Excessive barking is a nuisance to both you and those around your dog. Explore and expand your dog’s training with this free video presented by a certified pet trainer.
Expert: Sara Muzzy
Bio: Sara Muzzy is the proud owner of Fuzzy Muzzy Dog Academy.
Filmmaker: Christopher Rokosz
Series Description: Training your dog is the secret to a harmonious life with your pet. Expand your dog’s training with this free video series presented by a certified pet trainer.
Duration : 0:2:21
Instructions. Given below are short descriptions of abnormal behaviors. For each case you should decide (a) what the root of the problem seems to be, (b) a diagnosis of the disorder (drawing on your knowledge of material from Chapter 13), (c) a prognosis for the duration or the severity of the disturbance if it is left untreated, and (d) the type of therapy you would recommend. Be specific: Rather than recommending “a behavioral approach” state whether you would use systematic desensitization, aversive conditioning, a token economy, and so on.
1) “Madge” was found wandering the streets of New Jersey. She was brought to the attention of a licensed clinical social worker because she would routinely stand in automobile traffic and scream obscenities at the top of her lungs to no one in particular. During one of “Madge’s” rare lucid moments, she told the social worker that she lived in a garbage dumpster and that she obeyed voices who commanded her to do the things she did. A search by police and news agencies for friends or relatives proved futile; no one seemed to know who “Madge” was, she seemed to have nowhere to go, and her disordered thinking was becoming more and more bizarre.
2) Kurt’s mood swings were unpredictable and excessive in nature. One time he was hyperactive and extremely elated with accelerated speech and a flight of ideas which, at times, seemed incoherent. During this period he worked feverishly day and night on an important novel that “had to be started and finished that week.” Months later, Kurt experienced a sad period, during which he could not get out of bed for more than minutes at a time. He would not see any friends for a period of some weeks until he slowly came out of it and seemed to be normal again (for a while). Sometimes Kurt felt so dejected and agitated that he contemplated suicide.
3) Gwen has had an intense fear of dogs since she was a child. When she was 4 years old her older brother forced her to approach a large sleeping dog who was chained in a yard. Although she escaped being bitten, the dog’s loud angry barking and frantic movements, coupled with her crying and agitation, left their mark on her. Now, as an adult, she is still wary of being around dogs and feels apprehensive and anxious whenever she sees a dog on the street. Visits to friends who keep pets have been severely cut off; Gwen never drops by unannounced for fear that the dog might be free in the house. On the rare occasions when she does visit the animals must be kept chained out of sight in the backyard.
4) Dan’s drinking had become more frequent over the past 6 months. Although he didn’t drink to the point of becoming grossly incapacitated and was careful to never drink and drive, it was clear that his time in the bar after work had increased and that his daily cocktail had become three or four. Dan blamed his recent problems at work for his “need to unwind,” and also cited difficulties with his wife, Sharon. According to Dan, when he tried to discuss his stress with Sharon she seemed distant and uninterested, or dismissed his problems as minor. She seemed much more concerned about their daughter, Lisa, and her increasing moodiness.
5) Cindy feels as though she is a failure. Although her college GPA is a respectable 3.7 she feels as though she should be doing much better. She is concerned about her parents’ views of her. Even though they call, visit, and send care packages often, Cindy is sure they do so because they know she is incapable of caring for herself. When a recent short-term relationship fizzled out Cindy blamed her own inability to maintain a witty conversation as the cause of the break-up. Although several other people have since asked her out, she is nervous about accepting because she knows if things don’t go well she won’t ever get a second chance.
I gave up doing homework when I finished graduate school. These questions are not difficult, especially if you look in Chapter 13 of your text.
