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Need dog advice - 7/25/2008 10:56:49 AM
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Auben
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From: Where pines tower and cranberries float
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He's an 11 month old springer spaniel and we've had him 9 months. He's very intelligent and was well socialized before we got him. He learned sit, stay, down, and was potty trained within a week of us getting him.
My problem: he destroys every crate we put him into (3 different ones). The last one lasted almost 2 days. He bends out the doors within a matter of hours and wanders around. He chews everything (and I mean everything, he will scour counters/bedrooms/desks for interesting things). He bolts out doors. He chases cars (will go head on with them), kids on bikes, pedestrians. He has no fear.
My second problem: while I was able to train him, take him on long walks, etc in the winter my youngest son has developed a severe epilepsy this year. One which means he needs constant adult supervision and requires a special diet which takes much of my time (planning, cooking, encouraging him to eat, testing, encouraging him to drink). I can't do the 10 minute walks 3-4 times a day I was doing before and I can't just let him run out with me when I put up laundry since he's decided not to stay by me. That means he's always on the chain or in the house unless my husband is home. My husband is a very busy man and let's just say not very good at regularly scheduled chores. Unless I am very angry or frustrated with the dog he won't take him on walks or work on training on a regular basis. It just doesn't enter his mind. My oldest son is 9 and can be relied upon to take him out occasionally but with the dog getting stronger and wilder I don't trust that he can hold him.
I know he's bored. I know he wants to run. We don't have a fenced in yard. I have no way of letting him run since he's unpredictable.
I don't want to be one of those pet owners who gives up so quickly and easily when the answer is just more time and training but with my son I'm not sure I can handle much more stress at home.
I know this is a reaction to his boredom. He's been a very sweet, devoted, intelligent dog up until the last 4 months. Before then my biggest problem was trying to keep him from chewing up everything in sight.
What I would love is to have someone I can trust (preferably in the country where he can run) take him for a few months until I can get a schedule down with my son. Both my husband and I have tried asking around about this but no one is interested.
Does anyone have any further ideas? I'm very happy to listen to any baby step (ie no long training sessions) advice about how to contain him and make him more satisfied with his life so I can cut out some of this stress. I'm not sure how much longer we can keep him.
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Tamara
~Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time~
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RE: Need dog advice - 7/25/2008 1:20:44 PM
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manda59
Posts: 5421
Joined: 9/22/2005
From: Hampshire, UK
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I am so sorry, Tamara, there are no solutions to your problems other than if you could get someone else in to walk him for you (and he would need at least half an hour twice a day, even 10 minute trots are not enough). A springer is by nature energetic, inquisitive and lively; they're bred as working dogs, they need to be occupied and active, doing things to burn up their energy and exercise their minds.
Trying to make a springer passive would be going totally against his nature.
I am not surprised he destroyed the crates - he needs to be out and about. I am sorry to be harsh but it is not at all reasonable to expect a lively active intelligent young dog to be happy chained up or cooped up most or all of the day. He needs not just exercise but stimulation too - not just walks but games too, to burn up not just his physical energy but his mental energy too. Right now, it sounds like neither of those is happening.
If there is no-one who can help you with the ongoing exercising and training, then maybe it would be a good idea to investigate a Springer Spaniel Rescue, to see if they could take him and rehome him.
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"That's what I would say as well."
Mrs Wifey, August 2008.
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RE: Need dog advice - 7/25/2008 1:57:32 PM
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Auben
Posts: 1594
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From: Where pines tower and cranberries float
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He's not crated all day.
I'll only crate him when I'm not present in the home (which with my son is rare). He is played with often. I just can't walk him with my son (he pulls over the stroller or clotheslines him) and I can't leave my son at home alone. We can't do the running, sniffing, rowdy times he likes. For a spaniel he's very mellow, but I don't expect any dog under the age of 7 to be happy with the current state of affairs.
I know you're right but I won't let him go just anywhere. We've probably been moving to this point for awhile. My husband's tried to be more helpful. I've tried various tricks to get out here and there with him. This really troubles me and probably will continue to until we get something worked out.
You can be harsh all you like. Nothing here is reasonable right now. A 3 year old with a physically and mentally debilitating illness certainly isn't reasonable. Heck, I would like to get out and run and sniff the air a bit. It just isn't possible. I'm not being lazy and this certainly wasn't the situation we brought him home in.
Poor dog, he's stuck here with the rest of us.
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Tamara
~Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time~
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RE: Need dog advice - 7/25/2008 2:25:12 PM
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barbhuff
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Do you have a neighbor kid looking for a few bucks who could play with him out back after school or something?
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RE: Need dog advice - 7/25/2008 3:59:00 PM
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Wild-Rose
Posts: 248
Joined: 1/11/2006
From: Upstate NY
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quote:
My oldest son is 9 and can be relied upon to take him out occasionally but with the dog getting stronger and wilder I don't trust that he can hold him.
Does the 9 year old son have an assertive personality? If he can draw on some leadership skills he might be able to assert himself as the pack leader as far as the dog is concerned. Let him be the one who feeds the dog so that the dog sees him as the leader. Has the dog been taught to "heel"? If you can teach the dog to walk by your side then his size and strength will not be a factor. My dog is stronger than me but I am his pack leader. He walks nicely by my side.
