I have one damn good dog...

So I was on the phone with my boss and let Pete out. Absolutely forgot about him. He was out there for half an hour just waiting at the door. The thing is he wasn't inside a fence and there is a busy state highway a stones throw away, literally.

I did this once before in the middle of the night. After a couple hours he barked and I jumped out of bed so freaking fast.

I feel terrible about doing it. He was so happy to see me, which was nice but made me more sad. Poor little boy.

/bad daddy

I'm so happy your dog stays in his yard!!!! :)
Don't beat yourself up over it though, as your only human!

I too have left my dog out for a rather long period on more than one occasion. I live in a busy area and thankfully she rather bark at the door or stay nearby then run off. However, she is a beagle...and I have to be very careful as her nose tends to get her into trouble!

Aw! Pete's such an awesome dog. And I agree...don't beat yourself up over it too much! Was he just out on his own not tied up or anything?

He's never tied up. Even though I live so close to the road I let him out to do his thing and don't watch him. He knows he can't go near the road. Even when I walk to the mailbox he stops on the "don't cross line" and waits for me. I don't have to say anything either.

He really is a damn good dog.

it is a pleasure to see(hear) about a dog who loves his owner so much that he KNOWS what is expected without a command.

He's never tied up. Even though I live so close to the road I let him out to do his thing and don't watch him. He knows he can't go near the road. Even when I walk to the mailbox he stops on the "don't cross line" and waits for me. I don't have to say anything either.

He really is a damn good dog.

What type of dog is he?

We have a couple of small dogs. Roxey is our Jack Russell terrier and Sparky is a rat terrier. It's funny to watch them, especially Sparky, because you can actually see them smile.:)

I just saw your pictures of Pete in your photo section. With the exception of the photo with the birthday hat, he looks like a happy dog!:)

Yeah, he's a very happy personable doggy. Loves everyone. Really couldn't dream of a better dog.

And in case you can't tell, he's a labrador.

Pete is such a wonderful dog!

Is it possible to train a dog who's around 4-years-old and was a stray? We have no history on Reilly and he has very bad separation anxiety. He follows us everywhere we go in the house and now he's figured out how to get the gate open between the kitchen and the living room. He has to stay in the kitchen when we're gone because he'll tinkle in the house. He has a few favorite spots and I absolutely can not have him go on my new living room furniture.

He goes outside and he stands at the back door and cries when he has to go out so he's good about it. It just seems like when we aren't home he does spite peeing. lol! He's never left for huge amounts of time because our work schedules are different. I'm usually always home when I'm not working. Of course, my daughter doesn't stay home. She's 21. lol!

I want to get him over the anxiety, if I can. I also want to teach him not to jump on people. He loves people and he gets so excited. If I close him in the kitchen or out of the bedroom he sits and cries and barks the whole time.....and that's the only time he barks.

So, can a dog that's a little older be trained? I guess I need to do some research on what to do. I'd like to avoid using a crate if I can.

Pete is an awesome dog! and I'm a cat person! LOL

trish...there is nothing wrong with a cage...dogs consider it their den.
and yes...you can train an older dog. go participate in classes...you'll love it!

Crate training won't specifically solve separation anxiety problems and neither will obedience training, though both can have OTHER positive effects.

Here's some good info from the Humane Society on helping a dog through separation anxiety.

http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/our_pets_for_life_program/dog_behavior_tip_sheets/separation_anxiety.html

trish...there is nothing wrong with a cage...dogs consider it their den.
and yes...you can train an older dog.

Giddy up. Most dogs that have crates love them. Naya's dogs will go lay in theirs even when they don't have to be. And if you get one that is size appropriate to your doggy they will not pee in it. If it's too big they'll be in one area and hang out in one.

Any dog can be trained at any age. It's the person that makes the difference.

Giddy up. Most dogs that have crates love them. Naya's dogs will go lay in theirs even when they don't have to be. And if you get one that is size appropriate to your doggy they will not pee in it. If it's too big they'll be in one area and hang out in one.

Any dog can be trained at any age. It's the person that makes the difference.

Yep yep. People adopt dogs at all ages, including dogs that are seniors. They can always learn. The old adage (you can't teach an old dog new tricks) is entirely wrong!

If we get the dog we think we'll be able to get, she'll be around 3 years old.

trish...there is nothing wrong with a cage...dogs consider it their den.
and yes...you can train an older dog. go participate in classes...you'll love it!

Crate training won't specifically solve separation anxiety problems and neither will obedience training, though both can have OTHER positive effects.

Here's some good info from the Humane Society on helping a dog through separation anxiety.

http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/our_pets_for_life_program/dog_behavior_tip_sheets/separation_anxiety.html

Giddy up. Most dogs that have crates love them. Naya's dogs will go lay in theirs even when they don't have to be. And if you get one that is size appropriate to your doggy they will not pee in it. If it's too big they'll be in one area and hang out in one.

Any dog can be trained at any age. It's the person that makes the difference.

Yep yep. People adopt dogs at all ages, including dogs that are seniors. They can always learn. The old adage (you can't teach an old dog new tricks) is entirely wrong!

