Do We Need a "Lessons Learned The Hard Way Group"?

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Just in the last couple days we have learned three valuable lessons that all Doodle Parents need to know.  We thank their Mommies for sharing their stories and hope that others will learn from them.

#1 -- Bentley has reminded us of the importance of being buckled in regardless of how far you are traveling.  Just going to Petsmart is not a harness free trip!

#2 -- Joplin has reminded us that we need trash cans with lids just in case we forget to shut the bathroom door!  and while I'm on the subject I also remember a post on SOCKS, so keep those socks picked up too!

#3 -- And finally, Bandit has reminded us that if you eat too many yummy treats and food that your mommy is going to call you  F A T and you are going to get put on a DIET!

I'm sure there are others that I've missed, so feel free to add those or any others that you think are worthy!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Many close calls with leashes & collars breaking, including mine, so that should be there. Also, fences...checking for loose boards, openings below the fence, and always checking gates.
Garages are where a lot of near misses have happened...getting the dog in or out of the car when the garage door is open. It's hard to rememeber that in an open garage, two feet from the door of your home, the dog can still bolt just as if he were loose on the street. Even if you go from the house to the car and back again, and the dog never sets foot outdoors, he still needs to be wearing a leash and you need to be holding one end of it.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

This is a good one, Karen. After your incident I switched my guys to a slip lead whenever we're not on a "training walk", and I never do training walks where there is any traffic.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

I learned the hard way that not all trainers are created equal. Even though I THOUGHT I had done my homework researching trainers, training methods, etc. I still made a huge mistake with Tara's FIRST and at this point LAST trainer.

Tara started puppy class around 4-5 months old (due to vaccination issues). She was still tiny and had not been around other dogs since leaving her family. The first night of class the trainer turned her loose with 10 other puppies (including one 7 month old Doberman who was HUGE) and Tara was terrified and ran. Of course they chased and cornered her and she SCREAMED this hideous terrifying sound. From that point on she started vomiting after every class and eventually ended up vomiting every day between classes she was so stressed out by them. Her vet and the trainer kept telling us to make her work through her fears but she was losing weight and could only eat chicken and rice for weeks. I changed vets and he immediately had us pull her from the class. The vomiting stopped immediately.

We have been training her ourselves from that point on and if we run into any problems would get a private trainer. To socialize her she spent a lot of time at her groomer's shop just hanging out with the older dogs on the floor and she plays with friends older dogs but to this day she is afraid of puppies.

[Pocket & Beth]

Great idea!

I learned the hard way that I should always be on guard and suspect that Pocket's instincts may take over, no matter how well trained or sweet-natured he may be. Just after the fourth of July, I was sitting outside with my mom at a little cafe, Pocket's leash wrapped around my wrist, and him sleeping at my feet. Well, a cat came around the corner to investigate my sleeping dood, and before I knew it, Pocket went after the cat, pulling me and the chair down to the ground, where I hit my head on the hard concrete and wrenched my arm on the leash. It has been almost three months and I am still recovering from whip-lash, pinched nerves, and a possible brachial plexis injury. I haven't been able to walk Pocket all summer (thank goodness for my DH and dog parks!), I can't do anything around the house (I have been told by my PT and Dr. not to do anything repetitive with my arms/back). My back and neck constantly hurt, and it is hard to do day to day things like wash my hair and drive. Pocket loves cats, so I am not sure if he was provoked and was going after the cat, or if he was just hoping to play - but either way, I will never just casually sit with him on a leash without being more aware of what is going on around us.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

OMG!! That was certainly a tough and painful lesson!! Hope you are back to "normal" really soon!! And I have to admit such things as you describe are the reasons we got a mini this time around. We always have had larger dogs and also had numerous injuries accidently caused by them!

[Pocket & Beth]

Thanks, Ricki (and Tara)! Yeah, since getting the injury I have at least found that I am not the only one who has been accidentally injured by their dog. I just hope that maybe someone will read this and keep from getting hurt as well.

[HeatherA]

Training is on my mind today... so here is my confession:

Lesson I learned the hard way.... Good dogs don't just happen, they are trained that way. It takes work, commitment and discipline. Training is really about training YOU to be a good owner.

I had two Bichons that weren't reliably potty trained. Let me tell you how MAD I got at these dogs when they would have accidents. They weren't crate trained, they weren't potty trained. I know now it was me. All me. Hard, humbling lesson learned.

So many people take dogs to pounds/shelters because they were bad owners and they think they had a bad dog. (Dog chewed up $700 dollar shoes because it was bored, had no toys, was left hours on its own. Dog digs holes in back yard because it's not walked regularly, left outside for 9+ hours, bored.) Sadly, they won't learn and they probably will get another dog some time.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Well said!

[Camilla and Darwin]

Yes, a while back DH and I realized that if you don't flush and clean the ears, they WILL get an ear infection. Poor Darwin had to suffer for our mistake. :-( so glad he is feeling better.

[Taylor & Huff]

Wow I had just been wondering if flushing Huff's ears would be better than just cleaning with a cotton and ear cleaner. I probably would have asked first but, I am glad you said this. Thanks:)

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

The first week we had Daisy home I was walking her through the neighborhood....a car went by and it frightened her, she squirmed, got out of her collar and RAN like the wind we have no sidewalks, I was terrified, she ran a block with me chasing after her (4 legs against two, no contest). Fortunately a neighbor saw what was happening and zoomed his car in front of her so no car could come around the corner. She actually ran home to our opened garage (Doodles are so smart) and he waited in our driveway to tell me she was in there on the step (he had no idea who I was or where the dog lived). She ran an entire block. So lesson here is: Make sure her collar is fitted properly, and get some training (which we did).

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Food/Diet: Just because you feed high quality food, rememember the TREATS you give you dogs could be on a recall list. I learned this the REALLY HARD way with Tacky. Poor guy almost died 3 years ago. Thank goodness he survived, but we work hard to keep his kidneys in the best shape possible (an outcome..permanent damage).