Hello All
We took in a rescue dog yesterday afternoon. A stunning Labrador cross ***** aged approx 18 months-2 years.
We took the kids aged 14 and 8 along to meet her and although she was very excited to be out of the kennel, displayed no signs of aggression.
We have no idea of her history as she was picked up by a dog warden at a park and has only been at the rescue centre for 3 weeks.
We brought her home yesterday and made the first error in allowing her to roam the house!
Yesterday she was fantastic, but kept climbing up onto us all for cuddles. Again next error committed-we petted her and spoiled her rotten!
We woke this morning to a mess in the hallway and some chewing. We understand this is likely to be anxiety-new home etc and she is scared to go out in the dark so didn't go properly and hasn't tonight!
Our biggest concern however is her snapping. Yesterday she was a loving cuddly friendly dog-today she climbed onto my 15 year old and when she tried to get her down the dog snapped. My 15 year old tried to mollycoddle her and be nice-we were not in the room at the time-then got up and sent the dog out of the room where she then proceeded to again mess on the floor-I would like to add that we have been walking her round the field, allowing her into our large garden etc on numerous occassions but have been unable to let her off her lead incase she runs off.
This evening we took her on a long walk to pick up our 8 year old daughter from her grandparents, all the way she dragged the lead constantly tried to enter gardens etc.
We got to my in-laws and the dog seemed tired but was allowing us to stroke her. Our 8 year old stroked her a few times then without warning the dog snapped. Their was no growling and the snap wasn't an aggressive snap, more of a go away kind, but she did this again when my daughter re-attempted to stroke her.
We are very concerned about this snapping. She is a very big dog and if she were to attack I dread to think of the consequences.
Our 8 year old who is a complete animal lover is now scared of being near our dog and I feel like I have lost a little confidence in the dog.
I don't want to give up on the dog, this is a long term commitment for us and our previous dog who was euthanised for cancer never did this in her 9 years we had her!
Any advice on how to prevent this and re-instate my daughters confidence in the dog would be greatly appreciated.
Many Thanks
Colleen
Rescue dog snapped at daughter
Moderators: emmabeth, BoardHost
Re: Rescue dog snapped at daughter
Hello, well done for taking a rescue dog, understandably you are having problems. I think you are going too fast with her, she has only been with you a very short time and is probably overwhelmed, anxious and possibly quite frightened by all that has been happening to her in such a short space of time. You need to slow down, get the children to ignore her, no petting, certainly no cuddling yet or allowing her on their laps. It is all too much too soon for her to cope with. You deal with her calmly and quietly until she has found her feet and settled in a bit, you are not seeing the real dog at such an early stage.
Do you have any history about the dog, did the rescue know you have children? Speak with the rescue about the concerns you have and see how they react, they may be able to help you. The lead pulling would be normal, possibly the dog is looking for her previous owners/has never been walked before and has never had any training, you can put all this in place in time. Messing/weeing in the house would also be normal, she may never have been house trained and has been living in a kennel environment not in a house. Take her on a lead in the garden and wait with her while she toilets, huge verbal praise and offer a treat when she obliges, in time she will understand what you want.
I'm sure once she has settled down things will improve but obviously you need to monitor the snapping around the children and teach them to let her approach them rather than them rushing up to her and making her fearful and feeling as if she must warn them away. If she gets on the sofa, get a treat and tempt her off, use the word off, better to use a bit of bribery and get the result you want rather than having to physically remover her, making her fearful and snappy.
Hope things calm down for you, sure lots of others will be along to offer wise words, best of luck.
Do you have any history about the dog, did the rescue know you have children? Speak with the rescue about the concerns you have and see how they react, they may be able to help you. The lead pulling would be normal, possibly the dog is looking for her previous owners/has never been walked before and has never had any training, you can put all this in place in time. Messing/weeing in the house would also be normal, she may never have been house trained and has been living in a kennel environment not in a house. Take her on a lead in the garden and wait with her while she toilets, huge verbal praise and offer a treat when she obliges, in time she will understand what you want.
I'm sure once she has settled down things will improve but obviously you need to monitor the snapping around the children and teach them to let her approach them rather than them rushing up to her and making her fearful and feeling as if she must warn them away. If she gets on the sofa, get a treat and tempt her off, use the word off, better to use a bit of bribery and get the result you want rather than having to physically remover her, making her fearful and snappy.
Hope things calm down for you, sure lots of others will be along to offer wise words, best of luck.
-
Fundog
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Re: Rescue dog snapped at daughter
If it's any consolation, I have a rescue dog with similar "issues." The first step to resolving this problem is to understand that snapping is only a form of communication-- albeit an alarming one!-- but she is clearly telling you something important, nonetheless. 
She is telling you, as you deduced correctly when you picked up your eight year old, that she has had enough touching, and would like you to stop now-- granted, she has not yet learned to say "please," but is rather blunt and sudden about it. However, it is vital that you listen to her, and honor her feelings: if she welcomes cuddles and stroking, fine, do so, to both your hearts' content. But when she has had enough, you must stop immediately, and back away a pace or two. (If sitting on the sofa together, either scoot over a bit, or ask her to get off.) This teaches her that you all are listening to her, and that she does not need to "shout" to be heard--- as undoubtedly she has had to do in her past. Meanwhile, study as much as you can about reading a dog's body language, and tell-tale signs of pleasure, displeasure, discomfort, fear, anxiety, feeling overwhelmed and over-stimulated, etc. Be mindful of the very subtle cues your new family member may be exhibiting without your seeing it, such as looking away furtively, licking lips, twitching of the whiskers, tail slowing down or dropping, etc. When you see these signs, immediately say to yourself and others, "oh, she's had enough," and stop touching, move away a little, etc. This will get you all more practice in understanding your dog, and also she will get rewarded for communicating her feelings in an acceptable and polite manner. Eventually, she may even learn to get up and walk away on her own when she has had enough touching--- although my own dog has not yet learned this, and we've had her for three years! 
But we are becoming exceptionally skilled at reading her when she is not in the mood for touching, and we respect her enough to honor that. 
(Other times she is an absolute "love pig," and rather greedy in gobbling up affection!)
As for the "spoiling," really there is nothing wrong with it, as long as you also have some basic house rules, and are consistent in keeping them. We all love to spoil our dogs rotten. Just bear in mind too, that she is feeling rather anxious and apprehensive, still getting to know you, your home, and the rules and routine. If you become upset with her at all, or shout at her, use a stern tone, or "hurt her feelings" in the least bit, she is more likely to lose control of her bowels and bladder inside the house. It is NOT defiance, but anxiety and submission that causes this, and she has no control over it. Just so you know. 
