Dog issues

[Idaho]

It's not easy, but there's no way in hel I'm giving one of them up. My sister-in-law once said, "Why don't you give one up?" She has two kids. I said, "Why don't you give one of yours up?"

I usually try not to insult people on this board -- but I'll bend the rule for this comment

You, sir, are an idiot.

 

[terrier]

My golden retriever strongly dislikes other dogs, but when any of my three cats drink out of his water dish, he just obediently waits his turn. Maybe it's because when he was about six months old, he chased my oldest cat up into a chair, and the cat landed a right on his dome on which you could hear the impact. And he's not exactly the Colton Orr of the kitty world, either - one of my younger cats swats him in the ass from behind regularly and gets away with it.
That said, I regret not having socialized my dog better with other dogs as a pup.

 

[pallister]

It's not easy, but there's no way in hel I'm giving one of them up. My sister-in-law once said, "Why don't you give one up?" She has two kids. I said, "Why don't you give one of yours up?"

I usually try not to insult people on this board -- but I'll bend the rule for this comment

You, sir, are an idiot.

Oh, I'm sorry, did I offend SportsJournalists.com's No. 1 parent? I should have remembered that having kids makes you a better person. Forgive me.

 

[pallister]

As to my entire original post, not just the part you took out of context, Idaho: At the time my dogs started having trouble with each other, the suggestion that I simply "get rid of one" was absurd, so I responded to that with absurdity of my own. Yes, dogs are not humans, but if you have a pet or pets you're attached to, you do whatever you can to keep from having to get rid of it/them. Obviously, if it comes to a point where the conflict is life-threatening (to another pet or a human), certain steps have to be taken. But if a little separation/crating, whatever will solve the problem, then that's what I'd do. In fact that's what I've done.

 

[Ace]

Jesus, just feed the lab separately. No need to get rid of the dog if that's the only issue. I have two dogs who absolutely hate each other. They've been separated for more than five years. I feed them separately, walk them separately and rarely let them in the same room at the same time. It's not easy, but there's no way in hel I'm giving one of them up. My sister-in-law once said, "Why don't you give one up?" She has two kids. I said, "Why don't you give one of yours up?"

Pal,

You must realize that the way your bickering hounds have you running in circles is amusing.

 

[outofplace]

Seems like a lot of good suggestions. Have you talked to your dog's veterinarian about the problem yet? It could be a medical problem leading to bad behavior. They also might have a good suggestion or two even if nothing is physically wrong with your dog.

The shock collar is a good idea, too, but you'd have to be sure you are there to hit the button in time to save the other dog.

Keep looking for a new home for your dog. It takes time, especially if you are going to make sure to find a good home. My wife and I had to find a new home for our two cats a while back and it took months. We were past frustrated and had no idea what to do when a friend of my wife's found somebody to take them in. We get reports on them once in a while and they're doing great. It sucks that they're gone, but it helps to know they have a good home.

 

[rallen13]

outofplace,
You and I may disagree on the "moon walk" issue, but you are right on with your comments on this one.

One suggestion to dog428. If the animal is pedigreed, you will have a much better chance if you go through the registering organization (AKC, etc.), either at finding a solution to the aggressiveness or a new home.

 

[fmrsped]

pallister. ... I remember you being not a douchebag on here. ... is everything OK lately?

And this is coming from a dog-lover.

 

[Idaho]

Pallister,

The 'context' you created was that your dogs were the equivelent of your sister's kids. That's what you said.

I know you're speaking a little toungue in cheek with that comment, but for anyone to say their dogs are the same as children is, IMO, idiotic.

 

[Ace]

Pallister,

The 'context' you created was that your dogs were the equivelent of your sister's kids. That's what you said.

I know you're speaking a little toungue in cheek with that comment, but for anyone to say their dogs are the same as children is, IMO, idiotic.

I'm with Idaho. It's no comparison.

My dogs are much better behaved.

 

[dog428]

Seems like a lot of good suggestions. Have you talked to your dog's veterinarian about the problem yet? It could be a medical problem leading to bad behavior. They also might have a good suggestion or two even if nothing is physically wrong with your dog.

The shock collar is a good idea, too, but you'd have to be sure you are there to hit the button in time to save the other dog.

Keep looking for a new home for your dog. It takes time, especially if you are going to make sure to find a good home. My wife and I had to find a new home for our two cats a while back and it took months. We were past frustrated and had no idea what to do when a friend of my wife's found somebody to take them in. We get reports on them once in a while and they're doing great. It sucks that they're gone, but it helps to know they have a good home.

Fortunately, my wife's uncle is our vet. She has no medical condition that he can find. He was the one who suggested we find a new home for our dog. Basically, he said that no matter what we do there will always be a chance that she will attack one of the other dogs over food. He's trying to help us find a good home for her.

I think what the vet says also applies to the shock collar idea. It's not a matter of the dog not knowing that it's doing something wrong. Trust me, she knows full well.

 

[Rough Mix]

This behavior won't stop with a shock collar. You could hire a trainer, there are some who specilaize in aggresive behavior.

Even if it's hard you need to do what is best for both dogs, even if that means giving one up. Hope it works out.

 

[Firstime Caller]

You seem like a good owner. Just want to follow-up on what Rough Mix posted.

We have a dog that's not so friendly with other dogs, especially when food is involved. I was working with a rescue organization and mentioned that to a person working there. She said that, in her opinion/philosophy on dogs, that's something that can be worked on with training. It's just a matter of dominance over the dog and teaching the dog that behavior like that is simply not acceptable. Sort of like the Dog Whisperer guy always says, "be a calm, assertive leader." In fact, I just caught on TV about a week ago some sort of Dog Whisperer marathon where the guy was working with dogs that didn't get along with other dogs and he was getting them to socialize together better. I don't remember if any of the dogs involved had food issues though. As for my dog, we were working on being better, more dominant pack leaders. Before we got to the point of testing her with other dogs though, we moved and haven't found another trainer to work with in our new city yet. But, you might want to see if you can find a Dog Whisperer trainer to work with before giving the dog up. I'm not talking about someone who does obedience classes to teach the dog to sit, stay, etc. but someone who works with dogs with behavior/socialization problems.

 

[Lugnuts]

Fortunately, labs are highly sought-after, so maybe there's a good chance for finding her a good home. I think you're doing the right thing. My heart goes out to you.

 

[sportschick]

I know you don't want to give your dog to a shelter, but if case it comes to that there's one thing you should be aware of. Most shelters (except maybe the no-kill kind) will euthanize a dog with food aggression because they can't be placed in homes with dogs, with children or with planned children. It takes such a long time to train a dog to not be food aggressive that shelters can't justify it.

 

[AreaMan]

You might want to give this guy a call

 

[dog428]

I know you don't want to give your dog to a shelter, but if case it comes to that there's one thing you should be aware of. Most shelters (except maybe the no-kill kind) will euthanize a dog with food aggression because they can't be placed in homes with dogs, with children or with planned children. It takes such a long time to train a dog to not be food aggressive that shelters can't justify it.

The shelter -- any kind of shelter -- isn't an option. The only way I'll give her up is if I know where she's going and that she'll be OK.

And that trainer idea is one expensive option. We've gone through behavior-specific training classes, but she wasn't exactly a star pupil.

At this point, I've pretty much decided that I'm going to give her up. I think that's the best thing. Right now, so that we feel comfortable, we're keeping her isolated from the other dogs a good bit, which also means she's isolated from us a good bit. I don't see that changing. Not after what just happened. And that's not good for her. She'd be far better off in a situation where she was the only dog in a house and could get the attention she deserves.