Hobbit has caused us to be especially creative in our approach to training and search for methods to discourage the destruction of property. Friends and family members have compared our life with Hobbit to life with an ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and OCD(Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) child. We celebrated our first year with him July 3. I thought I'd share some of the ways we've learned to deal with his issues and Ella's, as well.Nubby rug runners - clear plastic rug protectors turned upside down are useful in keeping pets off furniture. They sell small pieces of something similar in pets stores and catalogs, but we found a 2 x6 ft runner for under $10 at a discount department store. When you have a dog like Hobbit, who jumps on everything (dining tables, coffee tables, bedside tables, you get the picture), you need lots of these things!
Spring step lidded garbage cans - We use them in all the bathrooms, and bedrooms. So far, Hobbit hasn't figured them out. I bought mine at Walmart or Target for about $10 each.
Yard sale buys - You can find collars and leashes, toys still in packaging, towels and blankets in good shape. The little varmint gnawed through about six leashes, so cheap used ones were a must.
Spare collars with tags - Hobbit chewed all his tags and Ella's beyond recognition, so we ordered new ones and keep them on spare collars. My brother the vet, advises keeping tags on the dogs at all times, in case they should sneak out for an adventure. If you're reading this blog, bro, I'm not recommending anyone but people with tag eaters keep their tags on spare collars! You can also eliminate an ID tag by having collars made with contact info on them.
Spray mister - I keep a mister bottle of water handy. This is only for those times when situations escalate to the point of possible harm and quick action is called for. Then, I like to have aids available to distract the dogs to interrupt their escalating agitation or break their focus on that baby bird that just fell out of the nest. I spray the water mist over their heads or in front of them (never spray it into their faces) and it surprises them. Another thing I use as a distraction is a toy that is intriguing and hasn't been fully explored. The ones that work best for my dogs are the ones that make strange sounds. The babble ball that talks and a funky looking toy that moos when it hits the ground a certain way. That one always gets their attention. If Hobbit and Ella are tussling and have reached a level of arousal that signals inevitable dogfight, I can throw that moo toy in the middle of them and they separate immediately. The trick is to interrupt the situation before it gets out of hand and to make sure the toy is one they don't get to play with often, so it keeps the unfamiliar status.
Portable fencing - If you have a portion of a yard that you want to restrict the do
gs access to, portable fencing is great. We bought the black wrought iron looking sections that they sell at Home Depot and Lowe's. They come in two sizes ( large is about 3 ft. tall), and are a manageable width, around 4 ft. You also have to purchase the poles and stakes and a gate if you chose. But the beauty is you can do as small a project as you like, they're attractive and fairly sturdy. They will not replace regular fencing and can be knocked over if a dog really pushed on them, but they do a fine job of convincing the dogs to keep out of an area when the gate is closed. And everyone who's seen the fence, has commented on what a nice addition it is to the yard. And yes, that is double fencing you see in the background of the photo above. We installed the shorter privacy fence, to help with the territorial reactions bewteen the dog next door and ours. It helps, because our dogs can no longer see that dog through cracks in the fence, the sound is muffled and it is one more barrier.
gs access to, portable fencing is great. We bought the black wrought iron looking sections that they sell at Home Depot and Lowe's. They come in two sizes ( large is about 3 ft. tall), and are a manageable width, around 4 ft. You also have to purchase the poles and stakes and a gate if you chose. But the beauty is you can do as small a project as you like, they're attractive and fairly sturdy. They will not replace regular fencing and can be knocked over if a dog really pushed on them, but they do a fine job of convincing the dogs to keep out of an area when the gate is closed. And everyone who's seen the fence, has commented on what a nice addition it is to the yard. And yes, that is double fencing you see in the background of the photo above. We installed the shorter privacy fence, to help with the territorial reactions bewteen the dog next door and ours. It helps, because our dogs can no longer see that dog through cracks in the fence, the sound is muffled and it is one more barrier.Easy Cheese - Those cans of fake cheese product that come out of a nozzle when you squeeze it are invaluable when you know something is coming that will set your dog off. Scott most recently used it while the vet was giving Hobbit injections. It worked better than a muzzle, which was the alternative and Hobbit is slowly learning to accept scary things. I've seen it used effectively in training classes to help slightly aggressive dogs tolerate other dogs coming close. It's powerful stuff! I'm not condoning filling your dog with junk food, but for training it does have its purpose.
