what do i do?!

ICARUS · Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 8:00 am Post subject: what do i do?!

so our recent addition mindy has been a little possessive over some things like her bed and bones (but not food, go figure) now of what we've observed she is a fearful dog and hasn't been very well socialized and this is where the the tension comes from. her usual reaction would be growling/snarling and maybe a lunge but never a bite. she's like a ball of nerves. we've been really working with her and we have seen little improvement over the last 4-5 weeks we've had her.

Here's the problem..last night she ran across the room barking and snarling at Icarus so the baby that he is, he's outta there but she caught him and bit him on the hind leg/hip area and left a big gash. He wasn't anywhere near her or any bones! She also growls at my daughter if she(human) is eating food or if she goes in the room while she's(dog) laying on her bed. She hasn't bitten my daughter but she has lunged at her. I don't know what to do. I don't trust her.

youhavenoidea · Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 8:08 am Post subject:

I would say that since she's had adequate time to settle in, and since you have a child in the house, it may be time to call some behaviorists to see if there's someone that could come in and work on the issues with you.

NILIF would be a good place to start in the meantime as well, as she seems to think she's running the joint.

wildlifecr13 · Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 8:11 am Post subject:

not a good situation.

im sure Anne and others will have good advice - I dont have kids, so I dont have that angle to worry about.

What I do know is that your dogs personality will impact how you react to this. Personally, when someone gets snippy and shows any sign of guarding something or aggression I step in, put them in their place, and remove the item. If its a dog bed or toy, I take it and put it in the closet. Even if they dont totally get it, the source of the disagreement is removed. Not sure you want to put your kid in the closet when she eats though. Shocked

Like I said, I dont have kids, but I know my dogs would sit somewhere below the kids on the foodchain, and they would be in a crapload of trouble if they so much as looked sideways at my kid.

We had a dalmation that growled at me once. I was 3 so I dont remember much of it, but she was new to our house - we got her from someone that didnt want her anymore - my dad stepped in and that was the last time she ever did that. Once she knew her place we were best buds. We had her about 12 years after that and never another issue with me or my brother.

weimdogmom · Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 8:30 am Post subject:

For an adult dog, Mindy has not really been with you very long. It will usually take an adult longer to settle in and adjust to new surroundings. It sounds like the 'honeymoon period' is over.

Unfortunately, previous owners are not always completely honest about the personality and behavior of a dog they are trying to rehome.

I agree with NILIF. At least for now, always supervise when Mindy is around your daughter. How old is your daughter? Anything that she can do -- putting Mindy's food bowl on the floor, etc -- that will show Mindy that your daughter is higher in the pack than Mindy is will be helpful.

The book "Mine!" is an excellent book http://www.amazon.com/Mine-Practical-Guide-Resource-Guarding/dp/0970562942/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1219843022&sr=1-6. http://www.amazon.com/Mine-Practical-Guide-Resource-Guarding/dp/0970562942/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1219843022&sr=1-6

I would also suggest taking Mindy to obedience classes -- even if she is already trained. This will reinforce what she already knows and help with bonding within the family. If you can take both dogs to the class, that might be even better.

ICARUS · Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 8:36 am Post subject:

When she does get possessive we definitely jump in and claim whatever the source is. she doesn't really act aggressive towards us as much as my daughter and we def jump in to put her in her place, but she's relentless! she'll stop at that moment but an hour later there'll be another situation. it's just non stop. my daughter is 9 and she's a little afraid of mindy. i mean we've taught her how to behave around dogs so she knows to always act like she's assertive or at least not afraid. but she's a kid. i feel bad cause i wanted to give mindy a good home. and of course the guy we got her from said oh yeah she's great, peaches and cream, sugar and spice, blah blah blah.yeah well, she's got ridiculous nails, really bad tartar build up, hip problems, rolled up 3rd eyelid, incontinent, and now this...what else could there be. we've had her about a month and have already spent about 500$ on her!

CherrystoneWeims · Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 8:47 am Post subject:

Firstly I would feed her in her crate for the safety of your daughter. No sense in taking risks with your daughter.

I would also have your daughter make her sit, lay down, whatever for treats. At this point I wouldn't have your daughter feed her meals.

