Potty training puppy

another ... Puppy Pumpkin [2008-10-24]
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another ... Puppy Pumpkin [2008-10-24]
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Originally it was for crate-training - (sm) [2008-10-08]
one of my cats who is averse to using her litterbox. In the meantime, my other cat decided this would do very nicely as her own, personal little )

Where do you live? I am looking for a lab puppy and [2008-08-05]
my friend is also looking for a lab. Are they yellow, black, chocolate? How many boys, girls?

What to do with a puppy who plays too rough? [2008-08-04]
My puppy who is about 6 months old now and is going to be a good size dog (she's a boxer). She is getting to where she plays too rough. She bites really hard and doesn't know when it is enough. I have toys for her and try to encourage her to play with them and I have a rope that we play tug of war with, but she loves to jump up on people and bite their hair, hands and feet and she can bite hard. Plus I have a cat and she's very rough when she plays with the cat. My cat is pretty playful and likes to play, but doesn't always give my dog a good swat when she needs it, so I'm constantly having to rescue my cat because she just meows and catterwalls when the dog gets too rough. We havenno sternly and swat her on the behind with a rolled up newspaper (not hard, just for the noise) and that will have immediate results, but she always comes back for more. So what do I do? She just loves people and especially kids and she just wants to jump on them and give them big kisses and start playing. My daughter had a friend over this weekend and the little girl was immediately scared of our dog because our dog was so excited and jumping on her. I hate to see kids afraid of my dog when she really just wants to play and be loved on. I need to settle her down without breaking her spirit and I just don't know how to do it!

Any suggestions on helping my puppy with [2008-08-03]
let to be held.

So, it takes 32 years of training? [2008-07-14]
Which training method yielded results so quickly? (I'm nearing 16 years, I might need to refine my technique) Does he get a diploma, or a certificate? Or a ribbon?

me neither, and I'm no puppy (nm=no message) [2008-06-28]
x

When puppy does her business where you want her to, reward her with a piece of food treat. [2008-06-20]
And when she pees in house, use paper towels and then place paper towels (soiled) to the area in the yard where you want her to do her business. Dogs tend to prefer where they smell the odor. Be patient. This dog is young. Confine her to an area where the floor will not be damage (tile or vinyl). Take her out six times away,including first thing in AM, right before bed, after she eats her meals. Pull water up a few hours before bedtime. Do enjoy your new puppy dog.

Puppy pads. sm [2008-06-19]
My puppy is now 8 months old but she was pad trained. You can buy an accessory to hold a frame around the pads so the puppy won I think they have a scent to encourage puppy to go there. I have a chihuahua and that works for me; although I do take her out and she has learned it is perfectly fine to go outside too.

Potty training puppy [2008-05-20]
I just gota new puppy yesterday. It was a stray that someone put up on craig It looks as though she was abused by her previous owner because she is so shy and scared around my husband (she does not like men), but is not that way with me. In fact, she follows me around all day long. I can She is peeing everywhere. What are your tips on potty training a dog. I do not want to scold her because she is already very shy and afraid. And what about tips on when I am trying to work. If I do not give her attention for a short while, she starts to whine. It is like having a baby here. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

Puppy singing is my absolute favorite too! NM [2008-04-30]
xx

I like the puppy singing . . . [2008-04-29]
there ain't no bugs on me. I also like the Avis car commercials, the ones where the car goes on about the owner renting a newer car, the car is all hurt and bitter.

