Tsuki's ecollar came off this morning, she is still on meds and on the mend, her gums are a bit swollen but look OK but I'm letting her have brief interactions with the other two dogs. Kitsune really really missed her I think - this is what happened after I had her out of the pen last night: and again this morning:
Meanwhile, Hachi has been making some good progress still - she 'hung out' with us downstairs last night - with my husband, whom of all men she's met is the only one she'll allow to touch her if he is patient and persistant - and this morning, when usually she will retreat to the steps but she's been chilling more and more.. I had to snap a few to document the occassion:
And other Hachi:
Warning! freakiest dog pic ever! the flash went off accidently, and this is what I got! Demon Dog!
Jen, yes we are definitely still looking into it. The urge to get another curly-tailed child is getting a little too strong to bear! haha But we've decided that we can't do much until we get to MO and figure out where we'll be living, how Ryu is dealing, etc. But looking at Tsuki and Kitsune is making us want to get over there quick!! That kissing video was toooo precious.
scarlet, I think if you see that behaviorist you mentioned in the other thread (or any that you feel comfortable with and could understand Jake as a shiba) to evaluate Jake's ability to coexist with a little girl shiba and work with this quirks before hand, you will be that much closer to her!
on another note, tsuki's mouth looks much better today, the swelling has gone down almost completely. and last night Hachi and the gang had a full on 5 minute play session! i was going to grab the camera but was afraid to disrupt it.. so i didn't! next time!
Yes, you are right! I have already decided that I will meet with this woman and get some of her thoughts. I will try and financially do that sooner rather than later to better help me understand and be able to look out for. Til then, I will be as patient as necessary.
Glad to hear tsuki's mouth is much better and the longing playtime session occurred. The tooth looked painful growing into her gums.
SnF - or anyone that knows - what is the best time frame to begin obedience training on an unsocialized adult shiba? I say unsocialized because it is very hard to get her attention when she is still so nervous about everything going on around her which makes obedience training difficult thus far. I'm moving slowly with her as though she were a new puppy. She is now housebroken, leash trained and has learned not to bolt the door with the command 'back'. Until last night, she would jump around for a treat and wouldn't sit for a good couple minutes of jumping, but she now has it down and is now very good at it! She's very smart and eager to please and is really starting to make progress. Ideally, she will be spayed in July and after her recovery we were going to bring her to an obedience class for added socialization. Are we moving to fast for her?
I have decided to start with basic commands with her, she has got sit pretty well down by now and we are moving to a sit stay this weekend and maybe down stay and I've tentatively signed her up for classes at the end of July. I'm confident she will do well!
It looks like the way you are handling it is going pretty well. I would get all her medical done and then move on to a formal program for very basic stuff that isn’t high pressured only using a fully positive approach such as the clicker (no choke collars or harsh correction methods). Even if you both know all the stuff, just being there will help boost her confidence before moving on to higher activities. She will need to go through the socializing process (i.e. introductions to new objects, places, people, things) in much the same way one would with a puppy. However, it may need to be slower and take longer for her to come around without skittish behavior or pooping or peeing upon first class visits. So it will need to be step by step at the dog’s own pace.
In training a sensitive dog like Hachi, make sure where you go to train has a smaller enrollment and is physically roomy with not too much chaos. It should have enough physical space to move Hachi away if you need to from the general class and still allow you to participate in discussions and activities. Some really sensitive dogs have to start at the furthest end of a center/building and then over time (days or weeks) move in toward the group. It will really depend on Hachi’s ability to cope in the particular environment and her reaction to the other dogs and their owner’s abilities to manage their own dogs as well. For starters you may just want to bring her to watch and adjust to comings and goings first as you run through exercises you have taught her at home as she is hanging out by your side. Talk with the school and the instructors to explain the situation and see if you can get into a socializing group, if they have one, or maybe they can help through one of their own demo dogs or people. If this is not possible they may be able to improvise and allow you to sit in on a course with Hachi in tow to get her acclimated. The objective is not to overwhelm her and avoid tossing her in head first which could cause panic to set in. It’s best to keep it slow and steady as she learns that new things can fun, especially visiting/learning outside of the home and her own group.
Be sure to meet with the instructor of the class and learn the philosophy of the facility towards training so you can find a good fit for Hachi. Don’t be afraid to step in as “mom” if activities move too fast or you know Hachi is not ready to move forward in some cases.