Are you "taking her down" and making her lay on her side when she does this aggressive behavior?

weimdogmom · Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 8:53 am Post subject:

[quote="CherrystoneWeims"]

I would also have your daughter make her sit, lay down, whatever for treats. At this point I wouldn't have your daughter feed her meals.

quote]

I think if a parent is there, making sure that Mindy remains in a sit/stay and Mindy sees their daughter putting her food dish on the floor, it could be beneficial in helping Mindy understand that her food is also given to her by smaller people, not only by adults. In the first post, it was mentioned that food has not been a guarding issue.

ICARUS · Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 9:11 am Post subject:

weimarmom · Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 9:15 am Post subject:

I'm sorry, i have no idea what to tell you. I have 3 small kids but my weims are not aggressive in anyway. I just wanted to say good luck and don't give up too soon. Poor Mindy has probably been mistreated, perhaps by a child which may be part of the problem. i'm sure she needs love and to know that she's going to be part of your family now.

weimamama · Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 11:06 am Post subject:

She sounds like a handful... no surprise to me being in rescue... Also sounds alot like my June... was around BAD dog owners for 3+ yrs before we got her... she def. needs to know her place and it will be GRADUAL. 1 month is not a long time especially if she's older.
I'd seek help of a behaviorist ansd start on NILIF asap!

Good luck.

krisnkaipo · Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 12:47 pm Post subject:

Just to make you feel a little better Wilson had similar issues when I first adopted him (2 year anniversary Aug 31!!!). He had no manners and would "snatch" food without a thought. We gave him bones to chew and he would growl at my mom if she tried to take it away. He also bit several people Embarassed

.

My mom was afraid of him other people were telling me not to keep him, he was very neurotic, and I was concerned over what I thought was human aggression and severe dominance issues......I called in several trainers to the house and took him to class with a set of trainers that worked well for him (I personally didn't click, but the methods they used worked great for this dog, so I stuck it out). He started to understand boundaries and manners. What I believe is that he was not an aggressive dog, he just was handling the situation in the way he could think of. I gave him options. As soon as he learned another way to deal he has expanded upon that. Meaning he knows that I will control the situation and he will look to me for guidance and direction. He is a very independent freethinking kinda boy, but he is not inherently naughty or aggressive. He just didn't know any other way to behave. Now he does.

Weims are very intelligent, but they are dogs with dog instincts. Just as children must be taught/provided boundaries, so must your dog. Because you have a child and another dog I would get a behaviorist/trainer that clicks with this dog ASAP.

There is a lot of great advice on this site. I just wanted to let you know that there is hope and Wilson is now an AWESOME dog, (quick knock on wood). It took a lot of work and patience, but so worth it.

versatilek9s · Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 7:48 pm Post subject:

Stop the behavior now. If you don't feel comfortable being quick, decisive, and consistent, maybe get some help from a professional. Think about how you would react in any situation involving your dogs and your kid, and be prepared. I agree with the people saying to feed the dog in the crate to remove the kid component. No sense inviting trouble.

scrbear11 · Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 5:22 am Post subject:

When I first move to NC I brought just my terrier, Dooley, along with me. This is before I got Zehen or Zuna. Dooley got lonely (he's always had other dogs) so we go Zenzi, a German Shorthair Pointer for my husband. She was LOVELY and oh my goodness was she well bred... but unfortunately we got her too late (she was 6 months old) and she had already been raised as a hunting dog, she had to fight over her food, bones, everything, with the other dogs. The second day we had her, Dooley was chewing on a bone in the living room, Zenzi attacked him. I think what happened was she wanted the bone, but he turned away when she came up to him, and she attacked him then. Anyway- I broke up the fight (had to strangle her) and then went to pick up the bone to put it away- BAD IDEA. She attacked me. I've got the scars to prove it. My husband wouldn't have a dog like that in his house, so we turned her over to the local humane society. They spayed her and adopted her out to a middle aged couple who didn't have any children and had experience with dogs like her.

Long story short- get the behaviour dealt with now, through a behaviorist, or even your vet may be able to help- before it gets any worse.

And the good that came out of that story- We got Zehen the next day =)

NenaGunther · Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 9:24 am Post subject: