- Location
- Andorra and Spain
Wonderful to hear, well done to you! ?
ALEX, the Bodeguero cross
- Thread starter snowbunny
- Start date
- Location
- Buckinghamshire UK
No, thank you Fiona. You came up with the suggestions and sent me the pdf from Absolute Dogs. I just followed them.
- Location
- Buckinghamshire UK
Alex went on a more exciting walk this morning. He was off lead and played nicely with Amber. It was in a public area this time so he was able to interact with strange dogs and run freely with them. It all went very well. Near the end of the walk someone started up a strimmer type thing to cut back some bushes and his body tensed a little. Before I could call him to me Amber ran to him and lead him away from the noise and back to me. I treated them both and did some LAT. He responded very well. I was very proud of both of them. Poppy is never phased by anything so she just trotted around regally.
Over the last couple of days I have been spending as much time with Alex as I can. I have slowly reintroduced some training with long breaks for calming activities. He looks forward to all this now.
Amber is slowly teaching him to sing the song of their people together. Mouths wide open, gently mouthing each others mouths and making sing song noises. It's fun to watch and he also watches Amber and Poppy do it so he is now slowly learning how to play with other dogs.
Sometimes he just sits and looks around and at me. I wonder if he remembers the shelter. It has been a huge adjustment for him so the memory must remain, I think and it has been only a short time. After all, dogs will go crazy meeting up with old owners they haven't seen in years.
He is a delightful little chap and is inquisitive and bright.
Over the last couple of days I have been spending as much time with Alex as I can. I have slowly reintroduced some training with long breaks for calming activities. He looks forward to all this now.
Amber is slowly teaching him to sing the song of their people together. Mouths wide open, gently mouthing each others mouths and making sing song noises. It's fun to watch and he also watches Amber and Poppy do it so he is now slowly learning how to play with other dogs.
Sometimes he just sits and looks around and at me. I wonder if he remembers the shelter. It has been a huge adjustment for him so the memory must remain, I think and it has been only a short time. After all, dogs will go crazy meeting up with old owners they haven't seen in years.
He is a delightful little chap and is inquisitive and bright.
- Location
- Andorra and Spain
VIDEOS!!!!
Seriously, though, this all sounds a lot more positive, and you have a strategy if he gets OTT again in the future. How lovely he's playing bitey-face. Shadow sings the whale song when playing, too
I don't know if they think back to "remember", as such, but I do think they seriously enjoy the new life they have!
I found him to be very brave during the time I spent with him. He could be wary of new sights and sounds, but would approach them cautiously of his own volition and, once he worked out it wasn't a threat, would dismiss it completely. I think that's braver than not being worried by something in the first place
Seriously, though, this all sounds a lot more positive, and you have a strategy if he gets OTT again in the future. How lovely he's playing bitey-face. Shadow sings the whale song when playing, too
I don't know if they think back to "remember", as such, but I do think they seriously enjoy the new life they have!
I found him to be very brave during the time I spent with him. He could be wary of new sights and sounds, but would approach them cautiously of his own volition and, once he worked out it wasn't a threat, would dismiss it completely. I think that's braver than not being worried by something in the first place
Jacqui-S
Moderator
- Location
- Fife, Scotland
Sounds wonderful.
you must be very proud of Amber too bless her.
you must be very proud of Amber too bless her.
- Location
- Buckinghamshire UK
The last few days with Alex have been great and then today happened. Every few minutes I have been bitten. Hard. Very damn hard.
I'm trying to use the calming strategies inbetween bites and applying plasters but they just don't seem to be working today. He will play with Amber for a while and then suddenly I am under attack. I slow feed him and he's fine for about two minutes then I need the first aid kit. I leave him alone in a room to calm down and he screams the place down and tries to eat me as soon as he sees me. What is with this little chap????
He is finally looking as if he might have a bit of a sleep so I will have a quiet nervous breakdown now.
I'm trying to use the calming strategies inbetween bites and applying plasters but they just don't seem to be working today. He will play with Amber for a while and then suddenly I am under attack. I slow feed him and he's fine for about two minutes then I need the first aid kit. I leave him alone in a room to calm down and he screams the place down and tries to eat me as soon as he sees me. What is with this little chap????
He is finally looking as if he might have a bit of a sleep so I will have a quiet nervous breakdown now.
Leanne
Sniffer Dog
- Location
- Shropshire, UK
Aitch, this is way out of my knowledge level but I’m just wondering... is it only you he’s biting?
- Location
- Buckinghamshire UK
Yes, it is but I'm also the only one he curls up with. He follows me everywhere and will coming back to me instantly if I call him and he sleeps right up against me.
