# New shop helper



## alloy (May 25, 2020)

I'm not sure what she's helping me with, but seems to like to hang out by the CNC most of the time.


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## Aukai (May 25, 2020)

Awesome, good looking pup


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## benmychree (May 25, 2020)

Her coat around her head is likely to darken considerably with "mechanic's tan".


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## alloy (May 25, 2020)

Thanks.

Funny you should say that.  I think it's already started to get darker.  Must have something to do with the oily 4140 I'm running in the cnc right now.

She is never more that a foot way from me.  Got under my bench and found a way to be close without having her feet run over by my shop stool every time I get up to switch parts.


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## benmychree (May 25, 2020)

My shop dog was a lab/sheperd mix (black) she spent most of her time on a couch in the office, but came out into the shop area when "nature" called, so I could escort her safely across the road to her favorite spots, and maybe a swim in the creek.  The term "mechanics tan" was from the old cartoon "The Bull of the Woods" by J.R. Williams.


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## mattthemuppet2 (May 25, 2020)

awww, what a sweetie! Is she a rescue?


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## alloy (May 25, 2020)

Yes she is a rescue.

She was locked in a shed all her life until recently.  Never saw the light of day.  She is still learning social skills. 

 I think her being alone like that is why she is so needy of human attention.

We went to petco this morning and she saw her reflection in the window and started barking at herself.   Had to show her it was ok.


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## C-Bag (May 26, 2020)

I guess I make too much noise in the shop because my dogs don’t like to hang while I’m working. My dogs have mostly been rescues. Can’t function without a good dog around. They get me out for walks every day and are the best companions. Several have had really rough lives before but after a short time it’s like they were raised by us.


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## mattthemuppet2 (May 26, 2020)

alloy said:


> Yes she is a rescue.
> 
> She was locked in a shed all her life until recently.  Never saw the light of day.  She is still learning social skills.
> 
> ...



that's both sad and heart warming at the same time. I never understand why people mistreat animals.


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## speedybtx (May 26, 2020)

awesome.  I have a rescue shop tomcat.  MAkes his home on the lawnmower seat.


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## RandyWilson (May 26, 2020)

I have a rescue that will not, will NOT, go into the shop. I'm thinking the cement-floored out-building reminds her too much of where she spent the first seven years of her life.


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## alloy (May 27, 2020)

_I have 3 cats in the house and the dog goes after them.  I was told she was fine with cats.

Not sure ho to break her of doing that.

_


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## steamingspud (May 27, 2020)




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## C-Bag (May 27, 2020)

That is a tough one alloy with a new dog if there’s no other dogs in the house. Dogs have a prey drive and as soon as the cat runs you’ve lost coms with that dog unless you get really forceful. We had two cats that grew up around dogs so weren’t scared of them so didn’t run. So when the new dog ran up on them there was that moment where the dog was confused because the cat didn’t run and me making a point of getting in their face and saying no really struck home. Also our other dogs didn’t chase our cats so the whole rule book got hit home. If it’s a little dog all bets are off, that’s why I don’t have little dogs.


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## Diecutter (May 27, 2020)

alloy said:


> _I have 3 cats in the house and the dog goes after them.  I was told she was fine with cats.
> 
> Not sure ho to break her of doing that.
> 
> _


I had that problem. Local dog trainer was highly recommended by a friend.  Trainer put the cat in a carrier, sliced up a hot dog  and  told me the dog would not touch  the meat after training  completed.  Training involved expert use of a chain collar and years of experience. After 15 minutes  I was able to walk the dog past the hot dog, but he would look away pretending it was not there and would not get too close to it either.  Then she let the cat out and he ignored her too. It stayed that way all the years I had  the cat and dog.  I still can hardly believe it was possible, or how she did it , even though I watched the whole thing.  She didn't even charge much .


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## alloy (May 27, 2020)

I like the PPE on your dog.  I'll see if I can get Sandie fitted for some 

I'm looking into some training. Apparently Petco has some training but not information on what it covers.  Today when we had company she decided to jump up on everyone.  This is a new behavior for her.  But we have only had her since Sunday, so it just may not have come out until now.

