sassy pants
Member
Long time listener - 1st time caller
Just joined so I could post. I have a puppy problem that is getting harder to deal with. I'll give bullet points to help go faster.
I volunteered with the local Humane Society and one of the volunteers started a doggy day care. I enrolled Sassy immediately - I got a huge discount.
We were hiking in February, and came across another dog on a leash and Sassy went into hyperdrive. It was all we could do to keep her 130lbs under control - she would not obey commands. My hubby separated the fighting dogs by pulling Sassy's leash around a tree so she couldn't keep pulling us towards the other dog. We were shocked - the other dog owner was appalled.
Well this has become a regular behavior - EVERY single dog we come into contact with Sassy goes crazy - all hackles and teeth. No more play dates with old friends or babysitting friend's pooches like we've done our whole time with her. We still take her to Lowes and Tractor supply but I have to walk in first and scan the place for other dogs - if I see any, we wait until they leave. No more trips to Petco - too many dogs. We have watched our feelings and anxiety around her to be sure she is not sensing worry. We've done it so long that we don't even get emotional at all when out - we never yelled or went berserk when Sassy acted up - a big no no when trying to keep aggression down.
Here is what we've done in the last 6 weeks to try and help our pup to calm down:
Re-homing is the last resort.
Please help.
Sassy's momma
Just joined so I could post. I have a puppy problem that is getting harder to deal with. I'll give bullet points to help go faster.
- Sassy (pants) is a 4.5 yr old bullmastiff red female
- she's my second mastiff (first was a male english)
- bought as a pup from a reputable breeder
- healthy puppy
- raw fed since 12 months
- crate trained
- removed her uterus after her first heat - left ovaries, then removed ovaries at 3 yrs
- obedience classes - did well, loved to play with other dogs in class (12 weeks - one night/week)
- Canine good citizen certificate - loved to play with dogs in class
- took her shopping at Tractor supply, Lowes, Petco and anywhere pups were allowed
- took to her to puppy friendly restaurants and she was a little angel (a drooly angel)
- play dates with friend's dogs - we baby sat friend's dogs and Sassy just loved to play
- we had an old mutt that she played well with from the time we brought her home until our old dog died (Sassy was 14 mos old)
- We bought Sassy a kitten (when Sassy was 16 mos) to help her grieve and it worked really well - they are inseparable at home
I volunteered with the local Humane Society and one of the volunteers started a doggy day care. I enrolled Sassy immediately - I got a huge discount.
- Sassy looked forward to going everyday - couldn't wait to get out of the car when we arrived
- she came home and slept for 2 hours each afternoon and then was ready to play with us
- this lasted for 18 months (then we removed her ovaries)
- doggy day care called us 3 mos after the ovary removal one day to come get Sassy - she was attacking other dogs
- picked her up and she seemed OK - took her to the vet to check for something causing her discomfort
- took her back to doggy day care the next week - after they built a separate fenced yard for "problem" dogs to chill in
- Sassy continued to act up but could be controlled by a squirt from the hose or a loud rattle (rocks in a coke can)
- She spent lots of time in the "problem" dog yard
- After a month since she first attacked a dog, she began charging the fence when she was placed in "time-out"
- She finally tore the fence loose from the bottom fence rail and got into the next yard and attacked a dog
- This happened again the next week and we removed her from day care this past fall and have not returned her
We were hiking in February, and came across another dog on a leash and Sassy went into hyperdrive. It was all we could do to keep her 130lbs under control - she would not obey commands. My hubby separated the fighting dogs by pulling Sassy's leash around a tree so she couldn't keep pulling us towards the other dog. We were shocked - the other dog owner was appalled.
Well this has become a regular behavior - EVERY single dog we come into contact with Sassy goes crazy - all hackles and teeth. No more play dates with old friends or babysitting friend's pooches like we've done our whole time with her. We still take her to Lowes and Tractor supply but I have to walk in first and scan the place for other dogs - if I see any, we wait until they leave. No more trips to Petco - too many dogs. We have watched our feelings and anxiety around her to be sure she is not sensing worry. We've done it so long that we don't even get emotional at all when out - we never yelled or went berserk when Sassy acted up - a big no no when trying to keep aggression down.
Here is what we've done in the last 6 weeks to try and help our pup to calm down:
- thyroid panel/blood work to be sure nothing was wrong
- MRI's on her hips/joints to be sure no pain - no problems found
- allergy tests (talk about expensive) - allergic to chicken which we already knew from observation
- hired a well reviewed doggy behaviorist to come to the house once a week (savings account almost gone) - she still comes once a week
- she has given us tons of training to do with interacting with her dog - walking away from the other dog, sitting facing away, walking way out of the way of the other dog - Sassy still fixates on the other dog - even when cheese is involved
- behaviorist thinks Sassy has had some sort of trauma way back at day care that has never been resolved - no one there can tell us of anything that happened that was unusual
- behaviorist has taken Sassy twice to spend a day training with my hubby at her kennel - she is OK as long as no other dog gets within 30 or so yds of her
- hiking has become no fun (we hike in the mountains, mostly remote trails) - I walk way ahead to be sure no other dogs on the trail
Re-homing is the last resort.
Please help.
Sassy's momma