Leanne
Sniffer Dog
- Location
- Shropshire, UK
So could it be attachment? Snowbunny saw a smaller amount of the behaviour than you did but he wouldn’t have been as attached to her.
I know he has a journey etc but I’m really sad that you are having to be hurt to support him through it.
Is it worth organising a behaviouralist to review the behaviour? See if they can spot something? Or maybe get someone to video the behaviour and one of the people here (who are far more knowledgeable than me) could spot something?
I hate to think of you being hurt enough to need first aid regularly!
I know he has a journey etc but I’m really sad that you are having to be hurt to support him through it.
Is it worth organising a behaviouralist to review the behaviour? See if they can spot something? Or maybe get someone to video the behaviour and one of the people here (who are far more knowledgeable than me) could spot something?
I hate to think of you being hurt enough to need first aid regularly!
- Location
- Buckinghamshire UK
Thank you Leanne.
I have thought about a behaviourist. I may look into that. At this point I am much more concerned about his happiness than mine, poor little fella.
I have thought about a behaviourist. I may look into that. At this point I am much more concerned about his happiness than mine, poor little fella.
- Location
- Andorra and Spain
Honestly, it sounds as if you need a pen and to treat him like you would a little puppy. Get him happy in his pen and work on the calming protocols for him in there - that way he can't bite you and he's also learning to self-soothe. There likely will be some separation anxiety at this point and I know you're around most of the time so it's hard to work on that (I get it, working from home myself). Ginny was a complete shadow to me at first, but she did settle down as she got more established. She's not even upstairs with me while I'm working today - there was a time she'd be by my feet.
You're doing everything right, but you need to be able to give yourself a break when he gets like that, and having a place where he can still see you but you're safe from teeth would really help you both - and it will help once you start working on being able to leave him, too, as he will have his safe place.
If you do want to call in a behaviourist, I can recommend someone who covers the south east - it's someone I've used before. She was completely lovely, R+ all the way, and really good at reading dog body language. Let me know and I'll send you the details.
You're doing everything right, but you need to be able to give yourself a break when he gets like that, and having a place where he can still see you but you're safe from teeth would really help you both - and it will help once you start working on being able to leave him, too, as he will have his safe place.
If you do want to call in a behaviourist, I can recommend someone who covers the south east - it's someone I've used before. She was completely lovely, R+ all the way, and really good at reading dog body language. Let me know and I'll send you the details.
- Location
- Buckinghamshire UK
Thank you @snowbunny. I may take you up on the contact details for the behaviourist.
I have now put a baby gate across the door of the room opposite my study. He can see me, has a couple of toys in there and a day bed. If I have to put him in there and play calming games over the gate, so be it.
He seems calmer today (crosses fingers and everything else). He has been playing nicely with Amber and hasn't taken toys away from her. He seems quite settled today, so far.
I took them all for a long walk in the rain today. Amber, Poppy and Bear are used to it but Alex seemed a little put out by it at first. I think he probably hasn't been walked in much rain before. He soon got the hang of it though and thoroughly enjoyed himself. I had some very soggy doggies with big grins today.
I did manage to check Alex over last night. I wondered if the biting might be a pain response but I could find absolutely nothing. No swellings, teeth look fine, ears are clean, nothing between toes or hurt pads, back, sides and belly are all fine. Mouth and throat look fine. Legs are all fine.
Despite the biting he is a funny, loving little friend and I wouldn't be without him now.
I have now put a baby gate across the door of the room opposite my study. He can see me, has a couple of toys in there and a day bed. If I have to put him in there and play calming games over the gate, so be it.
He seems calmer today (crosses fingers and everything else
). He has been playing nicely with Amber and hasn't taken toys away from her. He seems quite settled today, so far.I took them all for a long walk in the rain today. Amber, Poppy and Bear are used to it but Alex seemed a little put out by it at first. I think he probably hasn't been walked in much rain before. He soon got the hang of it though and thoroughly enjoyed himself. I had some very soggy doggies with big grins today.
I did manage to check Alex over last night. I wondered if the biting might be a pain response but I could find absolutely nothing. No swellings, teeth look fine, ears are clean, nothing between toes or hurt pads, back, sides and belly are all fine. Mouth and throat look fine. Legs are all fine.
Despite the biting he is a funny, loving little friend and I wouldn't be without him now.
- Location
- Andorra and Spain
Now you mention it, his teeth were quite sore when I first met him last year. If I played tug, he would leave a little blood on the toy sometimes and would wince during a game if he tugged too hard. I think it was likely from a bad diet, and I hadn't seen any evidence of it this year. It may be worth getting the vet to have a look next time you're there with him. Biting from pain tends to look quite different to over-aroused biting, though. I think it's simply that he needs to learn to be calm, which you're doing a great job with. Just keep in mind trigger stacking and if he seems to regress, just make the day boring, scatter feed and use kongs or other long-duration chews to help with his arousal.