She is getting used to the shop now.  As long as she can see me I'm good to about 15ft away from her until she runs after me.  As soon as I leave her sight she's up and trying to find me.


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## C-Bag (May 27, 2020)

A good trainer is worth their weight in gold. Our present rescue is the sweetest dog, was well trained but not at all socialized and was just terrified whenever we went for a walk. She just wanted to run everywhere and pulled no matter what I did and was crazy strong. After a walk I felt like I was beaten with a rubber hose! Her being a XL AmStaff she also was terrified of other dogs. One session with a good trainer and going to a Gentle Leader 99% of it was my wife and I. She is a wonderful dog and loves everybody but is still wary of dogs but never barks or causes trouble. If we’re calm she’s calm.


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## alloy (May 27, 2020)

I'm not going to give up on her just yet.  I love that she follows me everywhere I go.  She will jump up on the couch and lay her head on my lap. We have only had her a few days but I think she realizes we are hers.

When one of us walks out of the house she whines, wants both of us there at the same time in her sight.  I guess if I were left alone like she was I'd have separation anxiety also.


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## Janderso (May 27, 2020)

She is a sweetie.
My wife and I have had dogs since we were married. I had dogs growing up. This is the longest stretch without a dog. been since Spring 2018
I miss having a dog. Won't be long.
Thanks for sharing.


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## Ulma Doctor (May 27, 2020)

this best thing you can do for rescue dogs is be gentle and be unwavering in consistency in both tone of voice and command.
they are already out of sorts due to their past experiences, it may take a few weeks for them to adjust to their new home.
Food/Treats are an excellent way to start their training process, but it is best to taper off food/treats and shift to physical rewards over time.
a toy can be an essential tool as well, sometimes better than food- if the dog is not food motivated
just spending time with the animal, letting the dog be a dog for awhile, will teach you things about the habits of the dog.
observe how he interacts with the environment, is he fearful or inquisitive 
if he is inquisitive, you'll have an easy time training
if he is fearful, you have some work to do. you may need help for another trained dog to make the rescue feel better about the training.
the second dog, will teach the rescue dog, things you can't relay 
if the rescue sees another dog actin' right, he will follow suit.

congrats on the fine looking dog!


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## projectnut (May 28, 2020)

Ulma Doctor said:


> this best thing you can do for rescue dogs is be gentle and be unwavering in consistency in both tone of voice and command.
> they are already out of sorts due to their past experiences, it may take a few weeks for them to adjust to their new home.
> Food/Treats are an excellent way to start their training process, but it is best to taper off food/treats and shift to physical rewards over time.
> a toy can be an essential tool as well, sometimes better than food- if the dog is not food motivated
> ...



I would totally agree.  We had a female Cocker Spaniel several years ago that thought she was in charge of everything in her sight.  I took her to a friends shop one day.  When she jumped out of the truck she met  one of the owners cats.  She immediately barked at the cat and tried to chase her.  The cat being raised with dogs not only wasn't afraid, she just sat there licking her paw.  When my dog barked at her again the cat looked her in the eye and promptly swatted the dog on the nose with a sharp claw.  The dog quickly learned that the cat was in charge, and shouldn't be messed with.

It took about half an hour to complete our business so the dog went into the garage to check things out.  Noticing she was missing we both started a search.  We found the dog still in the garage sleeping in a pile with half a dozen cats.  Once she knew here place in the scheme of things there was no problem.  

Whenever I went back to my friends shop I took the dog.  When she jumped out of the truck she promptly searched out the cats.  They either played together, or took a nap together.  When the cat passed away the dog was in a funk for about a week.   Meeting the cat was a bit of a double edged sword.  From then on the dog thought all cats loved all dogs.  She did meet many that were friendly, but there were a few that didn't want anything to do with a dog.


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## Janderso (May 28, 2020)

projectnut said:


> We had a female Cocker Spaniel several years ago that thought she was in charge of everything in her sight.


Our Fox Terrier ruled the roost. First time to have a terrier. Smart, energetic, mind reader, speaks English, we had to spell words so he wouldn't know what we were saying, seriously.
 Great dogs.


