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Hi Blueindigo, one of our (very large!) dalmatians engaged in this behaviour when we got her at first. For the first few months she was quite subdued as she had been very badly abused and was quite depressed and anxious and fearful as a result, but once this passed and she realised she was in a safe place, she went nuts! She engaged in play biting on a regular basis. This sounds a bit mad and its very simple really but what worked for us with her was anytime she did play bite and air snap even, we yelped very loudly as if we were hurt! This surprised her initially and also reminds them of when they were pups and the yelp made if one of the litter was hurt. She then quite quickly stopped it but not until we had yelped very loudly every time she tried it!
Not sure if you’ve tried this, but maybe give it a go? Hope this helps……..Hi Jenny, only saw post now and wouldve echoed exactly what everyone else has said. I dont mean to scare you or be negative but you did mention that your neighbours are the aggressive type so just a word of warning to you for the safety of your own dogs – these type of people, aggressors, are usually bullies and will take out their issues and negativity and aggression on passive and vulnerable victims, so please be very careful with your own dog / dogs. I know we had an issue with our neighbours and are constantly "walking the land" of our back garden because they threatened to poison our dogs. We have found very sharp bones and other peculiar looking oddments of food in our back garden and up our front driveway over the years, so its just one to be wary of. I dont mean to scare you and they probably wont ever do anything like this, but just be mindful that they may feel the need to "pay you back"………. Interestingly enough, we also reported our neighbours for cruelty to their (then) two dogs prior to us getting grief from them. Just goes to show the mentality of these people – they dont ever like to be challenged. Fair play to you for being Max’s voice though as he couldnt help himself. Hopefully he will be more comfortable in his kennel. Our friends have a huskey and even in the snow, he wouldnt come indoors to their house but they have a heated shed and everything for him – no animal should be treated in this fashion. Great news for Max at last though, thanks to you. Wish there were more people like you…….
Oh my heart bleeds for all the poor loves in this section, special thoughts for this poor boy as dals are so sensitive and highly strung and really dont do well in a kennel / pound situation. Would love to give this lad a home but we’ve already three rescues, including two dallys already. Would have even fostered out of desperation but I’m due my baby on Monday so unfortunately cant. BUT I will do my bit to see if I can get him a home – one of my midwives mentioned that she wanted to get a dal for her brother, who is a serving guard, and very energetic. I have told her all about the needs of this breed and urged her to consider a rescue. Last time I saw her, she was still looking so I’ll get my hubby to try track her down on Monday when Im in hospital. Will get him to post immediately if we have any luck. Fingers crossed for all these babies! (That damned disney film is responsble btw for a lot of these dogs being abandoned – people dont realise just how high energy these dogs are)……….
Spot on advice from Dogs Rule. Although most of us here have been through similar situations, you really need advice from the experts on some matters and its important to catch this early on before it gets out of control as you want to keep both dogs. Its possible of course that your resident dog is jealous and feeling somewhat unsettled by the new arrival, not to mention irritated by the constant (unwanted) attentions of puppy, and she is really still a puppy. Crates are very useful but its important to remember they have their place. What is your reason for wanting to crate train Ruby? The crate should only be used as a den or safe haven for your dog and NEVER for punishment. You cant expect Ruby to take to it immediately. Its very important to desensitise her to its use, for example introduce it gradually. Leave it lying about with the gate open and put a few nice bits in there for her, for example a warm blanket, a favourite toy and it must be big enough for her water bowl, and room for her to freely move about. Many dogs come to love their crate and see it as a safe place. If you dont already have baskets / sleeping beds in place for your existing dog and Ruby, its important that you do now. Each dog needs a place to be able to retreat to, to feel safe and get some space. We have three rescues and took in a then eight month old pup with our two dogs, who were both approximately ten years old at the time. After an initial settling in period and a few snarls here and there, they are the best of friends now. Its important to let your existing dog remain in place as "top dog" – a dog that knows its place in the pack is not only a happy dog, but it ceases aggressive behaviour as each one struggles to become the top or alpha dog. Also, keep your existing dogs routine in place insofar as you can – dogs are like kids and crave routine for security. Hope this bit of advice helps but I would consider seeking expert advice. This settling in period is VITAL to both dogs future development and its important to get it all sorted so that you can have a happy home for both dogs. Whilst its also important that your existing dog has someplace safe to retreat to, I personally would not like to encourage separation – I feel you are fuelling a chasm between both dogs and possibly inadvertently causing some resentment with your existing dog, who will feel excluded from its family pack, whilst the "newcomer" remains in place with "her" family. I would let each have their own space, defined corner or defined basket for example but try to keep them together unless there is a possibility of any aggression. Its important that you leave a door in the room open at all times so that neither dog feels trapped if threatened, their is an immediate escape route visible, which will cut any aggression issues with them. Best of luck! And btw, thank you so much for taking in this poor wee girl – lets hope she gets the life she so deserves! Oh and keep us posted on your progress!
Hey Steve, Sinead (and master Tuck!), huge congratulations from all of us here – humans and dogs alike! Thats wonderful news and so glad that baby Aoife (such a cutie) is healthy! Make sure that y’all get plenty of r n r to cope with your new arrival!
Only to be expected that Tuck is a wee bit out of sorts – any change or disruption to the family circle is always upsetting for our canine pals, though some handle change better than others…. Its great that you are still sticking to his routine insofar as you can as this will help greatly. Also, if you can, try to involve him with baby whereever safe and appropriate, i.e., even just talking to him and involving him somewhat as you are changing baby’s nappy, or feeding baby etc., just so as to limit any possible jealousy. This sounds a bit daft but it does help, just explaining to him what you are doing and let him sniff at the wipes, cream, etc (in the wrapping obviously, doh! ). Hope you all have many happy years together! There are WAY too many stories of people abandoning their family pet when the "real thing" ie baby comes along so this is another nice happy ending………Would second everything said by Dianna and Kay. Its VITAL that this pup is brought to the vet for a full check up – this should also hopefully eliminate anything that may be underlying. Are you in a position to take the pup / its owner to the vet? If so, you should mention that owner is a pensioner as there are often special rates available to OAP’s – many via Dog’s Trust who work in partnership with local vets to ensure quite substantial discounts for many things including vaxing, chipping, spay / neuter etc……
Viz comforting the pup, you could also try a gently heated hot water bottle for warmth and comfort placed in his / her basket. Its important to ensure that the bed is not too large as it will not keep the heat for the puppy. With the hot water bottle, make sure not to fill with boiling water and follow any instructions on the label of the hot water bottle. We got one in Tesco (Clearwater but Im sure any of the branches have them) reduced down to approx 4E (less than half price as they’ve xmas designs on them) and we found it brilliant for the puppy we were fostering, a real comfort. You could also add to its basket some form of stuffed toy but remove the eyes or any other bits that could be obvious choking hazards – again, we found this worked a treat with Smudge. The radio and clock are really excellent for them as the tick tock of the clock is nice and rhythmic a bit like mum’s heart beat and the radio provides not only comfort and stimulation but exposes the pup to the regular sounds of the day’s activities without being threatening so it should desensitise puppy somewhat. May I also suggest monitoring of the situation just to make sure that the puppy’s owner knows what he / she is doing as he / she may need a lot of support with the puppy, especially in the early days…….. Best of luck and keep us all posted on how puppy is but dont delay in getting the pup to the vet please!!!!!!Hi, glad to hear that P is eating again! Its always a huge worry when they dont – more so if they’ve previously been good grubbers! Now, sorry to be so late in getting back to you but I’ve only just seen off some more family (house full all day!) and I’m doing this now before I get caught up in cleaning Beirut and doing a mountain of dishes
Ive done a very thorough look amongst my recipes and a lot of them I’ve ruled out seeing as himself has a problem with potatoe / rice based dishes and most of the recipes I have for convalescent dogs / unwell dogs involve both of these. THEN, I read your second post and I see that RICE also irritates him, when I have a recipe for stomach and digestion, which is Rice Pudding Bowl. Now, I am hoping that in the small amounts your boy can tolerate that he may be able to have some of this as it really is excellent for any digestive / stomach problems that a dog may have. I have road tested this one many times on my various menagerie of dogs over the years and as well as loving it, it has been fantastic for even the dickiest of tummies. Our vet was very impressed with it also, but again, it varies from dog to dog with what they may be able to tolerate as individuals. I’m putting it here hoping it will do him some good:
