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Post by pittilove29 on Jan 29, 2011 3:47:22 GMT -5
Okay. Keona is not an APBT, or mix, but I need advice. I've had her since she was 7 weeks old. She got spayed when she was 5 months old. She's 14 months old now and withing the past 3 months has had almost a complete overhaul with her personality. I socialized her like crazy with everybody and everything. I started obedience training her from day 1. We did formal obedience training/socialization classes from 4-8 months old. She earned her CGC certification at 8 months old. She used to be the in-your-face, love everybody dog when it came to other dogs. Now she's still in-your-face, but will get snarky with the other dog if it jumps on her, or tries to smell her butt. She can do those things to that dog, but they cannot do it to her. This isn't a huge problem for me. I just stopped taking her to dog parks. My BIG problem is her behavior at home with us humans. She has always been sound sensitive (barking at things that make sounds she doesn't like), so I worked on desensitizing her as soon as I found this out. About 2 months ago she regressed. I was smacking flies with a newspaper and she kept barking and hopping towards me. I put her in a sit/stay and gave her praise when she kept her position and didn't bark at me. I kept it up for about 15 minutes and she was fine. About 30 minutes later I smacked another fly and she barked and nipped my butt. I'm not huge on discipline, but she got a stern no and sent to lay down for that. I had a few more instances like that over the next few weeks and then she seemed fine with all the annoying noises again...until last night. My daughter was playing her recorder (another thing I thought Keona was desensitized to), Keona was sitting on the bed with me. She lunged at my daughter and grabbed the recorder out of her hands while she was playing it. I hate to admit it, but she got smacked hard on the butt and locked in her crate for that one. At this point I don't know what to do. My daughter plays her recorder in her room with the door closed and I try not to use anything that makes annoying sounds unless I'm doing desensitization training with Keona. I'm starting to think the training is a big waste of time. We've gone to training specifically for this behavior and I thought it really helped, but within the past 3 months the little snot has turned into a rebellious teenager with 24/7 PMS (yes I kinda humanized my dog, but that is the best way I know to describe her behavior). What should I do? Input please!  |
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Post by adoptapitbull on Jan 29, 2011 7:33:43 GMT -5
Maybe someone with younger dogs could answer this better, but isn't that age (or around that age) when the second fear stage happens? She might just be going through a "phase" as all teenagers do. Snorts is almost 2 and he is very sound sensitive, too. He'll bark, growl, hackles up, and dash over to any loud sound. When I tell him, "It's OK, it's just ____" he whines for a sec and then is fine. It's not a terrible thing that she hates loud noises (think of a burglar trying to break in) but the fact that she growled and stole the toy from your little girl makes it a little scary. Maybe treat loud noises as something to reward for if she is calm?
As for the dog behavior thing, that may just be her growing up. Norty was able to be with Mav till about 12 months, then he decided to fight with Mav over almost nothing. He was able to be with Cappy till about 3 months ago, when one play session turned into a fight. Now he cries and growls at the sight of both of them. It doesn't sound like Keona will never be able to be around other dogs, though, maybe she is just going through the growing up phase.
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Post by maryellen on Jan 29, 2011 11:51:36 GMT -5
she looks like an apbt /mix to me. dogs go thru fear stages , and at almost 2 she is maturing, so her personality and genetics are maturing as well.. as far as the dog intolerance, that is normal. she is also in her teen stages, where any training she had she might be having a brain fart. you can get the book Help for your fearful dog by nicole wilde on amazon.com, its a great book that deals with dogs with fear issues of all sorts and walks you thru management training. since she has shown these behaviors since she was little its probably her genetics maturing. you can manage her sound issues but they will never be "fixed".
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Post by pittilove29 on Jan 29, 2011 18:55:37 GMT -5
I've never had these issues with any of my dogs before, so I was at a complete loss as to what it was or how to fix it. I will definitely see if we have that book at one of our libraries, ME. Thanks for the suggestion. I'm not going to get into her mix too much. Her mother did not look APBT at all, but she was a bully breed mix. I was told the father is a Border Collie, but who knows since these same people thought the mother was a purebred APBT. Keona's breed identification thread is here: therealpitbull.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=pix&action=display&thread=6327. I'd rather not call her a Pit Bull mix. I stick with calling her a mutt, or bully mix now. I've already been using reward based/positive training when we come across the annoying sounds. It works while we're doing it and most of the time when we're not doing the training, but it's the times where she just acts like she's never heard the sound and didn't learn that reacting is a no no that scare me. I don't know when she's going to react and I've been on edge for the past few months every time I hear a sound I think she's not going to like. As far as the interacting with other dogs, I can handle that change. It's very easy to read her and to know when she's had enough. I choose to not go to dog parks with her anymore because it just seems like too much for her now. I still take Tonka. He's been going since he was 16 weeks old. Never had any problems and he loves it. Keona can't play with Lady at all anymore. That's the only dog she's ever tried to actually fight with. Thankfully Lady is pretty lazy and non-confrontational, so I usually only have to yell "hey" and grab Keona as Lady runs away. When Lady does want to play Keona goes to her crate and Lady plays with Tonka. Keona cries and whines, but I know if I let her out she's just going to attack Lady, so she can throw a fit all she wants. None of the dogs are left out together when I'm gone, so it's not an issue. I just really hope I can get the sound sensitivity issue under control because it's starting to scare me. |
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Post by maryellen on Jan 29, 2011 19:08:19 GMT -5
i dont think you can find the book at the library, i have only found it online, maybe borders or barnes and noble MIGHT have it.. but i am not sure
as far as the noise sensitivity, that is her makeup and as she is maturing its just showing more and more.. i know bad rap had a dog with sound sensitivity that had to live in the country as the sounds from city life were too much for her a few years ago.
you might be able to manage her sound sensitivity, but you wont be able to fix it, as the sounds she gets used to she might become ok with them, but any new sounds might start her issues all over again.
