Discipline aggressive husky need help ASAP or she'll go to shelterQuestion:My husky, Shelby, is in DESPERATE need of help. Saturday and also today she tried to attack me when I disciplined her. Saturday she was eating our Taco Dip off the bed and I yelled "No Shelby!" and I went to pull back on her collar. She immediately turned and growled and tried to grab hold of my hand. I dropped the collar and then everytime I went to grab it for a few minutes she would snarl, growl, and lung at my hand. Finally I was able to grab it, put her collar on, and take her in the kitchen. The weird thing is when I went back in there an hour later she was just so sweet, like her usual self. She wagged her tail and licked my face and hands. Then today (Monday) she had escaped from the kitchen and was trying to eat the crackers that my daughter was eating in her height chair and I said "Shelby, NO!" and I agian went to pull her back and she didn't growl but she turned her head to snap at me. I put her in the kitchen and she got out and ran into the bathroom. I agian went and got her, she was half way to the kitchen and then she started growling and lunging to bite me. We have small children so obviously she is going to have to go to training or get brought back to a shelter. Does anyone have any advice on how to train her or somewhere to bring her. Due to unforseen events we can not afford an expensive trainer for her. We are in the Northwest Indiana area. Answer: How about NILIF training? Answer: Just incase you don't know, NILIF training is every single time your dog wants something (a belly stratch, food, to go outside, etc.) it has to do something for you like a sit, down, etc. Maybe Shelby was abused before you got her? So then when you go to scold her she goes into defencive mode? Does she show any other signs of dominance? Like growling at you when you walk past her food bowl, barking at you when you give a command, stiffing when you pet her on the shoulders, etc.? Has she had any obedience training at all? Answer: Anytime you raise your voice she gets aggressive. Even when walking her if she goes to dart out in the road and there is a car coming (she's always on leash of course) and I say no and go to grab her she will snap at me. She is trying to be the dominant dog in the house (we have one other dog). She isn't food aggressive (in fact I can stick my hand in the dish while she is eating and she will just eat around it). She doesn't bark when getting a command either. She has always seemed a little shy when go to pet her she will sort of stiffened up like she is scared. We haven't gotten her obedience classes but we were thinking about it. The only time she is aggressive is when she knows she's done something, and you go to grab onto her collar. We called two different shelters today and they said they wouldn't even think of taking her but if they did she would most likely be euthanized. Answer: I'm not a behaviorist, but it sounds a lot like "food agression". If Shelby is aggressive around food and you show signs of aggression, it'll escalate. I don't honestly know how to overcome it but these are the things I'd try. Firstly, speak softly to Shelby and lure him away with a treat or something. Secondly, put him in a crate or another room when meals/snacks are being served. Make it a positive experience though...a kong with filling works. Thirdly - and please note, this is what I'd try and I'm not recommending it - scrap the food bowl altogether and feed him by hand for a while so he gets the idea that you're providing the food - not competing for it. I'd definately start with the first two suggestions though. I really hope things work out. Andrew Answer: It sounds like Shelby was abused. Maybe someone used to grab her collar and hurt her. It sounds like she was yelled at a lot, too. Not many shelters will take a dog like that. You can probably find her another home, though. Maybe instead of saying NO switch to DON'T, because maybe her previous owners yelled NO to the point of making her scared of the word. Best of luck! ~Purr Answer: I'll try switching to another word, and not pulling. If you don't yet at her you can grab her collar without her snapping. But once you yell than that is when she will start snapping and trying to bite. My main concern is for my daughter's and stepson's safety. If they were maybe 10+ years old I wouldn't be so worried but my daughter's only 1 on my youngest stepson is 5. I think we might try to find her another home but definetely not with small children, and the people would have to be experienced with dogs as well. I hate to give her up but she worries me. She also doesn't seem at home here either, it looks like she is constantly trying to go somewhere (like she's trying to get somewhere). I don't know maybe she's trying to get home, but she just acts like she doesn't feel at home here. Answer: Sounds like food aggression to me Answer: I have another question. I don't even know if pulling on their collar could be consider mistreating or abusing them. I just want to assure everyone that I am not trying to be mean or anything, to her. If it is considered abusing them or whatever I would stop right away, I just don't know. I didn't want people thinking I was abusing my dogs. I love them very much, and I would hate to think I am the reason that she is like this. Answer: I'm confused. A lot of people are saying it's food aggression but she's not aggressive around ALL food. Like if I feed her in the morning I can literally stick my hand in her food bowl while she is eating and she will not growl or anything, she'll just eat around. In fact like the past few days she hasn't gotten aggressive until my voice got raised and I said "no". I'm just confused, are there certain types of food aggression? Answer: Julie I really encourage you to read this article http://www.k9deb.com/nilif.htm and follow the advice. Even if you don't want to you should at least read it for some insight. I think it could really help you. Also, the link to 'social isolation' at the top of the page would probably help you a lot. You need for her to learn to respect you and how to be a member of the family. You can't over power her or force her to do it and I wouldn't want you to try. People swear by this method so please read the article. Answer: It seems a lot like food agression. I'm not too sure on how to fix that. Never had that problem. -Jon Answer: Great article. Thanks, it sure does remind me a lot of Shelby. I am going to try the social isolation therapy tomorrow. I was wondering if it would be ok, through certain parts of the day, if she was muzzled (just while my daughter was out and about). Not forever, just until I see an improvement that would bring back a little trust in her. I mean would that be too mean of me to do, or would that be ok? Answer: I think it would be much better to put her in a separate room or crate if you have one. I'm not a fan of muzzling. I hope that NILIF works for you! I think you have to be sure to do the whole thing for it to be successful. Good luck Answer: She usually is in the kitchen throughout the day (she isn't housebroken yet). I'll just keep her in there. I have never muzzled a dog, and to me it did look a bit mean as well. I've had three foster dogs, one of which was VERY food aggressive (you couldn't even stand near the dog while she was eating) and I never muzzled. Thanks! Answer: Well, I hope all goes well. If she has a problem with you grabing her collar, you could attach a short leash to it and let her drag it around. So then if you needed to grab her, you could grab the leash unstead of her collar. Good luck! Answer: She usually is in the kitchen throughout the day (she isn't housebroken yet). I'll just keep her in there. I have never muzzled a dog, and to me it did look a bit mean as well. I've had three foster dogs, one of which was VERY food aggressive (you couldn't even stand near the dog while she was eating) and I never muzzled. Thanks! I do think that's the best way to go. I really hope it works out. Just give her time and help her out. She'll figure it out. :) Answer: I'm a reasonably expensive trainer, so I'll drop my two cents. :) Before I start, please don't take any of this as snotty or critical. I don't mean it to come across that way. Having a somewhat abrupt manner (my mother calls it "brutal honesty") came naturally with dog training. You know I luv ya, julie, so please take this in the spirit it's given. I wouldn't muzzle her. That's just going to mask your problem, not solve it. As Saje said, just keep them separated. I was going to suggest NILIF training. My article along those lines is here: http://www.dogsday.8k.com/custom.html It's the second article down on the page. (Forgive the website. It's being made better as we speak.) You may want to look it over just for a slightly different view on the same model. Please read this too: http://www.chazhound.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4022 (You can never know too much about dog behavior!) :) I know it seems like it now, but this is not, in the grand scheme of things, that big a problem. And you're not alone. I probably get a dozen calls a year from owners having the same problem. If you work with her, you'll discover that she is absolutely not too far gone to be "repaired" (for lack of a better word). First, if I were your trainer I'd take your dog's collar off completely unless she was going outside, and then take it off again when she came back in. You can bang a little nail into the wall by the door to hang it on, if that helps remind you. But you don't want to tempt yourself with being able to grab her collar whenever she's doing something you don't like. She is telling you that she doesn't think you