STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

small fry · Chanel

meet Aires

Boots · Gucci

OMG, he's so cute! That first photo is just adorable.

greendiamond · Marc Jacobs

Very cute! I'm sure he'll bring the family much joy!

Hermes

so cute and so great that he's housebroken at 6 months! now you can just enjoy without the headaches!

pollyjean23 · Marc Jacobs

Awww super cute!

Metric · Gucci

Cute!

small fry · Chanel

Thanks ladies. D you are right! But even though he lets you know when he has to go outside, Iam thinking he may have a accident if he can't get out since he is still young. We are thinking about getting a crate for at night and we are gone for long period of time. Any advice on that? Also when walking on leash he has quite a pull and we need to work on that any tips would be great .

Also found out he freaks a little when you leave him alone, went to store gone about 20 min and the front mini blind was tore up from him trying to look out

TheLovelyLady71 · Hermes

Awwwww, HOW CUTE!! Love the name!!!

Hermes

small fry wrote:

Thanks ladies. D you are right! But even though he lets you know when he has to go outside, Iam thinking he may have a accident if he can't get out since he is still young. We are thinking about getting a crate for at night and we are gone for long period of time. Any advice on that? Also when walking on leash he has quite a pull and we need to work on that any tips would be great .

Also found out he freaks a little when you leave him alone, went to store gone about 20 min and the front mini blind was tore up from him trying to look out

Yes, you're right, he is young, and accidents will happen. I think crate training is a good idea. Even when you go to the store, he should at least be placed in a confined area (baby gate to enclose the kitchen?) if not the crate. I'm not crate training because the dogs are sleeping in the bed and I'm home all day. When we leave, we leave them enclosed in the breezeway. I did get a foldable play pen to contain them when I'm working out or on a conference call.

All dogs freak a bit when you leave them alone, especially when they're young. As long as they're safe in a confined area with some toys and something to chew on for a while (a bully stick or kong filled with treats) the time alone isn't as bad. He'll get used to it over time. Don't make a big deal when you leave either - don't say goodbye or anything. Just go.

I'm sure some of the other ladies have some tips from their experience too.

greendiamond · Marc Jacobs

Crate training served us well when the pup was little. After awhile she knew when we were leaving and would put herself in there. We didn't even need to close the door, over time.

now that she's older she gets the run of the house, with the exception of the bedrooms because she will get into the bed when we aren't home, and she isn't allowed in the bed.

I'm sure you'll still experience accidents, but you will quickly find out how long you can be gone.

Good luck.

And, as for the walking/pulling probelm, there are a lot of resources on how to address that, but my dog lags behind sniffing things, then runs ahead to sniff some more, so clearly I am in no position to be giving advice.

relrel · Marc Jacobs

I don't have any advice per crate training (other than to make sure you're using the proper size) as our dog isn't crated ever. It's just not worth the effort for us as he wasn't crated ever for the first couple years of his life and getting an 80lb determined bulldog into a crate is about as hard as it sounds.

However, in terms of the pulling, there's a lot of advice and I suggest googling to see what you find. The biggest thing that I've found that works (and again, our dog wasn't walked on a leash for the first couple years so this was something we had to teach) is a very, very short leash. Don't give him the opportunity to walk ahead or behind you. Ideally, he should be right next to you or no more than a foot behind you. If he gets ahead of you and starts pulling, a quick tug on the leash should work. Don't yank him back, just a quick tug, almost like you're snapping your wrist. If that doesn't work after one or two tugs, turn around and start going in the opposite direction. You'll feel like an idiot walking in what amounts to a circle, back and forth, but it has worked wonders for us.

Now, this is for "walks". Obviously, it's not going to work so well if you're on a potty break. Most dogs won't go if they only have a foot of leash to move away from you. Our dog gets the full leash (6 foot) or so when we are in specific areas where we know he is comfortable pooping. All other times (as much as possible) he's right next to my leg.

Be careful of getting harnesses and other non-neck leashes to correct the pulling. Most of those only make the pulling worse by reinforcing the idea that he's pulling something important...think husky dogs and how they are harnessed up to the sled. We do have a harness for our dog but that's because of his breed and their neck/throat/breathing issues.

Also, this might seem silly, but the more you walk him, the better he's going to be at it. If you only walk him a couple of times a week or less, when you do take him outside (other than your back yard) he's going to be so excited to smell and run and explore that the pulling will be horrible. Daily walks, even for smaller dogs and those who have large backyards, are really important for a dog's general mental and physical health. I know that it's super hard for a lot of women to do a daily dog walk with all their other commitments but if you get in the habit it will simply become a habit. Plus...all that walking is exercise for you too!

If all else fails and you're out on a walk with him and he's driving you nuts, let him have his head and run a couple of blocks with him...he'll probably burn off enough energy that he'll naturally want to just walk slow anyway.

Good luck! He's super cute and I love the name. Enjoy him!

small fry · Chanel

Thanks ladies for the advice. Relrel thanks I will try that when iam walking him. I googled alot of diffrent you tube clips and they say if they pull stop and make them come back to your side and than start over or what you suggested go in all directions. I will practice in the house too.

gossipgirl · Dooney & Bourke

So cute!!!!

Suasoria · Chanel

OK I am not a dog person but I recently participated in the rescue of two beagles from a research lab and have had a crash course in the breed in the last month.

Beagles are people-pleasers by nature (which is why they are the preferred breed for experimentation). So, separation anxiety is common. Crate training should help with this.*

"Our" beagles had lived in cages for their entire lives (one was 2.5 years old and the other 1.5 years). Both were very quick to pick up on potty training, even though they had never been outside, ever, nor had they lived in a house to go out from. They are SMART. They got it in a matter of days and after a week or so, there were no accidents. Because they have been debarked, they can't verbalize their needs, so the older one has been learning to ring a jingle bell at the front door when he needs to go out. Which is so cute. But I digress.

Also about the leash - the breed was engineered to sniff for prey. He wants to walk ahead of you because that's his job. You can fight it if you feel competent to train him out of it, but it's safe to assume this is his nature. They are constantly going to be seeking prey. As such they are famous for leash-pulling. A treat in your hand may keep him more interested in your hand than whatever might be up there ahead.

* I have a friend who is a very well respected dog trainer and he is a proponent of crate training, as long as it's done right (not as punishment; right size crate). Here are his tips:
http://www.naturaldogblog.com/blog/2007/12/crate-training-your-dog/

TJ alert because I must brag:

This is Freedom, the 1.5 year old. He enjoys long hikes, chewing on sticks, and is learning to play with toys although he prefers cat toys to dog toys. He lives with three cats and LOVES them all, especially the one who doesn't like him yet. He still has nightmares, cries and thrashes in his sleep, but when his new mama wakes him up he is very happy to see her!

Free2.jpg?t=1296016683

This is Bigsby, the 2.5 year old. He is still with a foster family although we hope they will adopt him. He is the one who is learning to use the jingle bell when he has to go out. He likes grass so much, he will only potty on the sidewalk. He is an enthusiastic greeter and is learning what "down" means. He also loves fluffy rugs, pillows, and anything else that's soft.

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greendiamond · Marc Jacobs

Su, those dogs are so lovely! I adore their bios and am so proud to know someone who rescued them from a lab.

small fry · Chanel

thanks Suasoria for the info. Thanks for sharing the pics they are so cute and iam glad they are doing great

NCshopper · Hermes

So cute! Good luck with him!