The vet told us that even if he doesn't want to hold it in, just keep placing it back. The ball has to be pressing against the teeth so that the pressure pushes the teeth out. Tikaani loves chewing on the ball (especially if its a ball covered in peanut butter), so I didn't have too much an issue. What you can try is maybe practicing the 'hold' command and teach to hold the ball in his mouth. Though a lacrosse ball can be bit heavy, so he may give you trouble
So it turns out that Space has visited the Groove Commerce offices often enough to be promoted to a full time position! Take a look!
Don't mind the industry jokes in his bio.
Also, one of my coworkers actually has a good camera, something I'm sorely missing. Space deserves more than just crappy iPhone pics. So here are some of the latest, including some from the nice cam!
The last three pics/video are taken on the iPhone actually.
Space is now fully recovered from his neutering and is just as happy and playful as pre-op (maybe more!). His teeth are still a little out of place, I'm really hoping those bottom two canines float out to the right place.
Still haven't really found the right food for him as he's still kind of a loose pooper. Was on Instinct, then moved to Evo, and now changing to a different flavor of Evo, and we'll see what happens. I've been mixing Yogurt in with his meals, which he seems to like, and he seems to not stink as much.
How much do you feed your pups a day? I was always trying to feed as much as possible, 1 1/2 cups was the most I could get him to eat, because he's so far under the recommended daily amount on the EVO bag, but I'm thinking I'll just go to about a cup a day and see if maybe I was overfeeding.
WOW Mike! That is awesome! You get to bring Space to work? I wish! My dream job would allow me to be with my inus all day!
Love the Bio on the website
Shiba's tend to self-regulate their food. They aren't really over eaters. I free feed my two munchkins and they seem to do fine on it. If Space is super active he may need more food to make up for the calories he burns off at work! Glad to hear he is liking his yogurt and it's making the air around him less stinky .
He is super cute and has a great smile! More Space Spam! Even iPhone spam is okay with us
great space spam. Katsu was a loose pooper for a while. we feed her half wellness puppy, half evo small red meaty bites. her poop has firmed up since then. love the pic of him on his job site.
Space’s Areas of Expertise Include:
* Absolutely Everything
AAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA. That killed me. Love it. I'm so happy he's healed from his surgery. Have you tried the lacrosse ball trick for his teeth? If his stool is a little bit loose, try to give him a little less yogurt, or do yogurt in the morning, but not at night (if you feed twice a day).
Very cute little man. Your next post should be "Space takes over the World"...actually, I think it should be a weekly TV special -smiles-. I love the 2nd photo of him especially, but I also like the Shiba City pics...
I haven't tried the lacrosse ball because I can almost guarantee he'll have no interest in chewing it. I've basically just encouraged chewing on his toys like crazy over the past few weeks (clicking and treating whenever he's doing it).
I really wish I could show you guys a picture but its really hard to snap a shot.
What worries me is that Katsu, his sister, has some really nice teeth at this point. He's actually pretty far from this:
The canines are a lot smaller, and positioned behind the front row. .
Yeah, i've been doing that more and more, but the problem is his teeth have to move "east and west" and not forward. In fact the two canines are basically touching the outermost teeth in the front row. If they move any more forward they may be pushing those front teeth forward.
So my girlfriend thinks I may be overreacting, but I feel like some bad habits may be developing with Space, and I'm not quite sure how to go about fixing them.
Space runs from me. He's extremely sweet to strangers and walks right up and says hello when he encounters them. But whenever I go to pick him up or put his leash on him for a walk he darts and I have to chase him. This is especially annoying when I KNOW he has to pee. The second I grab his leash he darts under the table. I'll just be standing by the open door with the leash, hoping he'll understand that in order to pee he has to come to me so we can go outside. He doesn't. Its gotten to the point that he'll be sitting by himself on the floor minding his own business and if I walk towards him he'll get up and run away.
I guess I partially understand his reasoning. A lot of the time when I have to pick him up its because he's going to be locked in my room or his crate while I'm at work. Why he runs when I grab the leash I really don't understand.
Walks are another issue. There are times when he behaves, but he does spend a lot of time pulling and basically doing his own thing. He basically completely ignores me and my voice when outdoors. I had been making an effort to get him to sit when at corners, before crossing the street, and MAN that is hard. He won't even look at me when I speak to him, let alone sit on command. I take food with me, but he doesn't even want it! Basically, aside from the fact that I'm holding his leash, he does whatever the hell he wants. Forget about asking him to poop and pee, again, only when he wants to.
