What can I do to stop this?!!

**carrie** · 08-22-2001, 07:03 PM

Yorkster, you are right, you got lucky with finding the right people to take your dog on. But how fantastic that you tried so hard for the dog! A great many people would have solved the problem with a trip to the vet. Great respect for being so honest and for doing the best for the dog.

**yorkster** · 08-22-2001, 09:51 PM

Thank-you Carrie! I hope other people will take it seriously when considering their own dog. I am lucky now because I have a great dog (it's been a month now). This is the first dog since that experience several years ago. She is a Black Lab/Border Collie mix, and is most interested in playing ball and fetch. However, she does start obedience training this weekend. Actually I should say that it is ME that needs it since I tend to be too easy on her. I really need the incentive to be the 'pack leader'. Now maybe she won't want to chase my cats so much! What kind of dog do you have?

**carrie** · 08-23-2001, 06:56 AM

I have a Golden Retriever called Paddy at the moment. He was a rescue and in a terrible state when we got him 6 years ago. I love him dearly but he is not the brightest light on the tree, if you know what I mean.
I have trained Greyhounds and Guide Dogs and worked in Germany, often with a translator as my German is a non happening event, helping people with "problem dogs".

**Stenograsaurus** · 08-23-2001, 08:42 AM

Souraya,
I'm sorry but I have to agree with the people on this board. I know it's hard to accept that we have problem dogs.
Not too long ago, I was in the same shoes you're in. I had a Rotty who was so friendly for the first five years of his life. He greeted everybody with a kiss and a lick and the butt shake thing. Then he slowly turned. It was so slow I didn't even see it happening. Somehow our alpha roles reversed. When I got close to him at times he would growl at me. I'd just shrug it off and say, oh, stop that. But I would leave him alone so he got his way. People would tell me to watch out for him but I'd come back with he's not mean, he's just a little protective. He knows he has it good here and he doesn't want anything to happen to us. As long as you don't come in our house unannounced, you'll be fine. He's only protecting our house. Until that day he got loose, went out of our yard and attacked a neighbor. It was winter and she had a coat on so he just tore the coat up but if it was summer, he would have got her shoulder. We have children on both sides of us so we decided to put him down because we didn't want to risk putting anybody else through what that lady went through. I will never forget the horror on her face. I would have not have been able to live with myself if I had found another home for him and he did it to somebody else. Looking back I see that things started to change when he was around five but I was in denial. He was eight years, nine months old when he died. I miss him terribly but I know I did the responsible thing. I'm sorry to say that your dog is showing some of the signs that my dog did. Please, get help now before it's too late. I wish I would have opened up and listened to the people who were trying to help me. I would hate to see anyone be put in the position that I was in.

[ August 23, 2001: Message edited by: Stenograsaurus ]

**Dixieland Dancer** · 08-23-2001, 09:01 AM

When you say he only growls when you pet another dog, what I hear is I'm the alpha and there is no room for anyone but me. This is unacceptable behavior. If you want to pet another dog you should be able to. The fact that you can't should tell you your dog is in need of training help. It is the don't pet another dog today but it may be stay away from children or I don't want visitors at my house or some other attitude later if you don't get it under control now. The fact that you have a mix of two naturally more dominant breeds also is more cause for concern. This mix is going to require a strong alpha human to let the dog know who the pack leader is and what will be tolerated.

Again... Best of Luck

I'm sure you love him dearly and only want what is best for him

**jackiesdaisy1935** · 08-23-2001, 09:44 AM

Souraya, we have almost that same problem only in a small dog although big for a Schnauzer about 27 pounds. Perry was very docile when we got him, he is three now and he has decided he will be Alpha. He won't let anyone except people he knows in our house, will not get along with other dogs and plays pretty rough with Daisy. We have always played lovey dovey with our dogs of course because we love them so much and looked the other way at his aggressivness.
In talking to Carrie, we understand our mistakes. He wouldn't let me put on my shoes because that meant I was leaving, I now have him sit while I put my shoes on and he does well, it took repetition for it to work.
He used to pick up a toy, jump on the couch and growl and shake the toy at the kids goig to school, now we make him get down and tell him no and he is doing better. Thanks to Carrie, now she is going to have to work with us in what we do about him being aggressive with other dogs. In the meantime we are working on the other things. My point is it is very hard to see the faults in our dogs because they are so loving to us and we just want to spoil them, but as Carrie says in the long run we better be the Alpha so the dogs show respect to avoid these kind of problems.
Jackie