should grab her collar or pull her by it. Respect her feelings, and find another way to communicate with her. If there's something she shouldn't be eating, don't give her access to it. It's hard to blame a dog for eating treats that are left alone. The doggy rules of possession say that if you leave it, you relinquish your rights of ownership and it's fair game for the first lucky dog who comes along. You shouldn't be saying, "Why did that stupid dog eat my sandwich? Bad dog!" You have to learn to say, "Why did this stupid human leave the sandwich where the dog could get it? Bad me!" Any time an unexpected behavior occurs, it's imperitive that we ask ourselves what we could have done differently to facilitate a different behavior. 99.9% of the time, when I think, "Okay, what did I do wrong?" I come up with a reasonably clear answer. That last tenth of a percent is the rare instance when the dog reacted in an unpredictable way. This is so rare that you have to drop some ego and adjust your behavior in order to adjust the dog's. Second, the word "no" needs to become a four-letter word in your household. "No" is like the collar; it's a crutch that isn't working. If you think about it, "no" isn't even a verb. It only says "don't do that"; it doesn't give her something to be doing instead. It's really something of an abstract concept, so let's ditch it. We need to be crystal clear in our communications with Shelby from now on. So instead of telling her, "don't do that", tell her, "do this instead of that." Use your training; give her a command that conflicts with her current activity. If she's jumping on people, tell her to "sit". If she's mouthing an arm, have her "speak". The secret to a well-behaved dog is a creative owner. (A side note: make sure you've taken the time to train each of the commands you use. Too many people just assume their dogs know what "sit" means without actually teaching them. Without training, commands are meaningless. I'll attach a list of books that will help you with some positive reinforcement obedience.) The most important clue that we have to Shelby's behavior is the way she treated you an hour after your confrontation. She was a regular old happy dog. This tells us that she wasn't being "aggressive". She was merely exercising her social rights. Using NILIF and resource control training will demonstrate to her, in a way she innately understands, that she is no longer within her rights to snap at you or anyone else. It's critical that you follow the suggestions consistently, or the social adjustment will backfire. Consistency is the key; I can't stress that enough. It's a good idea to work on basic obedience at the same time you practice resource control. It gives your dog the chance to interact with you on your terms in a positive way. She has control over her reward (or lack thereof), and she will learn quickly that the harder she works, the more of those all-important resources you provide her. My final suggestion may sound silly, but try it and see how much it helps. Type yourself up a little sheet that has six "headlines" and then space for you to fill in your comments. In my problem solving program I call it an "emotional events diary". Make these your headlines: 1. Situation (Describe the events surrounding the event; try to be perfectly matter-of-fact. First this happened, second this happened, third this happened....) 2. Shelby's Emotional Response (Describe the reaction by your dog to the event. Try to see the situation through your dog's eyes. Use descriptive emotional words like "angry", "sad", "happy", "irritated", "surprised", etc.) 3. Action Shelby Took as a Result (Describe her actions immediately following her emotional response. Then, and this is important, describe what you think Shelby was trying to accomplish by acting this way. i.e. "Shelly reached back and snapped at my hand. She was trying to make me let go of her collar.") 4. My Emotional Response (Now turn those descriptive emotional terms on yourself: "I was angry and annoyed that Shelby was eating my dinner".) 5. Action I Took (Describe your reactions to Shelby's actions, and describe why you did what you did. "I grabbed her collar so I could pull her away from my food.") 6. What Could've Been Done Differently? (Be constructive here. Go step-by-step. Could the problem have been prevented all together? If Shelby has a reliable sit-stay, you could've put her in position before you left your dinner unguarded. You could've put your dinner up high before you left the room, or you could've brought it with you. Next, how could you have reacted differently? You could've gotten a good "sit" and then cleaned up the mess, gone out back for a minute to calm down, then come back inside and worked on some obedience before returning to your dinner.) This may seem like a lot of work, but it's really not hard. And the benefits