John had problems too. He said if he exited and then went back in, it worked fine. you can go directly to the site. www.wagsandwiggles.com . view camera's, click on the Tustin location.
I think I got a glimpse of Ninja yesterday, but the cam was giving me something like a frame every 2 seconds, so I'm not sure. It's great that he's doing so well.
Just dropped off the pups at daycare. I passed last week since they were boarded there for 4 nights. This time I stayed to watch how for 15 mins after dropping them off. First they let Portia in so all the dogs would follow and sniff her. And then they let Ninja in - so he wouldn't be overwhelmed by all the dogs. Pretty smart. Ninja's hackles were up for about 10 mins - and then he got over it.
I can't really tell when Ninja is trying to play or what is up - but it seems like he was playing. There is another shiba there, a female. Portia and Ninja instantly went to her like a magnet. Portia was play bowing and the other shiba was into it. They started chasing eachother. Then Ninja started to follow and chase - but he started showing his teeth. Which is normal for Ninja/Portia play...but didn't really know for new dogs.
I also wondering - can dogs tell when other dogs are the same breed? It was kind of interesting how both Ninja and Portia went to the Shiba when they saw her.
There is also a husky puppy who is quite boisterous. I saw Ninja showing his teeth and even though the puppy didn't back down, Ninja didn't snap - just growled and walked away!
I am positive that dogs know the difference. Sasha was raised with Boxers before us (boxer rescue) and whenever she sees a boxer she forgets all fear and just lets loose. She could care less where I am as long as there is a boxer.
I am so glad that Ninja and Portia are doing so well at day-care! But I am super sad that there are no pups on the camera for me to watch. :-P Keep up the great work!
Edit: The pups are back on camera. But I do not see Ninja or Portia.
I agree that dogs know the difference between breeds. One of the reasons might even be specific scents they might have. Maybe we can't feel it, but their far superior noses can. OK, I can smell the difference between an Akita and a Lab, but I think you'll get my point.
So far Kuma doesn't seem to have any preference or hate for any specific breed.
As I said in another post-I LOVE boxers but I dont think I could ever have one...Sasha will have to stick to seeing her foster sibs and others at parks...
Hey Romi, I live in Irvine and I plan on checking that place out. If I do decide to bring Ichi there to improve his socialization, want to be my referral?
I didn't know you live in Irvine! That's so close! How old is Ichi now? They allow puppies under 4 months - but put them in a pen with other puppies under 4 months. I think for the daycare (where Ninja and Portia play) they have to be at least 4 months of age - and when they reach 6 months of age - he can't return until he gets neutered.(i think) The puppy playpen is 15.00/day and daycare is 29.00 for a half day (4 hours or less) or 36.00 for a full day (4 hours or more.) A little more expensive than other places...but its a really nice place. If you are really interested - I will let my behaviorist know and you can schedule an interview with her to see if Ichi is able to attend.
Ichi's 13 weeks now and will be 16 weeks old on November 24th (born August 4th). I've already got Ichi's neutering set as his 6 month birthday present:)
I've been trying to get him play dates with dogs I'm comfortable with. I have two other fellow shiba owners (2 weeks older than Ichi) in my PetSmart puppy obedience classes, but they are littermates (male and female), so they readily play with each other. Last time I tried to do an off-leash meeting after class with them Ichi got ganged up on .
Mika hate's, seriously hates, pitbulls. Typically when she gets aggressive she stares intently - no heavy breathing, no noise - and then lunges a bit and goes back to staring. With pitbulls, it's vicious. Growling, teeth, lunging, trying to get out of her collar, drooling.
On the flip side, she loves labs, pugs and has much respect for Akita. Of course, I live in a neighborhood with 75% of dog owners own pit bulls.
Miso seems to love all dogs big and small as long as they come up and are friendly. If he sees a dog backing away from his "hello's" he will usually just walk away and ignore that dog until he finds one that wants to play.
Wow Romi! I have not read this tread in awhile. That is awesome about Ninja.
A good behaviorist/trainer is worth a million in getting a pack on the right path!
