Teenager sheepdog?
Needless to say, we had to pack everything up right there so we could get me to the hospital. I had several x-rays, and yup, it was not only severely dislocated, but also fractured. I guess I think this is sort of a teenager thing, her misbehaving around other dogs and people, but I want to get it under control before it becomes a permanent thing. I was thinking of moving now to a gentle leader, for starters. A lot of people swear by them. I also need some ideas for training that might help with settling her down. But then again, maybe I'm overreacting because I just spent four hours at the hospital. Maybe this is just a butthead teenager pphase. |
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| Yes, you need to get this under control or else it will continue on. A Gentle Leader is worth a try and probably wouldn't break your finger. Until the dog has been in many different exciting circumstances, you just don't know how well he/she will do. Practice basic commands in quiet areas and then purposely take her to a new location. You yourself have to remain calm when the dog goes nuts as your excitement elevates the situation. Puppy needs to learn there are play times and behave-yourself time and YOU decide when and where. Teenager, partly, mostly incomplete education. Hope the finger heals quickly. |
I recommend to get help from a gentle leader  The younger she is the better... pups learn faster  The teenager in her doesn't pull or anything... if you don't do anything I think she'll just get stronger and then break your whole arm  (btw..about your finger, that's not good !  ) But maybe I'm not right... this is just what I think Hope you're feeling better ! Take good care of your finger  |
| I do realize the finger thing was my fault. I don't blame Ecco. In fact, I was the stupid one who decided to use a training collar instead of the harness she is used to. I know I should have gotten her used to that before taking her into such a stimulating situation. I guess I just thought she would be ok. I chose to use the collar because the harness we usually use, which is a front leading, had been tangling the hair around her arm pits and creating horrible mats. I have looked into using the gentle leader before, but my last dog had a terrible back/neck injury (not from a harness) and I always worried that if Ecco had a gentle leader and got too excited, like she did today, she might hurt her neck the way that thing is designed. (Please excuse rambling. I am taking pain med for the finger.) Maybe that is a silly worry though. BTW-I loved Aska's training video! She is awesome! |
| Yeoww!! Tiggy has hurt my shoulder doing that and once she took off to get to another dog when I was looking the other way and nearly took me off my feet. Our dalmo is the twister who nearly dislocates fingers but he's not as strong or crazy as a sheepie who wants something so to date I'm still pointing straight ahead. You could try the gentle leader but you do need to be careful of Ecco's neck. If she goes crazy like that on a gentle leader she could seriously damage her spine. If it happens try lifting her under the arm pits so her front feet are off the ground and then she cant lunge and run which will wrench her neck to the side. I would also stop all visits to the dog park. That's what I've had to do with Tiggy. We stopped at about 9 or 10 months of age, when the teenage gremlins hit, and at 2.5 years have just started going back once a month or so. Tiggy just got to the point where whenever she saw another dog she went nuts trying to get to it to chase and play. She was so used to playing off lead that she was getting unmanageable on lead around other dogs. Tiggy is a highly movement reactive dog so when she sees other dogs walking or 'heaven forbid' running she becomes super excited. I have taught her to chase a squeaky ball and as long as the other dog doesnt chase her I can keep her distracted with the ball. And we still go to obedience most weeks and do on leash work around other dogs. I hope your finger feels better soon. |
Mim wrote: I would also stop all visits to the dog park. That's what I've had to do with Tiggy. We stopped at about 9 or 10 months of age, when the teenage gremlins hit, and at 2.5 years have just started going back once a month or so. Tiggy just got to the point where whenever she saw another dog she went nuts trying to get to it to chase and play. She was so used to playing off lead that she was getting unmanageable on lead around other dogs. Tiggy and Ecco seem to have a lot in common! This sounds just like my baby! I had been thinking that maybe the dog park was giving her the wrong idea. I hate to stop taking her because she loves it SO much, but in the long run it will probably be better. For now, she will only be seeing other dogs at agility class, where work comes first and play second. |
| I know I may get some major flack on this BUT...Have you tried a prong collar? You would need to know how to use it and have it fitted. You are not the first I ahve heard from about an injur to the neck using the Gentle Leader that goes around the nose type thing. Using that needs some education. A pull from the human with that can cause problems to the neck of the dog on the other end. Might as well say it...we use a pinch collar on my male. he is 110 pounds. I am 100 pounds. He doesn't pull me when walking on a leash UNLESS a bike or aqureele goes by unexpectedly..With the pinch collar, he hardly tries to chase ad I can walk hom wihtout fear of being pulled down...under any cirumstances. I will take my licks now  |
| I appreciate the idea. I hate to use the prongs, mostly because it's another thing to get caught in her hair. Yesterday, we went for a hike, though, and this time I was much smarter. I used the front leading harnes, the Easy Walker, like she's used to. We stayed away from the really busy trails, since she's still learning. Whenever another dog or hiker came toward us on the trail, we stepped aside. I put her in a sit, and said "wait". She knows this command, and since I anticipated the arriving dogs, she hadn't gone all wacky yet. As the other dog passed, I continued to "treat" her and praise her. The first couple times she broke her sit and barked at the other dog. I repositioned her in the sit and rewarded her for the sit. By the time the fourth dog passed, although Ecco broke her sit, she DID NOT BARK OR LUNGE!  So, we are making progress.  The key is that Mommy has to think these things through and remember that Ecco is still a baby and in training.I think we will continue this practice and slowly increase the number of people & dogs in the area. Especially while my finger is healing. We're also going to cut out the dog park for awhile, just until Ecco gets past this new habit. BTW - I'm going to see the finger doc today. They reset the finger, but may still want a little surgery to close the fracture. |