@Selina27 might have some insights, too, as she had similar behaviour with Cassie last year.
Ginny does not "do" rain. She has the bladder of a camel and if it's raining simply won't go outside. As you say, these shelter dogs aren't used to it; they are very rarely walked at all, and so the thought of volunteers rocking up to walk them when it's raining? It's very unlikely!
@Selina27 might have some insights, too, as she had similar behaviour with Cassie last year.
Ginny does not "do" rain. She has the bladder of a camel and if it's raining simply won't go outside. As you say, these shelter dogs aren't used to it; they are very rarely walked at all, and so the thought of volunteers rocking up to walk them when it's raining? It's very unlikely!
- Location
- Herefordshire, UK
Yes, I did have problems with this last year, when Cassie was 13/14 months. Looking back this was clearly linked to not wanting to return from walks, she was at that time also coming to the end of a nasty phantom pregnancy. It's clear to me now that she is hunting driven, and all this was happening at the same time as her sense of smell was developing. Her head was clearly nearly bursting. She's never done it in the house.
It's difficult I think they all have different things that trigger this behavior, if they do it.
@Aitch, I don't know if this is any help, but I did keep a log on TLF which helped me identify what started her off. Ultimately what stopped it was standing on her lead, so that she couldn't jump up, and wear tough footwear and just stand there while she nipped my feet. Then carry on , saying nothing. Within a week the behavior stopped. But I don't know if this is relevant for you, the behaviourist sounds like a good way forward.
- Location
- Buckinghamshire UK
Alex is fine again at the moment. He is calm and cuddly.
This morning he chased his first rabbit! He can really move!!! No rabbits were harmed but he got pretty close. He was so proud of himself and still recalled. I'm so proud of my boy. I won't be encouraging the chasing of anything, of course, but it was lovely to see him so proud of himself.
After the rabbit excitement I've given him a fairly boring day with just a little training and some calming games. He has settled down nicely and is now snoozing at my feet.
This morning he chased his first rabbit! He can really move!!! No rabbits were harmed but he got pretty close. He was so proud of himself and still recalled. I'm so proud of my boy. I won't be encouraging the chasing of anything, of course, but it was lovely to see him so proud of himself.
After the rabbit excitement I've given him a fairly boring day with just a little training and some calming games. He has settled down nicely and is now snoozing at my feet.
- Location
- Andorra and Spain
That sounds great, go Alex! It must have been quite exciting for you, too
- Location
- Buckinghamshire UK
It was! I stood there with a huge grin on my face. Seeing him open up to himself like that was impressive. I'm thinking about doing a few gundog "games" with him to see how he reacts.That sounds great, go Alex! It must have been quite exciting for you, too
- Location
- Andorra and Spain
Well, he had a great little retrieve with a ball so I'm sure that could be extended to a dummy or two. Video it!
- Location
- Andorra and Spain
PS, no, I will never let it lie
- Location
- Buckinghamshire UK
Alex is doing much better. His training is coming along nicely as long as I take it in puppy steps and don't over stimulate him. I still get the odd nip from him but is much better than it was.
He is now training Amber. I'm not really surprised. Amber is wonderful but not terribly bright. Alex is very bright. So far he has her going into bushes to flush out rabbits while he waits on the other side. Amber gets it wrong sometimes but he leads her back to the bushes and noses her back in while he runs around to the other side. I'm sure this came about accidentally but it is wonderful to watch and yes, @snowbunny I will video it. He has also taught her which side of the bed is his and his alone. They are inseparable now.
He seems to thrive on routine which is not surprising since most of his life has probably been about some sort of routine in the shelter. He wants things done in the right order, at the right time or he starts getting stressed. This is fine for the moment but I will need to show him that things can be more fluid in the future. I'll leave that for a while though as he still has a lot to get his head around and if routine helps him do that then so be it.
All in all, he seems happy and more relaxed.
He is now training Amber. I'm not really surprised. Amber is wonderful but not terribly bright. Alex is very bright. So far he has her going into bushes to flush out rabbits while he waits on the other side. Amber gets it wrong sometimes but he leads her back to the bushes and noses her back in while he runs around to the other side. I'm sure this came about accidentally but it is wonderful to watch and yes, @snowbunny I will video it.
He has also taught her which side of the bed is his and his alone. They are inseparable now.He seems to thrive on routine which is not surprising since most of his life has probably been about some sort of routine in the shelter. He wants things done in the right order, at the right time or he starts getting stressed. This is fine for the moment but I will need to show him that things can be more fluid in the future. I'll leave that for a while though as he still has a lot to get his head around and if routine helps him do that then so be it.
All in all, he seems happy and more relaxed.