ASKBLACKJACK
My Mom and I have been answering lots of qwestions for people of late, so we thought maybe we would share those here. If you would like to ask
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Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4 | Page 5 | Page 6 | Page 7 | Page 8 Dear
Blackjack: ~Jesse
and Sunni's Mom Dear Jesse & Sunni's Mom Let me first address your food issue. I'm afraid that's fact. Mom says she had a doggie that she fed puppy food to. She was prone to Hip Dysplasia, and grew way too fast, and gained 10 lbs per month her whole puppy hood. Man, I can't even imagine that happening! Well, Beauty got really bad hips. Vets said she would probably have had hip problems anyway, but they were alot worse because of the dog food Mom fed. :( It's best to stay away from puppy foods, or get puppy food for large breeds. Now for the other question. Boy that's a tough one. Sometimes it's best to have the pups play together and come up with their own rules, but Jesse is still pretty young, so she doesn't have what mom calls "Maturity". Now labbies play really tough, and are very "resilient" (what does that mean?) but when we are babies, we forget to pay attention to other babies sometimes. Mom says it's best for you to make sure they are always supervised, and if Jesse gets a bit rough, to put a stop to it. At the same time, it's just not fair to let Sunni beat up on Jesse, so same must go for her too. As for me, I LUV puppies! I never hurt puppies - even when I was a baby and playing with puppies, I was gentle. :) Mom says I'm special though. Course, I have problems with kids sometimes,,,, I get too excited. Congrats on your new baby! ~ Blackjack
Dear Blackjack, I
have a 2 year old Choc. lab and a 14 mo Black lab. We are finding various
items in the back yard are being chewed when the dogs are left alone. I
know the Choc. chewed before we got the Black one, but I thought most dogs
outgrow the chewing. I can't figure out if both dogs are doing this, or
just one. I love the dogs, but the problem is becoming very, very old.
Does this go away at about the two year mark, so is it something that labs
just do? I am hoping for the go away, or I may not be able to keep them.
We have been through 6 hoses, various lengths of hose, hose reels and lots
of misc. items. Yes, we labbies LOVE to chew when we get bored. My favorite is books, which for some reason my mom thinks I shouldn't want. The reason your babies are chewing is because they are bored. Teething is usually complete by the age of one, so that is not the problem. The only sure-fire way to keep our teeth off of things is to wear us out so when you aren't home, we sleep. Obedience training will help, but will not fully cure the problem. Oh my mom told me to add that she doesn't trust strangers enough to leave her doggies outside anymore. Said that people are mean and like to steal us cause we are so friendly, or throw poisoned food over. She says just some "food for thought". I stay inside my house when Mom is gone and if need be, inside my kennel, where I can't chew anything up. Then when Mom comes home, we play and train and play and train. Good luck! ~ Blackjack Dear
Black Jack, Dear Pogo Puppy, Wow my mom is laughing at me that I would be giving advice on this. She says she knows this is my toughest thing in life, not to bounce on people. I'm not as much of a pogo dog as my big sister was, but it's so fun to visit people. First, when you are coming home, a pup of 5 months should not have fun of the house. She should be in her kennel where it's safe. But let's say for some reason she is, and you come home. First, go inside BEFORE the kids do. As she starts to jump, turn your body away, and then walk quickly into the room, ignoring her. Tell her to SIT. When she does, praise her, and reach to pet her. You can even "go down to her level" so she doesn't "Have" to jump. Do this alot, and it will teach her that she only gets petted when she is sitting and being good. Gradually work it so your kids are there too. As for visitors, you will have to have a "party" of "dog training friends" over. Tell them all you are working on training your dog. First, invite just one or two, and have your puppy on a leash. When they ring the bell, put her on a sit/stay. When you reach for the door, if she starts to get up, put her back on the stay (note how patient your friends must be). Eventually you will get as far as the door. Work for about 20 minutes, teaching her that when she gets up, the person outside of the door does not make it inside the door. They also do not get to touch her if she is not sitting and staying like a good girl. Gradually you can work it to a "party" where your friends are ringing the bell and visiting there. Good luck! ~Blackjack Dear Blackjack: We have a six month ols black lab which is going to spend quite a bit of time in a 42 foot boat for the rest of his life. How do I potty train him to go on the bow when I can't get him to shore? I can put a washable carpet type of material on the bow for him and I can rinse of any liquid from the deck itself; and I can wash or run water over the carpet ( outdoor type). Suggestions please! ~Ocean Dweller Dear Ocean dweller, Boy, can I come with you? I would LOVE to go with you on this! But, My mom says it's not so tough, so I think she is probably right. It's kind of like "paper training". Mom says there are these things called "wee wee pads". Now normally I don't recommend this for labbies, but it may be just right for what you want. First, put them outside where your dog normally goes potty. When he "takes a leak", praise him big time. Let him know it's ok. Then, when you are on the boat, put the wee wee pad on top of the special carpet, and watch him. If he sniffs it, give him his command to go potty. If he does, praise him. If not, just watch for when he needs to go. If he starts to go somewhere else, just teach him to move to the pad and go again. It's just like potty training for normal. Have fun! And get some sun rays for me! ~ Blackjack Dear Blackjack: My 2 year old Minnie has a serious breath problem. She does not seem to have any sore in her mouth and her teeth seem to be in tack. My son has her sister and she doesn't have a problem. Have you heard of any problem like this. One thing I do know is when she is in the crate during the day, she doesn't drink much water. When I let her out she does her business, and drinks a lot of water. ?? What would you suggest.. Ruth Dear Ruth, Wow, my mom says that doesn't sound good. Bad breath can be caused by any number of things, but most of them should be evaluated by the vet. The only time I have bad breath is if I'm a bad boy and eat poop. Do you do that? If not, then you need to have the doctor take a look. It may not be your teeth, but there are other things that can cause bad breeath. ~ Blackjack Dear Blackjack Right now I have a full bred Black lab and a Black lab mix. The full bred is one year old, and he is obviously still a puppy. We have trained him. He knows many tricks and he knows right from wrong. But we have had a problem training him not to jump on people. Can you please give me some hints? Thank you. ~ Jumperoo Dear Jumperoo, It sounds as if you have done alot of work with your boy. But please remember we dogs don't know what is "Right or wrong", we only know what is "acceptable and not acceptable". Right or wrong would indicate morals, and afraid we labbies have none of those. That's why he jumps. He doesn't know it's unacceptable. My mom uses this "take away space" routine to help break jumping. Most people will say to grab you and drag you back down, or to knee you in the chest, but taking away your space is even better. When the dog starts to jump, instead of backing away, walk TOWARD the dog. You can swing your hip so it's gently moved into the dog's path. The result is the dog is slightly off balance, and it's just no fun to jump. Don't yell, don't hit, and don't hurt. Just walk in very gently. It's not an easy thing to do, but it is possible. Have fun! ~ Blackjack
Who is Blackjack? Blackjack is, as of today, a 21 month old pup, who's learning the ways of obedience training. You can visit his site here.
Disclaimer: Advice given here is just advice and is not to replace trainers |
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