you gain in understanding your dog's actions are enormous. If you follow these steps, I can just about guarantee that Shelby will improve dramatically in approximately a week-and-a-half, and you'll note a dramatic improvement in her behavior in a month to six weeks. This is not an "at-risk" dog. She's just confused. Doing these things will straighten her right out. Book recommendations coming... Answer: If you start with one from each catagory, you're on your way! Training Books "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Positive Dog Training" by Pamela Dennison "Clicking With Your Dog" by Peggy Tillman "The Power of Positive Dog Training" by Pat Miller "Beyond Fetch" by Caroline Coile Behavior Books "The Other End of the Leash" by Patricia McConnell "Don't Shoot the Dog" by Karen Pryor "If a Dog's Prayers Were Answered, Bones Would Rain from the Sky" by Suzanne Clothier Answer: You're awesome Emma. :D Answer: I love your suggestions, and I didn't not take them personally in any way. I know i'm sort of an idiot when it comes to training dogs (Mack knows sit and he only does that like half the time we tell him). As for obedience training her it is sort of tricky. She has arthritis in her back legs so sitting is hard for her. We had her on meds which seemed to work for awhile. She's a very free spirited dog and if she doesn't want to do anything she won't do it. I'm not worried about us getting snapped at what I worry about is the children. With two small children I'm worried she might one day snap at them and that they won't be fast enough to get their hand, arm, leg, or face out of her mouth. My husband is more of the one that wants to take her back to the shelter, I would rather pay the money to have her trained. You can see she could be a wonderful dog, she probably just had a rough past, and it's unfair to give up on her without exhausting all the options. I did get a hold of the shelter where we rescued her from and they said we could bring her back but she would most likely just be euthanized. I am trying very hard to talk him into letting her stay. Answer: This is another great site http://www.clickerlessons.com/lessons.html for training. :D My other fave. It's worth a read too. Not nearly as long as the other one! maybe it will help with some of her training. I really hope you don't have to get ride of her. :( Answer: I definitely appreciate your concerns about the kids, but really if you stick to the resource control you will see the difference it can make. If I thought your dog was doing these things out of some sort of nasty temper, I'd absolutely tell you so. But as I see it, she's just throwing a little tantrum which can be easily corrected. I've trained several dogs that aren't comfortable in a "sit", including arthritic dogs and bony-butts like greyhounds. With those dogs I tend to use "down" instead, and I also teach "bow" (butt in the air, elbows on the floor) which stretches those muscles and pretty much stops them doing bad things. You have to be creative when redirecting behavior. But resource control will also help with obedience; it will make her more eager to please you. And those positive dog training books will help you teach her in a new way, which will probably result in her being a lot more receptive to learning. Let your husband know that I understand and appreciate your concerns about the dog and the kids, and that I honestly believe that we can make a home for Shelby and the kids there together. Answer: Ok, the collar is off while she is in the house. I have also started on the command sit (which she is learning with flying colors). I just started it like five minutes ago and she's already I'd say 95% consistant with sitting. Obviously she had been trained to sit before (either that or she's that eager to get the dog kibble treat). Hopefully my husband will change his mind by tomorrow morning, which is when he wants to return her to the shelter. I'm going to have him read creatureteacher's posts and hopefully he'll allow me the chance to work with her. I think she is just a very sensitive dog and doesn't like to hear people yell or see people get mad. It just makes me mad that I know she's a good dog and that she's had a rough life in her past home. She cowers almost everytime you are standing over her and go to pet her (she will always cower unless you are at eye level with her). She shouldn't have to get euthanized because of stupid people. I'm sort of hoping for a miracle here because if she goes back she'll probably get euthanized and my husband is sort of anxious to get her out. I'm hoping CreatureTeacher's posts will help change his mind. Answer: You can tell him you're going to start addressing him as "Killer" if he sends Shelby to her death . . . Sometimes a little drama can save the day. It does sound as though poor Shelby was an abused dog. Your husband might actually