New puppy, fireworks and a show for the neighbours!

tlck9

Hi There

we have a deaf dog comes to our dog training and he doing exceptionally well, lots of thumbs up and a treat ensures he is always looking at his owner for clarification

He is doing so well. Rescue centres have a number of references for deaf dogs and it doesnt mean that they cant be let off lead - it means they must be taught to keep a look out for you.

My dog has been used to me pointing to my eyes and saying watch me - it will mean working harder with your puppy but the rewards will be so high

Well done for keeping him, a local dog training centre will be able to provide you with resource, help and advise. Our local one is non profit and is listed under the kennel club

WeirdoMagnet

He is gorgeous!

Just had a quick read through the thread and couldn't see this website mentioned.

You probably already know this, but your pup may not be paying attentionto the clicker as you need to 'condition' the clicker (just click and treat for 'nothing' for about 15-20 clicks/treats). Once you click and the dog then looks to you for the treat, you know the clicker is conditioned (hence it being a conditioned reinforcer). Even if a dog is deaf, you can 'clicker' train, but swap the clicker for a visual signal, for instance a light - demonstrated here with a fish!

Keep us updated!

Georgie

Phirefly

I completely understand your dilemma and I'm SO glad you kept him. I really believe things happen as they're meant and you and your family will grow to realise that you're just as lucky to have him with all his quirks as he is to have you.

Just a suggestion about the smell, we recently took in a neglected Basset Hound puppy. Initially she was super-doggy-smelling, but we were advised that excess smell can be brought on by stress. After a while as she settled in it died down. Perhaps now your puppy's future is decided and you and your family are all settling into him (and he you) the smell may fade.

I'm not 100% sure they're recommended for puppies (you'd have to check) but I thoroughly recommend giving the dog a natural hollow calcium bone, it helps with their oral hygeine and stops their breath from smelling.

Good luck!

candygirl

Don't give pups real bones as they can splinter and choke them:eek: .They are too young for any kind of chews like this until their adult teeth come through.If and when he's teething you can freeze twisted face cloths to give him some relief though:p

black-saturn

My dog doesn't take any notice of anything I say either but he's not deaf.

Beginning to think the rabbit is blind though.

Debt_Free_Chick

Raw bones are fine, but they need to be chewable e.g. chicken wings can be given as soon as the pup is weaned (mine was fed raw chicken wings by the breeder). Once older, brisket bones are excellent too.

Avoid hard bones, even if raw, such as those from the leg of sheep, cattle etc.

Cooked bones should never, under any circumstances, ever be given to any dog. It's the cooked bones that can splinter and if swallowed can lodge in the stomach causing irreperable damage, unmentionable paid and probably death.

Jummy

Your pup is gorgeous!
Hope it all works out for you and the pup (training).

piratess

Our dog has fresh bones from the butcher .. marrow bones once a month as a treat ! they are fine aslong as not cooked! .. great for teething to ..

candygirl

piratess wrote: »

Our dog has fresh bones from the butcher .. marrow bones once a month as a treat ! they are fine aslong as not cooked! .. great for teething to ..

You're lab is gorgoeus.I was only passing on the advice I was given when i first became a dog owner many moons ago.If they're supervised when eating bones that's a good thing too:D

zebidee1

Thanks for all the tips and advice! All noted for future use. :beer:

His name is Harley btw. (Not my choice but I'm going with the flow......:rolleyes: .)

I'm amazed at how he has come on in the last week and the last 3 days alone he seems to have had a switch flicked on. Everyone in the family noticed it. It's weird how unresponsive he was for long enough and now he seems much more 'with us' iyswim. Maybe he was just a slow developer.

I honestly thought we had a bit of a dumbo on our hands but he's just proved us all wrong. He's learned to sit, give a paw (and the 'other' paw, lol)and can stay for a short while even although you can see he's dying to run forward to us. We're getting to be dab hands with the old hand signals....no idea if they are the usual ones to use but they work for us. So much so that we subconsciously beckon each other with our hands now, lol.

He's good at toileting outside but will still mess inside too if we're not quick enough so that's not going so good right now. We give LOADS of praise and treats when he does it outside and completely ignore it when he messes inside but he's just not quite getting the message yet.

His favourite plaything right now is an ice cube...or loads of ice cubes! He chases them all over the kitchen floor (when it's clean) and picks them up and throws them. Silly beast. :rolleyes: