Russell
I have a dog I want to fly out to Denver Colorodo
Answer
If you do need to fly with your dog, make sure to thoroughly investigate travel plans with your airline company. Different airlines have various requirements from breed restrictions (for example, Continental wonât fly Rottweilers or Pit Bulls â I however will bite my tongue and not advocate the boycottâ¦), crate size restrictions, specific crate types or brands, temperature restrictions, identification or labeling protocols, and water and food requirements. Please check with the airline weeks in advance to make sure you arenât scrambling at the last minute. Check to see if the airline will allow you to take miniscule dogs on board in a soft-sided carrier. This often requires a $50-100 animal fee, and your dog must stay in the carrier under the seat at all times (which may require some sedation); this is to help respect those stuffy, uptight people around you who do not like animals or are allergic. It is typical practice to make amends with these people by presenting some sort of gift that shows the usefulness of animals, such as a new sweater threaded with dog hair. That way, they gain something from the dog in return for having to sit next to him. Everybody wins!
If you do need to fly with your dog, make sure to thoroughly investigate travel plans with your airline company. Different airlines have various requirements from breed restrictions (for example, Continental wonât fly Rottweilers or Pit Bulls â I however will bite my tongue and not advocate the boycottâ¦), crate size restrictions, specific crate types or brands, temperature restrictions, identification or labeling protocols, and water and food requirements. Please check with the airline weeks in advance to make sure you arenât scrambling at the last minute. Check to see if the airline will allow you to take miniscule dogs on board in a soft-sided carrier. This often requires a $50-100 animal fee, and your dog must stay in the carrier under the seat at all times (which may require some sedation); this is to help respect those stuffy, uptight people around you who do not like animals or are allergic. It is typical practice to make amends with these people by presenting some sort of gift that shows the usefulness of animals, such as a new sweater threaded with dog hair. That way, they gain something from the dog in return for having to sit next to him. Everybody wins!
I was disappointed in our session. I am a CVT?
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I was disappointed in our session. I am a CVT myself and surgical nurse and was head of radiology in a large animal hospital until I got cancer. I probably have more college than the lady we spoke with, but she had a tendency to talk down to me.
We adopted Lovie when DDFL (Denver Dumb Friends) brought her from a puppy mill in MO. One of the worst they had ever seen. She was in a 2x2 cage with chicken wire on the bottom stacked 4 high. She was there 8 years. She has bowed front legs, dry eye (possibly limited in sight), and only her bottom 2 canines. We have had her for 8 weeks and nothing from all my pre-vet college and experience has prepared me for this broken animal.
1-she is frightened of everything- I have 2 fat lazy cats and they scare her if they jump onto my desk, chair or window. She runs to hide under the bed, behind the couch or under my desk which of course has many computer cords.
2-She eats every 3-4 days. I have tried free-feeding and tried to hand feed even people foods. This is the only time she is NOT in a trance--she does turn her face AWAY from the food.
3-She is a stuffed animal. You put her on the floor at my feet and leave the room--8 hours later she is still in the same spot. You put her on the couch and unless she hears a sudden noise--she remains on the couch until we move her again. She has no opinion of her own.
I do leave the tv on to acclimate her to the sounds, so that does NOT bother her--it is the sudden noise that scares her.
I have decided to CRATE her in a rabbit pen at night with a blanket on 3 sides and she does better--but it is also something she is used to, and not letting her move on with life. She is crated ONLY when we go to bed.
3 pluses +++---she has NOT had an accident on the rug and urinates the minute we walk on the grass. But that is because I take her out and not because she lets me know she wants out.
--she will walk on a leash and not fight you. She won't come to us, but will follow.
--she is docile and quiet--I am not even she she was not de-barked--I have never heard her make a sound.
If you have ANY suggestions on making her a tail wagging dog that might--just might lick my hand some day--PLEASE--I am open to any ideas. Thanks--sorry this got so long--there is so much to say!
Attach:
Yes, we are doing some of those things already. We really appreciate the info. The therapist suggested anti anxiety meds. But the dog is already depressed. What is your opinion on medicating animals?
Answer
Sounds rather like my first few months with my rescue dog. It will get better.
As far as the eating, I would not free-feed, nor would I attempt to coerce her to eat, unless she is very underweight and this becomes a health issue. Put down her food, and leave the room. If she enjoys being crated, perhaps feed her in there if she feels more secure. Come back in 20-30 minutes and remove any food not consumed. Repeat at the next meal time. If you get her on a schedule, she'll learn she needs to eat when the food is put down, and I know with my dog (who had also been kept in a cage in someone's backyard her whole life), she felt better about eating if I removed myself from the room.
