Member Ed
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I would stay away from long walks, particularly on hard surfaces, and repetitive jumps till he is at least 1 year old. His growth plates, being a large breed, will not close till he is 18 months or so. Perhaps this is an opportunity to train/practice neutrality/non-reactivity given that you have so much going on in the walks. I do long walks with my 6 mo about once a week, and that is about 3 miles round trip. I have no experience with treadmills. Maybe someone will jump in.
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I’m not very good at house training. This is because I give my dogs more freedom they are ready for. Anyway. In a past chat or AMA Robert addressed a similar question and the answer was to stick with the house training. For us what mostly derails house training is access to too much space in the house, if you keep the dog in the crate or in a small space around you where you are able to keep an eye on him/her it is easier to spot and move them outside or for them not to go to begin with. The previous wee pad training will make it harder and perhaps it will take a lot more effort, but it will be just as rewarding as well. Good luck!
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Hard to tell without seeing it. It could be him just trying to engage, perhaps with a bit of frustration added, or it could be that he is a bit more suspicious of people. I would make sure that the trainer is familiar with the breed and not someone that is going to try to fix something that is not broken… and potentially get things down a bad path. From the brief description it sounds like there is nothing terribly wrong. If the thought is that work is needed on the relationship, the recommendation typically more structure and a more regimented routine for the dog. If the thought is that the dog is over suspicious, the recommendation maybe to desensitize through controlled exposure to more socialization (“people watching” not “people engaging”). Again, hard to tell. Keep us posted!!
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Robert has a couple of videos under a different account, bound angels, where he builds trust with a rescue dog. Though it is in a different situation, the principles may help.
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We use Fetch, formally PetPlan. We put in claims and were reimbursed as expected. I got insurance for my dogs the day I got them. I presume the preconditions would not be covered, and thinks like elbows and hips have a grace period that may be waved if your vet attests that the dog has no issues. As is the case with all tru insurance you pay in a lot more than you use. The insurance is there in case you have a really major incident, or to give you the option to pursue treatment without trying to figure out where you are going to come up with the money to pay it. A surgery done by your local vet will probably amount to $1500 to $2000 including the initial visit, tests, the surgery itself and the medicine. A procedure that needs to be done at a medical center will likely be upwards of $5000. Prices will vary depending on the condition, where you live, etc. Pet insurance usually does not cover wellness visits, vaccinations, spaying, neutering, and other preventive stuff.
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You have tried a lot of things, so perhaps make the walks way shorter, like 10 mins. Perhaps that will generate less frustration, allow you to be at your best in managing the dog, and allow the dog to absorb things better. Similarly to how we have short training sessions as opposed to long ones. So treat the walk not as a walk but as a short (10 mins) training session. Doing it in a place with zero distractions, like the end of a big box store parking lot, away from people, and away from smells from grass and other creatures.
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I would still ask Robert on the AMA, perhaps he will have an alternate solution. Robert’s concern is that the gentle leader type leashes can cause cervical problems because of the way they transmit forces to the neck of the dog. If you do decide to go in that direction, perhaps have a shorter leash (4 feet) so that the dog has less room to gather speed before hitting the end of the leash.
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I think you can do it. If he sees you as the leader he will have no trouble being off the bed when you sleep and on the bed when you allow him or when the bed is empty. That is almost like my dogs do it, other than when I wake up often times one of them is in the corner of the bed taking as little space as a 100lb dog can manage LOL. Which I like/allow. Where I think you may have trouble is if he is not allowed in the bed when it is empty because (I think) it will not make sense to him. If you do not want him in bed when the bed is empty I think never allowing him in bed in the first place would be more fair. The dinette is in a different location and looks very different from a bed. I think he will have no trouble understanding that those are different things. Each dog is different, but I think that is a very reasonable ask. I do not have any tips on how to do that, I think it is one of those things that you just do, no treats, no luring. I’m not sure if there is a video lesson on boundaries, but if there is it may help. Good luck!!
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Reposting as I lost my edits… on the bed situation, one other possibility is that it is a status thing. So if someone has claimed the bed they only come when invited. However, if no one is on the bed they can claim it themselves. That may be a better explanation than “function”. Still that may not work for you since an empty sofa is an unclaimed sofa. Perhaps you can elaborate a bit more on what you are looking to achieve with the on/off furniture?
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Welcome aboard. I would establish and enforce the rules the day he sets foot on the home. In general you want to go from less freedom to more freedom. On the on and off the furniture, it may be confusing to the dog that sometimes he is allowed in the furniture and sometimes he is not. I’m not quite sure how I would “explain” that to mine in a way that would not seem arbitrary… perhaps if these are different prices of furniture (bed vs couch) or different functions (sleeping in bed vs letting him hang out on the bed when you are awake in the morning, getting dressed, etc)… One option is to never allow him on the furniture and when you want to cuddle or play you sit on the floor (with your back resting on the sofa). That works very well for us, well they are still allowed on the furniture, but when I sit on the floor it is a love fest. Hope it helps!