New dog!

[yvonne_uk_98]

she is lovely.

[Lucinda07]

What lovely eyes!
Reminds me of that Van Halen song "Brown Eyed Girl"

[swgrl09]

Thank you

[jimsmrs]

That's brilliant that the cat has accepted her.

[swgrl09]

Thanks! Our main issue is she keeps taking ornaments off the tree and chewing them up! We're going to have to either move the ornaments or get a barrier around the tree.

[MyNameIsTerry]

That reminds me of those cats you see lounging around with a little puppy diving on them in those funny home vids shows. Eventually the older cat gets annoyed and gives him a whack

[jimsmrs]

Use distraction. When she goes near the tree, tell her 'leave' in a forceful voice, but not in a shouty tone, then reward her with a treat when she leaves the tree, this will tell her that leaving the tree results in a treat, it's all about setting boundaries with her. You can adopt the 'treat' technique with nearly all of her training and get your husband involved too. Most pet shops sell treat bags you can clip onto your jeans. But only reward good behaviour, with praise, cuddles or a treat and remember to ignore the bad behaviour.

Remember you and your husband are the pack leaders, you dominate her not the other way around.

Happy to help if you need any more tips!!

[swgrl09]

Thank you for those tips! We are trying to use lots of positive reinforcement with her ... That same idea helped her leave the cat alone. She is really praise motivated, which is a great help!

[jimsmrs]

Remember it's not just physical exercise she needs but also mental stimulation with games and dogs love the 'leave' game,

It's also an important game too, just in case you drop something on the floor that would harm her, (all dogs think with their stomachs!!!) like any meds you're on. Grapes, currants , sultanas, chocolate and onions all toxic to dogs.

Have a great and fun Christmas with her.

Any further tips or advice, I'm here!!

[swgrl09]

Thank you, thats good advice. Our vet gave us a nice sticker for the fridge with toxic foods to animals on it. We are working on "leave it" and she is doing alright with it.

She actually did spectacularly on our trip! I was so proud of her. She got along well with all the dogs, was great with the little kids, no jumping or nipping at them at all. Everybody loved her. She was also great in the car. Looks like my nerves were for nothing there!

We are going to get her involved in a doggy day care this week for the day that my husband and I both will be working long hours. I have no worries she'll be alright. Took her to the dog park today and have been working with her on training. She's fitting right in with the family.