My 1 year old german shepard husky mix has been staying with another family for about the last 6 weeks while I get my license striaghtened out & find a place with a yard that we can enjoy together. He suffers from terrible seperation anxiety but had made incredible progress since he began taking 100 milagrams of amatriptaline daily (50mg in the AM 50mg in the PM) The family that has him, stopped his medication and at first they reported that things were going wonderfully. Then I got call saying they’d been having problems with pottying & destructiveness (something they had not mentioned before) & also that he had begun to be aggressive with thier dog – a shepard hound mix. The 2 play well together but Rio (my dog) seems to want desperately to assert himself as pack leader and often is too rough in the way he wrestles with Trooper (their dog). I immediately asked them to start him on his medication again. I believe that the meds allow a base for comparison. If he stills has the behavioral problems on the meds then we deal with it accordingly but when the vet prescribed this medication it was because he was having full blown anxitey attacks which would cause him to hyperventilate vomit and soil himself. After a few weeks on the meds coupled with excessive excersise, social interaction with other canines (dog park, doggie day camp etc) and daily obedience training to help build confidence & patience, he improved radically. He was markedly less destructive, had fewer "freak-out" sessions and when he did seem to lose it over something he was able to calm down much more quickly. As a younger pup, he would work himself into a frenzy over being left alone and it would take 40 minutes before he could settle down at the least. He would tear up the carpeting in front of my door when I left for work and when I got home he would bark, yelp, spin around in circles fall on the floor writhing and urinating on himself or alternately leap all over me clawing at my legs and torso (also usually while urinating uncontrolably). After several months on the meds I found I would come home to find he was just waking up from a nap he would be happy to see me but not bark or jump at all. There were certain instances when his past behavior might reappear in lesser degrees such as the day the neighbors moved out and he was subjected to hearing unfamiliar nosies through out the day but even in instances like this his would calm much more quickly and easily. I was assured by my vet that this was normal and that I should expect variences in behavior.
I was never able to successfully crate train him. Crating was a particularly difficult area for us but I was still working on aclimating him to a crate up until he left. We worked very, very slowly – in one second intervals and got to a point where he would be in his crate for up to an hour with a frozen kong while I had company over to play a few hands of cards. This was a HUGE improvment since at one point I couldn’t allow people in my home because Rio would demand constant attention and insisted on being the center of attention. If I were to have a conversation with someone else he would gnaw on that persons hand or mine, cry or urinate on the floor until we redirected our attention to him. When my lease expired @ the end of November I was unable to renew at the new cost that my landlord was asking. Instead of moving into a less expensive unit somewhere in town I thought it would be best to try to find a place with a fenced yard where he could have some space to run. He loves being
outdoors and I thought it would be another great tool for putting distance between us. I could put him out in the yard and be able to watch him from the kitchen while baking or some such thing. A friend put me in touch with this family who offered to take him on – aware of the issues – until I could get myself settled in a new place. We agreed that they would house him until mid Jaunary or longer while I paid for food and other living expenses. They offered to keep him for up to six months but I hoped to have him back sooner than that. They disapproved of the medication based on their holistic lifestyle & discontinued it. They claim that since stopping his meds he has been easier to train & that the meds seem to make him loopy/distracted and that being off of them help him to be more focused. They said he seemed unable to retain training before discontinuing the medication. After our first conversation about his behavior and meds they consulted with a trainer who encouraged them to try
pack training. They said that he had improved immediately and was no longer fighting to be top dog. They began hiding his food around the house in hollowed out stuffed animals which encourages Rio to hunt all day long for his food. The tactic is meant to keep him engaged mentally thorugh out the day. He also is made to walk int he back of the pack and gets everything after Trooper to help instill his "place in the pack" they reported that he was doing wonderfully – and still not on medicaiton. I got another call about a week & a half ago. They reported that they were concerned about him bonding too strongly with one of the family members. They asked me to come and visit with him and said they felt that regular visits (bi-monthly) would make it easier for him to make the transition back home with me in a couple months. I made the trip up immediately. It was the first time I’d seen him in 6 weeks as soon as he recognized me he went ballistic with excitement. I mostly ignored him and
only acknowledged him when he sat/laid down. It took about 5 minutes for him to settle down and then we all parted ways. He did not cry or fuss when they family and their dog walked away although he did look after them wondering why the pack was seperating. Rio & I walked through the city, took a nature trail out into the woods, laid down beside a tree where I read aloud to him and had lots of cuddling kissing time. We had lunch together at a dog friendly burrito shack. He was exceptionally well behaved albeit a bit more of a tugger then I recall from our last walk. He followed commands with ease, sat at every intersection and did not try to lung at those swans we passed (he wanted to though! but mama said "leave it") We spent probably 6 hours together just the two of us. When the family came to pick him up he was excited to see them, got into the car no problem & laid down – he was so tired! As I walked away, I could hear him yelping and crying and barking for 2 whole city blocks.