be afraid of her. I had an ex-boyfriend who was short with Bear. I found out from his sister that he'd been afraid of big dogs since he was a little kid. If she hadn't told me I'd never have known though. Answer: I love all the responses and suggestions for this issue. I know one of the 2 boys we adopted was very snappish with me when I tried to put him in his crate... My husband was like he's going to have to go if he's snapping at you. Well I talked to a trainer and they told me to leave my hand there and not pull back or yell at him. I did it twice and he didn't even bite/nip me just all attitude. He hasn't done it since. How long have you had your dog? The reason I ask is because some of the behaviors are exactly like ours that we adopted and it's been 3 months and he is finally coming around. He will probably always be skittish to loud noises, arguing and even quick motions towards him. It saddens me that he is like this but we learn to work around it. But it also makes me very happy when I see the progress he has made, like running to the door when I say "daddy's home".... Answer: (Killer!? Good one! lol) Julie, What a great dog you have. One that is willing to try new behaviors! Sure, they are scary, but he is expressive. After some positive training, think of how much fun the expressive side will be when he offers fun behaviors. Emma is eloquent in her bluntness. I enjoyed reading the post about what to do. I have give a little testimonial to the advice. We have had resource guarding issues pop up with Ranger. He tries all kinds of behaviors on for size. I would get so scared. Then, a behaviorist explained to me, "He's a teenager, keep up the training, be confident, and it will pass. Whatever you do, don't yell. Wait for the expected result." Then they showed us how to handle it. Ranger resource guards his parents. Meaning, he guards us while other dogs are around. If the dogs don't follow rules, he tells them off. Fortunately, he has bite inhibition. If we have food or toys, it's worse. If I ever yelled at him when he acts this way, his emotions would escalate. The next time his reaction to the other dog would be even worse. The instructions were to react before Ranger would escalate. Use polite, happy voices, etc. With a lot of careful training he is now able to play at the dog park class we take while I have a toy in my pocket and he doesn't come out fighting with the dog who says hi to me. It has taken some time, but it works. I'll tell ya' we followed a lot of the advice Emma mentions above. NILF, separating him from his trouble (Not easy because we couldn't remove ourselves, but we stopped taking food, & toys, which only reduced his trust to his regular buddies.), using happy voice, rarely saying the word no, etc. all really really works wonders. I'm a big fan of group classes as well. It can't hurt to take some time together and learn some commands. Sounds like you are trying really hard and congrats on the sit command. Maui Answer: Well Shelby is going to stay here, atleast for today. I am trying the NILIF approach, and I have started the isolation therapy. She snapped at my husband last night, this time for no reason (as he explains it). So she is running out of time, hopefully he won't take her to the shelter without me being there. If he doesn't take her by himself I will have until next monday (my next day off of work that the shelter is open) to get some improvement out of her. It's very stressful over here, but I'm trying my best. I don't want her to go back to the shelter. We almost drove her back today but I started crying in the truck when we were driving her there (it's over an hour drive) and we had to turn back because we didn't have any kleenex so she's safe. I hope that all the pressure won't freak her out and scare her from learning. I'm trying my best to get her to stay with us. Although my husband's like "oh we can go get a puppy from my friends lab when he breeds her". I don't like the fact that he is either trying to make me feel better about giving her up, or bribe me into giving her up. It doesn't matter if he gets me 100 puppies they still won't be my Shelby!!!!! Answer: See, a little drama . . . Keep working. Shelby sounds like a wonderful dog and you obviously love her. You just tell your husband that even if he does send Shelby off to die you don't want any of his friend's back-yard-bred dogs! (Assuming he's not a reputable breeder - in which case he'd be wary of giving your husband a pup after taking Shelby back to the shelter summarily.) I'd never let someone have a pup out of one of my dogs after they'd taken a dog back to certain death at a shelter! Answer: Yeah the guy is a backyard breeder. He hasn't had his dog checked for hip dysplasia or anything. I'm not gonna give up on Shelby. I doubt my husband would take her in by himself though. My father did that to me when I