Several questions from a new owner
Hi! I introduced myself in the Introductions coategory yesterday, now I have some questions:
1. Soft Mouth - I have read on other sites, and a few threads here, that it's best to train my Akita to have a "soft Mouth". Based on the fact that when she nipped at our small dog the other day she pierced his ear and drew a little blood on top of his head, I'd say this is a good place to start. She takes food from our hands very gently and hasn't mouthed any of us "people" in the pack. I laid on the floor and covered my head, knowing this is a trigger for dogs, and she wouldn't mouth me. She licked at my hands, but that's it.
2. Getting along with little Turbo, our 15+ year-old cocker Spaniel mix. I posted a picture of him in my introduction thread, but to our Akita he's proportionally the same as a meatball is to a 5 pound roast. The meatball allusion wasn't accidental.
We loaded Twix's (the Akita) food dish last night and made her sit and wait for it. Turbo came in from the back and headed for the dish. She lunged for him, but I was between them and said, "uh-oh!" as I poked her in the shoulder with my finger. She immediately backed off and sat back down. We let Turbo take a piece of food from her dish...he can't eat it because his teeth are bad, but it was the act of doing it we wanted. After he was out of the way we let her back in. When we take them on walks we let Turbo be led by the person who is front while Twix walks at the back of the caravan (I have 4 kids, so all told with the dogs there are 8 of us walking the neighborhood!)
We are winging this, and I think it's a decent start, but please let me know if there is something we should be doing differently, or in addition to all this.
3. Treats. What kind of treats are best for her health, teeth, etc. What are your preferences and why?
4. Habits. Are the AKita's fence jumpers? We have a 6 foot fence, but I'm betting she could clear it if she was excited. Should I worry about her digging under it to get to the tasty morsel of Chihuahua on the other side?
There will be more, but that's pretty good for now.
1. Soft Mouth - I have read on other sites, and a few threads here, that it's best to train my Akita to have a "soft Mouth". Based on the fact that when she nipped at our small dog the other day she pierced his ear and drew a little blood on top of his head, I'd say this is a good place to start. She takes food from our hands very gently and hasn't mouthed any of us "people" in the pack. I laid on the floor and covered my head, knowing this is a trigger for dogs, and she wouldn't mouth me. She licked at my hands, but that's it.
2. Getting along with little Turbo, our 15+ year-old cocker Spaniel mix. I posted a picture of him in my introduction thread, but to our Akita he's proportionally the same as a meatball is to a 5 pound roast. The meatball allusion wasn't accidental.
We loaded Twix's (the Akita) food dish last night and made her sit and wait for it. Turbo came in from the back and headed for the dish. She lunged for him, but I was between them and said, "uh-oh!" as I poked her in the shoulder with my finger. She immediately backed off and sat back down. We let Turbo take a piece of food from her dish...he can't eat it because his teeth are bad, but it was the act of doing it we wanted. After he was out of the way we let her back in. When we take them on walks we let Turbo be led by the person who is front while Twix walks at the back of the caravan (I have 4 kids, so all told with the dogs there are 8 of us walking the neighborhood!)We are winging this, and I think it's a decent start, but please let me know if there is something we should be doing differently, or in addition to all this.
3. Treats. What kind of treats are best for her health, teeth, etc. What are your preferences and why?
4. Habits. Are the AKita's fence jumpers? We have a 6 foot fence, but I'm betting she could clear it if she was excited. Should I worry about her digging under it to get to the tasty morsel of Chihuahua on the other side?
There will be more, but that's pretty good for now.
Comments
2. In a multi-dog household - it is rare to see the dogs eating together. There are usually issues with food, and most people feed their dogs in crates or different rooms. She could eat your spaniel mix if she really wanted to and you just got her, so you really need to build a bond and trust with her before you start testing her limits. I would not risk it.
3. For training or to re-direct attention in stressful situations, I usually use high value treats. Boiled Chicken, Tuna, warmed up HotDog, Beef Heart, etc. For everyday treats, there are plenty out there. Just look at the label and see if the ingredients are healthy...stay away from by-products, additives and preservatives. I like using INU Treats, EVO, The Honest Kitchen, Natural Balance, Solid Gold, Real Food Toppers, Wagatha's, etc. You can find some of these at Petco or Petsmart...otherwise you will be sure to find most at specialty pet boutiques or online websites.
4. There is one Akita on here that was an escape artist to the max! So beware! I would never leave your dog unattended in the yard. If you leave your home, I would suggest crating her or leaving her in a room. You never know what your dogs are capable of...it's best you don't give them the chance to show you! "Better safe than sorry!" Whenver I question myself about something regarding my dogs...I always remember that quote!
