Hi, I am new to these forums so let me see if I can introduce myself well enough that yall can get an idea of my situation.. I have a two and a half year old very stubborn female beagle named dixie and a one year old good natured but very protective staffie named clover (as well as a crazy cat and an 11 month old daughter!). All our animals are way too spoiled and dixie is pretty overweight, though we have her on diet food now. She is a decent watch dog while awake but mostly she doesn't do anything at all besides try to get into the litter box and eat everything in sight. Clover is VERY energetic and hopelessly devoted to our family. She is an adamant protector of myself and my daughter, especially when my husband isn't around. She barks at everything in sight that moves and lately she's been giving the cat a very hard time. I can't take her on walks because she barks viciously at other people for no reason and it's hard to explain in the midst of this that she really is friendly!
OK, now on to the problem.. I mentioned that Clover gets worse while my husband isn't home, right? Well he is a Navy Airman and just left for his first deployment so we are having to adjust to that too. Dixie, being older, is more adaptable and while very down about him leaving she doesn't act out or anything. Clover on the other hand is very attached and still barks everytime we hear a car that sounds like his. Other than that they are doing well adapting. But since I am in charge of the pack now- and especially because they don't see it that way- I had to make sure that I can keep in control. So we bought the innotek contain-n-train for two dogs. Mainly the containing is for dixie who will search the fence over and over for holes and the training is for clover who will not listen to me at all when she is riled up. Clover doesn't much need the containment because she will not jump any sort of gate even one that is 2 feet tall. However there is one place in our yard where there is a cement platform that she jumps onto and from there she can accidentally run out of the yard (I know its accidentally because when she realizes it she tries frantically to get back in!). SO that is the only place I have to worry about her. So for the last week I have had only the training portion on and it has been going well. Well today I finally got to install the fence, it is above-ground because we are in a rental, and it is run along the fence of the back yard just to reinforce it. So because it's a smallish yard I set it on the lowest level possible. Clover immediately ran for the platform as usual, received the incredibly harsh shock because of the small field and ran back crying (obviously VERY bad). Dixie on the other hand, who currently is on a tie-out until we can solve the fence problem, wiggled out of her harness and took off towards the broken part of the fence. I turned the system back on and in a couple seconds heard a small yelp and she came trotting back. So it seems to me that that would be the right setting for dixie but not for clover.. I feel so bad for clover, she is very sensitive and I would never shock her that bad! I know there are all these training procedures, but I just wanted to see how the dogs would react tonight. I am a bit overwhelmed here and don't see how I will be able to do the training as they say, the dogs go crazy when they are separated or when i am in the backyard without them and I have minimal time while the baby is sleeping to be with just them.. TIA to anyone who actually made it through this, I hope someone with experience can give me some insight!
Thanks, Corinne
Dixie:
Clover:
BTW clover may look small but she weighs over 60 pounds, I swear she is solid muscle!
OK, now on to the problem.. I mentioned that Clover gets worse while my husband isn't home, right? Well he is a Navy Airman and just left for his first deployment so we are having to adjust to that too. Dixie, being older, is more adaptable and while very down about him leaving she doesn't act out or anything. Clover on the other hand is very attached and still barks everytime we hear a car that sounds like his. Other than that they are doing well adapting. But since I am in charge of the pack now- and especially because they don't see it that way- I had to make sure that I can keep in control. So we bought the innotek contain-n-train for two dogs. Mainly the containing is for dixie who will search the fence over and over for holes and the training is for clover who will not listen to me at all when she is riled up. Clover doesn't much need the containment because she will not jump any sort of gate even one that is 2 feet tall. However there is one place in our yard where there is a cement platform that she jumps onto and from there she can accidentally run out of the yard (I know its accidentally because when she realizes it she tries frantically to get back in!). SO that is the only place I have to worry about her. So for the last week I have had only the training portion on and it has been going well. Well today I finally got to install the fence, it is above-ground because we are in a rental, and it is run along the fence of the back yard just to reinforce it. So because it's a smallish yard I set it on the lowest level possible. Clover immediately ran for the platform as usual, received the incredibly harsh shock because of the small field and ran back crying (obviously VERY bad). Dixie on the other hand, who currently is on a tie-out until we can solve the fence problem, wiggled out of her harness and took off towards the broken part of the fence. I turned the system back on and in a couple seconds heard a small yelp and she came trotting back. So it seems to me that that would be the right setting for dixie but not for clover.. I feel so bad for clover, she is very sensitive and I would never shock her that bad! I know there are all these training procedures, but I just wanted to see how the dogs would react tonight. I am a bit overwhelmed here and don't see how I will be able to do the training as they say, the dogs go crazy when they are separated or when i am in the backyard without them and I have minimal time while the baby is sleeping to be with just them.. TIA to anyone who actually made it through this, I hope someone with experience can give me some insight!
Thanks, Corinne
Dixie:
Clover:
BTW clover may look small but she weighs over 60 pounds, I swear she is solid muscle!
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