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## projectnut (May 28, 2020)

Janderso said:


> Our Fox Terrier ruled the roost. First time to have a terrier. Smart, energetic, mind reader, speaks English, we had to spell words so he wouldn't know what we were saying, seriously.
> Great dogs.



We tried that as well.  Unfortunately the dog could spell better than I could.  Every time I misspelled a word I got a growl and a slap with a paw


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## alloy (May 28, 2020)

My wife has been spelling out w a l k.  Wait til she finds out the dog will learn what she is spelling


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## Aukai (May 28, 2020)

Make sure you are the leader, and enforce it. Voice is all I need for discipline, if discipline is needed I go to the dog, I never call the dog to me for that.


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## alloy (May 28, 2020)




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## alloy (Jun 2, 2020)

Well we met with the trainer today.  She had a lot of information for us. One was for us to get s "no pull" harness. So we did and its supposed to put pressure in her shoulders and be uncomfortable when she pulls hard on the leash.  It didn't slow her down at all. $30 for nothing.

She also suggested a pet gate to deny her the run of the house. That's a privilege she has to earn.  So we got a gate and she does not like it at all. We let the cats out and they are cautiously venturing out checking out the situation.  They walk around the corner and stare at the dog.  You can see one of them in this pic.


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## Diecutter (Jun 3, 2020)

The trainer  I described in post #15 guaranteed results or she would return till we got them.  Evidently she is so effective that she could make that offer and rarely have to return again.  That's what sold me on her. She also suggested the no pull harness which we got.  At first it did not work, so I called her up.  She said the proper harness adjustment was critical. After some experimentation and use we had better results with it.


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## brino (Jun 3, 2020)

With one "large-in-body" but "young-in-mind" hound dog that loved to follow his nose, we had great success with a special leash/collar that had a loop around his nose. If he tried to pull on the leash it pulled his head down, we saw an immediate improvement in pulling the leash.
Once he learned not to just plow ahead, we could switch back.
-brino

similar to this one:



it was called something like "halter harness"


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## C-Bag (Jun 3, 2020)

brino said:


> With one "large-in-body" but "young-in-mind" hound dog that loved to follow his nose, we had great success with a special leash/collar that had a loop around his nose. If he tried to pull on the leash it pulled his head down, we saw an immediate improvement in pulling the leash.
> Once he learned not to just plow ahead, we could switch back.
> -brino
> 
> ...


that is similar to the Gentle Leader except it has more straps. Pretty simple, you control their head, you have control and unlike a chain collar that chokes, the GL doesn’t choke even though it does go around their neck. Obviously our girl didn’t like it but she knew she had to wear it if she wanted to go for a walk. And she LOVES her walks and now I do. It’s really good for both of us. 1 to 1 1/2hrs in the morning and 45min in the evening. Gets that extra energy off them and for my dogs it’s such a big treat they love me for it. Which automatically makes them want to be good. It didn’t take long and she didn’t need the GL and is In a regular harness and is easy to control.


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## Diecutter (Jun 3, 2020)

The harness I had went around the shoulders and chest and mainly kept the dog from chocking on just a neck collar. With it I could keep her from taking off, and finally she got tired of pulling.  Looks like the muzzle one you used might work better.


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## mmcmdl (Jun 3, 2020)

The words squirrel , possum , fox , mailman are never used in the house . 3 Shelties can do some damage in a hurry .


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## Aukai (Jun 3, 2020)

Which ever command you wish to use,,,   wait, halt, stop, your choice is a prime command I like to teach my dogs. We have fields where the dogs fetch sticks, and walk etc off the leash. If anything comes around birds, other dogs, cars it's good to verbally be able to hold them. Also stay close when they're free ~ 10'. Your dog will pick up the vocabulary


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## NCjeeper (Jun 3, 2020)

mmcmdl said:


> The words squirrel , possum , fox , mailman are never used in the house . 3 Shelties can do some damage in a hurry .


My chow can recognize the UPS truck coming down the road.