Since she will follow you and walk on a leash, get yourself an umbilical lead and use it all the time when you are home. One end clips to her, one to your waist. Don't direct any attention at her unless she seems to enjoy it. Just expect her to follow you about everywhere. It will help you to bond with her, prevent her from bolting when she is frightened, and won't be perceived as you forcing interaction. If she will take treats, get something very fabulous (plain cooked chicken, liver, beef, lamb, etc. - whatever is most attractive to her), and drop a small bit any time she seems interested in anything or approaches you voluntarily. Hands can be scary for a puppy mill dog, so in early stages, its best to drop treats on the floor in front of her rather than expecting her to take them from your hand. Presumably she also is apprehensive about petting? And likely also does not seem to know what toys are even for? So that narrows the range of possible reinforcements at this stage. If she seems soothed by your voice, you can also say "good" or "yes" in a soothing and positive tone when she displays desired behaviors. When she is acting more confident around you and in your home, then up the stimulation levels and continue to reward for positive behaviors. One thing to note - ignore her when she's frightened. Look for little glimmers of interest in her surroundings (even if it's as small as a perked ear), and reward THOSE moments. At first they will be tiny moments and it's important to encourage when you see them. Don't try to soothe her or coddle when she's uncertain - instead envision and expect the behaviors you want to see and keep an upbeat attitude. I did consult a trainer and a behaviorist when I brought my dog home originally for advice, and these are some of the tips I got from them, as well as some things I found out worked well on my own. I also found that having my second dog around and including him on walks and activities with her was helpful. If you don't have a second dog, perhaps you have a friend with a non-threatening and well-socialized dog you could "borrow" to give her a model of behaivor from time to time. Things she would not approach or investigate on her own, she would when following the lead of another dog.
My dog spent about 2 weeks primarily huddled under my bed- coming out only when I removed her to use the bathroom. So, there is hope. After about 2-3 months, she would take food from my hand happily, and we started working on basic obedience commands. They can be useful to redirect nervous behaviors when you get to the point where she is receptive for learning (for example, she sees something frightening, I order into a sit or down/stay and reward for relaxing). After about 6 months, she began to play with some toys, and would take food from strangers. After about a year, she voluntarily approached a stranger for the first time. Now (about three years later), she's the happiest little dog you'd ever meet. She loves everybody, everything is wonderful, and everyone she meets just adores her. The behaviorist who originally evaluated her after I had had her for a couple of weeks cannot believe it's even the same dog.
I know that every dog responds to things differently, but I do hope that some of this is useful to you, and that you see some progress with your dog soon!
Sounds rather like my first few months with my rescue dog. It will get better.
As far as the eating, I would not free-feed, nor would I attempt to coerce her to eat, unless she is very underweight and this becomes a health issue. Put down her food, and leave the room. If she enjoys being crated, perhaps feed her in there if she feels more secure. Come back in 20-30 minutes and remove any food not consumed. Repeat at the next meal time. If you get her on a schedule, she'll learn she needs to eat when the food is put down, and I know with my dog (who had also been kept in a cage in someone's backyard her whole life), she felt better about eating if I removed myself from the room.
Since she will follow you and walk on a leash, get yourself an umbilical lead and use it all the time when you are home. One end clips to her, one to your waist. Don't direct any attention at her unless she seems to enjoy it. Just expect her to follow you about everywhere. It will help you to bond with her, prevent her from bolting when she is frightened, and won't be perceived as you forcing interaction. If she will take treats, get something very fabulous (plain cooked chicken, liver, beef, lamb, etc. - whatever is most attractive to her), and drop a small bit any time she seems interested in anything or approaches you voluntarily. Hands can be scary for a puppy mill dog, so in early stages, its best to drop treats on the floor in front of her rather than expecting her to take them from your hand. Presumably she also is apprehensive about petting? And likely also does not seem to know what toys are even for? So that narrows the range of possible reinforcements at this stage. If she seems soothed by your voice, you can also say "good" or "yes" in a soothing and positive tone when she displays desired behaviors. When she is acting more confident around you and in your home, then up the stimulation levels and continue to reward for positive behaviors. One thing to note - ignore her when she's frightened. Look for little glimmers of interest in her surroundings (even if it's as small as a perked ear), and reward THOSE moments. At first they will be tiny moments and it's important to encourage when you see them. Don't try to soothe her or coddle when she's uncertain - instead envision and expect the behaviors you want to see and keep an upbeat attitude. I did consult a trainer and a behaviorist when I brought my dog home originally for advice, and these are some of the tips I got from them, as well as some things I found out worked well on my own. I also found that having my second dog around and including him on walks and activities with her was helpful. If you don't have a second dog, perhaps you have a friend with a non-threatening and well-socialized dog you could "borrow" to give her a model of behaivor from time to time. Things she would not approach or investigate on her own, she would when following the lead of another dog.
My dog spent about 2 weeks primarily huddled under my bed- coming out only when I removed her to use the bathroom. So, there is hope. After about 2-3 months, she would take food from my hand happily, and we started working on basic obedience commands. They can be useful to redirect nervous behaviors when you get to the point where she is receptive for learning (for example, she sees something frightening, I order into a sit or down/stay and reward for relaxing). After about 6 months, she began to play with some toys, and would take food from strangers. After about a year, she voluntarily approached a stranger for the first time. Now (about three years later), she's the happiest little dog you'd ever meet. She loves everybody, everything is wonderful, and everyone she meets just adores her. The behaviorist who originally evaluated her after I had had her for a couple of weeks cannot believe it's even the same dog.
I know that every dog responds to things differently, but I do hope that some of this is useful to you, and that you see some progress with your dog soon!
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