It sounds like the behaviorist folks you selected really know what they are doing in integrating the dogs. I am so glad you found them and they were able to assist in getting your boy over the hurdles.
What you have experienced with Ninja's reactiveness can be so typical, but with just the right help it usually can be overcome. It just takes the right tools, time, patience, and above all kindness in building the bond of trust to make it all come together.
Well, I haven't given an update in some time. And we just had a private lesson (both dogs) yesterday with my behaviorist. I was a little bummed, since my dogs didn't react the way they usually do - they were really tense and on high alert - since we did the lesson in her facility. Lots of noises and dogs barking. They wouldn't even take treats!
I learned a good amount, the lesson was only 30 minutes, but we were chatting and ended up spending a little over an hour there.
This lesson was for me to better understand dog body language and what I need to do if certain situations come up.
I had Portia and Ninja on lead while she brought in 3 of her dogs. She put her dogs on a down/stay at the other side of the room. She noticed Ninja got into a defensive posture, so she asked me to walk back and forth so that it doesn't make it seem like her dogs are going to ambush them. After a couple walks back and forth, she told me to take Portia off lead first and the Ninja and continue to walk. She was impressed that both of them stuck by me and didn't rush over to her dogs. She then said, she was going to walk back and forth with her dogs and let them merge together. When we started walking towards eachother, Ninja went up to her dogs and started sniffing, but when her dogs tried to sniff him, he growled and showed his teeth, so she clapped her hands together and yelled "HEY! BACK OFF!". She told me to call the dogs over to me so she can explain why she did that.
She said that if Ninja is intiating to go up to sniff other dogs, those other dogs should be able to sniff him. He isn't allowed to go up to sniff and then get defensive when they try to sniff - that is the reason I corrected him for his growl to my dogs. That is not proper dog socializing.
So then we tried again, we started walking together - they were mostly in avoidance and just following me wherever I went. Then one of her dogs came up to sniff Ninja and Ninja growled, she stepped in again, and called her dog back. She said the reason why she called her dog back when Ninja growled this time was because her dog went up to Ninja first. Ninja was not ready for it, and he growled, at which point, I called my dog back. If you ever encounter off leash dogs or notice that Ninja is not comfortable and you see a dog coming, even if you know this dog and are trying to do an introduction- Body block the other dog and tell them to back off. Usually any dog will go away if you step in front and yell at them. The good thing about Ninja is that he has gotten a lot less reactive towards dogs coming up. Instead of snapping right away, he will growl to give a warning, so it gives you time to take control. You need to show Ninja that you have things under control and will keep him safe.
So the most surprising thing was Portia! She was acting very slinky and skittish. She was keeping her space from other dogs and not approaching them at all. But 2 of my behaviorists dogs were reacting to Portia like a threat. They kept trying to approach her in a dominant way - she would call her dogs back from her before anything happened, but she found it interesting that her dogs thought of her as more of a threat than Ninja. I told her that even when she was a puppy and we would take her out to the dog park or other places, there would always be a handful of dogs who did not like her and would snap or growl at her instantly. I guess she just has a weird vibe to her.
So after a little bit more of avoidance from my dogs - she held 2 of her dogs so Portia and Ninja could sniff them...she said that if Ninja initiates a sniff and then gets defensive when the other dog tries to sniff, I could hold him by the collar and let the other dog sniff him. She said he probably won't like it, but he needs to learn if he sniffs, he has to let them sniff.
So after that, the dogs weren't doing much, so she took her dogs out and we chatted a bit. I sent her the video of my dogs and my neighbor's Minpin and she was hoping to see the "bully behavior" she saw on the video, but obviously it was different since this wasn't a place they were used to. She told me to basically do what she did with her dogs when there is another dog in a place they are comfortable with.