I am willing to place a bet that puppy mills are here [2008-04-04]
x

puppy mills [2008-04-04]
A lot of people don I didn I do see a lot of puppy mills getting shut down on Animal Planet, but why the rest of them get to continue is I guess no one reports them. So if anyone knows of these places they should call their local animal control, which is not great, because sometimes they get put down, but to prevent these animals from living a life of horror, locked in a cage forever. I missed the first half of the show, I wish I would have seen it just saw the previews which were horrible enough. Even the local animal shelters are full of purebreeds because some people just bring them there after the puppy or dog they just paid a lot of money for from the pet store doesn Either adopt from the local shelter where the dogs have more than a 50% chance of getting put down, very few get adopted, and the luckier ones are the ones that the rescue groups have already rescued. They have a better chance of staying alive becasue they were rescued. So try the shelters first and then go to Petfinder.com to find the breed you want. The more dogs that get adopted from the shelters,the more room they have to put another one up for adoption. Also if you have the time, space you can become a foster home for some of these dogs, all the rescue groups need volunteers to take in foster dogs until they can find them a permanent home and get them used to living with a family. There are so many of them in need. Everybody that adopts an animal is making a difference, one by one, the more the better.

My puppy has the parvovirus and I just took him to the animal hospital... [2008-03-08]
to die. He I just adopted him from the animal shelter in my town a week ago. We brought him home and he was healthy and happy the first couple of days and then he took a nasty turn vomiting, diarrhea, not eating. I took him to the vet and the tested him for parvo which was positive. They gave him some antibiotics and a shot of a antiemesis medication. I took him home to try to nurse him on my own, but they told me his chances weren He was basically starving to death right in front of my eyes. He drink water and vomit it right back up. He was getting weaker by the hour and had to be carried down off the porch to go into the yard. Finally, I just couldn So I called the vet this morning and took him back in to them. They were going to put him on an IV but his prognosis is grave. He was vomiting up blood and has bloody diarrhea. The vet just called to tell me he felt it was best to euthanize Maverick and wanted my permission to do it. I just hate that this happened! The vet has been trying to console me telling me he hates that this happened to and that he has tried to tell that animal shelter that they have a problem down there with unhealthy animals, but no one will listen. The kicker is it is run by the city police, it So who do you report them to in that situation? Anyway, I just wanted to tell everyone before you adopt from any animal shelter or human society, make sure the animal is healthy. Make sure the shelter tests for diseases and gives your animal all the necessary immunizations! This has been a horrible ordeal for my family. We lost our family dog five years ago to liver toxicity and liver failure due to bad flea medicine. I refused to get another dog for a long time. I finally made the decision to adopt another dog and this happens. I think for now I We are just a little emotionally scarred right now and I'm so upset that my kids had to through all of this! The animal shelter said they would refund my adoption fee that I paid. That's nice and all, but that doesn't make this past week go away. Anyway, I just wanted cry a little because I know a lot of you guys are animal lovers/owners and you all know my pain. Thanks for listening.

Troops in Iraq throw a puppy off of a cliff. [2008-03-06]
Marine Corps Base Hawaii is investigating a shocking video of a smiling Marine throwing a puppy off the top of a steep hillside in Iraq into a gully below. The video today gained widespread attention and condemnation on the Internet. The video is shocking and deplorable and is contrary to the high standards we expect of every Marine, the Kane'ohe Bay base said in a release. Base officials said the video came to their attention this morning. An investigation has been initiated. Maj. Chris Perrine, a Marine spokesman here, said it the Marine is based out of Hawai'i. We do not tolerate this type of behavior and will take appropriate action, the base said. Two Marines are seen in combat gear smiling as one holds a white-and-black puppy by the scruff of its neck. The dog seems to be about 8 weeks old and is motionless as it is held. Cute little puppy, huh? says one Marine as he smiles broadly. Oh so cute, so cute, little puppy, says another in a child-like voice. The Marine holding the puppy is then seen throwing the animal overhand into a desert-like gully below. The animal yelps until it thuds to the ground at the bottom of the gully. That one Marine says afterward. The 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment of about 1,000 Hawai'i Marines recently replaced a sister unit in Iraq, the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment. Marine Corps Base Hawaiconduct their duties in an honorable manner that brings great credit upon the Marine Corps and the United States. There have been numerous stories of Marines adopting pets and bringing them home from Iraq or helping to arrange life-saving medical care for Iraqi children. Those are the stories that exemplify what we stand for and how most Marines behave. ====================================== The video is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlCiUMoFu84 (Safe for work because it's blurry, but still very disturbing) Some people have claimed it's possible the video is fake, but it doesn't seem likely. Really, really sick. This kind of twisted lack of humanity seems to stem partially from the brutal brainwashing soldiers go through in bootcamp, combined with the severe emotional stress of the field. Whoever those guys are, I hope they're both discharged immediately, but I also hope they receive serious emotional help.

