Update on the Cocoa the dog chronicles

A few people have asked how it is going with the dog so I thought I would post an update. My sis took pics of this beautiful beast yesterday so you will have evidence of his incredible beauty soon.

I have never had a dog that didn't like going outside so this has been a challenge. He has bad manners at the back door and BARGES his 70 plus pounds through so I have literally had to wrestle the dog to the ground (once he gets worked up the humping starts) to let him know I rule supreme and he will lose the battle every time. After we wrestle, I bring him in on a leash and take him to our three room quiet place where he chews on a chew stick and releases anxiety.
Then I get on the floor with him and give him hugs so that he is clear he is my dog and that he is loved...it really has been interesting. He is the most loving and mellow dog I have ever seen once the angst is over.

I have finally figured out that if I am going somewhere, I make a small snack of food for him and prepare it (with a little warm water for gravy) and he willingly goes outside.

Walks are getting better and better. He heels well and doesn't tug on the leash but mommy had to speed it up a bit too...( I figured it was only reasonable to walk a bit faster if it made him tug less and it does)

The main problem and the biggest problem is the cats still. I think after Tuesday he will get better with this. Tuesday is when we go to get neutered (well, not WE but him). I do have a reservation about doing this so soon though. He will have been here six days and dropping him off so soon may lead him to believe he is being dumped again and I hate that but the vet I use is quite expensive (really good VCA vet) and has a deal if done on Tuesdays for neutering and shots.

If the neutering does not do the trick with the cats, there is a plan B. It turns out that there is a dog behavior specialist in Laguna Beach who is also an author. She was gracious enough to return my call over the holiday when I left a frantic message about what to do. They make this collar ( a citronella spray collar that works by remote control..the dog gets sniff of this stuff ..not harmful but enough to repel them from any bad behavior)only problem is it costs approximately 250 dollars. The main benefit to it is I don't have to yell to get his attention which only gets the dog and the cats more worked up....so....I'll ask the vet about it too but my neighbor who is a groomer swears by citronella spray for the difficult issues.

He has finally stopped being frantic every time he is put outside. I have been varying the time frames that he goes out and letting him back in...so that he knows it isn't the end of the world.

Now for the good parts...he is so loving..and when calmed down is the best dog in the world when it comes to companionship...he is a bit clingy with me..if I leave the room...he follows and he sleeps through the night, can hold his bodily functions all night and doesn't chew or destroy things in the house...really amazing for a dog that was an "outside dog"

He was so alienated by his previous owners that he doesn't fetch (usually an innate quality in retrievers) He will fetch across a room but not across a yard..unlike my other retrievers who thought I was a "human tennis ball machine." The great thing about this although I am sure it will change is..HE IS NOT A PAIN IN THE ASS.

He wakes me up in the morning with a big wet brown nose that gives me a little poke in the face to let me know...it's time!

I am in love...and like any relationship..we are working through the bumps..and moving on. :loveya:

If you need help on any behavioral problems, I would suggest going to yahoogroups.com and join a list. They have a lot of groups of people who have dog behavioral problems where everyone can interact.

Appreciate it :D

I think when he's 'fixed' it'll best for both of you. May stop the humping too.
Several years ago we had a VERY aggressive male German Shepherd. 120 lbs.
He was beautiful, and a good dog, until...
Until he started to challenge me for alpha male position.
We had one set to that I still carry a small scar from. Scared the hell out of both of us. After consultation with our vet (who would NOT see him unless Max was muzzled, not the vet we have now BTW) and an animal neurologist (I'm not kidding) we decided to have 'em clipped.

He was a calmer, MUCH less aggressive dog, and we got to keep him around for another 4 enjoyable years before he succumbed to MD.

he can handle for his size..I was hoping to keep him intact for a while as another DU'er's dog is ill and if need be I was going to let my guy have a night of fun in order to give the pick of the litter to her if her dog didn't make it through..but it really isn't feasible and I have bruises from the waist down from fighting this guy off and I need a tamer household....I think he wants a tamer life too...he really is anxiety prone.

The behavioral specialist also convinced me it was much better for his health (mental and physical.)

:hi:

you will meet him.

I think this year we should do the Pismo thing..especially since we have a DU'er in the area. End of March would be a great time as the hotel and camp ground rates will not have gone up for the season yet.

