Author Topic: My dog eats money!  (Read 13839 times)

implet

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My dog eats money!
« on: February 26, 2013, 03:06:36 PM »
I just started plugging the holes in my leaky pocket and I'm doing much better than I imagined I would! One area where I'm having a hard time is my dog.

Some background: My dog has been a money pit since I got him. He ended up having two bad knees and one bad hip, when he started limping I paid for surgeries totaling about $2000. He still is a bit limpy but he's happy and I'm not spending more money on surgeries that haven't stopped it so far.

Now: I'm trying not to dwell on all of that money, because it's in the past and there's nothing I can do to get it back. What I'm struggling with is that I currently live alone and have a M-F 8 hour job. With my 15-20 minute commute each way, plus unplanned casual overtime, I can be gone about 9 hours on a normal day. I worried that this was too long and got him a dog walker who comes midday for a walk which costs $13.75 a day. I shopped around when I initially started this, and it is by far the best rate for my area. The only thing is, this hasn't completely resolved one of his issues. He sometimes has pee accidents in his dog bed. He has no medical problems that should make him do this. He even does this sometimes if I leave the house for an hour or two on the weekends, so I know it's not related to how long I leave him. I'm so used to throwing his bed in the laundry after his accidents. I still worry that if I leave him alone for 9+ hours everyday it's just too much for a dog.

The dog walks are my main dog related expense. He's small, so his food costs aren't very high. Barring a recent red eye thing, he hasn't cost me too much in vet bills. I realized I spend over $10 a month on his treats and I've vowed to find a good recipe to make my own cheap ones at home. If you have any you recommend let me know! I want a recipe that can last a while in a bag, like store bought treats would. Before I started working on my mustache I toyed with the idea of getting more training to try to get to the bottom of the bathroom accidents and to work on the leash aggression that is starting again.

What do you guys recommend I do? Am I being crazy about not wanting to leave my dog alone for 9 hours?
« Last Edit: November 03, 2013, 08:07:11 PM by implet »

dogsordollars

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Re: My dog eats money!
« Reply #1 on: February 26, 2013, 03:23:57 PM »
First of all, $13.75 for a dog walk is super reasonable. In my area, its somewhere in the $20 a day range. That said, you can still shop around or offer to prepay for the month for a discounted rate.

For the continued in the house issues, I'm guessing you don't crate train...? And you should. As with most things dog, DIY and research are your friend. Crate training is going to force him to 'hang out' with his business, something most (but not all) dogs find repulsive. Unless he's already gotten over that instinct (lets hope not) working on crating should really help.

Treats: There's really no need to even bake. A little treat goes a long way. Look for packs of 'training treats'. They are tiny and usually come in packs with a 100 in them. Stick to just a couple a walk. You can supplement that with people food: chopped carrots, hot dogs, a little peanut butter as a big reward, tiny bits of chicken or beef. They are going to be a lot higher value, and less labor.

BTW - Dog boot camp, generally a complete waste of money. I never recommend anyone not be involved in the day to day training of their dog. The training may work situationally, with that one trainer, but in most cases, put back in the same environment with the same person and the same bad habits (yours and theirs) nothing is going to change. Dog training is as much about training you as it is the dog.

Khao

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Re: My dog eats money!
« Reply #2 on: February 26, 2013, 03:35:56 PM »
My girlfriend and I also work 8-5 and our dog is alone all day, but we don't believe we need a dog walker. We just spend a lot of time outside with our dog to make up for it. Every weekday starts with a 15 minutes walk outside. Whoever arrives first at home after work takes the dog outside for another walk and at least 15 minutes of play time with a ball so our dog can stretch his legs and before going to bed another ~30 minutes outside with the dog. We go at least once every week-end to the dog park and spend about one hour there to let him run around with the other dogs (sometimes we go one hour on Saturday and another on Sunday)

As for training dogs, my experience with dogs is that any dog will do anything, as long as the owner is the one in charge. Training a dog is a psychological game and you either win or the dog wins. I love my dog and I would never tolerate if someone hit my dog but as his master, I have to sometimes show him I'm the boss and show him what's good and what's not (not kick or punch him, just a light tap on the nose with a firm "NO" when he does something bad). The breeder told us when we adopted him "Shetland sheepdogs bark a lot, when they are playing they bark to show joy and when they see something or someone they don't know, they bark because they are easily scared". By being super consistent with our dog and always showing him that it's wrong to bark, he just stopped barking completely.