She is telling you, as you deduced correctly when you picked up your eight year old, that she has had enough touching, and would like you to stop now-- granted, she has not yet learned to say "please," but is rather blunt and sudden about it. However, it is vital that you listen to her, and honor her feelings: if she welcomes cuddles and stroking, fine, do so, to both your hearts' content. But when she has had enough, you must stop immediately, and back away a pace or two. (If sitting on the sofa together, either scoot over a bit, or ask her to get off.) This teaches her that you all are listening to her, and that she does not need to "shout" to be heard--- as undoubtedly she has had to do in her past. Meanwhile, study as much as you can about reading a dog's body language, and tell-tale signs of pleasure, displeasure, discomfort, fear, anxiety, feeling overwhelmed and over-stimulated, etc. Be mindful of the very subtle cues your new family member may be exhibiting without your seeing it, such as looking away furtively, licking lips, twitching of the whiskers, tail slowing down or dropping, etc. When you see these signs, immediately say to yourself and others, "oh, she's had enough," and stop touching, move away a little, etc. This will get you all more practice in understanding your dog, and also she will get rewarded for communicating her feelings in an acceptable and polite manner. Eventually, she may even learn to get up and walk away on her own when she has had enough touching--- although my own dog has not yet learned this, and we've had her for three years! But we are becoming exceptionally skilled at reading her when she is not in the mood for touching, and we respect her enough to honor that. (Other times she is an absolute "love pig," and rather greedy in gobbling up affection!) As for the "spoiling," really there is nothing wrong with it, as long as you also have some basic house rules, and are consistent in keeping them. We all love to spoil our dogs rotten.
Just bear in mind too, that she is feeling rather anxious and apprehensive, still getting to know you, your home, and the rules and routine. If you become upset with her at all, or shout at her, use a stern tone, or "hurt her feelings" in the least bit, she is more likely to lose control of her bowels and bladder inside the house. It is NOT defiance, but anxiety and submission that causes this, and she has no control over it. Just so you know. If an opportunity comes to you in life, say yes first, even if you don't know how to do it.
Re: Rescue dog snapped at daughter
So the BIGGEST point to keep in mind....you got her YESTERDAY. it can take MONTHS for a rescue dog to feel completely at home and safe with their new family. I would really like to emphasize Labsrule's point about moving to fast..remember you got her yesterday. I would strongly encourage backing off a little and just let her get to know you all a bit more on her terms and pace. Another thing to keep in mind is she isn't challenging you, trying to take leadership etc, etc. she JUST wants to feel safe and comfortable. Listening to her ISN'T going to harm your ability to train her and teach her how you want her to be one little bit. if anything it will actually help as she will learn to trust you because you backed off.
A very common misconception is that dogs come ready "to go". They don't. They need to learn their new home, it's "rules" and expectations. Some other misconception is adult dogs come potty trained or ready to be around young kids and so forth. They don't. often they have to learn these things as well.
I highly, highly recommend you pick up this book http://www.patriciamcconnell.com/produc ... -age-limit it will be a great help in starting off on the "right paw" so to speak. and of course you are always welcome to ask here too.
One last thing to add to Fundogs excellent advice. Rather than trying to have long cuddle or petting or scratching sessions at this time. Make them short and brief and end them before she feels she has to ask for them to end. this way it's a bit more on the order of "hey, wait don't stop" verse "OK, OK ENOUGH ALREADY *snap*"
A very common misconception is that dogs come ready "to go". They don't. They need to learn their new home, it's "rules" and expectations. Some other misconception is adult dogs come potty trained or ready to be around young kids and so forth. They don't. often they have to learn these things as well.
I highly, highly recommend you pick up this book http://www.patriciamcconnell.com/produc ... -age-limit it will be a great help in starting off on the "right paw" so to speak. and of course you are always welcome to ask here too.
One last thing to add to Fundogs excellent advice. Rather than trying to have long cuddle or petting or scratching sessions at this time. Make them short and brief and end them before she feels she has to ask for them to end. this way it's a bit more on the order of "hey, wait don't stop" verse "OK, OK ENOUGH ALREADY *snap*"
Re: Rescue dog snapped at daughter
Ahhh scary stuff for you. First suggestion is that you have ALL the family read these boards - they are pretty kid friendly on the whole (and if you spot anything that ISNT do drop me a PM!), and it will give you all an idea of how we can help you, what things need to happen and what sort of time frame might be expected.
The first course of action is to work out how to manage her so she is not at risk of snapping at you or your children.
I would suggest baby gates and a crate - if she jumps them then you can put one above the other to prevent this.
A crate is always a good thing to have around, it may take you time to teach her to use it and to be comfortable within it.
Once you have that, you can keep her seperated from the children when you are not available to supervise, and everyone remains MUCH safer.
Then you want to sit down with your children, and discuss how much work they are prepared to put in. Do they understand that she is mixed up and anxious because she is in a new home, AND that previous people have quite probably done things that influence the way she behaves now, they have taught her the wrong things (I would pretty much guarantee she has been punished for growling to warn people off!) and she sounds very much like she is expecting to get hit or yelled at.
Fixing these issues WILL take time - patience - understanding. Really if any of you feel you cannot handle that, then it may be better for her to go back to the rescue rather than risk her getting worse or actually biting someone.
On the other hand it IS possible to reteach a dog NOT to expect horrible things from humans (and thus not overreact), to use self control, and to bring back a 'lost' growl. That latter IS really important, you WANT a dog who growls to say shes not happy about a thing - if she doesnt growl, you are completely in the dark.
Presuming you are all on board, then talk about what you all expect from this dog - try to bear in mind, she is NOT the previous dog, and what the previous dog did will firstly, be completely saintly, because all dogs who have gone to the rainbowbridge were total saints! And secondly its realy really easy to forget the mistakes and 'bad' things any previous dog did - we are just like that, we have short memories!
Draw up some ground rules that you will all abide by - things like children are not to handle the dog, the dog is not to be fed from the table, etc etc.
Work out what time you have for training sessions and really really think about how you will deal with each new 'bit' of behaviour she offers you - because you MAY feel at times you are going backwards, and you may reveal behaviours that you didnt previously see.
For example I have had Ellie, my bonkers saluki x afghan, for just over a year now.
When she first arrived she did not warn you she felt uncomfortable, she tolerated it, in some cases she looked like she liked something (grooming usually), and then she would just explode, huge ball of snapping snarling yelling fur - VERY scary.
