Your Reptile and Amphibian Resource and Information Site

Back to Dogs Forum   Forums   Home   Members Area  

Dogs Forum

Ammeratsu   KatiiB   Ammeratsu   Ghastly   Ammeratsu   Ghastly   OX   ShadowAceD   Ammeratsu   Ghastly   Ammeratsu   ShadowAceD  
 Member  Message

 #2081627


Ammeratsu
View Profile

 I Need Help...

Badly.

Now let me make this CLEAR. I am NOT here to be yelled at or lectured. I want help, not put downs. So if you could keep it civil, it would be nice.

I have a problem with my dogs. Two are ten months and one is nine months. They’re all female, two spayed and one unspayed(Show dog, no intent of breeding). The unspayed one is Rikka, an akita. Ayla is a lab x husky mix, and Erin is the 9 month and s a german shepherd x pitbull x aussie mix.

They have free run of 5 acres and share it with goats and horses. They’re really bad around all these animals. It wasn’t until today I realized how much of a problem it is. When the horses start running around, they always run after them and bark and nip at their heels and I get worried they’ll get hurt. Rikka and Ayla are generally the ones that do it. That’s not the main problem, though.

The dogs chase the goats a lot. The injured one once. So we put the smaller once in a fenced off area, and it worked fine. But tonight they got out somehow(Still don’t know how) and my akita killed one of the smaller goats. I was devestated(still am). They’re inside right now and I refuse to let them out around the goats. But now I’m stuck. They’ve killed chickens(they flew out of the coop) and caught wild rabbits before, too. Especially Rikka. What do I do now?

The options I have so far for Rikka are: Kennel and rehoming. The only ones I can think of. I would fence off a nice area for them, but we really can’t afford a bunch of chainlink fencing, and they dig under everything else.

I love Rikka to death and it absolutely kills me thinking about having to rehome her, but I don’t know what to do with her.It’s not like you can train prey drive out of a dog.

Since we’re going out of town tomorrow, it’s really difficult. What I want to do is get a kennel for them to stay in until we get back and can wok something better out. But my mom has swine flu(or rather got pneumonia for an after affect) and won’t drive down and her boyfriend can’t take me of school to go get one. If I could drive(I just turned 15) I would just leave school and get one, but I can’t.

What do you recemmond for my beloved akita? Rehome or another suggestion?

Don’t yell at me, it’s not what I’m looking for.



10/07/09  11:14pm

 #2081664


KatiiB
View Profile



   Message To: Ammeratsu   In reference to Message Id: 2081627


 I Need Help...

There are actually a number of things you can do. The first and foremost is training. No, youre right, you cant take the prey drive out of an animal, but you can teach it what is part of the pack, and what isnt. When you first got the dogs, you should have taken into concideration their instincts.
Before i help you, I need to ask some questions.
- Can tyou control your dog on a leash?
- Are you sure shes the instegator?
- Do you know if getting rid of the Akita will stop your other dogs from the same behavior?
- do you have a base knowledge of dog training and behavior?
- Where are you located?
- Have you done any training with them whatsoever when it comes to other animals?
- do you have an established Alpha?

- Kait
10/08/09  02:09am

 #2081668


Ammeratsu
View Profile



   Message To: KatiiB   In reference to Message Id: 2081664


 I Need Help...

I’ve tried teaching them what’s part of the pack. But when the goats run, they’re chase instinct kicks in and they’re off.

To answer your questions:
-A little bit. I haven’t done that uchleash training even though I know I should have
-No, I am not sure, but she’s always the one attacking rabbits and oher wild things
-I don’t know if getting rid of her would do good
- Yes, I’m very good with training and I know plenty about behaviour.
- New Mexico
- Yes, we have, and they’re generally really good with other animals when a person is around, but not when we’re not. Unless it’s a chicken or other bird, they won’t attak while we’re around
- Yes, I do believe so. Since manage and train the dogs, they listen to me most and respect me most, so I believe I’m the alpa. I know their pecking order is the akita, the lab mix, then the pit mix.
10/08/09  02:20am

 #2081705


Ghastly
View Profile



   Message To: Ammeratsu   In reference to Message Id: 2081668


 I Need Help...

By the sounds of it Rikka is just being a typical Akita, correct me if i am wrong but did the Japanese not use Akita for hunting along with gaurding? And are they not not natural prey driven dogs anyway you can train but you cant get rid of the breeds natural trait

Good luck anyway
10/08/09  08:19am

 #2082765


Ammeratsu
View Profile



   Message To: Ghastly   In reference to Message Id: 2081705


 I Need Help...

