Please help - extremely needy dog

Hello everyone,

Back in August, we rescued a pit bull mix who we believe had escaped from a fighting ring. She had obviously been neglected and was in terrible shape - swollen and nursing (puppies nowhere to be found), mastitis, heartworm, no rabies shots, starving, underweight, etc. We took her in and have slowly nursed her back to health and she is looking great. She is an incredibly sweet dog, very affectionate and loving, incredible around kids and babies, and the most loyal dog I've ever known. She is the antithesis of all those idiots who want to make "vicious" pitbulls extinct.

However, as sweet as she is, the affection thing is beginning to become a nuisance. Now please don't get me wrong, I understand that she has been neglected and affection starved for so long that she is understandably needy. My husband and I have the patience of a saint around her - constantly trying to spoil her, play with her, tickle her, pat her and let her cuddle with us on the couch, etc.

However, simple tasks like bending over to tie my shoelace will result in her pushing her head into the task so that I will pet her. This may sound funny to you, but try laughing when she repeatedly does it, ignores your commands (and when you push her way, she simply moves back into position), and then does it again when you try to read the newspaper. Or try to put a DVD into the player. Or read the mail. Or write a letter. All day, every day.

Worst of all, she will get worse if my wife and I show attention to each other. Pushing her head between us when we hug, often forcing herself between us in bed, etc.

Does anyone have an experience with this? Any practical advice you could provide? It's almost like a vicious circle because the more frustrated we get with her, the more needy she gets. She is an adorable little dog and we love on her as much as possible, but this is getting to be too much and we don't even know where to begin training and correcting something like this.

Thank you for any help you can give.

(By the way, she doesn't have separation anxiety oddly enough. She is quite fine on her own and will run away independently when we take her to the dog park. But when we are alone in the apartment, she HAS to be shown adoration.)

You are rewarding her nudges by pushing her away. ANY contact is a reward to her. You want this to stop? you need to pretend you don't see her approaching, staring at you, etc. Pretend you don't feel her nudges. Do NOT talk to her. Don't look at her. Don't touch her. Ignore her completely.

She nudges because the nudging is 100% effective at getting what she wants: attention. You ignore her, then she does not get the attention. When she realizes her annoying nudging is ineffective, she'll give it up. She'll decide that its not worth her time doing something that isn't getting her what she wants.

Then when she is being quiet and doing something you approve of, say chewing her bone, then you approack her quietly and praise her. She'll then realize that the attention comes when shes doing things you like.

First of all, thank you for rescuing what sounds to be a wonderful and cherished dog. It sounds like he has you wrapped around his finger. I think he's trying to be the alpha around you. I just read Cesar Milan's book and it describes your dog. Like if a dog jumps on you when you get home, it's not that he's happy to see you, he's basically telling you he's the alpha and can jump on you all he wants (personally, I like to think my dog is happy to see me). So every time your dog butts your head when you bend over or when he comes between you & your hubby, it sounds like he is saying "I am the alpha - you will do what I say and when I say it. And I think I will come between you 2 to show you I am the boss."

Have you had obedient lessons with your dog? Maybe that might help show him you're the boss.

Just some thoughts. Good luck.

You might also want to apply NILIF (Nothing in Life is Free). It sounds like a difficult, detailed 6-week training program or whatnot, but it quite simply is asserting yourself as alpha. Everything you say goes. You determine when to eat, what to eat, and where to eat. If your dog wants to eat, she has to sit or down or do some complex trick. It doesn't matter. If she wants to exit the door, she has to sit calmly and wait for your release. A friend of mine takes it even further. She makes her dog Down on a carpet mat and does not release the dog until she finishes preparing her own dinner.

Now to connect it back to your situation - If your dog wants attention, she's not going to get it by physically nudging you. In fact, she's never going to get it at all unless you initiate it. Thereby, the dog should eventually give up and realize that you, as alpha, determine when and where attention can be given.

Also, some dogs are just more velcro-y than others. My own dog was very very velcro-type for the first few months. She still has her velcro moments, but it's not nearly as bad anymore. Essentially, it was NILIF that saved me.

Sorry I can't help you with your problem old mate, I don't know a thing about pit bulls.
What I do know about however is fighting rings, and I think it is really great of you to take this dog in and give it a decent home.
In our street where I used to live in the Blue Mountains in Australia, about 5 dogs went missing from peoples homes, it was found that the stolen dogs were used as bait to enrage fighting dogs ...evidently there was one near to us that we all didn't know about. I moved from that area about a year ago, and rented my house to two policeman...before I left I told the policeman of the matter and about the rumour circulating about this dog fighting ring, enquiries in the neighbourhood were made, and to date no other dogs have been stolen. The dog fighting ring was just probably relocated.
It's just terrible that peoples pets are taken and torn to pieces, just for the amusement and betting needs of some scumbags in our community.
Best of luck with your new pet mate...I hope all goes well for her.

What a great thing you did in her rescue. Sometimes, with rescues we so love, care, and give attention to them we unknowingly encourage the dominent behavior. the HSUS has tips on what to do, basicly the same as what's been posted and incl. nothing in life is free. (I agree with the suggestions the posters give.) This will provide more info.

http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/ou...nant-Dogs.html

You may have a dominance issue with your dog if:

He resists obeying commands that he knows well.
He won't move out of your way when required.
He nudges your hand, takes you're arm in his mouth or insists on being petted or played with (in other words, ordering you to obey him).