Dog people. I need some serious help.

[luvvy]

I know I keep going on about my dogs and it is making me incredibly boring and monotonous but I really need some help.  Frankie is being a butthead.  She has completely regressed with bathroom stuff and has started nipping and growling at all of us, but particularly G.  I don't know what to do.  We have started over with crate training and we are diligent with taking her outside several times a day.  I truly think she is lonely and needs more stimulation but she refuses to play with toys or with us and only wants to lay on our laps (which is totally fine and she does whenever she is not in her crate).  I don't know what to do.  H is totally fed up and about to re-home her because of the nipping at G.  The thing is, she NEVER did this before and she adored G.  They would lay together on the floor and chase each other around.  Please suggest something... anything.  I don't know what else to do.

[darkling_glory]

When was the last time she had a full check up? Sudden changes in behavior can signal a hidden illness.

[luvvy]

Mar 4, 2014 14:46:02 GMT -5 @scottydeux said:

Do you think there's a chance the dog will bite G. It sounds like jealousy.

I don't think so.  She has never bitten anyone that we know of but at this point, I don't really trust her.

[luvvy]

Mar 4, 2014 14:46:22 GMT -5 darkling_glory said:

When was the last time she had a full check up? Sudden changes in behavior can signal a hidden illness.

Last fall.  She is due for her annual exam so I will be checking with the vet then.

[midnightmare81]

Mar 4, 2014 14:46:22 GMT -5 darkling_glory said:

When was the last time she had a full check up? Sudden changes in behavior can signal a hidden illness.

This. I would get her checked to make sure she isn't sick or injured. Back pain, UTI's, ect can all cause bathroom issues and grumpiness. I currently have a UTI and you bet your bottom if I had a kid around I would be rather grumpy! Just the playing and such would get on my nerves...

[purrbox]

What breed of dog is this? How old is the dog?

[luvvy]

Mar 4, 2014 14:48:50 GMT -5 @scottydeux said:

Mar 4, 2014 14:47:18 GMT -5 luvvy said:

I don't think so.  She has never bitten anyone that we know of but at this point, I don't really trust her.

Is there a good home that the dog can live in for now/until G is older?  There are no ideal situations at this point, usually, just asking.  I don't blame you for your worry.

It isn't just G though.  She nips at my H and me as well.  Pretty much anyone and there isn't always a reason.  I was petting her last night for 15 minutes and I guess she had enough because she flipped and growled/nipped at me and she is my dog/shadow.

[luvvy]

Mar 4, 2014 14:51:00 GMT -5 purrbox said:

What breed of dog is this? How old is the dog?

She is a yorkie/dachshund.  She just turned 3 in October.

[purrbox]

I see from your previous posts that she is a Yorkie/dachshund mix. You even described her as getting lots of attention and being "spoiled."

I would try to be firmer with her and set more boundaries. Treat her like a large breed dog. When she nips, roll her over onto her back and firmly tell her, "no."

I have no advice on the potty training stuff, but doing the above could lead to improvements in that department too.

[luvvy]

Mar 4, 2014 14:52:10 GMT -5 mp said:

Full vet workup. Meet with a behaviorist (not a trainer). Continue crate training and invest in baby gates, if you haven't already.

Hope you're able to find a workable solution.

Our house is a maze of baby gates.  Between G and Holly, we basically had the entire house on lockdown, room by room.  I think the worst part is G wants to love on her but I can't let him.  He went from 3 dogs to no dogs. 

[luvvy]

Mar 4, 2014 14:55:19 GMT -5 purrbox said:

I see from your previous posts that she is a Yorkie/dachshund mix. You even described her as getting lots of attention and being "spoiled."

I would try to be firmer with her and set more boundaries. Treat her like a large breed dog. When she nips, roll her over onto her back and firmly tell her, "no."

I have no advice on the potty training stuff, but doing the above could lead to improvements in that department too.