That was on Monday. Friday night of the same week, the family called me to say that all of the behavioral problems that Rio had exibited at the begining of his stay had resurfaced. He had beeing urinating and deficating in the house and had become aggressive with thier dog as well. He evidently left a significant wound on the smaller dogs neck and the famliy can no longer keep him. They adivsed me that I should either take him myself (which is not an option at this moment) find another temporary home for him, or put him up for adoption. They went on to say that he would not fair well in a single person home and that it is unfair for me to keep him because I won’t have the time to give him that he needs. They decided that he would be best suited as a companion dog or placed with a big family with several children. They told me they would research setting him up as a service animal & if that was not an option they would compile a list of necessary critiria for a suitable adopted family.
I feel bullied into making the descision to give up my dog. I appreciate the vaild points that they make. He is very high maintence and I would have to work very hard to keep up with all of his needs but I am willing to do whatever is in my power. If a different living situaiton is really the very best option for him I am certainly willing to make the necessary arragements to find him a forever home, however, I want to know that I am making the very best informed desicion. I am going to be in contact with my vet tomorrow. I am very concerned about the lack of medication and what part that might potentially have played in all of this – furthermore, while I truely believe that this family has been good to Rio and has shown him the patience and time that they say they have I do not feel they can make this decision for me. I have not witnessed any of the behavioral problems they mentioned for myself. On Monday when I saw him he had a gash on his face which they said he got while
with Trooper. They have described the situtaion between the two dogs as such that Rio is constantly trying to engaged Trooper in dominance play but Trooper is too laid back and because he doesn’t fight back Rio ends up hurting him (Rio is huge @ least 80 lbs) They have told me that Rio has been nursing at Troopers wound licking it and cuddling with him since this incident took place but I was given very few details about how the dog was actually injured. I don’t feel comfortable having someone else tell me what I should or shouldn’t do with my dog. It could be that this situation is simply not the best for Rio. Perhaps his relationship with Trooper is a root problem. I really don’t know but before I make the decision to give him away I need to make sure I’m making the right decision. I was hesitant to visit with him for fear that it would cause him to backslide but the family seems to think that Rio’s need to bond with someone is not indiviualized.
I was told "He has the ability to bond with one person & it’s doesn’t have to be you – it could be anyone" Which you can imagine really really hurts. I’ve had this little guy since he was 6 weeks old he’s my whole world and I love him and I don’t buy for a second that I can just be replaced by some other warm body. Another family could love him and he could love them but I’m not just expendable! They were just as adamant a week ago, that spending the day with me was what Rio needed as they are now that a new family and a new home is what he needs. That being said I am just looking for some feedback. If anyone has stayed with me through this novel and has any info about these kinds of behavioral problems, fostering situations, seperation anxiety, tricyclic antidepressant use in canines, service animals recruitment critiria or anything at all that might help me get a better scope of what’s really best for my pup I would be so grateful.
*** I didn’t even realize this was under cats! I don’t know how that happened!
You may want to repost this in the dog section 
I have a miniature female long haired Dachshund.
I would like to hear what methods you Dachshund owners use to prevent back injuries in your dogs. Here are a few more details about mine.
I am a Dachshund owner by accident. Our town has no leash laws. My Doxie got it in her head that I was going to be her owner. She stubbornly pursued that goal until one cold night she was scratching at my door and whining. I had never heard her whine before so I let her in. My point in this story is that I know nothing at all of her family history of whether or not her ancestors had more back problems than a Dachshund normally does.
