My dog goes after socks and mulch too. When I go to take them away, he either tries to run away or growls, though I don't believe that he would ever bite. I find it's a lot less aggravation if I just go and get a treat and then he drops whatever it is so he can have the treat. I keep saying "Drop it" when he goes for the treat, hoping that he'll learn that command; but commands are not his strong suit. It's not that I think he's dumb; he just doesn't like to be bossed around. He's ordinarily so good and docile that inattention to commands is not much of an issue--but I do wish that he would obey one now and then. He learned how to sit instantaneously and will do it on command so long as he thinks he's getting a treat. He also knows the command "Move over" when I need him to vacate my seat in the car so that I can drive and he usually does move over after I've asked him a couple of times. Anything else is hopeless. (He does know how to give his paw and high-five, but that's another story.)

When he was a puppy, I hired a trainer to come to the house, but her approach was the same one as the dog whisperer's--you know, be the alpha dog in his pack and he'll do what you tell him. That approach totally failed--possibly because I'm not an alpha type. I bought him to be my baby and you can't be alpha with a baby--especially one as spoiled as Wooly Bully. Does anyone else have a problem with that approach? I never intended to join his dog pack. I intended for him to join my family.

I have a cousin who is absolutely gaga over the dog whisperer. She has a genuine dog pack, though--seven or eight dogs at last count. She takes it to extremes, I think: make him work for food and water, don't be polite to a dog, etc. I could never imagine a situation in which a dog shouldn't have free access to water.

My dog goes after socks and mulch too. When I go to take them away, he either tries to run away or growls, though I don't believe that he would ever bite. I find it's a lot less aggravation if I just go and get a treat and then he drops whatever it is so he can have the treat. I keep saying "Drop it" when he goes for the treat, hoping that he'll learn that command; but commands are not his strong suit. It's not that I think he's dumb; he just doesn't like to be bossed around. He's ordinarily so good and docile that inattention to commands is not much of an issue--but I do wish that he would obey one now and then. He learned how to sit instantaneously and will do it on command so long as he thinks he's getting a treat. He also knows the command "Move over" when I need him to vacate my seat in the car so that I can drive and he usually does move over after I've asked him a couple of times. Anything else is hopeless. (He does know how to give his paw and high-five, but that's another story.)

When he was a puppy, I hired a trainer to come to the house, but her approach was the same one as the dog whisperer's--you know, be the alpha dog in his pack and he'll do what you tell him. That approach totally failed--possibly because I'm not an alpha type. I bought him to be my baby and you can't be alpha with a baby--especially one as spoiled as Wooly Bully. Does anyone else have a problem with that approach? I never intended to join his dog pack. I intended for him to join my family.

I have a cousin who is absolutely gaga over the dog whisperer. She has a genuine dog pack, though--seven or eight dogs at last count. She takes it to extremes, I think: make him work for food and water, don't be polite to a dog, etc. I could never imagine a situation in which a dog shouldn't have free access to water.

training most certainly does not have to be assertive or aggressive.

I'm referring to the "no free lunch" idea of training. I agree with your friend that it's right to make the dog work for rewards however I don't feel that I need to push my dog around to get him to listen. I want my dog to come to me because he respects me not because he's afraid of me. I imagine that your friend would have no control over any of those dogs if she didn't use that thought process. (Do what I ask and you will be rewarded.)

Positive reinforcement works best and it will create a bond between you and your dog which will last forever. Not to mention can be priceless if you are ever in a dire situation where the dog can get hurt by not doing as told. ie running away, swallowing something etc., You are doing right by repeating the word drop it with the socks. It takes a long time for them to get it, sometimes.

I'm not being negative by any means to your post, my dog can also be a little dickens at 3 years old, believe me. The biggest key I have found is to make sure he gets all the exercise he needs first before we even start to work with him. He's always crazy if he has pent up energy and I truly believe a tired dog is a good dog.

Good luck with your baby. =)

training most certainly does not have to be assertive or aggressive.

I'm referring to the "no free lunch" idea of training. I agree with your friend that it's right to make the dog work for rewards however I don't feel that I need to push my dog around to get him to listen. I want my dog to come to me because he respects me not because he's afraid of me. I imagine that your friend would have no control over any of those dogs if she didn't use that thought process. (Do what I ask and you will be rewarded.)

Positive reinforcement works best and it will create a bond between you and your dog which will last forever. Not to mention can be priceless if you are ever in a dire situation where the dog can get hurt by not doing as told. ie running away, swallowing something etc., You are doing right by repeating the word drop it with the socks. It takes a long time for them to get it, sometimes.

I'm not being negative by any means to your post, my dog can also be a little dickens at 3 years old, believe me. The biggest key I have found is to make sure he gets all the exercise he needs first before we even start to work with him. He's always crazy if he has pent up energy and I truly believe a tired dog is a good dog.

Good luck with your baby. =)

I hope this goes ok for you. I would take him to the vet. If he did swallow that ball, it could do serious damage. I've been out of work myself and it's an agony every time I have to take Bully to the vet, but the potential consequences are unthinkable.