It's by the Monks of New Skete & it's called How to be Your Dog's Best Friend. It's amazing and has great techniques for controlling and disciplining that my intensely soft heart could actually manage.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0316610003/qid=1073244584/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/102-2890220-1016151?v=glance&s=books

I will get it.

They're a bunch of monks who raise German Shepherds. They really know their stuff and I really appreciated their philosophy of training. Oh, and they especially know how to deal with bigger dogs, which might be helpful for you. My last 70 lb dog used to drag my ass all over the place when he wanted to go out too.

sounds like a lot of fun!

I had a dog for just a few months a few years ago. A shephered/retreiver mix. Then my partner moved out and I couldn't be home enough for him, so now he's in doggie-heaven at my sister's house. Three kids, big yard and he's spoiled to death.

ANYWAY... the point of this is that this dog, Beau, NEVER got along with my cats. He'd try to eat 'em at every chance. But oddly enough, I'd take him to doggie day-care run by a very experienced dog trainer, and he never went after HER cats. Well... he did a few times, but she broke him of it quickly. But it only applied to HER cats. She actually used a squirt bottle with a light ammonia mix in it. That and her stern voice. He was fixed, btw.

I guess I'm saying that some behavioral problems CAN be solved by the right person who really understands the dog. So I'd suggest if neutering still doesn't solve the problem, get a trainer or behaviorist to come to your house to help.

OR.. if he's not really trying to hurt the cats as much as play with them, let him go at it. Cats are sharp and are pretty good at defending themselves from minor annoyances. My brother's new dog got the lesson his first day in his new home. The cats are NOT chew toys. He still has a boo-boo on his nose from it ;)

The funny thing is my "butch" cat who thinks he is a dog has turned out to be a big chicken...when the dog is out, I go get the cats, love them up and bring them out of hiding...I am trying to have them get a sense of when the space is safe...eventually my ragdoll will hang out with this dog when he proves himself trustworthy...she loves dogs and is dying to get closer.

it is a shame the previous owners were not good dog people, would have made both your lives better.

Keep up the good work!

Remember, when you pick him up from the vet, he will be a handful for an hour or so, just because he'll be so glad to see you!

:loveya:

O8)

when they realized he could live a better life.

Retrievers like labs love to swim.

IT's a bit too cold for him now, but I suspect as it warms up, he will take a dip now and then..he doesn't have water issues although the fall in the pool wednesday when he got here was a bit of a shock to the poor guy.

We live smack dab in the middle of 50 acres, yet he always found his way up the almost-mile-long drive to the highway. Almost hit a couple of times, picked up once by a kind heart who called to let me know she had him.

The moral to the story: I had to make the hard decision of whether to buy the shock collar that works on a radio signal sent out by a central control unit. I was concerned that it would be inhumane (I found out that it is QUITE the opposite) and it was expensive. At petsafe.net, they were 300.00. I bought an identical unit at walmart made by petsafe for 180.00. Now Bizbee stays home, doesn't roam, and doesn't lead the little schnauzer off when she goes out to play. NOT EVEN WHEN A FEMALE IN THE 'HOOD IS IN HEAT. The boy stays home!

It took very little training to teach him his boundary. Since I put the collar on him, he has only been shocked once, and that was during training. We walked his 200' diameter perimeter and he learned it quickly. He hasn't crossed it once! I have ABSOLUTELY no regrets about buying the containment system. NONE.

NSMA, go to www.petsafe.net and see if they sell the citronella collar or can at least direct you to several retailers. I think I have seen them for cheaper than 250...much cheaper. Look around.

One question: Does he peepee on your stuff? I can't let Bizbee in for a second because he pees on everything--the couch, the fridge, my bedpost, etc. How's your boy about that?

NO this guy only pee'd in the house once the day after I got him and it was after he was worked up over a cat confrontation.

He doesn't ask to go outside yet, but holds his water like nobody's business....all night long in fact. Again he has a MILLION good qualities..no pee'ing...no destruction of property...he has a basket with his tennis ball and chew toys that he is free to rummage through.....I am training him to put his toys away when he is done with them...can't have a clutter bug around the house :D

You better hang on to that fine boy. Sounds like a great pal. :-)

Here's the search string--most are selling for around $70.

http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?cgiurl=http%3A%2F%2Fcgi.ebay.com%2Fws%2F&krd=1&from=R8&MfcISAPICommand=GetResult&ht=1&SortProperty=MetaEndSort&query=citronella+collar

What I don't see is how to apply that to the cats..he chases them..it isn't just a bark..I will have to read further but the cost is not so prohibitive.

