2 Questions??

[shay19]

Aida is a very tricky dog, I have yet to find something to interest her into doing training (everything she picked up was from watching me and Bruiser do it, she usually just sits on the couch while we train). I have tried everything from packaged dog treats to hot dog bits and pieces of cheese, nothing really interests her enough to learn anything. I do know that she absolutely loves her toys, only problem is she watches the toy rather than me... I can get her to sit if I say it twice while holding her toy. So I'm wondering what could work to help her? I want her to take the CGC test either later this year or early next year but without some incentive she just won't do anything new....

And also, she barks, growls, and whimpers in the car sometimes (she has only done this 3 times since I got her last year). But she only does this when she sees things like people on corners with signs (like pizza places having a deal, etc.), bigger groups of people, people on motorcycles, and even occasionally the person driving the car next to me. She doesn't do this to every person she sees or every time we go in the car, like I said she's only done this 3 times. But what scares me is today I went to the baseball stadium to get tickets and she saw a guy on a motorcycle behind us, she went nuts jumped up on my backseat (normally she sits in the car just fine and we have no problems at all) and started barking with her hackles raised and everything. He finally passed and she was ok. Then we stopped at a light with a minivan type of vehicle next to us where she growled at the lady driving. Now no windows were down at all so she couldn't hear anything and because of my window tint she couldn't really see alot either... I'm wondering if this is her way of like protecting the car kind of mentality or something like that? And also I'm wondering if this is something that may worsen to the point that nobody can approach my car with her in it? I don't want to have her bite somebody when/if they approach... Obviously she'll never be in it unattended but like today when she started barking I couldn't get her to stop, I don't want something bad to happen to her?

Any advice or suggestions??

[michele5611]

Shay I just saw this post.....I will forward to Mary and she can give you some training advice!

I am sure some of the others on here can offer up their knowledge as well...Maryellen.....

[maryellen]

the car aggression could be barrier aggression due to being in the car. she also could just be a fear ful dog genetically. it could get worse if you dont work on it, get the book Help for my fearful dog by nicole wilde on amazon.com it goes step by step with desensitizing a fearful dog to be managable if she is fearful. how old is she? whats her background do you know?

[shay19]

She's about 10 months old, she'll be 1 in September. My parents have her parents so I definately know them very well, just let me know what you need to know and I'll tell ya... I'd go through about her now but I'm going to be late for work lol so if you give me any questions I'll check this first thing when I get home and answer them all for ya...

[maryellen]

ok here is the developmental stage puppies go thru (dont know if all go thru it or some but it should help)
www.diamondsintheruff.com/DevelopmentalStages.html

it could be a 2nd fear stage she is going thru based on the link .

as far as her training, some dogs just arent motivated by food or toys .. or, you can motivate her with food by only feedng her her meals during training, alot of people do this, the dogs meals are hand fed while training . .. they dont see a bowl until they hit 1 year old .

i would crate her in the car for now, so that she cant react to people/vehicles/motorcycles

and maybe do some NILIF too

[adoptapitbull]

I saw an episode of Victoria Stillwell's show and she worked with 3 Great Danes who seemed to have that same problem in the car. She blacked out the entire car using a curtain and something to darken the windows so that the dogs couldn't see out. When they were quiet, she would let them see a bit through the front. If they barked, she closed it. Eventually she was able to keep the curtain open at all times and they were much better. I'm not sure if this is the same scenario as those dogs, but it did seem to work out well for them. Hope it helps!

[maryellen]

oh i saw that episode too, those dogs were horrible in the car!

[shay19]

I actually watch alot of her shows, and I did see that one... Aida probably sounds really bad but she is not nearly as bad as the grear danes... I looked at that link though and the stuff she's now barking at in the car is stuff she's already been introduced to before and did great so I don't get why seh'd freak out about it now??

Aida is on very strict NILF because of her resource guardinng she started a while back so still stickin to that....

But the only problem I have now is that where I'm working at, the doggy day care, I work long hours... today and yesterday were both 11 hour shifts... I leave early in the morning anywhere from 6:30 to 8:30 and don't get back until almost 8 so she'd have to go all day without eating to do the food only while training and I don't know if that would be good for her. I had to have my little sister come spend the night for me the last 2 nights just to keep them on schedule and watch them for me. Although, not every day is 11 hour shifts sometimes I work split shifts so I could do it those days, I just don't know what I'd do on the days I work the long hours??