Someone, somewhere, has punished her for growling, and from her reactions I think they got very angry with her and hit her. She would explode then back right away and go and hide, so I think once she quit growling and went to the exploding stage, people lashed out at her and hit her for exploding at them.
At that time, you couldnt have her on lead near another dog - she would just freeze (which took some very careful observation to note the tenseness in her face and limbs) and then explode and bite them. You couldn't groom her or do her nails or touch various bits of her, again if you watched her VERY closely there was tension in her face, around her muzzle, and a still, frozen feel about her, especially in her eyes. She would tolerate it so long, then KABOOM..though she never actually bit us, she would redirect onto the grooming brush or the nail clippers.
NOW - fast forward nearly 18 months - we have listened to her. We have rewarded her for tolerating grooming in small sessions, we have muzzled her so she cannot make us react in fear of being bitten (but are careful not to use that as a sticking plaster to allow us to bully her!), we have taught her via clicker training that she CAN try out new behaviours and see what happens, that she will not get shouted at or hit.
The various stages we went through saw her doing a LOT of growling at one point - which if you didn't understand what was going on could look quite bad. If for example she growled as I was blowdrying her ears (shes really long coated) - I would just stop, say 'Oh sorry, I will do a different bit' (doesnt matter waht the words are, I was acknowledging that she wasnt happy!), give her a minute and then start somewhere else, paired with rewards.
Over time she began to understand that I WOULD listen if she wasn't happy - it was a fine balancing act because there are things we need to do that she isnt that keen on - but with the aid of tiny pieces of cheese she can now be brushed all over or have all her nails clipped without getting tense in the muzzle or worried. I think there is a way to go before she actively ENJOYS the process - but she is not now scared of us, or scared of the grooming or nail clipping! She hasnt growled at me for at least four months now, and her reactions during grooming sessions dropped quite quickly to one every few minutes, to one or two per session (and it does take 20 minutes to brush her through, and nearer an hour and a half to bath and dry her!)
Through clicker training as I say, she learned she could offer US behaviour we might reward - she could initiate interaction with us, and she first learned to put a paw on my leg to say she needed the toilet. When that sank in, BOY was she pleased with herself - in fact so pleased she actually got a little irritating, testing this new trick out over an dover to see if I really WOULD let her outside any time she asked!
We let her do this for a few months, and she would go through phases of being fine and just asking when she needed to potty, and then doubting it and asking us over and over again to test it really did still work. Now she hasnt felt the need to test this for at least six months, but if she HAD started using it to attention seek, I would have taught her to wait so that she understood I would do things, but not always immediately. I would always rather fix a problem like attention seeking or over using a new 'trick' later on, than risk 'squashing' a dogs enthusiasm or trust in me by telling them off or getting annoyed.
The first course of action is to work out how to manage her so she is not at risk of snapping at you or your children.
I would suggest baby gates and a crate - if she jumps them then you can put one above the other to prevent this.
A crate is always a good thing to have around, it may take you time to teach her to use it and to be comfortable within it.
Once you have that, you can keep her seperated from the children when you are not available to supervise, and everyone remains MUCH safer.
Then you want to sit down with your children, and discuss how much work they are prepared to put in. Do they understand that she is mixed up and anxious because she is in a new home, AND that previous people have quite probably done things that influence the way she behaves now, they have taught her the wrong things (I would pretty much guarantee she has been punished for growling to warn people off!) and she sounds very much like she is expecting to get hit or yelled at.
Fixing these issues WILL take time - patience - understanding. Really if any of you feel you cannot handle that, then it may be better for her to go back to the rescue rather than risk her getting worse or actually biting someone.
On the other hand it IS possible to reteach a dog NOT to expect horrible things from humans (and thus not overreact), to use self control, and to bring back a 'lost' growl. That latter IS really important, you WANT a dog who growls to say shes not happy about a thing - if she doesnt growl, you are completely in the dark.
Presuming you are all on board, then talk about what you all expect from this dog - try to bear in mind, she is NOT the previous dog, and what the previous dog did will firstly, be completely saintly, because all dogs who have gone to the rainbowbridge were total saints! And secondly its realy really easy to forget the mistakes and 'bad' things any previous dog did - we are just like that, we have short memories!
Draw up some ground rules that you will all abide by - things like children are not to handle the dog, the dog is not to be fed from the table, etc etc.
Work out what time you have for training sessions and really really think about how you will deal with each new 'bit' of behaviour she offers you - because you MAY feel at times you are going backwards, and you may reveal behaviours that you didnt previously see.
For example I have had Ellie, my bonkers saluki x afghan, for just over a year now.
When she first arrived she did not warn you she felt uncomfortable, she tolerated it, in some cases she looked like she liked something (grooming usually), and then she would just explode, huge ball of snapping snarling yelling fur - VERY scary.
Someone, somewhere, has punished her for growling, and from her reactions I think they got very angry with her and hit her. She would explode then back right away and go and hide, so I think once she quit growling and went to the exploding stage, people lashed out at her and hit her for exploding at them.
At that time, you couldnt have her on lead near another dog - she would just freeze (which took some very careful observation to note the tenseness in her face and limbs) and then explode and bite them. You couldn't groom her or do her nails or touch various bits of her, again if you watched her VERY closely there was tension in her face, around her muzzle, and a still, frozen feel about her, especially in her eyes. She would tolerate it so long, then KABOOM..though she never actually bit us, she would redirect onto the grooming brush or the nail clippers.
NOW - fast forward nearly 18 months - we have listened to her. We have rewarded her for tolerating grooming in small sessions, we have muzzled her so she cannot make us react in fear of being bitten (but are careful not to use that as a sticking plaster to allow us to bully her!), we have taught her via clicker training that she CAN try out new behaviours and see what happens, that she will not get shouted at or hit.
The various stages we went through saw her doing a LOT of growling at one point - which if you didn't understand what was going on could look quite bad. If for example she growled as I was blowdrying her ears (shes really long coated) - I would just stop, say 'Oh sorry, I will do a different bit' (doesnt matter waht the words are, I was acknowledging that she wasnt happy!), give her a minute and then start somewhere else, paired with rewards.
Over time she began to understand that I WOULD listen if she wasn't happy - it was a fine balancing act because there are things we need to do that she isnt that keen on - but with the aid of tiny pieces of cheese she can now be brushed all over or have all her nails clipped without getting tense in the muzzle or worried. I think there is a way to go before she actively ENJOYS the process - but she is not now scared of us, or scared of the grooming or nail clipping! She hasnt growled at me for at least four months now, and her reactions during grooming sessions dropped quite quickly to one every few minutes, to one or two per session (and it does take 20 minutes to brush her through, and nearer an hour and a half to bath and dry her!)