He has a fierce bark but that doesn't bother me although it certainly does interrupt the cats' nirvana

BTW...I am often in LA..west side or Santa Monica..maybe someday you'd like to meet him :D

He probably has separation anxiety now that he know how nice it is to be in with good people.

Havocdad's only experience with retrievers was a pair a friend had and kept kenneled outdoors. It is just not how a retriever wants to live and those dogs were psych cases. Took a fair bit of convincing to get Havocdad to give a retriever a try. He's sees that they definitely need to be with their people and the kenneled dogs were just frustrated beyond reason.

Cocoa is probably just neurotic about being locked back outside. Well, falling into the big water dish might make him a tad antsy too. LOL

If he keeps pulling too much on the leash, look into getting a 'Halti' head lead. We use one for the 90 pound hound or I would be skiing on my nose down dirt roads on a regular basis. Looks like a muzzle, but dog's jaws not cinched. Lead hooks to a slip ring under the muzzle. If he pulls more than you are willing to run, it puts pressure on the top of the muzzle instead of the neck (where all the muscles are0 with a collar lead. Works well.

Also, will PM you regarding the trick I mentioned the other evening. Sounds like it might be time to use it. Quick, painless and very good communication to a rambunctious youngster.

Hugs to you and your fur friends from me 'an mine!

better with him..he responds to being overpowered more than he responds to the halter which ruined his walk expperience..plus the minute the halter was off he was an ass because he knew he could be...he is a lot less unruly..we just need the cat breakthrough..

just had him in the room with the cats and he was uncontrollable so I put him outside for a while but I let him watch me petting the cats while he was at the door..when he barked I would say "shhh" until he stopped barking...

He is agressive where they are concerned and I want to make sure he has never killed a cat or a possum from his previous owners...once I am clear of that and he is neutered..I think it will be a bit easier to deal with.

I really appreciate all the help you have given me :D

I have had my Golden since he was a puppy. Then we adopted a full grown cat. The GR chased the cat for about 4 months. It was rather tense at our house and I worried if we could keep both pets. The cat mostly stayed in one room. Then the dominance changed. The cat now rules this house. We just told our dog no, pulled him away, and gqave him no affection when he went after the cat. GRs just want to please.

I am far from an animal expert, but I refused to hit my dog. I was told to flip him on his back and look into his eyes when he seriously challenged me. It established dominance. It worked and I never hurt my 13 year old dog.

I considered those collars for various behavior problems. There must be a used collar market. They only are used for a few months. Check Ebay or maybe post notices. Good luck.

Is there some underground doggy dominance group where people learn these tricks? Just wondering :D they have all been of great help though!

Friend of my daughter's chose, as his first dog ever, a lab great Dane cross they found in the shelter. Bright and loving dog but not too sure he wasn't the boss.

Dog's insistence on doing things his way made the inexperienced lad wonder if he had some doggie learning disability. The kid finally called me up and asked if I thought his new dog might be retarded. I told him the dog was actually very smart, just confused about who was the leader of his new pack. Since the kid was inexperienced with dogs, he really had some gaps in his understanding of how their society worked. Dog was smart and figured the kid was the slow one.

Gave the kid tip about eye contact and the flip them on their back, use the throat trick. Kid thought it was nuts but had seen me enough with critters to give it a go.

Got a call back in about 15 minutes, "*******, my dog has a whole new attitude toward me." And they have lived happily ever after. :evilgrin:

And NSMA, I do believe most dogs are good subjects for experiments in transmitting visualization. Form images of Cocoa and the cats engaging in some calm, mutually pleasant activities. Think in visual terms only. Turn off the verbal part of your brain and just send visual messages to him. Likewise, try sending to the cats. I have seen some amazing results with these sort of exercises.

keep me posted!
havoc(was a cat)mom

But whenever we got a new member to the family, we made the treat fest thing something where everone joined in. You gather the family around at say 6 p.m. and dole out the treats. The one that has been misbehaving gets the treat last. He sees the others getting a treat and being made of for good behavior and if he acts up then he doesn't get the treat. This even means putting the cats on the counter out of harms way and doling out the treats. Making a big deal out of them and shaming the shamer. Works every time :)