Does anyone else have a pup with selective hearing ???
And if so how did you react to it . He has no hearing problems just incase any one thinks of that - he is great soemtimes and does everything you ask and other times h e decides he doesnt want to listen and completely ignores you
please please please any tipswould be great ( and we already try to bribe with treats)
heis 15 weeks old
Lel

I'm right behind you Lel, can't wait to get some advice on this! sometimes oscar is at my side (never to leave) and the next 'OFF'to find pastures new, only within the boundaries of our garden.. but for his own safety I have to physically 'lift him up' and carry him back into the house..He just loves plants and we have so many species of toadstools and 'snowdrops' which are deadly to pups... in our back garden.. I just about have a coronary, when he glances in that direction...roll on summer...lol
:D Sandy x x

Hi Sandy,

Are snowdrops poisonous to dogs? I was really pleased to see them sprouting in the garden, but if they are then I will rip them up when I get home!

Hi kirisox,
Well someone told me that they knew of someone who's pup nearly died from eating a t a snow drop plant when her back was turned..

:(
Sandy

I believe that any flower bulb is poisonous so snowdrops would be since they grow from a bulb
Regards Archer

There was a thread a while back about toxic plants - one of the links (can't do them) was www.angel-litemaltese.com/Poison.htm This listed houseplants poisonous to dogs, many of which will be growing in most people's gardens. It's just not practical to hoick out anything that might do them (or our children) harm - we just have to take care that they don't eat them. Eternal vigilance! :)

Isn't there anyway of getting rid of the snowdrops etc. The garden is one of the key places that you train your pup (because it has distration but within a place which the pup is accostomed to). 12 weeks is an ideal time to start training your pup with loads of love, fun, treats, toys etc etc as they learn the most and learn it quickly from 12 -16 weeks old. But you dont want to do that in a place which may KILL your pup!!! If you wait until summer, then this period of the pups life will be lost!!!
Josh

Short of concreting the entire garden, there isn't really any way to remove all potentially dangerous plants. You could fence them off, or simply not leave your pup unattended.

Hiya josh,

Well I'll try and describe the back of our house, it has about 1/2 an acre with loads of different trees etc , to one side there is a huge sort of copse with a fenced pond, at a rough guess i'd say we have about a hundred shrubs and various types of trees and the BL***Y snowdrops are growing in their hundreds everywhere.. it would take me forever to dig em all up.. it looks beautiful.. but I said "roll on summer" so the snowdrops will have died off and we can relax in the garden.. luckily we have another big side garden and a large driveway so me and Oscar do all our playing and training there. (theres no snowdrops in that side luckily..) We only moved here in April last year so had no idea what would be pushing thro the soil this time of year..There used to be an old house where our side garden is which was knocked down and cleared as a garden, maybe all the snowdrop bulbs got cleared away with the rubble. He's quite happy in the side garden for now and luckily I can take him outside on saturday to the fields beyond our garden untill the snowdrops are GONE.

Sandy
xxx :)

>it has about 1/2 an acre<

ahhhhhhhhh that mine and the concreting idea out the window then!!!!!!
hahaha :)
You must get a lot of excerise chasing after him, picking him up and walking all the way back to your house!!! (or is it a bloody castle?????) :)

Lol (I wish)..Just love castles...Yes it is difficult to carry the heavy lump..(bless im!) but it's luckily been an odd occasion when I've had to do that.. We took him in the back garden in the snow last weekend to build a snowman and everything was covered in snow (even the snowdrops) he thought that was great fun.

Sandy xxx :D :D :D

It's their age I'm afraid - the 'seniority classification period' - can't do much about it, except perhaps try the '24 hour ignore' and get their attention back on you - like most teenagers they think the world revolves around them, they will do what they like when they like....... Just gotta live through it, it will come back on course eventually. Probably best to keep them on lead though unless 100% sure it's safe to let them off, 'cos the recall is often the first thing to 'go' :-(