I am VERY aware that she is just being an akita. If I have a dog with papers, I know about the breed. I know the origins and I know the temprament. I don’t need a lecture on me not knowing the breed. I know akitas since they are my favorite breed.

All I was looking for was a bit of advice.
10/11/09  12:53pm

 #2082776


Ghastly
View Profile



   Message To: Ammeratsu   In reference to Message Id: 2082765


 I Need Help...

I dont mean to sound rude but i was not critising you on your Akita i was just asking if that oswhat they were actually like as it is a breed i think is very bueatiful but i have never looked into them as i would most likely never own one, but if i can critise everyone can buy a dog with paper and not know anything about them all you need to do is sweet talk the breeder!
10/11/09  01:35pm

 #2083389


OX
View Profile



   Message To: Ghastly   In reference to Message Id: 2082776


 I Need Help...

As it has been stated, you can not get rid of the prey drive, but you should be able to redirect it. I would probably never trust the dogs alone entirly with the goats or chickens but you might try teaching avoidance and see if you can get them to look for something else to do. But you have to admit, if something runs it is a heck of a lot of fun to chase :). I know some of the baiscs my self but not everything. It is something that I would work on. Cesar Millan and Victoria Stillwell have worked with dogs with similar issues. Look in to what it is that they do. Both of them have different training styles and there are also other trainers out there that you can look up.

Look in to this and let me know what you think,
OX
10/13/09  09:42am

 #2083660


ShadowAceD
View Profile



   Message To: OX   In reference to Message Id: 2083389


 I Need Help...

Your dog lacks impulse control. Which is typical for an animal with a high prey drive and many things to over stimulate it. One of the best things you can do for your dog is instill the "Leave It" command. Once implemented properly, your dog will redirect its attention from anything you deam as something for it to leave. It is also advisable to teach your dog recall with a whistle. Coupling blowing the whistle with a high value treat will convince the dog that the whistle means whatever it is currently doing is hardly as important as what accompanies that sound.

The other thing is, the animal’s can’t be outside unsupervised unless on a long lead (10-20ft or so) or in a run. You will never be able to convince your animal that those prey items are "part of the pack" but you can convince it that you know of better things for it to have and that it needs to control its impulses. Dogs do not understand choice and consequences. What they do understand is classic conditioning and respondant conditioning.

You may or may not need to bring in an animal behaviorist to show you these techniques in order for you to execute them properly or you can watch Victoria Stillwell on "It’s Me or the Dog" I, personally, prefer her over Cesar Milan because he has a very older way of thinking in the fact he tends to approach things like everything with the dog is a dominance issue. This is not a dominance issue, it is an impulse control issue. I would strongly encourage you do this first as it’s slightly unfair to look at rehoming as one of the first outcomes. Akitas can be difficult to rehome specifically because they are Akitas. They are not easy dogs to deal with and are very high strung by nature.

I can give you some tips myself, if you’d like. I had to work with my Husky Mix because he was about as focused as a rubber ball bouncing in a plastic box.

-D
10/13/09  10:14pm

 #2083833


Ammeratsu
View Profile



   Message To: ShadowAceD   In reference to Message Id: 2083660


 I Need Help...

I’m sorry, Ghastly, that’s just how it came off to me. It irritates me when people get a high strung breed that’s hard to manage without knowing anything about it, and I would hate to be thought of as part of those people.
I know anyone can get a dog with papers and know nothig about it, but it’s not something I would do, nor is it responsible.

I may be able to trust them around the goats, for this goat was the only was that they ever harrassed. I think they knew she was weaker. Not necessarily because she was really small for her age, but because she was weaned too early and was just weak. We had her, our other doe, and two baby bucks(with mom) fenced in but somehow she got out. As for the chickens, that’ll never work. Once the goats reach a certain size, the dogs run away from them since they have horns.

So if I work on teaching her leave it and recall with a whistle, she may improve? What if she doesn’t like food? What should I give her for a highly valued treat if she’s super picky?

