rehoming Oliver

[Cotswold Girl]

Thanks. He has so much energy that I think a run would be better than a walk, but it's all on hard pavements. Would this be advisable?

Absolutely not ... puppies actually don't need much exercise and too much can damage their growing joints so you have to be really careful with them.

MENTAL STIMULATION is the best way ... and training is what achieves that ... seems like you have been getting alot of good advice on here.

The one thing I will say from a rescue point of view is that you do need to sit down now and have a good hard think are you absolutely sure that you and the whole family have the time, energy and committment to this dog for the rest of it's life. Will all the family help with his training because it is no good just one person doing it he needs a consistent message from all the family and positive methods of training not tellings off. IMHO where the whole family is not committed to a dog it makes it very very hard for the person trying to train it and also for the dog. Oliver is 5 months ... pups are time consuming and tiring but teenage dogs are even harder, that is when it can become a battle of wills. If Oliver is a working cocker who strong are his working lines? The stronger a dogs working background the more their brains have to be worked as exercise alone will never tire them out.

I hope that you can sort things out for you and for Oliver

[Oliver21508]

Thanks. I've put together a list of what we do in certain situations so that everyone knows what to do. I've found some dog trainers in the yellow pages (i will check they use positive training methods), it was the only place that had any trainers that were close enough.

He has his dinner in a kong, and he loves this, much better than eating from a bowl. He is a show cocker, he has no working at all in his pedigree. I'll do hide-and-seek with treats as he loves searching and using his nose. Has anyone got a list of mental stimulation games I could do?

[Joules]

Has anyone got a list of mental stimulation games I could do?

Get a copy of the Complete Idiots Guide to Positive Dog Training by Pamela Denison (make sure it is by her as there is another book with same name by someone else) - that will answer most of your training questions and give you lots of ideas.    Mental stimulation does not only need to be games - training of any sort will do the same job and so you can teach him basic obedience and some simple tricks too.   

If you don't already have "The Perfect Puppy" by Gwen Bailey, you could get that too - if you only get 2 books, these are the two you need imo. 

[Oliver21508]

Thanks. Will get them two.

[LisaB]

Good Luck - you can do it!!!  Get a partner/friend/helper to take over some of the domestic chores for a while to give you the space to devote to him.  You will need to follow a strict timetable of exercise and mental stim for Oliver - if you break from the timetable, it will not work.  If you can't keep to the timetable, my advice is to rehome asap. 
I think you need one to one training with a trainer, not puppy classes - you sound like me when I tried to learn how to ski, I found it impossible in a class - easy with intensive one to one support!

The love you need to feel for Oliver will come with time, I believe - and it'll make things easier.

[fenn2006]

Hi
Please take Oliver to the training classes you have found, but please check that they only use positive methods.
I am glad you keep asking for help rather than struggling along on your own and making bigger problems for you and Oliver in the future. It is very confusing sometimes when you get lots of different advice from different people, I know when i first got Charlie every body had an opinion on what is best for him, I changed the things I tried for day to day, it got me no where. I soon learned that consitency, patience and kind leadership got the best results.
Please don't get too disheartened and don't stop asking for help and advice even if the responses you get sometimes seem quite harsh.
I hope your family are still giving you the support that you need
Claire


Posted at the same time as Simon and Mandy!

I agree 

[bluegirl]

I have rabbits running free in my garden and all my dogs have been trained not to bother at all. It's hard at first and you have to be out verbally correcting them or moving them on constantly at the beginning. Your rabbits are in a run so could you not put a bit of wire fencing between dog and run so if he does continue to bark at them the rabbits know there is no chance of him getting at them.

I think your heart is in the right place but in all honesty I don't think Oliver will be a permanent fixture in your house as you seem to have so many obstacles, one minute he's out, next he's improved but for every step forward there's a step back too.

Think long and hard about what you can realistically do for your dog and if things don't add up rehome him now whilst he's still young enough for someone else to correct him.

You've had loads of help and suggestions on here, you've access to a library, to the internet, to behaviourists on here and you've access to training classes, he's probably a great dog just without leadership he'll loose his way.

Hope you prove me wrong.

[Oliver21508]

Thanks. I did some of the things you all have said today. When I walked him, I did the turning around when he pulled. And I'm going to stick with that, rather than keep changing the technique. The kids came over for only about 20 minutes, and when he got excited, I silently just put him into his crate. When he was quiet and calm, I let him out again. And with the rabbits, I put his old lead on (which he now has on all the time, so we can get him off the sofa, away from rabbits, kids etc, just to make it easier for us), and when he barked, I said LEAVE, and then just took his lead and put him indoors. When he was nice to the rabbits, I told him he was a good boy and gave him a stroke. So hopefully, if I continue with this, it could work?

With the timetable of exercise and mental stim., could someone PM me an example so I know roughly what to do?