**DoggiesAreTheBest** · 08-23-2001, 10:07 AM

First of all, thank you for your posts, everyone.
I think I am being stubborn and thick-heaeded because I am so attached to Drake and know that he will not hurt anyone. He is very social and has been since we had him when he was 4 months old. My husband and I are very active and play several team sports and take Drake with us. He has learned to play with people and other dogs very well. He loves children and is very patient with them; he is fine with them getting on his back, pulling his tail and ears, you know things that kids do.
He does not get his all the time. He comes when he is told to and does everything we ask him to. He is just jealous of us petting other dogs.
My mother had a Dobberman Pinscher and she said that Ozzy didn't like her petting other dogs. She said that after she was 2, she was alot better and mom was able to rescue Roxy, another Dobberman. Ozzy was fine having a sister. He was just not ready.
Drake has had obedience training. We went when he was a puppy. I honestly think that he will be OK and outgrow this. You think I am in denial.

**jackiesdaisy1935** · 08-23-2001, 11:45 AM

Souraya, I really don't think you are in denial, I think you love your pup and in the long run you know better than anyone else how he will react. He sounds like he is much better socialized than Perry is, that was our big mistake, we are homebodies and he never was exposed to other people very much. I think we all understand our dogs pretty well, after all we live with them. You do whatever you think is the best for all of you. We always had dogs who were pretty much layed back so these Schnauzers were a challenge. The other dogs we had were a Bassett, Spaniel, and Doxies, so you can see the difference. Your dog is so beautiful, I had never seen a wolf mix before.
Jackie

**DoggiesAreTheBest** · 08-23-2001, 12:36 PM

I just made an appoinment to see a trainer with Drake. Wish us luck!

**Dixieland Dancer** · 08-23-2001, 01:13 PM

Best of Luck

Let us know how it goes

**carrie** · 08-23-2001, 02:38 PM

Well done and good luck!!
Be aware that some trainers do not take on wolf mixes though - if this is the case then don't give up!
Good on ya and let us know how you get on!

**mruffruff** · 08-23-2001, 02:58 PM

If you can't find a way to limit your dog to the kitchen, maybe you could get a doggy door installed. I have four dogs and I couldn't live without one. As long as the yard is enclosed safely, it would be the best solution. If you rent, you might be able to replace the door with something relatively inexpensive so you can take it with you when you move. If you own, it's a worthwhile investment.

A door for a dog the size of yours will cost about 90 bucks. Unless you have an unusual door, you should be able to put it in yourself in about an hour---or if you're as klutzy as I am, two hours.

**jackiesdaisy1935** · 08-23-2001, 03:15 PM

Good luck Souraya, what a wonderful person you are to do everything you can to help your pup. Please let us know how you both are doing.
Jackie

**DoggiesAreTheBest** · 08-23-2001, 03:26 PM

It was tough finding a trainer in town that would help me with a wolf mix. So, I called the trainer who did Drake's obedience classes and he said that they had a trainer that had experience with wolf mixes. It is an hour away and that specific trainer can only work with us on Tuesdays at 4. So, I have made arrangements to work leave work at 2:30 on Tuesdays.
I hope this will help Drake.

**jackiesdaisy1935** · 08-23-2001, 04:12 PM

Well, I can sure see how much you love Drake to do that, I think it's wonderful that you will go to that length to help him. He is one lucky pup and it sounds like you are one lucky Mom.
Jackie