For peeing inside, I think it's also a matter of showing your dog that he mustn't do it. The thing is, it's really difficult because you never catch him doing it since you're away! For this, another approach is valid : encourage your dog to pee outside. Seems stupid but whenever your dog pees outside, say "good boy/girl!" and give him a treat. He'll understand that peeing outside is waaay better than doing it inside. If you're lucky to catch him in the act of peeing inside, punish him so he doesn't do it again. You need to be super consistent. Army sergeant-kind of consistent.

Also obligatory cute picture of when my dog was just a puppy :

JessicaRed

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Re: My dog eats money!
« Reply #3 on: February 26, 2013, 03:40:26 PM »
I'm going to second dogsordollars on the training thing - definitely a waste of money. Surely you've watched the Dog Whisperer before!??! Behavioural training is 90% to do with the behaviour of the OWNER - as Cesar says "train dogs, rehabilitate humans". When it comes down to it, dogs model their behaviour on the person they are with. I look after my friend's super energetic husky a lot - with her, he pulls so badly on leash that she practically has to run to keep up. I, on the other hand, successfully adopted the Cesar Milan way of walking a few years back (after some work!), so when I have the husky the pulling isn't even an issue, as he just doesn't do it. If you want to correct your little guy's leash aggression, you will have to acknowledge that no matter what a trainer could accomplish, none of it matters unless YOU can accomplish it too...and you're more likely to manage that by working with him yourself.

**edited for obligatory cute picture of my girl =)

The dog walking fee is reasonable, but do you also take your dog out in the morning? I've found that morning walks are one of the most successful ways of altering my dogs' behaviour for the better for the rest of the day (much like what MMM here advocates though on a microcosmic timeline - expend some energy first thing in the morning and reap the benefits all day!) Perhaps the peeing is a stress or boredom issue?

How long has the peeing been going on for? Was he good for months/years without any accidents, and is only just starting this now? I ask because he's still young, and if he's been doing this for a while and you were busy when you got him it MIGHT be possible that he never quite got the lessons of house-training down pat.

I sympathize with your dog troubles - they are both time-consuming and expensive, but worth it!

« Last Edit: February 26, 2013, 03:47:36 PM by JessicaRed »

implet

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Re: My dog eats money!
« Reply #4 on: February 26, 2013, 04:27:07 PM »
Thanks for all the responses!

dogsordollars, that's something I really noticed about the boot camp. I've never ever seen a dog behave so well as he did when he was with the trainer. The trainer was pretty awesome and strongly believes in cesar milan type training. During the boot camp he periodically brought my dog back to me to work with my behavior too. I think the reason it started up again was because we moved to an urban environment where we're seeing tons of dogs on leash. I'm trying to do what the trainer told me, but it's hard not to freak out when I see another dog approaching at this point :-/

Also, I did attempt to crate train him when he was a puppy. I think I was leaving him too long when he was little (6-7 hours), and he would have frequent accidents in his crate. When I'm away from home now I just have him gated off in the kitchen with his bed. I would feel bad not leaving his bed but maybe I should try that. He'll only have accidents on his bed, or if I accidentally leave anything else soft on the floor. The worst part is he'll pee and is still laying in it when I get home! I think due to my early reactions, when I get home now he'll jump out of his bed and go hide sometimes when I get home, usually when he's had an accident, and sometimes even when he doesn't. I've never caught him so I haven't been able to reprimand him when I see it. I've tested it out on the weekend, and he doesn't try to pee inside all day even without potty breaks.

Khao, I take my dog outside to do his business every morning before work. I probably spend 5 or so minutes out there. Maybe I can try to actually go for a walk with him and see if that changes his behavior at all. I take him out right when I get home and we go for walks most afternoons too. He goes to the dog park usually once a week on the week days and once or twice on the weekends.

JessicaRed, the peeing has been going on pretty much the whole time I've had him. I hope I can fix him!

By the way, cute dogs everyone :)

KimAB

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Re: My dog eats money!
« Reply #5 on: February 26, 2013, 04:47:55 PM »
Cheap dog treats.  My current dog (and most past dogs) likes bits of raw vegetables, real bones (not the flavoured plastic ones) and peanut butter.  My daughter works in a pet store so we've gotten some bagged treats from her, but I've never bought treats.

dogsordollars

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Re: My dog eats money!
« Reply #6 on: February 26, 2013, 04:56:16 PM »
I am not actually a huge Ceasar fan. His stuff is too far of a departure from anything remotely science based classical conditioning. I think dogs are emotional creatures (or at least they play off ours) to some degree, but Ceasar takes it too far IMO.

