17 replies to this topic

[patci]

i was readling kim's notice about his new blood lines and realized my 9 mon Ayashe is one of kim's new dogs. her mother is abby and dad is scout. so far ayashe is 35 lbs and looks a lot smaller than the pictures i see here. she is silver,gray and has a little tan on her legs and face. everyone thinks she is a sherpherd mix. she has a wonderful temperament with people and kids. likes dogs and cats. but she scares easily with different sounds. she is really sweet and i'm so glad we drove up to oregon from calif to get her last oct. she doesn't like me to leave her . i put her in a large crate and she barks and cries. i hope her separation problem will improve but if any one has ideas how to help with this i'd appreciate the feedback Patci

[Allison]

Hi Patci. If you have one of our dogs, then you are welcome to join the inner forum. I will upgrade your status.

[Michael and Sonia]

patci, on May 7 2008, 09:25 AM, said:

i was readling kim's notice about his new blood lines and realized my 9 mon Ayashe is one of kim's new dogs. her mother is abby and dad is scout. so far ayashe is 35 lbs and looks a lot smaller than the pictures i see here. she is silver,gray and has a little tan on her legs and face. everyone thinks she is a sherpherd mix. she has a wonderful temperament with people and kids. likes dogs and cats. but she scares easily with different sounds. she is really sweet and i'm so glad we drove up to oregon from calif to get her last oct. she doesn't like me to leave her . i put her in a large crate and she barks and cries. i hope her separation problem will improve but if any one has ideas how to help with this i'd appreciate the feedback Patci

Koda, our 11 month old had or (maybe still does but not so bad) separation anxiety. She chewed the furniture, made in the house, stepped in it, scratched the paint off of the door and every other anxiety sypmtom you can think of when we weren't home. I have quite a few postings about it some time ago. What cured her...Shilah, our 4 month old american indian dog. We were told that getting another doesn't necessarily help, but in this case, it definitely did. the crate didn't work for koda, either. We tried so much!!! Now, Shilah is in the crate when we're not home and Koda has free roam of the house and she is perfect!!! I guess just knowing Shilah's in the house, eases her tension. Let me know if you have any other questions. We've been through it all!!!!

[Gavin]

My small female went through a considerable fear & anxiety period too.
A couple of things that helped:
1) Yummy treats & soothing voice to go in the crate, maybe something she can chew on and keep her mind off the confinement/separation for a few minutes. At first, let her out as soon as she's done with her chewy treat and before she starts whining. Slowly lengthen the time. 2) Begin walking out of the room for brief periods. Teach her you will ALWAYS come back.
3) Drape a blanket over the crate to calm her
4) When she is carrying on, don't let her out until she's quiet. (maybe the hardest of all!)

If she starts to have fear issues about feeling cornered or trapped let me know...I went through that too. I think it's just an instinctual fear that the more cautious ones need help overcoming.

Now mine is happy as a clam in her kennel (we moved past the crate to a 4x8 pen in the garage) when I'm away.

-Gavin

[patci]

Michael and Sonia, on May 7 2008, 09:59 AM, said:

Koda, our 11 month old had or (maybe still does but not so bad) separation anxiety. She chewed the furniture, made in the house, stepped in it, scratched the paint off of the door and every other anxiety sypmtom you can think of when we weren't home. I have quite a few postings about it some time ago. What cured her...Shilah, our 4 month old american indian dog. We were told that getting another doesn't necessarily help, but in this case, it definitely did. the crate didn't work for koda, either. We tried so much!!! Now, Shilah is in the crate when we're not home and Koda has free roam of the house and she is perfect!!! I guess just knowing Shilah's in the house, eases her tension. Let me know if you have any other questions. We've been through it all!!!!

we have a cat that will stay by the crate so hopefully this will help her. i don't think i can get away with another dog. my husband said he really likes ayashe, more than any of our other dogs, but i think one is his limit.

[patci]

Gavin, on May 7 2008, 03:24 PM, said:

My small female went through a considerable fear & anxiety period too.
A couple of things that helped:
1) Yummy treats & soothing voice to go in the crate, maybe something she can chew on and keep her mind off the confinement/separation for a few minutes. At first, let her out as soon as she's done with her chewy treat and before she starts whining. Slowly lengthen the time. 2) Begin walking out of the room for brief periods. Teach her you will ALWAYS come back.
3) Drape a blanket over the crate to calm her
4) When she is carrying on, don't let her out until she's quiet. (maybe the hardest of all!)

If she starts to have fear issues about feeling cornered or trapped let me know...I went through that too. I think it's just an instinctual fear that the more cautious ones need help overcoming.

