Me and my husband are at our wits end with our female dog, everytime she sees another dog she pulls like mad and barks and growls and 99% of the time all the other poor dog wants to do is play or say hello, it is starting to go out of control.
Heres more detail to help you all advise better:
First of all she was rescued just under a year ago, her last owners lived next door but one to us, and we could hear her cries coming from an upstairs room, we called the R.S.P.C.A and to keep it short we ended up with her.
She is around 7 or 8 eight years old, the reason that im not sure is that her previous owner wasn't much help and didn't seem like she knew much about her.
We have moved home several times, (4 times in the last year)Im wondering if this has caused her any upset even though she seems to have handled it well ie settling in well.
She pants 24/7 no matter what we do, we give her plenty of water, food, walkies etc, she is spoilt rotten and she is well loved.
Please sum 1 help
Answers:
Time to get her evaluated by a behavorist or someone who deals with shy/aggressive dogs. They should be able to help you get a handle on this or some ideas before this escalates into something worse.
Has she been fixed. Sometimes intact females react very badly to other female dogs. Having a dog aggressive dog can be a very difficult thing to work with. It is really hard to give advice without actually seeing what the dog is doing. Try getting some behavior help. The R.S.P.C.A may not have been able to take the dog in, but they do have a behavior help line.
If you have spoilt her rotten it is no wonder she has a bad attitude. That doesn't work for dogs any better than it does for children. You need some professional help to get her back on track. And for pity's sake, stop spoiling her! That is not a sign of love but of insecurity.
If this was my dog I would be looking to change her diet. Too much protein can cause aggression, noise, damage etc.
Think about putting her on a good quality CHICKEN based dried food. Aim for something about 22%. No more!
She should have this food and that alone! If you need to titbit her through the day then take it out of her food ration. NO HUMAN FOOD or manufactured treats (some of them are a ridiculous 60% protein!) Be strict with yourselves!!
A few weeks and your dog will calm down
All The Very Best and well done for giving a needy dog a home
1. Get her fixed if she isn't . It will get rid of her hormones and that will help
2. Take her to a training class...
3. when she barks and growls at other dogs pop her on the nose and say NO is a sturdy voice...
SHe i will learn but her 7 years of no training is going to take a while to alter.
When you take on a rescue dog it takes a long while to build up their trust,so you must be patient with her.Putting on a Gentle Leader will stop her pulling when she sees other dogs %26 give you complete control.Try taking her to training classes so she can socialise with others.
The constant panting could be anxiety or is she very overweight?Give her lots of encouragement to build up confidence %26 small treats when she's good.
You don't know what she's been through,so her trust will take time.Sounds like you love her to bits which is the best treat of all!Good luck %26 don't give up on her.
Does she pull only on the lead? How does she react around other dogs in a neutral space, like the park?
Sometimes dogs on leads feel threatened by other dogs when they are on a lead and aren't free to meet other dogs naturally, the tail-wagging, bum-sniffing bit..
I would definately get professional advice, a quick session, even, could work wonders, and endorse the people who advised not spoiling her and not feeding her a high protein diet .(That worked for my Border Collie, who was as high as a kite as a young dog, till I took advice to both change her behaviour-and mine- and change her diet. Result: far calmer,happier dog).
As for why she pants. Is your house always hot? Maybe there's an underlying reason the behaviourist and/or the vet could advise on? You don't say what breed she is, only pugs, bulldogs and squat-faced dogs always pant a lot because they can't breathe easily the way they've been bred.
So you need to either call the RSPCA begaviour advice people, or Battersea Dogs Home has a behaviour advice line that's good, and they can both advise you further if need be.
Stop spoiling her with treats etc. If you are feling insecure around her, the dog will be picking this up from you. You can't compensate for her past experiences, just love her, play with her, take her out regularly, and make sure she has mental stimulation as well, and isn't left home alone for very long.
You are on the right track, just keep going.You will all be happier and more contented in the end.
It seems like your poor dog has had a traumatic life and i assume she never received proper sociliastion during the critical time for pups between 6-16weeks.
Is she actually attacking the other dogs she growls/barks at?
Without actually seeing your dog no one can correctly advice the best method to help her. Some dogs can become very defensive on the lead, as they have no means of escape should they be confronted so understandably they become the one's warning other dogs to stay away. Some dogs show this behaviour on lead and off lead there perfectly fine. I strongly advice you seek a behaviourist who can asses your dog on a one to one basis and see her body language in action, but for now here is what i suggest. Firstly keep her on the lead at all times when other dogs are around as it's your job to be a responsible dog owner. Secondly can she be distracted from "locking" on to a dog? If she readily looks at you and is generally obediant then it might be possible to focus her attention away from the other dog. Next time you go on a walk, take some tasty treats or your dogs faveourite toy, your dog must be pretty obsessed with whatever your using. If using a toy, limit it to only walks, don't let her have it at home as you want her to regard it as a very rewarding object. When YOU spot a dog in the distance, calmly call her name and offer the toy or treat she has to be focused on you and the toy/treat if she spots the other dog first then it's to late to bring the toy or treat out as she will be to fixtated on the other dog, so your going to have to be very vigilant. If another dog approaches you or your dog starts barking/growling at a dog, calmly turn the other way with the command "no" or "enough" in a firm loud voice, don't tense up and shorten the lead etc as this is picked up by your dog and she feels there is a reason to act defensively as you are. Reinforce her general obediance at any given time you can, around the house, garden, walks, if she wants something let her work for it by doing a simple sit beforehand etc.