I know that diet plays a role. Luckily she is almost self regulating on that. She is a finicky eater and the amount of food she eats seems to go by how much exercise she gets. If she gets little exercise that day she will eat very little food. On days when she gets a lot of exercise she eats more food but not an excessive amount. I am thinking here that I am lucky because if she is not over eating she will not be overweight.
My problem with her will be the leaping and jumping. I continue to be amazed at how high a Doxie can jump or where they will try to jump from. Right now her favorite place in our home is at the very top of my Lane Big Man’s Recliner where she has a good view of everything and can occasionally lick my head. She only stays there when I am in the recliner and I do not allow her to jump off. I think I have trained her not to do this.
My problem with jumping and falling comes when she is exercising. She loves all dogs the bigger the better. The younger dogs are sometimes a bit rough with her and there is not much in the way of controlling which dogs are in our yard as there is no leash laws and the dogs who do come tend to have excellent personalities.My home is a magnet for lost critters.
On training. When I correct her I talk to her in a calm tone of voice using short words and I have had a bit of luck with hand signals. When I tell her NO she gets this really guilty look on her face and if she immediately stops the bad behavior I praise her. I could not get mad at her even if I tried. I have lots of time to work with her as I am disabled and retired.
Here is the really funny part. I used to not like Dachshunds and had no use at all for a housedog. Now I have both. I have a dog that one time I get scratched by accident and I let out a loud " Ouch!" A few seconds later I have one very angry Dachshund come charging out of the bedroom growling and barking. She thought somebody had hurt her buddy and somebody was going to pay for it.
I owe it to her that she has a long, happy, pain free life.
Hello, I am a Dachshund owner also! Congratulations on becoming a dachshund owner yourself. I try my best not to let my dachshund leap off the bed or the back end of the couch. I am very careful as to how I pick her up. I only pick her up by supporting both her chest and her belly near her hind legs. Never by her front legs! That is a big no-no with Dachshunds! Some dachshunds I am sad to say are just very prone to back problems and the best way to deal with it is prevention like you are doing. There are many articles that you can read on the internet regarding this problem with dachshunds. Good luck with your new dachshund and may she have a long, healthy and happy life. Sincerely, Leigh Cielensky
leigh.cielensky@yahoo.com
http://bit.ly/dogtraininguaranteed FREE Gift for you Valued At $29.95!
Dog Obedience Training Secrets to STOP Your Dog’s Behavior Problems!
CLICK BELOW for a FREE Gift for you Valued At $29.95!
http://bit.ly/dogtraininguaranteed
Dog Training – Biting – Techniques To Train An Aggressive dog
Put an End to the Stress and Annoyance of Your Dog Behavior Problems!
CLICK BELOW for a FREE Gift for you Valued At $29.95!
http://bit.ly/dogtraininguaranteed
Learn How to:
stop excessive biting, barking, whining
stop your dog from fighting with other dogs
curb your dog’s aggressiveness
dog house training
cure separation anxiety
stop your dog from jumping on you and others
use Dog Whispering
stop your dog from eating his own, or others’ poop
train your dog to learn any command
solve ANY dog behavior problem
CLICK BELOW for a FREE Gift for you Valued At $29.95!
http://bit.ly/dogtraininguaranteed
Duration : 0:3:30
29 Mar 2011
I’ve had a puppy for over two weeks now. She is about 8 weeks at this point. (Before anyone rants about how young she is, she was abandoned.) I have been putting her in a crate every night since I got her, yet she barks NONSTOP. It’s to the point that I’ve had to put her crate in a playhouse outside to get any sleep. I’ve tried crating her both in a room by herself and in my room with me in sight. Sleeping with me (no crate) IS NOT option, because at her age she will make a mess everywhere and I would really perfer to crate train her.
