I bought Jan Fennel's book when I got my 1st dog about 20 yrs ago - I found it very helpful. The thing with dogs is that 2 seconds after doing something, your dog has forgotten all about it, so you have to be very, very quick with any commands to stop behaviour you'd rather they didn't have - literally within a second. Something short and sharp to get their immediate attention (e.g. 'DA'!!) then a tiny shake of the head and a stern face - they soon get the message - followed by a big smile and lots of praise when they stop. After all they want to please their owners - they don't realise they're doing something wrong.
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Your two dogs are absolutely gorgeous, they look so happy and content, keen and alert.. they are lucky to have you I think..
Two lovely dogs..
Awe thank you, Otis is a Pomeranian, he was planned. It was fate as he has a unbreakable bond with my fiancee, within weeks of having him, he kept sniffing and burying his noise into her breast, then she had a routine breast screening, unfortunately she's got Breast Cancer, we think as he was completely obsessed with the correct area, somehow he knew, Harper was a rescue, I was trawling through gumtree for some garden plants and she popped up. Fell in love with her photo and story why she needed to be rehomed. So we drove the 4 hour trip and got her. Never looked back. They boned straight away
Fortunately neither of our two liked to to dig, but our girl loved to accompany me around the garden and was intently obsessed with weeding. I would toss the weeds into a bucket as I dug them up and she dived in to toss them out again. If she tried to preempt me and get in the border a stern ‘off’ worked (whatever command word/sound you choose, stick to it, don’t chop and change). The weed bucket was an acceptable distraction to both, toys she wasn’t bothered about. So both distraction and positive involvement in gardening with me are strategies that worked.
Be firm but calm when you need to, but never try to be over-controlling, get angry, shout or wave your arms about as they will think you are unstable and someone to be feared. A trainer told me only give a command once, if they ignore you, show them what to do by, say, lifting them out of the border/removing them from a plant etc., then gently praise. If they obey, give effusive praise and occasionally a treat. What we may see as mad or destructive behaviour is just natural curiosity to them and how they learn about their environment - but they do need to learn some limits!
I wouldn’t worry too much about poisonous plants/berries as one taste is usually enough to put them off and it’s really very difficult for a dog to eat sufficient quantities of something to make them ill. If there is any plant you are particularly concerned about or that is precious to you, you could always erect a temporary barrier around it until they lose interest.
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
Dogs are so incredibly knowing and aware, I 'liked' your post just to show I've read it, but of course I'm so sorry to hear of your news, and we wish her well on that..
Our late Greyhound, an ex racer and very muscular dog, used to dig our garden, great big holes. I let him carry on as it was his nature, and occasionally it helped me as he made good planting holes, deep and wide.. very suitable for roses... best wishes..
Our German Shep, Rusty, is 9 years old, we've had him since he chose us when we visited a dog rescue centre when he was about 11 weeks old. He and his sister were abandoned on the rescue centre's steps when they were about 2 weeks old
Rusty is obviously a big dog, and he does what big dogs do; I feared for my tomato plants. Obviously we don't want 'dog tainted toms'! UCK! I read somewhere that dogs can hate the smell of marigolds, and as marigolds are a companion plant for tomatoes, we planted a row of them in front of the toms. He does look to do his 'lifting his leg' elsewhere. I'm just hoping his pee could help with rampant blackfly on the dahlias
There are quite a few other plants you might be able to use to keep your lovely dogs off plants you cherish, have a Google .
I have three dogs and the oldest (6) and biggest of them is a garden nightmare. Digging holes, chewing plants even in tubs, chasing (and on one occasion catching) the birds, hunting for mice, frogs, rats or anything that moves. I do try to limit their time in the garden especially when unsupervised but they still manage to destroy something once in a while . I’ve switched my gardening efforts to the front garden where they are most definitely not allowed! Ps I found a branch of a Pieris bush on the deck and that same day one of the dogs, a cross collie/ Bernese, was quite ill - trembling and hardly able to move herself. She seemed to be holding her tummy in when her pitiful attempt at walking. It did wear off and I mentioned it to the vet but she had no idea what it could have been. Maybe a coincidence about the pieris branch but I’ve decided to move it early autumn just for my peace of mind.
Thanks @pansyface 🌸 She certainly had a few of those symptoms and possibly more. She’s a young dog and very robust so I’d hate to think what would happen if my little cross Pom had a go at the bush. Will bring the relocation plans forward I think!
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The thing with dogs is that 2 seconds after doing something, your dog has forgotten all about it, so you have to be very, very quick with any commands to stop behaviour you'd rather they didn't have - literally within a second.
Something short and sharp to get their immediate attention (e.g. 'DA'!!) then a tiny shake of the head and a stern face - they soon get the message - followed by a big smile and lots of praise when they stop.
After all they want to please their owners - they don't realise they're doing something wrong.
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Harper was a rescue, I was trawling through gumtree for some garden plants and she popped up. Fell in love with her photo and story why she needed to be rehomed. So we drove the 4 hour trip and got her. Never looked back. They boned straight away
Be firm but calm when you need to, but never try to be over-controlling, get angry, shout or wave your arms about as they will think you are unstable and someone to be feared. A trainer told me only give a command once, if they ignore you, show them what to do by, say, lifting them out of the border/removing them from a plant etc., then gently praise. If they obey, give effusive praise and occasionally a treat. What we may see as mad or destructive behaviour is just natural curiosity to them and how they learn about their environment - but they do need to learn some limits!
I wouldn’t worry too much about poisonous plants/berries as one taste is usually enough to put them off and it’s really very difficult for a dog to eat sufficient quantities of something to make them ill. If there is any plant you are particularly concerned about or that is precious to you, you could always erect a temporary barrier around it until they lose interest.
Our late Greyhound, an ex racer and very muscular dog, used to dig our garden, great big holes. I let him carry on as it was his nature, and occasionally it helped me as he made good planting holes, deep and wide.. very suitable for roses... best wishes..
Rusty is obviously a big dog, and he does what big dogs do; I feared for my tomato plants. Obviously we don't want 'dog tainted toms'! UCK! I read somewhere that dogs can hate the smell of marigolds, and as marigolds are a companion plant for tomatoes, we planted a row of them in front of the toms. He does look to do his 'lifting his leg' elsewhere. I'm just hoping his pee could help with rampant blackfly on the dahlias
There are quite a few other plants you might be able to use to keep your lovely dogs off plants you cherish, have a Google
Cambridgeshire/Norfolk border.
Ps I found a branch of a Pieris bush on the deck and that same day one of the dogs, a cross collie/ Bernese, was quite ill - trembling and hardly able to move herself. She seemed to be holding her tummy in when her pitiful attempt at walking. It did wear off and I mentioned it to the vet but she had no idea what it could have been. Maybe a coincidence about the pieris branch but I’ve decided to move it early autumn just for my peace of mind.
She certainly had a few of those symptoms and possibly more. She’s a young dog and very robust so I’d hate to think what would happen if my little cross Pom had a go at the bush. Will bring the relocation plans forward I think!