Lastly, for as long as I've had him, he may have pooped solid, good stool a handful of times. I can't figure it out! I've been to the vet with him and theres nothing wrong with him (according to the tests). I've fed him Wellness, then Praire, then Instinct, then Hill's I/D (which he hated but almost kinda made solid poop), Hill's W/D (same), Evo small bites, and now Evo red meat small bites. Obviously, I weaned him off and on all these foods. I've made a decision very recently to completely stop with treats, in an effort to figure out his system, but his treats have basically always been chewy buddy biscuits.
Arg! I'm trying to keep a sense of humor about it all, cause obviously one easy answer to all these questions is, "He's a Shiba!". But, you know.
Shao New has the same issue with "going out" I have no idea why she does that either, however we usually stand there at the open door with leash in hand and ignore her (what she does is run around/dodging us and playing with her toys)and she usually gives up. Since getting back from boarding hell, she's been alot better, but is starting up again...annoying I know, and I don't know how to solve it either, but just thought I'd let you know there's another crazy Shiba that doesn't want to go out (but loves the outside once we are out).
Regarding his poop, it was like that with us until we tried solid gold hundeflocken (lamb)...the Solid Gold wolf king version (bison) makes her regress to sticky poo. We also do not give her treats except for carrots, veggies , etc (non protiens)..Per our vet Most "treats" have some form of protein in it.
With him running away, why not practice just picking him up, give him a treat, put him back down. I've notice that a lot of people have a hard time leaving the dog park since their pooches run away not wanting to go. The only time owners would approach their dog is when it's time to leave, so the dogs have learned that when owners come then the fun stops. I've practiced with Tetsu to prevent this by approaching him and picking him up, holding him for a minute then placing him back down. This has kept him from running away from me with the knowledge that I will be ending his fun.
How long has Space been on each brand of dog food?
I think you should really keep him on a brand of dog food for longer than that in order to get a better assessment of how it affects him. So many changes can actually make it worse than better.
Plus, I think while they are still young, a little softness is normal. Tetsu didn't start getting really firm poop until he was about 8 months old, and we didn't do any diet change until recently. If you do want to firm up the poop, why not try giving him some rice, it serves as a great binder
Regarding the leash thing, I had to do a progression of desensitization to keep the dog standing still while I approached with a collar/leash. See collar/leash, click treat, see collar/leash come a step closer (and dog doesn't move), click treat, etc....to the point where collar and leash were associated with a high-value treat (different kibble, cheese, etc.). Which reminds me, Ichi is regressing a bit on this so I should brush up that desensitization exercise soon.
Beth, LOL you know I'm one of those that can't get the dog at the dog park unless she's tired beyond recognition..I'll have to try your technique. ;-)
Jesse, I may try your trick as well, though to be honest she's not like that when we are at my parent's house..it's only when it's in our apt..I think she views it as a game of some sort?
Irene, The dog will likely think it's a game regardless if you're coming at her with a scary and noisy martingale leash/collar, or whether you're coming at her yelling and screaming because she has your sock, or other object in her mouth she isn't supposed to have.
I will sometimes play that game with my dog and sometimes I won't (I'm horribly inconsistent with that I know).
Jesse..good point..though i think if i were to yell at her (which really has not happened, i'm big on the time outs and deep breathing lol) she'd get it's not a joke.
Mike, ditto Beth's comment regarding rice, it works.
Mike, how stinky are the treats you're bringing on walks? Bust out the super stinkers. I don't know a Shiba who isn't a sucker for stuff like warmed up hot dogs etc. Next time you go for a walk, microwave a hot dog or 2 (but make sure they're not too hot), cut them up in small slices ($50 says he'll be at your feet the whole time) and stick them in a zip-lock baggie. Then go through the process of getting him ready to go outside, giving treats when he does well. Then, while you're on the walk, just talk to him and say his name randomly and when he looks up at you, give him LOTS of praise and treat him.
Also, a kinda fun thing I do with Mylo every once in a while is we'll be walking along and all of a sudden I'll go "Mylo stop!" and I'll stop walking. At first he didn't get it and kept trying to walk, but eventually he'd look back (irritated that we had stopped) and he'd respond accordingly after a while.
Oh, and another thing which is sorta fun on walks... keep him on a super short leash and walk down an empty street in large zig-zags, or randomly walk in a large circle clockwise, then counter clockwise. Keep a good pace so that Space has to keep watching you in order to know what's happening next. He'll probably fight it for a while at first, but it's worth a try.
p.s. I was just looking through the photos of space again and he's freakin adorable. I love his little eyebrows. They make him look very "as a matter of fact" like. lol
It sounds like he mentally associates coming to the leash and being picked up with not so good of things happening.