[cazza]

Have PM'd you 

[Jeanette]

We have contacted some trainers, and I've found one that's sort of close by that sounds ok. I've told her about the difficulties we are having, and she sounds like she knows what's she doing, so we'll take him to that to see what we can do.

Thanks. I've put together a list of what we do in certain situations so that everyone knows what to do. I've found some dog trainers in the yellow pages (i will check they use positive training methods), it was the only place that had any trainers that were close enough.

He has his dinner in a kong, and he loves this, much better than eating from a bowl. He is a show cocker, he has no working at all in his pedigree. I'll do hide-and-seek with treats as he loves searching and using his nose. Has anyone got a list of mental stimulation games I could do?

I thought you found a trainer yesterday that you were going to as you liked the sound of her but then today you said you've looked through yellow pages.    TBH my gut feeling says that you will rehome Oliver, as you seem to say the right things on here but then you don't stick to them.    The best advice on offer is to find a trainer now as you were going to do weeks ago on another thread, is it the cost thats stopped you?

I really feel for you and Oliver but if you and your family do not have the time or desire to put in ongoing training with help from a trainer, I don't think long term that this will work out and you really need to see if Oliver will be better off being rehomed - its not fair on him.

I hope it does work out, good luck with getting a trainer. 

[Annie's Mum]

It really breaks my heart that some people don't research what breed of dog they are getting. All puppies are hard work what ever breed, that has to be realised from the start, but then as they grow you have be aware of their history and breeding, I have a cavalier which was basically bred to sit by the Kings Feet (and boy does she think she's royalty) But doesnt have much in way of instinct for hunting etc. Whereas Annie is everywhere, sniffing chasing etc...its alot harder work but we knew this from the offset that she would be and requires a lot more from us stimulation wise..Maisie the Cav isn't ignored btw she just likes to place her self on me or a cushion and survey (regally  ) the comings and goings. You really need to stop saying your going to rehome him OR do it and give someone who knows and wants the breed to work with while he is still so young. Sorry if that sounds harsh.

[Oliver21508]

it's the distance that is stopping us. We are going to talk to our vet tonight about training classes, as they do one with a behaviourist (so not a puppy party). All the other ones are miles away, even though we are in London(?)

Mooks - We are not rehoming him. I've only said it once at the start of this thread, so I haven't kept saying it.

Took him to the park this afternoon and tried walking him in his harness. I don't know why, but he seemed to respect the harness more. I only had to turn around about two times in the whole walk, whereas this morning it was about 100 times. Don't know if it's the harness or this morning's walk that has had an effect? I did some leave training and he started barking as he was frustrated that he wasn't getting a treat, so I stood up and turned my back. Once he stopped barking, i continued with the training. This seemed to work. Had to do it about three times, but he stopped barking quicker each time. Is this correct?

[Joules]

Took him to the park this afternoon and tried walking him in his harness. I don't know why, but he seemed to respect the harness more. I only had to turn around about two times in the whole walk, whereas this morning it was about 100 times. Don't know if it's the harness or this morning's walk that has had an effect? I did some leave training and he started barking as he was frustrated that he wasn't getting a treat, so I stood up and turned my back. Once he stopped barking, i continued with the training. This seemed to work. Had to do it about three times, but he stopped barking quicker each time. Is this correct?

Yes, you must know this by now - ignore bad behaviour and reward the good - it applies to everything 

With the timetable of exercise and mental stim., could someone PM me an example so I know roughly what to do?

I am sure you can make up your own plan of training etc to fit in with your other commitments.    If you read through all the suggestions and advice you have been given you have more than enough information to plan a fantastic training programme for Ollie.  At the end of the day - we cannot do this for you, it is up to you to take responsibility for his training and welfare.  No it is not easy but we have all been through it and perseverence and consistency is are the key. 

[cazza]

I have sent you a training plan so you have an idea how to do one and can modify the one I sent by adding more bits to it (it's a weekly one with 4 x 10 minute training sessions a day 

[lolajays]

Have only just seen this thread and haven't read all the comments but I just wanted to say please don't feel you are alone struggling with Olivers behaviour. We are having issues with our new little girly who is now 17 months old we have had her for 10 weeks. Training needs to be continuous, repetitive and everyone needs to be singing from the same hymn sheet. Make little goals and don't become to disheartened when he is fabulous one day and then the following day doesn't seem to remember a single thing he has learnt. Have you tried a clicker? Did you subscribe to the free clicker training link that was on here a little while ago. I'm sure that someone could recommend a book on this! Have you spoken to Top Barks, I see Cazza is helping you already.
I would just like to say good luck, work hard at it and it will all be so worth it in the long run. I'm sure you would regret letting him go if you went ahead with that and I'm sure that isn't what you really want to do. Dogs are hard work (Unless you get one like Maudie who was just so easy) We learnt this when we got Alice but everyday we notice improvement in her which makes the work so worthwhile!

Thinking of you x