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Old 10-16-2014, 09:22 AM
 
Location: Woodinville
3,184 posts, read 4,827,951 times
Reputation: 6283

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Quote:
Originally Posted by convextech View Post
OP, if you simply read the text without the uppercase, it doesn't sound bad at all. It's just that it seems like RWS is yelling at you. The advice is actually sound.

The dog is bored. She needs long walks outside the yard.
To me, the caps were intentionally added for a very specific reason.

We take her on walks most days unless the weather is terrible, and that's in addition to getting attention regularly at home. The "running around the yard" comment above was just to convey her general level of energy and is not the only form of exercise/attention she gets. We regularly teach her tricks as a way of engaging her brain. She's getting very good at rolling over, especially if you have a carrot stick in your hand! My wife is home most weekdays so she's not locked up all that much. We take her to the dog park here and there as well.

She's not a super-energetic or uptight dog and is generally well-behaved as long as we have our eye on her. I have seen dogs that are locked up all day, stressed, and receive little stimulation. I volunteered at an animal shelter for a few years as a dog handler. My dog is not like that. Maybe she just needs even more attention than we're already giving her.

Thanks for the more subdued reply by the way. It's really offensive to me that someone would blatantly call me a terrible dog owner based on a whole bunch of unfounded assumptions, so I probably overreacted a bit.
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Old 10-16-2014, 09:27 AM
 
16,715 posts, read 19,321,377 times
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What breed of dog is she? Some dogs need more exercise than others. Before we got our rescue, we did the online dog test and answered the questions honestly, and our perfect dog was a Coonhound. We found one at a rescue, albeit we were dubious because she is quite a large dog, and let me tell you, it was spot-on as to her behavior and temperament. Have you tried looking up that breed to see what to expect?
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Old 10-16-2014, 09:32 AM
 
Location: Woodinville
3,184 posts, read 4,827,951 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hothulamaui View Post
sounds like the op is expecting his dog to be perfectly behaved. the dog does have a mind and personality of his own. so what if the dog goes and licks the kitchen floor? so what if he doesn't stand by his crate for as long as you want him to?
I know it's a lot to ask of her. I'm willing to do some training, and she's generally pretty receptive to it. I just hate crating her when we're out. If she was more obedient (if that's the right word) when we weren't around, we could leave her out of her crate when we're away.

A good example: how do I convey to her that the trash is off-limits, whether we're in the house or not? The trash can is currently locked in a cupboard with a baby lock on it. If we're not watching her, she'll work away at that cupboard trying to get it open. She hasn't been successful yet, but she will be eventually.

Quote:
the dog is bored and you expect too much. dogs do not have the emotional capability to be "sneaky" you are putting human traits on to your animal.
Yeah, saying she's "sneaky" or "sly" is sort of anthropomorphizing. I just thought it might be a good way to describe her behavior.
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Old 10-16-2014, 09:43 AM
 
Location: Woodinville
3,184 posts, read 4,827,951 times
Reputation: 6283
Quote:
Originally Posted by convextech View Post
What breed of dog is she? Some dogs need more exercise than others. Before we got our rescue, we did the online dog test and answered the questions honestly, and our perfect dog was a Coonhound. We found one at a rescue, albeit we were dubious because she is quite a large dog, and let me tell you, it was spot-on as to her behavior and temperament. Have you tried looking up that breed to see what to expect?
This is a good general-knowledge thing to know about dog ownership. Part of what I did at the animal shelter was help match potential adoptors with certain breeds and personalities of dog. It was very difficult to manage the expectations of people who wanted a dog that required no work or didn't belong around kids. It was also heartbreaking to turn people away from the occasional puppy we'd get because they consistently demonstrated that they had no idea how to care for one, and no intention to learn. We had the luxury of being picky with who to send our dogs home with.

Mine's got a bit of German shepherd and Shiba Inu in her. I know both of these breeds require lots of physical and mental engagement. She has really been a great dog for our lifestyle. Honestly if we have to always crate her, then that's what we'll do. But I just wanted some advice on how to possibly move away from that.
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Old 10-16-2014, 09:57 AM
 
18,324 posts, read 18,924,800 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Garfunkle524 View Post
I know it's a lot to ask of her. I'm willing to do some training, and she's generally pretty receptive to it. I just hate crating her when we're out. If she was more obedient (if that's the right word) when we weren't around, we could leave her out of her crate when we're away.

A good example: how do I convey to her that the trash is off-limits, whether we're in the house or not? The trash can is currently locked in a cupboard with a baby lock on it. If we're not watching her, she'll work away at that cupboard trying to get it open. She hasn't been successful yet, but she will be eventually.