[adoptapitbull]

You might want to look into a pet sitter. We hired a "pro" petsitter. We hired her once when we went away overnight. Mine charged $16 per 30 minute visit. Mine would walk the dogs (if we asked her to), get the mail, water plants, turn down blinds, give meds, etc and she was insured just in case anything happened. If you could find a local sitter to come let the dogs out and maybe feed them around the middle of your shift, that could work nicely.

[shay19]

I'll definately look into that... How come I never thought of something like that lol. But at least for the next 2 weeks I'm not working any long days that aren't split shifts so I'll be able to shoot home real quick and let them out/feed them.

This reason though (the sometimes long/unexpected hours I get) is what inspired my other thread "taking my dogs to work." Since I work at a doggy day care I can bring them with me, but I'm still debating on it... I'd like to try it so if I work another long day I can have them there with me but I'm still very unsure about the whole thing.

Anyway lots of great advice though and will definately look into a sitter just in case.

[maryellen]

the developmental stages a dog could bark and react to stuff already introduced, so that could be normal. you can do the food thing on weekends when you dont work, and a pet sitter is a good idea to

[shay19]

Oh ok I guess I didn't understand that link then lol but yes I can do the food thing with her, I'm hoping it will help her out alot... she's just such a little brat lately lol. And I'm definately going to start looking into a pet sitter, hopefully if I start looking now I can find someone I'd trust with my piglets by the next holiday (I'm very picky when it somes to these 2 lol, only the best for them... at least that's what I try to do anyway)

[adoptapitbull]

I called the petsitter at the beginning and end of each visit! lol We were only gone overnight! When she came over to meet the dogs and us, I had her here for 30 mins explaining everything from where the bandages were and who likes what, who does what, etc. I think she thought I was nuts! But, she spent years as a tech at an e-vet and had a lot of experience with Bullies. I also prefer my dogs to stay home than board at a kennel because of the stress factor. At a kennel, most dogs are super stressed. Aida might become stressed if you bring her to work. Lots of dogs barking bloody murder all day might be too much. I know my kennel is also a grooming facility and all you hear when you walk in is little yappy dogs going nuts getting groomed. My dogs didn't peep, but I'm sure it got to them.

Try craigslist to find the sitter. Mine advertised there. Call 5 or so before selecting any just to make sure you find the right one. Ask about their bully knowledge, experience, rates, etc and compare. I'm sure you can find one qualified enough at least to feed and let the pooches out.

[shay19]

Yeah that's pretty much exactly how I'll be I just know it... I would love to find someone around here with lots of "bully breed" experience that would just be great for me... I'd have my mom do it for me since she's not working but because of that it's hard for her to pay for gas-especially since she has my siblings who are in school and have classes afterwards that they need rides to... plus it's quite a bit of time out of her day, almost a half hour just in driving to my house and back to her's so if she came out and stayed for a half hour then it'd be closer to 2 hours for 2 trips, I know that doesn't seem like alot but like I said with my siblings there, no money, and her trying to find a job it's just too much to ask of her right now.

And you're right Aida might get really stressed there... Bruiser on the other hand would do great, we figured this out this morning. My fiancee let them out to go potty ran back inside to grab a drink (the doors were open and his drink was maybe 10 feet away from the gate, if that, I think it's even shorter distance than that) and Bruiser had gotten out that quick and that quietly... Well I was running late so I looked for him as I was driving to work and found him so I brought him with me really quick (he was only there like 10-15 minutes at the most though). He also didn't get to meet any other dogs since he hasn't had the Bordatella shot yet (I had never planned on boarding them before so never worried about getting it) but he sat in the interview room, where new dogs come first to meet dogs 1 on 1 and did great. Didn't even bark once... I think he'll do really good there with me, as long as he settles down a little bit. He was so excited when we pulled up he jumped out of my car before I could make sure it was ok to put him in the back (it's really busy there so they didn't want any employee dogs there til the holiday weekend is over).

I think Aida would do pretty good once she warms up to the place, she gets scared at first but after that I can't get her to leave somewhere (the same thing happened at Petsmart lol, she layed on their rug for 10 minutes then we got her off using treats and then didn't want to leave) She's just very cautious about new things... And surprisingly the day care really doesn't get very loud with dogs barking... the only time they really bark is when they hear a TA DA! which is little messages that pop up to say let dogs out, so and so's going home, etc. They quiet down pretty fast too.... So maybe she wouldn't stress out too bad, and I'll only be taking her while I'm working and I can seperate her from other dogs/most noises and take her home at the soonest conveniece to my boss... It may be worth a shot to try just to see, that way I know a little more about her personality with dogs as well.