OT: really weird dog problems

[latazyo]

I have 2 really weird problems with the dog I got in November

I dont know what her history is, but based on her recations to being scolded she was definitly not babied in her previous home...anyways, she is almost a perfect dog, she always listens and never gets into trouble

my two weird problems are this

1. she has become SUPER attached to my wife, in fact she will stop at nothing to be on my wife's lap even when she's got a computer on her lap or other times when having a dog on you is impractical...and this dog is not a tiny one, it is a 50 pound golden retriever mix

not only does she insist on touching my wife at all times, she also humps her leg and/or the couch while my wife is on it....and this is a spayed female dog....what the hell?

problem #2: she appears to be scared to death of manholes...when we're walking she will stop and dig her claws into the ground and refuse to go...I literally have to drag her past manholes and it looks really embarassing and looks like IM torturing her and abusing her

I have tried coaxing her onto a few manholes and then pet her and told her "good girl", but then next time we go out she behaves the same way...it would be easy to say "just avoid manholes" but that is impossible, they are everywhere along our sidewalks and they can't be avoided without walking in the street, but IM sure we'd all agree that is not practical


anyways, if anyone has any ideas let me know

 

[capncapo]

Sounds like an insecure dog! Might have had a rough past.

Can't say about the lap thing but maybe if you and your wife were to walk her you could have your wife stand on the manhole cover and call the dog to her?

 

[nano7joy]

My idea would be more walks more manholes in fact. The faster the walk maybe a jog would keep the dogs concentration moving forward not looking for the next fear or detraction. Remember to lead on walks and don't be lead that way the dogs gets its cues from a leader and if the leader doesn't scare then after a while the followers won't either. Good distractions may help during exercise like a clicker or a squeaking toy.

Now the hang on hang up thats a possible problem of possession not that its the wifes dog but the wife belongs to the dog.She is the one that has to correct that behavior not as a reprimand but as "the way its gonna be until i decide that I want you there."
that is usually the leaning lab or the puts a foot on yours while sitting next to you in the smallest of ways. Just keep on putting the dog down make it sit next to ya on the floor. A dog is easier to keep off the couch if it stopped before it gets there.

If the dog is hiding under your wife or in general. I would be more apt to call it a fear or insecurity/anxiety thing and to stop thos its best not to reenforce the habit by going "O baby its ok woobwooby" . Just ignore hose types of things or distract from them once again.

All dogs are a lil different especially if they have problems but one thing about all dogs is that with good patient leaders they get over stuff really well.

Hope some of that may help.

JJ

 

[Chelsey]

Ok, so here's the deal with the mounting. Your dog views herself as dominant to your wife, and while mounting in females is very rare it's usually more of a dominance-submission problem than hormonal (which is why her being spayed has nothing to do with it). This would also explain why she has to be on your wife's lap, she'd be above her in pack status as well.

To fix the dominance/submission issue your wife SHOULD NOT let the dog on her lap. When your dog tries to hop up on your wife's lap have her tell the dog NO in a stern voice and look the dog straight in the eye...that is a dominant, distance-increasing signal and the dog should back away, don't break eye contact with the dog until she lowers her head and is no longer making eye contact with you.

I don't know if you free-feed or have set feeding times, but your wife should be the one to give the dog food, and it usually helps to make the dog work for her food by giving her a command (like sit) before giving her the food bowl. In the wild the alpha dogs generally get to decide when the submissive ones get to eat, so your wife deciding when the dog eats would mimic the alpha dog behavior. Another thing, again dependent on how you feed, is to always make sure that you and your wife eat your meal before your dog is fed. The eye contact method combined with your wife being the one to give the dog food on her terms and making the dog work for her food should cure that problem.


Now on to the manholes...
Your dog is obviously scared of them and in her opinion they are big monsters that are going to eat her (maybe she fell in one as a pup?). The manhole is within her flight zone when she starts flipping out. How close can you get with the dog before she screeches to a halt? If you let the dog back away from the manhole how far does she go before slowing down/stopping? This one might take more effort to fix, but my suggestion would be to hang out on the edge of her flight zone (she runs when she gets 5' away, walk her 5' away from every manhole possible) and then gradually decrease the distance, thereby decreasing the flight zone area.

Another thing you might try is putting dog treats on top of the manhole, but I don't think that dragging her across them is going to fix anything, it will continue to make her anxious and she may balk at them at further distances as a result. I am taking domestic animal behavior through the vet school this semester, but I don't have a PhD or anything so if something has worked for someone else by all means try it!

I hope this helps!


Chelsey

 

[Nanook]

Excellent advice, Chelsey:thumbsup: Dealing with a primitive and dominant breed like the Tibetan Mastiff has really been a test of wills and lots of education. It is a constant battle and you can not let your guard down or they will sense it and run all over you.

 

[nano7joy]

I also wouldn't drag a dog any where a dog wants to naturally follow. I re read my post and it could have seemed that way. I could have been a little clearer .

In many situations do not stare at other peoples or stray possibly aggressive dogs this could absolutely lead to a bite as fast as running from one!

Nice post Chelsey! Nail on the head


JJ

 

[Michelle L]

Chelsey is completely correct.

When approaching manholes, do as Chelsey instructed you in regards to the flight zone, but I would like to add that you shouldn't coax her to pass one. If you say, "It's ok, it's alright girl, c'mon baby, c'mon," and baby her, in the dog's mind you are telling her that it's OK to be afraid and that it's OK to balk at passing one. They can't make the connection that you mean that *she* will be OK. What you should do is *tell* her that she has to pass it. Be firm and when she starts to pull backwards, say "no." Don't yell or raise your voice, don't act as if it's a big deal. Just be firm and let her know that she's making a mistake. Be the pack leader.