I make sure and put plenty of bedding and chew toys with her to keep her entertained. I put a radio beside the crate but it didn’t do much good.I give her treats and praise her when she goes in, yet as soon as I’m out of sight or she’s in the cage for more than say 30 secs…she goes crazy. Also, I DO ignore her when she barks because I know any attention only promotes the behavior. She is out all day, and has complete roam of the house (supervised of course) so getting enough exercise or attention shouldn’t be the problem either.
I’m stumped…Any suggests? Could it be that some dogs just don’t like being in crates? Or is it a matter of her being so many weeks old before this behavior stops? I know dogs are supposed to bark for maybe a few minutes or even an hour or 2 when left alone at night, but this is just excessive!!!
Go preach to someone else Roc74. You obviously know nothing about training dogs.
I rescued a small dog like that and had the very same problem. You said the dog had been abandoned. Well, I don’t care how old they are when they are abandoned, it affects them. I finally figured out with this little guy that he somehow associated the crate with punishment and abandonment. I no longer use a crate for him but have created a small space in my room that is his and he is now a very happy little dog. I would say that you may never be able to use a crate with this dog. Good Luck
Kai-Li Noel is approx. 4 yrs. old and I am possibly her 4th or 5th owner. Her previous owner had her 1 year and obtained her from a Shelter. They could not handle her aggression towards other dogs and what they deemed separation anxiety, and I understand that she failed obedience training. She had a private trainer who used hand signals for the basics. She appeared to be hand shy, and it took many months to gain her confidence so she would not close her eyes and turn away from me. She is smaller than average, lean and gorgeous. My problems with her are her excessive barking at squirrels, the dreaded Mailman, and when she wants something. She is basically outside most of the day by her choice. She has her own lounge-chair, tons of toys, and a large yard. She is continually monitored when outside and every single time she starts barking, she gets corrected by putting her in a down position, removing her back inside, etc. She loves crates and small places, obviously she has been crated most of her life. I have determined that she truly does not have separation anxiety, she is simply dominant. She will challenge me every day if she wants her way. She screams and becomes hysterical when she sees baby bunnies. Removing her immediately into the home did no good. She was practically in convulsions! Her ear piercing shrieks can be heard for blocks! When I adopted her, she came with a claw-choke, and a citronella collar which I promptly removed, as the owners said they had no effect on her anyway. I have worked with many animals in my life but this one takes the cake for barking! I did research the breed and I know this is common behavior. My neighbors know that I rescue and train but they are losing patience! Any advice would be appreciated!
PS: I would never give up on her; this is her forever home as I truly love her. It is just so stressful trying to keep the neighbors from reporting her. Thank you all for advice!
Thank you all so far for the help. I honestly would not de-bark her, and I agree that it is just her nature. I will look into an E-collar and see if that is appropriate. It is not just small game that she barks at…airplanes, lawn-mowers, etc… Yes, I will cater to her hunt/flush need. Lovely but LOUD!
simply debark this dog and done.
why are you trying to change the innate behaviour of a high strung,independent hunting/flushing dog?
i have a dog(dachshund) who goes berserk from squirrels,rabbits,woodchucks,well,any furry animals.
i realized, his pedigree on one side is show dogs and the other side is all hunting dogs.
when you are in a deep bush/forest,you need a dog/dogs with high prey drive(my dog runs to the tree with a squirrel on it and barks,yelps, screams) so, he has been bred to do this.
I don’t punish him, just say:lets go!and drag him away:he cant be off leash as he starts tracking anything and everything and follow the scent and bark,yelp scream, once he found it.
i tried to walk him off leash:i had to extract him from several different holes/dens/ditches.
So, there:must be on leash,get exercised, get animal shaped toys for "killing" as my dog is very happy to kill anything:field mice/chipmunks etc.
I personally would walk an elk hound with a prong collar, on a leash and let her get tired or run with a bike/or jog with her.
Give up on the barking:if it bothers you a lot, debark her.
hard situation to explain. i’ll keep the back ground short. My bf’s family bought a 3 month old beagle. this puppy has had a few different homes, none of which gave this dog any direction or training or discipline.
