Post by tank on May 19, 2010 19:11:06 GMT -5
Okay so I am about to talk about something I am still really sensitive about and haven't discussed with many people outside of my tight circle of friends/coworkers.
When I brought Gauge and Lucy over to my new place to spend the day/night to see how things would work with all the dogs something tragic happened. Gauge killed a goat. All 3 of the pit bulls were so excited to see each other and were doing laps around the whole property having a grand olde time. I guess the goats weren't properly fenced in like I had thought and they all boled down to the barn. Lucy and Danger turned around and Gauge stayed there. I called him and ran towards the barn but it was too late. He grabbed a very young baby who was trapped against the side of the barn by the neck and broke it. There were no puncture wounds, nothing and he didn't hold on to it or try to do anything to it. I will never know if he was trying to play or if he was actually seeing her as prey because I didn't actually see it happen.
I grabbed him by the collar and walked him back into the house immediatly and sat in the house with all 4 dogs while my new roommates buried the baby goat. I was extremely stressed and crying but didn't once yell at Gauge or push any negativity towards him. I was too upest about feeling responsible for the death of an innocent animal because of my neglegence.
Anyway, that was more than a week ago. Ever since then Gauge has been acting strange. He hasn't been acting more aggressive towards anything or anybody but he has been really uneasy. He is normally the type of dog that will only get up and bark if someone is actually at the door. We are still at the old house btw. Lucy is more paranoid and will bark is she hears someone walk by the house etc. But lately he has been jumping up out of absolutely nowhere and barking like someone is trying to break in the house. Pacing around very uneasily etc. Last night he did it 2 times during a dead sleep he woke up freaking out and pacing in the bedroom (the door was closed.)
This is really out of character for him. He's got a lot of energy and he has a hard time controling his impulses but he usually sleeps through the night and has no problems with anyone who comes to the house. He will bark a couple of times and instantly turn to wiggle butt when he sees the person. He still does the same thing to actual people now too. It is only when he suddenly thinks someone is coming into the house that he has his freak outs.
Now, I don't know if these things are related but ever since the goat incedent he has been very restless even on the days that he has had extra excersise. I am really starting to worry about other things changing about him as well. As I have mentioned here before my fiance and I are breaking up and I am moving out to a new house. Lucy will be coming with me full time and because of the incedent Gauge will stay with my ex and I will be picking him up pretty much everyday and bringing him to work with me. So we will have joint custody of him, only he wo't be spending much time at my new house at least until we build a stirdy fenced in area for both the dogs and the goats.
What do you guys think. I had a friend tell me it seems like he has post tramatic stress syndrome. I am just scared that this behavior will continue or worsen. Is there anything I can do for him to ease his mind, if that's what he needs?
When I brought Gauge and Lucy over to my new place to spend the day/night to see how things would work with all the dogs something tragic happened. Gauge killed a goat. All 3 of the pit bulls were so excited to see each other and were doing laps around the whole property having a grand olde time. I guess the goats weren't properly fenced in like I had thought and they all boled down to the barn. Lucy and Danger turned around and Gauge stayed there. I called him and ran towards the barn but it was too late. He grabbed a very young baby who was trapped against the side of the barn by the neck and broke it. There were no puncture wounds, nothing and he didn't hold on to it or try to do anything to it. I will never know if he was trying to play or if he was actually seeing her as prey because I didn't actually see it happen.
I grabbed him by the collar and walked him back into the house immediatly and sat in the house with all 4 dogs while my new roommates buried the baby goat. I was extremely stressed and crying but didn't once yell at Gauge or push any negativity towards him. I was too upest about feeling responsible for the death of an innocent animal because of my neglegence.
Anyway, that was more than a week ago. Ever since then Gauge has been acting strange. He hasn't been acting more aggressive towards anything or anybody but he has been really uneasy. He is normally the type of dog that will only get up and bark if someone is actually at the door. We are still at the old house btw. Lucy is more paranoid and will bark is she hears someone walk by the house etc. But lately he has been jumping up out of absolutely nowhere and barking like someone is trying to break in the house. Pacing around very uneasily etc. Last night he did it 2 times during a dead sleep he woke up freaking out and pacing in the bedroom (the door was closed.)
This is really out of character for him. He's got a lot of energy and he has a hard time controling his impulses but he usually sleeps through the night and has no problems with anyone who comes to the house. He will bark a couple of times and instantly turn to wiggle butt when he sees the person. He still does the same thing to actual people now too. It is only when he suddenly thinks someone is coming into the house that he has his freak outs.
Now, I don't know if these things are related but ever since the goat incedent he has been very restless even on the days that he has had extra excersise. I am really starting to worry about other things changing about him as well. As I have mentioned here before my fiance and I are breaking up and I am moving out to a new house. Lucy will be coming with me full time and because of the incedent Gauge will stay with my ex and I will be picking him up pretty much everyday and bringing him to work with me. So we will have joint custody of him, only he wo't be spending much time at my new house at least until we build a stirdy fenced in area for both the dogs and the goats.
What do you guys think. I had a friend tell me it seems like he has post tramatic stress syndrome. I am just scared that this behavior will continue or worsen. Is there anything I can do for him to ease his mind, if that's what he needs?
