Do you have pets? Anyone else have a guinea pig?

[Esther Knapicius]

http://www.nylabone.com/product-finder/by-product-type/non-edible-for-powerful-chewers.php

 

[DeborahJane]

Get your son to leave a smelly blue jean for the dog to lay on. it should help.

Good idea. I imagine that would really be a comfort. I might even ask my daughter in law for something of hers too as they are a close knit little family unit. And you are right, he is a very smart dog. My son does problem solving games with him like "where's Teddy? And he loves it. When they feed him they make him Wait, Sit , Stay .....and repeat and then......Eat. He doesn't expect that from me on my verandah but if I put food in his bowl inside he waits at the door and looks. I don't seem to have the right voice or the right commands and he looks at me and waits and looks and waits. They really do love him and I'm very aware that looking after him is a huge responsibility.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

sounds like a lovely dog. you should use the commands when your son is home (and you son can cue you --whispering--what to say---or spell it. ) We used to pay "Find it games" have them sit and wait, then go hide something. then come back to where they were, release them, and say find it. Keeping a smart dogs brain active and occupied is important to decrease boredom. Remember, (as you said--close knit unit) they are a pack. Perhaps your son is the alpha dog, and his wife is beta dog, and the dog is another title. But each has a roll in the dogs mind. We use to also play "take it to someone" and give an object to them, and they would carry it to the person. My dogs knew my husbands name well, and it was always, take it to Michael. Of course the person at the other end needed to cheer with delight.

By the way, I was the alpha dog with my boys. My husband was the one that played with them. If I entered the room it was all eyes on me. My boys would say, hey you can still pet me, but MOM is here.

 

[Beth_B]

Great advice from Esther, Max sounds great! The chewing could also be anxiety, DeborahJane...I do stuffed and frozen Kongs sometimes, great for crate training, or raw marrow bones (not everyone's cup o' tea, though.)

Esther, breeding really can make a difference...one of my Rottweilers was a Rick von Bergthann grandson (German working lines) and another was an Evermor U R The One son, both amazing although somewhat hard dogs but loved loved working and learning, we did a lot together.

So Booker (aka The Puppy of Most Supreme Awesomeness) had his first boat ride on the river today. We stopped to let him play in the water and I helped him swim a little bit. He wasn't sure about this whole boat and water thing at first, but got over it in minutes. After his little swim he fell asleep with his head in my lap, then didn't want to get out when we were done.

He's turning out to be a "bomb proof" puppy, absolutely nothing fazes him. The breeder I got him from did a good job for the first eight weeks. He did get a bit stubborn (I am learning that this is a mastiff trait) about letting go of a yummy stinky dead fish he found.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

Great advice from Esther, Max sounds great! The chewing could also be anxiety, DeborahJane...I do stuffed and frozen Kongs sometimes, great for crate training, or raw marrow bones (not everyone's cup o' tea, though.)

Forgot about the KONG, Oh, yes, a wonderful object. DeborahJane you got to get one. And they also last forever. stuff it with treats etc. Make it hard to get it out. I remember, the first time I gave my guy one filled, he started and looked at me, like you get the stuff out, I said --Nope, its yours and walked away. Depending how good you are at stuffing treats in tight, will be how long it will amuse them, 20 mins to 30 mins. My boys realized on their own if they bounce it, it will aid in dislodging stuff. I think I still have one in a box up in the attic, even a GSD cannot destroy it.

And Beth, love how your exposing your guy to new experiences, certainly will build a confident soul. But you know all that Beth.

 

[DeborahJane]

Blake certainly is the Alpha. When they first moved in Blake was building something under the carport and Max chewed on it unbeknowns to me. When Blake came home and saw it he called Max out in a stern voice and pointed at it. Max looked away with his eyes half closed.The punishment is no attention. Outside till dark and then inside, after basic dinner and then his bed in the entrance area so attention. It was so sad to see. This was only for a certain time. It was good but he's still chewed my car.
Shopping list for tomorrow 1 Kong and 1 Nyla

 

[Esther Knapicius]

that is the thing in general, is to find a good breeder. Rescue dogs are sweet. But sometime with the big guys you really want some security in knowing they were handled well in the beginning .

