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I would lessen the intensity of the stimulation to a point where he is on the edge, but not quite freaked out and then just sit there with him, with a quiet, but upbeat attitude, possibly give him some treats, or perhaps even luring him onto some behaviors he is familiar with. I would not expect him to perform the behaviors given the high level of distraction, and that he probably has not generalize them, but use the opportunity to lure some very simple things, like “come” or “<Name>” from 6 inches away. I would do it with only one type of stimulus at a time, if possible, and add as much distance as needed to diminish the intensity of it. To build confidence train things he is solid on in different environments. The more success, reasons for praise with honest corresponding praise he gets the more confident he will become. Good luck. Let us know how it goes.

[Ed]

Oh the chewing. I have not figured out how it happens, but for the most part we do not dog-proof things (other than the curtains — they have tassels and fringes and we had one bad incident ($$$ damage) with one of the dogs 3 years ago). Otherwise the pup, overtime, seems to learn what to chew on and what not to chew. he is not allowed on his own in the places in the house where damage cam be more substantial. He still likes shoes and socks, but not as much as before. That is something that I allowed him to chew on and somewhat encouraged. I thought it was preferable to rugs, clothes and couches. And it seems to have worked. He is no longer interested in cables and power cords, so that was a major win. He is starting to lose interest on shoes and socks as well, so we will see. At first we had to hang the leashes up high, out of his reach, but he does not attack those anymore. When we are walking on a pack he does go after the other dogs’s leashes. I think these things tend to wear off, other ppl may disagree, we will see, I suppose. If your pup has a leash hanging off him/her and he/she is not engaged in a walk I think it is quite normal for him/her to play with it. I would not worry about it.

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I kept a leash on my pup inside the home only when I was cooking. I did not want him to sneak out and go poop or pee in another room. Sometimes he would be in a pen (no leash), sometimes on a leash tied to a baluster, but most often on a 15-20 ft leash tied to my waist (looping my belt with a carabiner). We also had him drag a leash in the living room while we were watching TV in the evening as we allowed him to play with us or the other dogs (same reason: poo and pee). This lasted for a week or two, may be three. After that his excursions were not as frequent and I kinds knew when something was up beforehand. Is there a reason for her to be leashed all the time?

[Ed]

Is it just the presence of the kids or are the kids moving around, making noises, or something. Just trying to figure out if the kids are raising the excitement/prey drive. if that is the case, one thought is not to have those 3 elements together (dog + other dogs + kids) until the dog is more mature and has more self control. I would ask the question to Robert in the AMA. I only seen protection increase over things that the dog is already suspicious of. But I only have had experience with my own dogs.

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On having two I do not think it makes a difference as to male of female first. The main thing is to have 3-4 years between them and make sure dog #1 is “perfect” by the time you bring dog #2. When I was looking for my second dog I described my first dog to the shelter person doing the screening and she/he said, “so you want a perfect dog”. That was 5 years ago. Now we are onto #3 and we have 3 “perfect” dogs. Though some (or many) would disagree, and they would probably be considered (or turn into) living hell in most households, they are perfect in our family… LOL. My #1 was 3 when I brought in my #2 and I attribute how well #2 turned out in great part to #1’s example and temperament. #3 has been with us for 2.5 months and the same happened, but this time was #2 that greatly bounded with and is serving as the reference for #3 to model himself. Of course we do a lot of work with the dogs ourselves, but I think have stable dogs that the new dog can look up to to be very important. It is funny how the dog taking on the role model “adults” too.

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I remember that there were serious issues with the first dog, though not all the details. What happened to it? If you get another Mal, what is to say that it will not turn out the same or worse? I’m not saying it will, but it is a fair point of reflection, and also not an unreasonable case to consider. Have you looked into other breeds? I’m trying to be honest and look out for the well being of the dog to be. Not all breeds are the same and you are picking one of the hardest dog breeds to live with.

[Ed]

I fed my pup raw. I switched him in quarts over a week or so. Had diarrhea for a few days and then it was back to normal. I used a frozen raw called K9 Kravings (sp?). Their chicken, beef and vegge worked very well for us. Their beef and vegge was too rich (too much fat) and gave the pup the runs. I would not make my own raw with a puppy because I would want to make sure he is getting all the nutrition he needs. So I used a brand that some of the top breeders in my area use. The puppy eats A LOT. He I will be 5 months old in a few days and is eating 20 oz of raw, training treats, regular treats, and the obligatory extras 🙂 I watch his figure and make sure he still looks skinny. This is him now. He is starting to fill up, last week he was all legs 🙂

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I would ask Robert in the AMA or the member chat. I do not remember having that question asked. A certain level of skidishness is normal to show up now and then for every dog, and very often goes away when he familiarizes himself with that thing. Regardless of whether they are nervy or bold, and I’m NOT saying your dog is nervy, dogs will protect you if they perceive a threat. That is just in their DNA. For sport or professional use you want an uber confident dog, but for a normal life I would not worry about it. The fact that you identified it is great.

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On the male or female, well, I would like to hear from others, but I like a female for a family dog. I think they are a bit more affectionate and not as aloof. I did not fix mine, so it is a bit messy when she gets her cycles, but it is not a big deal for us.

[Ed]

I’m terribly sorry for your loss