moved back in with them and my husband knows how I feel about my father for doing that to me. I doubt my husband wants me to feel the same about him. Answer: Remind him . . . you know we're all with you and Shelby, Julie. Answer: I just read about Shelby. I'm sending all the good vibes I can to Shelby that things turn around. I really hope all that Emma has suggested will help you. Answer: How long have you had Shelby? As I posted before, if it were up to my husband in the beginning we would've taken Houdini back to the rescue due to his snapping... I found out with time and what I learned on here there is always hope. LIke I said before, he has changed so much in the last 3 months you wouldn't know it was the same dog. Hang in there and give it some time and work what Emma has given you. Answer: I'm sending you my thoughts and wishes that things will work out. Try not to show your tension about this when you're around Shelby. That might dampen your efforts. Shelby will sense something is off and might be more nervous. Let your husband know that we're all counting on him to have patience and let you work through this and that you'll keep your kids from getting hurt in the meantime. I'm sure in a while you'll know if things are coming around. Wishing you all the best. Answer: Julie, I'm thinking about you and Shelby. Know I'm there supporting you 100%. Keep working on it! Another idea, can you wear out Shelby a little more than usual over the next few days? Take her on a longer walk first thing in the morning, or do you run, rollerblade, run her up and down some stairs??? May help to calm her down and relax with the family. She may need something to do as well. Like pressed rawhides, bones, fetch, etc. These are mental activities and will tire her brain a little. And last ... one more thought. My husband mentioned your husband might be a little jealous of Shelby getting so much attention. Remember to ask your husband about work, thank him for fixing the sink... you know him best. Save the good drama for Monday, when you are on the phone calling the training school. (hint hint) :-) -Maui Answer: Yeah, everytime chong chong gets to hyper, i take him out jogging or something, or even play basketball with him. Something to worn him down so he has nothing to do but to sit or lie down. Answer: I am coming in late here, but I love reading Emma's advice. So excellent. I just wanted to add this....in my opinion huskys need alot of exercise and running room. You have her in the kitchen for most of the day, maybe she has some pent up energy and boredom that isn't helping her mood any. I also just wanted to say that I think it's wonderful that you are trying to work with her to keep her, Julie. How's it all going? Answer: I'm coming in late on this too! We had similar problems with Serene when we first got her, and NILIF made all the difference. It's hard when they have come from an abusive past, and you don't know exactly what happened to them. It sounds like Shelby is being aggressive when she gets a hold of a "human food" treasure. It's definately more of a concern with children (especially the 1 yr old, who doesn't understand what's going on). Be sure to include the children in training whenever possible, so Shelby learns that she must respect your children as well. Good luck. It sounds like Shelby has the potential to be a great dog, and it sounds like she found a person who has the love and patience to get her there! PS: Cheers to you for rescuing, and not giving up on her at the first sign of trouble. She's lucky to have you. Answer: Well my husband has agreed to let her stay. I got mad at him because his friend came to take her (he gave her away without asking my permission) and I left really mad. Some A-hole ended up pulling out in front of me and I hit him with my car. I'm ok, a little sore and shaken up, but nothing serious. He saw how upset I got, and I explained to him that I didn't want her to go with anyone or back to the shelter because I would feel like I let her down. He understood and has given me 1 month to get her to improve, some, and if she does he will pay the money to get a trainer for her. He could have just listened to me from the beginning and it would have saved us my Suburban, a trip to the hospital, and it would have saved him from having to call off work. I do take Shelby out a lot. She goes out for two seperate walks (1hour 2 times a day). Plus the neighbor next door to us LOVES her and he will take her out too and go walking with her. On a brighter note my husband FINALLY understands my love for dogs and animals. He even found a puppy for him (I don't know how well three dogs will work in this household seeing all the problems that we have had with our two). Well I'm off to the doctor's now, I had to call off work today so I need to go and get a doctor's note. Thanks for all your support I will be