General Dog Chat Part II

[BiteyShark]

A place for nattering about our canine friends.

Old or new, feel free to come and chat any time

My parents both adore Bluepuppy Avacados. Even my dad who has never really had anything to do with dogs before. He loves them as well. I’d just like them to not feel obliged to visit him.

They can’t look after Bluepuppy at their place as they have cats so I have a lady that does home boarding for any trips away. He also goes to daycare twice a week so it’s a bit of a joint effort looking after my boy!

Ok, going from all my youtube watching, if stop and wait doesn't work when pulling there are 2 other things to try

• turn round and go back, sit, look at you, refocus, treat, try again. I had to do this to get down my front path to the door, as we would get home and he pulled me over to get in the garden gate. It took 10 turn round stop and waits the first time for him to get the message at all, and then another 4 or 5 to get down the path. (which is about 3 metres long!) After that, it took once or twice each time, until after a week or so he got it.
• stop, and then start walking backwards, gently pulling the dog backwards, he soon turns round to see what on earth you are doing, lead goes slack, walk forward (you're lucky of you get one step) and then he pulls, stop, start walking backwards.

The youtube trainer did say you may only get 10 yards down the road the first day!

As steppedog needs serious exercise we did it by using 2 leads. One short lead plus harness was training lead. Used it down our road to the first patch of green (100 yards) this sometimes took 30 minutes. Then switch to longer lead (and to start with the halti) and stopped with all training, just walked. Eventually we let him off at this green, but not initially as he recall was too bad. We don't use the long lead at all now, he is either on short lead behaving him self (mostly) or off lead. But using that as to start with meant we could still go on a walk.

It meant we could train seriously, but only for 100 yards.

The day that I cracked it though was when I went out, intending to do a 10 minute loop through new roads to our usual nature reserve, and misjudged where I was, we walked for 50 minutes on pavements doing lead training until we reached the reserve and I let him off. He was fed up, but it really drummed it in, and he cracked it that day. (and was VERY tired afterwards!)

very envious of beach walks. I haven't even got out into the sunshine yet, I am sick of the smell of paint!

sorry, sound a bit bossy about the pulling thing.
Having cracked it, Ive gone all evangelical about it

I do the turning around when he pulls. Not sure it has helped so I need to have a rethink about what I am doing wrong. Saying that I have seen some spaniels have no slack at all ever on the lead so I guess he could be worse .

Just left him alone for 1 hour whilst I nipped out to get him used to being alone again given that he tends to develop anxiety after any vet stays. He was restless and kept getting up thinking we were back but not too bad considering. He did greet me as if I had been away for a year so clearly its going to take time for him to settle again being left.

steppemum actually it's quite helpful as I think I just need to crack the right technique so interesting to hear all the different things to try.

Bluetongue and yogadrone - Leonbergers don’t need a ton of exercise because of the strain on large joints. Mine is 11 months so just getting up to long walks maybe 3 or 4 x pw. We do have a lot of land though and he is battling with a Fox every night so he gets plenty of exercise. Because of the double coat they do feel the heat and can overheat v quickly so we need to be careful as the weather gets warmer. Regarding poo size, apart from ‘what make of dog is that’ the other question I am asked by everyone is ‘how big are his poos’ he is raw fed so not much waste and very low odour. My Dad’s Labrador is grain fed and those poos are bloody huge. And stink.

I found this youtube video helpful, as it was dealing with an adult dog who pulled badly, rather than a puppy.

prada - this isn't you is it?
prada?

Wow that's a big dog!!

Bloody hell, my dog likes to lie on me. I would be flattened by a Leonberger

Steppemum - 😂 no not mine. But mine is only 11 months and 60kgs 😱 and he does think he’s a lap dog 🤔

Weirdly, we have pretty much cracked SquirrelDog running in circles round me and tying me up in his lead - I just cracked one day and decided that I WAS NOT HAVING IT, taught him 'go round' (i.e. 'Go round to my other side back where you came from'), and here we are; he now proceeds mainly in a straight line. Obviously I haven't quite reached the end of my patience with him pulling - another example of how it's not the dog, it's the owner

blimey 60kg!
steppedog weighs 18, he is a lightweight!

Indy's 44lb at 11 months. About right for a bulldog.

I am glad BiteyDog weights on average 12-13kg. I find that's heavy enough when I have to carry or lift him

My madam is 5kg... still pretty big for a chihuahua

There are a few Leonbergers in our local park. No idea where they're keeping them as we're in inner London! My favourite has to be the lady who has four toy breeds (pomeranians etc) but then bought an enormous softy of a Leonberger to protect them all

PestDog is 6kg but he's not averse to standing on his back legs so he can sniff a leonberger's mouth and see what they had for breakfast

Indy's going to the groom room at 9. Spring special which includes a blueberry facial. Didnt know dogs could get these but apparently they can.

That sounds lovely Goood, think I would like one of those myself

We are off to agility later. We are only still learning the techniques so we should be ok but may have to sit out one or two sections if there is a risk that he might catch his stomach area if he gets it wrong. The top section of his wound is hardly showing now but the bottom is still a bit pink (not pink enough to be worried but pink enough to know it's still healing)

Avocados- my friend sent me a picture of that lady with the Poms and one Leo as she walked by her in a cafe! How funny!

The boy after his pamper session

@Prada - must be the same lady! Small world.

Oh he's gorgeous Goood.

Steppedog is in disgrace.
Walked this this morning, came to cross roads, he turned left into a field and carpark area. I wanted to go right. I called, he didn't come, I got to the crossroads and called again, no dog. Hmm, that is not normal, stood and called and called, went left looking for him, but couldn't see him in the field or car park. Not happy as obvioulsy wouldn't chose to have him off lead in (empty, woodland type) car park. Went right, couldn't see him. Now really getting worried as I can always see or hear where he is, even if he is slow to come back.

Went back left and finally saw him, behind a bush. There was a HUGE amount of bread and a whole traybake style cake scattered on the ground, at least a whole loaf. He was stuffing his face, and given how long it had taken me to find him, had eaten at least half a loaf, and half the cake. He wouldn't come, would't let me near, kept goign round the bush (so if I went one way he got back to the food, and if I went the other way he got bakc to the food) Another dog that we know came along, and steppedog growled and growled at her (resource guarding).

FINALLY I got him on and put the lead on, and the second I got him he reverted to normal steppedog.

Then he stopped at the river and drank and drank (yeah, the bread was dry!)
I looked down at him and he is SO FAT. Really. He gets a fat stomach after he has eaten, I think he is generally thin, and he eats, and gets fat.

Now, 7 hours later, he is still REALLY, REALLY FAT. I have never seen him so huge.

bloody rubbish bin of a dog!

dh and I are just wondering if we give him dinner and if so how much!