7 oz (200g) short grain rice (pudding rice) – freely available in supermarket
1.5 pints (750ml) UNSALTED chicken stock – you can get these cubes without the salt in the supermarket if you dont have the carcass of a chicken to boil your own
3.5 oz (100g) cottage cheese (in your case the lowest fat you can get) or the lowest fat quark, whichever your dog prefers but cottage cheese is just fantastic for them
1 apple
Cook the pudding rice in the chicken stock until soft. Then remove from the heat and allow to cool. Stir in the cottage cheese or quark into the rice. Grate the UNPEELED apple finely and stir into the rice mixture. Serve in several small portions throughout the day, at room temperature (but stored in the fridge first if you know what I mean – just take it out a couple of hours before he is due to eat it!).
Now, I also have the following recipes but I wont post up unless you would like me to (due to your doggie’s dietary restrictions) – Oatmeal and chicken bowl (for convalescents), Dog Biscuits with Almond Bran (to help fight constipation) but with this one, with your dog’s IBS, Im not sure if he either cant go or cant stop!
I have lots more for watching your dogs weight (which would be handy if he needs a low fat diet) and also A crunchy cure for wind (handy for the IBS!), nourishing mashed potatoe and lots more involving all manner of meat, veg etc etc but I dont want to use up all the space on the boards posting up unnecessary ones that may not be of any use. But you can let me know. All of the recipes I have have been carefully put together with advice from veterinary surgeons and have been tried out on a number of dogs. However, it is not impossible that in some cases, some meals may not be suitable for all dogs. If you are in any way uncertain how well your dog will tolerate any of the ingredients, please consult your vet. If you would like any of the other recipes I require or if you need some dog friendly ones including a particular ingredient that your dog either loves or tolerates well, post up on the boards and I will do my best to match one to your needs.I would advise that you have an indepth discussion with your vet about your dog’s dietary requirements as its vital that he get the correct nourishment to suit his condition. What I would recommend is an early morning apt or else book in the last one but tell the receptionist / nurse on the phone that you would like to book a double apt – that way you wont be shunted out before your time!
Hope this helps in some way!
Oh the poor love – sorry to hear that!
I know that cottage cheese is fantastic for the dogs’ digestive system, it really is – go as low fat as you can possibly get. I have a dog food recipe book with all recipes being dog friendly but obviously sensitivities etc will vary from dog to dog. I cant put my hand to the book right now but Im gonna hunt it down early tomorrow and I will post up any recipes that I feel would be relevant for him on the forum here tomorrow. (All of my recipes are very user friendly with easy to get ingredients so you should be ok!). Hope this will help you out tomorrow! Thank you so much for highlighting this to us all. I would be very aware of the danger of antifreeze, I hadnt given as much thought to salt! Hopefully your message will prevent lots of our pets from getting seriously ill, or worse. Although its fantastic and heart warming to read all the funny stories and happy ever afters (and god knows we need them!), its also vital to share the likes of this post to keep our loved ones safe!