Anyhoo, you are fortunate enough to have a dog with 'potty issues'. Doesn't really matter what's happened in the past. Doesn't really matter why. All you can do is start now. Yes, on the spending more time on a walk in the morning definitely. Yes, on not leaving him with a bed or somewhere soft. My dogs lay on a concrete floor all summer long, cuz the way to. Cushy is nice. Maybe you can move back up to cushy at some point. Right now, I wouldn't bother. I'd start with those two things (which will cost you nothing but a little time). Reinforce super positively with those human food small bits of snacks when he does potty outside, and see if you get any improvement. If not, at least your dog hasnt eaten anymore cash. :) but I bet you'll see some improvement.

ShavinItForLater

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Re: My dog eats money!
« Reply #7 on: February 26, 2013, 08:13:08 PM »
These are the treats I bake for my dog, she loves them:

http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/Recipes/Dog-Treat-Recipes-680/Baby-Beef-Dog-Treats-31.aspx

Rather luxurious ingredients.  I found inexpensive dry milk powder, garlic powder, etc. at Aldi, and when I haven't been able to find inexpensive bulk wheat flour I've used regular white flour or half wheat/half white, and it turned out just fine.  I did use parchment paper (from Costco) above and below the dough when rolling it out as it can be sticky.  I cut the dough into 1" squares with a pizza cutter, and usually break them into 4 pieces when I'm handing them out.

I make them in double batches, and store them in the freezer and refrigerator in gallon ziploc bags.  The frozen ones seem to be just fine once thawed, she sure will do just about any trick to get them.  She likes them better than many store bought treats that we've tried.

Sparky

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Re: My dog eats money!
« Reply #8 on: February 27, 2013, 10:10:46 AM »
I honestly wouldn't worry about the dog walk thing. Do you walk him in the morning before you head to work and after you get home? If so, your dog is fine without the daytime walk. Dogs are lazy and are usually  quite happy to do nothing all day long. 


NumberCruncher

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Re: My dog eats money!
« Reply #9 on: February 27, 2013, 10:24:50 AM »
I am not actually a huge Ceasar fan. His stuff is too far of a departure from anything remotely science based classical conditioning. I think dogs are emotional creatures (or at least they play off ours) to some degree, but Ceasar takes it too far IMO.

Anyhoo, you are fortunate enough to have a dog with 'potty issues'. Doesn't really matter what's happened in the past. Doesn't really matter why. All you can do is start now. Yes, on the spending more time on a walk in the morning definitely. Yes, on not leaving him with a bed or somewhere soft. My dogs lay on a concrete floor all summer long, cuz the way to. Cushy is nice. Maybe you can move back up to cushy at some point. Right now, I wouldn't bother. I'd start with those two things (which will cost you nothing but a little time). Reinforce super positively with those human food small bits of snacks when he does potty outside, and see if you get any improvement. If not, at least your dog hasnt eaten anymore cash. :) but I bet you'll see some improvement.

One TV personality for dog training I really like is Victoria Stilwell http://positively.com/positive-reinforcement/philosophy/ 

I'm a huge fan of positive reinforcement, too

jpo

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Re: My dog eats money!
« Reply #10 on: February 27, 2013, 10:44:34 AM »
Another good online resource is http://www.youtube.com/user/tab289.

Nothing has beat the trainer we found from APDT though.

Obligatory picture:


Platypus

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Re: My dog eats money!
« Reply #11 on: February 27, 2013, 01:03:53 PM »
I second the others suggestion of crate training -- if we didn't crate our dogs during the day, we'd be greeted with a huge mess when we returned home. With the crates? Yeah, an occasional potty issue happens here or there, but it's getting better all the time. We even set an old thrift store CD player to play them soothing music to drown out the street noise, and two of them get towels in their crates that we occasionally have to wash due to smell. (Everyone has their version of spoiling the pups!)

We recently took one of our dogs through a 6-week training course for "reactive rovers" at a local humane society. He was barky, seemed to be reactive to other dogs, and tended to be leash aggressive. Through the class, we ended up learning that he actually has a vision problem and gets scared by motion. He'll barks at anything that moves (bike, person walking, dog running). He also tends to bark at noises because he can't see well and gets nervous. The class taught us tons of super helpful techniques to slowly encourage him to be more confident (less scared), and to be less barky/reactive to all his triggers. He's not perfect, but he's much better -- and we're much better at knowing what to do. And with the skills we have now, we can continue working on making his life (and ours) better.