Through clicker training as I say, she learned she could offer US behaviour we might reward - she could initiate interaction with us, and she first learned to put a paw on my leg to say she needed the toilet. When that sank in, BOY was she pleased with herself - in fact so pleased she actually got a little irritating, testing this new trick out over an dover to see if I really WOULD let her outside any time she asked!
We let her do this for a few months, and she would go through phases of being fine and just asking when she needed to potty, and then doubting it and asking us over and over again to test it really did still work. Now she hasnt felt the need to test this for at least six months, but if she HAD started using it to attention seek, I would have taught her to wait so that she understood I would do things, but not always immediately. I would always rather fix a problem like attention seeking or over using a new 'trick' later on, than risk 'squashing' a dogs enthusiasm or trust in me by telling them off or getting annoyed.
West Midlands based 1-2-1 Training & Behaviour Canine Consultant
Re: Rescue dog snapped at daughter
Thank you all so much for the replies and excellent advice.
Hello Labsrule - we have no history on her- she was picked up in a park by the warden and sent to the rescue centre. We took the children with us when we went to visit and she was very excited, but when we collected her she was fantastic with them.
Other than constantly wanting to climb up on us and cuddle us incessantly she was fab, and once settled she laid down and made herself at home.
Fundog - We knew immediately the snap at our 8 year old was because she was tired from the walk and needed time to relax, we had brought her into yet another new house with new surroundings, she had received lots of fuss and basically was sick of it lol, it seemed far worse a deal last night than it does this morning if you understand what I mean, but I can't be complacent and her snapping at the kids shows we have al misread her body language. The worry is how does an 8 year old know what to look for?
Jacksdad- thanks for the link for the book, I have ordered it. I think our concern is she is trying to dominate. We have taken her behaviour of lead pulling and climbing on us as a leadership display. Is this just her being anxious and excited?
Emmabeth - I intend on showing the kids this thread. The 14 year old although was scared yesterday doesn't seem nervous around her, she has a friend who has a spaniel who is an ankle biter and very vocal so she doesn't feel phased by this, but our 8 year old is now on edge and I cried my heart out last night as this is the last thing we want for her or the dog.
We have purchased a crate which we are collecting today and will be using it for when we are at work. We were going to use it for bed also but this morning we left her in the hall, blocking off the steps so she couldn't come up into the bedrooms and left her bone and water for her and there was no accidents or mess, so we decided we will just get a gate for the stairs for on a night so she can not come up and use the crate for through the day - I only work 5.5 hours a day and can come home on lunch to let her out for toilet as I work nearby.
My sister suggested muzzling her when she is near the children but this would be pretty much all the time so I don't know if that is practical.
My biggest concern is that hubby as gone off to work and she is showing signs of upset he has left. If he leaves for the shop she cries for him. I am leaving for work soon and my 14 year old is home due to the school holidays. I am very nervous about leaving her home with her. We completely forgot it was half term when we got the dog on Saturday!
Also this dog appears to be petrified of the lead. When we put it on her she panics, gets very upset and air snapped at my hubby this morning. How can we reassure her we are not trying to hurt her, but wanting to walk her.
Again a huge thanks for all your replies and advice it is appreciated.
Colleen
Hello Labsrule - we have no history on her- she was picked up in a park by the warden and sent to the rescue centre. We took the children with us when we went to visit and she was very excited, but when we collected her she was fantastic with them.
Other than constantly wanting to climb up on us and cuddle us incessantly she was fab, and once settled she laid down and made herself at home.
Fundog - We knew immediately the snap at our 8 year old was because she was tired from the walk and needed time to relax, we had brought her into yet another new house with new surroundings, she had received lots of fuss and basically was sick of it lol, it seemed far worse a deal last night than it does this morning if you understand what I mean, but I can't be complacent and her snapping at the kids shows we have al misread her body language. The worry is how does an 8 year old know what to look for?
Jacksdad- thanks for the link for the book, I have ordered it
. I think our concern is she is trying to dominate. We have taken her behaviour of lead pulling and climbing on us as a leadership display. Is this just her being anxious and excited?Emmabeth - I intend on showing the kids this thread. The 14 year old although was scared yesterday doesn't seem nervous around her, she has a friend who has a spaniel who is an ankle biter and very vocal so she doesn't feel phased by this, but our 8 year old is now on edge and I cried my heart out last night as this is the last thing we want for her or the dog.
We have purchased a crate which we are collecting today and will be using it for when we are at work. We were going to use it for bed also but this morning we left her in the hall, blocking off the steps so she couldn't come up into the bedrooms and left her bone and water for her and there was no accidents or mess, so we decided we will just get a gate for the stairs for on a night so she can not come up and use the crate for through the day - I only work 5.5 hours a day and can come home on lunch to let her out for toilet as I work nearby.
My sister suggested muzzling her when she is near the children but this would be pretty much all the time so I don't know if that is practical.
My biggest concern is that hubby as gone off to work and she is showing signs of upset he has left. If he leaves for the shop she cries for him. I am leaving for work soon and my 14 year old is home due to the school holidays. I am very nervous about leaving her home with her. We completely forgot it was half term when we got the dog on Saturday!
Also this dog appears to be petrified of the lead. When we put it on her she panics, gets very upset and air snapped at my hubby this morning. How can we reassure her we are not trying to hurt her, but wanting to walk her.
Again a huge thanks for all your replies and advice it is appreciated.
Colleen
Re: Rescue dog snapped at daughter
Just a few points to tide you over, csdodd, before the real experts get here (I am not an expert, just a dog geek, shall we say :)
How is an 8 year old supposed to know? She's not! You have to make sure they are only together if you are there to observe, especially as the dog is so new to the household. The 8 year old may not be able to understand the difference between this being a living breathing creature with opinions of its own, and a rather large stuffed bear-dog. You don't want the dog deciding the 8 year old is scary, and vice versa too! Make sure every interaction between the two is positive, even if that means there IS no interaction, just being in the same room and nice things happening.
Forget about 'domination'. If she's pulling on the lead, it's because she's been trapped in a kennels for x weeks, months, and suddenly she's outside! There's sights, smells, things all around - she's BOUND to want to go explore them all! On top of that, she's had very little time to build a bond with you, so she doesn't understand yet that looking and listening to you results in good things happening. All she knows is that there's some pee-mail over there and she's way out of date, and wants to catch up on the news! Compare that to 'She wants to manipulate you and all your family into doing her bidding, and sit laughing maniacally on the top of the hierarchy pyramid' then... well, one of these options sounds a bit silly to me :) She's just a bundle of impulses, and you have to show her that by controlling some of these, and making the right choices, she gets good things.
