrams, please
Actually, I think somewhere online there IS a diagram. Now where was that? 
I have a pack of OES and a cat. All get along great. Kristine |
| to answer your dog question - cause Dawn answered the measurement issue
I have two OES, an Irish Setter and a baby Newf - who fills that giant crate you have |
No diagram - sorry. Or if I was a computer whiz I could draw something. 
How about a description? Looking at the dog from the side (profile), the point of the shoulder is under the chin, above the chest/brisket area. (My livestock judging days... ) It is actually the proximal (front) part of the scapula (shoulder blade), near the acromium. It is called the point of the shoulder because when you feel it, it actually is pointed. 
LOL - being an ortho nurse DOES come in handy! |
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