Yes - 7 day crate training - works perfectly in one week (sm) [2008-02-25]
google it - it works great and you dont have to swat them or scold them - they learn in one week and we never had another accident after that!

Did anyone watch any of the Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet? SM [2008-02-04]
I watch it every year, but this year was particulary funny! Such adorable breeds playing running, jumping on each other, etc. I laughed my head off. The little Westie was just darling, and the little Corgie pups were so sweet.

loved the puppy bowl...sm [2008-02-04]
Personal foulwhen one peed on thefield.....Flag on the field...Unecessary ruffness! Then they had kittyhalf-time...I was on the phone with a friend (we were both watching) and said I hope there. Cat

My cat acts like a puppy (sm) [2008-02-04]
He destroys toilet paper, paper towels. He goes into the cupboards and drawers and get into chips and bread and whatever else he can munch! He will also stand in fron the fridge and MEOW! I am surprised he doesn't bark........lol

Repeat after me ... Crate training is a GOOD thing! [2008-02-03]
Invest in a good crate and use it. The crate will cost you less than the destruction in the long run. It takes a while for the dogs to get use to it but once they are they are much happier for it. My Rotts each have their own crates and when we have company or if they just want their own space they will go to their crate and chew on their KONG or a pigear. Whenever I am going to be gone for any length of time I put up my Rotts and when people come to visit and ESPECIALLY when I have other folks children in my house. Mine dont see it as punishment at all and have gotten to where at night they sleep in their crates with the doors open. Although I do have to say they prefer to have Animal planet showing on their TV in their room when I am gone for any length of time. Good Luck!!!

Sounds like he's training you, though, LOL [2007-12-19]
.

10 years? She looks like a puppy! Very cute! nm [2007-12-11]
x

potty training puppy [2007-12-07]
Of course not. I guess I should have been more blunt about saying that you should not confine a pup to a crate and call it potty training or be foolish enough to say that by locking it in a crate that it is potty trained.

YEAH baby!! Me too. sm [2008-11-18]
About 10 years ago I bought a Honda HX with prototype gas-efficient trannie, light wheels, no frills. That puppy would still be with me if not for the prototype trannie pretty much fizzled on most of the HXs but I milked mine for as long as possible. Ex had a Prelude, same year (99). He loved the car and took great care of it. Gas was killing him though (uses it to drive and travels a bit). He wanted to keep it in the family so he sold it to me. I drive about 5000 miles a year, if that. Amost 300,000 miles on that one and what a dream it is!!! He bought a new Civic. Another SWEET car. My son has a 1990 Accord, bought it used with less than 100,000 miles about 3 years ago. We've put some money into it, mostly cosmetic and just catching stuff up, but it runs like new. My Civic was actually built in US, so I didn't feel too guilty, but how many years have US automakers had to see the writing on the wall? I'm sorry, but I like keeping a car forever. No car payments are great. Honda fits that mold.

Yeah they say nuetering helps...sm [2008-11-11]
Mine is so sweet I haven't even nuetered him. But there have been some offers to breed him to females and because he is such a wonderful dog I would like to keep his bloodline going with other family pets who are inside family dogs. Now I can tell you if the dogs were bullying my child such as the ones in San Francisco they would no longer be inside and would probably be kept in some kind of kennel. I would not even trust them to stay in the yard. They would have been under lock and key. I know personally that you can't keep a pit bull locked in a room and expect that he won't get out. I tried that when I left my house because I didn't want him to be free roaming around the house because he is nosy and may get into something or chew something. Well he tore the door down and got out. I was so mad. But I learned that you can't keep them in a room and believe they can't get out. He was about a little less than a year then but now he is so good and don't get into things when I leave him. I guess the puppy in him made him do it. But I cannot express enough that mother should have never kept those pits in the house if there was the slightest problem with her son. Those must have been some mean pits. This irresponsible breeding makes me so mad. I don't want my dog to be some mean killing machine. I want a sweet baby. That is why I thought I would never own a pit but he was such a sweetheart as a pup. He was and still is real laid back.

