My dog is a grouch

[D'Elle]

First, sorry this is so long.

 

My beautiful female dog, Kit, has been with me now for five years. At the end of this year she will turn 11. She came to me because where she lived she had been repeatedly injured by other dogs and my vet found her a new home with me. I adore her beyond reason and always will. She has always loved my male dog Jester, and deferred to him and they pal around together well. She is fine with the cat; no problems there.

 

About 2 years ago she started getting a little grouchy with the foster dogs who come in and out of the household, and as time has gone by she has gotten more and more so. At first it was as if she were saying to the new foster dog "Now, this is MY home, My person, and don't get uppity". But, no worries, after a week or so she would be playing with the foster. Then it shifted into her seeming to say "Just leave me the heck alone, you don't belong here". But she would come around eventually. And now it is more like "What the %#@& do you think you are doing here, you worthless #$%@ !! &*^%$!" And she doesn't come around to a different point of view.

 

She has been attacked twice by foster dogs, both times after she started the serious threats, cussing and snarls approach to the fosters. I remember my vet telling me her previous owner said she used to start the dogfights, and I utterly disbelieved it then. Now I am not so sure.

 

She even snarls at Jester and my little dog, on occasion, and her language to the foster dogs is extreme.

I had her vet checked when the grouchies first started, and I know that she has some body pain. She is stiff at times, or limps, possibly some arthritis and also, I think, a result of all the injuries she received before she came to be with me, some of which were extensive. My vet prescribed a steriod which I give to her in very small doses, but out of my fear of steriods I do not administer every day.

 

My approach has just been to do my best to calm the waters, get the fosters away from her and try to keep things easygoing. But lately I wake up every morning to the sound of horrendous snarls eminating from Kit's bed (under my bed), and it's not a good way to wake up. Typically I can see the other dogs in the room and none are anywhere near her while she is barking and snarling at them.

 

She doesn't keep it up all day or anything. but it is frequent enough that my peaceable kingdom of a home is no longer so peaceful.

 

It might become peaceful if I stopped fostering because she doesn't seem to growl very much or often at my other two dogs, although the frequency of that is increasing as well. But I would hate to stop fostering, because I feel strongly about helping those dogs. I have fostered for 8 years and it means a lot to me.

 

What are your opinions?

Do I need to stop fostering for Kit's sake?

Should I have her checked out again? (I doubt anything new will be found)

Any suggestions?

She is the sweetest dog I have ever had, and this behavior is hard on all of us including Kit.

Her photo is below.

D'Elle

 

[rushdoggie]

In your shoes, I would stop fostering for now. Shes getting older, she has an intolerance, and she is no longer able to deal with it.

 

Fostering is awesome, and admirable, but your first priority is your own dogs.

[Gideon's girl]

My 11 year old JRT has started doing this. Two years ago when we got Gideon, she was fine. And one year ago, when we got Micah she was a little crabby. She was afraid that wild puppy would bump into her so she started growling if they were rowdy in the area around her. Now, she growls if they walk by or just look in her direction. We've decided no more new dogs until she is gone, she just can't handle the thought of puppy antics anymore. The two BCs know to leave her alone, but a new puppy wouldn't.

[bcnewe2]

Ii would stop fostering for now too. You owe her the peace and quiet that old age deserves.

 

I stopped fostering years ago because Mick could not handle it and was always grumping anyone new that came here. Not only was it not fair to the fosters but also unfair to him.

 

I think some dogs just get grumpy as they age adn some dogs get nicer. Raven hated all things small every puppy that I brought into this house knew her wrath. Now she is a gentle Auntie that lets all new small things love her. Dew is still trying to figure out why she doesn't like Raven, I know it's becuse when I first brought Dew home Raven was awful to her.

 

Sometimes you have to let the old dogs run the house. I just think they deserve it.

 

Good luck and I hope she stays friendly to her pack mates.

[Fargo]

I had to stop fostering for the sanity of Fargo. He was attacked as a juvenile, and now views new dogs as dangerous. Once we work through his problems, I would love to foster again....but on a smaller and more cautious scale. I love this breed, but won't sacrifice my personal dog.

[D'Elle]

Thanks for your replies. I am inclined to believe that you are right and I should not foster while Kit is still with me. It is very hard for me to think of not taking in a foster for the next three or four years. On the other hand, Kit does deserve peace and so do the rest of us here.

 

Arizona border collie rescue is always so badly in need of fosters that for me to quit would be hard for that reason as well. I actually decided to quit fostering a while back, the first time that Kit got injured by a foster dog, but found my resolve weakening and I broke down and took in another one who was in great need, and then another...........I love fostering.

Gonna give it some long hard thought.

D'Elle

[alligande]

Perhaps you can foster selectively my late Brody could be a grouch towards fosters and sometimes there were fosters that could not stay as they just stressed him out. Others he got on with. The rescue always worked with us and understood that not every foster would work, and they also could not stay longer than a month. As he would get nastier as time went on.

[bcnewe2]

How bout fostering seniors that like their space too?