Viewing 28 posts - 1 through 28 (of 28 total)
  • Dog owners, a few questions…
  • loddrik
    Free Member

    For my soon to arrive Lakelend Terrier, I’d be grateful for a couple of answers/opinions.

    What sort of collar and lead should I be looking at (puppy and/or dog)?

    Where does your dog sleep?

    Do you use a crate/cage?

    What do you use to clean up it’s crap whilst out and about?

    Many thanks chaps.

    LeeW
    Full Member

    We used a slip lead for training, general lead/walkies duties. I’m sure your children will want to choose the collar.

    Ours sleep in the kitchen, on a camping roll mat and a couple of duvets doubled up in to a dog bed shape next to the radiator.

    We just use regular dog poop bags, you can use nappy sacks I guess.

    Have fun!

    Innes
    Free Member

    One of the best bits of advice I got about a young dog, was that if they are on a lead, make it a short one. We use a slip lead as it is easy to put on and off and is very effective at stopping the dog from pulling.

    We made mistakes with our first two dogs, but with our third we stuck to the short lead and it really worked. She knows that if she is on the lead she has to walk at our side and behave.

    We still have a collar on the dogs with a tag on it.

    For the first year we used a crate when the dog was left in the house, and with the Collie she slept in the crate for the first year as well.

    We use the bags we get from the council, when you have picked up dog poo a few thousand times you will get used to it.

    CheesybeanZ
    Full Member

    What sort of collar and lead should I be looking at (puppy and/or dog)?
    – we had a westie for 16 yrs and always used a harness . now got one for our wheaten [4 months old ] .
    Where does your dog sleep? Do you use a crate/cage?
    –in a crate in the kitchen , we crate trained him ready for camping and bike events .
    What do you use to clean up it’s crap whilst out and about?
    poo bags, pound shop 200 in a pack . get the tye handle ones they are easyer to hang in tree’s 😉

    Suggsey
    Free Member

    I too would advocate through learning from experience-a short lead only- those extending leads are the work of the devil.
    Buy a training long strap lead for training recall and get her trained to recall as quick as you can-it will save those panicked moments of ‘oh shite we have lost her/him’
    As for poo bags I used to bulk buy from Macro the striped bags that you can get at the corner shop (no holes in them) but normally go to the local pound shop and get the thicker dog poo bags. Tried nappy sacks but suffered to many hand shit interface problems!
    For garden picking with all these free giant ‘charity bags’ that get shoved through the door they make ideal crap collectors.
    Enjoy the new addition to your family.

    bren2709
    Full Member

    Short slip leads are great for training, used one for years.

    Initially when we got our Lakeland Terrier we used a Leather rolled type collar and a light weight lead, then moved onto the slip lead when pup was older.

    As for sleeping arrangements he has lived outside in a purpose built run and kennel which is heated.
    His bed is raised ad has no direct contact with the ground. The bedding is just old towels and other old clothing.

    If I were to get another pup I would do the same again, dog has never had any health problems.

    All I would say if you are gonna keep indoors use a cage from day one, know loads who use and their dogs love it!

    Pooh bags for the muck.

    Good luck and enjoy your puppy fun!

    nicko74
    Full Member

    Crate is worth it – dogs generally won’t crap where they sleep (unlike some drunken friends of mine), so it’s a good way to teach them about house training – and that if they hold it, you will be along to take them for a walk.

    saladdodger
    Free Member

    I have an 8 week old golden retriever asleep next to me right now so here is my thoughts ( we are treating her the same as we did out 5 year old)

    she will be using a nylon clip type collar when she goes out and a 1m lead

    She has a bed in the kitchen

    We have never ever used a cage and never will

    Do not buy ” dog egg bags” they cost too much, get tescos essential etc nappy bags.

