pets

[Michele]

I don't think shock collars are cruel...they are ABSOLUTELY necessary in some cases. (There are quite a few people in my class thought that would disagree though.)

For the Shepard/Chow mix....

1. Chewing things up. I don't really have any good tips for this. I've learned to not leave anything chewable around....which means we have no throw pillows on the couch and have had to get rid of one couch already because it was chewed...we used the bitter apple but she figured out how to lick it all off really quickly and then she doesn't taste it. Crazy dog. We keep all doors closed when we aren't home and occasionally she's crated if I can't pick everything up.

2. Jumping on the counters. The best trick I've heard is to put double sided tape or flypaper on the counter. You could also try mouse traps. The idea behind this is aversion therapy...make it very undesirable to get on the counters...the hard part is living with all the crap on the counters. You could try an electric fence type thing that will go off when he reachers a certain height...though if you ever play with him and he jumps up or he jumps on the couch it might trigger the shock when you don't need it...maybe something to look into though depending on the design of your house and how hard it is to get him to stay off the counters.

3. Digging. Not a clue how to get rid if this behavior...don't let him outside unattended?

All three of your issues are behavior related. It may help if you exercise him everyday for 30 minutes to an hour to burn off his energy. It may also help if you join an obedience class type thing (or work him with obedience every day) to try to get him to focus and work his brain...that usually wears dogs out pretty fast. One other idea that might help is to hide Kong toys filled with food when you are gone...that way he has something to keep himself occupied and he wont get into trouble...this is recommended for separation anxiety dogs as well.

Sorry I have no quick fixes for you. Behavior problems take a long time to correct and are really frustrating.

Michele

[PrincessFiona]

shock collars

Just adding my .02 about the shock collars. We resisted for the last two years and then I finally decided that I couldn't take it anymore. We had a lot of problems as a result of her barking....within two days she wasn't barking anymore. She can stay outside with us and play.....it is so much nicer for her. Before, I had her locked in the house while we were outside because she barked at the neighbors, other dogs, etc....This was without a doubt the kindest decision for both Molly (our dog) and us.

It has improved her quality of life.....

kris

Having seen a shock collar used, I think it can be a good option when used appropriately and correctly. I think it can even save a dog's life -- if the collar helps to prevent it from running away.

We have used the Kong toy with our dogs and it really helped. We have a male lab who "grew up" at 18 months and a female lab who, at 5 years, will probably be "forevery young". (She now lives with my brother because they both need the attention ). She has always had a lot of spastic energy and was destructive when we left the house. She would eat magnets, pictures, etc off the fridge -- the upper part of the fridge. Once she was able to pull wine glasses out of the kitchen sink and drop them back into the sink. Of course they shattered and made a huge mess (but she wasn't hurt). The amazing thing is that our kitchen counters are about 6" higher than normal and we have an extra deep sink. I don't know how she does it! And the papers she would eat....usually the Visa bill. So, we put her in her crate when we left and then everything was fine.

The Kong really helped keep her occupied and quieter when we were home. You just stick some peanut butter or cheese inside and smear it all around. It keeps them busy for hours trying to wedge their tongue inside to lick it out. You can also do this with a shin bone but make sure it is a really good, sturdy, hard one. I think these may be less expensive than a Kong (around $10). We have shin bones that lasted over 4 years. You can never play catch with them, though, because they are so hard and could hurt someone. There is also a thing called a Buster Cube (or something like that). The dog has to figure out which way to turn the cube to get pieces of kibble out.

[Michele]

After the case I just had tonight...

if your dog goes acutely lame...if all of the sudden he can't walk, take him to the vet immediately...and find a neurologist ASAP and go immediately...don't wait...the dog we saw tonight waited three days to come see the neurologist at the vet school....we (I'm on surgery) finally went to cut tonight and the dog has irreversible changes and we can't do anything to fix her....maybe we wouldn't have been able to do anything if she'd come in earlier...but maybe we could've....now we won't know. It just sucks.

Michele