I have a 2 almost 3 year old male neutered sheltie, that was a puppymill rescue, whom I got from the rescue at 9 weeks old. Everyday it is the same thing, I let him out of his crate and he runs to the window. We have a picture window in the livingroom and our house is very small, and he will jump up on his hind legs to look out. He watches the outdoors, and there are ALWAYS people outside walking or neighbors out. He will bark, run real fast around the recliner and back to the window, doing this over and over nonstop. I have tried everything, making him stay on leash, which doesn't stop the barking, just the running, closing windows which result in rip curtains and broken blinds, and just letting him run and bark thinking he does have a lot of energy and will stop. Basically I held out for over 3.5 hours and he literally ran nonstop and actually got blisters on his pads and then I couldn't take it any longer. I really don't think he can stop. I also have 2 other shelties who sometimes get hyper because of him,running and barking at the window too, but for the most part are pretty good and will after the initial release from the crates settle down.
I have done the 2x a day walking for over 30 minutes each time, I have taken him to a dog park to run and play and nothing helps. I get so tired, knowing this is how the day is going to go when I take him out in the morning. The crazy running, barking, focusing on the window and nothing else, and the other 2 dogs becoming reactive because of him. I have tried with treats to call him and make him sit, he does all the while still straining to see out of the window, but after so long I have other things to do in the day. Eventually I either tie him in the kitchen or I put him back into his crate. He won't play with any of his toys or chew his bones, he just wants to run and bark like crazy.
I mentioned to his vet I thought he might be hyperkenitic but he didn't really think that condition really exsisted. Any ideas I am at my witts end!!!!!
I am getting very frustrated!!!
Moderators: emmabeth, BoardHost
Re: I am getting very frustrated!!!
The view out of the window is providing constant stimulation, always something to react to which for a dog of his breed, designed to react to moving objects, its just Too Much... he wants to get out there and chase chase chase!
Right now you have to cut off his access to that view and the easiest way to do that is cover the glass with frosted window film - you can get it in a variety of sizes so it neednt cut out the view from the entire window, just to above the level he can reach to see out. You can also get it with pretty patterns in the top edge and it doesnt cut out all the light at all, my entire living room window is blocked out with plain frosted film.
Ok so, yeah your front window then looks like a bathroom window but, now he cant see out - that plus the normal blinds or net curtains should be enough that he cannot identify things to go nuts at.
Once you have done that, then you redirect his desire to chase into an appropriate outlet, this is a dog who needs a job and now you made him redundant from his former position of 'Window watcher' you gotta find him another job.
I would recommend you spend time clicker training him, working on self control (look in the articles section, at teh loose leash walking thread, the 'its yer choice' thread and the clicker training thread). Give him an outlet for his chasing by playing games, 'fox-on-a-stick' is good (soft toy with no stuffing, on a cord, on a stick, like a giant cat toy so you can whizz it about and flirt it around and he chases it), ball games - straight fetching and once you get good at self control you can have him waiting whilst you throw several balls and send him to get the ones you direct him to.
Longer term look to do agility, flyball or obedience but do a mixture and get the self control first as teh first two of those options can really hype a dog up. There is no reason (unless you dont have the yard space) you cant do agility in your yard and theres a thread on building your own agility equipment in the health/diet/exercise area of the forum too.
So theres plenty you can do but you HAVE to prevent him getting to practice his window watching behaviour first so you do need to block off that window (crating him or keeping him in another room wont really work it isnt practical and gives him the occasional chance to do it, or sends him stir crazy being seperated from family life).
Right now you have to cut off his access to that view and the easiest way to do that is cover the glass with frosted window film - you can get it in a variety of sizes so it neednt cut out the view from the entire window, just to above the level he can reach to see out. You can also get it with pretty patterns in the top edge and it doesnt cut out all the light at all, my entire living room window is blocked out with plain frosted film.
Ok so, yeah your front window then looks like a bathroom window but, now he cant see out - that plus the normal blinds or net curtains should be enough that he cannot identify things to go nuts at.
Once you have done that, then you redirect his desire to chase into an appropriate outlet, this is a dog who needs a job and now you made him redundant from his former position of 'Window watcher' you gotta find him another job.
I would recommend you spend time clicker training him, working on self control (look in the articles section, at teh loose leash walking thread, the 'its yer choice' thread and the clicker training thread). Give him an outlet for his chasing by playing games, 'fox-on-a-stick' is good (soft toy with no stuffing, on a cord, on a stick, like a giant cat toy so you can whizz it about and flirt it around and he chases it), ball games - straight fetching and once you get good at self control you can have him waiting whilst you throw several balls and send him to get the ones you direct him to.
Longer term look to do agility, flyball or obedience but do a mixture and get the self control first as teh first two of those options can really hype a dog up. There is no reason (unless you dont have the yard space) you cant do agility in your yard and theres a thread on building your own agility equipment in the health/diet/exercise area of the forum too.
So theres plenty you can do but you HAVE to prevent him getting to practice his window watching behaviour first so you do need to block off that window (crating him or keeping him in another room wont really work it isnt practical and gives him the occasional chance to do it, or sends him stir crazy being seperated from family life).
West Midlands based 1-2-1 Training & Behaviour Canine Consultant
