I Feel Like Either We Drug Him Or This Dog Goes

[Anonymous]

For a while, we used Calming treats and Happy Traveler. They were awesome. Then I started thinking about the training. We did traditional training and even sent our dog away. We have a hunting dog who is crazy and hyper. I ended up going to trainer who just works with hunting dogs. They warned me that they do not believe in the positive reinforcement crap, because it's a dog! It was amazing. I no longer have to use the treats. I went to Braveheart Kennels in Frederick, MD. They prefer to take the dog for 4 weeks. It is not treat training, let me warn you! I spoke to 4 hunting dog trainers and they were all very strict. It was tough. My guy also wears a shock collar. We got it b/c I run the Rock Creek Park trails and I let him run wild. The collar beeps so he knows to come back. However, I can also zap him when he's doing something terrible. We don't even need it anymore. The bad behavior stopped.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks all. DH is taking him to the vet in the morning. We'll see what she says. We're going to a more senior doctor in the group we trust. As for why we did not ask earlier, a more junior doctor there told us she wasn't sure he would ever be a good family pet when we were going through the rough adjustment right after we got him. This is when he was in the six-year-old-must-be-a-puppy phase and he was also stress peeing. We were able to get through that with the trainer and time and some no-nonsense advice from a relative who has rescued several dogs. Because that vet was so quick to give up on him, though, we didn't think of going back to ask them for help until now.

As for PP's suggestion about the shock collars and old school training, this dog is WAY too neurotic for that. It would send him around the bend for good.

[Anonymous]

Op I feel for you, thank you for doing your best for this dog.

When you say a 45 min walk, is that on the leash? 45 mins on leash is not a long walk for a large active dog.
He would need at least an hour a day of real exercise, running so hes out of breath, every day.
Do you live anywhere near a dog park?

Please give him the benefit of the doubt for now while you are moving and don't give up on him.

I had a hound I adopted about 12 years ago. I had her in one of those black metal type crates and she chewed thru 2 bars and jiggled the latch and got out. I had to buy one of the serious metal crates.

[Anonymous]

I say try anti-anxiety drugs. Some vets prescribe an anti-psychotic that actually works *really* well. The way these meds work is that they help with the OCD, which is often the cause of outrageous behavior in dogs. They don't necessarily sedate the dog. They just help make it so not everything is a trigger.

So, really, there is no need to hesitate with the meds. And once your vet prescribes a medication, you can probably order it online for a reasonable price.

Even if you try to "rehome," likely the next person will have the same problem with the dog. I would definitely try medication before rehoming. This way, he doesn't have to be passed around (which probably only makes his issues worse).

Good luck. And remember, the medication takes time to work, so even if you don't see a difference in the first few days, give it time.

Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks all. DH is taking him to the vet in the morning. We'll see what she says. We're going to a more senior doctor in the group we trust. As for why we did not ask earlier, a more junior doctor there told us she wasn't sure he would ever be a good family pet when we were going through the rough adjustment right after we got him. This is when he was in the six-year-old-must-be-a-puppy phase and he was also stress peeing. We were able to get through that with the trainer and time and some no-nonsense advice from a relative who has rescued several dogs. Because that vet was so quick to give up on him, though, we didn't think of going back to ask them for help until now.

As for PP's suggestion about the shock collars and old school training, this dog is WAY too neurotic for that. It would send him around the bend for good.

Yeah, i agree about shock collars -- sometimes they make things worse. if the vet refuses to prescribe meds, find a different vet. Seriously, it's *amazing* the difference medication can make. It really is.

[Anonymous]

I think he probably needs more exercise. Do you live near a dog park? We take our dog to a fenced in dog park as much as we can, b/c he needs off leash running with other dogs. Our backyard (though big) is not enough for him. Two is still pretty young, and at that age, our 80 pound dog needed 3-4 hours of exercise on leash or a solid hour at a dog park -- sometimes 2-30 minute times if we could.

[Anonymous]

I don't think exercise is the issue. I think the dog could use some mental stimulation. My dog is destructive too and steals things. More exercise means a fitter dog who has more endurance to destroy more things. Try 15 minutes of training practice daily, feed him out of kongs and puzzle toys, hide toys around the house and tell him to find them, or enroll him in agility or nose work classes.

[Anonymous]

This dog may have mental problems that can't be fixed and is not suitable for big-city suburban life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think exercise is the issue. I think the dog could use some mental stimulation. My dog is destructive too and steals things. More exercise means a fitter dog who has more endurance to destroy more things. Try 15 minutes of training practice daily, feed him out of kongs and puzzle toys, hide toys around the house and tell him to find them, or enroll him in agility or nose work classes.

OP here. Do you mean by himself or should both dogs go to these classes?

The vet thinks he is just a very, very anxious dog. We are hoping the meds work. We are also trying to get an appointment with a behaviorist, which the vet also recommended. Our other dog is taking all of the move stuff totally in stride. Sigh.

[Anonymous]

Just the dog that has the issue. Give his brain something to do other than be anxious.

[Anonymous]

If he is social enough, dog daycare may work for you: they run around all day and come home exhausted. Pricey but worth it in my opinion.

Our rescue dog has different issues (destructive separation anxiety) and we use "Composure," which is a non-prescription calming treat that we get from the vet. I think you can also buy it online, though. Anyway, it takes the edge off when we leave the house, and by the time it wears off -- 30 to 60 minutes later, I think -- she has settled down enough to just relax in her crate until we get home. My vet offered to prescribe Prozac if that didn't work.

[Anonymous]

talk to the vet AND SEE A NEW TRAINER. drugs seems like a short term solution (but it might get you through the move; poor pooch is uniquely stressed now. s/he can tell something big is happening but not WHAT and, having been a rescue probably fears abandonment again). there are all kinds of dog trainers out there. and there is lots of middle ground between shock collars and dippy-dogcentric-positive-reinforcement-only.

(i also use doggie daycare as a way for my hyper pup to run off some energy during the day. it's not so good for some anxious dogs, who may have fun but are also super-stressed during the day. so, your mileage may vary.)

[Anonymous]

He may need crate re-training, if that's even possible at this point. He should only be in it when you know he will be good, and learn to view it as a calming sanctuary. Lots of treats when he's calm in there, keep him in only for a few minutes at a time and build up from there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Definitely agree with the poster who said the dog needs mental exercise. kibble ball
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