Pitbull Attack!?!? [2008-11-09]
This is a newspaper clipping from an attack that happened locally. When you read it you think to yourself Oh my gosh! another pitbull attack and it sounds like it is the dogoh another vicious pitbull.

She IS cute, but mine is even cuter! sm [2008-10-31]
You have to know, I am NOT a dog person, although dogs think I am. We never had them growing up. I have not been around them and when I have, I mostly can't stand them. They are either filthy and stink, have terrible behavior or terrible owner behavior towards them. It is always something. I would have told you I hate dogs, especially little poodles. THEN, I downsized because the family grew up and moved out (well for now). I had not been here 3 months when I looked at my fenced yard and my loneliness, and started thinking about a dog. I thought I wanted a big dog because I have poor balance and I trip and fall all the time. A friend who used to breed poodles told me I wanted a poodle or a bichon. She said that poodles don't shed and that I probably needed a small dog. They often live longer with fewer problems and make better companions for quiet people who don't (in my case can't) take them out walking. Then, she got a poodle puppy for herself. OMG I was IN LOVE. I said, find me a poodle! She said it could take a while, but she'd find me a red poodle. She called the next morning, my pup was on her way here. She was sold to me as red, but she is apricot with white trim. Yup, a 2-tone poodle. She was 8 weeks old, tiny and adorable. I was terrified of her, but I was determined I'd learn to love her and I'd take very gentle loving care of her, no matter how scared and stupid I felt. I'd take her out and play with her and hope I could manage to house break her when I had not a clue. We had many issues over finding a food she could tolerate without puking or scours, but we got there. You know, she was house broken in under 3 weeks. I worked at teaching her to fetch a little ball and bring it back and she does it beautifully now (she is almost 2). She knows that I require she beg for a treat properly, so that I know what she is asking for and she knows she will get it. She knows how to tell me she needs to go out. When I got her, I said, that dog will N-E-V-E-R sleep in my bed. That lasted until she could jump up on my bed with me and I could not keep her off. She can sleep without me some, but I can't sleep without her at all. She has never chewed a shoe, never peed in something she should not, never chewed furniture or anything like that. My daughter says she is spoiled. She has a basket of toys and she really does play with them. When she was in that chewy stage, I gave her tiny rawhide bones, which is why I have all my shoes intact. When I go out shopping, which is not often, I buy her a toy or a treat. She is so smart. I bring in the bags and she will go through each one to find what I got her, and never ever takes something that isn't hers. Last year when my DD came home from college for a weekend and I had not had the dog too long, she kept telling me that my dog would love her better. Nuh uh! The dog loved on her only if I was not there to do it and then ignored my DD when I was! We have the sort of relationship that every pet and every owner deserves to have. She is like an extra arm or leg, an extra heart with extra love. She is so much a part of me, and I know I am a big part of her too. I love this!!!! I still don't like other people's dogs for the most part, but I love this one to bits.