Reading one of your other threads, I saw that you live around the DC area. Here's an example of a class that might be helpful for your pup: https://spoton.dogbizpro.com/public/registration/index.aspx?tab=classes&schedule=103

Obligatory picture of one of our pups (not the reactive one):


« Last Edit: February 27, 2013, 01:05:54 PM by Platypus »

implet

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Re: My dog eats money!
« Reply #12 on: February 27, 2013, 02:55:37 PM »
I gave my dog a nice 1 mile brisk walk this morning and he was good today! No accidents! Fingers crossed that maybe the morning exercise is just what he needs.

Platypus, that sounds a lot like my dog. Besides from barking at moving objects are there any other signs that he has a vision problem? Thanks for sending me that link! That class sounds great and is pretty close to me. It doesn't seem like too much money given the area and how many classes it is.

Thanks for the resources jpo, NumberCruncher, and Shavinitforlater, I'm checking them all out tonight!


BPA

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Re: My dog eats money!
« Reply #13 on: February 27, 2013, 05:17:08 PM »
No real suggestions but I understand the dog love and appreciate all the cute dog photos.  I have a cute shih tzu some people find useless, but he's a great little dog.  More importantly, he is so important to my son. 


MrSaturday

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Re: My dog eats money!
« Reply #14 on: February 28, 2013, 12:58:45 PM »
I don't have to walk mine.  He's trained to use a litter box.



If he looks like an unusual breed it's because he's a rare long-eared lettuce hound, and he eats mostly cheap hay.

GuitarStv

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Re: My dog eats money!
« Reply #15 on: February 28, 2013, 01:55:10 PM »
Implet, did you buy your dog from a reputable breeder?  Those knee and hip problems sound like the kind of thing that tends to result from poor breeding practices.  Even the aggression and peeing problems you're encountering could be the result of poor breeding or poor socialization as a puppy.

Some things to check on the breeder when purchasing a puppy:
- Breeder handles one breed of dog (or rarely two breeds) excusively
- how many generations back does the breeder check for medical problems in the parents?
- is health testing for breed specific genetic problems undertaken by the breeder (copies of the parents' OFA or PennHip clearances for hip displaysia, CERF clearance for both parents for genetic eye disorders, etc)?
- is the breeder breeding dogs younger than two years old?  You can't test for many health conditions (including hip and elbow problems) before this age.
- is the breeder more interested in learning about you, and how their puppy will be taken care of than money?  Most reputable breeders are very selective about who gets their dogs . . . because usually they'll take the animal back if there's ever a need for the owner to get rid of the dog.
- are puppies regularly available, or is an entire litter available?  Decent breeders almost always have waiting lists.
- are you required to sign an extensive contract (usually covers required spay/neuter date, health guarantee, promise that the dog can be returned, etc)
- does the breeder let you take very young puppies home?  Less than 8-9 weeks and a puppy is not ready to be put in a new home away from it's mother.


Our current dog (a two year old beagle named Sparky) came from the city shelter, fully spayed, house-trained, checked over by a vet, and with her first rabies shot for about 200$ . . . and she's been every bit as healthy and well behaved as the pure-bred dogs we've purchased from reputable breeders in the past.

anastrophe

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Re: My dog eats money!
« Reply #16 on: February 28, 2013, 03:50:36 PM »
I don't have to walk mine.  He's trained to use a litter box.



If he looks like an unusual breed it's because he's a rare long-eared lettuce hound, and he eats mostly cheap hay.

Lettuce hound! I have a rabbit and I love that I can buy a bale of hay for $3 and it lasts most of the year.

implet

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Re: My dog eats money!
« Reply #17 on: February 28, 2013, 05:29:32 PM »
I should have gotten a rabbit! Haha!
« Last Edit: November 03, 2013, 08:07:57 PM by implet »

Herbert Derp

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Re: My dog eats money!
« Reply #18 on: March 01, 2013, 05:13:13 AM »
I have a ball python which cost $25. I can't imagine spending $2,500 on a single pet, although there are some differently colored ball pythons that can be that expensive. He eats around $13 worth of food each month, and has single-handedly increased my electric bill by around $10-$15/month. So if you want a really cheap pet you might want to go for the rabbit, or maybe a goldfish. I used to have a pet goldfish which cost around 10 cents, and a single container of fish flakes lasts an ungodly amount of time. The little fellow is still alive, he's somewhere around 13 or 14 years old!