Thanks.  We do this and she pees everywhere to show submission.  She is getting way more attention than normal because well, we only have one dog now.  I'm guessing she is getting very possessive of me in particular and just being a jerk because she is sad.  However, I will definitely have the vet check her out.

[berbles]

Mar 4, 2014 14:56:54 GMT -5 luvvy said:

Mar 4, 2014 14:55:19 GMT -5 purrbox said:

I see from your previous posts that she is a Yorkie/dachshund mix. You even described her as getting lots of attention and being "spoiled."

I would try to be firmer with her and set more boundaries. Treat her like a large breed dog. When she nips, roll her over onto her back and firmly tell her, "no."

I have no advice on the potty training stuff, but doing the above could lead to improvements in that department too.

Thanks.  We do this and she pees everywhere to show submission.  She is getting way more attention than normal because well, we only have one dog now.  I'm guessing she is getting very possessive of me in particular and just being a jerk because she is sad.  However, I will definitely have the vet check her out.

I had a dog who was both a submissive urinater AND an aggressive dominant.  When she would backslide, we would make sure we were always careful about showing quiet dominance over her, just to remind her who's in control, without triggering the submissive peeing.  Things like walking through doorways ahead of her (sometimes we'd have to hold her back to keep her from darting through a door before us), feeding her last, making her wait for things, not allowing her on/kicking her off the couch unless invited etc.

It's especially important to do those tricks with small dogs because it's so easy to let them get away with minor aggressiveness since we can physically restrain them, KWIM?

[luvvy]

Mar 4, 2014 15:05:18 GMT -5 berbles said:

I had a dog who was both a submissive urinater AND an aggressive dominant.  When she would backslide, we would make sure we were always careful about showing quiet dominance over her, just to remind her who's in control, without triggering the submissive peeing.  Things like walking through doorways ahead of her (sometimes we'd have to hold her back to keep her from darting through a door before us), feeding her last, making her wait for things, not allowing her on/kicking her off the couch unless invited etc.

It's especially important to do those tricks with small dogs because it's so easy to let them get away with minor aggressiveness since we can physically restrain them, KWIM?

Yes, I know exactly what you mean.  We do not allow her up/on things unless she is told she can and we have always tried to show the quiet dominance with the doorway/stairs thing.  She is not allowed unless we tell her it's ok for basically anything and everything.  I'm sure that we have gotten lazy though with wanting to baby her since she is the lone survivor.  I will be talking with SS and H tonight about the new "rules" for her and that we all need to abide by them no matter what.  I also have an appointment with the vet tomorrow at 2:00.

[mrsukyankee]

I would go as far as to not let her up on your seats for the time being until the nipping goes away for a long while. She needs to be reminded she's a dog and the lowest in the group. Ignore misbehaviour a lot and don't pet her unless you have called her over. Good luck!

[katietornado]

Mar 4, 2014 14:55:19 GMT -5 purrbox said:

I see from your previous posts that she is a Yorkie/dachshund mix. You even described her as getting lots of attention and being "spoiled."

I would try to be firmer with her and set more boundaries. Treat her like a large breed dog. When she nips, roll her over onto her back and firmly tell her, "no."

I have no advice on the potty training stuff, but doing the above could lead to improvements in that department too.

Jesus Christ, do not ever do this.  This is bullshit Cesar Milan sort of stuff, that has been thoroughly debunked.  You can read here about alpha rolls.

Having fostered a lot of dogs, including problem dogs who were returned to our rescue, I do agree that you need to treat the dog like a dog.  No getting on furniture, no attention unless she earns it (i.e. you don't pet her or give her treats til she sits or does something else that you request), crate training, etc.  Plenty of exercise helps also.

We have fostered more than one dog who was returned for biting or having what was perceived to be aggressive tendencies.  All of these people coddled these dogs, letting them in their beds, on the furniture, etc.  When we took them in and treated them like dogs, we had exactly zero issues with them.