O.k, extreme disappointment from his family (they expected this puppy to be as well behaved as my 2 year old staffy – which was heavly trained by myself and my bf). They are giving up on this dog. This dog is supposed to be my bf’s little brother’s, therefore his responsibility. After 4 hours he was regretting buying the dog, and after 4 days "get rid of that dog, sell it".
I feel really sorry for this animal. It has gone home to home, and everyone wants to get rid of him.
He is currently in mine and my bf’s possession at my house (i live with my mother even though im 22). My bf would really like to keep this dog (he is adorable) but this dog is.. difficult.. biting is a huge problem – i know he’s young and teething, but he has bitten my on the eye, and wont stop biting my dog. it’s gotten to the point where my dog has snapped at him, and she is very very gentle. (and i know they are play fighting, and she has put him in his place several times, but he is being too rough, biting her neck and stomach)
Chewing things isn’t an issue, along with house training – those are easy.
I need helpful and constructive suggestions to wheen him off of biting people, and excessive barking, or this dog will probably never have a good home – it will be a long line of people ditching him, And maybe, if i can change his behaviour, my mum might agree to let me keep him.
He has no problems listening to me, i have so far taught him his name and sit, and he now sits without me tapping his back (this is after 1 day of training) so he is smart, and very food motivated.
__________________________
I have tried:
Biting:
yelping – he bites even harder
Stopping play – he bites my legs
Note: i don’t want to hit him. That will probably contribute to his problems.
Barking – I have never had to deal with this issue. even when he’s playing he barks, if he’s not sleeping or eating he’s barking. Non stop.
First off, I would take him to the vet for a check over- make sure there is no medical reason for his consistent barking; if not, then let the training begin!
Ok, so he is clearly a nuisance for you dog. So get her (your dog) a crate of allocated room, that only she is aloud in. Time out space away from the puppy. My oldest dog goes upstairs to my room for his quiet time.
So lets work on the barking to begin with. This can be a very difficult thing to train out, however there are several approaches to take. One idea, is to teach your dog ‘speak’/to bark on command, and teach him to be quiet. This is often an idea put in place for ‘barky’ dogs, however might not be the best idea for you.
The other option is; when he barks, calmly call him towards you, if he stops then treat and praise him. If he doesn’t, then wait for him to be quiet. If you show him a treat, and wait for 5 seconds of silence, then praise and treat him. But make sure to always praise him when he is quiet, and completely ignore him when he barks.
You also have to remember that a Beagle is a noisy dog. They bark to alert the pack that they have found something. So think about what it is that is causing the barking, and work with and around that.
Biting! Right, so begin a game and praise when the game is going well. As soon as he starts to bite, you get up and walk away. If he goes for your ankles, quickly turn around and bend to his level with a firm, authoritative ‘NO’.
If that does not work, then focus his attention onto something else, for example a different toy. But remember to always praise the good behaviour.
If you don’t already, then get him a crate. He should have time out time for at least an hour a day.
So he sounds like an active dog, in which case I would create some fun games for him. Have you tried ‘find the toy’? Get his favourite toy, and then have someone hold him, while you hide the toy in the room. Make sure he can see where you put it. Then tell him to ‘go find’. You might have to help him out to start with. While he’s having to use his mind/brain, it should keep him quiet. So give him lots of praise.
Once he gets the hang of it, make the game more challenging and hide the toy, when he is not looking. He should be good at this game, because it is in his breed to ‘search/hunt’ for things, and you’ve said he is intelligent.
Is he fully inoculated and ready to go out?
If so, then sign up for training classes.
Also start to socialise him. Take him out to the park, shops, on buses etc any where you can.
I’d suggest you give him a 15 minute walk in the morning and a 15 minute walk in the evening.
If he remains a live wire in the future, then get him into a sport. Rabbit coursing, tracking, agility etc.. to keep a clever dog active and happy.
Keep going, and you’ll get there. Best of luck.
26 Mar 2011
I finally got an awesome new dog yesterday (named her Juniper) from a rescue, and I have a few questions about her behavior.
