Lyle's home and he's doing so well. He's just as sweet as can be, very loving, a great mix of playful and couch potato. I've got a couple of questions for all you "experts". We ended up finding a different house so the mold issue is no longer a problem.
1) Food -- In foster he ate, Mighty Dog canned food mixed with kibble (not sure what kind). I stuck with the might dog and tried different samples of high quality kibble (at least that's how they were described by the people at the "doggie health food store" we went to) -- most of them he sucked off the MD and spit out the kibble, but eventually we discovered that he liked EVO brand red meat small bite kibble (yes, he's picky). Once we had that down I started trying higher quality of canned food and found 2 that he'll eat -- Welluva Steak Frites flavor, and Canidae chicken, fish and something else flavor. He's been getting about 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup of EVO with about 1/5 of a can of one of those two twice a day -- does that sound like a good permanent plan. He's 27 lbs, and about the right weight.
2) Chewing -- the only behavior problem we've had has been chewing on blankets and sheets, and only at night. I can leave him in my son's room all day (with the dog walker coming in the middle) and he'll ignore the blankets, but once we turn off the lights to go to sleep he just settles down and starts chewing -- everything has holes. The one thing that helps is giving him one of these http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...ductId=3200150 at bedtime -- then he chews on that until he's ready to go to sleep, but I worry about him splintering it while we're asleep. The dog walker said he wants our smell, and to give him old Tshirts that we've worn, and just redirect him to those whenever he starts chewing on something -- but wouldn't that confuse him and make him think he can chew our clothes? He will only chew bones and fabric -- he's got a rope chew toy and a doggies stuffed animal he likes. Rubber things like a kong he will not touch.
3) Going outside -- he will not go in the backyard without us, just stands on the porch and stares at the back door. A couple of days ago I left him with DS and a teenage babysitter for 2 hours. I told them not to go outside (not a great neighborhood) but they ran him around so much that he got thirsty and drank a lot -- then he started asking to go out. They kept trying to let him in the backyard, but he'd refuse (because the didn't want to go with him because I told them not to leave the house), when I came home he was desperately waiting at the front door because he had to pee. I don't need to him to spend long periods of time in the backyard, but there are moments when I'd love for him to go out and pee (e.g. late at night, or when we've just come home from the grocery store and I want to unload the groceries before we go out for a walk). Any suggestions on how to train this?
4) Dog park -- we went to the dog park the other day, and he kept trying to hump the other dogs, who were turning and snapping at his ears. He didn't get the message and kept trying, and went back after I pulled him off. His "victims" were all about 3 times his weight which made me very nervous. So, we left. But he loved it there, so I'd like to go back. Any suggestions on how to teach him not to do this?
5) Tail -- he's got an Spitz type tail -- all curled up most of the time, which makes it hard for me to read him sometimes (dog books say -- high tail is aggressive, but it's always high. It doesn't exactly wag). But when we come home after a long walk or other form of exercise, it's droopy and he gets all cuddly. My son swears this means he's "sad" and that we're doing something wrong. He says that he doesn't like what I'm doing to him at this time (which is usually stroking him, scratching behind his ears and telling him he's a good dog). -- but I'm thinking it means "tired", and that if he didn't like being scratched like that he'd walk away. He does walk away from other things he doesn't like -- e.g. he likes tug of war and fetch for about 1/2 an hour and then he's tired and done and will walk away and ignore my son even if he keeps throwing the rope toy. Is the drooping tail something I should be worried about? It usually lasts about 20 minutes and then he's ready to move around again.
Thanks!
1) Food -- In foster he ate, Mighty Dog canned food mixed with kibble (not sure what kind). I stuck with the might dog and tried different samples of high quality kibble (at least that's how they were described by the people at the "doggie health food store" we went to) -- most of them he sucked off the MD and spit out the kibble, but eventually we discovered that he liked EVO brand red meat small bite kibble (yes, he's picky). Once we had that down I started trying higher quality of canned food and found 2 that he'll eat -- Welluva Steak Frites flavor, and Canidae chicken, fish and something else flavor. He's been getting about 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup of EVO with about 1/5 of a can of one of those two twice a day -- does that sound like a good permanent plan. He's 27 lbs, and about the right weight.
2) Chewing -- the only behavior problem we've had has been chewing on blankets and sheets, and only at night. I can leave him in my son's room all day (with the dog walker coming in the middle) and he'll ignore the blankets, but once we turn off the lights to go to sleep he just settles down and starts chewing -- everything has holes. The one thing that helps is giving him one of these http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...ductId=3200150 at bedtime -- then he chews on that until he's ready to go to sleep, but I worry about him splintering it while we're asleep. The dog walker said he wants our smell, and to give him old Tshirts that we've worn, and just redirect him to those whenever he starts chewing on something -- but wouldn't that confuse him and make him think he can chew our clothes? He will only chew bones and fabric -- he's got a rope chew toy and a doggies stuffed animal he likes. Rubber things like a kong he will not touch.
3) Going outside -- he will not go in the backyard without us, just stands on the porch and stares at the back door. A couple of days ago I left him with DS and a teenage babysitter for 2 hours. I told them not to go outside (not a great neighborhood) but they ran him around so much that he got thirsty and drank a lot -- then he started asking to go out. They kept trying to let him in the backyard, but he'd refuse (because the didn't want to go with him because I told them not to leave the house), when I came home he was desperately waiting at the front door because he had to pee. I don't need to him to spend long periods of time in the backyard, but there are moments when I'd love for him to go out and pee (e.g. late at night, or when we've just come home from the grocery store and I want to unload the groceries before we go out for a walk). Any suggestions on how to train this?
4) Dog park -- we went to the dog park the other day, and he kept trying to hump the other dogs, who were turning and snapping at his ears. He didn't get the message and kept trying, and went back after I pulled him off. His "victims" were all about 3 times his weight which made me very nervous. So, we left. But he loved it there, so I'd like to go back. Any suggestions on how to teach him not to do this?
5) Tail -- he's got an Spitz type tail -- all curled up most of the time, which makes it hard for me to read him sometimes (dog books say -- high tail is aggressive, but it's always high. It doesn't exactly wag). But when we come home after a long walk or other form of exercise, it's droopy and he gets all cuddly. My son swears this means he's "sad" and that we're doing something wrong. He says that he doesn't like what I'm doing to him at this time (which is usually stroking him, scratching behind his ears and telling him he's a good dog). -- but I'm thinking it means "tired", and that if he didn't like being scratched like that he'd walk away. He does walk away from other things he doesn't like -- e.g. he likes tug of war and fetch for about 1/2 an hour and then he's tired and done and will walk away and ignore my son even if he keeps throwing the rope toy. Is the drooping tail something I should be worried about? It usually lasts about 20 minutes and then he's ready to move around again.
Thanks!
about the kong... all of ours have loved them.
on the stuffed toys, good idea!
And I'm sure that translates into an awesome people mama too. I'm really touched by how much attention you pay to Lyle and his needs and by your desire to help him settle in. I really am happy you found each other.
