Labradoodle; The Awakening...

Jac · Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2006 6:59 pm Post subject:

Hey, don't feel badly about asking for help...we all do that and this is what the forum is meant to do...help each other!
It is good that your father grabbed her...that little stinker! LOL
You are right to be concerned if she gets her stitches wet...I don't know that they would dissolve sooner, but she may have them pull loose and perhaps get an infection...so I am glad she didn't make it to the pool!
I think that she may be hurting and not want to go for walks, but small walks at an easy pace shoudl be good for her.
We use a prong collar for our dogs...many people think that they look horrifying, but believe me...they have really been great! They seriously don't hurt the dog...not if you fit it properly and learn how to use it...and it makes our dogs walk on leash really well.
Many people swear by the gentle leader too...
You could take Dori on walks just up and down the driveway if she will go...that might get her started.
I am sure that others will have some good advice for you...hang in there! Wink

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Yukirin · Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2006 9:32 am Post subject:

Thank you, Jac. ^^ =) Yes, I've been trying to walk her up and down the driveway, but Dori HATES walking, and she prefers to run, full-speed, up and down the driveway; and she's got the strength of a Labrador... =0 So that's no fun, because she pretty much drags me along... >.< Also, Dori Has gotten protective over her stuff (bones, bed, crate) and has been growling at anyone who get within 5 feet, even if we aren't even trying to touch her. These objects ARE from her old home; do you think she's trying to protect what little of her old home she has left? Need EVEN MORE help, now...

PS
I've heard of it, but never seen one... what IS a prong collar?

Jac · Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2006 10:26 am Post subject:

Good morning...I am going to send you to a couple of sites that might answer your questions better than I can. But I will say that whatever reason Dori has for guarding her food, you need to teach her that it isn't appropriate.
You can take food from her (always be careful...don't get in a situation where you can get bitten) and immediately trade it with something else, really yummy. Don't take things from her and keep them...she needs to know that it is okay to give up her food to you because she will be rewarded. Teach her to "leave it" and "drop it"...these are important commands for food aggressive dogs.
Do you have Dori in a training program? If not, I suggest that you begin right away. I am a firm believer in training (I learned the hard way...by NOT training sufficiently...) You need to make a commitment to work with Dori every day...and include everyone in the family. You should all use the same commands and expect the same things from her.
Here are the links, I think that they will be useful to you...one is the Leeburgh Kennels and you will learn about prong collars (they also have many other good pages) and the other is advice about almost everything. You can type in a topic and come up with a LOT of really useful info.
http://www.leerburg.com/fit-prong.htm
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/ (I ran a search for food guarding and this is one of the articles that came up:)
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1462
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JamieMU01 · Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2006 10:43 am Post subject:

I'm no doodle expert, but I've learned quite a bit after having my puppy for six months now.

First off, Dori just wants your attention. She is new to the family and needs all kinds of love. As far as the jumping/pawing, ignore her for that behavior. When she sits and is quiet, love on her. If you continue to need help, I have found that obedience classes work wonders! Dori may be acting up at times because she is bored. They have lots of energy to expend, so she needs an outlet to do it.

As far as the walks/runs go, I suggest getting a gentle leader that fits like a harness around the dog's nose. It allows you to steer her, keep her down, stop her from pulling, etc. If she doesn't take to that, you can always try a pinch collar, although thats not my favorite choice because it operates on a pain principle, but some dogs won't take to the gentle leader so the pinch is a viable alternative. You can find both at any pet store and they will be able to show you how to fit them properly.

As far as Greenies go, please stop feeding them to your dog. There are much healthier treat alternatives that haven't been directly linked to causing dogs to siezure. What kind of food do you have her on? Most dogs, if they are on a good food, won't need treats mixed in with their normal kibble. It is my belief that treats should be saved for rewarding good behavior or training purposes, that way the dog recognizes them as a reward and will continue the positive behavior.

Hope that helps... good luck!

JamieMU01 · Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2006 10:47 am Post subject:

Oh, and one more thing I found helpful...