Anxiety when your husband leaves. I wouldn't like to say for sure, but I expect that this would settle down once she has been there a bit longer, and gets used to the idea that he does come back, every day, at the same time. That is to say, she has to learn your routine. You can work on SA (separation anxiety) bit by bit too, by building up her being left alone in small doses.
As for the lead, there could be all sorts of reasons why she has bad associations with this. My thoughts would be to 'start again' with a harness instead of a collar (she might associate walks with pain in her neck), especially as using a harness is great for teaching her to walk on a loose lead. You can teach her to like her lead by starting small, treating her for looking at the lead. Treating her for touching it with a paw, nose. Treating her for letting you drape it on her. Etc, etc, so it builds up and she has nothing but good associations with this new lead.
Finally, make sure you use the crate sensibly to begin with, and do the same routine with getting some good associations built up. Tie down some really great treats in there (so she has to eat them in there, not take them away) and feed her in there. Make her think it's a GREAT place to be. Only then can you leave her inside it, doing so before she's ready will leave her thinking it's an awful place to be.
Finally, finally, take it slowly! You have a whole doggy world full of issues here, but everything is new to both your family and your dog. You might find that once she finds her feet some of the issues resolve themselves naturally, and the rest you can work on, slowly but surely. Stick with us here and we'll help you through every part.
How is an 8 year old supposed to know? She's not! You have to make sure they are only together if you are there to observe, especially as the dog is so new to the household. The 8 year old may not be able to understand the difference between this being a living breathing creature with opinions of its own, and a rather large stuffed bear-dog. You don't want the dog deciding the 8 year old is scary, and vice versa too! Make sure every interaction between the two is positive, even if that means there IS no interaction, just being in the same room and nice things happening.
Forget about 'domination'. If she's pulling on the lead, it's because she's been trapped in a kennels for x weeks, months, and suddenly she's outside! There's sights, smells, things all around - she's BOUND to want to go explore them all! On top of that, she's had very little time to build a bond with you, so she doesn't understand yet that looking and listening to you results in good things happening. All she knows is that there's some pee-mail over there and she's way out of date, and wants to catch up on the news! Compare that to 'She wants to manipulate you and all your family into doing her bidding, and sit laughing maniacally on the top of the hierarchy pyramid' then... well, one of these options sounds a bit silly to me :) She's just a bundle of impulses, and you have to show her that by controlling some of these, and making the right choices, she gets good things.
Anxiety when your husband leaves. I wouldn't like to say for sure, but I expect that this would settle down once she has been there a bit longer, and gets used to the idea that he does come back, every day, at the same time. That is to say, she has to learn your routine. You can work on SA (separation anxiety) bit by bit too, by building up her being left alone in small doses.
As for the lead, there could be all sorts of reasons why she has bad associations with this. My thoughts would be to 'start again' with a harness instead of a collar (she might associate walks with pain in her neck), especially as using a harness is great for teaching her to walk on a loose lead. You can teach her to like her lead by starting small, treating her for looking at the lead. Treating her for touching it with a paw, nose. Treating her for letting you drape it on her. Etc, etc, so it builds up and she has nothing but good associations with this new lead.
Finally, make sure you use the crate sensibly to begin with, and do the same routine with getting some good associations built up. Tie down some really great treats in there (so she has to eat them in there, not take them away) and feed her in there. Make her think it's a GREAT place to be. Only then can you leave her inside it, doing so before she's ready will leave her thinking it's an awful place to be.
Finally, finally, take it slowly! You have a whole doggy world full of issues here, but everything is new to both your family and your dog. You might find that once she finds her feet some of the issues resolve themselves naturally, and the rest you can work on, slowly but surely. Stick with us here and we'll help you through every part.
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Fundog
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Re: Rescue dog snapped at daughter
Minkee pretty much covered it all. Emphasis on the fact your new family member has absolutely no desire whatsoever to dominate your family and take over the household! She's just a very insecure creature, looking for love and acceptance, and trying to figure out how she fits in to her new home.
I do have one personal comparison to add some perspective, if it helps at all: My own Dottie Monster had a horrific past--- the only thing we know for certain is that she was abandoned, chained up, with no food or water, and on death's doorstep when the rescue found her--- she came with a lot of fear, insecurity, and baggage, and we have managed to fill in a few blanks about her past from her issues. For example, we believe her original owner drove a UPS (parcel delivery) truck. We believe she was kicked and shouted at a lot, and never played with....
Anyway, as a result of Dottie's past, and not having much of a puppyhood to speak of, she has reverted to being a puppy in an adult body. (She has some brain damage too, from her abusive first year) Dottie is four years old. She was approx. 18 months old when we adopted her, but at the developmental level of an eight month old puppy. She is STILL very much a puppy, always seeking praise and affection, and having a hard time controlling her impulses when she gets excited. Based on this observation, it has helped us and her, to basically go back in time and treat her like a little baby puppy. She came to us not knowing anything. She was fearful and insecure. So we opted to give her a "clean slate," and make her new life with us the beginning of her life at all. I have racked my imagination to make enrichment puzzles and toys to help Dottie's intellectual development. It's slow going, but she is making progress! At four years old, I would say she has finally reached the developmental age of a one or two year old pup. It just takes time and practice--- and you have all the time in the world. When you take on that perspective, you begin to relax. When you relax, the dog relaxes, and life settles into a comfortable routine. 
Emphasis on the fact your new family member has absolutely no desire whatsoever to dominate your family and take over the household! She's just a very insecure creature, looking for love and acceptance, and trying to figure out how she fits in to her new home. I do have one personal comparison to add some perspective, if it helps at all: My own Dottie Monster had a horrific past--- the only thing we know for certain is that she was abandoned, chained up, with no food or water, and on death's doorstep when the rescue found her--- she came with a lot of fear, insecurity, and baggage, and we have managed to fill in a few blanks about her past from her issues. For example, we believe her original owner drove a UPS (parcel delivery) truck. We believe she was kicked and shouted at a lot, and never played with....
