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Post by beachstateofmind on Jun 3, 2008 20:10:34 GMT -5
Hi - I have a great story behind acquiring my Izzy... But more urgently need help... We have 10 FARM FENCED acres. We have lived here nearly 10 years, and our greatest problems have been keeping stray animals OUT of our fenced yard. (We initially fenced to take in greyhounds that would be destroyed.) We have placed soooooo many pets, returned them to homes --- you wouldn't believe (goats, mules, horses, emus, dogs, cats, gooses!). Anyway, our pit mix (Izzy) showed up on April 1 (my son left garage door open) and moved into work space above the garage (complete with dog beds); the next day, she was THRILLED when we found her! She was great in the yard for about a month... then discovered there were dogs neighboring the fences --- and she is so DARN SOCIAL. She finds EVERY TEENY WEENY hole (she is so thin she can MORF like an octopus!) to go out and PLAY!
IF we were still country, maybe tolerate a little (except for the PIT BULL stuff), but we are now a bit METRO BURB of Atlanta, with lots of trucks and builders going on and on.... I can't see her killed...
We have purchased a SHOCK COLLAR, which EVERYONE OF YOU FREAK OUT ABOUT... BUT are you familiar with the fact that there is a SOUND DEVICE warning and a VIBRATING warning --- which work INCREDIBLY.... STILL - 10 acres and she is SOOOOOO fast.
So I took out the ATV (with passenger seat) to follow her so I could keep up to teach fench boundaries... Iz wants to ride iinstead of walk!!!
Any help in any of these matters is sooooo appreciated.... Kenneling is not an option. We WILL NOT have a chained dog. I have 10 acres and we love animals.... We want her to love what we have... Any suggestions?
Debi T.
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Post by RealPitBull on Jun 4, 2008 7:15:57 GMT -5
Hi Debi.... You don't leave many options. A fence with escape-holes, kenneling and chaining not an option. Hmmm.. If this were my dog I would either a) keep her in the house, and exercise her on leash and/or under my supervision when outdoors (and lots of us do this with our dogs - it is perfectly reasonable. I live on property with no fence so my dog MUST be walked on leash for his exercise/potty time each day). B) I would fence off a smaller section of the acreage, with a sturdy, escape-proof fence - 6-ft privacy fence, for instance. 10 acres is too much space, IMO, fenced or not, for a dog to be running around in unsupervised. As for shock collars and invisable fences - I'm not going to 'freak out' over you using one, but as a trainer and Pit Bull counselor, I strongly discourage owners from using these as a means to keep a dog contained. They often don't work and are ill-advisedly used for Pit Bull type dogs who have the tenacity and strength of mind to simply barge through electric shock when something juicy catches their interest. See these links: www.njboxerrescue.com/Memorials-Jack.htmlwww.positivedogs.com/electronic_fencing.htmlKeeping Izzy inside her yard isn't a matter of teaching her to 'love' it. This is a management issue that needs to be handled by you her owner, and isn't something to mess around with. You WILL end up with a problem if she keeps getting lose. Worst case scenario, a dead dog.
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Post by beachstateofmind on Jun 4, 2008 16:44:57 GMT -5
I appreciate the opinion of the shock collar --- We are having great success with the VIBRATION setting with AUDIO BEEP, and do not intend to even TRY the shock... Izzy just needs extra "attention getters." Unfortunately, the 10 acres has worked great for my current 3 dogs, in addition to a retriever I "sit" for during the day. We work on our property, and the dogs have access to the 10 acres and the shop has a dog door and 5 ladies down there that love them. Izzy WANTS to please, but is so darned SOCIAL!!!! I thought pits didn't like other dogs.. She goes OUT OF HER WAY to please them!
We love to let her have the time she needs to run and jump and play and swim (we have a pond and a pool --- you bring in the teenagers and she is ALL OVER the volley ball!), but we worry much because of - #1, public opinion (never owned one and didn't know that's what she was when I fell in love!) and - #2, we are on a corner with much road frontage and lots of dump trucks and cement mixers. So, we have an ATV and found we can keep up with her in it. We put the vibrator on her and jump in the ATV to follow... YESTERDAY, she decided it was more fun to ride in the ATV than to her own thing! Now, our following only ends up in JOY RIDES!!!!
We are working to make the fence "Izzy-Proof" -- watch how she gets thru and plug all the holes. Problem is, she is so darn thin that she can fit thru the smallest hole... AND any doggie bark is an invite to play!
We love her, but will continue to look for "help," as we won't have a chained dog and we love her to death. I think some of Izzy's problem is that she lacks obedience... She is great at "STOP" and "NO" and "SIT" --- but that's it... I think she is too much into having fun and too little into paying attention. Getting her attention thru general obedience (heel, sit, stay, come, down) should help... (The only experience I have had involved training LEADER DOGS for the blind, and obedience trials for 8 years --- [totally not being mean] --- and I have no experience with anything OTHER than retrievers....let alone Pits!)
Enough me.... (Sorry, I tend to ramble when I have an ear - and I type fast!) Altho, another Q.... If I want to have vacation, I usually have a sitter come to my house (all these pets!), but I won't trust this with Izzy... How to I get a boarder to keep Iz? She is the greatest love, but I'm afraid of predjudice... Do I say what she is, or just say mutt? Will I find this a problem? I don't want to leave her with the vet --- their kennels are "crates" I think... Any suggestions? Thanks
Take Care
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