    Best advice is start training from day one set the house rules so the pup soon learns and it makes your life easyer and enjoy lots of time with it

    Dogs are ACE

    TheBrick
    Free Member

    Sandwich-bags for the poo.

    mattrgee
    Free Member

    If you do anything, buy a crate. By far the best thing we ever did with our last puppy.

    kinda666
    Free Member

    Agree with the crate, best single thing we ever bought for our puppys!

    robbo
    Free Member

    Why buy a crate when you don’t know your dog needs it. Try it without first then if its fine leave it. It’s really about how secure and safe the dog feels. Don’t leave stuff out which it can deliberately damage, wooden spoons are a favourite. And for bags just reuse all those carrier bags you’ve got.

    My old dog is currently sleeping with me after I watched Marley & Me!

    PePPeR
    Full Member

    Advice as above, Short lead, cage and nappy sacks for dog poo!

    Make sure your dog has a collar with ID on it’s the law.

    kinda666
    Free Member

    The crate becomes the dogs safe place! Both our dogs went to there crates to get away from it all, its not like they are in a zoo, which I can only assume thats what you think its like?? Like one poster said, they don’t like to mess near there beds so it helps teach them to hold out all night too! One chewed slipper/chair/sofa etc is one too many for me, the crate worked well for me and many others I know!

    ditch_jockey
    Free Member

    Agree with the crate (not a ‘cage’) as long as it’s used properly. The crate should be a cosy safe place for the dog, so it’s never used for punishment. We used to feed our puppy in the crate when we first got her, so that she had lots of positive associations with the warm cosy space.

    One of our dogs still uses their crate, the other one has shifted to using underneath our bed as her safe space.

    Decide what your boundaries are in terms of where the dogs gets to go in the house etc, and stick to them from day one.

    We use bio-degradable poo sacks – used to use nappy sacks but they tend to be fragranced and I found the smell turns my stomach. Best way to do it is to put the bag over your hand like a mitt, grab the poo in your bagged hand, then turn it inside out with the other hand and tie it off.

    In terms of house training – get into the habit of taking them out about 20mins after meals, and at least every 2 hours during the day. Make a big fuss of them when they pee/poo, and it helps if you pick a ‘command’ word and say it when they do their stuff. After a while, you can reverse it and you can use the command to let them know it’s okay to relieve themselves where they are. Handy if your on car journeys, or on holiday with them and the like.

    Keef
    Free Member

    wot Kinda sed,
    3,1/2 year old male Dobe,crate trained,now if we go and stop at friends houses overnight,we take a travel crate,it’s his place/bed,and he knows it.we don’t use one at home now,because we don’t need to.

    wolvesdug
    Free Member

    Mine have outside run but are crate trained and sleep outside in there comfy kennel

    Nappy bags for poo.

    They are well trained so no need for leads(I live in the middle of no where)I carry them just in case

    Both are micro chipped!!

    highclimber
    Free Member

    we didn’t have a crate when we got our puppy a few weeks ago and we got one last week and he loves it although he’s just managed to get his leg stuck through the bars trying to retrieve his toy which was on the outside!
    Get a clicker and start training immediately much quicker than relying on commands alone.
    we’ve got him pooing and peeing only in one area of the garden and we clean it every day. you should separate walkies from toileting such that they ‘go’ before and after and anything else on the walk is a bonus but makes having to carry doggy mess in your pocket to the nearest bin less likely!

    thegreatape
    Free Member

    http://indigocollartags.com/

    These tags are good. I got leather collars from the same place – nylon ones stink after a very short time (well, they did on my dogs, who like to swim).

    anagallis_arvensis
    Full Member

    First problem will be dog not liking being left alone at night. After a few sleepless nights with our lurcher i slept downstairs on sofa bed till she was happy after two or three nights of that she was fine. House training is simple but hard work. Everytime puppy wakes up put it outside, praise like hell if it shits or pisses. Do thd same every hour or so during the day.

    Next thing is leaving dog on own has to be done in 10 min then 30 min slots take it slowly and expect a lot of whinning. Make sure it has a comfy place its used to to stay in.

    Ask local vet about puppy training classes and book now. Take whole family along, they will all be needing training. Recall training is easy for a puppy as it will follow you dont leave that too late.
    Ours hated the crate and took to sleeping outside in kennel refsing to come in after last pee at night.

    globalti
    Free Member

    Take whole family along, they will all be needing training.