| I use a gentle leader (mouth harness) for my lab. I couldnt walk her without it, she is too strong. She does great on it, never pulls me. But as soon as it comes off she pulls like crazy. The body harness doesnt stop them from pulling. This is what sled dogs use to pull the sled with. I havent tried the gentle leader on Ryleigh yet. ( my OES) but she is getting bigger and stronger so I may have to soon. I have a bad lower back and cant be pulled around, so its the gentle leader or no walks, they learn to not pull VERY fast with it. Never had any neck issues. Just make sure you are walking beside your dog like your suppose to, not behind them, then it wont jerk their necks. Good luck. |
| I couldnt have used a prong collar with Tiggy they're illegal in Australia. (shrugs) So I had to get creative. Great work with the sit stays. Hope you dont need surgery for your finger. |
| Tonks or Luna did the same to me when they were about 12 months old; pulled my finger which had gotten twisted in the leash. I never did get an x-ray, but it hurt for the better part of a year. Our solution to the over excitement of seeing other dogs has been to ramp up their training, while also doing less dog park time. Truthfully, until I can trust them to behave, I don't feel like i'm being a responsible owner by letting them run rampant at the dog park. "Leave it" is a helpful command for when they see another dog. Also, "Watch" which takes their attention from the distraction and instead directs to your face. They have to watch YOU for their next command. You may want to enroll in an obedience class; I could not have done it without the help of our trainer. She actually will bring her dogs to class, and my girls have to ignore them while doing their commands. Last week Luna had to sit in "Place" and "Watch" me while my trainer's Pitbull walked around her and eventually sat next to her on Place; practically on top of her! Luna did a GREAT job of ignoring the other dog. I find that for most behavioral things, training is the solution. Tire out their minds and bodies, and they're happier, better behaved dogs! |
| The gentle leader was my salvation..I was using a regular coolor with Moe..but as he got larger 75lbs and stronger when he got excited it was too hard too keep control..basically he wants to play with everyone..I started to use gentle leader three weeks ago and now I can takehim to pet store and walking to meet new dogs and have control. It tookabout a week for him to get used to it. amazing tool |
idagin wrote: The gentle leader was my salvation..I was using a regular coolor with Moe..but as he got larger 75lbs and stronger when he got excited it was too hard too keep control..basically he wants to play with everyone..I started to use gentle leader three weeks ago and now I can takehim to pet store and walking to meet new dogs and have control. It tookabout a week for him to get used to it. amazing tool Please find a good trainer and work with your dog. A gentle leader is really not a good option. It can give immediate control, but really no learning or teamwork is happening. Just a dog who will hurt themselves if they pull....  |
Ashley wrote: I know I may get some major flack on this BUT...Have you tried a prong collar? You would need to know how to use it and have it fitted. You are not the first I ahve heard from about an injur to the neck using the Gentle Leader that goes around the nose type thing. Using that needs some education. A pull from the human with that can cause problems to the neck of the dog on the other end. Might as well say it...we use a pinch collar on my male. he is 110 pounds. I am 100 pounds. He doesn't pull me when walking on a leash UNLESS a bike or aqureele goes by unexpectedly..With the pinch collar, he hardly tries to chase ad I can walk hom wihtout fear of being pulled down...under any cirumstances. I will take my licks now I use a prong collar with Maggie. I started it with Lily first. She was dangerous when we were going to the beach. She would pull me so hard, we would end up in the bike lane. I put it on my bare leg first and saw how it felt. It was fine. The one I use was created by a vet. Maggie is so gentle on the lead now, I really don't need it anymore. She is comfortable with it though, and it never tightens, so I haven't replaced it as yet. |
| ohhhhhhhh, your finger!!!! That was a twist I was not expecting. I hope your finger is feeling much better! My 2 cents is that maybe she really needed to expend much more energy before being put in a situation that required very good behavior. I've learned (repeatedly) that I seem to set myself up for failure when I don't remember to drain some energy before doing something with Chiquita that requires her to behave. Some examples in our life are: having company over (ESPECIALLY my elderly parents), going to Pet Smart, walking around the farmers market. If we bike Chiquita before any of those events she behaves like a dream. |
got sheep wrote: idagin wrote: The gentle leader was my salvation..I was using a regular coolor with Moe..but as he got larger 75lbs and stronger when he got excited it was too hard too keep control..basically he wants to play with everyone..I started to use gentle leader three weeks ago and now I can takehim to pet store and walking to meet new dogs and have control. It tookabout a week for him to get used to it. amazing tool Please find a good trainer and work with your dog. A gentle leader is really not a good option. It can give immediate control, but really no learning or teamwork is happening. Just a dog who will hurt themselves if they pull.... I agree. It's like putting a band-aid on the problem. Owen just turned two and, as of late, when we're out at a street fair or place where other dogs are also walking by on lead, certain dogs make him go insane. Not all, some some. This is a new behavior for him and out of character. This is a dog that's been going to dog shows since he was 6 months old (and even before just to get used to being there) and he goes everywhere with me anyway. I'm chalking a lot of it up to him just coming of age but, at the same time, we're working on stopping it by letting him know that it isn't appropriate and will not continue. Right now, we've started doing attention exercises where as soon as we see the other dog, we get him to focus on us. When we doesn't react and keeps the attention on me, he gets praised like crazy. If he starts to get a little excited, I step in front of him to block the view of the dog and get the attention back on me. Since this is a new behavior, I keep forgetting to grab treats before we leave the house but that'll improve his focus, too. The weird part is that this never happens at dog shows where there's tons of dogs. I wish I knew what it was about the select dogs that get him all fired up. Anyway, I digress with our problems but I'd definitely give the attention exercises a try. It's already been helping us. The more they can relate setting down to praise and treats, the better. |
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