sweet_ceana Posted March 23, 2010 Report Share Posted March 23, 2010 We have a brand new foster named Rue who is an awesome girl. She is 8 months old, loves people, and is a very clever girl. She is the perfect amount of spunk and fun. Some dogs grovel at your feet for attention, but not Rue. She is confident and knows she is awesome. She is a dog that will be someone's partner. She is incredible, and adorable too. Rue has just one problem. She has no idea how to properly live with other dogs. She is from a single dog household and the folks who had her aquired her when she was **2 weeks** old. I could just smack someone. She has the potential to be one of the most amazing dogs anyone could ask for, but she was dealt a lovely social handicap. The girl has tried to fight every dog in my house except for Sita. (so 3 out the other 4... yes I have two fosters and I would prefer to have one, but when death comes a knocking you just make more room) She even tried to fight crazy Ceana...really brazen. No dog ever messes with Ceana. Every dog that has come in before has immedietly recognized that Ceana isn't quite right and they give her space and respect. Not Rue, she tried to go after my looney but sweet girl first. She doesn't fight outside, only in. She plays very nicely with the other four as long as we are not in the house. She also gets along fantastically with Sita. Sita is an amazing dog communicator who is happy to be at the bottom of the totem pole. So it seems Rue the puppy wants to be Rue the Queen. She will lock in on a dog that isn't even paying attention to her and tense up, stare and growl. We pick her up or get in between the two and then once we get her to calm down she goes into her crate for a mental reset and because she just can't be trusted at that time. Besides NILIF, some tough love (she takes corrections without getting her feelings hurt), and crate seperation when she gets in a mood for conquest do you all have any suggestions on how to help her learn the proper way to co-exist with others? This is a new one in the behavioral world for me, so I thought I would see if anyone has advice or experience that could save us a few set backs. She really is an awesome dog, so I think we should be able to straighten this out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbc1963 Posted March 23, 2010 Report Share Posted March 23, 2010 I don't have much to offer... but obviously good luck. FWIW, however, there is a dog at our dog park who had the "lock in and stare" mentality, which always drove Buddy crazy wanting to take him down. The owner has worked very hard to break the stare-downs, and the dog is doing much better. He'll still focus a bit on us, but he's lost that frightening-and-scary locked stare, which means Buddy doesn't react nearly as much. Good luck! Mary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pammyd Posted March 23, 2010 Report Share Posted March 23, 2010 Mia was exactly the same, except with issues with dogs outside the house too Poor Ben had never been in a fight in his life but had no choice with her, she was to fast to react to any signals even tho he is the most polite boy in the world she just launched on him First I crated her lots, and supervised every interaction between her and Ben. Any sign of anything like a hard eye and she went right back in her crate - no questions, no waiting, right back in I also spent time training them together, giving them a treat at the same time, then Ben slightly first then finaly rewarding her for watching Ben eat his treat also in the park when anyone was giving out treats I asked that they make Mia sit and wait till all the other dogs got their treats then give hers last Lots of walking together so they build up a bond Finish play toghether on a positive note with something nice like treats or a walk or something - before play gets too rough Take it slow slow, the more she practises fighting and rude behaviour then the more she will get good at it. Dont worry about top dog or whatever, you have to decide what is rude and what is polite behaviour, reward polite and time out for rude I wouldnt punish tho - you are wanting her to be happy around other dogs and that involves having her mind calm and happy If you punish you just supress the behaiour you do nothing to fix the frame of mind it does get better In the first month I had Mia there were lots of fights and potential fights, in the last 16 months one scuffle. Also I had a friends dog stay with us in the summer for 3 weeks and by taking it easy and slow I didnt have a single fight - except when my friend dropped his dog off, and thats when I realised I couldnt cope if there were gonna be fights so I had to have zero tolirence Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eclare Posted March 23, 2010 Report Share Posted March 23, 2010 Have you considered tethering her to your body for awhile? Doing so would severely limit her opportunity to fight with the other dogs but still give her more freedom and socialization that being crated all the time (not that you said you were crating her all the time - it sounds like your use of the crate is absolutely appropriate here). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ms.DaisyDuke Posted March 23, 2010 Report Share Posted March 23, 2010 I believe crating her when ever she even thinks about going after another dog would help, walking them together like "pammyd" said, tethering can help too, to keep a better eye on her. My first thought though, was, do you have access any confident/dominant adult dogs that can help show her the ropes? Help her understand she can't be a bully? That might help... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcnewe2 Posted March 23, 2010 Report Share Posted March 23, 2010 It might seem strange but Mick has the lock and load mentallity the only thing that works almost 100% is to ask him to "do" something else. So when he gets that look, I say,"Mick wanna go outside" or "Mick I need you"(his cue that we're going to work sheep) or Mick let's go do "something" What doesn't work is if I say in a correcting tone..."MICK knock it off" the tone just sets him off. He'll be on the other dog before I can reach him to stop it. He's a door troll, what works best (and by no means is fool proof) is to just shut the door in his face. Which seems to make the door not worth trolling. THat one I wouldn't try till you know the dog and what sets her off. I've been harsh, I've removed him from the situation but if I don't disengage his brain he keeps the loaded part right in the front of his brain. So when he comes out of exile he's still loaded for bear! He's a dog that I'd never take to a dog park or to a place where there's going to be socially challenged dogs. It's just to much for me to keep that constant guard up. I never let him see that I'm upset, it's a sure fire way to start up the brawl. Mick is a dog that I got when he was 5 weeks old, and then he suffered from acute TBD's during his formative months, so he seems to be missing something major. THe one good thing I see is that in his old age he's letting things slip by that he'd never have let slip when he was younger. Removing the dog might be safer but STM it isn't teaching the skills she's gonna need for a later date. It's teaching them other options than the brawl that worked for us. We taught it by being on top of things and never letting it get to the fight. So if she was staring at someone, I'd probably shove her back with my leg or body, not my voice or hand unless there's a leash attached, and giving the other dog attention, as her look gets softer, I'd invite her over (not to close to the other dog but "with" the other dog) and offer her the same attention with the other dog right there too. Or ask for other behaviors that disengages the brain. ex. "wanna play ball or what ever turns her on in a good way" Raven was unsocialized when I got her at 10 months. (kenneled with no contact till I got her, dogs or humans). It took years of toting her everywhere and huge dilligance to keep her from starting world war 3 at anytime. You'd never know it now. She looked like Cujo on a leash for years, but I just kept dragging her around and keeping her safe from herself. I'm all for trying to give them skills that are missing so they might have more options to choose from if I'm not right there. For some reason a time out or crate doesn't seem to do that for us. Raven loved it if I locked her away but it did nothing to teach her how to handle things. Making her remove herself did allot. She now has that option, if things get upsetting you'll find her going off to exile (the bedroom) but I don't have to "make" her do it. It's her choice. Good luck, you amaze me at how much you do for needy dogs. You are an angle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweet_ceana Posted March 24, 2010 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2010 The adorable monster is currently asleep at my feet. We have progressed enough that she can relax around everyone else. She is still picking fights, but not every second she is inside. I am actually surprised how calm Poke is being. He is very relaxed around her and ignores her attempts to bait him into fighting. She'll go after him, and he seems to be able to handle her, never biting, and when we break it up he completely drops it and walks away from her while she remains snarley. She got in Ceana's business while playing and she got a quick correction from Ceana. She understood that and hasn't tried to nip and bump her while playing since. Ceana, Poke, and Juniper are playing the invisable dog game with her. If she can't be nice they won't aknowledge her existance. We are still using the crate in situations where we cannot be 100% aware, but after reading all of your posts I am trying to make sure that we keep her out as much as possible. She won't learn if we don't give her the option. She sees her crate as her safe place and after the last attempt to fight she ran right in and laid down. We have to get her straightened out because, well, look at this face!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShoresDog Posted March 24, 2010 Report Share Posted March 24, 2010 We have to get her straightened out because, well, look at this face!!!!!!! That's for sure! She's a knockout! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eclare Posted March 24, 2010 Report Share Posted March 24, 2010 It sounds like she's coming along nicely. Never underestimate the power of dogs to train one another! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LassieLover Posted March 25, 2010 Report Share Posted March 25, 2010 she's adorable!! good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweet_ceana Posted March 27, 2010 Author Report Share Posted March 27, 2010 Good news! We have gone 24 hours without any postering or snarkiness. I just love this dog. She is a quick study, as I expected. She doesn't need treats to learn anything, her motivation is me. -sigh- She learned touch just by me placing my hand to her nose and saying touch once. Then I moved my hand back a bit said it again, and she stuck her nose on my hand. One "Good Girl!" and she's got it. She naturally walks right at your side and is always reading my body language to predict what is coming next. Poke knows me like the back of his paw, so it is kinda fun to play the game where I pause and let her guess what our next move is again. She also is in word aquiring mode. No matter what I have in my hands she wants to know what it is. She waits patiently for me to lower it for her to sniff, I say the word, she sniffs again and then she is content. She enjoyed helping unload the dishwasher today. If anyone is looking for their partner, I may have her here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
in2adventure Posted March 28, 2010 Report Share Posted March 28, 2010 Sounds like an agility prospect to me Good luck! It sounds like you're doing an amazing job Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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