Anyway, as a result of Dottie's past, and not having much of a puppyhood to speak of, she has reverted to being a puppy in an adult body. (She has some brain damage too, from her abusive first year) Dottie is four years old. She was approx. 18 months old when we adopted her, but at the developmental level of an eight month old puppy. She is STILL very much a puppy, always seeking praise and affection, and having a hard time controlling her impulses when she gets excited. Based on this observation, it has helped us and her, to basically go back in time and treat her like a little baby puppy. She came to us not knowing anything. She was fearful and insecure. So we opted to give her a "clean slate," and make her new life with us the beginning of her life at all. I have racked my imagination to make enrichment puzzles and toys to help Dottie's intellectual development. It's slow going, but she is making progress! At four years old, I would say she has finally reached the developmental age of a one or two year old pup. It just takes time and practice--- and you have all the time in the world. When you take on that perspective, you begin to relax. When you relax, the dog relaxes, and life settles into a comfortable routine. If an opportunity comes to you in life, say yes first, even if you don't know how to do it.
Re: Rescue dog snapped at daughter
I think you probably ought to explain to your children, particularly the 8 year old, what 'love and respect' actually mean to a DOG...
Because to kids, that generally means a lot of cuddles and praise and fuss - and actually this dog may find that overwhelming to start with.
Although one automatically thinks 'got dog, must walk' - it may be worth NOT walking her for a few days in case she associates the leash with being hit with it, or yanked around. As Minkee suggests, I would buy her a harness, keep the lead clipped to that (so its there before you put the harness on her) and introduce this very gently. For example you could put it on the floor and then toss her a treat any time she looks at it or sniffs it (clicker training is great for this!), click and treat her for allowing you to drape the harness over her body, etc etc.
Go out in your garden and work on teaching her to heel off lead if your garden is secure, and to make up for there not being walks to start with, you can do lots of clicker training, puzzle solving etc to keep her mind active and improve the bond between you all.
Something that is easy to forget but can really help, is teaching a dog what their name IS - I don't know if you have named her, or the rescue named her and you have kept that name, but theres a good chance she doesnt know her name (and with dogs that come into rescue with a name, theres often a good chance that name is associated with unpleasant things so its a good idea to change them!) - so short sessions of just saying her name and handing her a treat, built up over a few days to saying her name and waiting for her to look towards you, is a great, easy way to teach her this. It can REALLY make a difference.
Because to kids, that generally means a lot of cuddles and praise and fuss - and actually this dog may find that overwhelming to start with.
Although one automatically thinks 'got dog, must walk' - it may be worth NOT walking her for a few days in case she associates the leash with being hit with it, or yanked around. As Minkee suggests, I would buy her a harness, keep the lead clipped to that (so its there before you put the harness on her) and introduce this very gently. For example you could put it on the floor and then toss her a treat any time she looks at it or sniffs it (clicker training is great for this!), click and treat her for allowing you to drape the harness over her body, etc etc.
Go out in your garden and work on teaching her to heel off lead if your garden is secure, and to make up for there not being walks to start with, you can do lots of clicker training, puzzle solving etc to keep her mind active and improve the bond between you all.
Something that is easy to forget but can really help, is teaching a dog what their name IS - I don't know if you have named her, or the rescue named her and you have kept that name, but theres a good chance she doesnt know her name (and with dogs that come into rescue with a name, theres often a good chance that name is associated with unpleasant things so its a good idea to change them!) - so short sessions of just saying her name and handing her a treat, built up over a few days to saying her name and waiting for her to look towards you, is a great, easy way to teach her this. It can REALLY make a difference.
West Midlands based 1-2-1 Training & Behaviour Canine Consultant
Re: Rescue dog snapped at daughter
A little tip with putting on harness, leads etc.:
We humans tend to bend over a dog when we are fitting harness, putting on leads etc. This is actually very VERY scary to a dog. When you have to do things with your dog, get her to sit, then stand or sit beside her and don't loom over her.
We humans also tend to pull on leads when we want a dog to change direction or move away from something. Dogs don't do 'pull': they do 'push' so instead of pulling at the lead, get between the dog and the direction you don't want her, and gently gently nudge with your legs to 'walk' her to where you DO want her. This applies in the house as well - walk her away don't pull her back.
We humans tend to bend over a dog when we are fitting harness, putting on leads etc. This is actually very VERY scary to a dog. When you have to do things with your dog, get her to sit, then stand or sit beside her and don't loom over her.
We humans also tend to pull on leads when we want a dog to change direction or move away from something. Dogs don't do 'pull': they do 'push' so instead of pulling at the lead, get between the dog and the direction you don't want her, and gently gently nudge with your legs to 'walk' her to where you DO want her. This applies in the house as well - walk her away don't pull her back.
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog
SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS
SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS
Re: Rescue dog snapped at daughter
others already chimed in on this, but yes, this is NOT her trying to "dominate" or putting on a "leadership" display by pulling. The snapping and such, that is just being anxious and unfamiliar with you and your family. She just met you, she has no bond, no knowledge of you etc. she needs to get to know you. Unfortunately as great as a shelter/rescue may be, they are still VERY stressful places for dogs. it can take a couple weeks to a full month for a dog who is stressed out from a single incident to calm down. And that is when they know and are comfortable with you. Which your dog doesn't and isn't....yet. Just giver time and space to get to know you.csdodd wrote: Jacksdad- thanks for the link for the book, I have ordered it
The pulling is two things. First, she has zero reason to be near you. she doesn't know you, hasn't learned how wonderful you are, has no bond. Second, she hasn't been taught what you want from her on lead. So, she does what is natural for a dog...GOOOOO sniff, and explore at a dog's pace. Dogs often walk more a fast trot which isn't compatible with a typical human walking pace. so, you need to teacher and give her some guidance what it is you want from her on a walk. here is a really good method for starting that viewtopic.php?f=20&t=858 I would only add that it is absolutely ok to allow her to sniff and explore along the walk as long as it's safe to do so. don't think her wanting to check out a smell as a challenge to you. It's just being a dog. Which of course does not mean you have to put up with being pulled and dragged around by your dog, rather you find a balance. Dog walks loose lead not pulling means dog gets to check things out. sniffing and exploring is very important to dogs, it's how the gather information about the world. not getting to engage in those activities at all would be like someone taking you for a walk but making you wear a blind fold and ear plugs then telling you how privileged you were to hike in the Grand Canyon.
when I first go my dog, he seemed fine when we left. then about a month later he started to panic. Big dilated pupils, whimpers and whines, and cries, pacing, trying to lie on my feet etc. Not entirely unexpected it turns out in rescue dogs. Dog are often more upset about a person or persons leaving them then they are being simply alone. though that does happen too. But it's far more likely to be about a specific person or persons. my dog does not like being separated from me, to a lesser degree my wife. but doesn't seem to care if our kids come and go, and while if they are home with him it help, he still will occasionally pace and whine if I leave while they are there. As long as you are ordering Patricia's other book. see if you can add this one to the order http://www.patriciamcconnell.com/produc ... on-anxiety (boy I need to talk to her about a commissioncsdodd wrote:My biggest concern is that hubby as gone off to work and she is showing signs of upset he has left. If he leaves for the shop she cries for him. I am leaving for work soon and my 14 year old is home due to the school holidays. I am very nervous about leaving her home with her. We completely forgot it was half term when we got the dog on Saturday!
