paddy

[lilian leighton]

Hi, my 8mth old red setter is welcoming us  when we come down in the morning  mouthing still for at least 20 mins any ideas how to stop him. He also his very fussy with his eating any ideas there.

[lilian leighton]

Hi sherry ,thanks for your advice i have not got a crate yet  somehow don' fancy that... besides i would have a job getting him in it he would wrap his legs around us so we can't even put him outside when he's naughty, he's always pinching things. I never realised how naughty and manipulating these dogs are, i have had big bold German Shepherds but Paddy I never known anything like him, but i do admire him and love him.....ps and we can't even sit on our settee cause he's on it lol

[Sherry Miller]

He's got your number big time! I'm going to suggest obedience classes..and lots of mini training sessions during the day. I just did a few minutes here and there (with favored treat they only got at that time)and soon had them sitting on their own hoping that counted as training! I used teeny,tiny treats that a purse puppy would get and they were crazy about them. 

   Do you have children in the house? Our wildest Irish were the ones we had while our girls were growing up! Thing is Irish Setters are smart and you have to stay ahead of them. Lots of playing (stop if they start jumping up or mouthing you),walks with training sessions thrown into middle of them. We still have to reward the "up pup" command when we want to sit on a particular chair here (she slips in when your ready to sit but it's cause she craves that purse puppy treat (size of a baby fingernail). We didn't crate except our last two..others had their own room when we were gone. Molly (10 month old rescue) we got a crate and only used when gone but within a month started testing her for small amounts of time and found worse thing she did while we were gone was to stretch out on our bed cuddled in our pillows! So crate truly wasn't needed for her and gone within two months. Seemed to me our Irish liked an audience for their naughtiness as it usually happened when we were home.

I had a good laugh at your method of tempting Paddy to eat! I know we worry when they get finicky about eating but I haven't had one starve themselves yet. My husband worries about it but I just figure they aren't hungry yet....sometimes a small treat offered for a handshake will have them heading to their food bowl (like a wake up for their tummy). I've handfed only after illness here or a messy treat they love (to keep out of their fur). I truly laughed out loud at you meowing like a cat to try to get him to eat. Molly does like me to sit in the kitchen while she eats as she doesn't want to miss anything going on. I'm thinking you better not teach Paddy to speak or you'll never get a moment's peace! Molly retrieved our morning paper for us and fetches the mail....No reward no paper or mail is her rule! I'll admit she is spoiled rotten but one of our best behaved Irish. (Our first female and rescue). Always had male puppies before and those teenage years with them were wild....reason if you aren't training so many give up and rehome the dog! Once you get thru them you'll find all the wildness settles into a family member who will delight you with laughter, joy and love like you've never known before..and then you're  hooked! I truly looked at other pups after losing our old Gentleman Irish but while they were cute they just didn't grab my heart as an Irish Setter stole it way back in 73 and they are very addictive. Good luck with Paddy.

[lilian leighton]

HI Howard, thanks for replying i have to say on fussy eating we can beat beat you hands down, if he won't eat his dinner i ,most times have to take the bowl of food outside and make out I've got an imaginary cat that's going to gobble it down, and have been caught out by the next door neighbor making mi ow noises.Well if that don't work it gets worse we,... that his  is 4 slaves get on our hands and knees making out were enjoying his food, then at last he may decide to be hand fed, hope this tells you about LORD PADDY lol thanks lizzi

[Howard Glansfield]

I like it!!!!! We are all daft over our red friends.Some,mainly you and me, more than others!