We also talked about how we can condition them not to be so nervous in new places. She mentioned something I never thought about. Familiar Routine. It is very similar to re-direction, but it is a routine of re-direction to help calm them down in a new place with something that is familiar to them. So for instance, she suggested I use targeting and then simple obedience (sit, down, high five) when entering a new place, so that they aren't as nervous when entering and they associate it with yummy treats. She also mentioned when she goes to very stressful places with her dogs, she will bring a mat and once she puts it down, her dogs know immediately to go to it to receive treats and it is their "safe spot". But it's important to do these "routines" on a regular basis, so it becomes something familiar and they know that they will be getting praise for doing the routine.
I would always re-direct when Ninja would get into a defensive mode after the intial introduction, but never thought to re-direct and take control when I noticed the dogs getting nervous in new places or when meeting with dogs we know. I always figured with new places, if we keep moving, and don't give them the chance to shut down, it's fine. And I never realized that I should step up and take control, even if its a dog who we know and met before, if Ninja doesn't initiate the meeting first.
Comments
It's great that he's doing so well.
I can't really tell when Ninja is trying to play or what is up - but it seems like he was playing. There is another shiba there, a female. Portia and Ninja instantly went to her like a magnet. Portia was play bowing and the other shiba was into it. They started chasing eachother. Then Ninja started to follow and chase - but he started showing his teeth. Which is normal for Ninja/Portia play...but didn't really know for new dogs.
I also wondering - can dogs tell when other dogs are the same breed? It was kind of interesting how both Ninja and Portia went to the Shiba when they saw her.
There is also a husky puppy who is quite boisterous. I saw Ninja showing his teeth and even though the puppy didn't back down, Ninja didn't snap - just growled and walked away!
http://wagsnwiggles2.viewmydog.com/lanmpegview0.htm
Edit: The pups are back on camera.
One of the reasons might even be specific scents they might have. Maybe we can't feel it, but their far superior noses can. OK, I can smell the difference between an Akita and a Lab, but I think you'll get my point.
So far Kuma doesn't seem to have any preference or hate for any specific breed.
I live in Irvine and I plan on checking that place out. If I do decide to bring Ichi there to improve his socialization, want to be my referral?
Jesse
I didn't know you live in Irvine! That's so close! How old is Ichi now? They allow puppies under 4 months - but put them in a pen with other puppies under 4 months. I think for the daycare (where Ninja and Portia play) they have to be at least 4 months of age - and when they reach 6 months of age - he can't return until he gets neutered.(i think) The puppy playpen is 15.00/day and daycare is 29.00 for a half day (4 hours or less) or 36.00 for a full day (4 hours or more.) A little more expensive than other places...but its a really nice place. If you are really interested - I will let my behaviorist know and you can schedule an interview with her to see if Ichi is able to attend.
I take my pups every monday for 4 hours.
I've been trying to get him play dates with dogs I'm comfortable with. I have two other fellow shiba owners (2 weeks older than Ichi) in my PetSmart puppy obedience classes, but they are littermates (male and female), so they readily play with each other. Last time I tried to do an off-leash meeting after class with them Ichi got ganged up on
Jesse
On the flip side, she loves labs, pugs and has much respect for Akita. Of course, I live in a neighborhood with 75% of dog owners own pit bulls.
Edit: So glad Ninja is doing so well.
A good behaviorist/trainer is worth a million in getting a pack on the right path!
It sounds like the behaviorist folks you selected really know what they are doing in integrating the dogs. I am so glad you found them and they were able to assist in getting your boy over the hurdles.
What you have experienced with Ninja's reactiveness can be so typical, but with just the right help it usually can be overcome. It just takes the right tools, time, patience, and above all kindness in building the bond of trust to make it all come together.
Great job!
Snf
As for the dogs knowing breeds, I am sure they do. Our Akita almost exclusively hang out together.
----
I learned a good amount, the lesson was only 30 minutes, but we were chatting and ended up spending a little over an hour there.
This lesson was for me to better understand dog body language and what I need to do if certain situations come up.