Bully seems not to have any sense at all when it comes to chewing stuff that will hurt him. I can't tell you the number of rocks I've had to pull out of his mouth. A couple of weeks ago, he ate cat feces. I couldn't bring myself to pull that out and we had three days of bloody diarrhea as a result. I don't know if this is characteristic of bulldogs, but it seems instinctual with him. I can't manage to stop it.

I hope this goes ok for you. I would take him to the vet. If he did swallow that ball, it could do serious damage. I've been out of work myself and it's an agony every time I have to take Bully to the vet, but the potential consequences are unthinkable.

Bully seems not to have any sense at all when it comes to chewing stuff that will hurt him. I can't tell you the number of rocks I've had to pull out of his mouth. A couple of weeks ago, he ate cat feces. I couldn't bring myself to pull that out and we had three days of bloody diarrhea as a result. I don't know if this is characteristic of bulldogs, but it seems instinctual with him. I can't manage to stop it.

I can only tell you my experience. Several years ago we had a bully that swallowed a full size sock. I contacted the vet and they told me the same thing, to watch him and make sure he is eating and pooping and he "should" pass it in a few days. the operative word being "should". We kept a close eye on him and for all intents and purposes he was acting perfectly normal but we never saw that sock pass.
9 days later he was not acting right at all and then got violently sick and threw up and there was that sock, completely whole. It had been lodged somewhere inside for all that time. We did take him and the vet said that he was very lucky. So with that said, I would not wait, I would be taking him to the vets office. I am sure that you are also worried. I hope that you can get him in and have them xray him. My thoughts are with you.

I can only tell you my experience. Several years ago we had a bully that swallowed a full size sock. I contacted the vet and they told me the same thing, to watch him and make sure he is eating and pooping and he "should" pass it in a few days. the operative word being "should". We kept a close eye on him and for all intents and purposes he was acting perfectly normal but we never saw that sock pass.
9 days later he was not acting right at all and then got violently sick and threw up and there was that sock, completely whole. It had been lodged somewhere inside for all that time. We did take him and the vet said that he was very lucky. So with that said, I would not wait, I would be taking him to the vets office. I am sure that you are also worried. I hope that you can get him in and have them xray him. My thoughts are with you.

My 3-year-old male bulldog has a thing about socks and mulch. Fortunately, the only socks around are little boy ankle socks which are not quite as serious as full-size socks, but any time one is anywhere he can get it, he goes for it and although he is normally a very friendly and calm dog, he will actually snarl and bite if i try to get a sock out of his mouth.

Anything he finds that size is the same - dryer sheets, paper towels, kleenex, small squares or strips meant for quilts more than consumption.

He also is quite fond of mulch, and when he eats this (he prefers very fresh cypress mulch) he generally throws up within the hour.

He has had a history of throwing up and I have taken him to the vet probably 10 times for this, but generally, the vet attributes it to 'dietary indiscretions' meaning socks or mulch.

Since he fights when he has a precious sock, unless I can divert his attention with a treat, he swallows it whole and generally throws it up intact later - sometimes within hours and sometimes days later. There have been quite a few times that he has not expelled a sock or fabric strip I saw him eat and I'm sure he later digested or passed them without throwing them up.

Anyway, he is my fourth bulldog, and although he is otherwise as meek as a kitten, he has a sock thing and if I took him to the vet everytime he beat me to the punch and swallowed a boy-sock, I'd be broke. It worries me every time, but since he also eats much and rocks, and I don't always see those, I think it is just something that he is pretty determined to do and that I need to try go prevent it and get the object away if possible but not freak out about unless it is a shoe.

My female loves to chew on things, especially expensive shoes, sheet rock, children's stuffed toys, and anything we care about. She has never swallowed any of those things, except for the glass eyes of stuffed bears and rabbits.

My other two bulldogs never did any of these things.

My 3-year-old male bulldog has a thing about socks and mulch. Fortunately, the only socks around are little boy ankle socks which are not quite as serious as full-size socks, but any time one is anywhere he can get it, he goes for it and although he is normally a very friendly and calm dog, he will actually snarl and bite if i try to get a sock out of his mouth.

Anything he finds that size is the same - dryer sheets, paper towels, kleenex, small squares or strips meant for quilts more than consumption.

He also is quite fond of mulch, and when he eats this (he prefers very fresh cypress mulch) he generally throws up within the hour.

He has had a history of throwing up and I have taken him to the vet probably 10 times for this, but generally, the vet attributes it to 'dietary indiscretions' meaning socks or mulch.

Since he fights when he has a precious sock, unless I can divert his attention with a treat, he swallows it whole and generally throws it up intact later - sometimes within hours and sometimes days later. There have been quite a few times that he has not expelled a sock or fabric strip I saw him eat and I'm sure he later digested or passed them without throwing them up.

Anyway, he is my fourth bulldog, and although he is otherwise as meek as a kitten, he has a sock thing and if I took him to the vet everytime he beat me to the punch and swallowed a boy-sock, I'd be broke. It worries me every time, but since he also eats much and rocks, and I don't always see those, I think it is just something that he is pretty determined to do and that I need to try go prevent it and get the object away if possible but not freak out about unless it is a shoe.

My female loves to chew on things, especially expensive shoes, sheet rock, children's stuffed toys, and anything we care about. She has never swallowed any of those things, except for the glass eyes of stuffed bears and rabbits.

My other two bulldogs never did any of these things.