Hi Elaine, when we adopted Roxy from Ashton, she had just come into heat. We left it a good while afterwards before we had her spayed as premature spaying (too soon after the bitch is in heat) can lead to confused hormones and ultimately phantom pregnancy. Despite waiting a protracted period to have Roxy spayed (which we didnt mind at all really as she was quite thin and so so timid when we got her so we wanted to give her lots of tlc first before putting her through the op), Roxy had a phantom pregnancy as well. She behaved much in the same way as you describe with Elsa but she dug her own den in the back garden and would try and squish herself up so that she could get into the hole. She also formed attractions with certain inanimate objects (one slipper, the top from a watering can, her blanket etc etc) and would mind and guard each one fervently as though it were her puppy. We gave her an old teddie bear which she really liked and seemed to give her great comfort. We have another two rescue dogs as well, and like that, she would crave time out from the rest of the little pack, as well as ourselves. The situation did resolve itself over time though, but the physical symptoms were a concern for us (she had a big round belly on her and we were convinced that the vet had missed something and we were going to have the equivalent of 101 dalmatians in her basket one morning when we got up!!!!
) but thankfully it was indeed just a phantom! Hopefully Elsa will settle down in time but if she continues to be nervous, perhaps the introduction of a nice cosy crate (with proper desensitisation) or a makeshift den, her own place where she can go to have alone time would help her. Dunno what the dynamics of your square footage at home is, but size dependent, we have found an old child’s small tent / wendy house does the trick for us. With three dogs in the house and various mishaps / ops / stitches over the years, its always nice for the one who is feeling vulnerable to have their own space from the little pack, including us, without feeling isolated from the family. You could even put some blankets up around you know the old traditional large fireguards, just to make a little den for her if you wanted either, or another option would be under say a table that wouldnt be used every day really, just somewhere for her her to call her own. Well done in taking a DID doggie – you will never look back! Good luck with Elsa! I would agree with stk that it COULD possibly be allergies. Your vet should be able to run a concise and detailed series of tests (usually via bloods) to check for common allergens, could be anything from dust (a big allergen with dogs) to scented plugs / candles or floor product or floor components. I would go back to my vet and ask for these tests for Herbie.
Saying that, one of our girls (dalmatian) got exactly the same thing, the photos look identical, only she got it round the front of her paws as well, as a reaction to stress. Dals, and colllies are both known as being a highly strung breed so stress is not good for their already hyper nature. In Lola’s case, she got it when unfortunately we had to kennel our dogs during a home rebuild. She did it partly from boredom but mainly stress. We got some fantastic aloe vera products via our vet, who is also a homeopath, which really helped her. We chose not to put socks or any kind of cover on her paws as we felt this would compound the problem. Lola adored us checking her paws regularly, massaging them and rubbing in her various aloe vera products! She really enjoyed it. Sorry I cant be of any more help unfortunately but I really would go back to the vet if I were you, and get the tests kickstarted. If anything, at least you will have eliminated many common allergens and you can then start looking at other possible alternatives. Also, if you arent getting answers from your vet, please dont be afraid to seek more specialist advice – your vet certainly wont be offended and is bound to be in the position to make a referral to a dermatology type person who will be expert in their field. We had this done for our other dog who had a problem with his heart. The whole process was extremely quick, efficient and painless and at the end of it, we had answers and a treatment plan in place which really did ease our minds. I can appreciate that seeing Herbie in this state must be very distressing for you, as his owners, especially when he sounds like he already had a hard life prior to you adopting him so lots of licks from our gang here (canine! being sent your way, to Herbie also! Good luck with getting to the bottom of it and keep us updated – you will find its a common enough problem!Hi Catherine, well, we’ve been there so I know what its like! Having had our other two rescue dogs for about 10 yrs (both perfect in every way, never destructive at all!), we didnt know what hit us when we took Roxy from Ashton! She ate phone cables and tv cables (all thankfully disconnected!) to beat the band, chewed the corner of our coffee table and ate so many things over the year they would be impossible to name – she has had so many x-rays when the bits and pieces of her spoils could not be located and we feared for her intestines……
Its a frustrating journey but your westie WILL settle down with age. The thing you’ve got to try and identify though is WHY you reckon your dog is being destructive – you can eliminate the behaviour to a degree but you must address the cause – i.e., is it lack of stimulation (physical or mental) – if its the former, increase walks / split the walks to be more frequent of lesser duration, if its mental, you can get really good deals on the intelligence games for dogs – you know the ones where you hide treats under wooden bits etc., which we found brilliant for Roxy. Other causes, and there are many, could be separation anxiety (it sounds a bit like this from what you’ve said as your dog seems to do it when you’re not in the room). If it is separation anxiety, its too long to address on the board, but you COULD try seeking the help of a behaviourist. Not plugging anybody here but we have attended many of the DSPCA courses over the years (a lot of them are free, just phone and enquire), these are done via Alex Petrilli and King of Paws Training and they are absolutely excellent, couldnt recommend them more highly.
