Leaderboard

We started off with Cato in a pen in the corner of the bedroom. 18 months later Tara joined us. and 6 months later, they are both on the bed. STILL don’t know quite how it happened... i THINK it was a mistake. Mr C was out on a late shift. I let the dogs onto the bed (as usual) for 15 mins before putting them into the pen. And then I fell asleep, by accident. And then Mr C came home and left them on the bed all night. The fool. and that was it. They’ve been in the big bed with us every night for the last 2 years.

I think many, if not most, dogs tend to attach themselves more to one person than to another, and it can be especially obvious with lap dogs (much more so than, for example, a Lab or other big, goofy, friendly-to-everybody type). I think it hurts my husband's feelings sometimes that Yogi is 1000 percent my dog. I have suggested to him repeatedly that the remedy for that is for us to get another one. That's iffy, of course, because the other dog might end up being mine, too. But I'm still trying to get him to fall for it.

Hello everyone. Just joined and look forward to learning lots of cool info here about our fur babies. Our doggy Meeshu is 8 months old and she’s scared of wind. Windy days and nights have her wildin out. Any ideas or things we can do to stop this. Her crate is connected to her pen and she has her favorite alpaca friend with her. Soft blankets. We just don’t know what to do. Usually when she is afraid of something we show it to her and she seems to be okay, but we can’t show her wind. We take her outside and she seems fine. She likes the wind in her face lol. Many help would be awesome. Thank you!

Thank you! Added to our list on Amazon. She has a bigger list then me

Are 3 month old shih tzus aggressive? I would be very surprised. i look back at Tara and Cato’s puphoods and I remember bouncing and scrabbling and snarling and nipping and over excited exuberance, but NEVER aggression, and NEVER anything that needed me to exert some human dominance thing. i never raised my voice and I never told either of them off. The simple withdrawing of attention, and turning away was the only negative they needed, and I used positive reinforcement to develop behaviour we wanted. the first time Cato was ‘told No’ was by the puppy class trainer, and he shut down for the rest of the lesson, and never trusted her again. Very much the wrong technique to use on him, but she was used to a class of jack russells, border terriers and staffies, and just forgot to change gear, in one interaction with him - and apologised profusely afterwards. Tara has 2 growls. One is a boisterous play growl. The other is a monster-outside guard growl. She has never growled aggressively. Cato has never growled at all. Please don’t teach your puppy a fear-reaction to a fun 3 month old playtime growling/snarling/wrestling/chomping game. Just turn away and disengage until they calm down a bit. Then return and play an energetically exhausting game of your choosing, until they are tired enough to be relaxed. If they are Bursting with energy, then they need more mental and physical activity to wear them out. Longer walks. Several training sessions a day. Changing gear. Socialisation. More varied environments... it wears them out, settles them down, and they will never need to develop any fear/aggression behaviours.

I am Cato’s No 1, but for the first couple of years, Tara WORSHIPPED Mr C. she followed him, llooooovvvvveeeeeeeddd him, was distraught when he went out, whiney when he went to the loo, and wanted to sit beside me, and always sat on him. i rather liked it, because Cato was/is very much a Mummy’s Boy, and had felt that Dad was left out. over the last two years (Tara is now 4), she has settled down, and Cato has begun to realise that there IS another human in the world. Haha! I think the key thing is the walking. Mr C has shift work, and I work from home, so they get regular lunchtime walks from me, and irregular anytime walks (including visiting breakfast cafes) from Dad. like Marlene, I think there are two ways to trigger a dog’s devotion; walks and food. but the BEST way is to take them for a walk (= a hunt) and then feed them after (= a successful hunt) that is basically a shortcut to pack bonding.

Shorty loves his Daddy......but he worships me. Daddy is in charge of walks and Shorty is always *right there* when asked if he's ready to go. But I am the food goddess and he wants me in his sight at all times. The Big Guy knows I am #1 but he doesn't mind - he gets enough Shorty lap time to keep him happy.

IME and IMO punishing or dissuading a dog from growling is a very, very bad thing. Hugely bad. Awful. I've seen it backfire so many times, and of course more often than not the dog pays a huge price for it. Growling is one of a very limited number of ways a dog has of communicating that us stupid humans can understand (if we are diligent and smart enough to know we need to learn--most people are neither of those things). Growling can "say" all sorts of things, just like a tail wag can. A high, short tail wag is "saying" something totally different than a low, wide wag. And different growls "say" different things. It's fairly easy to learn dog language. You know you always hear of dog bites and the human says "there was no warning at all?" That's generally never true, but when it is IME it's almost always a dog who has been punished for communicating. Poor dogs. Too many humans take away all their means of communication and then the dog dies because it's been taught to stay silent. Never punish the growl. Instead "listen" to what it's saying and address that. IME and IMO, of course.

