<p>Our first pet ever. Adopted a 4 1/2 year old corgi mix rescue dog. He has made it pretty darn easy to adjust to him! </p>
<p>Still, some questions and wonders.</p>
<p>Foster told us they fed him once in the morning and once at dinner - about a cup or so of dry food each time. We have been weaning him off his cheaper dry food they gave us and are mixing it with a higher protein more natural product, but since he came he eats kind of funny - sometimes once a day, sometimes twice. Most times we kind of have to prompt him to eat - bring him over to his dish and swirl the food around to get him started. Yesterday, he ate for the first time at 3pm - so I gave him a second serving at about 10pm which he did end up eating. How strict/not strict should be be on the feeding schedule?</p>
<p>Walking. Don’t think he was used to a walk. Foster family just let him out into a fenced yard to run. We have a mostly open yard with a small “fenced” in area, but can’t trust that he would stay in there yet. And we like to walk. So, he has been getting out at least 4 times a day. One of those walks is 20-30 minutes, the rest are 10ish minute walks (we are in Ohio - COLD!). We may not always be able to provide that many walks daily - right now, more of us are available. Is there such a thing as too much walking? Does a total of an hour or so of exercise sound like enough???</p>
<p>He is sleeping fine at night. No accidents. (crossing fingers and toes) Playful, but also a couch potato when we are. We may need some intervention with walking (he goes CRAZY when he sees squirrels). Is adjusting nicely to name change. Only whines/barks a little when we all leave the house (seperation) - no other barking. </p>
<p>We bought a new leash but still tend to keep him fairly close when walking. Pros/cons of the retractable leases??? </p>
<p>We have learned a lot in one week! I think he passed the temporary adoption test. :)</p>
<p>Sounds like you guys are doing great. About feeding, I have always had labs who eat everything that doesn’t eat them first, so we have never had picky eaters, but from what I understand you put the food down, leave it for maybe an hour and then pick it up. I would stick to the same time of day each day. About an hour of exercise sounds great, but I don’t recommend the retractable leashes, especially since he likes squirrels. A lot of the walk is about exercise but also about bonding establishing you as the “leader”. I would recommend a group obedience class. They are fun and you would probably learn a lot. I don’t know if it is the right thing to do or not, but with my last dog (he died in October and we now have a puppy), to cut down on the separation anxiety, I would give him a small treat every time I left. That way he actually looked forward to me leaving.</p>
<p>You are doing well for one week! Responding to his new name, walking on a leash, sleeping at night–all good. </p>
<p>Walking on the leash is great for him and for bonding with you. I am a big fan of Cesar Millan and he thinks the walk is critical. An hour a day is great and should be fine for a small dog. You can walk your dog too much, but it’s hours and hours and many miles. (I did that once with my German shepherd and she was so exhausted that she wet the bed!)</p>
<p>NO on the retractable leash. The dog is in control with that kind of leash and they are very frowned upon in the obedience world. Use your regular leash. I like a leather leash because they are softer on your hands.</p>
<p>Squirrel frenzy: my dogs have this too. Also hate cats. You have to teach your dog (or try anyway) to leave things alone. Teach him the command “leave it.” That means turn away from whatever that is that I don’t want you to pay attention to. Stay really calm and focused and keep going, or make him sit quietly until he calms down. You’ll have to continue to work at it, but don’t let an obsession issue like that continue.</p>
<p>Picky eating: don’t cater to that. Put the food down and if he doesn’t eat it in 10 minutes or so, pick it up. Do regular mealtimes AM and PM. My dogs know when 5 PM rolls around, within a few minutes. It’s supposed to be better to feed your dog after you eat (shows them their position as lesser in the pack). You could try putting one little piece of meat or cheese on top of the food as an incentive. It’s just like feeding a picky two-year-old. Be matter of fact and don’t cater. I did have a Schnauzer once who was very picky about eating and just didn’t care much about food. He always stayed slender. </p>
<p>Two cups a day sounds like too much food. My 17-pound Schnauzer gets half a cup AM and PM. I use California Natural Chicken and Rice for her and Avo-Derm Lamb and Rice for my shepherd.</p>
<p>Re the dog food: you might look for a pet store or feed store with a big selection of food. I shop at the feed store in our town which has dozens of brands of dog food and very knowledgeable people to help you. This is a much better selection than the national chain pet stores.</p>
<p>Ask your dog to sit calmly before you leave the house for your walks. All family members should do this. Also, it is important for the person to walk through the door (all doors) first. The higher one in the pack goes first. And make the dog get out of your way when you walk through the house and get out of the chair or off the couch (if you allow that) if you want to sit there. You are the pack leader.</p>
<p>You might want to read some of Cesar Millan’s books or watch his show if you have time. I have learned a lot from him.</p>
<p>I should be clearer on the feeding. The foster family said they were feeding him “about a cup” twice a day. Since we are introducing a better quality food, I have been giving him more in the 1/2 c. range twice a day. He is now pooping once or twice a day which I would think is normal. </p>
<p>I hadn’t thought about removing the food. </p>