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Post by pittilove29 on Jan 29, 2011 21:12:16 GMT -5
I understand that, but she's now reacting to sounds she should definitely be used to such as the vacuum, my daughter's recorder, and noisy cars outside. Funny that she doesn't mind fireworks in the least.
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Post by pittilove29 on Jan 29, 2011 21:16:48 GMT -5
I wouldn't mind if it were just barking, but the nipping and snatching things is not okay and it really irks me that I've been working with her on this since she was 3 months old and now a year later she acts even worse. If she ends up biting my daughter I'll have no choice but to get her PTS. That is what scares me.
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Post by loverocksalot on Jan 29, 2011 21:25:17 GMT -5
Rocky became sensitive to sounds at 2 also. He does not bark he trembles uncontrollably. Have been able to desensitize him. He now flinches and hides at some of the sounds he was fearful of but does not tremble. How I did it was calling him out of hiding and giving a treat. Then every time the noise went I gave him a treat and pets letting him know the sound produced good things. It worked well. The sound was hammering pipes when hot water heater broke. He associates this sound with the rear lawn auto sprinklers coming on. Something he would hide from. However when hot water heater was going on the frits this sound hammering every few minutes for days freaked him out. I was quite surprised to see how easily he tolerated it with rewards.
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Post by maryellen on Jan 29, 2011 21:33:11 GMT -5
if that scares you then keep your daughter separated from her .
some dogs noise reactivity can change over time, so if fireworks doesnt bother her now it might later on
how much exercise is she getting? she should be getting enough to tire her out, that will help too
again, you cant fix genetics only manage it, and as a dog matures some of the fear issues with sounds could get worse, and some could get better.. as she is maturing her true personality is also coming out, you had a glimpse of it as a pup with the issues and now that she is maturing you are going to have to do more work to minimize things and be more viligant.
managing a dog with issues is a 24/7 job
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Post by loverocksalot on Jan 29, 2011 21:33:39 GMT -5
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Post by pittilove29 on Jan 29, 2011 23:02:54 GMT -5
Right now my daughter is only around her when I am which is what I do with all dogs anyway. My dogs (Tonka and Keona) go on an hour long walk in the morning and another after dinner. They play with each other all day too. They've never had much for extra energy and are always relaxed, or asleep by 9:30. I'll just keep working with her and hope she gets better rather than worse. Heck, managing a normal dog's obedience training is a 24/7 job.
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Post by maryellen on Jan 30, 2011 10:02:20 GMT -5
one of my dogs didnt like the vaccum, lawnmower, leafblower, weed wacker, she would go nuts and try to attack them when they were on, so when they were used i just removed her from the room. the hour walk twice a day might not be enough for her, i would also add mind games to tire her mind out too.. www.bustercube.com works good, so does tug a jug, 101 things to do with a box, clicker training too.. work her mind as well as her body, make a flirt pole- go to tractor supply or a farm supply store buy a horse lunge whip, attach a stuffie toy on the end (instant flirt pole) and play with just her in the yard with that, that will tire her out good |
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Post by loverocksalot on Jan 30, 2011 15:11:08 GMT -5
Rocky has been around machinery all his life including quads etc last year when I got on the quad he bit at the quad. Did this with the little snow mobile too. Only when I got on it. He enjoys going for rides with my husband and kids but for some reason he seems afraid it will hurt me I think. Now this is new as he has ridden on it and followed me in the past.
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Post by pittilove29 on Feb 18, 2011 16:01:56 GMT -5
We do obedience training for at least 10 minutes a day and the rest of the day when she's not napping she's wrestling around with Tonka. I've decided to put her in pre-agility/ trick training class starting the 3rd. It's also a refresher on basic and advanced obedience and the trainer can help me with the best way to desensitize her sound sensitivity.
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Post by maryellen on Feb 19, 2011 15:24:51 GMT -5
some dogs no matter what you do will have sound sensitivities. you cant fix genetics, only manage them. once she becomes accostomed to the new sounds she might not react, but any other new sounds she never heard might set her off again.
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Post by pittilove29 on Feb 19, 2011 20:31:05 GMT -5
Yes, I'm aware of that, but obviously what I'm doing is not helping since she is still affected by everyday sounds. I've been through training with this lady and I believe she can help me.
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Post by pittilove29 on May 18, 2011 1:35:52 GMT -5
I forgot to update this thread. We went through intermediate obedience and pre-agility training along with some one-on-one help in the morning before class. Keona is now clicker trained and we have much fewer sound sensitivity issues thanks to the extra work we did with "leave it" and working on her focus with distractions around. She hasn't bit or nipped in over a month. I'm very happy with what she's accomplished and am so glad I can better help her deal with her stress.
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Post by bluetrees on May 18, 2011 7:26:51 GMT -5
This is wonderful to hear! I'm glad things are taking a turn for the better!  |
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Post by suziriot on May 18, 2011 9:42:30 GMT -5
Yay for Keona! That's wonderful news!  |
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Post by loverocksalot on May 18, 2011 10:21:25 GMT -5
Can you give me some advice on how you taught her. My moms dog keeps nipping me as she is so happy to see me. She also does it to try to get me to play with her. I have tried many ways including just touching her collar makes her stop for the moment but I think she still thinks I want to play. Sometimes she nips hard. She also is not at all APBT but very smart jrt mix. I think she can get the clicker. But it is almost impossible for me to click treat when she is not jumping and nipping because soon as I come in door she is at it.
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I look forward to learning much here