Tx for your kind words [2008-10-29]
I do feel better. His brother has always felt as though he is superior to all his brothers because his mom keeps pumping that up, telling him how smart he is and wishes his brothers were as smart as he is (it sure is amazing what parent would say such things right in front of you). DH and I do realize they are just ignorant. DH said they are like strangers to me. The moving comment was kind of idiotic. DH would have had a career (and retirement) from the service but when it came time to re-enlistment he was getting ready to sign up to go to officer training, but his parents conned him into a job. They even had a freind who was some executive at a company who offered him a job paying 2 - 3 times as much as what the military did, so we opted for that. They did that so we would move out to live near them. DH showed up for the first day of work and the guy asked him what he was doing there. He said reporting for work. The guy said what work. There is no job opening here. It was at that point he should have turned around and re-enlisted but didn't. After that we moved 5 times in 20 years. Anyway...thanks for the kind words. DH & I are past it....too much going on in our lives to even think of him anymore.

OMG! I wish I'd thought of that!!!!! [2008-10-28]
Hmmm. I wonder if the Tootsie-Roll would help to potty-train my wayward kitty? (or, it might just teach her to eat poop.) Still, worth a try!

This might gross some out sm [2008-10-27]
but I saw this at a baby shower years ago and it was certainly an ice breaker! Gift was a potty chair - with a tiny Tootsie roll in the potwith some yellow jello. It was hysterical. I guess it would dependon the mom and the guests - this was a pretty funny light-hearted crowd and it went over well:)

Good for You! [2008-10-13]
I am currently training with our local literacy council to become a tutor and am so looking forward to helping people in this way. Such a need out there!

They are very sweet dogs... it's all about the owners [2008-10-07]
Thatrough looking owners, and my male dog went up to sniff the pit and kinda get playful, and i heard the guy snicker under his breath you dont want to do that dog. like, telling my dog he doesn't want to mess with his. So I am a firm believer that it is ownership. You get the pit as a puppy and love it and cherish it and it and socialize it... or you leave it, hurt it, yell at it... it's gonna become what it knows...

Not always how they are raised [2008-10-05]
I too had a pitbull from 9 weeks of age. No one could have told me then that a dog raised as she was would turn out to be nothing by heartbreak. She was well socialized, raised around people, livestock, children, other dogs, and cats. We took her everywhere with us. She went to work with me every day on a ranch.She graduated top dog in her obedience class. She was the most wonderful loving dog, with us...until around the age of 3 years, then something snapped in her little brain and she became the killer the breed is known for. It happened overnight.We came home to find the cat she was raised with from a puppy ripped to shreds with blood all over the garage. After that, her personality changed.She became so spaced out every time she would see a small child, cat, or another dog. We tried to justify it, like a parent always does when their child does something horribly wrong. Then shegot holdof another dog at the ranch whom she had known andplayed withfor a year.Fortunately,that dogsurvived and we were rightfullysuedbig time.We had her destroyedthe nextday instead of taking a chance on her getting one of our children or one of the neighborhood children or somone elses pet. It was the hardest decision we have ever made, she was like our child. The difference between pitbulls and MOST other breeds is that most other breeds bite and walk away, whereas pitbulls dona chance knowing the potential they have tobecomekillers without notice.There are too many other nice breeds out there where you will never have to worry about it. We now have a lab andour children and other pets, not to mention the neighborhood children and pets, are safe.My two cents based on personal experience on the subject.

Pitbulls [2008-10-05]
Do you think the dog was crying out for attention? I have had many dogs in my life & the ones that I find are the ones that are more likely to turn are mixed breeds. I had a Samoyed mix breed that was raised from a puppy & was great till he reached a year and a half old & he started trying to bite us. We kept him and tried our hardest to change him, but no matter what he would at any given time out of the blue growl at us and try to bite us. So believe me it isn't just a breed issue.

My DH is like that [2008-09-28]
I had a girls' night out on Friday and the kids were all out doing their own thing. As I was getting ready to go, he looked like a puppy that I had just kicked. What am I going to do all night, he asks. Uh, enjoy the peace and quiet? I have no trouble being home alone. Actually LOVE it.