<p>Good tips on the walking, entering doors, etc. Thank you!</p>
<p>My picky eater used to eat sparingly, sometimes going a day and a half with out eating. She also had feet she would chew on. But she was an abused and neglected dog before we got her and thought it was part of her crazies. We finally wondered about food allergies. We switched away from anything with chicken. She now begs for food and cleans her dish and no more fussing at her feet. So… it may be an ingredient in the the food.</p>
<p>I guess I am different from everyone. I have always put food out and they eat it when they want. I have never had a problem with doing that. I make sure there is food in the bowl twice a day. I don’t think you can overwalk a dog but I will say that a tired dog is a good dog. Most dogs don’t have enough to do and that is when problems arise. I hate retractable leashes. I don’t think you have enough control when something happens (such as loose strange dogs_. But I know some people like them.</p>
<p>Since the dog is not a puppy, not sure how this would work, but our dogs have always been “self feeders.” We always have dried dog food and water available. They eat/drink when they want to. I have heard of some dogs that overeat and don’t know when to stop, but our dogs have always been healthy and not overweight. We had two West Highland Terriers (died of old age) and now have an Irish Setter and an English Setter. My friend has a corgi and she is a very sweet, very smart and well behaved dog.</p>
<p>We have some retractable leashes but I don’t like to use them - especially with the larger dogs, I like to keep them closer to me so I am in control. Ours get different amounts of exercise/walks, depending on the weather, our schedule, etc. We have found if we don’t give them at least a 20 minute walk each day they tend to get into mischief.</p>
<p>Ok, so the concensus is “NO!” on the retractable leashes. I’m good with that. Eventually after the weather improves and he is more used to our yard etc., H may put a zipline type thing in the yard or we could look into electric fencing. How expensive is the electric fencing?</p>
<p>The “self feeder” thing is foreign to us since we have an Australian Shepherd who has a bottomless pit for a stomach, but I think it is common for small dogs.</p>
<p>I love our retractable leash, but it locks. I keep it locked when I am trying to keep my heart rate up during most of our walks, but then I unlock if so he can explore the lake a little on hot days or run down this little hill that we pass. Mine is from Walmart and was around $20. I know Caesar might not approve, but the walk is the most exciting thing my dog gets to do - I think he deserves a little fun :-). He knows the sound of the “click”, so he doesn’t pull on it normally - only when he hears me release the lock.</p>
<p>Free feeding works for some dogs, but not for all-- some dogs stop eating when they have had enough, others will eat anything in front of them. Our dog did fine with free feeding for 7-10 years and then he started eating himself silly, and then it was hard to get him to adjust to meal times. Looking back I wish we had just stuck to semi-regular meal times from the beginning, it would have saved us trouble later. Your dog’s eating habits may adjust as he gets more and more used to being with you. Sometimes when dogs are in a new or stressful environment they will refuse to eat or eat very little, so it is possible his wonky eating is an effect of having only been with you a week and he is still finding his groove in your house. I would stick to semi-regular meal times and just keep an eye on things.</p>
<p>Retractable leashes are a mistake. They teach your dog that when he pulls, he gets to run. You want to teach him the PRECISE opposite. When he pulls, he gets nowhere or he goes backwards. The only way to make progress is to stay at your side and walk with you. That is what you want to train and retractable leashes are counterproductive to that goal. Sometimes people make the mistake of thinking they don’t need to train small dogs good leash manners because they are stronger than the dog anyway and it’s not as dangerous as if it were a big dog, but you should strive not to be one of them and work on loose-lease training. </p>
<p>How much exercise the dog needs depends on what you’re seeing. If he were misbehaving and running around like a madman he would need more than whatever he is getting. It sounds like he is doing well on the behavior front, no destructive chewing or flying around the house unchecked, so if you are able to keep up with your current walking schedule it sounds like you’re doing a good job. But as time goes on, weight, changes in eating and eliminating habits, and behavior can all be cues that he needs to get up and moving more.</p>
<p>My 2 cents on retractable leashes is NO. The dog is has too much control with them. I prefer a shorter leash (the 6’). I have a golden retriever and he always has food and water available to him. He seems only to eat when he is hungry. </p>
<p>I would strongly suggest making friends at your local pet store, it may be that your corgi just doesn’t like his food. A good pet store or feed store will have samples of food for you to try first. </p>
<p>Also a second to the suggestion to go to obedience training. I’ve been thru 2 obedience, and an agility class and this gives dogs time to interact with other dogs as well as learn their manners. They are great fun!</p>
<p>Do not put your dog on a zipline! It is no different than chaining him to his doghouse (walking on a leash IS different because the dog is not alone). Please get a real fence or an invisible fence and let him roam free - he will be a very happy doggie. If you and your H are handy, you can install the invisible fence yourself - pet stores sell kits for DIY-ers.</p>