1) She seems to be scared of men (at least). They told me at the rescue that this is the case, and today while I was walking her someone tried to pet her and she just ducked and dodged him. She never growled or acted aggressive, just scared (he did come right at her- not smart).
2) How can I tell how she is going to act towards other people/dogs? The lady who I got her from at the rescue said that she barks and acts aggressive towards other dogs and people, and even got in a fight with another "alpha dog". However while I’ve had her (these past 2 days) she has never barked- period! I took her to the pet store and to the park both days, and she encountered numerous people/dogs. She seemed interested, but never barked or growled. Could the rescue have been wrong about her behavior? Or something like that? I’m scared to let people pet her b/c I don’t know how she’ll react according to them, but so far she hasn’t seemed even a little aggressive at all!
3) Last question (thanks for taking the time to read all these btw)- the rescue said she drinks excessively (she does drink a lot- I don’t know what is "excessive" for a dog), and they think she might have a kidney problem b/c a few of her labs came back as abnormal. They also said, though, that she was severely dehydrated (to the point of being lethargic) when the tests were run. Could that be the cause of the abnormalities, or should I be concerned about her kidney function? She acts totally fine now… happy, loves to go on walks, eats and drinks and uses the bathroom (and can hold it) like a regular dog as far as I can tell.
Thanks for any and all advice!
ps: I definitely do plan on taking her to dog obedience classes, but I haven’t officially adopted her yet- we’re doing a "trial period", and so I want to wait until it’s all finalized before I enroll her in classes. I just have to get all the paper work through and pay for her, basically first.
Thanks for the answer. She is 3 years old… that’s why I was asking. I’ve heard that dogs are socialized when they are puppies, so that’s why I wondered. I didn’t know if just getting her used to everything will work, or if there’s some special training to do. Thanks!
1) doesn’t seem to be a question LOL! I guess just try to have men over and tell them about her problem, and tell them to be very gentle and slow moving around her. Maybe over time you can build her confidence and she could get better about her behavior towards men.
2) I am willing to bet that this is because she’s not completely used to you yet. She’s probably feeling slightly scared and a little wary, and just kind of taking the back seat so she can take it all in right now. Once she starts getting comfortable with her new home she might perk up and be more active (like that other dog you were looking at… remember how after a few days at the shelter, he changed?). I’ve noticed that when dogs are getting ready to be aggressive towards other people/dogs, you have to watch their body language. Usually they go on alert and stare right at them, perk their head and ears up, and their whole body gets tense, etc. Watch her mouth and see if she starts to move her lips like she’s going to growl/bite, etc. Hopefully when I come up there she won’t bite my hand off ;-]
3) I would take her to a vet to get acquainted with whatever your new vet will be (or do you already have a vet for Lumpy? BTW… how are they getting along? LOL). When you are there casually mention the issue and see what he thinks. He could probably palpate the kidneys for swelling and maybe do a urinalysis, and then proceed from there depending on what he finds. I would do the vet visit before the trial period is up, in case it would be super costly and possibly a deal breaker for you if she has something going on (it sounds insensitive but money is tight, so it really could be a deal breaker).
PS I’m super jealous. I wish our damn apartment allowed dogs.
25 Mar 2011
I have 9 months old boxer puppy and he is very happy and lovely dog, we never had any problems with him before!
But since he turn 8 months he started to bark A LOT if he wants something and he started to be attention and affection seeker!
We do take him out for walks everyday, play with him, teach him new tricks… Can this behavior have something to do with being teenager? Is that’s going to pass?
Thank you so much for your help!
Yes, he’s a juvenile and he’s pushing the boundaries. Best thing to do is reward the behavior you want and ignore the behavior you don’t want. If ignoring it doesn’t work, gentle correction with something like a squirt gun or misting bottle, or a can of coins to make noise, is usually effective enough to get the idea across. Be sure not to yell or get stressed about it…just remain calm and collected. Getting loud or excited will only elevate his behavior.