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## C-Bag (Jun 3, 2020)

Diecutter said:


> The harness I had went around the shoulders and chest and mainly kept the dog from chocking on just a neck collar. With it I could keep her from taking off, and finally she got tired of pulling.  Looks like the muzzle one you used might work better.


It was surprising how well the GL worked. To have such good control of her head meant I could get her attention real quick and it is not painful or cruel or as scary as a choke collar. Some dogs just don’t seem to get the choke thing when on alarm. Her being an AmStaff/pit bull they are pretty impervious to pain if on alarm. I never heard her choke or gag from pulling on the GL. She is a funny dog in that she never growls or makes any noise even when she rushes a fence when another dog is barking. I’ve loved all my older rescues but they are like a box a chocolates, never know what your gonna get.


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## alloy (Jun 10, 2020)




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## alloy (Jun 14, 2020)




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## Ulma Doctor (Jun 14, 2020)

looks like the new helper is settling in nicely!
good looking dog!


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## alloy (Jun 14, 2020)

Thanks.

If she survives our cat she may work out.

We just finished putting up a new fence for her this week.   She loves the freedom it gives her instead of being on a leash all the time.


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## Ulma Doctor (Jun 14, 2020)

very nice, she'll be real normal here in a few weeks!
she'll get the hint that cat's aren't always the friendliest to dogs, if she crosses any lines with the cat.

i had a good friend that had a parrot, a cat and a jack russel terrier as pets.
it was like real life Tom and Jerry Cartoons.
the funny part was the parrot ran the show, the other 2 were very leary of the bird ,
one snap of the beak and a tail tip could easily be knocked off.


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## Janderso (Jun 15, 2020)

Aukai said:


> Make sure you are the leader, and enforce it. Voice is all I need for discipline, if discipline is needed I go to the dog, I never call the dog to me for that.


First time we ever took a dog to training sessions. The trainer taught us how to teach our Fox terrier.
You are correct, voice and inflection is all it takes.
If Rocco got caught doing something he wasn't suppose to be doing, I would say, "Oh Rocco shame". He would try to crawl inside himself.


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## 7milesup (Jun 21, 2020)

I built a ramp so my 3 buddies can get up on the bench by themselves.  They can then watch the woods outside for squirrels or whatever.


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## alloy (Jun 21, 2020)

*I have a ramp for my old cat.  He's got problems walking.  His back legs are giving out on him.  Kinda like me.

I finally gave up and got a prong collar.  No matter what we did she pulls hard on the leash.  The trainer even gave up and recommended the collar.  Nothing else worked. I noticed an immediate difference with the collar.  I hope in a few days we won't have to use it.  

She has discovered the stairs in my shop.  Runs up and down them all the time.  And it's getting better with the cats.  She has learned that my one Siamese has freddy kruger claws and it's not wise to mess with him. Her nose is almost healed up now. *


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## NCjeeper (Jun 21, 2020)

I picked up a Gentle Lead harness for Khaos. Couldn't try it out because it rained today. Hopefully go for a walk with it tomorrow.


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## alloy (Nov 15, 2020)

Well dog is doing better with the cats.  We got  a new kitten awhile back and they are best friends.  My other cats either beat the crap out of her, or just ignore her.

So it's settled down to a dull roar.


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## Superburban (Nov 15, 2020)

Our dogs and cats get along pretty good. At least until there is a glass door between them, then both are the bravest fighters you could imagine. Something about the safety of the glass, awakes the wild side of both.


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## Janderso (Nov 16, 2020)

Love it.
Look at that face!! (On the lab)
We lost our Rocco of old age back in spring of 2018.
Never gone this long without animals. It's time.


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## Superburban (Apr 9, 2021)

We have had Delta (on the left), for a year now. She is too active for our old lab, and demanding of our time (play fetch). Saw an add on CL, giving a dog away that needed a yard to play in. So we ended up adopting Rocky (7 months)to help keep delta active, and give my arm a break. 

Rockey was living in a camper, with a single mom, and two kids. I can see he was too energetic for them.



Delta is a border collie/ blue healer mix.
Rocky is a border collie/ Lab mix.




Sherman, 8 year old Lab/ Aussie mix ( I call him my red lab.


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