Author Topic: New to the board and need help  (Read 5676 times)

Offline star

  • Gnawer
  • *
  • Posts: 2
    • View Profile
New to the board and need help
« on: October 17, 2005, 03:50:46 am »
Well I have a few questions for you. If you can help me please? A litttle over a year ago I was checking my email and a lady had emailed me asking for my help. She had a female Rott that was a rescue she kind of got stuck with. The Rott was looked in a bedroom for 7 months and was not aloud out for anything. They wanted a guard dog I was told. When the County told them that they could not do that or they would take the dog. The put her outside and left her there. When the county came back the first time 3 days after the first she was fine. 30 Days after that she was so covered with ticks and so skinny that she was taken right then and there!

 This lady was getting ahold of me because in the past I had placed dogs in the same spot with good familys. I talked to my boyfriend about adopting her are self. I love rotts and after doing 7 years of rescue I was tired of seing them come and go. I wanted a baby of my own. She came to are home March 2004. I love her more than anything. She is great with my children and has a great heart. From what she has been through I was scarried of how she would be, But I know a dog is only as good as it's owner and wanted to give it a chance.

Now here is my problem. In the last 6 months my baby girl (who is named nina) has changed alot. She loves all females but is starting to get really really mad at guys. It was funny to start now I am getting scarried she will hurt someone. Not my family but the mailman, or just someone who comes to the door. I never know how she is going to be! I took he to the vet to see if something was hurting her. I was lucky because I found she some how got lymes. Thank good we cought that in time because she is fine now and has tested clean. But she is still getting mad at men. Now she is not using the bathroom outside but doing it in the house. I even tryed to leave her outside for 3 hours and she holds it till she comes in.

I am lost I need some help! she is my sons best friend they even sleep in the same bed all night. I can't afford to lose my baby. I am just so scarried for my familys safety if she keeps getting more pissed at people I need to fix this as best I can so i can feel better and so she can to. She has always been the most loving dog. Please help

Offline Phillips

  • Veteran Dog Chomper
  • **
  • Posts: 185
  • Dixie & Brutis
    • View Profile
Re: New to the board and need help
« Reply #1 on: October 17, 2005, 03:56:30 am »
I am so sorry to hear of your troubles. I just wanted to share my concerns for your situation although I dont know that I can help. I hope it all works out. 
Boxer slobbers from Dixie and Brutis

Offline star

  • Gnawer
  • *
  • Posts: 2
    • View Profile
Re: New to the board and need help
« Reply #2 on: October 17, 2005, 04:01:50 am »
Thank you! I am not giving up yet. I love her to much to do that! I will try anything I need to to make her feel safe

Offline Scootergirl

  • Supreme Drooler
  • ****
  • Posts: 1927
    • View Profile
    • Be my friend on myspace!
Re: New to the board and need help
« Reply #3 on: October 17, 2005, 04:14:39 am »
I think you first need to take her to the vet again to be sure there is nothing else causing her drastic behavior change - especially with the bathroom issue. Also research the side effects of lyme disease. This is a very serious illness and I believe it can cause behavioral changes.

Once she has been given a clean bill of health, contact the best behavioralist you can find. She needs to be desensitized to thinking men are threatening.

If anyone still has Red's e-mail, I suggest you contact her. She raises rotties and is VERY knowledgeable about behavioral issues.

Good luck! Do NOT wait to have her checked out again.

Jeanne
"If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principle difference between dog and man." -- Mark Twain

Offline ZooCrew

  • Tail Wagging Champ
  • *****
  • Posts: 3355
  • Never say Never to a pet in need
    • View Profile
Re: New to the board and need help
« Reply #4 on: October 17, 2005, 05:47:28 am »
I agree to take her to the vet again to rule out anything for the potty issue.

I also agree to get her to a behaviorist as soon as you can to find out why she may be doing this (although she may have been abused by men in the past) and how you can help her get over this.

doggylover

  • Guest
Re: New to the board and need help
« Reply #5 on: March 16, 2006, 11:53:22 pm »
I agree with everything people have already suggested. I am new to the board, but what I have seen of 'red's posts, she seems very very knowledgable, and I would trust whatever she says. 
My rotty was one of 13.  All of his siblings are dead now, a few died in the whelping box, the rest were put to sleep for various reasons related to 'aggression'.  When we got our baby he was just a little pup, but he was a little DEVIL.  He had been alone with his little sisters (the parents both abandoned the litter and he was the only boy) and he basically spent his days alpha bossing them all around.  When we got him he was a little grump and things only got worse as he got older.  We were terrified just like you are, and desperate...wi lling to do whatever was needed.  We immediately began crate training, and we got a book called 'Leader of the Pack' that book covers 10 or so things that dogs see as signs of who is the boss in the pack.  If a few of those things are conflicting, the dog will be scared and try to gain alpha position.  Let me give an example.  Alphas eat 'best and first' (in a pack the dogs eat under VERY established/strict guidelines according to their place in the pack with the alpha male and female eating the first food, and the best parts of the kill.  Then the other dogs eat next, in order of their status.  Another biggie is that Alpha's control all possesions.  A subordinate dog would NEVER EVER take a toy (in the wild a bone or prized find) that didn't belong to them, they would know that the Alpha controlled and doled out treats.  I'll give you a third example.  The alpha is the first one to check out something new, and would be the first in line coming out of the den. 
Now if you have a domestic dog (they are domestic but still 100% follow wild dog law) and you give him treats or feed him before the family has dinner, and if you let him go out a door ahead of you...he has been signaled that he is the alpha because ONLY an alpha would have these privaleges. 
If your dog is agressive towards anyone and there is nothing medically wrong, that tells you that the dog is thinking it is the boss, as alpha he has the right to make decisions about who to bite.  All you should have to do to correct the problem (I say should because there could be some unrelated random weird thing I don't know about) is explain to the dog that it is NOT the alpha and that in fact it isnt the alpha even over caterpillers.  This is a huge relief to any dog because it takes the responsibility off their shoulders and makes them feel safe.  They learn that they have a competant, strong alpha and that they can just lay around and get loved up. 
So what you do is you 'explain' in doggy language that you are now in charge and you are a loving, calm, assertive, powerful, safe alpha.  Get that book if you can, it goes over the different things that cue the dog that you are alpha, and if you cant find it or for whatever reason cant get it, let me know and I will highlight the list of the different 'cues'. 
This approach worked MIRACLES on my beast.  He is the most loving happy tolerant waste of guard dog space you can imagine.  I love him and he loves his position on the bottom rung of our ladder. 
Ronda- I really hope this helps.