With my old dog, he became protective of his food as well. So, to help break him of that, we hand fed him for a while. Instead of putting his food in his dish, he had to take it gently from our hand. Eventually, we would reward him for being gentle by giving him his dish but kept it in our lap. Then, eventually between our feet. Then 2 ft. away, etc. It worked well.

It was also helpful that we had him on a regular feeding schedule. That way, he knew that when it was time to eat, he had to work WITH us to get his food. Maybe if her bowl isn't always out for her to protect, she might not become so territorial at feeding time.

lisarundell · Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2006 6:59 am Post subject:

Check out this link about the very seroius problem with greenies. They don't digest and can cause blockages. Good luck with Dori, it sounds like you are doing everything you can to make her a part of your family and feel loved! Very Happy

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Jac · Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2006 1:53 pm Post subject:

It is my understanding that the problem with Greenies comes about when the dog or puppy doesn't chew them into small enough pieces. They don't digest so they cause blockages. I think that if your dog loves the taste, you could use the greenie biscuits and/or the tiny pieces that are sold...
I think that this trouble is also one with other things, like rawhide and bones and rocks...our dogs eat (and swallow) things that are way too big and if they won't pass through or be thrown up, they pose a major health problem.
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Maureen · Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2006 2:25 pm Post subject:

well said Jac...I give greenies to our dogs and our puppies but with the puppies I give them a REGULAR size, which is actually too big for their little teeth and attention spans so they're not at risk, as far as I can observe.
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Yukirin · Posted: Fri Jun 23, 2006 10:07 am Post subject:

Oh... got it. Okay. Thank you, you guys. ^^ Dori's stopped biting 'n' stuff, but what does it mean (out of curiosity) when a Labradoodle or any other dog, for that matter, roller over and over and puts it's front feet over it's ears and head, closes it's eyes, and then slides them down? I do not believe she has fleas, if this is a way of itching... ^^

PS:
Yeah. What I do is shop up the Greenies 'til they're only about 1 inch each. ^^ Then I stick 'em in Dori's food, and that's all she gets... Is that alright?

Yukirin · Posted: Sat Jun 24, 2006 2:08 pm Post subject:

Oh, God!!!

Today we just found out -- almost a week after the spaying -- that Dori was actually PREGNANT! AGAIN!! My Mom's probably going to get her one of those little egg-like things with warmth and a heartbeat, but that's so sad... I feel so badly for her.. =(

Maureen · Posted: Sat Jun 24, 2006 4:42 pm Post subject:

oh my gosh, how old is Dori~?
Did you know she had been with any male at all? What a sad thing to hear after the fact. I hope she recovers alright from her spaying.
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Jac · Posted: Sat Jun 24, 2006 5:48 pm Post subject:

Oh, I am so sorry...that is heartbreaking.
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Yukirin · Posted: Sun Jun 25, 2006 7:45 am Post subject:

Yeah, we found it the puppies were only about 28 days old in her. NEW PROBLEM NOW:
Last night, Dori went to the door to go out (she's totally house-broken.. or at least.. WAS) and she obviously had to go badly... because she went underneath the ping-pong table in our house, just 'cause I got there about 2 seconds too late!!! It was awful, she went pee, and my dear ol' dad used what he read in books when he was younger... (right now he's about 60 or 70, so imagine what happened here...) he literally dragged MY poor dog by her collar, as she was crying and squealing, and shoved her face straight into the peed-on spot... It was so sad, I didn't cry or anything, but that was REALLY depressing... and my sister threw a fit; she loves this dog too... And this morning we woke up to 2 MORE peed-on spots right under the ping-pong table... Gee, I can't wait 'til she stars pooping there... (sarcasm) please... I need help... ASAP....

Maureen · Posted: Sun Jun 25, 2006 9:08 am Post subject:

hey Yukirin, I'm so sorry.... get some white vinegar and you can put it on the peed spots full strength or mixed 1/2-1/2 with water but you want to neutralize the enzymes in the pee so that Dori doesn't see that as a new toileting spot.
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Yukirin · Posted: Sun Jun 25, 2006 9:11 am Post subject:

Okay. I will do that. Thank you very much. ^^ =)