I would practice with him using treats and having him come to you randomly. One good way is to get some cheese or cheese puffs that roll and call him using a tone that DOES NOT sound harsh. Forget "come" it is boring and uninteresting. Use something that has a higher lilt, similar to "peeekaboooo". The tone is attractive to dogs and it carries more when you are outside. It also is hard to use an angry tone when using that at a higher pitch even when really pissed (LOL) .
Anyway, when he comes up click and toss the treat away from you and call again......repeat 4 or 5 times in a session say twice a day. Practice slipping your finger in his collar when he comes up and then release.
At some point he will get used to looking up or coming when you call his name. Always treat for even a glance and send him away with a tossed treat. Later you can add the Jingle of the leash, give a treat and then let him go. Reward by giving freedom to move away from you.
If you have not taken Space to a basic puppy class I would go ahead and enroll him or re-enter him so you can start or refresh on some focus work.
To get attention outside you have to have the focus down while inside first.
Thanks for the great tips, I'm definitely gonna use some of them!
However, the timing for all these training treats isn't very good with his endless loose poops. Can anyone recommend a stinky, delicious treat that shouldn't wreak havoc in the intestines?
Comments
Don't mind the industry jokes in his bio.
Also, one of my coworkers actually has a good camera, something I'm sorely missing. Space deserves more than just crappy iPhone pics. So here are some of the latest, including some from the nice cam!
The last three pics/video are taken on the iPhone actually.
Space is now fully recovered from his neutering and is just as happy and playful as pre-op (maybe more!). His teeth are still a little out of place, I'm really hoping those bottom two canines float out to the right place.
Still haven't really found the right food for him as he's still kind of a loose pooper. Was on Instinct, then moved to Evo, and now changing to a different flavor of Evo, and we'll see what happens. I've been mixing Yogurt in with his meals, which he seems to like, and he seems to not stink as much.
How much do you feed your pups a day? I was always trying to feed as much as possible, 1 1/2 cups was the most I could get him to eat, because he's so far under the recommended daily amount on the EVO bag, but I'm thinking I'll just go to about a cup a day and see if maybe I was overfeeding.
Anyways, enjoy the spam!
Love the Bio on the website
Shiba's tend to self-regulate their food. They aren't really over eaters. I free feed my two munchkins and they seem to do fine on it. If Space is super active he may need more food to make up for the calories he burns off at work! Glad to hear he is liking his yogurt and it's making the air around him less stinky
He is super cute and has a great smile! More Space Spam! Even iPhone spam is okay with us
My dream job would also include having Jazz with me at work. Jazz eats a cup or so a day.
I'm also jealous that your company was kind enough to let you bring Space in and even put him on your website!
Jesse
look.
Space sounds like he has found the perfect job! Now if only they would pay him.
Space’s Areas of Expertise Include:
* Absolutely Everything
AAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA. That killed me. Love it. I'm so happy he's healed from his surgery. Have you tried the lacrosse ball trick for his teeth? If his stool is a little bit loose, try to give him a little less yogurt, or do yogurt in the morning, but not at night (if you feed twice a day).
I haven't tried the lacrosse ball because I can almost guarantee he'll have no interest in chewing it. I've basically just encouraged chewing on his toys like crazy over the past few weeks (clicking and treating whenever he's doing it).
I really wish I could show you guys a picture but its really hard to snap a shot.
What worries me is that Katsu, his sister, has some really nice teeth at this point. He's actually pretty far from this:
The canines are a lot smaller, and positioned behind the front row.
Jesse
Yeah, i've been doing that more and more, but the problem is his teeth have to move "east and west" and not forward. In fact the two canines are basically touching the outermost teeth in the front row. If they move any more forward they may be pushing those front teeth forward.
So my girlfriend thinks I may be overreacting, but I feel like some bad habits may be developing with Space, and I'm not quite sure how to go about fixing them.
Space runs from me. He's extremely sweet to strangers and walks right up and says hello when he encounters them. But whenever I go to pick him up or put his leash on him for a walk he darts and I have to chase him. This is especially annoying when I KNOW he has to pee. The second I grab his leash he darts under the table. I'll just be standing by the open door with the leash, hoping he'll understand that in order to pee he has to come to me so we can go outside. He doesn't.
Its gotten to the point that he'll be sitting by himself on the floor minding his own business and if I walk towards him he'll get up and run away.