If we get the dog we think we'll be able to get, she'll be around 3 years old.

Thanks Everybody! I'm going to check into some classes and also get information online. He's such a good dog in every way. I can't imagine what the poor thing might have gone through before he came to us. He is one of the most loving dogs I've ever known.

The information on separation anxiety is great, Crysania. Thank you!
Reilly fits every single description they give.

Glad it will help! The description of separation anxiety definitely seemed to match what you were talking about.

These poor dogs have been through a LOT -- I'm guessing he may have been abandoned by his previous owners (how anyone can do that I have NO idea), which might account for his panic that you, too, will walk out of his life and leave him to fend for himself. Poor kid!

Glad it will help! The description of separation anxiety definitely seemed to match what you were talking about.

These poor dogs have been through a LOT -- I'm guessing he may have been abandoned by his previous owners (how anyone can do that I have NO idea), which might account for his panic that you, too, will walk out of his life and leave him to fend for himself. Poor kid!

The first time I took him to Petco to be groomed I sobbed the whole way home because I figured he thought I was leaving him forever.

I'm going to work on the tips that they give. I printed it out so I'll know just how to do it. It will be wonderful if it works because I think it will eliminate alot of problems.

The first time I took him to Petco to be groomed I sobbed the whole way home because I figured he thought I was leaving him forever.


Awww! I hear ya. They don't know! It's not like you can explain it to them.:(

Awww! I hear ya. They don't know! It's not like you can explain it to them.:(

When I picked him up he was shaking like crazy. He went a second time and I wasn't too impressed with the way they groomed him. It wasn't cheap either. Next time I'm going to call a private groomer. I found out that my cousin knows someone who does it. Well, I think she works with her mom.

When I picked him up he was shaking like crazy. He went a second time and I wasn't too impressed with the way they groomed him. It wasn't cheap either. Next time I'm going to call a private groomer. I found out that my cousin knows someone who does it. Well, I think she works with her mom.

Poor little guy. Did they have him restrained and put him in a cage to get dry? Sometimes they put a hairdryer in the cage and that's not a pleasant experience for some dogs.

When I picked him up he was shaking like crazy. .

We used to have a beagle mixed dog that someone dumped. He was half-starved when we picked him up on the side of the road. He was so happy to be with us. He also was shaking like crazy. We named him Shorty.

I could tell that Shorty had been mistreated. Most dogs will express their affection for you by licking you. Not Shorty. One day I went to hoe weeds out of our garden shortly after we got him. He saw me with the hoe and turned and ran off with his tail tucked between his legs. He was a good dog. However, he had a lot of health issues, one being heartworms. He went to sleep in Jacki's arms after we had to take him to the vet to have him put him down several years ago.:(

Michael

Poor little guy. Did they have him restrained and put him in a cage to get dry? Sometimes they put a hairdryer in the cage and that's not a pleasant experience for some dogs.

I'm not sure how they do it. I've seen them using handheld dryers. They gave him what they call a "puppy cut". He was clipped very close, which I can understand because his curly cockapoo fur gets very matted if it gets too long. He's just now starting to look cute again as it grows in. I'd do it myself but the matting is tough to deal with and I don't think I could do it.

The people at our local Petco are very nice but it does seem like kind of an assembly line. It was expensive so I can't imagine a private groomer being much more. And even if they are a little more it would be worth it for a little more personal attention.

We used to have a beagle mixed dog that someone dumped. He was half-starved when we picked him up on the side of the road. He was so happy to be with us. He also was shaking like crazy. We named him Shorty.

I could tell that Shorty had been mistreated. Most dogs will express their affection for you by licking you. Not Shorty. One day I went to hoe weeds out of our garden shortly after we got him. He saw me with the hoe and turned and ran off with his tail tucked between his legs. He was a good dog. However, he had a lot of health issues, one being heartworms. He went to sleep in Jacki's arms after we had to take him to the vet to have him put him down several years ago.:(

Michael

Reilly doesn't seem to have been abused, although he does have a scar on his tummy that we can't explain. But he never cowers at all with anyone, even strangers. He loves everyone. Well, he's not too fond of other dogs. When he sees a very large dog he reacts like he wants to fight. It's funny because he acts like he's as big as they are.

He's a little better around smaller dogs but we took him to my cousin's on the Fourth of July last year and her Boston Terrier and Pug freaked him right out. They wanted to play and he was not happy. They tend to be a little agressive so I had to hold Reilly in my lap and finally I just brought him home. We have alot of family gatherings at my cousins so I was hoping that he could become friends with his cousin dogs, so he could come along.

I'm not sure if I can ever get him used to being with other dogs. Again, it might have to do with the time he spend in the pound. The day my daughter got him, she said there were big dogs in cages on each side of him and he was standing there with pleading eyes for her to get him out of there.

As he lies here curled up in his bed next to me, I have to say that I'm very glad we got him. He's a wonderful dog. He'll be perfect when we get him over his separation anxiety and he doesn't pee all over the house. lol!