I haven't got a "training tip" or anything like that for you but I've been told that when a dog gets interested in a particular smell, its like us getting engrossed in a good book (or Eastenders in my Mums case!!!:)). Thats why dog trainers will always stop dogs from smelling the floor when doing the Heel. To be honest, its a pup, so think of it as good socialisation.... and it is very healthy!!!! Dont worry, it wont be like that forever. I remember that I always used to let my GSD roam anywhere and everywhere (within reason obviously) and made sure she did it at a distance from me (on a 30ft lead/rope). First reason, more socialisation, and secondly so that she was slightly independant and wouldn't come crying back to me if she didn't like something!!!! I wanted her to have nerves of STEEL!!!:)
Obviously there comes a time and point where the pup/dog MUST concentrate on you. For me and Sophie, I never took her for "walks". She didn't like it because she got bored. You cant interact with your dog whilst your walking, and she wanted to go sniff everything but was on a lead. I was bored/ she wouldn't heel(obviously!!!)etc etc etc NIGHTMARE!!!! My dog trainer told me something which I'll never forget.
We have to be the dogs WHOLE world. They must look to us for guidance aswell as food, water, shelter etc etc. He recommended that I stop "walking" my dog and start "playing" games, like fetch. Ever since I started "playing" with Sophie rather than "walking" her, she thinks I'm the "bestest ,most fantastic thing in the world, and if she's not right next to me, she's going to miss out on the next best thing to happen"!!!! We've had great fun ever since. I do this everymorning for half an hour at 6 o'clock (its a nightmare in winters when you cant see s**t.......but she always manages to find the ball!!!!)so I get to slip in a training session aswell! She's 16 months old, and still classed as "young" and she still has a sniff around, but also because of all the training that we have done, she comes when called.
I remember (and now regret!!!) that when we got Sophie I expexted her to DO AS I COMMAND!!! but in that, I didn't appreciate her being that cute little pup!!! IMHO if the pup finds a new smell, JOIN IN!!! you have a little sniff (sounds silly, but try it), and go and find another smell, and encourage your dog to COME TO YOU and find another smell!!! This way he'll (or she'll) learn the COME but instead of the end result being going inside....BORING!!!, it'll be another smell....YIPPY!!! Plus because you're both doing it together, your bond will improve aswell....BEST OF BOTH WORLDS!!!!!!
goodluck!!!
Josh

They are both young puppies - don't worry !!
selective hearing happens in puppies ,children and husbands it is natural .'fraid I can't join in with Josh's garden sniffing tho' :D
I was told never try and recall your pup when you know they aren't gonna come ,because all you doing is teaching them to disobey .
if there are things in the garden that are so harmfull then get rid of them !! then at least you can relax when the dog is outside :)
If you think the're bad now wait till adolesance hits :D
liz ( prophet of doom :) )

If you think the're bad now wait till adolesance hits

LOL ......I very nearly posted exactly the same warning :D

Mel

>'fraid I can't join in with Josh's garden sniffing tho' <

Thats a fair opinion( but you know, i'll tell you a secret...you dont HAVE TO smell if you dont wanna!!! :) ), but the method worked with Sophie.
If you think about it, I remember as a kid, I'd rather be playing football in the garden or on the street, rather than sitting down next to my Mum. Its an ideal time to BE with your dog without giving him/her a SIT/DOWN/STAY etc command

>I was told never try and recall your pup when you know they aren't gonna come ,because all you doing is teaching them to disobey< Dont you think that they start to disobey when you praise unwanted behaviour?

A senario....your dog is by your side, off lead, sees a cat across the road, chases after it, gets run over by a car!!! Ideally you want a dog that doesnt chase after cats!!! but at the least you want a dog that knows that it'll be FUN to chase the cat, but would PREFER to do as you say, cos it thinks your even more fun. I know there a lot of training exercises to get to that stage but this is a ideal time to INTERACT with your pup while there are loads of smells around. If the pup likes smells rather than treats it might be sensible to OFFER another smell as a reward!!! There are so many other things that to encorparate like not fussing over your dog so much that your presence is no longer of value etc etc...
Josh

Hmm... just out of curiosity... how do you offer a new smell??
Does that mean you've been sniffing the ground first finding some revolting smelling patch of grass?
I agree with you totally on playing with your dog to make it fun to come back, but I'm sitting here with a smile on my face
picturing myself going over the grass on all fours trying to sniff out where the neighbours dog has descrated the lawn.. :p

hahahahahaha....now thats funny!!!!!

>how do you offer a new smell?? < "ahhhh, look at this (point to the flower)....isn't this nice!!!! COME SOPHIE look at this!!! (she comes over because your so enthusiastic). She starts smelling the flower, you walk away, let her smell for a few seconds....."Sqeak" a squeaky toy....oh wow, what this Sophie, COME SOPHIE!!! she comes to investigate the toy!!!

SPEAK IN A "CUTTIE WUTTIE" sort of way which you'd use with a little babby wabby!!!