Not that I think any of these animals are good substitutes for a dog if that's what you want.

anastrophe

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Re: My dog eats money!
« Reply #19 on: March 01, 2013, 07:05:12 AM »
So if you want a really cheap pet you might want to go for the rabbit, or maybe a goldfish.

Not that I think any of these animals are good substitutes for a dog if that's what you want.

Rabbits can actually be a lot of work if you take the time to train them, play with them, etc (they make much nicer pets that way than in a hutch). They're not expensive but they do live a pretty long time (mine is 10 years old). They're not really equivalent to a goldfish. And they won't make you happy if you're a dog person--nor will a cat--or a snake--or anything but a dog!

implet--my neighbor recently spent $4,000 for knee surgery for her dog who was injured hiking. $4K for the surgery alone. Now imagine carrying a 70 lb shepherd mix up a flight of stairs in a sling every time you have to go outside!

MrSaturday

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Re: My dog eats money!
« Reply #20 on: March 01, 2013, 08:45:20 AM »
Rabbits can actually be a lot of work if you take the time to train them, play with them, etc (they make much nicer pets that way than in a hutch). They're not expensive but they do live a pretty long time (mine is 10 years old). They're not really equivalent to a goldfish. And they won't make you happy if you're a dog person--nor will a cat--or a snake--or anything but a dog!

My rabbit is approximately 12 years old.  He's been a free-range indoor pet almost 11 years now and I never felt like it was much work to take care of him until the last year since he can't get around as well.  Other than cleaning his litter box and making sure he always had food he wasn't too demanding.  If he wanted attention he'd let me know about it, but he was content to hang out on the floor with me while I read or worked on my laptop.

Nowadays though he's a lot of work to take care of, but he's worth it.

anastrophe

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Re: My dog eats money!
« Reply #21 on: March 01, 2013, 09:31:16 AM »
Rabbits can actually be a lot of work if you take the time to train them, play with them, etc (they make much nicer pets that way than in a hutch). They're not expensive but they do live a pretty long time (mine is 10 years old). They're not really equivalent to a goldfish. And they won't make you happy if you're a dog person--nor will a cat--or a snake--or anything but a dog!

My rabbit is approximately 12 years old.  He's been a free-range indoor pet almost 11 years now and I never felt like it was much work to take care of him until the last year since he can't get around as well.  Other than cleaning his litter box and making sure he always had food he wasn't too demanding.  If he wanted attention he'd let me know about it, but he was content to hang out on the floor with me while I read or worked on my laptop.

Nowadays though he's a lot of work to take care of, but he's worth it.

They're all different. I had one like that, and he was the best pet I ever lived with, never destroyed anything and perfect behavior in every way. Now I've got one who's so needy she follows me around until I sit down and then tries to climb all over me. ALL DAY LONG. She requires a nearly constant supply of new and interesting things to do or she spends all her time making trouble so I'll come over and pay attention to her. She's cute and sweet but way more high-maintenance than I'd like--the rabbit equivalent of a hyperactive terrier.

MrSaturday

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Re: My dog eats money!
« Reply #22 on: March 01, 2013, 11:35:47 AM »
They're all different. I had one like that, and he was the best pet I ever lived with, never destroyed anything and perfect behavior in every way. Now I've got one who's so needy she follows me around until I sit down and then tries to climb all over me. ALL DAY LONG. She requires a nearly constant supply of new and interesting things to do or she spends all her time making trouble so I'll come over and pay attention to her. She's cute and sweet but way more high-maintenance than I'd like--the rabbit equivalent of a hyperactive terrier.

I can see how that could get old.  Sounds like she needs a buddy.

N.

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Re: My dog eats money!
« Reply #23 on: March 01, 2013, 11:51:07 AM »



Gasp! Is that a SNAGGLE TOOTH I see?!

(Lips tucked up over a dry tooth for you non-pet people.)

Maybe just in the middle of a chew or adjustment or something. Whatever. Gorgeous!

anastrophe

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Re: My dog eats money!
« Reply #24 on: March 01, 2013, 12:40:48 PM »
I can see how that could get old.  Sounds like she needs a buddy.