) Even if your dog does not have full on separation anxiety, there are tips in this book that can help. My dog bounces between being ok, to separation displeasure (a little fuss then calms down and sleeps), to fairly mild anxiety. The preventive tips really make a difference for having to leave him to go to work.Re: Rescue dog snapped at daughter
I would again just like to offer a huge thanks for everyone taking the time to answer and give such fantastic advice.
Today has been up and down for her...I will time-table it for ease and anything I am doing wrong please please say!
5:45am Woke up and no poop or pee. Small amount of chewing to a scrap of paper.
6:00am Still refused to leave the backdoor area in the dark so walked around the garden with her before food, hubby took her round the block after food but snappy when he tried to put her lead on.
7:00am Hubby left for work, Miya is whining and very erratic. I became nervous which I think made her worse but with a few stern NO's (Not shouted or pointing finger) she calmed.
8:20am Opened door for her to go out in the garden after playing sit and beg and giving her a treat for doing well. Moved further than backdoor and gained another treat for that.
8:45am I left for work text eldest daughter and she said Miya was fine had just layed on her blanket in hallway and not whined etc.
12:00pm Called daughter and all is well Miya has been in the garden for pee and poo. Then called the kennels for some reassurance on the previous nights events. He believes she has been tethered up so is afraid of the lead and it is just excitement, nerves and her picking up on our nervousness that made her snappy.
2:00pm Came home and noticed Miya had not finished her food...we bought the food from the Kennels (which they feed her) so there was no upset to her diet. Gave her a treat for sitting nice and waiting for her water. Treat is vomited back up.
Daughter states she took her into the garden earlier and began to eat some crab apples and berries. She tried to NO the dog away but she wouldn't move so she pulled her by the collar to move her dog inevitably snapped but not to bite. I exlained never ever to pull her by her collar. Daughter was a little upset because she was scared the dog would poison herself so felt it was all she could do...any thoughts on this would be great!
3:00pm Refused to go in garden without me
4:00pm Miya has been sick a further 6 times...her whole meal she had in the morning has come up along with some grass! She has still not attempted to eat her food but eats her treats!
5:00pm Hubby did a lead test. He showed her the lead and she got super excited, when he tried to put it on and she got scared he removed the lead away, did this 3 times and Miya sat for her lead to be put on and got a treat for being so good and has managed not to vomit it back up.
Walked around the garden and heeled most of the way round with the lead on. Huge praise!!!
7:00pm Doggy crate is here, we bought her a new rubber bone to distract her while we assembled it but Miya is so excited she got in the crate before we could get the base in! She has been sat in there with the door open with her marrowbone, her rubberbone, her blanket and water and has only come out once and that was to lick us.
We have decided not to long walk Miya tonight, she is nervous and the plonkers who live nearby are setting off fireworks.
We had her in the same room as our younger daughter today and Miya went over for a stroke from her but our daughter is still nervous so flinched. Miya walked away and appeared to sulk. We intend on easing them back into each others company to raise their trust in each other.
I think the reason Miya is off her food is because she has picked up on the tension in the house. This has dissolved a little with all your advice and I am hoping we build up her trust and ours.
Thanks for reading,
Colleen
Today has been up and down for her...I will time-table it for ease and anything I am doing wrong please please say!
5:45am Woke up and no poop or pee. Small amount of chewing to a scrap of paper.
6:00am Still refused to leave the backdoor area in the dark so walked around the garden with her before food, hubby took her round the block after food but snappy when he tried to put her lead on.
7:00am Hubby left for work, Miya is whining and very erratic. I became nervous which I think made her worse but with a few stern NO's (Not shouted or pointing finger) she calmed.
8:20am Opened door for her to go out in the garden after playing sit and beg and giving her a treat for doing well. Moved further than backdoor and gained another treat for that.
8:45am I left for work text eldest daughter and she said Miya was fine had just layed on her blanket in hallway and not whined etc.
12:00pm Called daughter and all is well Miya has been in the garden for pee and poo. Then called the kennels for some reassurance on the previous nights events. He believes she has been tethered up so is afraid of the lead and it is just excitement, nerves and her picking up on our nervousness that made her snappy.
2:00pm Came home and noticed Miya had not finished her food...we bought the food from the Kennels (which they feed her) so there was no upset to her diet. Gave her a treat for sitting nice and waiting for her water. Treat is vomited back up.
Daughter states she took her into the garden earlier and began to eat some crab apples and berries. She tried to NO the dog away but she wouldn't move so she pulled her by the collar to move her dog inevitably snapped but not to bite. I exlained never ever to pull her by her collar. Daughter was a little upset because she was scared the dog would poison herself so felt it was all she could do...any thoughts on this would be great!
3:00pm Refused to go in garden without me
4:00pm Miya has been sick a further 6 times...her whole meal she had in the morning has come up along with some grass! She has still not attempted to eat her food but eats her treats!
5:00pm Hubby did a lead test. He showed her the lead and she got super excited, when he tried to put it on and she got scared he removed the lead away, did this 3 times and Miya sat for her lead to be put on and got a treat for being so good and has managed not to vomit it back up.
Walked around the garden and heeled most of the way round with the lead on. Huge praise!!!
7:00pm Doggy crate is here, we bought her a new rubber bone to distract her while we assembled it but Miya is so excited she got in the crate before we could get the base in! She has been sat in there with the door open with her marrowbone, her rubberbone, her blanket and water and has only come out once and that was to lick us.
We have decided not to long walk Miya tonight, she is nervous and the plonkers who live nearby are setting off fireworks.
We had her in the same room as our younger daughter today and Miya went over for a stroke from her but our daughter is still nervous so flinched. Miya walked away and appeared to sulk. We intend on easing them back into each others company to raise their trust in each other.
I think the reason Miya is off her food is because she has picked up on the tension in the house. This has dissolved a little with all your advice and I am hoping we build up her trust and ours.
