Help??!!
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| Get his thryoid checked. If they say its border line, insist on the medication. Low thryoid runs in the breed. Mine were acting more and more aggressive, more and more lethargic, not the smiling shepie I know. We had the blood work done and it came back, "borderline". I insisted we try try the meds. The transformation was amazing. He is back to his normal, fun self...We take Soxoline, 1 and one half tabs, twice a day... |
| Oh, also, could he have an ear infection? In rereading your post, you mention pulling the collar...if it was near his ears, maybe he has an ear infection - which can be very painful... |
Ashley wrote: Oh, also, could he have an ear infection? In rereading your post, you mention pulling the collar...if it was near his ears, maybe he has an ear infection - which can be very painful... That is exactly how I knew our Maggie coonhound had one last week. I was walking her and she really yelped when the martingale collar tightened when she pulled. No nipping, but her poor ear  . |
| Good advice to rule out medical issues, and both are possible. Even though he's a mix, if memory serves, he could still be predisposed to hypothyroidism, though 18 mos seems a bit young for that to show up, but not impossible. That said, it's not like this came out of the blue - you noted he has a history of growling So it could just be an escalation. My first OES' behavioral problems didn't really surface till she was 15-16 mos old, though the warning signs were there if I had been paying attention. What you're describing sounds like it could be resource guarding. If memory serves the nothing-in-life-is-free method seems to be the more frequent approach to dealing with it. So if it's not thyroid or an ear infection, the next step would be to make him earn his living around the house. If you do a search on the term, or even NILIF you should be able to find quite a few explanations of the process. Frankly, NILIF isn't a bad approach for improving the manners of any dog. Good luck! Kristine |
In our house human hands on a dogs collar means instant stop for the dog. For years we have had a multiple dog household with at least two large,smart,assertive GSD's as part of the pack. No matter how well trained your animals are there are always times someone with four paws has to be physically stopped,moved or redirected. I totally agree with the Nothing In Life Is Free philosophy. My dogs have always been spoiled rotten,but within certain parameters. No one on the furniture unless invited,no one but humans sleep in the human beds, no one out the door before the two legged, etc,etc. Though my pack now is much more laid back (i'm getting older  ) the rules still apply.My dog trainer does contract work for the DOD Military Working Dog School. Recently he got called in to help with a specific behavioral problem. The young dogs while training in bite work, were biting the handlers when they went to pull the dog off the sleeve. My trainer explained that by grabbing the collar of an untrained dog the handler was causing redirected focus from the sleeve to him. My trainer came back to us and told us he was including collar work in all of his classes(puppy through advanced). As I said, and recently several people on the forum have brought up,there are times you have to physically handle your dog. No one wants to be snapped at or bitten. Here's the training for anyone interested: 1. In a quiet calm spot- slip your hand under the back of your dogs collar-mark/ treat/release 2.Gentle pull backwards on your dogs collar- mark/treat/release 3.Physically move your dog backwards using your hand on the back of the collar-mark/treat/release Do not rush the steps make sure your dog is comfortable with each step before advancing. Continue to practice intermittently till, in any situation, you can physically move your dog around by the collar  . My crew always just looks up at me -where are we going where's my treat. Believe me this training has stopped some dog fights from happening, pills accidently dropped from being eaten by a dog,etc,etc.Now will someone please tell me why a 14lb poodle is running circles around my training  . I know he's too cute and way too smart for me  |
| Okay, here I go again giving my advice... lol It is completely NORMAL for a sheepie to develope an attitude every now and then. Could be weather related but might just be he wanted to do what he wanted to do and you weren't letting him. "Testing the waters" is pretty much the norm for a sheep dog. I think you did a great job disciplining the dog for the bad behavior. The only way this will become a habit is if you allow the dog to get away with the growling and snipping. Sheepdogs like to always be in control. They are Leaders! They will always try to test you at one point or another to see what they can and can't get away with. The key is to not let them get away with it. Just be consistant in correcting bad behavior. Thats all it takes! Good Job! |
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