Larsen Poultry Ranch - homesteading journey

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

Dog is still pooping in the house, despite adding a puppy pad to where she had gone before. I guess we just need to put puppy pads everywhere we don't want her to go.

The dog and cats seem to be getting along better, they almost sniffed noses last night and they aren't hissing/barking. The dog will chase if the cat runs, but stops if we scold her.

 

[Baymule]

I think if we can find a pulley, we can pull it towards another tree (that needs to fall) so the truck isn't directly in the way the tree is going to fall. That's husband's department, I'm just there to help disassemble the tree. I need to find my lopers, so I can cut up some more of the branches, there's a few he didn't get with the chainsaw that are big enough to be good kindling/fire start.

He wants to do a burn pile to get rid of the really small stuff, I'd prefer to chop it a bit and then mix with the rabbit manure or poultry manure to make compost. I think it's going to depend on the next rain and who gets to the pile first.

Y’all need a wood chipper, most will easily handle up to 2” limbs.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

Y’all need a wood chipper, most will easily handle up to 2” limbs.

My brother brought one over, just before dark. I was trying to keep the smaller bits for kindling, which is what he then starting trying to chip up. I think it will all work out.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

I actually remembered to take photos today:

 

[thistlebloom]

You guys are really getting after the work on your new place! Don't forget to record all the changes with pictures. It's so satisfying to look back at where you started and be amazed at your progress.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

Yeah, there's a lot of trees that were dead/dying. I can't remember if I already posted and I'm too lazy right now to go back and look. The people who owned it before us rented it out, and two tenants ago they had horses... 15 horses at one point. They ate to bark off so many of these trees it killed the trees.

We'd also like to improve the view and expand the cleared space. There's going to be beautiful sunsets visible if we can get rid of a few more trees down the hill.

Hubby is happy with the progress we made today, the big almost flat spot is pretty much cleared and he's eyeing the spot for a shop. He brought his splitter over today too, so we will probably split most of this next weekend unless we work in the dark.

 

[purplequeenvt]

Dog is still pooping in the house, despite adding a puppy pad to where she had gone before. I guess we just need to put puppy pads everywhere we don't want her to go.

The dog and cats seem to be getting along better, they almost sniffed noses last night and they aren't hissing/barking. The dog will chase if the cat runs, but stops if we scold her.

This is my 2 cents about the dog issue......

Get a crate that is sized correctly for her. It does not matter that she wasn’t previously crate-trained, she needs to learn the rules. She may make a stink about it, but don’t give in

She needs to go in the crate whenever you are not in the house or are unable to keep an eye on her. Don’t use the crate as a punishment however, only as a means to contain/control her when you aren’t around. Make her sleep in the crate at night too.

Next step is get her on a schedule. If she’s used to free-feeding, stop. Offer her a measured portion twice a day. What she doesn’t eat within 10 minutes, pick up.

She needs regular, supervised potty breaks. If she’s easily distracted, keep her on leash until she’s done her business. Set a timer to remind you to take her out if you need to.

If you find a poop or pee in the house, don’t shove her face in it or punish her, she won’t understand why you are doing that. Verbally correct her only if you catch her in the act. We use a sharp “eh” or “oi” as our displeased tone and usually, if someone is being bad, as soon as we make that sound, they change their behavior. Even my 17 week old puppy has that figured out.

If you catch her in the act, quickly move her outside to finish.

Small dogs can be brats about house rules/house training, but if you are firm (not harsh) and consistent, they can be trained.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

This is my 2 cents about the dog issue......

Get a crate that is sized correctly for her. It does not matter that she wasn’t previously crate-trained, she needs to learn the rules. She may make a stink about it, but don’t give in

She needs to go in the crate whenever you are not in the house or are unable to keep an eye on her. Don’t use the crate as a punishment however, only as a means to contain/control her when you aren’t around. Make her sleep in the crate at night too.

Next step is get her on a schedule. If she’s used to free-feeding, stop. Offer her a measured portion twice a day. What she doesn’t eat within 10 minutes, pick up.

She needs regular, supervised potty breaks. If she’s easily distracted, keep her on leash until she’s done her business. Set a timer to remind you to take her out if you need to.

If you find a poop or pee in the house, don’t shove her face in it or punish her, she won’t understand why you are doing that. Verbally correct her only if you catch her in the act. We use a sharp “eh” or “oi” as our displeased tone and usually, if someone is being bad, as soon as we make that sound, they change their behavior. Even my 17 week old puppy has that figured out.

If you catch her in the act, quickly move her outside to finish.

Small dogs can be brats about house rules/house training, but if you are firm (not harsh) and consistent, they can be trained.

I'd love to do this, but husband is not going to be on board. It's his dog, and he babies her. She's almost 10? Not sure her actual age. I think she would be fine in the yard all day, with a dog house/access to heat controlled area, but I'm told that is "mean"/"cruel".

I really dislike how small dogs are treated compared to big dogs. They aren't people and they do need to follow rules. I think part of the problem is I'm the primary cleaner in the house, so he's not having to pick up her poop and treat the pee spots. I started pushing back on that this weekend, made him clean it up.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

The main differences between our new house and his parents house where the dog was before, is the layout and presence of the cats. His parents have a laundry room that they turned halfway into a kennel, with a dog door to an outside enclosed area so the dogs can go there.

Our new house we enter through the laundry room, and there's not really a way to transform it to a kennel like they had. We also have to deal with the cats, because they are indoor only, and if we add a dog door they are going to get out and I don't want them to turn into coyote snacks. So we need to figure out how to make a completely enclosed area where the dogs can access the yard to go to the bathroom but the cats can't escape.

 

[Baymule]

No personal experience, but I have seen pictures of an outdoors cattery, all enclosed with tree branches, potty box and things of interest to cats. Some open a window, or put a cat door in the window, giving access to the cattery. If you made this off the laundry room, you could put in the dog door and an outside human door for access. Your husband is attached to his little PeePot and this might help. My sister keeps puppy pads in the entry of her home, where all her little PeePots go potty. They usually go right next to the pads........