She has one! And they are super in love. But she still wants me for some reason, even though I don't lick her ears like he does.

Nudelkopf

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Re: My dog eats money!
« Reply #25 on: March 01, 2013, 06:55:10 PM »
Rabbits as pets are illegal in my state. Fun fact :-)

anastrophe

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Re: My dog eats money!
« Reply #26 on: March 02, 2013, 06:11:33 AM »
Rabbits as pets are illegal in my state. Fun fact :-)

Australia really doesn't need more rabbits. They are illegal in lots of places because of myxomatosis but that is not really an issue in the US thankfully--you can't even get the vaccine for pets.

meadow lark

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Re: My dog eats money!
« Reply #27 on: March 02, 2013, 08:54:03 AM »
I think small dog breeds have more potty problems than large breeds - that's my unscientific experience.  The biggest dogs I have had ( mastiff, German shepherd) have all been perfectly potty trained by 2 or 3 months. (I am OCD about taking them out.). But my smaller dogs were pushing 6 months, and my beagle was a hot mess. 
  Since your dog is so small, would you consider leaving a puppy pee pad on the floor.  Gotta be cheaper than a dog walker.

melissak

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Re: My dog eats money!
« Reply #28 on: March 02, 2013, 09:09:00 PM »
A few random opinions -

(1) I'm all about a good mutt found on Craigslist or from a friend. Ever heard of "mutt strength"? Basically, pure-bred = in-bred. Doesn't work well with humans, and obviously doesn't work well with dogs. (Hip problems being a prime example.)

(2) Even though you often don't catch dogs in the act of peeing inside, you can always take them over to the pee (/poo), show it to them, and if necessary, push their nose close to it (not in it) and smack them on the bum, throw them outside - they will quickly learn they should not go inside. Or at least, ours do.

(3) I also disagree with obedience school - according to my partner who is a bit of a dog expert from heaps and heaps of experience - it is just teaching your dog to be bribed. They shouldn't obey because they are going to get a treat, they should obey because you are the boss, and if they don't, there will be consequences.

(4) I also think the Dog Whisperer is off base, from the little I know about him - I have not read/watched him very much at all but friends have told me about him - and they subsequently had their dogs put down. I just disagree with the things I have heard about his theory. I tend to think dogs are not anywhere near as complicated as people make them out to be - as long as you lay down a good disciplinary foundation from the get-go rather than trying to make radical changes when they're already a year or two old.

I never had a dog until a few years ago, and again, am lucky to have a partner who knows heaps and heaps about well-disciplined dogs (being a boar hunter - very mustachian way to get a couple hundred pounds of free-range pork, by the way!). I've learned everything I know about dogs from him - no books or psychology or anything - and it really does seem like common sense. The main things I've learned, I suppose are: Get a mutt. And some breeds don't mix well, so get a good mix. And by now, I'm sure it's obvious that I reckon, a mix is the only way to go. Treat it like a dog- aka it wants to run off the leash and chase shit and protect you, not be a little show pony and only prance around on a leash slightly behind you. And if it doesn't, I have to wonder what sort of breeding antics would produce such a tame creature from wolf ancestry. Also "they are very simple creatures and should be treated as such." Sage advice.

I totally realize many many people will not share my opinions, and good on ya, different strokes, etc - but this is what I, as a very opinionated sort, reckon and would happily defend.


melissak

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Re: My dog eats money!
« Reply #29 on: March 02, 2013, 09:19:14 PM »
Rabbits as pets are illegal in my state. Fun fact :-)

I read (in Bill Bryson's "In a Sunburned Country," I believe) that rabbits are responsible for the barrenness of the outback, after the pommies introduced them as a quaint addition to their gardens.

Is this true?

(An off-topic aside.)

Nudelkopf

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Re: My dog eats money!
« Reply #30 on: March 02, 2013, 09:28:05 PM »
I thought they were introduced for hunting. But they could also be cute additions to an English garden. Me no know! And I assumed they were illegal cos they're pests and take away from our native marsupials. And we don't need any more running loose, that's true. Imma have to google myxomatosis.

melissak

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Re: My dog eats money!
« Reply #31 on: March 02, 2013, 09:33:30 PM »
I thought they were introduced for hunting. But they could also be cute additions to an English garden. Me no know! And I assumed they were illegal cos they're pests and take away from our native marsupials. And we don't need any more running loose, that's true. Imma have to google myxomatosis.

