We rescued an Alaskan Malamute from an animal hoarder- she was in real bad shape when we got her.. Emaciated and easily 40lbs underweight, bacterial and fungal infection in both ears, Staph infection on her skin, etc. We fixed her up nicely! About 3 months ago we had our first "real issue" with her--- she ate a baseball hat, a tube sock and a cat toy. Tube sock and baseball hat came up, but cat toy got stuck in her stomach and we spent the $2,300 on life saving surgery..
We changed food, started free feeding and really cleaned up our home after this, determined that it wouldnt happen again.... . but last week she did it again! She's extremely tall and very large (39inches at the top of the head and 140lbs) and she can reach counters and tabletops with ease!
Went to the vet, did a barium X ray ($300) and found it was a "sock or some type of material in her instestines"..... We just can't afford a 2nd surgery for $2300! We've already spent over $4,000 on this dog in the last 8 months with all her medical problems! She seems to have passed this sock on her own after a touch and go few nights of lethargy, she seems to be back to her old self, eating and drinking (and not vomiting), thank God!
We just spent $200 on an XXL dog crate, since she's proven herself to us and the vet to have "canine pica"... a small price to pay to ensure this doesnt happen again while we are at work! We've never crate trained before and certainly havent with an adult dog--- so I implore you, Dog Section, please provide me with some tips and training ideas to make this new crate a positive experience and a safe, private place for our troublesome Mal!
Thanks a lot!
Dog Training - Beyond Conditioning
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Sounds like she is quite the challenge!
The goal should be to make the crate the funnest place for her to be. Place random treats in the crate and walk away, leaving her time to find them. Do the same thing with toys. Put a nice Kong in there with something frozen in it, like yogurt or apple sauce. Reward her with something nice every time she goes in the crate without having to be coaxed. Do some crate training when you are home, so she doesn't get anxious.
Place the crate in an area where she can monitor your location, but not in a thoroughfare where she doesn't feel safe.
Play soft music when you are not home, or leave the TV on for her, so she can relax. I have also found it helpful to cover the crate with a blanket, so it resembles a den. I don't recommend a crate pad, though, if she is eating that much stuff.
Good luck!
Dog Training Advice - What Or Who Do I Believe?
- Could she be doing this because in her previous home, she wasn't fed, so she ate anything she could?
She needs more exercise, first of all. But she also needs appropriate things to direct her attention to - LIke a giant Kong stuffed with peanut butter or treats.
Start crating her when you are HOME, with the door OPEN. Put things in there to draw her inside of the crate. Give her a "stay" command, and treat and praise while she is IN the crate. - Haveing an obedient dog benifits you and the dog.I found this article that tought me alot about dog training. Obedience training helps establish the owner in the role of "pack leader". This will teach your dog that you are the pack leader and he must follow your rules. Obedience will lay down clear behavior guidelines that your dog can follow Repetition and consistency are the keys to training. For more tips on how to best train your dog go to these articles below.
Here is some great advice I found in this dog training manuel.Not everybody agrees with training dogs with treats, they become dependent on the treats , its better to have a dog listen to you because he wants to not because you have food in your hand.best tip I can give is really bond with your dog. When your dog loves you more than anything else in the world, you'll never need another treat again. Be consistent with rules, expectations and praise. Walking your dog is a great treat for both you and the dog. Provide lots of mental stimulation, exersice and love. For more tips on dog training get this training manuel. - Make training sessions fun! Dogs are born to play, so if the session is fun he will be more likely to learn and remember.
It may take weeks of patience over many training sessions until he gets it right every time. Don't expect too much of him too soon - he's not designed to respond to the spoken word, so if you don't think he's quite understood, keep trying.
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