I guess I partially understand his reasoning. A lot of the time when I have to pick him up its because he's going to be locked in my room or his crate while I'm at work. Why he runs when I grab the leash I really don't understand.
Walks are another issue. There are times when he behaves, but he does spend a lot of time pulling and basically doing his own thing. He basically completely ignores me and my voice when outdoors. I had been making an effort to get him to sit when at corners, before crossing the street, and MAN that is hard. He won't even look at me when I speak to him, let alone sit on command. I take food with me, but he doesn't even want it! Basically, aside from the fact that I'm holding his leash, he does whatever the hell he wants. Forget about asking him to poop and pee, again, only when he wants to.
Lastly, for as long as I've had him, he may have pooped solid, good stool a handful of times. I can't figure it out! I've been to the vet with him and theres nothing wrong with him (according to the tests). I've fed him Wellness, then Praire, then Instinct, then Hill's I/D (which he hated but almost kinda made solid poop), Hill's W/D (same), Evo small bites, and now Evo red meat small bites. Obviously, I weaned him off and on all these foods. I've made a decision very recently to completely stop with treats, in an effort to figure out his system, but his treats have basically always been chewy buddy biscuits.
Arg! I'm trying to keep a sense of humor about it all, cause obviously one easy answer to all these questions is, "He's a Shiba!". But, you know.
Shao New has the same issue with "going out" I have no idea why she does that either, however we usually stand there at the open door with leash in hand and ignore her (what she does is run around/dodging us and playing with her toys)and she usually gives up. Since getting back from boarding hell, she's been alot better, but is starting up again...annoying I know, and I don't know how to solve it either, but just thought I'd let you know there's another crazy Shiba that doesn't want to go out (but loves the outside once we are out).
Regarding his poop, it was like that with us until we tried solid gold hundeflocken (lamb)...the Solid Gold wolf king version (bison) makes her regress to sticky poo. We also do not give her treats except for carrots, veggies , etc (non protiens)..Per our vet Most "treats" have some form of protein in it.
Hope this helps a bit .
How long has Space been on each brand of dog food?
Space spends at least 3 weeks with a particular dog food alone
Plus, I think while they are still young, a little softness is normal. Tetsu didn't start getting really firm poop until he was about 8 months old, and we didn't do any diet change until recently. If you do want to firm up the poop, why not try giving him some rice, it serves as a great binder
Jesse
Jesse, I may try your trick as well, though to be honest she's not like that when we are at my parent's house..it's only when it's in our apt..I think she views it as a game of some sort?
The dog will likely think it's a game regardless if you're coming at her with a scary and noisy martingale leash/collar, or whether you're coming at her yelling and screaming because she has your sock, or other object in her mouth she isn't supposed to have.
I will sometimes play that game with my dog and sometimes I won't (I'm horribly inconsistent with that I know).
Jesse
Mike, ditto Beth's comment regarding rice, it works.
Also, a kinda fun thing I do with Mylo every once in a while is we'll be walking along and all of a sudden I'll go "Mylo stop!" and I'll stop walking. At first he didn't get it and kept trying to walk, but eventually he'd look back (irritated that we had stopped) and he'd respond accordingly after a while.
Oh, and another thing which is sorta fun on walks... keep him on a super short leash and walk down an empty street in large zig-zags, or randomly walk in a large circle clockwise, then counter clockwise. Keep a good pace so that Space has to keep watching you in order to know what's happening next. He'll probably fight it for a while at first, but it's worth a try.
I would practice with him using treats and having him come to you randomly. One good way is to get some cheese or cheese puffs that roll and call him using a tone that DOES NOT sound harsh. Forget "come" it is boring and uninteresting. Use something that has a higher lilt, similar to "peeekaboooo". The tone is attractive to dogs and it carries more when you are outside. It also is hard to use an angry tone when using that at a higher pitch even when really pissed (LOL) .
Anyway, when he comes up click and toss the treat away from you and call again......repeat 4 or 5 times in a session say twice a day. Practice slipping your finger in his collar when he comes up and then release.
At some point he will get used to looking up or coming when you call his name. Always treat for even a glance and send him away with a tossed treat. Later you can add the Jingle of the leash, give a treat and then let him go. Reward by giving freedom to move away from you.
If you have not taken Space to a basic puppy class I would go ahead and enroll him or re-enter him so you can start or refresh on some focus work.
To get attention outside you have to have the focus down while inside first.
Snf
Thanks for the great tips, I'm definitely gonna use some of them!
However, the timing for all these training treats isn't very good with his endless loose poops. Can anyone recommend a stinky, delicious treat that shouldn't wreak havoc in the intestines?