    That’s the best bit of advice out of all those posts. The whole family has to understand the dog’s position in the pack and treat the dog accordingly. That doesn’t mean treat it cruelly, it just means ensuring the dog knows its place in the pecking order.

    Was brought up with dogs all around (Mum used to breed) but don’t have one now.

    Toasty
    Full Member

    What sort of collar and lead should I be looking at (puppy and/or dog)?

    – We use a short lead for local walks around the street, and an extending lead for him to mooch around the woods and wrap people up like maypoles. We also have a harness, although he managed to slip through it once after becoming obsessed by a squirrel.

    Where does your dog sleep?

    – On the sofa. He’s always slept very well at night, with the exception of the one night we stayed at my mothers before Christmas. Our cunning plan was to have him sleep in the bedroom – we brought his throw from home. Unfortnately the entire situation confused the hell out of him. It was as if he thought we needed guarding as we slept, so he kept patrolling by our heads (we were on a futon), occasionally giving a single, quiet bark by the door. And then barking loudly if he heard anyone outside.

    I ended up in the living room, with the dog lying on me, with me trying to comfort him. I had four houses of nearly snoozing off, then feeling the dog go tense and alert, and quickly trying to comfort him before he started barking. He was fine at the in-laws though, where he just slept on the sofa. It’s made us a bit worried about what will happen if we go to a B&B with him. 🙁

    Do you use a crate/cage?

    -No, fortunately he came fully housetrained from the Dogs Trust, which was a surprise because no-one knew that at the time! He’s also not destructive if we go out, which is nice.

    What do you use to clean up it’s crap whilst out and about?

    -Poo bags. Always take extra in case of unexpected poopage or double bagging.

    EDIT: This is Mrs Toast by the way, forgot to log out t’husband from the laptop…

    sharkbait
    Free Member

    Loads of advise already so the only thing I’ll add is that our dogs have always slept outside in a stable (there is a box made from kingspan in there to keep them cosy).
    I think it’s much better for them than sleeping in he house – but they are working cockers and little dogs might be different.

    grantway
    Free Member

    Our Golden Retriever as a pup stayed downs stairs
    plus we had to put a child guard at the foot of the stairs.

    But usually found him laying next to our daughter on her bed in the
    mornings.
    Now lays where he wants to within the house.

    TooTall
    Free Member

    Lead, not harness.

    Training for whole family, not just dog. Book for puppy classes and ensure you have time for it and for the next class up as well.

    Crate or cage – as long as the rest of the family understand that is the ‘quiet place’ for the dog and it is situated to reflect that.

    Own brand nappy bags.

    Suitably sized toys as well.

    bjj.andy.w
    Free Member

    +1 for the crate. If your thinking of having him whistle trained nows a good time to start. Every time you feed him just before you give it to him use the whistle. Decide what sort of ” sound” you will use. ( for us it’s three short blasts). He will quickly realise whistle= food. Also do the same with treats. When you can take him outside after his jabs use the same technique when he’s on a long rope in open area. This should help with the transition to being off lead with a ( hopefully) good recall.

    saladdodger
    Free Member

    grantway – Member
    Our Golden Retriever as a pup stayed downs stairs
    plus we had to put a child guard at the foot of the stairs.

    But usually found him laying next to our daughter on her bed in the
    mornings.
    Now lays where he wants to within the house.

    Funny old thing thats a perfect description of our 5 year old Golden but she sleeps on our bed

    God knows where our 9 week old Golden will be in a years time 🙄

    garage-dweller
    Full Member

    Our dogs had collar and short and long lead each.

    Nappy bags fine for poo BUT go one quality above the value ranges. Our german shepherd cross had collitis and we soon learned that some value bags were slightly porous and also not abrasion resistsnt when scraping up the runnier or softer ones!

    Ours had cheap fleecy beds from the lcal fabric shop or cheap multifolded double duvet and covers.

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