Hope that helps!
Crating: We have never crated our dog. He has run of the house and a dog door in the back with free access to the back yard. Of course, most furniture is off limits, and we close doors if we are out of the house for long. I'm not sure it's a good idea to do the same with Twix. I don't really want my couch chewed to pieces.
My wife is an at-home mom, so there is usually someone around, but obviously we leave and do things without our dog on occasion. How long is too long to leave her in the crate? If we'd ever be gone overnight without her we'd have a neighbor come over and take care of her on a schedule, but other than that...what, 6 hours? 8 hours once in a while?
At first, during the initial introduction phase, I find that tired dogs do much better together. Since your other dog is much older, I'd make sure Twix gets decent exercise (we walk our dogs 45mins twice a day and play in between).
Crating.. I recommend it for a new dog or any dog under like 5!! If she's over a year, and able to fully hold her bladder, than technically she can be in the crate for a few hours, like 6-8 if you absolutely have to.
Our Akita is a pretty skilled escape artist...she won't jump the 6-foot fence, but if there is a loose board, or an area she can exploit under it, or through it she will...thus I do frequent fence/perimeter checks...Kahlo can stay in the house typically while I'm gone on errands, but for longer times we tie her out on her harness with a non-chewable/non-tangle line...she'll usually just lay on the grass in her favorite shady spot and sleep til we get home.
If she broke the skin of your dog from a simple correction, there is a good chance she has little-to-no socialization with other dogs and never learned bite inhibition. Because of this I would be VERY cautious keeping your dogs together unsupervised - for several months. The reason for this is "learned aggression" and "practiced behaviors"...
While your dogs are getting adjusted if they are showing signs of not getting along and you let them practice these negative behaviors, the behaviors will increase in frequency. You are better off not letting them interact at all until you know they are both 100% settled (could take months, especially with a rescue). Walking on leash together is fine, and a great idea, but free-roaming, especially while feeding, is asking for an issue.
Having said that, most of our Akita will eat in the same room together and not have any issues, but that took LOTS of time to accomplish. Get a crate for her and embrace it, feed her in her crate, make her crate the best place in the world for her to be, this will really help you manage the 2 dogs.
One more bit of advice: Don't get caught up in the "pack" hierarchy stuff, this will only hurt your relationship with your dog in the long run. All of that "alpha dog" nonsense is based on crap scientific research done a LONG time ago - and on wolves, not dogs...
Point is, it doesn't matter who eats first, who walks in front, who walks through doors first, all that matter is that you treat your new pup, and your existing pup, with respect. Be fair and manage the situation to set both dogs up for success, not failure.
That's my $0.02.
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We are also getting used to the idea that she won't be the kind of dog we can ignore. We need to do some fence repairs/replacement to keep her safe and keep her from escaping. Until then, she is free in the back yard ONLY if being closely followed by someone she respects, and she will not be alone with Turbo.
tsukisune asked how old she is, she is 3 years old.
Here are pics of the "Crate purchase motivator". I am not mad or frustrated in any way. I expected some collateral damage with any dog we rescued. It's also apparent she knows how door knobs work. Good thing it was locked.
You've already gotten excellent information. It sounds like even before you've been handling things pretty well. You might just be a "natural" -smiles-. That's awesome because I think the most difficult creatures to train are not dogs but their humans!
About the "escape artist", I'd just automatically assume that EVERY canine is such. So yeah, you'll need to take whatever measures you can in order to prevent their exploration of the neighbor on their own. Not only do I try to make things in the yard secure. I also try to discourage venturing outside home by providing a variety of exciting and amusing toys (be creative: plastic bottles, soccer balls, etc). Also knuckle or rib-eye chew bones, durable kongs with peanut butter or other yummys.
Do your best to make home "fun" and outside "boring". There's still that chance that she might jump over or dig under the fencing structure...however, the idea is to try bring that 80% down to like 20%. By also keeping "an eye" on her, you're preventing any possible "self-positive" reinforcements by jumping over or digging under the fencing. Also, randomly giving her treats or instigating play sessions should help keep focus on you. So if you happen to be inside the house, she'll most likely be staring through a window or waiting at the door for you, if she doesn't have free access in and out. If she does have free access, then it might just be a great start for her to "check-in" with you (and it's perfectly fine if it's for a treat so long as she isn't actively "bugging" you about it).
The first several months after adoption are the highest risk factor for dogs attempting to escape. However, they do get ideas at times even after years of being in the same home. Always be on alert and fence proof etc.
Snf