Ok, so Niño’s been acting differently/weirdly lately. This is a re type of a really long lost post.
NOTE: to put emotions to the dialogue, I will list them before a person speaks then use a:.
I have been taking Niño around town and tying him up outside of stores for the past three or four years, but I think I will have to stop. Sometimes, Niño does something really weird at oncoming bikers, rollerbladers, etc. He gets really exited, crouches down, then spring up and out barking and then pulls back to me. His bark can be really scary, deep throated and rolling, thunderous, with a sort or “pull-back” inhale that sounds like a growl, but that is his normal bark. I was at Walgreen’s yesterday and Niño was tied out in the front sort of by the door. I was in a horrible mood, and then an employee came walking up to me, here is our discussion to the bet of my memory.
unsure: “Um, is that your dog out there?”
fed up: “Yes, he is my dog.”
Stupidly: “Well, he just tried to attack someone and—“
frustrated at him: “You mean bark, because he doesn’t attack, he barks sometimes, not tied up though, because—”
no emotion: “Well, he just did it for no reason and it sounded like an attack, and—“
REALLY
(no real emotion detectable): “Yeah, they just rode by on a bike [Niño was probably sleeping] and he jumped up and—”
“Ok, ok, ok”
“Well, I just wanted to let you know that if he ever attacks someone again, you could—”
“Go away. Shut up.” (yes, I actually said that)
As I was headed to the checkout to check on him and buy him a blue octopus toy, I heard his bark again, just twice. I ran to the door and no one was there, I showed him the octopus and started to turn to the checkout when a father and his two small girls came up, Niño likes small girls but I thought I’d go out anyway, so I dropped the octopus and walked over to him. He was fine with the girls, but once they were away, the dad leaned a tiny bit over, from about 3 yards away and said in a sweet dog tone, “hi” and Niño barked again, just bark this time.
He loves my stepdad, but I am thinking this could be fear of other men because my uncle got mad at Niño for eating the whiffle balls that I had been playing catch with him with for the past two weeks. We explained they were his, and then my stepdad came out and said they really shouldn’t have been his, shame on me for giving them to him, but my uncle picked them up and let my cousin hit them off of a tee. Niño chased them, but brought them back and my uncle got really mad. This was the exact game I had been playing with poor Niño! )except with a raquetball racket) so my uncle chased him around with a bat!!! He ever bopped him on the but and nose with it until my started screaming at him, (louder than I had been) and took Pobre Niño into my room.
Back to the yesterday, he lunged and barked to a scooterest and a walker WHILE IN MY ARMS!!!! I was crying, something the back of my mind (although I didn’t realize it until now) linked this behaviour to the main reason that my parents gave Layla away. In my opinion, the worst and hardest dog behaviour problem to deal/live with, FEARBITING! Also, at the library, a librarian saw me walking up to Niño and told me she scolded several 10 to12 year old or so boys for teasing him. They told her off for telling them what they can and can’t do, then they told her that they all had dogs, so this behaviour was all of the sudden acceptable.
Does anyone have any idea as to what is causing this behaviour and maybe how to fix it? I might have to use my own saved money that I was saving for the next 3 years for a show dog or horse or travel on a private behaviourest evaluation.
(sorry, that was more than a page in word)
Reply With Quote
OMG.. that must've been so scary for you. I'm really sorry!! To me atleast, it does not sound like Nino is a threat. He's probably suffering from leash/tied-up anxiety... you know, how they say dogs that spend their life tied up become very agressive? Nino being tied up in public places, unable to run away from fearful things and unable to get protection/reassurance from you, is a much smaller version of the aggression of dogs that are *always* tied up. Personally, I would *never* tie my dog up in a public place for any period of time... because, these days, people suck. People are stupid, cruel, and reckless toward animals everywhere.. especially dumb kids 
.
I miss you
Bookmarks