Been connected with the AF for 44 years now - sm [2008-09-24]
I can tell you that security forces WILL be deployed, especially now that many bases are short handed. That means they can go anywhere armed forces are in place. I believe they deploy for up to 179 days at a giventime because to deploy for 180 days would mean a change of duty station, which is a lot of paperwork and expense. He could literally be deployed for 179 days, home for 1 day, then deployed again if they wanted to send him some place else. If they are telling him he will be gone 180 days a year then he probably will be gone at least that much. Ibelieve they do TRY to let them be at their home base for stretches if it can be done. It is a lot to ask of a spouse if and when he gets married. That said, however, I believe the AF is still a good choice for many people because of the awesome benefits and training they offer. If he can stay for 20 he will also get that retirement check every month, which is the best part of all! Best of luck to him.

I don't know what state you're in or if that [2008-09-24]
makes a different but when my husband was hired by the state, he interviewed in July and didn First off, as someone else mentioned below, it depends on what the closing date is. Whether they have 3 applicants or not to interview doesn it goes by the closing date. They legally cannot make their choice until the position is closed. After the closing date, they will do an extensive background check before notifying the chosen applicant. My husband They only check the top choice If his/her background check, doesn After the chosen one You go through a bunch of blood work and a physical exam and a TB test. Then finally, you get a start date. Depending on the type of facility, he may need to go for training. My husband works for the state pen and had to go for 6 weeks of defensive training. All in all, it The waiting is agony, but if he gets the job, it The benefits are unbeatable. Good luck -- hope your hubs gets it!!!

I personally know 3 people it was wasted on [2008-09-08]
Of the three people I know, one got a criminal justice degree and now sells real estate, another got a business degree and continues to work on a factory line, a third has decided to become a professional student and see how many degrees she can get - but she never intends to work - is 38 and never had a job in her life. I attended one of their certificate ceremonies - she was not receiving a degree, mind you, just getting a 1 year completion ceremony. I was amazed at what they were giving completion certificates for - filing was one of them - who brags they got a certificate in filing and hangs it on their wall? In my day you learned such things with OTJ training, or in high school business classes - its not rocket science to learn to file alphabetically, good grief! I was very sad that those girls had paid to learn it. I question the cirriculum and morals of colleges that have classes like that and give out certificates for them, and can't imagine what an HR person thinks when someone proudly presents it to her across the hiring desk!

Not in the bathtub but - sm [2008-08-28]
When my son was little we always knew when he was on the potty doin the business. He would sing. We used to just crack up. He would be sitting on the toilet quietly singing to himself and every now and then would get just a little louder. He's 21 now and STILL sings while on the toilet sometimes. heehee

I would call the police for sure and [2008-08-19]
state to them you feel there is abuse going on. You can remain anonymous. I once went to look at a puppy for sale and the breeder brought him out into the living room. The puppy wouldn't even come out from under the table. It was so scared. I left there thinking I'd never seen a puppy act that way and it weighed on my mind. A few days later I read in the paper this man had been arrested for cruelty to animals. Trust your instinct and report this.

Go underground [2008-08-19]
My response may raise a few hackles... please don Based on your observations and what you Automatic concern must be raised for any child in this household as well. If the dog is repeatedly having litters, it is being left outside, unattended or running loose. Someone needs to carefully plan an exit for this dog to safer pastures (during a no puppy time, of course). This may require carefully playing detective, figuringout patterns at the household for dog and humans. Find out if there are any local rescues or rescue groups in your area. Take your problem to them but present it as a hypothetical question.... Guard the details until you know who you are talking to really. Get insight into your local humane society and/or animal control and exactly how they work. In most cases, you can make a complaint anon but a signed complaint may be needed for the authorities to move forward. Without physical signs of abuse and/or neglect (cowering doesn It sounds like there may be some skin issues but, again, this is not always a sign of a bad owner. A strong word of caution: Abusers outted in a public way sometimes take their new found fame out by raging against their victims even more before help can get there. I understand you are sickened by this situation, but acting without carefully thinking things out might do more harm to all involved than good. You really need to talk to local animal people but go carefully and don There are some extremely radical people out there who mean well but have no common sense switch anymore. Finally, bless you for caring and taking this to heart.