 

[Esther Knapicius]

you could try, spraying spots with bitter apple to hinder chewing. but also get the nyla bone, and praise him when he chews it, I mean really praise him, like its the last best thing on earth he is doing, and its an olympic moment of praise.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

Blake certainly is the Alpha. When they first moved in Blake was building something under the carport and Max chewed on it unbeknowns to me. When Blake came home and saw it he called Max out in a stern voice and pointed at it. Max looked away with his eyes half closed.The punishment is no attention. Outside till dark and then inside, after basic dinner and then his bed in the entrance area so attention. It was so sad to see. This was only for a certain time. It was good but he's still chewed my car.
Shopping list for tomorrow 1 Kong and 1 Nyla

you could try, spraying spots with bitter apple to hinder chewing. but also get the nyla bone, and praise him when he chews it, I mean really praise him, like its the last best thing on earth he is doing, and its an olympic moment of praise.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

both my boys had stupid squeek toys, that were thin rubber, that any GSD could destroy in seconds. and the NYLA bone. If they started chewing on the squeek toy, they'd get a quick NO from me and immediately the nyla bone would be presented, when they grab up the nyla bone they would get a lengthy atta boy praise. They liked to squeek things.

 

[Beth_B]

Blake certainly is the Alpha. When they first moved in Blake was building something under the carport and Max chewed on it unbeknowns to me. When Blake came home and saw it he called Max out in a stern voice and pointed at it. Max looked away with his eyes half closed.The punishment is no attention. Outside till dark and then inside, after basic dinner and then his bed in the entrance area so attention. It was so sad to see. This was only for a certain time. It was good but he's still chewed my car.
Shopping list for tomorrow 1 Kong and 1 Nyla

Oh yes, I stuff the Kongs with a mix of kibble and peanut butter, yoghurt, carrot pieces, apple sauce, hot dog bits, you name it. Good way to use up leftovers and things getting dried out in the fridge. Then freeze. You can actually give the dog all or most of its dinner in a Kong if you get the big one.

I've actually never had much luck with dogs liking nylabones but worth a try! Other good chewies are bully sticks (unless the dog is a very aggressive chewer, in which case they get eaten too fast), elk antlers, and cured tendons and such, although those can be harder to find.
I agree with Esther - rawhides, and also those cooked bones, are IMHO risky.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

During the time my first GSD was about 15months old, my neighbors got a border collie puppy. First time they met, the border collie growled at my boy. My 130lb boy just looked at him, in a couple mins they become fast friends. ( I did not intervene ever). one thing I taught the border collie to do, and he was a quick learner, was to always sit in front of me if he wanted petting. And he never, did not do that, even at age 18, when he visited, not often, he would always remember. After our first GSD died. Unfortunately the second GSD and the border collie never did become friends. It was always a hardship between us two neighbors to make sure the border collie was leashed, as he was the one that would want to run and attack our new guy for no reason at all. Looking back, we probably should have tried to introduce them out in a park somewhere. Both now are in heaven.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

Oh yes, I stuff the Kongs with a mix of kibble and peanut butter, yoghurt, carrot pieces, apple sauce, hot dog bits, you name it. Good way to use up leftovers and things getting dried out in the fridge. Then freeze. You can actually give the dog all or most of its dinner in a Kong if you get the big one.

I've actually never had much luck with dogs liking nylabones but worth a try! Other good chewies are bully sticks (unless the dog is a very aggressive chewer, in which case they get eaten too fast), elk antlers, and cured tendons and such, although those can be harder to find.
I agree with Esther - rawhides, and also those cooked bones, are IMHO risky.

I remember giving my first GSD those rawhide sticks, then for 3 days he was sick at both ends. poor boy.

Try the yum yum method I did, always worded with the nyla bone.

 

[Beth_B]

that is the thing in general, is to find a good breeder. Rescue dogs are sweet. But sometime with the big guys you really want some security in knowing they were handled well in the beginning .

I am a huge proponent of rescue (was VP of a large regional on for years, and fostered for about 30) but if one gets into a certain breed, and especially if you want to work, do dog sports, chase titles, etc, there is nothing wrong with purchasing a puppy from an ethical breeder who does all the recommended health testing on their lines and chooses sire and dam with great care. Giant breeds like mastiffs can have some serious congenital health/joint issues so while Booker is not from stellar CH lines and not "show" quality, the owners of both sire and dam did get OFA and cardiac testing done.

And as you say, temperament can be an issue. I must say that Booker is both more active and drivey than I expected, and also more intelligent. Or at least trainable. Apart from the Stubborn Thing. But he is picking up commands and routines as fast as any Rottweiler pup I have ever had and has the same thoughtful approach to anything new. Even if the thoughts are along the lines of "do I bite this or do I hump this?" LOL. I am really enjoying him. The ob trainer assured me he was too young to be ready for intermediate obedience in 8 weeks of classes so he could stay in puppy classes for as long as it took for the same fee. And I'm like, game ON, lady. We will be out of puppy obedience in 8 weeks. Fronting and finishing like a big dog.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

Agree with you Beth. your a good mom.