Haha blame it all on him poor guy who is not here to defend himself lol my husband loves it that she is in our bed (secretly) we keep poking her to find the reset button because our puppy is broken LOL spoiled like none other we have had -

Thank you for the reply! We will look into diffusers. Maybe it’ll help. She’s so cute but dang when she unhappy she’s loud lol I‘my wife and I are generally bigger than average people. We have some allergies too so we don’t want little baby Meeshu in the bed. We’re afraid we’d crush her and the bed is high. She doesn’t have madd jumping skills either lol. Some of our soft throws have become hers now as she’s “claimed” they lol but even with the wind/noise she’s still going crazy.

Meeshu has good taste, she likes jazz Maybe it will help the radio, do hope so. YES! I am talking about my bed, nice and warm. He likes that very much,gives him just a little extra comfort being real close to you. They love that Tzu`s, their just little babies. p.s.he also has a huge dog bed on the floor with lots of blankets, and another dogbed in the corner. I know to much to much

Welcome to the forum..........Meeshu is a sweet name. My Sophie is just about afraid of any type of noise and has been for years......she will be 11 this June. Over the years I have tried just about everything over the counter medication that is safe for dogs to listening to music. Everyone of my radios in our house has a Kenny G CD in it for easy listening and it seems to help a great deal. What really has worked for me and I must confess when this item was talked about in the past on the forum I poo poo it off, more due to the expense but last fall I was in Lowe's and they had their diffusers were on clearance and so I purchased one and it WORKS. I have 2 now and use Lavender oil in them and run them twice a day and it calms not only Sophie but even the other ones who have no noise issues seem more relaxed. Might be worth a try. Keep us posted on what you end up finding that works plus we like lots of pictures here too.

Gracias for the reply! We se going to try the radio during the day. We’ve played jazz for her before and she seems to like it. When en hoy say big bed, do you mean bed you sleep in with you? Or just a hug dog bed on the floor with lots of blankets??

Hi Meeshu, what a lovely name you have, and only 8 months old how exiting I have a Tzu that is scared of the wind inside the house. When it is during the day I play some music. During the night he is in the big bed, with an extra quilt.

Here is an example of her waiting for daddy in the mud room (pathetic lol ) 5FBDD361-2EEA-4825-BA8A-5B7A2559160B.MOV

Think about letting her sleep in your room (crated) where you can touch the crate and make some soothing sounds - also I would cover her crate to make it more cave-like. I have fostered a lot of puppies. That's what I do with them - put them near my side of the bed and if they stir through the night, I rhythmically tap the crate and chant a soft sound. They don't get wound up and go back to sleep quickly. Hope that helps.

It’s really any loud noises, just the wind keeps up during storms. I never thought of the idea of playing the sounds and giving treats, we’ll try that too. If we’re home she’s fine. She just lifts her head up and looks and then goes back to sleep. It’s when we’re gone or at night sleeping (she sleeps in living room in her crate/pen combo). At night if she barks in night and doesn’t stop we get up and take her out to use bathroom and go back to bed. That usually works, but if it’s windy like last night we had to get up several times and take her out of pen. Calm her and sit with her for a few and put her back in. She normally sleeps through the night. I think lately she was use to everyone being home for holiday and now that we’re back to work she’s wondering where everyone went. That combined with wind really ticked her off yesterday and today.

OH - she is so cute! Is it just the wooshing sound of wind or do you have ferocious, howling wind that makes the house rattle. I have see the suggestion, when a dog is afraid of storms - to play tapes of the sound followed by a treat a few times a day. Do you give her special attention when it's happening or act nonchalant and go about your business - even talking nonsense to her in a normal "no big deal" way?

Welcome to you and Meeshu, when you have a chance please post a picture, we’d love to see her! i too play music all day, a smooth jazz station on the radio and I use a lavender spray to keep our babies calm when they need it. Here’s the lavender spray we use, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002CNDOCO/ref=cm_wl_huc_continue I love it, it calms me down too which is helpful since they key off my stress- even though it’s them that’s stressing me!