I watch Victoria Stillwell’s show all the time, and I prefer her over Cesar Milan big time. Cesar Milan basically just gets the dogs to behave by forcing them into submission, which is hardly training. And I hate that he’s like, "You should never be excited around your dog. Always calm". So I watch her show a lot and learn a lot about her training. it’s just more difficult because my mom doesn’t really understand dogs, and her boyfriend hates dogs. My mom just kind of expects them to be good so allows them to do whatever all day while I’m at school, and her boyfriend’s way of training is to hit them whenever they do something he doesn’t like, or push them hard with his foot. I can’t get him to stop, either. I throw a fit every time he does these things, but I can’t get him to stop.

Some tips on this difficult situation would be really great.
Here are the main issues. If you could tell memy best course of action, that would be great because this is difficult:
3 dogs with impulse control problems(mainly worried about the akita because she’s so strong it could get out of hand so easily)
My mom’s boyfriend hates dogs and hits/pushes them around
My mom throws a fit at the mention of kenneling them all the time
My mom’s boyfriend is too lazy to build a separate area for the goats
I would be the only one actually doing the training, and I have school, so can’t do it all the time

Mostly, I’ve noticed they want to play with the goats. Rikka will get ito a puppy-bow and lift a paw and try to touch a goat with it. She’ll try to jump on them and the adults/juveniles will head-butt her and he leaves. Even our baby bucks when they got out she would try to play with them(which I was worried about because they’re only 2 months old and rather small) and these bold little creatures would stand up on their hindlegs and nail her right in the flank! She leaves them alone after that.



10/14/09  12:11pm

 #2083848


Ghastly
View Profile



   Message To: Ammeratsu   In reference to Message Id: 2083833


 I Need Help...

I apolgize for it coming off the wrong way same for my comment about papers, but honestly its a breed that i think gorgeous but as i know ill never own one i only no certain things about them and havent ventured into learning anything more, but hopefully we can get back on the right foot :)
10/14/09  01:06pm

 #2083887


Ammeratsu
View Profile



   Message To: Ghastly   In reference to Message Id: 2083848


 I Need Help...

Nah, it’s all good. Just a misunderstanding. =)
10/14/09  02:28pm

 #2083892


ShadowAceD
View Profile



   Message To: Ghastly   In reference to Message Id: 2083848


 I Need Help...

The Akita’s lack of imuplse control will feed into everyone else’s. If this dog is the dominant one of the trio, it can heavily influenced what they do and do not do. If your Akita does not think of food as high value, find whatever she responds to. I have a friend who used a tennis ball because his dog thought it was the greatest thing in the entire world. So, when the dog did what it was supposed to do, it got the tennis ball. My Husky Mix is HIGHLY food motivated. Some cheese or chicken or liver and he will do anything to get it. He would give me a kidney for a piece of cheese, if he was capable.

Now, what you need to do is start from square one with just the Akita, but I do think it important for you to invest in a long lead. It comes into play for the recall. You also should get a clicker because it makes a very distinct sound and can better catch the dog’s attention.

Get yourself whatever it is that can motivate the Akita and bring it into a room with you alone. Do not let distractions in for the first part of this course. Have the dog sit and then have the dog lay down, if it knows that command. Kneel down before the dog (you will stand later) and show it whatever it is it finds as high value in your hand. Be sure to have a good hold on it, because you do NOT want the dog to get this. Eventually you will be able to use open palm or on the floor. But, for now, show the dog and say "Leave It" (ONE time, two at most, but after a good spacing) and the MOMENT the dog turns its head away from the treat, you click the clicker and, with your other hand, you give the Akita a treat. You do this over and over again at about ten minute intervals each time. When the Akita is good with you kneeling by her and having it in your hand. Try it standing, but remember you have to be quick, and dropping something on the floor by her. Say "Leave It", when she complies, clicker and reward. This is the process for "Leave It". It takes some time, but eventually, the dog will learn to leave anything you say "Leave It" to. You can gradually introduce distractions too.

Now, as for the recall. You will need a whistle and a long lead. Start in an area that has no distractions. Shorten the lead to two feet, blow the whistle, and when the dog looks at you, treat. Blow the whistle, treat. Over and over again until the dog begins associating whistle with treat. Extend to the lead to five or six feet. Same thing. Keep doing this until the dog can go out on the full lead and will still come back when you recall. This WILL be difficult for you because Akitas are prone to doing what they want to do in most regards. So, it will take a lot of time and patience.

Feel free to contact me if you need more suggestions or instructions. PM me and I can give you some contact info if you’d like.

-D
10/14/09  02:45pm


Back to Dogs Forum   Forums   Home   Members Area