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Wild-Rose
Rejoice that your name is written in heaven. Luke 10:20
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RE: Need dog advice - 7/25/2008 4:08:37 PM
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his_chosen
Posts: 928
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Have you contacted a Springer Spaniel rescue group? It sounds like this dog is not a good match for your family right now. Perhaps they could help you with behavior modification. Or, worst case, help you re-home him. To find a rescue group, go to the American Kennel Club website. They have a list of rescue groups for each breed.
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You have a choice. You can throw in the towel or you can use it to wipe the sweat off your face.
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RE: Need dog advice - 7/25/2008 4:09:36 PM
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MrsTracy72
Posts: 1680
Joined: 2/28/2007
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Ok, I know the area where you live, but do you live on like a county highway where the property lines are few and far between, or are you in a neighborhood where the houses are situated on city blocks and the dog can't run.
If you aren't objective to it, you could get an invisible fence so that the dog can run outside in the yard but can't cross the property line and let the dog stay outside as much as possible to get that much needed exercise.
Or if you have a clothsline, you can leash the dog to that because while the dog will still be on a leash, the line will let the dog have pretty much the run of the yard since the leash will be able to move up and down the line as opposed to stuck in the ground and can't go anywhere. (does that make sense because I know what I am talking about, but I don't think I explained it very well.)
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RE: Need dog advice - 7/25/2008 8:13:46 PM
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agapetos
Posts: 5582
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From: This side of the lil duck pond!
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Tamara, my mother had a young Jack Russell and she had problems with him. After a long time, she was persuaded to have a dog trainer (but continually complained that she couldn't afford it).
In hindsight, I think she'd have paid the trainer twice over for the help she was in helping to sort the dog out.
Don't know if it's something that you'd be in a position to do.
Failing that, if possible a dog training class, or even a visit to the vet to get advice on the kind of lead that you're using and whether a change would help ~ there are some really good leads out there which are designed to stop dogs pulling while not harming them.
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Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not using them in fruit salads!
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RE: Need dog advice - 7/25/2008 10:38:13 PM
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Auben
Posts: 1594
Joined: 4/13/2005
From: Where pines tower and cranberries float
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It's a small town with small yards.
My 9 year old is not physically strong enough to hold him until he can establish dominance. He will heel for me but needs a lot of 'reminders' to continue being an obedient dog. He's also a bird/scent dog so he will be very good and then run and leap at sparrows, cars, cyclists, the mailman when you least expect it.
We were signed up for an obedience/agility class in January but my son's illness forced me to withdraw. I doubt I could pull off a private class with a trainer either right now.
He has long lines in both the back and front yards and the boys and I both take him out whenever we are outside but it limits him and he won't run/sniff much. He will chase balls, sticks, and chipmunks though.
I think at this point we are contacting the home we got him from and another farm FIL knows of to see if they will keep him for us for a few months or permanently. Both places have land where he can run and other dogs he can play with (he loves other dogs).
_____________________________
Tamara
~Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time~
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RE: Need dog advice - 7/26/2008 12:34:26 AM
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MrsTracy72
Posts: 1680
Joined: 2/28/2007
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So the leash on the laundry line won't give him enough space to run? Do you guys have a dog park anywhere near? How are your kids about getting rid of the dog?
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RE: Need dog advice - 7/26/2008 11:38:00 AM
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agapetos
Posts: 5582
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: This side of the lil duck pond!
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quote:
We were signed up for an obedience/agility class in January but my son's illness forced me to withdraw. I doubt I could pull off a private class with a trainer either right now. You sound as though you've got the ability to train your dog and he's certainly sounding as though he has the intelligence to learn fast.
My mother had just one session with the trainer ~ two hours and there were a couple of phone calls either side.
I do understand what you're saying about time. What I'm thinking though is that if you can get him to stop pulling on the lead then it's going to be easier for you (or someone in your family) to walk him. I did mention you looking into leads earlier. This is the kind of lead I was thinking of.
The trainer isn't going to make your dog perfect in a couple of hours, but you may well find that what she is able to do with you is enough to help you train him further yourself in the time you have.
You obviously sound as though you care for him a great deal because you're looking to his best interests instead of how you'd feel about losing him. I do hope that you can work this out.
_____________________________
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not using them in fruit salads!
My blog
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RE: Need dog advice - 7/27/2008 1:24:34 PM
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kmangel
Posts: 506
Joined: 4/12/2005
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It's absolutely imperative that your dog be exercised with long walks a couple times a day. A tired dog is a good dog. Even training a dog to do basic commands is easier after a walk than before when the animal would be very excited and find it harder to focus.
A Gentle Leader type of head collar would help you out a lot. My dog is a Boston Terrier so I can't use a Gentle Leader. I chose a halter because of her smushed in face and the halter works very well. It's a special halter designed to stop dogs from pulling on the leash. I especially like using her halter when I take her to festivals where there are a lot of people. She doesn't pull one bit on her lead when she's wearing the halter. The Gentle Leader would work the same way. I often see a neighbor taking her standard sized poodle for a walk and he's the one in charge, not her. He pulls her everywhere they go and I've suggested a Gentle Leader to her but she has never used one. It would sure save her from having to be yanked around by her dog all the time!
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Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in.
--Mark Twain
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Sometimes it really is in the best interests of all concerned to find another home for the dog, at least temporarily.