Three things happen as you do this more and more....
1 - she learns the come
2 - more socialisation with smells/objects (whatever you choose to point at)
3 - she wants to be with because you're the one thats pointing out all the fun things!

and because of all this, you have a better bond.
As you do this you can also start to introduce the "NO!"...ie........"NO sophie, LEAVE,...... COME Sophie, look at this ..........umbrella" ( cant think of anything else :) ).
The NO shouldn't be a punishment where you are depriving the pup/dog of something, but its what you give as an alternative that makes the dog think....." ok, i'll leave that, but what have you got that is better?"

I see what you mean Josh..
Sandy :)

Josh
<<<scenario>>>
dog is off lead sees a cat across the road and chases after it ---Ithink you might find it's illegall to have a dog off lead on a public highway.
Dogs sniff - its what they do !
lel and sandy -enjoy your puppys they soon grow up
Liz

true, but i just used the cat as an example.....

> sometimes oscar is at my side (never to leave) and the next 'OFF'to find pastures new<There are a lot of posts were dogs are chasing bikes, deer... anything that moves really.

Dogs do sniff, i accept that fact, but dogs also need the toilet!!! We train our dogs where and when we want them to go to the toilet, so why dont we train our dogs what they can/cant sniff and when it is and isnt appropriate? If we give a dog a command but it goes chasing after a smell, is that ok behaviour?? Again I say that I do accept that dogs, especially young pups do like a good sniff and thats fine, but if the owner is giving the come command and is doesn't listen, so much that she has to pick the pup up, then with a little time (as the pup matures), with a liitle play, and a bit of training with loads of love, then life is certainly going to become easier.

Josh --these are 15 week old puppies in the garden -their Kingdom ,cut them a bit of slack :)

I think lel and sandy are just looking for the 'is it normal ?' answer .--Yes

The recall takes along, long time to become bombproof -I think most would agree with me on that and every dog is an individual and there are no hard and fast rules with any of them
Liz

>please please please any tipswould be great<

I do appologise if i go on about it, but I've had sooooo much fun with Sophie that I love talking about it, sharing and discussing ideas. Just tell me to SHUT UP!!
by the way, im not talking about the recall, im talking about a way to have fun with your pup. If you read my first post, you'll probably find that we agree on the same things.

Josh I think that's a great tip!!
When I'm in the garden picking dandelions for my tortoises my pup has ALWAYS got to have his nose right where I'm picking - in the end he's right under me and I can't see what I'm doing!! But never thought of using this to my advantage!! Brilliant!!

Sometimes I have to remind myself that Oscar is still a baby, he's the size of most full grown dogs already, My oldest boy was 'big' for his age and everyone thought he was older than he actually was and expected more from him because of that.. And Yes you're right..I think I'm certainly looking for 'Is this normal answers'

And thanks again all of you for your help .:D
Sandy xx

Well I'd certainly love to be the Bestest most Fantastic thing in 'Oscars' world too, so I'm certainly going to join him in looking for 'new' smells. don't knock it till you've tried it I say.. Some great advice there thanks..
Sandy :)

>don't knock it till you've tried it I say< You'll find that as you ask for more and more advice, the answers will seem to be more wild.....just keep 1 thing in mind.....a pup/dog at any age is going to LEARN...you have a choice, either he learns WITH you, where EVERYTHING (including what he sniffs and fir how long) is on your terms, or he'll learn WITHOUT you.

Good Luck again
Josh_

There are other ways too, but that'll do from me.

Thanks for your help Josh (and everyone else too)
This afternoon I've been "look at this Oscar" smelling the lavendar plants and rushing off to another bush,, then another, he was following me 'good style' as happy as Larry..but then he go so excited he started biting and pulling at me..lol but we certainly both enjoyed it, it's a good start anyway..
:D :D :D
Sandy xx :)

NICE ONE!!!! You know when hes pulling you, he could be showing you the way to the cliff where the children fell down!!!!!! LASSIE STLYE!! haha

Lol Josh..:D :D :D

Lel

I have 8 dogs 4 bitches 4 dogs 2 different breeds and am yet to solve the selective hearing problem, especially now with 2 girls in season! Their ages range from 7 yrs down to 7mths and the best I can say is nice smelly food ie rotten cheese or liver fried in garlic and a very happy voice when you call them lol. If that don't work I shut the door and leave them to it until I feel like letting them in - funny how they come running in 2nd time around lol.

I agree with Liz - They are puppies, puppies explore their world with their mouths and noses, sniffing relays the world around them and each new sniff is a wonderful new experience to pups :) Julie:)