Then start acting as if the manhole is the greatest thing you've ever seen. (Yeah people will think you're nuts.) Laugh, play, jump up and down, act exited to see the manhole. She will see that you think it's great and that you're not afraid, and she will gain confidence watching you. ANY little move that she makes in the right direction, praise her!! Praise her like it's the greatest thing she's ever done. Don't make the lessons exhausting for her though...do it in small increments and gradually build up her exposure time to the things that scare her.

A great book to read is Brian Kilcommon and Sarah Wilson's "Good Owners, Great Dogs." It will give you insight about how dogs really think.

 

[latazyo]

thanks for all of the really good advice guys

we read about the female mounting = dominance thing but it never occurred to us because the dog is very submissive....TO ME...I am clearly her leader, but it never dawned on me that she would think she was ranking above my wife

the dog is absolutely from a rough past, anytime I raise my voice at her she cowers like Im coming at her with a baseball bat or something


as far as her flight zone, it is completely variable, I honestly think it goes by smell because depending on which side we approach from it could be anywhere from 5 feet to 20 feet on stinky/windy days

she is a good follower when I walk her, she doesn't go ahead of me, but I have never tried picking up the pace or using a clicker to keep her focused on moving forward

while walking, I never let her stop to sniff things, etc, we keep going but its at a casual walking pace....on tonight's walk I'll try to pick up the pace a little bit

I'm going to try to get my wife to help out with telling the dog to stay off her when she's not welcome...I think my wife thinks the dog is being a sweetheart and wanting to snuggle...I can't say she doesnt enjoy the dog up on her lap, but its the humping thing that weirding me out

thanks for the advice everyone...havent gotten around to the treat thing either for the manholes, but I will put these new strategies into effect this weekend and keep you all posted

 

[latazyo]

the quicker pace thing worked out great tonight, unfortunately its the owner that got tired after 1/2 block

 

[Drunes]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9603616#post9603616 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Chelsey
Ok, so here's the deal with the mounting. Your dog views herself as dominant to your wife, and while mounting in females is very rare it's usually more of a dominance-submission problem than hormonal (which is why her being spayed has nothing to do with it). This would also explain why she has to be on your wife's lap, she'd be above her in pack status as well.

To fix the dominance/submission issue your wife SHOULD NOT let the dog on her lap. When your dog tries to hop up on your wife's lap have her tell the dog NO in a stern voice and look the dog straight in the eye...that is a dominant, distance-increasing signal and the dog should back away, don't break eye contact with the dog until she lowers her head and is no longer making eye contact with you.

I don't know if you free-feed or have set feeding times, but your wife should be the one to give the dog food, and it usually helps to make the dog work for her food by giving her a command (like sit) before giving her the food bowl. In the wild the alpha dogs generally get to decide when the submissive ones get to eat, so your wife deciding when the dog eats would mimic the alpha dog behavior. Another thing, again dependent on how you feed, is to always make sure that you and your wife eat your meal before your dog is fed. The eye contact method combined with your wife being the one to give the dog food on her terms and making the dog work for her food should cure that problem.


Now on to the manholes...
Your dog is obviously scared of them and in her opinion they are big monsters that are going to eat her (maybe she fell in one as a pup?). The manhole is within her flight zone when she starts flipping out. How close can you get with the dog before she screeches to a halt? If you let the dog back away from the manhole how far does she go before slowing down/stopping? This one might take more effort to fix, but my suggestion would be to hang out on the edge of her flight zone (she runs when she gets 5' away, walk her 5' away from every manhole possible) and then gradually decrease the distance, thereby decreasing the flight zone area.

Another thing you might try is putting dog treats on top of the manhole, but I don't think that dragging her across them is going to fix anything, it will continue to make her anxious and she may balk at them at further distances as a result. I am taking domestic animal behavior through the vet school this semester, but I don't have a PhD or anything so if something has worked for someone else by all means try it!

I hope this helps!


Chelsey

Excellent advice having shown dogs for years in obediance, agility and conformation I have seen alot of issues man holes have to be a first. It may be that she has had a bad experiance I will bet you will find if you put a metal trash can lid on the ground you will get the same reaction. It also could just be she is unsure of them. Niether of my two shorthairs will walk on wood left on the floor 2x4's, plywood ect they have both been with me since 7 weeks of age and have never had a bad experiance they would just rather go around or over. My oldest hangs out when I am working in the basement, he found himself laying in the middle of a 2x4 frame and tip toed over the boards to avoid them. The wood stairs out of the basement no effect on him at all.

The lap and humping is attempting to establish dominiance, there was something missing is this dog anxious when your wife leaves the house or does she just hang out with her when she is home? If no then she has just imprinted on your wife and that would be a normal pack behavior. As long as it is not seperation anxiety I would not worry about the following.

 

[latazyo]

yeah, its not separation anxiety

my wife has accidentally forgotten to kennel her in the morning and I came home after school to realize she was loose all day long and she just laid down and didnt do anything

when my wife leaves she makes nothing of it, its just like she is super attached to her

for example, tonight my wife went into the b edroom to get ready for bed and shut the door, and so the dog went ot the door and laid by it the whole time, basically ignoring me and the other dog