Things to do [2008-08-06]
1. Find a trainer. 2. Yelp like a puppy whenever the dog is rough housing as that is what its littermates or pack mates would do. 3. If you yelp and it continues, play ends and they go into their kennel. You control the play and that usually helps teach them what behavior is acceptable. No words because that is giving attention..simply stop playing and put into a kennel for a time out. My oldest did this biting nonsense when he was little and we got a trainer immediately who let me see so many things on how I was reacting that made him think not only he was boss but that his behavior got him payback with negative or positive attention. I trained with her and even worked with her in her dog business for a while and learned a lotas There is no reason that a dog should need to be gotten rid of if the owner is responsible and takes care of behavior problems in a responsible, caring and teaching way. No such thing as bad dogs... only bad packleaders/owners.

Some suggestions...sm [2008-08-06]
I would enroll her in a good basic puppy obedience class. She sounds like a typical fun-loving, high-energy pup, but youclose to full size, just with some filling out to do). Plus,she will soon be entering into what I LOL She just needs to learn some need to learn how to communicate w/her in a way she can understand, which a goodtrainer can help you with. Learning the basics (sit, stay, down, come, heel) will come in very, very handy - esp. I mean, think about it, she can Teaching basic obedience to your dog issort of like teaching manners to your kids, can you imagine how insufferable they Ask your vet if there are any training classes locally that he/she recommends. You can also try the Assoc. of American Pet Dog Trainers: http://www.apdt.com/ Find someone who uses fun, positive, dog-friendly methods, and avoid anyone who wants to useforce, yelling, hitting, pushing the dog into a sit, drilling the same command over and over, etc. Do some research before deciding on a trainer,because anyone can hang out a sign and call themselves a dog trainer - doesn Training s/b a fun, bonding exp. for you and your dog. In fact, you might want to look into something called If you can And personally, Iwould not play tug-o-war with her, at least for now. For some reason, that game seems to get dogs pretty wound up and *Maybe* later, if she learns to release the toy on command when you say We train our dogs from the start that they are never allowed to put their teeth on us, ever, but some people allow the dog to do it if they do it gently, in play. I just find it easier to not let them put their teeth on us at all, but that We also teach our dogs that they are not allowed to jump up on anyone unless the person gets down on the floor and calls them up (by patting the chest). They doncontrol untilthey settle down. Please don- far from it! I often For instance, there is a dog toy called You can fill it with peanut butter and kibble, freeze some beef broth and kibble it it, all kinds of things, and give it to the dog to keep them busy. I love it! If you go to their website, they have recipes. My other big suggestion is: Exercise, exercise, and more exercise. Dog people have a saying: I can tell you from personal experience that this is soooo true. My dogs can be so obnoxious when they haven A dog that gets plenty of exercise, both physical exercise and mental exercise (in the form of training where the dog is having to concentrate which wears them out mentally just like it does us) is a good dog, because ita dog that doesnto get into mischief. Some ideas: 1. Treadmill (supervised, of course). 2. Walks on a leash with the dog having to heel and wearing a backpack that has something it for a little weight to wear him out a little. 3. Running,playing, wrestling with another dog of similar size and energy level (with a friend's dog or at the dog park maybe?) 4. My absolute, all-time personal favorite (because ILOL): Riding around the neighborhood on my mountain bike with my dog running/pulling alongside, attached with something called a Springer, which you can find here: http://www.springerusa.com/ (I use a better harness than the one that comes with it.) This is a great way to exercise your dog, IMO. Be careful, wear a helmet, let the dog set the pace. You have a high-energy breed, so... enjoy!

