www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Always choose the dog, a good dog is forever, a good chica is only 10 pounds from ugly. All the good attributes of dogs have already been listed so I won't be redundant. You must realize that puppies are Babi*s and as such need much more attention early on than an older dog. Training requires constant effort, understanding and vigilance. Read some training books or watch videos on how best to deal with problems. All puppies go through a stage of non cotrol of bowels, bladder, and chewing/destruction of things. It is part of being a puppy and exploring the world. You have to have patience and perserverence, but in the end you will gain a lifelong friend who will always love you no matter what. One tip is that a dog needs to shit when it wakes up, after it eats, and anytime it smells somebody elses shit. That's their nature, it sounds like you just need to give yours a little longer outside to get results. Good luck. Novias are mostly non-trainable, too often disloyal, and rarely last long term with the same enthusiasm shown in the beginning. And you can rent them.

Goetz

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In heaven there is no beer, that's why we drink it here!

I agree with OFT... AND Goetz

Is there a pattern here brother or what?

What is the dog doing on the furniture, much less the bed? I don't even let my dog in the bedroom.

Dogs are pack animals. You have to be the leader of the pack. If you don't establish that right away, then they think they are the leader of the pack. It is very important when training dogs to establish from the beginning that there is a hierarchy. If they know their place and you are consistent they will be well behaved and happy. The worst mistake people make is treating their dogs like Ch*ldren. They are not Ch*ldren, they are dogs and you have to adapt dog psychology. The worst thing that you can do is reinforce bad dog behavior with attention of any kind. The worst thing for a pack animal is to be ostracized from the pack. Use that.

Do yourself a favor and do not let your pets on the furniture. Establish a hierarchy and bounties for behavior from the beginning and you will end up with a much better dog in the long run.

I have raised 2 pit bulls that have perfect behavior and perfect manners. They are wonderful with Ch*ldren, completely non-violent and completely trustworthy. I never spoiled them and I never confused them. They know their place in the pack and are very well adjusted to it.

http://www.amazon.com/Dog-Whisperer-Ces ... 949&sr=8-1

Good luck with getting control over your life.

KC- if only you could have educated the Bearded Clam whenever it was he got his dog. No discipline, no manners, bad behavior.

As a result of this dog I find myself avoiding his house to watch football. Or maybe it is his lack of an HDTV? Or both?

HA HA........

Any dog trainer will tell you: There are no bad dogs, only bad dog owners.



Whats that smell??????

Have to disagree with that statement. Dogs are no different than people some of them are just bad.

Lee

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PS: DO NOT SEND MONEY!

I don't think you will find many expert dog trainers that will share your opinion.

From my thinking, dogs are not like people. Dogs are like dogs.

Military MOS Dog Handler and holder of state license.

Lee

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PS: DO NOT SEND MONEY!

Well, shit ...... I guess I am the Jackass ......

Help me out though brother..... more often than not, it is the owner, not the dog, right? .........................

Kccostarica:

You're not a Jackass that's not where I was going with that. My apologies for not being more long-winded with my response. It has been my experience that some animals are just not trainable. For whatever reason they display antisocial behavior. Just as in the wild some animals are expelled from the pack because they cannot function in that social environment some animals are just not going to make good pets.

You're to be commended for your understanding about how to handle an animal but sometimes supporters tend to overlook the bad aspects of what they loved so much. More than once in my life I've had families very angry with me when I suggested they get rid of their animal when a small Ch*ld was introduced into the family group. Reality is what it is. It scares the hell out of me when I see a large animal left unsupervised around very small Ch*ldren.

I'm rather softhearted concerning dogs myself . The only beggar I have ever fed in San Jose was a little four-legged one that a couple of years back would hang out on Avenue Central . That brings up another one of my pet peeves about dogs. Do not feed them table food it's not good for them. For my little four-legged friend of Avenue Central I went to the market and got some dog biscuits.

Lee

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PS: DO NOT SEND MONEY!

I was employing a little self-effacing humor. I for one am not one that takes my opinions so seriously that I can not admit that there is someone that is more knowledgeable on a topic than I am.

My thing is I get frustrated with people that blame their pets when they exhibit behavior problems when they never work with them, they speak to them in complete sentences instead of commands they can understand and they don’t set consistent appropriate boundaries so that the pet knows their place in the family. People seldom take any accountability for their pet’s behavior problems.

Hell, I would just like to see some people take accountability for their K*ds!

Wit, now you really are expecting way too much .........

Chi,
Some very good information here. On crate training look for a smaller crate. Just enough room to stand and turn around. Place the crate very close to the door the dog will use to leave the house to do her business. Praise is very important. Take the dog from the crate when you first come home. Put the dog on a leash open the door YOU walk out first then have the dog follow. You are permitting the dog to have access to the yard. If she pees or poops PRAISE her what a good girl. Take her back inside. Stop at the door YOU enter then allow her to follow. NO bed or on furniture. This is your domane. Close is good. But not on the furiture. Take that little girl out several times before bed. Crate her by the exit door and tell her good night. The first couple of nights will be rough do not give in. In the long run it will be well worth it. If I can be of any further assistance please PM me. (PS this is cheaper that a $100 bag of clothes)
Thanks
BoB