Moving around alot can make dogs edgy and unsettled soit's important you take into consideration the fact that she is still finding her feet. Although she seems to have settled well each time, the fact is it can take dogs ( esp rescues) many months or even years to fully settle and feel comfortable with there owners/enviroment. Take her to the vet for a check up and at the same time ask if they can check whether she's been spayed or not, if she hasn't book her in to be spayed right away. Good luck.
i have similar problems with my dog and got a specialist round who suggested firstly a gentle leader/halty (head collar) for the pulling, this worked almost instantly he didnt like it at first ,but now my wife can walk him one handed (he is 42kg) as for going for other dogs it was suggested to me to carry an amount of boiled chicken with me and the moment my dog saw another ie just as he was about to react make him sit and give him the treat then when we were past the other dog again give him a treat the idea being that eventualy he wouldnt be interested in any other dog as he would assume that he would be getting a treat and once he was at this stage slowly start socialising with other dogs at a distance first then closer...this worked up to a stage with mine i have since found the best way is to bring other dogs to the house.my dog goes mad at the window at them once inside he sniffs has a small go at them (obviously stoopped by me) hes then fine and they have always got on after, i should point out the other dogs were owned by friends who had complete trust in me and i in them just incase it got nasty and we never left them alone to begin with. hope this helps
I dont mean to burst your bubble but i dont think its anything to do with her diet! She has obviously been abused in one form or another by her previous owners and however much love you have shown her, and you have, this abuse has stuck with her sadly. Also dogs do not like change and your house moves may have unsettled her. Such is her attachment to you she is not trying to attack the other dogs she see's, she is protecting you from that dog! Excessive panting can be a sign of anxiety and it can sometimes be a symptom of an illness ( heart problems cause excessive panting ) Have any of your friends got a dog? If they have, follow this advice and see what happens. Firstly, if you are nervous, your dog will pick up on it right away and become either your protector or become anxious herself! So, ask your friend to either come to your house or meet in the park. If you're nervous - try and calm yourself! ( have a glass of wine! ) Keep both dogs on their leads at ALL times. Approach your friends dog slowly, allow your dog to see the other well before you get there. Keep her on a short lead and walk around your friend and her dog. Gradually decrease the ' circle ' distance as you walk around them. have a fair amount of treats in your pocket and get your friend to do the same. Ignore your dogs barking and pulling at this stage. When you are within throwing distance of your friend, give your dog a treat and throw one to your friends dog. Move in a bit closer, throw another treat each, always give to your dog first. Keep doing this until you are very close to your friend and allow the dogs to just have enough room on the leads to touch noses. If she starts creating dont pull her away, shout NO in a loud firm voice. If she stops it, give her a treat. Give your friends dog one as well. This could go on for three to four hours so be prepared to be out,or in as the case may be,for a while! If it doesn't go so well the first time round, DONT give up! Repeat this exercise and sooner or later your dog will realise that you are NOT going to give in to her behaviour! You are the boss and she needs to be taught this now or you'll end up with an unsociable little mare that you cant take anywhere. Well done to you both for taking her in and especially for reporting your horrible neighbour in the first place, the world needs more like you! Good luck.
This problem could be due to a number of things really,one being all the house moving can definetly affect her,I know it did with my dog when I had him. Plus she's getting on a bit in life,not very old but no puppy either.
And then there's a case of how bad she was treated in the past,and it does sound like she was treated badly and made very unhappy and scared,so its no wonder she has behavioural problems now,poor thing.
Why dont you ask your local vet for advice on what you could do to make all of you much happier,vets arnt just there to treat sick animals,they can help in many ways.
either get advice from your vet or a cheaper way contact a dog trainer usually an hour evening time and 6 visit will do the trick around 拢50/60 but i have seen it work on a west Morley with same problem and he's great now
more details plzzz
Hi,have you had her checked over by the vet.Has for the lead my girl is nearly 13 on the lead she barks pulls etc like a nutter off it she plays with the other dogs.There is loads of dogs on leads all seem to have the same attitude yet once off the lead they all play.I feed my girl on jameswell beloved has there is so much additives in some other foods.I do give her treats.Like us she gets bored eating the same stuff %26 the vet said in moderation it will not hurt.Good Luck
http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/realcyc...
If your dog is panting that is a sign of nervousness ,
your vet will be able to advise you on how to relax her and make her feel safe and calm.
the reason that i think this dog is sometimes anrgy is because when he was brought up i think he diddn't get the love he needed im not sure though sorry
Could be diet but not sure that would solve the problem. I would deffinitely get her checked out by a vet if only because of the panting. It sounds like defensive barking, is she the same if she meets another dog when she's off the lead? You may not have been able to try it if she behaves so badly. I would visit the vet first then, if there's nothing physicaly wrong, take her along to training classes for socialisation and work from there.
I think you'd know if she was fixed or not but if un sure look for scar on her lower abs. 2ndly use a prong collar on her when walking and give her short pops of the lead to correct that behavior. Prongs look harsher than they are have a pet store fit it for you to assure it is properly fit for comfort and use. Maybe call a trainer in your area that could start working on the both of you one on one before going to a class filled with other dogs. Socialization is a huge key with any dog.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment