What got into Barkley?
 It pinched a little but didn't break the skin. I let out a loud ouch and he immediately sat down and looked at me like "what did I do." And then I noticed he'd been on my bed--he has not climbed up on my bed before--he had chewed up my laptop power adapter. I left it there--thinking it was safe because he never had offered to climb up on the bed before. Then I noticed he had not eaten anything all day, and had barely touched his water. I changed his water and he began to eat like he was starving. Then I took him outside and he grapped the leash and held it in his mouth. I ran him around the block a couple times--thinking he needed to expend some of his pent up energy. But he was still all wound up. I decided to do the whole "sit for everything" with him to see if I could calm him down. This morning when I woke up he tried to climb in bed with me, and I put him off with a firm no. Then when I got up to take him outside he layed on the floor and rolled over on his back--all gentle and sweet again. This is the third time he's been left alone while I was at work. The first two times he didn't get into anything and seemed excited when I got home, but not out of control. Is he just getting more adjusted to his environment? Any suggestions? |
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| lol. Sounds like he had himself a little adventure! He's just testing you to see what your limits are. The first few days he was on good behavior & now he wants to see what he can get away with. Can you crate him or put him in a room with a gate while you are gone? You need to pick up anything that might be a temptation for him. Keep us posted? |
Wow your pictures of Barkley are completely adorable!! What a fun looking guy! I agree that a crate is a good idea. I have Maggie in one whenever I am gone for an extended period and overnight. If she is not crated, she seems to be at loose ends and unsure of what to do with herself. The result is that she turns random things into confetti. I also put her in there when she is barking too much and it seems to calm her down. She doesn't mind because she has toys and treats in the crate so she goes in willingly. Using the crate means I am comfortable leaving her and she is learning how to moderate her energy level (save it for the doggie park!). I'm looking forward to the day when she can be out unsupervised but I think it will be a very very gradual transition. I hope Barkley calms down. . .  |
| Most of the time like foster children these guys behave wonderfully the first week or more in the household until they feel comfortable. Sometimes you don't see their true personality until months later. Barkley is somewhat like a toddler and in a mischievious/exploring stage.
Sometimes it's not enough to show them what displeases you like the nipping but to also show corrective behavior and then lots of praise. Next time he nips do the yelping and then have a toy handy to place in his mouth, followed with lots of praise. You'll be teaching him hands are off limits but toys to chew are good. You'll also have to train yourself...like a parent of a tot that babyproofs their house. Same thing with a pup...remove all shoes and other items that look like they'd be fun to chew. I forget his age but he's probably teething and in the wild the mother wolf will bring home chewie items for the teething pups to chew on. Your boy might think "Hey look at what mom left on the floor for me to chew!" 
Lastly, if you get a chance obedience training is a must and trust me your life in the longrun will be so much more enjoyable with a well behaved dog. After having many in my household I have come to realize whatever work (no matter how hard) at first will pay you back tenfold in the longrun. Good luck to you! Marianne and the boys |
| Holidays are not usually a good time to get a pet either because routines of normal day to day life are different, hectic, noisy, and just plain stressful in most households, for the pets anyway.
He may be expressing anxiety over the lack of structure to his life just yet. |
I would say ditto for the humans as well--at least this human  |
| LOL... me too....
He does have an "impish" look to him though! LOL |
Marianne wrote: Lastly, if you get a chance obedience training is a must and trust me your life in the longrun will be so much more enjoyable with a well behaved dog. After having many in my household I have come to realize whatever work (no matter how hard) at first will pay you back tenfold in the longrun.
Good luck to you! Marianne and the boys Totally agree, the local petsmart has an obediance class on Thursday evenings. I plan to enroll him as soon as the holidays are all over and things settle back down. I was going to do it more for me, than him--but hopefully we'll both benefit. Since I've never owned a dog before, I know there's tons of stuff I don't know--and though I've read and done a lot of research, and contemplated and prepared--its not the same as actually doing. |
| Barkley is such a cutie!
I totally agree with the crate suggestions - if Barkley is going to be home alone for a few hours, he's going to get in trouble. That's what puppies do. There's not a single person on the forum that doesn't have a story (or stories!)... If you can crate him or confine him you not only safeguard your stuff but more importantly you safeguard Barkley from chewing on something that might hurt him. |
| My Bosley is the same age as your Barley and I was smiling as I read your post. I have a crate set up in my living room and I have only left him unsupervised fro maybe 15 minutes at a time. He is crated otherwise, as he is too curious, still, about how things may taste. He won't chew much, but will hide things like the kid's playstation controlers, under the couch cushions. He has also been finding AA batteries around the area and bringing them to me. And if he doesn't get his playtime at the park I play fetch with him up and down the hallway for 15 minutes or so. Otherwise he gets antsey, and jumpy, and chewy. Training is very good for tiring them out, even simple things, so once you start classes you will have lots of practice to do at home. That will be fun and you will both enjoy it immensely. |
I think I traumatized Barkley. I had Bosley's picture up on my laptop, and turned it sideways so Barkley could see it and he went nuts, growling and barking at the laptop. I finally had to put the laptop away to get him to be quiet. 
I put him in his crate today when I left for work. I'll let you all know how he does. |
| LOL. My mom's Tibetan Terrier used to jump at the TV when she saw or heard dogs in it. |
| Isn't Barkley a rescue or rehome? To me, it sounds like separation anxiety. The destructive behavior, putting his teeth on you, not being able to calm down. Is he on his feet if you start to leave the room? Does he follow you from room to room too? He needs to learn that it's okay for you to be away and that you will return. If you can find ways to deal with in now, you can prevent a lifetime problem. It is very frustrating but it can be dealt with.
Definitely use a crate if possible. It's the ideal and safest method to protect your dog and your home (remember to remove collars before kenneling up). Panda, our "rehome" sheepie we adopted in September, slobbered terribly when she arrived because of stress. If you want to get a chuckle, go to this address and read NEOESR's description and then what follows- http://www.pomeroys.com/EmmaDarby/Page30.htm Panda had a big thing about putting her teeth on us. She was destructive in naughty ways like taking the car starter that hadn't yet been installed off the shelf and chewing it to pieces; taking my purse off the table and chewing it up; pooping/peeing in inappropriate places- should I mention she pooped ON the chaise lounge?; taking papers, boxes, food off the counter; etc. She would do these things if there was any form of barrier between her and us... even simply a closed door if I was in the bathroom. We found she has to be able to see us or she will be destructive. The problem is they can get into dangerous situations with this behavior- poisoning, electrical shock, etc. She was also a counter-surfin' girl but that was easily corrected by using a ScatMat. So Panda is being treated for separation anxiety with behavior modification and medication- Clomipramine- which she will be weaned off eventually. Things have greatly improved. The information I received from the vet says... Ignore your dog for 20-30 minutes before you leave. Make it a low key exit with no elaborate goodbyes. Leave a special (safe) toy or maybe a stuffed Kong before you leave and pick it up immediately when you come home. When you get home, wait until your dog is calm then interact when YOU choose to (do not push him off or even make eye contact with him). Do not scold your dog if anything has happened while you've been gone... he couldn't help himself. You might wish to talk to your vet and/or a trainer for advice... to determine if this is even the cause (shame on my husband but he chuckled when he heard your description because it was soooo familiar). IF Barkley does well being crated, it's a quick fix to the problem. Panda spent 3 weeks at a humane society when she was 5 months old, then her days in a crate at work with her owner (this part is second hand info) but a crate was a source of anxiety for Panda- she would howl forlornly like the sound a loon makes and she wet in her crate- so we use the now puppy-proofed kitchen if we need to leave on an errand. Things are going well. Good luck to you both. Please keep us posted on how he does. |
| Absolutely--I can't go anywhere without him right there. I've joked with people that I should have named him shadow. He doesn't seem to mind his crate too much, except if I crate him while I'm in the same room. He stayed in his crate at night while we visited my Mom and he was fine. I confine him in my bedroom while I'm at work because I've removed most everything in there he can get into. I left the stuff on the bed because I honestly didn't think he could get up there. It's pretty high. Today I crated him before I left though. I thought I'd see if he does any better in the crate. I hid some treats in there for him, and some Kongs to keep him occupied and turned on the stereo to a soft jazz station. Barkley has never had much human interaction. He was kept outside in a barn and allowed to run free. His brother was killed herding a car. The man who owned him had a wife who was in a severe car accident and had to use a walker after the accident, so he couldn't have him indoors. I know he has a lot of adjustments to make. It's an entirely different kind of life. While he was at my Mom's I got one of those tie out runs and put it in her yard to give him something to do. He seemed to really enjoy it. I thought great, I'll bring this home and use it at my house. I tried it on Monday since I was off work, but when I put him on it he just sat in one spot right outside the back door. I'm going to try him with it again this weekend, and see how it goes. |
| Being close to you is perfectly normal behavior. Sheepdogs were bred to work with their people, and to look to them for direction (not that they ever listen), so to make him more comfortabel away from you is going against thier breeding, so will take some time. You want to encourage him to realize that he is safe by himself, and that he doesn't need to be glued to you. That needs to come from him on his own time, not pushed on him. By remaining relaxed, and nonchalant, not really exciting, he will get his cues from you and gain confidence in himself. Take your time, it will come. You can help him by giving him things to do that will keep him entertained when you are not there. What he does not need right now is to be alienated and abandoned, when he is just starting the bonding. Usually I don't put much weight on a vet's advice on behavioral issues, but 6girls's vet gave some great tips. |