Ellie Loves her daddy more than me. yup it’s true when he leaves the house she cries like she has been locked in her crate for hours - she keeps going to the door and will sit, bark, and cry - even distracting her does not help (whoever said they forget after 90 seconds lies) and when he comes back whether it is five min later or 2 hours later it is like he has been away for hours - she demands to be picked up so she can shower him with hugs and kisses and is super excited. when i come home she looks up and barely gives me a whats up. i feed her, play with her, watch her all day - i wipe her bum, face shower her with kisses but it’s hom she loves best - he can’t even go to the bathroom without her sticking her paws under the door trying to feel him LOL she is definitely daddy’s girl but I cant help feeling a little hurt Does anyone here feel the same? Or is it just me being sensitive lol

I had a german Shepperd who quickly outweighed me and thought she was the alpha she would grab my hair (down to my waist) and would take me for a walk haha at dog training classes everytime i said lie down she would growl at me - i was pregnant with my first and thought this is not gonna go well - one day when she did it to me again - i grabbed her and pinned her to the wall and got in her face (stupid looking back) and yelled at her - but it worked - never again did she even look at me sideways, growl , ignore me and when i told her to lie down she would instantly drop to the ground lol - she turned out to be one of the best dogs I had and protected my two sons like they were her own. So if i can do that with a shepherd a shih tzu should be easy peesy right? She is only 3 months old now so let’s see ???

The common belief among experts (veterinarian behaviorists and top trainers) is that dogs don't generalize well. Which means that what a dog knows or does in one situation won't necessarily carry over to another location or situation. Was the lady she stayed with a pet sitter/dog boarder, or does she have dogs of her own? If so I bet a big part of MinnieMoo's success there was (1) doing what her new dog friends were doing and (2) wanting to go out and smell all the new and fabulously interesting (to her) smells. Those are powerful incentives. Her own home is familiar and lacks those incentives. So yes, I'd go back to the puppy pads or whatever you were doing previously that was having some success. And then transition very gradually (over at least several weeks or even months, as PipsMom said) to her going outside all the time. And be aware that you might have to go backwards even more than just putting the pads back down. You might have to go backwards a couple of months and do some re-training in terms of closer supervision, crating her whenever you can't watch her and/or she hasn't peed/pooped in awhile, etc. A short refresher course of Housebreaking 101.

I am a failure......for years and years I have advocated "dogs not be allowed on the furniture and dogs have their own bed. But we have owned Boxers for over 30 years and one of them in the bed is like a third person......especially when they form the cross-bar of an *H* with hubby and me making the straight legs. Also have had a series of dogs with incontinence problems. Then along came Shorty G who happily, willingly and quietly slept through the night in a crate. So.....Boxers are allowed on the furniture when invited but it is OUR furniture. OK - they get invited a lot but do have a cushy warmed bed with pillow and blankie. Shorty G really has no interest in the furniture because our laps are his furniture and *I* was like a little kid sneaking him into bed and loving it and so he accomodates ME LOL! But he happily sleeps on a floor pad sometimes.

Oh my goodness what a gorgeous bed your daddy made you Ellie! You are daddy’s girl for sure! both of ours sleep in the bed now! Missy wouldn’t at first, but she didn’t sleep in the crate either, she slept in her bed on the floor on my side. Took about a year for her to sleep on the bed, but now Missy takes up the majority of my side of the bed and I get about a quarter of the bed! If I try to get more space she kicks me hard, the little devil! Molly has slept on the bed beside her daddy from day one! The two of them snore like Crazy, they’re a good match!