I had Portia and Ninja on lead while she brought in 3 of her dogs. She put her dogs on a down/stay at the other side of the room. She noticed Ninja got into a defensive posture, so she asked me to walk back and forth so that it doesn't make it seem like her dogs are going to ambush them. After a couple walks back and forth, she told me to take Portia off lead first and the Ninja and continue to walk. She was impressed that both of them stuck by me and didn't rush over to her dogs. She then said, she was going to walk back and forth with her dogs and let them merge together. When we started walking towards eachother, Ninja went up to her dogs and started sniffing, but when her dogs tried to sniff him, he growled and showed his teeth, so she clapped her hands together and yelled "HEY! BACK OFF!". She told me to call the dogs over to me so she can explain why she did that.
She said that if Ninja is intiating to go up to sniff other dogs, those other dogs should be able to sniff him. He isn't allowed to go up to sniff and then get defensive when they try to sniff - that is the reason I corrected him for his growl to my dogs. That is not proper dog socializing.
So then we tried again, we started walking together - they were mostly in avoidance and just following me wherever I went. Then one of her dogs came up to sniff Ninja and Ninja growled, she stepped in again, and called her dog back. She said the reason why she called her dog back when Ninja growled this time was because her dog went up to Ninja first. Ninja was not ready for it, and he growled, at which point, I called my dog back. If you ever encounter off leash dogs or notice that Ninja is not comfortable and you see a dog coming, even if you know this dog and are trying to do an introduction- Body block the other dog and tell them to back off. Usually any dog will go away if you step in front and yell at them. The good thing about Ninja is that he has gotten a lot less reactive towards dogs coming up. Instead of snapping right away, he will growl to give a warning, so it gives you time to take control. You need to show Ninja that you have things under control and will keep him safe.
So the most surprising thing was Portia! She was acting very slinky and skittish. She was keeping her space from other dogs and not approaching them at all. But 2 of my behaviorists dogs were reacting to Portia like a threat. They kept trying to approach her in a dominant way - she would call her dogs back from her before anything happened, but she found it interesting that her dogs thought of her as more of a threat than Ninja. I told her that even when she was a puppy and we would take her out to the dog park or other places, there would always be a handful of dogs who did not like her and would snap or growl at her instantly. I guess she just has a weird vibe to her.
So after a little bit more of avoidance from my dogs - she held 2 of her dogs so Portia and Ninja could sniff them...she said that if Ninja initiates a sniff and then gets defensive when the other dog tries to sniff, I could hold him by the collar and let the other dog sniff him. She said he probably won't like it, but he needs to learn if he sniffs, he has to let them sniff.
So after that, the dogs weren't doing much, so she took her dogs out and we chatted a bit. I sent her the video of my dogs and my neighbor's Minpin and she was hoping to see the "bully behavior" she saw on the video, but obviously it was different since this wasn't a place they were used to. She told me to basically do what she did with her dogs when there is another dog in a place they are comfortable with.
We also talked about how we can condition them not to be so nervous in new places. She mentioned something I never thought about. Familiar Routine. It is very similar to re-direction, but it is a routine of re-direction to help calm them down in a new place with something that is familiar to them. So for instance, she suggested I use targeting and then simple obedience (sit, down, high five) when entering a new place, so that they aren't as nervous when entering and they associate it with yummy treats. She also mentioned when she goes to very stressful places with her dogs, she will bring a mat and once she puts it down, her dogs know immediately to go to it to receive treats and it is their "safe spot". But it's important to do these "routines" on a regular basis, so it becomes something familiar and they know that they will be getting praise for doing the routine.
I would always re-direct when Ninja would get into a defensive mode after the intial introduction, but never thought to re-direct and take control when I noticed the dogs getting nervous in new places or when meeting with dogs we know. I always figured with new places, if we keep moving, and don't give them the chance to shut down, it's fine. And I never realized that I should step up and take control, even if its a dog who we know and met before, if Ninja doesn't initiate the meeting first.
Overall, it was a very informative lesson!
Does this mean I'm allowed to sniff Ninja's butt next time if he sniffs mine? :P
It's so great how far he's come since I first met you on this forum.
Please take pictures of Rina sniffing Ninja's butt...I'll pay you!
Jesse