Thanks for reading,
Colleen
-
Fundog
- Posts: 3874
- Joined: Wed Dec 03, 2008 8:31 am
- Location: A little gambling town in the high desert
Re: Rescue dog snapped at daughter
Re: the incident in the garden with your older daughter: have daughter start making a habit to carry a pocketful of yummies outside with her, so if Miya tries to eat something that isn't good for her, daughter can offer her something better in trade, and lure her away from the "yucky" thing.
As for the crabapples, a few aren't going to do much harm. In large quantities, they really should have the tiny little seeds removed first, but they are indeed edible, especially for making jams and jellies and such. What kind of berries are we talking about here? Most berries are not harmful to dogs, and do contain a lot of vitamins and antioxidants.
I think you're right, that the upset tummy was due to a nervous tummy.
Baby steps, baby steps! All this takes time, but it sounds like there is progress being made. Even the smallest successes at this point are reason for celebration.
As for the crabapples, a few aren't going to do much harm. In large quantities, they really should have the tiny little seeds removed first, but they are indeed edible, especially for making jams and jellies and such. What kind of berries are we talking about here? Most berries are not harmful to dogs, and do contain a lot of vitamins and antioxidants.
I think you're right, that the upset tummy was due to a nervous tummy.
Baby steps, baby steps! All this takes time, but it sounds like there is progress being made. Even the smallest successes at this point are reason for celebration.
If an opportunity comes to you in life, say yes first, even if you don't know how to do it.
Re: Rescue dog snapped at daughter
Its going to be hard but, try really hard to avoid the word 'no'.
The reasons for this are - she probably doesn't know what YOU mean by it.
She probably DOES know what OTHER people have meant by it in the past, which wasnt pleasant, and she quite possibly associates it with being kicked or hit.
Finally - you can deal with most situations where you might want to say 'no', by telling her what she SHOULD be doing instead.
Sooo.. shes whining at the door for your OH - instead of saying no, try 'come here' and reward her. Or asking her to go to her bed, and reward her.
Shes eating or sniffing things in the garden that you think are not safe - recall, or sit, or suggest a game with something rather than 'no', and again reward her well for that.
Using a harness and long line in the garden would also help, and the way you have begun to address the lead issue sounds very promising - I think you would get very far, very quickly with this girl once you get some clear communication between you all.
The reasons for this are - she probably doesn't know what YOU mean by it.
She probably DOES know what OTHER people have meant by it in the past, which wasnt pleasant, and she quite possibly associates it with being kicked or hit.
Finally - you can deal with most situations where you might want to say 'no', by telling her what she SHOULD be doing instead.
Sooo.. shes whining at the door for your OH - instead of saying no, try 'come here' and reward her. Or asking her to go to her bed, and reward her.
Shes eating or sniffing things in the garden that you think are not safe - recall, or sit, or suggest a game with something rather than 'no', and again reward her well for that.
Using a harness and long line in the garden would also help, and the way you have begun to address the lead issue sounds very promising - I think you would get very far, very quickly with this girl once you get some clear communication between you all.
West Midlands based 1-2-1 Training & Behaviour Canine Consultant
Re: Rescue dog snapped at daughter
Again huge thanks,
The berries were just little red berries, sorry I am not able to say what they definitely are or even what shrub they are on, but I will ask my Father In Law as he is far more green fingered than I am.
Miya has spent the night in the crate, no mess, no fuss and she now retreats to it when she is feeling anxious.
This morning so far she has been into the garden with hubby and then she whined to be fed. I have been feeding her in a morning so she realises she has 2 'masters' not just hubby, and intend on working more with our eldest daughter to feed her on an evening.
Again the lead saga...she has twigged with the hubby that the lead means good thing-ish, but with me she was jumping up and down in pure excitement, mouthing my hand and air snapping. I don't think this is aggression, just pure excitement. I put the lead down, and told her to sit..she went off into the crate. I called her out of the crate after a moment and tried again :same thing happened, BUT on the 3rd attempt she came from her crate, sat and let me take her out.
I need to definitely work more on her lead work. Hubby has it cracked but I have walked her less so she tends to get over excited and almost pulled me out of the door! I refused to move. She soon realised, "wait when I pull her out of the door I don't get further than the threshold". She came and sat at the side of me and I praised her then I led her out of the door.
She did her business and chased the cat down the path, then happily came indoors.
Again she is whining when hubby leaves for work but she is simply taking herself into the crate this morning, after coming to me for a cuddle
This girl is also becoming more vocal. She has barely murmured, which has been difficult for us to know what she wants and when. This morning she whined for her food whilst sat looking at me. It took me a second to twig what she wanted! (6am is never a good time for me!) Then she whined to go out.
Here's the negatives. I still feel nervy around her sometimes. She can sit and look at me and I get a little uneasy that any minute she will pounce. Miya gives no indication she will do this, it is just me being over sensitive I think-any help on training a human would be great!
Thanks for reading,
Colleen
The berries were just little red berries, sorry I am not able to say what they definitely are or even what shrub they are on, but I will ask my Father In Law as he is far more green fingered than I am.
Miya has spent the night in the crate, no mess, no fuss and she now retreats to it when she is feeling anxious.
This morning so far she has been into the garden with hubby and then she whined to be fed. I have been feeding her in a morning so she realises she has 2 'masters' not just hubby, and intend on working more with our eldest daughter to feed her on an evening.
Again the lead saga...she has twigged with the hubby that the lead means good thing-ish, but with me she was jumping up and down in pure excitement, mouthing my hand and air snapping. I don't think this is aggression, just pure excitement. I put the lead down, and told her to sit..she went off into the crate. I called her out of the crate after a moment and tried again :same thing happened, BUT on the 3rd attempt she came from her crate, sat and let me take her out.
I need to definitely work more on her lead work. Hubby has it cracked but I have walked her less so she tends to get over excited and almost pulled me out of the door! I refused to move. She soon realised, "wait when I pull her out of the door I don't get further than the threshold". She came and sat at the side of me and I praised her then I led her out of the door.
She did her business and chased the cat down the path, then happily came indoors.
Again she is whining when hubby leaves for work but she is simply taking herself into the crate this morning, after coming to me for a cuddle
This girl is also becoming more vocal. She has barely murmured, which has been difficult for us to know what she wants and when. This morning she whined for her food whilst sat looking at me. It took me a second to twig what she wanted! (6am is never a good time for me!) Then she whined to go out.
Here's the negatives. I still feel nervy around her sometimes. She can sit and look at me and I get a little uneasy that any minute she will pounce. Miya gives no indication she will do this, it is just me being over sensitive I think-any help on training a human would be great!
Thanks for reading,
Colleen
