Help!!!

Duchess · Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2007 9:59 am Post subject: Help!!!

My sister has a male weimie that is 2 years old. He has always been very sweet and loving. She also has 2 daschunds one male one female. The male dach and the weimie are no longer getting along and starting to fight. The weimie, Beau, is "attacking" the male dach. She has asked me what to do, and is considering giving him away, to a 70 year old woman!
She is putting him out during the day on a runner and crate at night.
What do I tell her. I have no idea. I really don't need to take this dog, but, will if I have to. Smile

Any ideas will be appreciated.

RK · Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2007 10:30 am Post subject:

this is a tough one and i have no real concrete suggestions. one thing that popped into my mind when reading this was to wonder if the two males are still intact. if so, then neutering the males will often mellow out the aggression between them.

she should definitely not give the weim to a 70 yr old woman! he is much too active for a senior citizen—unless she happens to be one of those super-rare active granny types. in fact, i just read of a weim in rescue who was surrendered because he had been adopted by an older man who just could not provide the activity and exercise the weim needed.

Duchess · Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2007 1:30 pm Post subject: Help

Thanks, RK for responding.
Yes, both males are still intact and my sister will not have them neutered,
She says that she can't afford it. We live in a small rural area and there are NO spay/neuter clinics around here.

I know the lady that she is talking about giving him to. She is a small lady and has some health problems. She will have to put him outside ALL THE TIME in a fence. I can just see him climbing over and getting hit by a car. The elderly lady lives in a subdivision! I just don't know what to do. I will probably have to take him in and try and place him myself. I just want what is best for him and the other lady.
It breaks my heart to see people get these animals and then want to throw them away. My sister got him because I have my girls and she thought they were pretty! They are but they are much more than just being pretty. We took ours to obedience and continue it DAILY and they are 3 years old Laughing

RK · Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2007 1:48 pm Post subject:

i assume your sister doesn't have the female doxie spayed either due to costs? what does she do when the female is in heat? i hope she doesn't plan on breeding, because that will cost a whole lot more than spaying/neutering!

i suspect the fighting is because both males are still intact. this kind of situation seriously angers me: people who have pets but won't take responsibility for them. she can try to keep the two males separate but i think with three active dogs, that might be difficult—especially as i (assume, hopefully) she is also having to keep the males separate from the female when she is in heat. please make sure that she is completely isolating the female from the males when she is in heat. males will often resort to the craziest things you wouldn't even believe to get to a fertile female!

is there anyway that you can take a weekend day or some other day you have off to drive the dogs somewhere where there is a spay/neuter clinic or a shelter that provides low-cost/free spay/neutering?

if she insists on keeping her dogs intact, and wants to give away the weim, please, please contact a weimeraner rescue in your area/state!! they will make sure the weim goes to a good home who understands his needs and may also help with the neutering before it goes to a new home. i don't know where you live, but a good place to look for weim rescues in your area is here:

http://www.weim.org/TOC_Organizations.htm

these organizations are great in terms of the lengths they will go to in order to help a weim in need. if at all possible, when you talk to the rescue people, if you could foster the weim until they find a home for him, that would probably help them out a lot.

please do not let her give the weim to the old lady. as i'm sure you know, weims are miserable when left outside on their own. he will definitely act out for attention, either by jumping the fence, digging out, or some other destructive behaviour which will no doubt leading the old lady to want to give him up as well, disrupting his life a second time.

i'm sure you have already, but i would also really discourage your sister from acquiring anymore dogs, for whatever reason, in the future until she is fully prepared to be a responsible pet owner. aside from the weim, i'm worried about the two doxies who are not neutered/spayed. it would be tragic for them to have babies when there are already enough dogs in the world who need good homes without adding to the burden.[/i]

Duchess · Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2007 3:57 pm Post subject: Help

My sisters female is spayed and 10 years old. My sister had tried to breed her female before and ended up having to have a c-section all the puppies died AND there was such a bad infection in her female that she had to be spayed. Don't get me wrong, I love my sister, she is driving me crazy w/ the weimie. Because I KNOW what a handful they can be and they are NOT for everyone. I told her this before she got him and tried to talk her out of it, because I know her. She makes me so mad.
If I have to take him, I will and if I end up w/him forever, I will. I will try and find a low cost spay and neuter clinic here. We live in a small rural town in GA. I will do what I have to do, all that she will allow me to do.
I hate to see animals moved from home to home. It is just not fair. My girls would shrivel up and die if they had to be outside all the time. They are always under foot. Smile

I love these dogs, all of them and am trying to talk her into either trying to keep him as she made that commitment, they are not disposable, or at least place him with us. Keep your fingers crossed. If it is 3 weimies I need Laughing

then 3 it will be.
Thank you so much for your help and if you or anyone thinks of anything... please let me know. I don't want "Beau" "misplaced".

anne · Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2007 5:47 pm Post subject:

In addition to RK's very good advice....
Sometimes dog-dog problems arise becuase the human in the pack is not alpha. Does she have good control over her dogs?

Duchess · Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2007 9:19 pm Post subject:

No she does not have good control over them. He doxies rule the roost and do no wrong. She thinks they can just be let out ALONE to potty, all eat from the same bowl whenever they want, none walk on a leash, no obedience... I am waiting for her to call me tonight. I am going to tell her that I want him and hopefully, I will be able to see what is really going on with him. I just have a hard time believing that he is suddenly aggressive for no reason. Am I just naive or something. He has never been aggressive before!!, with anything. He does not like cats, but neither do my girls.

I have a friend of mine helping me to find a spay/neuter clinic and will take him to have him "fixed" ASAP.