This is easier................ "Age 3 ½ months – 6 months: Teething can create multiple side effects including housebreaking and chewing. The smaller teeth usually fall out without notice. The canines and molars are a different story. Some dogs get very sick including vomiting and diarrhea. I would never suggest a wait and see attitude if those symptoms appear; obviously, a vet visit, though expensive, is necessary when symptoms could develop into a life threatening situation through dehydration or intussusception (telescoping of the bowel from severe gastroenteritis). I have one valuable recommendation for pups that have major discomfort while teething. Dr. Pitcairn, the veterinarian who wrote in Prevention magazine for many years turned me on to Hyland's Homeopathic Teething Tablets to help dogs through teething. Available at any health food store, these handy little pills can make a huge difference for your dog. The most common side effect of the pain of teething is housebreaking. At four months of age you think you have conquered the potty issue. Then, all of a sudden the dog is going potty everywhere. You are so discouraged. Teething occurs anywhere between three and one-half months to six months of age. The later in that period of time, the bigger the teeth she is cutting. Other than housebreaking, the side effects of teething can include crankiness, vomiting, diarrhea, depression and destructive chewing. Be prepared to defend your use of homeopathics if your veterinarian should attack your judgment. I had a client who had to make a trip to an emergency clinic with a puppy who had eaten some daffodils. When asked about any medications given to the dog, my client showed the bottle of teething tablets. The vet shouted at my client, "You are poisoning your dog!" Fortunately, I had forewarned of this possibility and the client asked a test be performed to prove the vet's assertion. Fifteen minutes later the vet returned to say the teething tablets were not the problem. When reviewing the bill, my client was charged $75 for a call to the National Animal Poison Control Center who had educated the veterinarian that the homeopathics, given as directed, could not be the cause of the dog's symptoms. Age 7 months: The first pre-programmed computer virus that attacks your dog's hard drive hits at this age. It says "It is time you move up a little ways on the ladder of leadership." It might produce the first growling you hear; particularly to protect (possess) chew bones and toys. She might urinate on another dog's bed, or your own. This stage is especially evident with litter mates in the same home. If you have acquired puppies from the same litter, watch for aggressions to appear at this age. They must be addressed with certainty to avoid a lifetime of progressively more violent aggressions. Dog from hell stage: For the female pup the 10th through the 12th month; for the male pup the 8th through the 10th month represent the most difficult, obnoxious, frustrating period of time in the dog's entire life. The shelters are full of dogs in this stage. In my private training practice I teach my clients to consider it a success during this period if they just don't go backwards. Please don't give up on your pooch during this phase. Your best bet is to create a dog-proofed environment to weather this storm. It will pass. Natural protective aggressions: In most breeds the 16th to 18th month will produce the motivation to protect your home territory. In the largest breeds this stage does not occur until the 20th to 24th month. If you walk your dog around the block every day, be prepared for the day when your home territory now includes the perimeter of your walk. It is possible for your dog to consider anyone and any animal within that perimeter as a threat. I think it is helpful to describe this phase as though the dog grows a pair of suspenders and goes around snapping them to see who she can impress. Most important, remember she is not an adult until she is 2 years old. The male is not an adult until 3 years old. So now you have a juvenile delinquent with a loaded gun! With the small breeds, you just pick them up. With the larger breeds, you find yourself overpowered and could face a lawsuit if you don't get her under control. Age 2 years: Your female dog just became an adult. She will take on a more serious attitude. She may even assume some leadership characteristics. And as happy as you are to have a more mature dog, she cannot participate in the running of the household. You will have to go back to working her in demanding and exacting obedience for awhile. The male dog will not be an adult until 3 years of age; however, the male still goes through a developmental glitch at age 2. You must have realistic expectations. Since big dogs get so big, so fast, we tend to expect far more adult-like behavior than they are developmentally able to produce. As a result, we set them up for failure. Once again, obedience will get you through this phase. Age 3 years to 5 years: The bigger the breed, the later this developmental phenomena occurs. This is the final pre-programmed computer virus that becomes active and says, "It is now time to move to as high a position in the pack as you will ever achieve." Not all dogs are meant to lead; however, no dog will bypass this stage entirely. Sadly, the shelters are filled with this age dog. If they don't know the actual age, you can bet it is either the "dog from hell stage" or the 3 year to 5 year stage. The Chihuahua will change attitudes at 3 years. The Great Dane will change attitudes at 5 years. Consider the size of your dog to determine when to expect this stage. It occurs at the same time for both males and females. You can expect your dog to exhibit this attitude: "It is now time for you to show me all the important documents appurtenant to the running of the household. I want to go over them with you." The dog that was so obedient and waited for your every command now completely ignores you. Furthermore, she looks a little bewildered when you correct her for her failure to obey. When you see this attitude surface, it's back to the obedience once again. Age 7 years: It is now time to pass the baton of leadership. If your dog is the only canine in the home, this stage will pass uneventfully. You might take note of her slightly lessened interest in life. You might even remark about the evidence of her aging. If you have more than one dog, your seven year old pooch will not age gracefully. She will have a chip on her shoulder. She can be cranky and inhospitable. Although this is a natural stage, you will want to be certain she does not have chronic pain from any degenerative condition. There are many medications, both allopathic and holistic to help the aging dog. If there is no physical malady present, I recommend you correct the dog inappropriate behavior. There are several reasons for this. First, you don't want your younger dogs to mimic bad behavior. Second, the younger dogs can gang-up on the older dog. This can be considered a natural phenomena; however, the older dog's ornery behavior definitely contributes to the gang mentality in the youngsters. Third, it is only fair to your older dog to provide some guidelines for her senior years. Re-asserting your dominance is profoundly helpful to a pooch who has entered this phase. Fourth, you probably have not put her on a leash and worked her in obedience for a long time. She will appreciate the time you invest in her."