Now mine is happy as a clam in her kennel (we moved past the crate to a 4x8 pen in the garage) when I'm away.

-Gavin at times i have to just leave her, but do you think i should practice other times when i'm home to put her in there. then let her out after she quiets down? she isn't afraid of going into her crate and i always give her a treat. this way i can also see how long she actually whines and barks. i'll try some practice sessions to see. thanks, Patci

[Lisa]

patci, on May 8 2008, 09:42 AM, said:

-Gavin at times i have to just leave her, but do you think i should practice other times when i'm home to put her in there. then let her out after she quiets down? she isn't afraid of going into her crate and i always give her a treat. this way i can also see how long she actually whines and barks. i'll try some practice sessions to see. thanks, Patci

Hi Patci,

My sis has your pups litter mate. His name is Ma ii. They live in Kingman Az. I think that Ma ii also had some seperation problems. But I think she said just recently that they can leave him for a few hours and have no problems with him. I know my Hawk use to not like me or my husband to leave, but thank heavens he never was distructive. My Hawk is Scouts litter mate, so Hawk is your pups uncle. When ever I leave for even just a short time I always tell Hawk that he's in charge and I will be right back. He seems to no that I am not leaving him "forever".

[Gavin]

patci, on May 8 2008, 09:42 AM, said:

-Gavin at times i have to just leave her, but do you think i should practice other times when i'm home to put her in there. then let her out after she quiets down? she isn't afraid of going into her crate and i always give her a treat. this way i can also see how long she actually whines and barks. i'll try some practice sessions to see. thanks, Patci

Yes, you should definitely practice having crate-time while you are at home. That way she can learn that the crate is just a safe and calm place to be. Once she feels safe there, having you gone should be less stressful.

Oh, you know what else I did when she was young, I slept with a clean, soft blanket for a couple of nights and then put it in the crate with her. It seemed to help some.
Good luck!
-Gavin

Edited by Gavin, 08 May 2008 - 12:09 PM.

[liz]

Gavin, on May 8 2008, 08:06 PM, said:

Yes, you should definitely practice having crate-time while you are at home. That way she can learn that the crate is just a safe and calm place to be. Once she feels safe there, having you gone should be less stressful.

Oh, you know what else I did when she was young, I slept with a clean, soft blanket for a couple of nights and then put it in the crate with her. It seemed to help some.
Good luck!
-Gavin

I have never tried to crate Shunka, he would not like it at all! It was not a popular option when I got him over here, he used to love going under the settee as his quiet spot, but had to stop him from gong under when he was wearing the collar! Now he hasn't tried to go under since!

Have you tried covering the crate so it is more den-like!

He still doesn't like being left on his own too much and complains when we do, but we tell him to guard the house. No real problem except if there is a plastic bag containing anything on the floor, he must see what is in it! doesn't hurt what is inside, but the bag isn't much good any longer.

So also have to make sure that the shopping is under the cover in the estate car (station wagon) when we go shopping same reason, his curiosity!

No problem when he is in the car, he knows we are coming back and he is on guard.

[Larry O & Karen]

patci, on May 7 2008, 10:25 AM, said:

i was readling kim's notice about his new blood lines and realized my 9 mon Ayashe is one of kim's new dogs. her mother is abby and dad is scout. so far ayashe is 35 lbs and looks a lot smaller than the pictures i see here. she is silver,gray and has a little tan on her legs and face. everyone thinks she is a sherpherd mix. she has a wonderful temperament with people and kids. likes dogs and cats. but she scares easily with different sounds. she is really sweet and i'm so glad we drove up to oregon from calif to get her last oct. she doesn't like me to leave her . i put her in a large crate and she barks and cries. i hope her separation problem will improve but if any one has ideas how to help with this i'd appreciate the feedback Patci

Hello. I have your pup's brother, Ma'ii. He is getting so much better at being left behind. We do travel alot so he is in the motor home for longer periods of time. I make sure that he can't reach anything to chew on, has a few rubber toys (he is going through a 'rip up all the soft toys' period) to play with and hide a few treats. It has also helped to make sure he can see out the front window when we aren't there. He hasn't chewed furniture since he was teething, or had an accident in the house. We get the same reaction to Ma'ii from people who think he is a shepherd mix. Your girl is small compared to ours. Ma'ii is about 42 pounds now, solid muscle. We did use a crate for Ma'ii until recently. He didn't mind going into it, having the door closed etc. I kept it outside on our back porch so he didn't think about it when it wasn't in the house. At home he plays by himself in the back yard for longer periods of time. He is getting more independent, we can leave a room without being followed. Ma'ii is with us about 24/7 so occassionally I will take him to doggy day care, which he loves, so we all have a break. Post pictures of Ayashe.
Karen J