sure to keep you posted on her progress, and ours as well. Answer: WOW, Julie! When I said 'a little drama' I didn't expect you to shoot for an Academy Award :D Seriously, soooooo GLAD you're okay. Sorry about your Suburban. How's the other driver? Some good hard play, like chasing a ball or dog frisbee would help to wear Shelby out. Huskies have such tremendous stamina - like a two year old. Answer: I've NEVER seen Nanook wore out! I've only had her for a few weeks but she doesn't seem to ever get tired. Even after Steve takes them out and they wade across the river and into the forest for hours.... Just agreeing with the husky/energy thing :D Julie, I'm so glad you're ok and I'm so glad you get to have more time to work with Shelby. I"m sure you'll work wonders :D Answer: Oh, my Suburban's fixable. The other drivers were fine as well. The only problem with Shelby is she doesn't like to play with ANYTHING. She just likes to walk around and lay on the couch with me. I've tried fetch, frisbee, squeak toys, and she won't play. I atleast get her out for a walk though two times a day. Answer: My husky, Shelby, is in DESPERATE need of help. Saturday and also today she tried to attack me when I disciplined her. Saturday she was eating our Taco Dip off the bed and I yelled "No Shelby!" and I went to pull back on her collar. She immediately turned and growled and tried to grab hold of my hand. I dropped the collar and then everytime I went to grab it for a few minutes she would snarl, growl, and lung at my hand. Finally I was able to grab it, put her collar on, and take her in the kitchen. The weird thing is when I went back in there an hour later she was just so sweet, like her usual self. She wagged her tail and licked my face and hands. Then today (Monday) she had escaped from the kitchen and was trying to eat the crackers that my daughter was eating in her height chair and I said "Shelby, NO!" and I agian went to pull her back and she didn't growl but she turned her head to snap at me. I put her in the kitchen and she got out and ran into the bathroom. I agian went and got her, she was half way to the kitchen and then she started growling and lunging to bite me. We have small children so obviously she is going to have to go to training or get brought back to a shelter. Does anyone have any advice on how to train her or somewhere to bring her. Due to unforseen events we can not afford an expensive trainer for her. We are in the Northwest Indiana area. how do you discipline her??? sounds like she is just acting on her animal instincts to protect her food, eat what she can and fight off competition... you could try wearing thick gloves incase she bites you, that wuld allow you to ignore her and eventually she would relise it wont work, not sure about that tho, if she gets you up your arm or on you face... well theres a problem, so you might want to ask a proffesional trainer Answer: I don't hit or anything, just the simple word "no" was enough to set her off. Now we keep her baby gated off in the kitchen when we eat. Well we have to leash her up to the kennel too because she has figured out how to open the baby gate. But it is just people food that she would get aggressive by. I'm hoping she'll get better, I've already seen some improvement with her and listening to me just today. Answer: thats good, im just worried about shelters, even if she does find a home, i doubt she will behave any better for them,, and if she does act aggressively at them, she could be killed... Answer: Well we got her from a shelter, as a stray. She was due to be euthanized when we picked her up. The shelters here said they won't even attempt to adopt out an aggressive dog, and she'd just be put down. The place we got her from said that they would probably do the same to her. I admit we did sort of adopt her on impulse we wanted to feel like heroes. Well I told my husband I don't care what the reason for adopting her we are going to see this thing through to the end no matter how much money it takes, or how much time it takes. Answer: Keep optimistic Julie, we are rooting for you and Shelby. Suburbans are evil, I love full sice Chevys but Subs are evil. Answer: Well my husband has agreed to let her stay. I got mad at him because his friend came to take her (he gave her away without asking my permission) and I left really mad. Some A-hole ended up pulling out in front of me and I hit him with my car. I'm ok, a little sore and shaken up, but nothing serious. He saw how upset I got, and I explained to him that I didn't want her to go with anyone or back to the shelter because I would feel like I let her down. He understood and has given me 1 month to get her to improve, some, and if she does he will pay the money to get a trainer for her. He could have just listened to me from the beginning and it would have saved us my Suburban, a trip to the