I posted this around the 4th of July...sm [2008-08-06]
I wrote this: >>> One of my dogs has a little bit of a problem with loud noises such as fireworks and thunderstorms. He doesn't get too terribly upset (likes to hide, refuses to go outside for awhile even after it's quieted down), but I happened to read an article about how using peppermint oil on the dog's paw pads helps to really calm them, so I'm going to give it a try this year. It has to be real peppermint oil (not the kind found in the grocery store in the baking section), so I went to a local health food store and bought a bottle. You put the oil on a cotton pad, then put some on each of the dog's paws. I did a Google search and found a lot of comments from people saying it worked for their dog. (Just type in 'thunderstorms peppermint oil.') >>> I can tell you, it worked! It lasted for about 3-4 hours. You might want to give it a try. You don't say how young your puppy is, but if he's really young, you might want to check w/your vet just to make sure it's safe to use on a puppy. There is also some sort of vest that is sold that wraps around the dog and makes them feel secure. I haven't tried that though. You also want to avoid unintentionally reinforcing the dog's fearful behavior by comforting/petting the dog too much when it's afraid. Just act like it's no big deal, and say positive things like 'You're okay, buddy!' and go on about your business. Also, I haven't looked at the links that the other poster gave you, but there is probably a lot of great info. there on Cesar Millan's (the Dog Whisperer) website. I love him!

I had trouble believing - sm [2008-08-05]
My daughter was four when we moved into our house and within months she was insisting she was seeing lights, orbs, etc. I admit I heard footsteps but told myself I was hearing things. Anyway she eventually, about 3-4 years later,had actually seen and knew the names of two - spirits? ghosts? I was still skeptical - overactive imagination, etc, until she and I saw something in our living room at the same time that I could not explain any other way about two years ago. She's 16 now. Yeah, I would believe. PS - my philosophy about most kid behaviors like wanting to sleep with parents has always been - somewhere between now and college she'll stop . . sucking her thumb, crawling in bed with me, get potty trained, etc, etc, etc. It puts things in perspective. And here we are on the brink of college and the only thing left is she's asking me to tuck her in at night. I'll do that till the night she gets a husband to take that delightful task over for me!

What to do with a puppy who plays too rough? [2008-08-04]
My puppy who is about 6 months old now and is going to be a good size dog (she's a boxer). She is getting to where she plays too rough. She bites really hard and doesn't know when it is enough. I have toys for her and try to encourage her to play with them and I have a rope that we play tug of war with, but she loves to jump up on people and bite their hair, hands and feet and she can bite hard. Plus I have a cat and she's very rough when she plays with the cat. My cat is pretty playful and likes to play, but doesn't always give my dog a good swat when she needs it, so I'm constantly having to rescue my cat because she just meows and catterwalls when the dog gets too rough. We havenno sternly and swat her on the behind with a rolled up newspaper (not hard, just for the noise) and that will have immediate results, but she always comes back for more. So what do I do? She just loves people and especially kids and she just wants to jump on them and give them big kisses and start playing. My daughter had a friend over this weekend and the little girl was immediately scared of our dog because our dog was so excited and jumping on her. I hate to see kids afraid of my dog when she really just wants to play and be loved on. I need to settle her down without breaking her spirit and I just don't know how to do it!

Rough dog. [2008-08-04]
My experience is that a rough puppy turns into a rough dog. I had a mixed breed that was rough when he was young and turned into a mean dog. He actually had scratches on my youngest child's arms. When he got older, he had one of my children corned up against a wall one day. My children are not afraid of dogs, but, needless to say, I had to get rid of him.

Yeah, my huskies have all done the same - sm [2008-08-04]
thing, nothing is safe from them. Our recent one grabbed the family cat once, luckily we were all there, miscommunication, someone let him in without the gate up, cat happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, dog came in, saw her and lunged. I grabbed him and pried his mouth off the cat (whose body was fully in his mouth as he grabbed her over her back). She escaped (minus several lives) with losing just a tiny tuft of fur, no blood, no cuts. But he doesn't even like small dogs....kids want to get a puppy soon but not sure if that is going to work or not. He has slowed down some now though and is almost 7 so it might work, but would have to be very careful. He is good dog though, big boy at 82 pounds, quite large for a purebred husky (not fat).