My First Rottie, A couple of questions.

justaskin likeyakno

Hi,

I have an 11month old rottie and was at the vet today as his eyes keep getting all dirty.

He did have an inverted eyelid op at about 8 weeks old so maybe this contributes to it.

So anyway, he has blocked tear ducts which vet said may or may not work again, I just have to clean his eyes a few times a day which is grand.

She also said his eyes are too small for him as in the rims, the skin around his eyes have less hair and he has dry patches and they look weepy and sore but she reassured me he's fine and sent me off with some eye drops and cream for around the eye.

Has anyone had any experience with this, inverted eyelids and the aftermath of it's correction.

I just wonder is there something else I can do for him.

On another note, he's really lazy and will sit on the ground when he doesn't want to go out, at 45kgs lifting is not an option and treats don't always work. Is there something really basic i'm missing. I know he's pulling a fast one for a treat but if i'm out somewhere and I haven't got one i'm snookered so I really need to address the way I handle this.

Aside from that, he is the most loveable and affection dog i've ever had out of any breed.....and to think I used to be afraid of them:o, or rather thier so called reputation!

Whispered

OP I have no clue about the medical condition so I won't even comment on it. But it sounds like you're doing everything right with the vet and all so I'm sure he'll be fine.

If you got him from a breeder you might want to contact him or her to let them know about these problems as it might be something important for them to note for future matings. (It might not be, again I'm not sure)

Does he enjoy the walks when he is out? Is it laziness or could he be nervous about something (I ask because one of mine hides when we're going out and he is afraid of the car). Are you sure he's not resisting going for a walk because of a pain or injury?

I personally have never met a young dog who doesn't get all excited at the prospect of going for a walk unless there was something other than laziness at play in the background.

How does he walk on the lead? How long is your walk? What type of collar do you use? What type of corrections do you use if he does pull?

If it really is just laziness or lack of interest then I'd suggest you get him interested in a squeaky toy and use it to get him to get up and go with you. You could bring it with you on all of your walks. It's a great tool too for grabbing his attention if you need it.

justaskin likeyakno

Hi,
Thanks for the reply, I appreciate it.

He jarred his wrist when he was about 5 months messing about with another dog I think, it just came on. Rest and anti inflamatories from the vet looked after that.

The vet also looked at his wrist last saturday and said it seemed fine, there are no other joint issues and she said an xray wasn't required.

Perhaps he has gotten into a bad habit after the couple of weeks he was on house arrest with his jarred wrist. He loved swimming during the summer, I was going to ask if any one here knows of a pool where dogs can swim,, I thought I had seen a thread here about it but can't find it now.

The biggest problem is when I ask him to go out, as in outside when i go to work or go to another room, he won't go.
If he pulls on the lead I say 'wait' and he comes back to me and he's getting better with other dogs, he was a bit barky at them.

Aside from the usual pup behaviour he;s very good. If I say 'ah ah' he drops whatever he's chewing that he shouldn't be.

So, any help on the lying down problem appreciated.

Thanks.

Stheno

justaskin likeyakno wrote: »

Perhaps he has gotten into a bad habit after the couple of weeks he was on house arrest with his jarred wrist. He loved swimming during the summer, I was going to ask if any one here knows of a pool where dogs can swim,, I thought I had seen a thread here about it but can't find it now.

The biggest problem is when I ask him to go out, as in outside when i go to work or go to another room, he won't go.
If he pulls on the lead I say 'wait' and he comes back to me and he's getting better with other dogs, he was a bit barky at them.

Aside from the usual pup behaviour he;s very good. If I say 'ah ah' he drops whatever he's chewing that he shouldn't be.

So, any help on the lying down problem appreciated.

Thanks.

Where are you based OP?

Have you tried ignoring him when he won't behave as in when he is doing the lying down?

Or using clicker training to incentivise him? Is he especially difficult when you are leaving the house?

justaskin likeyakno

Hi,
Thanks for the reply.

I am based in south wexford.

If I ignore him he goes off and finds mischief or lies under the kitchen table for a snooze.

We started clicker training last night but I have to admit I don't really know what I'm at.
I clicked 10 times and gave him a tiny piece of ham each time and just left it at that as per intructions in book. But, I think 10 times was too much as he lost interest in the noise and just concentrated on where the ham was.

I don't know if a thread on clicker training has been done or if there's others doing it at the moment as well that could benefit from it.

The biggest problem is getting him to go to bed, he sleeps in the utility, which means I have to get him from the sitting room through the kitchen and into the utility. Or outside when I'm going to work.

Ideally when he's less puppy destructive he can sleep in the hallway, inside front door, but that doesn't address his stubborness.

On a side note, I was in kitchen last night and he was asleep under table, my husband came in and he lept up and barked and look all stern, I just told him to stop it and then just got back under table when he realised who it was.
Do you correct that behaviour or what do you do. I know he got startled and perhaps he's protective but I don't want him thinking he has to be on guard...if that makes any sense.

I don't let him dominate me and I would be his boss as opposed to my husband.

DBB

Don't worry about him trying to dominate you, or him attempting to take over your home in his bid for world dominance. That particular chestnut has been disproven. To save me rehashing the subject again, take a look at www.dogwelfarecampaign.org.uk
Keep going with the clicker. Hold it behind your back, click, and immediately reward... The reward needs to be immediate. Also, keep the treats beside you, but don't reach for the treat until after you've clicked. If you're holding the treat in your hand when you click, the dog may focus too much on the treat and barely hear the click at all.
What treats are you using?
Re moving him, it's a common problem, as he's recognised that lying down might stop you moving him somewhere he doesn't want to go. Have you tried putting a lead on him, preferably attached to a harness, which he drags around with him, but which you pick up to lead him to where you need him? You should preferably do this before he hunkers down, keep your voice all jollies up, ans bring him where you want him with the incentive of a really yum filled Kong toy, or stag bar, or something that really motivates him. Don't turn it into a battle, don't shout at him, don't get peed off with him, it'll make the problem worse. I also need to add here that the lead should never be left on him unless you're there to supervise, for safety's sake.
The entropion, I have to say I'm shocked that a pup so young would need corrective surgery. I would be contacting the breeder, to breed dogs with a predisposition for this horrible condition in unforgivable. Did you know that it is very often a recurring condition, even after surgery? The fact that his eyes are still so sore would prompt me to get him checked again by your vet, to see has it recurred. One thing's for certain, those eyes aren't so gummed up for no reason.
Good luck!

justaskin likeyakno

Thank you for the reply.

I will do what you've suggested.

On the eye problem and the breeder...

I had looked into different ways of getting a pup.

A highly bred pup was unattainable so I scanned the site of which we don't speak for a few months to see if I could find a somewhat decent breeder.

We waded through the usual suspects and after a couple of visits we decided on the breeder.

To cut a long story short, we didn't get the pup we originally sought. I had a change of circumstance(it would be longer before we could take the pup, if we could even take it at all) and told the breeder, who was going to give me a refund. The breeder was going to keep our one(the one we have now) himself because of his eyes but eventually we decided we'd take him anyway.

So even after paying for the pup, we really got him free as the breeder had a multitude of vets bills by the time he handed him over. He has even offered to cover anymore eye surgery and subsidise nuetering with his vet.

We are still in touch with the breeder and get an update on our lads siblings via Facebook from the other people who bought the rest of the litter.