She's turning into Charlie

[k9krazee]

You have to realize that dogs don't come one way and are like that forever..they need constant training. She may have been calm/less dominate in the beginning but she's now learned what she can and can't get away with. I know that she's only your second dog (right?) so I would HIGHLY suggest taking some obedience classes. Not only will it help her but it'll help you learn how to be a pack leader.

Eating poop is very easily taken care of..pick it up as soon as she goes...or prevent her from doing it. There are also a product out there that you can buy (can't think of the name right now) but you put it in her food so she'll be less likely to eat the excrement.

As for the food, I take it your free feeding her? What I would do is give her a small portion in the morning, set it down, wait 5-10 minutes and pick it back up. Do the same thing at night. A normal dog will not starve itself, she will quickly learn the routine and eat when the food is put down.

[Jessika]

It sounds like she is finally settling in to your family, household, and routine, and her "true" colors are coming out. Don't worry, just work with her, DO NOT SLACK and don't let even the little things slide. It'll work out. You wouldn't have an Aussie if she was good ALL the time...

[ashleycat]

She's PART aussie lol..

[lv4dogs]

I suggest you enroll her into a reputable obedience class, I am sure you will both learn a lot and it will help your bond as well. Sorry to hear she's starting to become less desireable but with some training, practice & patience I'm sure she'll be a great companion. Good luck!

[Giselle]

I agree with lv4dogs. Obedience training is a must! I was disappointed to read this:

I haven't been doing the nilf, because she is well behaved.

NILIF is a series of very simple tasks. It's not like a 6-week obedience program. It's very simple and very doable. For example, you say she woke you up on your bed. I'm going to assume that she's allowed to sleep with you. Don't let her do this anymore. A crate will be a better option. As well, you say she'll hold out on her kibble until your daughter feeds her tidbits. Don't allow your daughter to do this!! Runner will *always* hold out on her kibble because she knows that your daughter will eventually feed her yummier foods. Instead, feed Runner in a different room or different time and ask her to "Sit" before each meal. There, NILIF is initiated!

I'm going to take a leap of faith and guess that you treat Runner pretty much the same way you treated Charlie. If so, are there any things you can modify to create desirable behavior? For example, you say that both Charlie and Runner are beginning to eat their feces. While the exact cause is not known, most people believe that dogs eat their feces because their diet is deficient of certain nutrients. My dog, Lucky, also used to eat feces when he was a puppy. He was on so-so food that contained lots of corn and by-products. After several food switches, we found a kibble that completely agreed with him. He does not even touch poo anymore.

My point: Change Runner's food and see what happens.

I wish you the best of luck!