| I don't really mind that he follows me wherever I go (well except when he tries to get in the tub with me, or lick me clean while I'm bathing). And he's really not that destructive--just chewy. His worst problems are chewing on me, and jumping up on me when I come home. I'm only 4 ft 11 so when he puts both paws on my shoulders he's taller than I am! I make it a point not to make a big deal out of leaving him. I just say "see ya" and walk out the door. I read somewhere today though, that I should practice going in and out of the door with him several times until he greets me in a calm way and then reward him. I think I may try that this weekend too. We are both new to this, so I think we both have a learning curve to master. I'm going to try him on his dog run again this weekend. I have a tons of leaves to rake and I'm hoping with me outside with him he'll feel more free to do "doggy things" and investigate the backyard a little more. |
| I agree with 6Girls that this is probably more of a separation issue. Especially since Barkley's getting used to your routine and knowing that once you leave that house you are no longer with him. You may want to pick up the book "Dog Listener" by Jan Fennell which you can actually buy thru the forum and earn a couple of pennies for Ron The Dog Listener: Learn How to Communicate with Your Dog for Willing Cooperation, by Jan Fennell. The Dog Listener answers a lot of questions about dog behavior. One of the best things I learned through the book, which helps me not getting jumped on when I return home, is as follows: When you come home do not greet Barkley at all. No words, touching or eye contact. He will probably be going bonkers around you. Let him, but still no contact - completely ignore and go about your business. Once he finally lays down (this might take a while at first) count to 5 minutes, still ignoring him. Once the 5 minutes are over you can call him and give him lots of love. As time goes on he will learn to settle down quickly and gradually become less anxious. Using this technique along with 6Girls recommendation about not making a fuss when you leave will help a lot. Just be consistent with your training not to give mixed signals. Good luck. |
Quote: I don't really mind that he follows me wherever I go (well except when he tries to get in the tub with me, or lick me clean while I'm bathing) Oh dear! I work at home so I don't mind the following from room to room either. It's nice to be needed. But it did make me sad for Panda because it is stressful if we are out of her sight. When I have to leave for an hour, I don't want to feel guilty or worry thinking I need to rush home (I did feel this way!). Even with Kaytee, our mostly blind pup, I wanted to instill confidence and independence so it was unknown territory for me in how to help Panda adjust.Quote: What he does not need right now is to be alienated and abandoned, when he is just starting the bonding. As Bosley's Mom said, he needs to learn he's safe and secure with you. With any rescue or rehome, you both will build trust each other and this will come with time. It's all new to him and he's learning your routine. It's funny... Panda sleeps in the bedroom with 3 of the other girls. She gets up at about 2:30am each morning and goes over to kiss my husband on the face. He tells her to go lie down and she goes back to sleep. It's like she just wants to make sure we're really still there. Quote: ...the book "Dog Listener" by Jan Fennell
I have GOT to pick up that book. I've got it in my shopping cart with BN but just haven't taken time to BUY it! Wishing you the best! |
| quote="6Girls"] Quote: When I have to leave for an hour, I don't want to feel guilty or worry thinking I need to rush home
I definately feel guilty and worry--I was thinking about setting up a web cam so I could keep an eye on him while I'm gone--how crazy is that? |
| Nah not crazy, just "Sheepie Addiction". I'm hopeless too, hate any time away from them. |
| Ok I hope I'm doing the right things. Barkley was worse than ever tonight. This is the 2nd day he's been in the crate and the 2nd day he's peed in the crate. He didn't do this when he stayed in it at my moms. And he hasn't had any accidents when he's been confined to my bedroom outside of the crate. I decided on Tuesday I'm going to take the big fluffy pillow thing out of it.
Tonight he started jumping up on me, like he does when I come home so instead of trying to walk away or push him off I grabbed his front paws and held them at arms length. This prevented him from jumping, as he was just sort of suspended there. I held him there for a few min, and then put him down and walked away. He seemed a little shocked, and he definately didn't like it. He tried it again, and I did the same thing. Then he tried once more, with a little more tentatively and I did it again. Then he just sat down and looked at me and cocked his head to one side to the other. He started to chew my hands but I had sprayed them down really good with bitter apple. I also put it on my pants legs. He did not like that. So he didn't chew. I gave him a really vigourous scratch. Then he went to lay down. |
| Deograine, sounds good to me what you did, you are showing him that you are the Alpha of the family and looks like it paid off with him going to lay down. He is still only a youngster and will challenge his boundries as he matures, but personally I think you did well in letting him know what is appropriate and what is not. Well done. |
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