Just a personal OPINION, but I feel the sprays are pretty ineffective from the point of view, they MAY eliminate the behaviour (as discussed above) but arent addressing the root cause. Thus your dog will start to manifest these behaviours in other forms, example soiling etc etc etc. Finally on a positive and happy ending, if it is merely the folly of youth believe me, it will stop in time! In the meantime, for your sanity (and the sake of your possessions!), dont leave temptation in your dogs path – remove everything, where possible obviously, that you think little teeth may be sunk into. Also, hate to mention the war BUT would you consider adopting another rescue companion for your dog???? This would provide both mental and physical stimulus for your dog, and also vital peer companionship. Just a thought! Sorry cant be more specific but hope some of this helps you. Let us know how you get on!Congrats to Sinead, yourself and Tuck!!!!! Totally agree with you on all the baby related points – pets are fantastic for teaching kids a sense of responsibility and compassion / empathy towards animals also, as well of course as exposing them to harmless germs! There are also CD’s available on line to desensitise your dog – basically they are babies crying and the idea is that you play them regularly so that the sound is not alien to your dog when the baby arrives. Also, when you visit Sinead in hospital, bring something from baby (with baby’s scent on it) home to Tuck and let him have a good ould sniff before baby comes home so that he / she will not be entirely alien to him. Also if you try to involve him in the baby’s routine, i.e., talking to him and involving him when feeding / changing baby so that he doesnt feel left out. Common cop on should prevail though in never leaving any baby / child unattended with any pet. I feel though that the main thing in introducing another member to the household (baby or otherwise) is to keep Tuck’s routine as normal as possible so that he doesnt feel unsettled or aggrieved by baby’s arrival.
I laughed at your description of the studded collar – village people is right! (And if you have a stick out walking Tuck, you could be the policeman of the group! )………
As for the leads, after the rain / dip in the river, I usually just handwash all three leads in dog shampoo and then hang them on the line to dry out as they do stink if not…..
Cheers for the rescue dogs!!!!! Tuck looks so funny in that last pic – like he’s laughing to himself recounting his walking experiences! (There are a few pics of our three up on the Happy Endings forum I think it is, under Calista the dalmatian, now renamed Roxy if you want to see what our three look like! The two girls (dals) were rescues from Ashton and the other lad (bearded collie cross) we found as a pup in a black plastic bag covered in cigarette burns They defo make the best pets!
The insurance issue has been discussed so many times before – we are all in agreement thank god for it! As Marie says, "If you cant afford the vet, you cant afford the pet!"Hi Steve n Sinead n Tuck! Delighted to see that Tuck finally got the loving caring home that he deserves. I am sure he will not be one of the many thousands that end up cast aside on the scrap heap by the newly weds once the "real" baby comealong…..