Agreed - I think it was part hunting/part nostalgia for the motherland.  Crazy stuff.
I hear rabbit tastes great, though, so it's one of those wonderful cases where eating tasty meat HELPS the environment. Gotta love it!

grantmeaname

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Re: My dog eats money!
« Reply #32 on: March 03, 2013, 08:43:57 AM »
It's tasty, but it's really sinewy and there's not much meet on a rabbit. It would be a lot of work to butcher a rabbit for 12 ounces of meat, especially if you had to go kill it and skin it first.

jpo

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Re: My dog eats money!
« Reply #33 on: April 11, 2013, 02:37:15 PM »
Gasp! Is that a SNAGGLE TOOTH I see?!

(Lips tucked up over a dry tooth for you non-pet people.)

Maybe just in the middle of a chew or adjustment or something. Whatever. Gorgeous!
A temporary one, perhaps... she does not ordinarily have a snaggle tooth!

Dr.Vibrissae

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Re: My dog eats money!
« Reply #34 on: April 11, 2013, 07:24:14 PM »
Hi Implet, I' a little late and hope that things are going well with you and your pup (such a cutie!) 

I liked a lot of the advice about walking more frequently, especially in the mornings, and it sounds like it is working for you so I hope that ensuring full potty training is all that it takes.

I did want to chime in with one other possibility if it is not working out.  You mentioned that your dog didn't have a medical condition for the urination (I'm assuming you mean the vet checked for a UTI or causes for increased urine and didn't find anything).  You also mentioned that you hadn't actually witnessed the urination, and that it was always in the bed or ona soft spot.  Does it only happen during the day or are there ever accidents after a long night?  I ask because some dogs can have weak urethral sphincters, resulting in leakage, mostly when lying down with a full bladder.  It's certainly much much more common in spayed females but can occur in males.  Typically the dog urinated while sleeping, and is unaware that they have gone.  Incomplete potty training is much more likely, but the thought struck me, so I thought I'd share.

One of my own dogs tore both her ACLs and one of her menisci and had knee surgery (she's a mutt) so I know how it goes.

ace1224

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Re: My dog eats money!
« Reply #35 on: April 12, 2013, 05:33:09 AM »
Another good online resource is http://www.youtube.com/user/tab289.

Nothing has beat the trainer we found from APDT though.

Obligatory picture:

ahhhh!!!! so cute!!! i have a german as well! i lovey him.  i also have a teeny tiny chiweenie.  one dog weighs 85 pounds and one weighs 2.5....guess who is in charge.....

happy

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Re: My dog eats money!
« Reply #36 on: April 12, 2013, 06:45:25 AM »
Rabbits as pets are illegal in my state. Fun fact :-)

Australia really doesn't need more rabbits. They are illegal in lots of places because of myxomatosis but that is not really an issue in the US thankfully--you can't even get the vaccine for pets.

Yes they are illegal in QLD and should be everywhere in Australia IMHO. I'm not sure why they were introduced, or indeed whether they came in on ships accidentally. Its not true that they cause the barrenness. Myxoma virus ( which causes myxomatosis) and calicivirus were introduced as biological agents to reduce the population- initially successful. Yes they are cute, but cause untold damage in the wild.

As an aside, a mustachian way to obtain a pet is to get one from a rescue if possible.
Disclaimer: we have 6 rescue guinea pigs. They eat many sorts of weeds from the garden and their bedding makes great compost.


anastrophe

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Re: My dog eats money!
« Reply #37 on: April 17, 2013, 06:47:09 AM »
Rabbits as pets are illegal in my state. Fun fact :-)

Australia really doesn't need more rabbits. They are illegal in lots of places because of myxomatosis but that is not really an issue in the US thankfully--you can't even get the vaccine for pets.

Yes they are illegal in QLD and should be everywhere in Australia IMHO. I'm not sure why they were introduced, or indeed whether they came in on ships accidentally. Its not true that they cause the barrenness. Myxoma virus ( which causes myxomatosis) and calicivirus were introduced as biological agents to reduce the population- initially successful. Yes they are cute, but cause untold damage in the wild.

As an aside, a mustachian way to obtain a pet is to get one from a rescue if possible.
Disclaimer: we have 6 rescue guinea pigs. They eat many sorts of weeds from the garden and their bedding makes great compost.

That's what I get for sloppy internet research. I used to have guinea pigs but they broke my heart when they died after a few years and good gods do they have loud opinions. But no louder than a dog, I suppose.