[linda]

Hi Patci ,
My name is Linda and I have a 1yr old from kim named snake I was offer abby but she was too agressive and then one of her pups I belive is you dogs littler mate named jabari cute guy buy also agreesive , so I ened up with snake he is also afrain of everything does not trust human I got him 1 wk before his first birthday . Kim did not human socialize him so everything is scarey snake is comming along I never kept him crated, He found a safe spot which is my bedroom . I live in pa so when the weather permits I open the windows he got afraid of all the noise and much more , as far as seperation anxiety you have to have alot of patience , go out for about 2 minutes then come back give her a treat if she did ok no mess,s ,then gradually stsy out longer .
no. 1 what happends when you leave her out of her crate? these dogs are very easy to train if I new that I would have gotten a baby not a n older pup. work with her as often as possible especial ly on your days off I do not take my dogs everywhere with me beccuase I do not want them getting use to it. when apup is taken from the mother too young they can have insecurities. just be patient . she will come around it woont happen over night Snake taught me that . Linda bell

patci, on May 7 2008, 12:25 PM, said:

i was readling kim's notice about his new blood lines and realized my 9 mon Ayashe is one of kim's new dogs. her mother is abby and dad is scout. so far ayashe is 35 lbs and looks a lot smaller than the pictures i see here. she is silver,gray and has a little tan on her legs and face. everyone thinks she is a sherpherd mix. she has a wonderful temperament with people and kids. likes dogs and cats. but she scares easily with different sounds. she is really sweet and i'm so glad we drove up to oregon from calif to get her last oct. she doesn't like me to leave her . i put her in a large crate and she barks and cries. i hope her separation problem will improve but if any one has ideas how to help with this i'd appreciate the feedback Patci

[Allison]

Linda, I have upgraded your account. Are you the gal that has worked with Sandy Mays?

[Allison]

Is it possible you meant strong-willed rather than aggressive? I have a recent picture and owner testimonial of Abby, and she seems far from aggressive.

[Tim]

linda, on Apr 6 2009, 12:18 PM, said:

Hi Patci ,
My name is Linda and I have a 1yr old from kim named snake I was offer abby but she was too agressive and then one of her pups I belive is you dogs littler mate named jabari cute guy buy also agreesive , so I ened up with snake he is also afrain of everything does not trust human I got him 1 wk before his first birthday . Kim did not human socialize him so everything is scarey snake is comming along I never kept him crated, He found a safe spot which is my bedroom . I live in pa so when the weather permits I open the windows he got afraid of all the noise and much more , as far as seperation anxiety you have to have alot of patience , go out for about 2 minutes then come back give her a treat if she did ok no mess,s ,then gradually stsy out longer .
no. 1 what happends when you leave her out of her crate? these dogs are very easy to train if I new that I would have gotten a baby not a n older pup. work with her as often as possible especial ly on your days off I do not take my dogs everywhere with me beccuase I do not want them getting use to it. when apup is taken from the mother too young they can have insecurities. just be patient . she will come around it woont happen over night Snake taught me that . Linda bell

Hi Linda, Patci, and all,

The question Patci asked is a good one and one that is often asked from new owners of the American Indian Dog (AID). Please remember that this trait you are all describing is one of the traits/temperaments that the Indians wanted and bred for and is also one of the traits that Kim still breeds for in the AID today. Please remember this is one of the traits that make our dogs so special and why so many of us love them. This temperament is a cautious survival instinct that is so important to the AID. We need to be careful that we do not call it something that it is not. Calling this temperament “aggressive” is far from the truth. There is a big difference between “shy aggressive” and a “shy cautious”. People who have not worked with the AID and do not understand this only assume that they are “shy aggressive”. There are other breeds and dogs that have “shy aggressive” behaviors and that is all that some people are used to dealing with so that is all they understand or assume.

I own several AIDs and have worked with many of Kim’s AIDs and specifically spent several weeks working with Linda’s dog Snake. I have not seen an AID that is aggressive and I know first hand specifically that Snake and Jabari are NOT aggressive or “shy aggressive”!! Example: If I was to corner Snake and walk straight up to him and touch him, he would cower but would never bite. It is true that Snake is “shy cautious” because he didn’t get much human socialization when young but he will learn and did learn very quickly when I worked with him.

The AID is generally a cautious and highly intelligent breed. It is important (new owners take note) to socialize your dogs early with as many things as you can (this is also very fun to do). It is important that the AID has a strong pack leader as an owner and can help lead them to become confident. A young AID that is well socialized will learn quickly what to be afraid of and what not to be afraid of when lead. When presented with something new, even as an adult, they should be cautious. I love to watch the older dogs that are so confidently watchful and observant and who confidently yet cautiously approach new things; it is part of what makes them special. You will learn to love this trait once you begin to understand it and appreciate it.