Yeah, saying she's "sneaky" or "sly" is sort of anthropomorphizing. I just thought it might be a good way to describe her behavior.
can you enlarge the area where her crate is. before our dog was reliable we had the crate in the foyer with the crate door left open there was a wire pen around the crate so the dog could walk around and have a bit more room without feeling like she was locked in a crate.

yes. the garbage is a tough one. you could take the trash that is smelling good to her out of the house faster. dogs go on instinct and hey that stuff smells great and a dog will eat themselves sick if you let them. remove the temptation. also when she starts to scratch at the door to the area call her over and give her a kong with treats inside, or distract her with play. if there is always great food smells coming from the can in no way will she ever stop from pawing at it.

our other dog who was a lot bigger than the dog we have now was not allowed on the carpeted areas of our house. however every time we came home from an outing and open the door our dog would come out of the carpeted bedroom. it is one of the fondest memories we have of her. dogs are not dumb she knew the carpet was softer than the rug, when we weren't around she would go there. can't really blame hr in hindsight. sounds like your dog is pretty well behaved give her a break in the long run some of these things are no big deal, so don't sweat the small stuff.
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Old 10-16-2014, 10:02 AM
 
18,324 posts, read 18,924,800 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Garfunkle524 View Post
This is a good general-knowledge thing to know about dog ownership. Part of what I did at the animal shelter was help match potential adoptors with certain breeds and personalities of dog. It was very difficult to manage the expectations of people who wanted a dog that required no work or didn't belong around kids. It was also heartbreaking to turn people away from the occasional puppy we'd get because they consistently demonstrated that they had no idea how to care for one, and no intention to learn. We had the luxury of being picky with who to send our dogs home with.

Mine's got a bit of German shepherd and Shiba Inu in her. I know both of these breeds require lots of physical and mental engagement. She has really been a great dog for our lifestyle. Honestly if we have to always crate her, then that's what we'll do. But I just wanted some advice on how to possibly move away from that.

yes both the breeds are smart and need something to keep thier minds busy. how about a hunt for food? my dog loves the "hunt" we stared off as a puppy with a few kernels of kibble put a few inches apart down the hallway, then I added a kernel here and there in other rooms until she figured out she had to search for it. now years later she sits at her rug while I hide her kibble bits, then I give her a signal to go and she works around the house until she finds the treats. she loves it. have you considered dog agility?

try to find an area of the house where you can put a gate so she can have the whole area and not just stuck in her crate. the best choice would be where she can see your family interact and not be all shuttered up where she has nothing but the crate.
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Old 10-16-2014, 10:35 AM
 
Location: Woodinville
3,184 posts, read 4,827,951 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hothulamaui View Post
can you enlarge the area where her crate is. before our dog was reliable we had the crate in the foyer with the crate door left open there was a wire pen around the crate so the dog could walk around and have a bit more room without feeling like she was locked in a crate.
Her crate is in its own room right now. I've thought of letting her have the whole room while we're gone, but right after we moved in she learned how to open doors. Not a big deal most days, but she's highly sensitive to thunder so if she hears some there's no doubt in my mind she will get out of the room and greatly injure herself while tearing the house apart.

Quote:
sounds like your dog is pretty well behaved give her a break in the long run some of these things are no big deal, so don't sweat the small stuff.
She is pretty well-behaved and is a good dog. That's why I hate to crate her so much.
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Old 10-16-2014, 12:28 PM
 
18,324 posts, read 18,924,800 times
Reputation: 15633
Quote:
Originally Posted by Garfunkle524 View Post
Her crate is in its own room right now. I've thought of letting her have the whole room while we're gone, but right after we moved in she learned how to open doors. Not a big deal most days, but she's highly sensitive to thunder so if she hears some there's no doubt in my mind she will get out of the room and greatly injure herself while tearing the house apart.



She is pretty well-behaved and is a good dog. That's why I hate to crate her so much.

her own room needs to feel like she is still part of the family and still interacting with you. it needs to feel like a place she wants to go, to calm down or as a place to be while no one is home. if her room is down the hall and there is no interaction with the family, if she can't see you then there is no motivation for her to be all that content and comfortable. dogs are social beings for sure.
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Old 10-16-2014, 02:00 PM
 
Location: Woodinville
3,184 posts, read 4,827,951 times
Reputation: 6283
Quote:
Originally Posted by hothulamaui View Post
her own room needs to feel like she is still part of the family and still interacting with you. it needs to feel like a place she wants to go, to calm down or as a place to be while no one is home. if her room is down the hall and there is no interaction with the family, if she can't see you then there is no motivation for her to be all that content and comfortable. dogs are social beings for sure.
The only time she's in her room (my office, where her crate is) is when we're gone or one of us isn't watching her. Otherwise she follows us around wherever we are in the house. She does seem to like her room though. It's at the center of the house so any thunder or loud noises outside aren't super audible.

I should also note she gets many treats in that room so she's generally happy about it when I tell her to go to her crate.
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Old 10-16-2014, 02:04 PM
 
7,329 posts, read 16,358,472 times
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How many hours would she usually be in there? Crating may not be the hardship that you think it is.
As far as her getting into more mischief lately, has anything changed in your routine, or can you think of anything else that's different about your home or family or her situation recently?
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