[purrbox]

Mar 4, 2014 21:08:12 GMT -5 katietornado said:

Mar 4, 2014 14:55:19 GMT -5 purrbox said:

I see from your previous posts that she is a Yorkie/dachshund mix. You even described her as getting lots of attention and being "spoiled."

I would try to be firmer with her and set more boundaries. Treat her like a large breed dog. When she nips, roll her over onto her back and firmly tell her, "no."

I have no advice on the potty training stuff, but doing the above could lead to improvements in that department too.

Jesus Christ, do not ever do this.  This is bullshit Cesar Milan sort of stuff, that has been thoroughly debunked.  You can read here about alpha rolls.

Having fostered a lot of dogs, including problem dogs who were returned to our rescue, I do agree that you need to treat the dog like a dog.  No getting on furniture, no attention unless she earns it (i.e. you don't pet her or give her treats til she sits or does something else that you request), crate training, etc.  Plenty of exercise helps also.

We have fostered more than one dog who was returned for biting or having what was perceived to be aggressive tendencies.  All of these people coddled these dogs, letting them in their beds, on the furniture, etc.  When we took them in and treated them like dogs, we had exactly zero issues with them.

I didn't say beat the dog into submission. Have you ever seen dogs play? They do this kind of stuff all of the time. It's not inhumane at all, and it works. My mom had a little dog who started growling at people and nipping when they approached my mom. The dog was being possessive and dominant over my mom. This is the only method that worked.

I'm not advocating doing this with all dogs. Some dogs are more sensitive than others (you have greyhounds, right? I don't know much about that breed), but pits, high energy dogs, and dogs with little dog syndrome sometimes need this.

I quickly browsed the website you linked to. It talks about how there is no pack leader, so they feel that the dominant roll does not work. But whether being the pack leader works or not, this method also is about communication--communicating to a headstrong dog that growling and nipping is inappropriate.

OP, if your dog urinates after you've done this, then obviously this method isn't going to work for her. I hope you have luck with a trainer, behaviorist, or whatever path you take. 

[Cricket]

Mar 4, 2014 14:55:45 GMT -5 luvvy said:

Mar 4, 2014 14:52:10 GMT -5 mp said:

Full vet workup. Meet with a behaviorist (not a trainer). Continue crate training and invest in baby gates, if you haven't already.

Hope you're able to find a workable solution.

Our house is a maze of baby gates.  Between G and Holly, we basically had the entire house on lockdown, room by room.  I think the worst part is G wants to love on her but I can't let him.  He went from 3 dogs to no dogs. 

What happened to the others? Any chance she's reacting to the loss of her doggy friends?

[luvvy]

Mar 4, 2014 22:23:36 GMT -5 Cricket said:

Mar 4, 2014 14:55:45 GMT -5 luvvy said:

Our house is a maze of baby gates.  Between G and Holly, we basically had the entire house on lockdown, room by room.  I think the worst part is G wants to love on her but I can't let him.  He went from 3 dogs to no dogs. 

What happened to the others? Any chance she's reacting to the loss of her doggy friends?

Well, while we were at the vet putting down our oldest dog (my baby girl, Henri), our puppy, Holly, was stolen from our yard.  SS was home watching DS and Frankie and Holly were outside playing.  It was the first nice day without ice and sleet for about a week so the dogs NEEDED some time to run outside in our fenced and safe yard.

It is VERY likely that she is missing her sisters but there isn't anything I can do to fix it.  I tried convincing H to foster so she has a playmate but he knows me too well and is certain any fosters will end up staying with us forever.

[PinkSquirrel]

What about doggie daycare a day or two a week? If she's missing her friends it might help to give her more opportunities to play with other dogs. A dog park would also work, but it's a little cold in most of the US to be spending any real time there, but in the spring/summer it may be an option.

[luvvy]

Mar 4, 2014 23:17:03 GMT -5 PinkSquirrel said:

What about doggie daycare a day or two a week? If she's missing her friends it might help to give her more opportunities to play with other dogs. A dog park would also work, but it's a little cold in most of the US to be spending any real time there, but in the spring/summer it may be an option.

