Our walking trails are in a 50 acre abandoned cattle pasture. It was purchased during Covid by a family to ride their ATVS but since have lost interest. It is next to my horses’ pasture. I have some old forest available also but so far haven’t been able to convince Colton to go through water. There is a creek, it has a shallow area where we could cross. We will work at it as I always used to enjoy taking my other dogs over there, it is my own land.
Colton is a doll. Have fun and don’t get knocked down again!
Colton is lovely. Appreciate the pics.
Love seeing the pics!
I know the discussion about getting him out of your space was quite some time back, but I thought I would mention that I have taught my dog the meaning of the word “Aus!”
I learned it nearly 20 years ago when making repeated trips to Germany to look at horses - we visited one large, well-know training facility pretty often, and the head rider there used that term for her own dog to get it out of the indoor arena when we were riding in there. It seems to make quite an impression when uttered in an emphatic German tone of voice - even with a dog that isn’t from Germany. LOL.
He is stunning!
Since our relationship is trying at times I have arranged an in-home training session with a K9 professional trainer. I have a feeling that it is me that needs the training more than the dog. In the past I have always have had several dogs at a time and they entertained each other. This one just has me and wants constant attention.
My road used to be very quiet so dogs were loose outside most of the time. Now I worry too much, there is more traffic though it really is just the occasional car but people in general have changed and have become more inconsiderate.
I did get this puppy because it was too quiet and lonely so he is doing his job by keeping me busy.
Oh lordy, we could be puppy blues twins! Shaun is a year old now and doing really well in his rally novice training, but he just dragged me across a hotel lobby to get to the door. Multi-day road trips with puppies are not for the faint of heart, but our eventual destination (KY) should be fun, as long as he can learn to distance himself from the horses.
Most of my dogs respond to the equally firm English version: “OUT”!
Yes - OUT!
In retrospect, I should probably be using the Welsh word for “out.”
So the trainer came to the house. I explained that one of our problems was his jumping up and grabbing my arm or anything else he could get a hold of when I retrieved him from his dog run. Of course he made me look foolish by being a perfect gentleman the whole time she was here.
We will have a few in home training sessions but they are for me to be more precise with my body language.
Thanks about the OUT and AUS, what has worked for me is “f— off”. BTW I live alone and no neighbors so no chance of offending anyone.
Whatever gets the message across! My version of choice was always “go away!” - somehow they (my mother’s dogs) mostly figured it out.
Yes. It’s about you learning how to work with the dog. Most people have a hard time accepting that, and then they fail the dog. You’re doing great if you recognize that you’re the one that needs the training and the dog’s behavior will then follow. He is beautiful by the way.
love it!
It’s been a long time since we have had an update on Colton, @Cat_Tap! How are things going? and have you survived winter?
Speaking of voice commands, my fathhr had a diabetic Samoyed, and he needed to get urine samples on a regular basis (maybe daily). He taught her to respond to “Piss please”.
This winter has been very strange so far, very little snow, lots of rain and of course mud, and above normal temperature. I must not complain and do not miss shoveling lots of snow.
The dog is another story. He is a Jekyll and Hyde. I hate to admit it there have been times I have questioned my decision but it would be very lonely without him. He is very needy wants to be near me all the time and craves being entertained. We have to play fetch inside the house and out, lots of walks in the back forty, loves car rides and is very good in public.
However he has periods of zoomies where he runs circles carrying a lunge whip in the arena, has learned to jump cross rails but also thinks it is great fun running into me at great speed. Twice now he has run into me from behind slamming into my legs which has sent me flying. Just a couple of days ago after a long walk he came bolting out of the woods slammed into my legs which buckled and I was whip lashed down a hill. It took15 minutes for me to find a way to get up due to the pain in my right knee which was twisted. He thought this was a great game lying beside me on the ground.
Two days later after lots of icing, some pain pills and Voltaren gel I am mobile again.
Another time when I had him on leash while filling the horses’ water tub he bolted after a cat which sent me through the air landing head first on a rusty steel gate. I was bleeding profusely and unable to see because of all the blood. I managed to reach my neighbor who patched me up to stop the bleeding.
He loves his chewy bones especially water buffalo which cost $20 each and last a few days. He demands I hold it for him until it softens up. Which is what I was doing while on the computer. Fortunately he is now having a nap beside me.
Though sometimes I would like to kill him it would certainly be very lonely without him. Must add he was very good at puppy school, great at shopping and car rides and polite with strangers. I am now looking for agility classes because he needs a job.
Forgot to add he knows a lot of words and is good at understanding my directions off leash on our walks in the back forty. Leash walking in town is also well controlled.
The saga continues.
I have to confess I had a laugh and I know it is in no way amusing what you have experienced but it just hit me and maybe I am a kindred spirit in a way, with what my dog has put me through at times and I can relate.
I hope this phase passes soon and that you can stay well/ on your feet, injury free in the meantime. Gotta love the difficult ones…
My Pyrenees mix is very much like what you describe with the fun game of barreling into the legs and endless playing and wanting to be cuddled all the time. I feel for you, it’s absolutely exhausting (and painful!).
Even a 13 pound JRT can launch and cause trouble. Ask me how I know…
She’ll be 2 in July and I’m just hoping some settling down takes place!