[genteelpuppies]

Been bringing my 4 month old westie to the dog park, which contains a "small breed" section. I've been having a hard time getting him to play with other dogs - he either stays near me or goes off to chew on leaves. Eventually the other dogs stop chasing him since he doesn't reciprocate any interest in them and also outruns them easily (I make him run continuously at least 10 min a day on top of his 1 hr walk). I keep positioning myself so that he has to pass through other dogs to get to me.

I take him to the big dog section as well so that he gets maximum "initial interest" time from as many dogs as possible. He almost outruns even the big dogs, but squeaks when they catch up and push him around. When he runs to me, I jump onto a high rock that he claws at while trying to evade the other dogs, tumbling in the dirt in frantic pivots. Is there any risk of injury from him playing with the big dogs? So far all the other dogs are friendly but I'm worried that one "play" bite from an aggressive big dog will decapitate my baby...

 

[Francl27]

He could get hurt badly.

 

[DogFaming]

Your puppy needs you to be there for him

Been bringing my 4 month old westie to the dog park, which contains a "small breed" section. I've been having a hard time getting him to play with other dogs - he either stays near me or goes off to chew on leaves. Eventually the other dogs stop chasing him since he doesn't reciprocate any interest in them and also outruns them easily (I make him run continuously at least 10 min a day on top of his 1 hr walk). I keep positioning myself so that he has to pass through other dogs to get to me.

I take him to the big dog section as well so that he gets maximum "initial interest" time from as many dogs as possible. He almost outruns even the big dogs, but squeaks when they catch up and push him around. When he runs to me, I jump onto a high rock that he claws at while trying to evade the other dogs, tumbling in the dirt in frantic pivots. Is there any risk of injury from him playing with the big dogs? So far all the other dogs are friendly but I'm worried that one "play" bite from an aggressive big dog will decapitate my baby...

I think you're trying to do what's best, but NONE of this is good for your puppy.
First off at 4 months old he's still very young and if he gets a bad experience he could be fearful his entire life of other dogs...or whatever it is that's giving him bad experiences. You should make sure 100% that your puppy is happy and feels completely safe with you and that you'll protect him. If you're jumping on a rock when he runs to you for help you're literally letting him down and letting him know that you're not there for him when he needs you. To gain confidence he needs to explore things that he is comfortable with AND he needs to know you're there to "save" him and get him out of trouble by picking him up or removing him from the situation. You're letting him fend for himself and simply put, that is not what you should be doing.

It sounds as if he's afraid, and that makes sense. He knows you're not going to get him out of bad situations. By hiding behind you and jumping up on the rock he's begging you to help him and keep him safe. Dogs that are afraid seek shelter under tables and benches, or behind people. Those things SHOULD be available to him. If he's overwhelmed, pick him up and "save" him. You need to be there for him every time. Read up on dog body language. There are videos on youtube about dog body language and some of them are at dog parks. They show dogs being chased around and trying to seek shelter and sometimes their person does the right thing and breaks up the conflict and helps the dog that's in distress, but other times the dog is on it's own and you can easily see that the dog is not happy and is not having fun. They never will have fun if they're always afraid.

Your little guy can very easily get hurt with these adult dogs. Even the smaller ones. Smaller dogs are often more likely to bite than big dogs. I think the recommended age for going to a dog park is six months.

About "making him run continuously every day"...Puppies are not supposed to put stress on their joints. There are a lot of articles online about puppies and the dangers of too much exercise. You should read up on this so you're fully informed.

"Generally, you shouldn't start running with your puppy before six months of age; any earlier and you can risk affecting his growing joints and muscles. Some large and giant breeds may not be ready until later."

At the dog park you "position myself so he has to go through other dogs to get to me"...again, it's so important that he learns that you'll protect him. Don't hide, don't avoid, don't jump on rocks. Be there to snatch him up when he's stressed. Be there to let him hide behind your legs when he's overwhelmed. If he never has an "out" from feeling overwhelmed then he'll NEVER be a confident dog. He'll be afraid, or he'll learn he has to defend himself and he'll possibly get agressive. If he's not happy going to the dog park, then hold off from taking him. Take him places that are safer and more comfortable for him, like the puppy play time get "classes" that Petco has.

You said he yelps when the big dogs are around him. That IS a sign of stress. Get him out of that situation.

You asked if there is risk of injury. YES. About a month there was a big fight at a dog park here. Both dogs ended up injured badly. One lost an eye. I've heard that a dog was killed at a dog park. Some people bring dogs to the dog park that they're not sure of. Dogs that are a risk to all of the other dogs. My sister's dog was hurt and forever traumatized from being attacked when he was younger. You need to be alert and watch learn the body language of other dogs. If you see one acting up and causing any problems it's not a situation to take chances with.