A picture is worth a thousand words, sooooo A good source for canine body language is the the dvd What your dog tells you by Turid Rugaas.
(I hope they have cleaned it up a bit from the old footage….I know the old one on video was good in information but the quality and imaging poor.)
After her spay, we are looking into going to the humane society classes because they are in a big facility and not as many people sign up as say Petsmart - but I'm going to see if we can sit in on training first to see how she will do - excellent advice!
Thank you for the articles!
You are a blessing to have on the forum! Thank you thank you!
Comments
and again this morning:
Meanwhile, Hachi has been making some good progress still - she 'hung out' with us downstairs last night - with my husband, whom of all men she's met is the only one she'll allow to touch her if he is patient and persistant - and this morning, when usually she will retreat to the steps but she's been chilling more and more.. I had to snap a few to document the occassion:
And other Hachi:
Warning! freakiest dog pic ever! the flash went off accidently, and this is what I got! Demon Dog!
Thank you, Elaine!! I am starting to relax just watching them be relaxed with one another. Its refreshing!!!!!!
on another note, tsuki's mouth looks much better today, the swelling has gone down almost completely. and last night Hachi and the gang had a full on 5 minute play session! i was going to grab the camera but was afraid to disrupt it.. so i didn't! next time!
Glad to hear tsuki's mouth is much better and the longing playtime session occurred. The tooth looked painful growing into her gums.
Hachi and Kitsune while Tsuki rests..
SnF - or anyone that knows - what is the best time frame to begin obedience training on an unsocialized adult shiba?
I say unsocialized because it is very hard to get her attention when she is still so nervous about everything going on around her which makes obedience training difficult thus far.
I'm moving slowly with her as though she were a new puppy. She is now housebroken, leash trained and has learned not to bolt the door with the command 'back'. Until last night, she would jump around for a treat and wouldn't sit for a good couple minutes of jumping, but she now has it down and is now very good at it! She's very smart and eager to please and is really starting to make progress.
Ideally, she will be spayed in July and after her recovery we were going to bring her to an obedience class for added socialization. Are we moving to fast for her?
I have decided to start with basic commands with her, she has got sit pretty well down by now and we are moving to a sit stay this weekend and maybe down stay and I've tentatively signed her up for classes at the end of July. I'm confident she will do well!
In training a sensitive dog like Hachi, make sure where you go to train has a smaller enrollment and is physically roomy with not too much chaos. It should have enough physical space to move Hachi away if you need to from the general class and still allow you to participate in discussions and activities. Some really sensitive dogs have to start at the furthest end of a center/building and then over time (days or weeks) move in toward the group. It will really depend on Hachi’s ability to cope in the particular environment and her reaction to the other dogs and their owner’s abilities to manage their own dogs as well. For starters you may just want to bring her to watch and adjust to comings and goings first as you run through exercises you have taught her at home as she is hanging out by your side. Talk with the school and the instructors to explain the situation and see if you can get into a socializing group, if they have one, or maybe they can help through one of their own demo dogs or people. If this is not possible they may be able to improvise and allow you to sit in on a course with Hachi in tow to get her acclimated. The objective is not to overwhelm her and avoid tossing her in head first which could cause panic to set in. It’s best to keep it slow and steady as she learns that new things can fun, especially visiting/learning outside of the home and her own group.
Be sure to meet with the instructor of the class and learn the philosophy of the facility towards training so you can find a good fit for Hachi. Don’t be afraid to step in as “mom” if activities move too fast or you know Hachi is not ready to move forward in some cases.
A picture is worth a thousand words, sooooo A good source for canine body language is the the dvd What your dog tells you by Turid Rugaas.
(I hope they have cleaned it up a bit from the old footage….I know the old one on video was good in information but the quality and imaging poor.)
Here are some links to investigate:
http://www.canis.no/rugaas/onearticle.php?artid=1
http://www.canis.no/rugaas/onearticle.php?artid=2
Snf
After her spay, we are looking into going to the humane society classes because they are in a big facility and not as many people sign up as say Petsmart - but I'm going to see if we can sit in on training first to see how she will do - excellent advice!
Thank you for the articles!
You are a blessing to have on the forum! Thank you thank you!