hospital, and it would have saved him from having to call off work. I do take Shelby out a lot. She goes out for two seperate walks (1hour 2 times a day). Plus the neighbor next door to us LOVES her and he will take her out too and go walking with her. On a brighter note my husband FINALLY understands my love for dogs and animals. He even found a puppy for him (I don't know how well three dogs will work in this household seeing all the problems that we have had with our two). Well I'm off to the doctor's now, I had to call off work today so I need to go and get a doctor's note. Thanks for all your support I will be sure to keep you posted on her progress, and ours as well. Hey Julie, So glad to hear you are okay, your husband understands, and that you are going to keep Shelby for a month trial. Shelby sounds so smart. I bet she'll learn tons in 4 weeks. Give her hugs from Ranger. -Maui Answer: How's it going Julie? Have you been able to work with her much? Any improvement? I know it's soon but some people who do the NILIF and social isolation see changes right away. I'm optimistic. :D Answer: Oh yeah, it's working pretty good. I've noticed now that she is more attentive to me, every time I walk by she is looking at me for some sort of cue or command on what she should do. She sits automatically when I'm putting her leash on the take her out, and she doesn't seem to pace around the house as much, now she wants to be by my feet when she's allowed out of the kitchen at night. I've taken away the temptation of people food all together for her. Whenever we eat she is gated and tied up in the kitchen, and when she's out I don't snack on anything (I used to keep a bag of goldfish crackers by the computer but not anymore). Answer: Oh well that is good news! How about hubby? Any change of heart yet? :D Answer: not really, he's still a little sceptical of her. Mack is "his dog" he keeps saying and the girls (Shelby and Hannah) are mine. I think if she does better he will start ot trust her and like her agian. I'm not saying he doesn't like her now but right now he really doesn't want to deal with her because he's scared of her. I think she's a little mad at him though she hasn't gone near him all day today and most of yesterday. She used to be the first to meet him when he got home from work at night. Answer: yay shelby, hopes she keep s getting better Answer: I should have thought of this sooner, Julie. Make sure you don't feed the dogs until AFTER you've eaten. Even ours have to wait until we've eaten, lol. They've learned to wait patiently and not pester us when we're eating. That was a MONUMENTAL hurdle for Shiva, lol! Answer: I usually feed them on my way out the door to work in the morning, they only eat once a day. If they are hungry in the evening I will give them like a cup or cup and a half of food. They will pester us until they are fed, it gets really aggrivating, that's why they are gated (and for Shelby's case tied up) in the kitchen while we eat. Answer: I hope all is going well with Shelby :) My dog has hip dysplasia, so we've found a way to train/challenge her without too much movement. We do a bit of clicker training while 'targeting' places or items with a stick. It helps her stretch, think, interact with us etc without too much switching back from sits to downs to walking etc. She tries to figure out what to do to the items we're pointing at for that click. We still do regular training, since she's not totally immobile, but this helps make up for her not having too many activities right now. Clicker training is oddly easy if you follow a few rules. We did one lesson with a trainer to get us started, and are now using a book by karen pryor called 'Getting Started: Clicker Training for Dogs'. That's were we got the pointing and 'box playing' ideas to help without too much repetitive movement. It is such a simple method though, that just online references can keep you busy for a good while. I have a feeling it's one of those 'easy to learn, hard to master' type things. I'm very impressed so far. Oh, another note, pain can influence a dog's temperament alot. Her having to quickly readjust her body weight etc might explain her reacting so drastically to particular behaviors. Glad the collar isn't a contact spot anymore. She sounds great and i'm glad you are taking so much effort in working with her. kudos to you, she's a lucky dog :). -adri Answer: Yeah Shelby is doing better. Not greatly improved but she's doing better. My husband's noted the improvement, so I think he's willing to take her to the trainer. Answer: Thats great! Improvement is improvement no matter how you spin it!! Good job on your part. :) Answer: i taught buster to "stop begging" by throwing a ball and praising him when he went away. now he knows that when i tell him to stop begging, walk away. |
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