<p>Have not heard of the do-it-yourself fences - will have to see, we have an unusual yard arrangement. We are on a corner double lot so we have a front yard, two side yards a backyard and then some PLUS a circular drive that goes through part of it. </p>
<p>Still wondering the cost of electric fencing - maybe we could just set the boundaries for the back area of the yard.</p>
<p>My take–we have had labs too and they will in fact eat until they can’t move given the chance. Our corgi was never exactly a picky eater, but got to be pretty speedy about it when we adopted his <lab mix=“”> brother. Agree that you should treat him like a toddler–if he doesn’t eat when you put his food down, I’d take it up again before too long.</lab></p>
<p>And we give our corgi one cup twice a day. I know corgis can be little fatties but he gets a <em>lot</em> of exercise with his brother. We also had a corgi several years ago who never seemed overweight but also got a full cup twice a day.</p>
<p>Cannot speak to leashes–we’ve had an electric fence for many years. I can’t say they’re perfect (the lab we used to have occasionally escaped, although mostly when we’d taken his collar off for too long or had unplugged the fence for some reason and forgotten to plug it back in), but I think they’re <em>wonderful</em>. Another really nice thing (I hope for you) is that neither corgi we’ve had <em>ever</em> thought about roaming. I think some breeds tend to be more susceptible than others. In fact, don’t call the SPCA or anything but our lab wears a fence collar; our corgi does not. Just does not need it.</p>
<p>I honestly don’t remember how much it cost when we put it in–not cheap, although we have six acres. The collars are expensive too, but one will last your dog’s lifetime and I think the batteries now last for two years. But our dogs are <em>very</em> happy having the run of the property. Training was quick and easy–they will flag your property along the buried line, and the dogs will be trained to the flags. Then the flags will drop off (ours ended getting mowed after a few weeks) but the dogs do remember. (In fact, if the lab is getting a little close to the fence, I say “flags!” and he heads for the house.)</p>
<p>I think you’re doing great. You should look this thread up in a year. You’ll be amazed how hard it all seemed the first few days.</p>
<p>Congratulations on your new dog !!
We got our first cogi last year and love her so much , we added another. Hands down ,my favorite breed.
We walk them on split leash ,not retractable, but also have a fenced in backyard for them to play in. It must be the other mix that brings out the picky eater because corgis are known to be seriously passionate about their food. we had a golden retriever before , and she just sort of grazed all day…not a chance with these two,particularly the female !</p>
<p>Another vote for the invisible fence–you are charged based on the footage, and at least in our area, the local dealer will come out and give you an estimate at no charge. It’s really a great convenience and not hard to train the dogs on.</p>
<p>You people are so supportive and have great ideas!</p>
<p>One more question. (why not?!)
The next thing we will have to look at buying is a travel “crate”. We don’t travel super often, but might take him to a local park or in the summer on the 3 hours + ride to our cottage. I think I want to get not a “wire” crate, but maybe one of the softer sided travel crates with some mesh on the side/top. Don’t want to spend a fortune, but want something nicely durable. Any suggestions or one you have liked? (and where you got it)</p>
<p>I don’t remember the size of your dog, but for our 35 pound cairn terrier/corgi/whoknows whatelse mix, we have a halter that clips around his body and an opening on his back through which you insert the car’s seatbelt. This allows the dog to move around somewhat–sit up, look out the window, lie down on the seat–and still keeps him secure in case of an accident. I don’t know anyone else who has one of these, but we used it for our previous dog for 14 years and are very pleased with it. We bought it at a local pet supply store.</p>
<p>A stiff sided crate allows you to stack more stuff near it in the car when you are traveling (vs. mesh). Don’t want to squish the doggy if a suitcase falls over… And the crate takes up more room than you think, so you may need to pack tightly around it sometimes. Our crate is a Pet Mate Vari Kennel. I like it because you can take it apart (little toggles on the side allow this) so it can be split into two pieces and hosed out. </p>
<p>If we allowed our lab to self feed, we would have to roll her to her dish pretty soon. The dog food bag should have instructions on how much to feed your dog based on weight. It is good to feed them twice a day. My dad has hunting dogs, and he is a “once a day” feeder – and can’t understand why his dogs are so hyper all the time. I think they are just hungry When we got our lab (from my brother, who was also a once-a-day feeder), the vet suggested feeding twice to calm her down, and it definitely helped. Doesn’t sound like you have this problem, but just suggesting that two small meals a day are preferable to one bigger one as you continue to adjust his food.</p>
<p>My dog would be estatic with four walks a day! Your dog will let you know if you are going to far (he will lay down, or stop to lick his paws if they are sore). But I don’t think you are overdoing it. Lucky dog!</p>
We may need some intervention with walking (he goes CRAZY when he sees squirrels). Is adjusting nicely to name change. Only whines/barks a little when we all leave the house (seperation) - no other barking. </p>
When we got our lab (from my brother, who was also a once-a-day feeder), the vet suggested feeding twice to calm her down, and it definitely helped. Doesn’t sound like you have this problem, but just suggesting that two small meals a day are preferable to one bigger one as you continue to adjust his food.</p>