Keep in mind that your puppy is a baby. Don't throw him to the wolves. If you want a happy, confident dog it starts with letting him know that you've got his back.

 

[SusanLynn]

DogFaming - This is all excellent advice. You and Francl27 are completely right.

I'm beginning to conclude that genteelpuppies is our resident troll. This is not the first time we've had someone pose as a "clueless" dog owner who does everything wrong just to waste everyone's time.

 

[kakite]

Have you tried bringing the bath tub to the dog park? Might be the best option for shelter?

 

[Kyllobernese]

Nobody could be that ignorant of how to treat a puppy, just trying to see how many people believe him.

 

[mjfromga]

Yeah after I posted on his other ridiculous thread that he was a troll and people begun to ignore him... He decided to post another ridiculous and inflammatory post. This guy is a definite troll. Nobody can be this clueless. Genteelpuppies, please go find something else to do. Your threads aren't funny and they should not be posted in case someone takes you seriously and tries to treat their dog the way you speak of. I don't even think you have a dog, which would be ideal as you clearly aren't mature enough to handle the responsibilty... But please stop posting these threads that encourage or promote questionable or dangerous dog ownership. It isn't funny at all. Truly it isn't. The game is up... We know you are a troll and people are going to stop replying to your threads seriously.

 

[SusanLynn]

mjfromga - Yes, it was your post that convinced me of genteelpuppies' game. Next, he's going to start a thread about feeding his puppy chocolate-covered raisins.

 

[mjfromga]

The best way to get rid of these posters is to ignore them. If they can't trigger people into giving serious replies, they don't find it fun to troll anymore and they go elsewhere. Trolling the trolls also tends to work, but less so as some of them will keep posting so long as they get replies. I won't be posting on anymore of the threads this user posts... As they say, it is best not to feed the trolls.

I mean I suspected troll when I first joined and saw that he planned to use a shock collar on a 3 month old WESTIE puppy. I did not reply to that thread because the advice there was always solid, but that was a troll thread if ever I saw one.

 

[Francl27]

Noted! I didn't follow the bathtub thread because the idea sounded ridiculous...

 

[genteelpuppies]

I think you're trying to do what's best, but NONE of this is good for your puppy.
First off at 4 months old he's still very young and if he gets a bad experience he could be fearful his entire life of other dogs...or whatever it is that's giving him bad experiences. You should make sure 100% that your puppy is happy and feels completely safe with you and that you'll protect him. If you're jumping on a rock when he runs to you for help you're literally letting him down and letting him know that you're not there for him when he needs you. To gain confidence he needs to explore things that he is comfortable with AND he needs to know you're there to "save" him and get him out of trouble by picking him up or removing him from the situation. You're letting him fend for himself and simply put, that is not what you should be doing.

It sounds as if he's afraid, and that makes sense. He knows you're not going to get him out of bad situations. By hiding behind you and jumping up on the rock he's begging you to help him and keep him safe. Dogs that are afraid seek shelter under tables and benches, or behind people. Those things SHOULD be available to him. If he's overwhelmed, pick him up and "save" him. You need to be there for him every time. Read up on dog body language. There are videos on youtube about dog body language and some of them are at dog parks. They show dogs being chased around and trying to seek shelter and sometimes their person does the right thing and breaks up the conflict and helps the dog that's in distress, but other times the dog is on it's own and you can easily see that the dog is not happy and is not having fun. They never will have fun if they're always afraid.

Your little guy can very easily get hurt with these adult dogs. Even the smaller ones. Smaller dogs are often more likely to bite than big dogs. I think the recommended age for going to a dog park is six months.

About "making him run continuously every day"...Puppies are not supposed to put stress on their joints. There are a lot of articles online about puppies and the dangers of too much exercise. You should read up on this so you're fully informed.

"Generally, you shouldn't start running with your puppy before six months of age; any earlier and you can risk affecting his growing joints and muscles. Some large and giant breeds may not be ready until later."

At the dog park you "position myself so he has to go through other dogs to get to me"...again, it's so important that he learns that you'll protect him. Don't hide, don't avoid, don't jump on rocks. Be there to snatch him up when he's stressed. Be there to let him hide behind your legs when he's overwhelmed. If he never has an "out" from feeling overwhelmed then he'll NEVER be a confident dog. He'll be afraid, or he'll learn he has to defend himself and he'll possibly get agressive. If he's not happy going to the dog park, then hold off from taking him. Take him places that are safer and more comfortable for him, like the puppy play time get "classes" that Petco has.

You said he yelps when the big dogs are around him. That IS a sign of stress. Get him out of that situation.