I hope I have said what I meant to say, I hope opinions are not read into this that are not intended, and I hope this has been helpful. Feel free to ask…

[Debi]

Tim, on Apr 10 2009, 08:56 PM, said:

The AID is generally a cautious and highly intelligent breed. It is important (new owners take note) to socialize your dogs early with as many things as you can (this is also very fun to do). It is important that the AID has a strong pack leader as an owner and can help lead them to become confident. A young AID that is well socialized will learn quickly what to be afraid of and what not to be afraid of when lead. When presented with something new, even as an adult, they should be cautious. I love to watch the older dogs that are so confidently watchful and observant and who confidently yet cautiously approach new things; it is part of what makes them special. You will learn to love this trait once you begin to understand it and appreciate it.

I hope I have said what I meant to say, I hope opinions are not read into this that are not intended, and I hope this has been helpful. Feel free to ask…

Thank you very much for you wise advice and the time you have taken to post this, Tim! I for one am looking forward into introducing our Solsti to new things and watching him react and interact. This cautiousness is one of the reasons we chose the AI breed...other than needed a special canine for our home! After raising a pack that had some of these same instincts, it is a positive aspect when it is dealt with in the right way...which you have presented here! Again, thank you so much!!

[patci]

its been awhile since i've posted anything about ayashe. we stopped crating her last year when we leave the house. she is great. never anything messed with while we're gone. she is a wonderful dog. she loves dogs,cats,kids, and people. she doesn't have any aggressiveness mentioned above. in fact sometimes she's a afraid of things like a bag or newspaper flying by, or sudden sound and she jumps back. she still doesn't like me to leave but handles it much better. probably cuz she knows i'm coming back. looks like her brother is much bigger. she settled in at 35-36 lbs she looks slender but its a good wt for her patci

[liz]

patci, on Apr 29 2009, 11:54 PM, said:

its been awhile since i've posted anything about ayashe. we stopped crating her last year when we leave the house. she is great. never anything messed with while we're gone. she is a wonderful dog. she loves dogs,cats,kids, and people. she doesn't have any aggressiveness mentioned above. in fact sometimes she's a afraid of things like a bag or newspaper flying by, or sudden sound and she jumps back. she still doesn't like me to leave but handles it much better. probably cuz she knows i'm coming back. looks like her brother is much bigger. she settled in at 35-36 lbs she looks slender but its a good wt for her patci

I have had problems with some owners believing Shunka is aggressive, he is not, but he does respond to aggressiveness in other dogs that the owners are not addressing or recognisng. he is extreemely protective of me also when I am out with him on my own, he wants to know just what other people and dogs are like, and checks them out very closely. he can pick up problems long before I can!

He makes sure a strange dog does not approach me if there is any possible problem, after seeing new dogs in the area, and there has been no aggressive resoponse he is fine with them and tolerates their presence on his patch.

he has lved here for 11 years now, and nw dogs have to be vetted first!

[linda]

Hi Patci ,
My name is LInd aand I have one od Luka' and Neeci pups . I was so excited to find out that he was half of the so called new blood because I am cherokee from the trail of tears
Snake is very sensitive to niose's his aunt lives not far from me and she gets spooked easily so it take understanding and patient Snake taught me that . also I have come to relize that these are velcrow dogs they like to be with you no matter what you are doing . for example spirit Snakes aunts owner Bob is redoing my bathroom today wellshe is no lie right up his but I think if she could help him she would he told me he kept her in a crate for one year before he trusted her loose Now with Snake he has never been crated since he has been with me I got him in Dec 2008 he was just turning one I have never had a problem with him loose he has his safe spots and thats where he goes when I am not there . Just have patient it help to give them a treat when you leave something to keep them busy . thats how I have delt with Snake and he was real timid 5 months ago . Goos Luck they are worth the patients Linda & Snake

patci, on May 7 2008, 01:25 PM, said:

i was readling kim's notice about his new blood lines and realized my 9 mon Ayashe is one of kim's new dogs. her mother is abby and dad is scout. so far ayashe is 35 lbs and looks a lot smaller than the pictures i see here. she is silver,gray and has a little tan on her legs and face. everyone thinks she is a sherpherd mix. she has a wonderful temperament with people and kids. likes dogs and cats. but she scares easily with different sounds. she is really sweet and i'm so glad we drove up to oregon from calif to get her last oct. she doesn't like me to leave her . i put her in a large crate and she barks and cries. i hope her separation problem will improve but if any one has ideas how to help with this i'd appreciate the feedback Patci