Its just fantastic to see him getting the medical / vet attention as well as all the love and cuddles he needs. He looks stunning and is a credit to you both (as does the other cutie in the photo). As Marie says, its the happy endings that keep us going so its nice to hear how he’s been doing. I wish you all many many happy years together!Finally, one last point on the uneducated fools crossing the road to avoid Tuck, I get this regularly with one of our dalmatians (who isnt even on the restricted breeds list) purely because she’s a large girl – I find the best way to deal with the situation is with light hearted humour (there’s just waaay too much aggression out there already!), I usually quip something like "Oh its lovely to see you SO understanding of my dog’s needs – she’s rescue and very nervous due to an awful start in life, having been beaten by humans so thank you for crossing the road to avoid us before we had to do likewise"! I usually find this does the trick, leads to embarrassment on their part and the ice is broken and they then want to chat and find out about the dog’s story. Just a thought thats all, it works for me!
Another one I have to say that annoys me is people who have a dog of "restricted breed" dressing them inappropriately, ie, if your dogs reputation (purely by breed) already preceeds them, dont do your gentle, loving family dog a huge disservice by putting them in something like a black leather studded collar or something with chains on – unless you absolutely must for the dogs safety or security, it just winds up making your dog vicious looking! If this isnt the case, as with Tuck, its how people will unfortunately PERCEIVE your dog to be. It isnt fair I know, but thats how it seems to work…….. Just thought I would get that one in there whilst the subject came up!
Anyways, best of luck with Tuck – he is a lucky little man, as are his proud mammy and daddy!Firstly, huge pat on back for fostering! Poor nervy puppy and poor sofa owners having to put up with the pong! Not nice! Well, I have a couple of suggestions for you, but it all depends on severity of problem, your type of fabric, the colour and of course how long the pee has been on it. (Im sure if you have loose covers, you could remove them and try handwashing or having them prof cleaned?)
Here are a couple of options – hopefully one of them will help your situation, so here goes………The simplest way, if the problem is not too severe, is to blot as much of it off asap with either strong paper towels or old dish cloth / rags. Then, if its not too bad, you can first sprinkle with bicarb of soda, leave it a good few hours to settle in, and then simply vacuum it off. If you can still smell the pee, follow this up with some Shake n Vac (strongest scents in this range tend to be either Lily of the Valley or the Citrus ones, both retailing at approx a euro or so). Alternatively, you could sprinkle with some baby powder, and again repeating with the vacuuming process.
When I did animal nursing, we had a huge problem with this, with cat pee, and the recommended process was again, blot up as much as you can and then mix three parts water with one part vinegar and soak the affected area. Dry thoroughly. Then when its dry, sprinkle the banking soda on it and mix up three quarts cup hydrogen peroxide with one table soon of dishwasher detergent. Use a soft type brush (plastic bristles like a child’s or a doll’s hairbrush) and work the mix in. Allow the mix to thoroughly dry and vaccum up. If, at this stage it STILL stinks (and it shouldnt!), vacuum again with either the baby powder or shake and vac.
Another option, again depending on severity, there are NUMEROUS spray on products you can get in any pet store, with the likes of lavender etc in them, that you spot spray and allow to dry and they are supposed to neutralise the scent. But again, only you yourself would know how bad / severe the problem is so you would be the best judge.
BUT WITH ALL TREATMENTS, spot check a tiny surface of your fabric, ie back of sofa or underneath, as vinegar / bleaching agents can all strip the colour from your fabric. Beware of the petshop products as most if not all come with a warning that they can bleach / fade fabric (and they do, as I’ve used the odd spot spray on the dogs’ bedding).
Im sure you know though that most importantly is to address puppy’s problem and endeavour to eliminate the problem at its source….
There are WAY too many stories of people abandoning their family pet when the "real thing" ie baby comes along so this is another nice happy ending………
I know that cottage cheese is fantastic for the dogs’ digestive system, it really is – go as low fat as you can possibly get. I have a dog food recipe book with all recipes being dog friendly but obviously sensitivities etc will vary from dog to dog. I cant put my hand to the book right now but Im gonna hunt it down early tomorrow and I will post up any recipes that I feel would be relevant for him on the forum here tomorrow. (All of my recipes are very user friendly with easy to get ingredients so you should be ok!). Hope this will help you out tomorrow! 