My husband would freak at the thought of doggie daycare.  It's not too cold here for the dog park.  It's just tough getting there with our schedules.  Maybe I will bribe some friends to bring their dogs over for a play date.

[joshlyman]

1. Vet
2. Google NILF - implement
3. Behaviorist ( certified, not just a trainer)

[joshlyman]

Mar 4, 2014 23:41:37 GMT -5 @gracie6414 said:

Mar 4, 2014 21:08:12 GMT -5 katietornado said:

Jesus Christ, do not ever do this.  This is bullshit Cesar Milan sort of stuff, that has been thoroughly debunked.  You can read here about alpha rolls.

Having fostered a lot of dogs, including problem dogs who were returned to our rescue, I do agree that you need to treat the dog like a dog.  No getting on furniture, no attention unless she earns it (i.e. you don't pet her or give her treats til she sits or does something else that you request), crate training, etc.  Plenty of exercise helps also.

We have fostered more than one dog who was returned for biting or having what was perceived to be aggressive tendencies.  All of these people coddled these dogs, letting them in their beds, on the furniture, etc.  When we took them in and treated them like dogs, we had exactly zero issues with them.

? I think you misunderstood.

She was talking about rolling the dog on their back, asserting dominance and allowing the dog to switch out of the nipping mode, now a lower roll or submission roll, no aggression or beating.

DO NOT DO THIS

The dominance roll has been disproven many many times. It is detrimental and can lead to more aggression.

[motzie]

Your H would rather get rid of the dog than let him go to doggy daycare?

[TC]

I think my first step would be ruling out a bladder/kidney infection considering she has regressed so much on her house training.

Then I would call a R+ behaviorist, who practices current training methods and acknowledges that dominance theory and other wolf pack based concepts are a load of crap for domesticated dogs. You will never be able to replicate the security she had in her hierarchy with the other dogs as a human. Dogs communicate on such a minute level that attempting to communicate using their language through things such as rolling is absurd and we will never be able to do it effectively and humanely the way dogs do to each other. You are likely to just stress out out more doing stuff like that. Be kind, be firm, but be a human.

And I would get her into daycare. It sounds like she is really struggling without her companions.

[luvvy]

Mar 5, 2014 0:07:42 GMT -5 motzie said:

Your H would rather get rid of the dog than let him go to doggy daycare?

I never said that.  I said he would freak meaning he would think it is ridiculous but like all things would let me do whatever I need to.

[luvvy]

Mar 5, 2014 0:16:32 GMT -5 mp said:

I didn't realize you'd gone from 3 dogs down to just the 1 - sorry, I'd forgotten the story. Your dog had playmates and buddies and now is alone - I am betting he is not getting enough exercise or mental stimulation in part due to them being gone. Definitely look at doggy daycare, going to the dog parks, or can you look at adopting again?

I would love to adopt again but with the off chance that Holly does come home, three dogs, particularly two large dogs, is just too much for us right now and I would hate to put us in the position of having to rehome one of them or not be able to give them the attention they need.  However, I do already have a potential baby to adopt from the local shelter.  I even called to ask the preliminary questions.

[lolanjoe]

I would go to the vet to rule out a UTI as the first thing -- this can cause regression in potty training with dogs of any age. Could she be depressed/anxious about her sisters being gone? If there's no UTI, you might want to ask the vet about Clomicalm, which is a prescription for canine depression/anxiety that worked well for our dog who was displaying similar behaviors. A trip or two to the dog park or doggie daycare a couple days a week can work wonders! Like people, dogs need socialization and a place where they can just be dogs with other dogs. That's what's missing in her life right now.

I'm sure you're not going to do the alpha roll thing (you would not believe how my beagle's aggression skyrocketed when my husband tried those quack type of moves before we knew better, he was anxious and that made it so much worse), so I won't reiterate what a bad idea it is.

I'm so sorry about the loss of your dogs lately. What a nightmare to lose two like that.