She got this dog because we have weimies and she thought they were pretty.
I am no expert, but, I am not totally in the dark when it comes to dogs. I researched this breed for YEARS before getting one of my own and tried to tell her to do the same thing.
Guys, I may need your help when and if she lets me have have him. I can just see him jumping the fence at the elderly ladies house and being picked up by animal control, if he doesn't get hit by a car. To top it off the lady has about 5 CATS!!!

Thanks for all of your help and responses!! I have really enjoyed this site and am SO glad I found it.

anne · Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2007 9:55 pm Post subject:

"I just have a hard time believing that he is suddenly aggressive for no reason. Am I just naive or something. He has never been aggressive before!!, "

Aggressiveness is somewhat normal and somewhat abnormal.... Normal in he sense that the Weim is a teenager and is full of himself and full of bravado -- not unlike teenage boys! But bravado and acting full of himself is different from true aggression. True aggression is abnormal for pack animals. Dogs are more into ritualized behavior that confirms the pecking order. It's the pecking order that allows a pack to function well as a group, and killing or severly injuring each other is rare (and usually not good for the pack). That's why when dog-dog issues arise, sometimes if the human in the pack gets overall control of the dogs, it can help A LOT. If the Doxie is an older dog, the younger Weim may be trying to take over as alpha. However the pecking order is among the dogs, the human MUST be the top of the heap of the dogs.

That is awfully nice of you to take this dog. Going to that older woman is a disaster waiting to happen!

Good luck to you and let us know how it goes.

RK · Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2007 6:44 am Post subject:

anne definitely brings up a good point about the distinctions between "aggressive" behaviour. before i got schroeder, i read a lot of dog behaviour books (not just weim specific) and one in particular (the name escapes me at the moment) stands out in that i learned how to identify the different visual cues that a dog will give that will let you know what it's state of mind is at that moment, including whether what something we might deem as aggressive is really aggressive or just showing off as well as identifying cues for their methods of warning other dogs/creatures before they decide to do something really nasty.

but it does sound rather like your sister's household is rather chaotic (to say the least!) for the dogs and the fact that she has not established herself as the alpha is probably a contributing factor to the males' jockeying for position amongst the dog pack.

i'm glad you will be having him neutered regardless. i hope you will be able to convince her to give the dog up to you. i'm glad he has someone like you to look after his welfare. it is sad that so many ppl get dogs based on looks alone rather than thinking about whether they really can take on the responsibility of a pet and whether the breed they want will mesh with their lifestyles and personalities. on the other hand, i'm glad to hear you weren't one of those!

please do keep us posted as to what happens with the poor guy.

Duchess · Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2007 10:59 am Post subject:

You have all been so helpful!! and supportive. Thank you SO much.

I talked to my sister last night and she has decided that she will let me have him. Smile

I know it's going to be tough, but, I CAN DO IT!!! Surprised

I think before she just didn't want me to have him, sister thing??? But, I talked to her for two hours last night, until midnight. Told her that he would be neutered, we have the girls and know the breed, etc.

The male doxie is 3 yrs. old I think. My sisters son told me that the doxie tried to take Beau's food and that is when he supposedly "attacked" him, after the doxie bit him on the ear. My sister never told me this, her son and my sister in law was there and saw the incident and sister in law said that she felt sorry for Beau and that I needed to take him. I think she also helped by talking to my sis as well.
So, anyway, I don't know what I will be getting into LOL but, I will probably drive you guys nuts with questions on this fellow. I don't think he has ANY training what so ever!

A friend and I are looking for spay/neuter clinic today. Most of the ones here that I have found require that you have to live in that county, or city.
She lives in a different county and said that if she could find one near her, she would even take him for me. She shows and raises Great Danes!!!

Thank you all I will keep you posted. Again THANKS!!! a million times!

Duchess · Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 4:52 pm Post subject:

Hello All,

I have some good news. I will pick "Beau" up this weekend. She was still kind of hesitant this morning, but after another HOUR of talking to her, She finally set up a time and day. So, this Saturday at 4:00 I go and pick him up.
Wish US LUCK Very Happy

wildlifecr13 · Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 10:11 pm Post subject: good luck

best of luck. its so sad when people get a dog that they cant care for, and cant afford. if she cant afford its health care, including spay/neuter, then she shouldnt have the dog in the first place.
we have a neighbor who despite our advice got a weim because they think ours are so neat. their first dog - i keep waiting to end up with it - spend a lot of time helping them out. sometimes i just dont get people.
regarding the dach, my folks have one - very dominant - i think its just the breed. luckily, mine play well with her (all females). i would never have a dach, just not the dog for me. tough little boogers, but not for me.
just glad you are able to help out. situations like this are often why rescues and shelters are full to the gills. GOOD LUCK !

Duchess · Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2007 1:14 pm Post subject:

to wildlifecr:
I agree, I don't understand people either and this is my SISTER!!! I know so many ppl that have gotten dogs when they really shouldn't. My sister being one of them. She has always wanted what I have LOL, just a sibling thing. But when it comes to animals and their well being It is just not the time to "keep up with the jones'"

I think Beau will be fine here. I am looking still for spay/neuter clinics around here. Most of them here that I have found, you have to live in the city/county that the clinic is held.

I would not have a doxie either. They are just not my kind of dog. Smile

RK · Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2007 7:22 pm Post subject:

good luck, duchess! at least you have your girls to help beau out in terms of manners!

Duchess · Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2007 8:53 pm Post subject:

Hey, me again!! My sister called today on the way home from work and told me to go and pick Beau up. So...needless to say, I dropped EVERYTHING and went and got him. He is so sweet. I felt so sorry for him, she had him CHAINED to a tree. I was very upset to say the least. He has some kind of rash or something on hos hip (left side) and all up and down his right side. His hair is coming out and it is all red. He is underweight too.
I am going to call my vet Monday and see what he says it may be. Will keep you all posted.