Home › Forums › WSB Reader Recommendations › Help, my dog just got me in trouble
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August 21, 2008 at 12:08 am #587824
WSMomParticipantPlease give me dog training advice…
We believe we are the luckiest family around when we got to rescue a wheaten terrier & poodle mix (whoodle) dog from the Humane Society. We LOVE LOVE LOVE this girl. She is the funniest, sweetest, most delightful dog we’ve ever been around. Everyone who sees her thinks she belongs in the movies she’s so cute!! Now for the bad part, she’s determined to get out of our yard. We just added an additional fence and gate to our yard to try and keep her in. Today I was talking on the phone while picking up dog poo in my side yard (yes, I left the gate open) when the mailman came. I didn’t hear him and I didn’t notice her leaving my side and before I knew it she was chasing him down the street. She did come back when I called her, came in and walked straight into her kennel because she knew she was in trouble. Should I just keep her on a leash when we’re outside? I had just taken her for a walk and thrown the ball for her, so I know she had exercize. What is it with dogs and postal carriers???? What do other folks do to prevent this from happening. This time it was me leaving the gate open, but often it’s my kids or friends who come in the yard. She’s an inside the house dog, but kids and dogs run in and out all day, especially when the sun is shining. OK, I know I’m rambling, I’m so frustrated that this has happened when I make such an effort to keep our dogs contained.
August 21, 2008 at 12:18 am #634798
JoBParticipantWSMom…
geez.. i seem to be channeling this maiden aunt thing today…
first, what you don’t want to hear..
you have to train yourself.
you really shouldn’t have any dog in any unenclosed area without a leash on.
For today, that means you have to train yourself to close the gate and keep it closed.. even if you are going right back through.
second.. have you done structured obedience work?
it might be worthwhile. one of the things you learn is down and down stay.. that way a command can stop a smart dog…
third.. this one is easier to hear..
you can buy the type of dog perimeter fencing that goes in ground to put under any gates. the dog wears a collar and gets a shock when it gets too close to the wire… that gives you an additional layer of protection when gates are left open… that breed is likely to respond pretty quickly to an invisible fence.
it is likely no matter what you do that a smart dog will learn not to run off that way when she realizes how much it distresses you.
That just takes time. And in the meantime, you get to be super diligent:)
ok.. and the last comment from the channeled maiden aunt…
give yourself a break. you can’t be any more perfect a mom to your dog than you were to your kids. Just like with kids, mistakes have to happen before you can correct them.
The summer will soon be over, kids will be back in school and your dog will have fewer distractions and fewer opportunities…
Good luck. i am sure you are a great dog mom and that she is a great dog.
August 21, 2008 at 12:28 am #634799
ErikParticipantOur mailman just brings treats.
August 21, 2008 at 12:34 am #634800
changingtimesMemberHi all, i just wanted to point out about the electrical collar. My friend purchased one for her Mastiff puppy. The dog either in the rain or while drinking from his bowl electrocuted (sp?) himself so bad he was bleeding from the kneck and almost died. He was brought to the emergency vet and they said that they see this all the time and was told to never purchase such an intrument for your dog! anyways they took it back to Petco in the junction and Petco gave them the full refund plus some and was very nice about the whole thing. But long story short do not buy this for your dog! on another note, my dogs love to chase the mailman as well. There is no stopping them. i have introduced the mail carrier to them on muliple occassions but they still run after the poor man. Somewhere along the process he has began to bring treats everyday. So now the dogs still bark but i believe now its in greeting of the guy :)
August 21, 2008 at 1:45 am #634801
AnonymousInactivePut a spring return on your gate. Sold at any hardware store and will pull the gate back closed even if it doesn’t get latched correctly. You can adjust the tension to be pretty tight if preferred and it snaps back rather quickly even if a kid rushes through absent mindedly. Get the heavy duty size, by the way.
August 21, 2008 at 2:22 am #634802
MagpieParticipantYou have to be really careful with any bad interaction with the mail carrier. They can chose not to deliver your mail or state that you have a dangerous dog. If they file a certain number of complaints (I can’t remember if it is 2 or 3) they can have your dog taken away. We had a golden retriever once that was like Houdini..we actually had to lay a cement apron (that was about 8 inches deep) under the fenced in kennel. He actually chewed through 2×4’s and dug like no dog I had ever seen. One day, he got out and we never found him.
August 21, 2008 at 3:30 am #634803
JoBParticipantAugust 21, 2008 at 3:42 am #634804
mellaw6565MemberWSMom – do you have cable or satellite? Watch the “Dog Whisperer” – Cesar is amazing and you’ll learn a lot of techniques watching his show. Hope this helps.
August 21, 2008 at 4:09 am #634805
WSMomParticipantThank you, all of you for the good advice. Next paycheck, I’m buying a few more leashes to hook her up outside when I’m in the side yard. Plus, I bungy-corded the gate that we all leave open.
I was giving myself a head ache worrying about what happened today. Thanks for listening and giving me some ideas!!
August 21, 2008 at 4:17 am #634806
JoBParticipantProject Runway should clear the headache:)
August 21, 2008 at 4:29 am #634807
flowerpetalMemberHere’s one trainer’s theory on dogs and mail carriers. Man in blue uniform walks up to the house. Dog barks cuz he/she doesn’t know who this is. Man walks away (because he has deliverd the mail). Dog thinks: “Hmmm, I scared him away with my bark.” Behavior continues and the dog is rewarded by the stranger leaving.
I’ve made this recommendation before. Family Dog in Kent. I think they are incomparable.
August 21, 2008 at 7:27 am #634808
glocsonMemberBuy a pug….
August 21, 2008 at 11:32 am #634809
KenParticipantI have bungee cords on each gate that does not have a pad lock. The paving stones and timbers line the entire yard fence line anywhere trees and shrubs don’t make the earth non dig-able.
The gates we use also have a bungee through the gate latch since the Lab can open the gate by nosing three different types of latch.
We sometimes dog sit and sometimes foster for dogs not our own so over the years have developed primary and secondary containment strategies through the use of multiple fence lines.
Ya gotta be serious about dogs if you want to keep them out of trouble.
August 21, 2008 at 3:06 pm #634810
CMPParticipantI agree with #8…watch the Dog Whisperer! I am hardly a dog lover, but when I dog-sit for friends, I want their (often) spoiled pet to know who’s in charge. Keep her on a leash with the gate open and if she tries to bolt, just give her a tug so she know it’s not acceptable behavior. She’ll figure it out after awhile, especially if there’s a spring on the gate to snap back at her. Good luck!
August 21, 2008 at 3:52 pm #634811
JoBParticipantKen..
LOL.. you are so right.
smart dogs aren’t for wimps. you gotta get serious.
but they are so much fun to be around.
August 21, 2008 at 3:57 pm #634812
rs261MemberFor those who love the dog whisperer…please read the following link
February 5, 2009 at 6:40 am #634813 -
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