You asked if there is risk of injury. YES. About a month there was a big fight at a dog park here. Both dogs ended up injured badly. One lost an eye. I've heard that a dog was killed at a dog park. Some people bring dogs to the dog park that they're not sure of. Dogs that are a risk to all of the other dogs. My sister's dog was hurt and forever traumatized from being attacked when he was younger. You need to be alert and watch learn the body language of other dogs. If you see one acting up and causing any problems it's not a situation to take chances with.

Keep in mind that your puppy is a baby. Don't throw him to the wolves. If you want a happy, confident dog it starts with letting him know that you've got his back.

Thank you, that was informative and convinced me to ease up on the tough love. From now on I'll have him run only when he initiates it, and just pick him up when he refuses to keep moving (unless it's right as we're leaving the condo lobby - he does that a lot, so I carry him for about 50 feet and then he starts walking when i put him down).

It's very disheartening to see some others call me a troll for having the audacity of wanting to discipline my dog, or wanting a better solution to the pee problem than to take him outside for 15 minutes every 15 minutes. Am I dealing with folks who need "trigger warnings" in school lectures and news reports?

 

[Chas]

Am I dealing with folks who need "trigger warnings" in school lectures and news reports?

This is rude, there's not much difference between putting a warning on something that is reasonably likely to cause a PTSD flashback and putting a warning about peanuts for people with anaphylaxis. Both can put people in hospital. Please be a little more thoughtful, it costs very little.

 

[Francl27]

Thank you, that was informative and convinced me to ease up on the tough love. From now on I'll have him run only when he initiates it, and just pick him up when he refuses to keep moving (unless it's right as we're leaving the condo lobby - he does that a lot, so I carry him for about 50 feet and then he starts walking when i put him down).

It's very disheartening to see some others call me a troll for having the audacity of wanting to discipline my dog, or wanting a better solution to the pee problem than to take him outside for 15 minutes every 15 minutes. Am I dealing with folks who need "trigger warnings" in school lectures and news reports?

Unfortunately, taking a dog outside every 15 minutes is part of being a responsible puppy owner. I mean... you don't have to. But it will take a LONG time for your pup to be housebroken, if at all.


I got a puppy just one week before my friend did, and I did the "take the pup outside every 15 minutes until she pees" routine with mine. She didn't. Mine was housebroken in 3 weeks. Hers wasn't still 3 months later, when he spent the week end with me, and I'm pretty much the one who ended up doing it because I'm the one who took the time to do it (she was working, but even at home, didn't take him out often enough).


Puppies don't have a "cheat mode."

 

[genteelpuppies]

Can you define house-broken? My 4 month old goes to the pee pad on his own about 90% of the time, but goes in the hallway occasionally or when he's excited. He has no problem peeing and pooping outside but his intervals are unpredictable, sometimes twice in 10 minutes after a drink or not for 5 hours after a drink. Same with pooping, hence the 15 minutes every 15 minutes thing will be futile besides being an absurd amount of time (I can't tell if some of you are serious or only trying to make a point)

I confine him in a large bathroom for about 8 hours a day a couple times a week when neither of us are home. 1/3 of the time I return to no mess, but usually he has shredded the pee pad and fling everything around in a panic.

The big annoyance is if he steps in his pee soaked pad and then treks it through the apartment, leaving a huge area to sterilize. For this reason I always follow him when he goes to the pee pad in the bathroom to make sure he stays clean. I want to punish him when he steps in his own pee but I also don't want to confuse him while he's on the pee pad. Again I'm making him go indoors with the eventual hope of having him go on the toilet (like over a special grate platform) - being 35 floors up, it'll be super handy in our -20C winters.

 

[Chas]

My dog was house broken when I noted a week without any accidents. I only achieved this by taking her out every 10-30 minutes and putting elimination on cue.

Do you have a balcony?

There are pee pad holders to help reduce the ripping up thing but I'd be looking into a more sturdy system for an indoor elimination station since you expect this to be ongoing.

I have no idea how to stop dogs from stepping in it, they just don't have a concept of dirty in the same way we do.

 

[genteelpuppies]

When my dog is home alone locked in the bathroom, he pees on the pee pad every single time. (He also ****s in the right spot, but most of the time he eats it right back up and inadvertently spreads his **** a bit beyond the pad, which is why I never feed him until I get home from work.) But when either of us is home, that's when he gets distracted by wanting to be with us and has an accident about 10-20% of the time. It's strange, because i've plied him with lots of water several times and he can hold it in for many hours if he wanted.

I'm thinking of transitioning him from the pee pad to some kind of tray with a wire grate top so that his poop/pee falls through the grate and he can't get at it when we're not watching. It might be the intermediate step before the ultimate goal of having him use the toilet =)