Me or the dog - Page 2

[greenmagick]

Originally Posted by SunshineJ

Part of the problem does sound like an alpha issue. Have you tried pinning the dog on his back? (Not in a hurtful or violent way of course!!) Both times I was pregnant our wonderful dog changed on us some and tried to become very dominant of me and stopped listening, and each time that's all it took for the pecking order to be re-established. Your DH NEEDS to get on board and actively involved in finding a solution to this and you should not be expected to handle this alone.

First....no no no to alpha rolls, especially in this situation.

It really sounds like to me that this dog just has no boundaries and doesnt know the house rules. He needs some manners for sure, but that is done through training.

[gingerstar]

Originally Posted by Conifer

I use one of those pincher collars on him right now, but he still pulls with enough force to leave red cuts and bruises on my wrist. I am going to buy one of those gentle leaders today and see how it works It's been worrying me that the dog pulls so hard even with the pincher collar. I'm afraid that we are going to cause damage to his throat so the gentle leader might be a great option for us. When the dog is walked he becomes amazingly easier to control once at home. It stops barking and growling at people, stops wrestling. I really think that finding a good way to walk him regularly would be a huge leap in the right direction. Also, if I could take more control over his walk, maybe he will be more responsive to me.

Could you find someone to walk him for you? If not your DH, perhaps a paid dog walker?

Also, a pinch collar works best up high on the neck, behind the ears, and correct him with it, don't just let him strain against it.
Try using two leashes (a short one and a longer one work well) and hold them tightly at your waist - the short one on the side he is walking on - and use your body weight, not your arms, to keep him at your side. Don't let him lead you (drag you) down the street - he needs to know that you are leading the walk, so to speak.

Good luck, mama.

[Tjej]

This won't work for winter, but in the summer biking a busy dog helps a LOT. It's a faster way to get more exercise done. You can buy a "running guard" for your bike (we have one), or just today I improvised attaching my dog to our other bike just using a short connecting lead (hooks on both ends) connected to a bar that protects the gears. When the dog is attached to the frame of the bike the pulling does not knock your balance off - if you hold a leash and bike it sure does (BTDT ). I think W's are one of the liveliest breeds around, so you have your work cut out for you. We have a halti collar - if you haven't used it yet, my advice is - make sure it is on tight enough (quite tight), so that if your dog doesn't like it they can't pull it off their face. If they can do it the first time you try it they will keep trying to pull it off... Also, they get used to it if they don't like it. Just do short walks at first if it is an issue, and as time goes it'll be a non-issue.

There are toys that can keep them busy - a stuffed kong, a buster cube... they take mental work and that can help wear them out too.

I found that having a pack and play was very helpful when my DD was small - somewhere she could lay and be safe from the dogs.

Tjej

[rhubarbarin]

You are absolutely right about the exercise, and I think your husband should be doing his part with that. Weimeraners need a ton! My friend has two.. luckily he is a marathon runner and the dogs go with him, 5-10 miles per day.

ETA: Oh, I forgot. I just wanted to say I support you rehoming this dog. He sounds like a nice boy - but he's out-of-control and seriously stressing you. It's great that you are going to try to work with him, but if it doesn't work out (I don't think it will unless your husband pitches in and starts exercising him) I'm sure you will do your best to find him a good place with good people. A young purebred Weim, even a slightly brain-damaged one, would probably be in demand. Breed rescue would take him, you could even keep him in your home but have them list him and screen prospective families.

For me, while I love my pets - they are not people (I do not consider them my 'kids'), and family comes first. I would never just dump one in the pound (I don't even take the animals I pick up off the streets to the pound.. I feed them up and place them myself, sometimes at great personal inconvenience) if I needed to rehome, but I am not opposed to rehoming in the least if the situation is untenable for the owners. The idea of a 'forever home' is admirable, but why force both owner and dog into a less-than-ideal situation when a better home could be found?

[Miasmamma]

To the OP... you are in MI. If you and your DH feel that you can't work with J, please contact Michigan Weimaraner Rescue first. This is the rescue organization that I fostered for for years. They are a great group of people and will have options for you that may not require rehoming J. And if he is a rescue that possibly came from here, please know that the contract states that you cannot rehome on your own, he must go back to rescue. I only say that since you say that he was your DH's before you were married.

[Alyantavid]

What kind of dog is he? Part of what you posted sounds alot like our dog. He has one master, dh. I'm next in line to him obviously, but if it comes down to him listening to dh or listening to me, he goes with dh. He's also very protective of me and the kids if dh isn't home.

It really sounds like to me that this dog just has no boundaries and doesnt know the house rules. He needs some manners for sure, but that is done through training.

Yes. I'd be more than a little upset if my dog bit my child over a piece of food. My dog (and our previous dog who came to us with some issues) do not reach for food from us. If we give them something, that's one thing but to come up and take it out of our hands would be a huge deal to me. The running through the house, taking over the house basically would have to stop. Our last dog knew what boundaries we had in the house and when she could and couldn't cross them. We weren't evil by any means, but she knew that when we were eating, she was to stay in the living room. This dog was one we adopted when she was 4 and she came in thinking she could take food off the counter, out of the fridge even, etc. It really did not take that much training, just consistency.

You can train a dog to walk beside you instead of pull. Both of ours walked very nicely. Our Chessie will not walk beside you unless he can be on the left side, leash or no, because we trained him that way. He weighs 120 pounds, there's no way I could hold him back if he just pulled me around all the time. It can be done, it does take some time though.

And he definitely sounds like he needs some exercise. Train him to fetch (and hand you) a toy and your kids can wear him out easily that way.

[Alyantavid]

Just trying to make the dog sit or lay by force is impossible for me.

Has he had any training? Sitting and laying on command is a pretty basic thing to teach your dog.

[Peepsqueak]

I say ditto to getting a dog walker or someone in the family or neighborhood to walk the dogs daily. Also, your dh needs to take on more responsibility now that you are pregnant. Children and other humans of the household must come before the dogs. It sounds they are behaving like they do not have a leader among the humans.

Crate them for one to two hours during the day when you need a break and also at night so they can sleep when the family is asleep. It is important they are on a strict routine because a new baby coming home will definately cause more chaos which animals do take advantage of.

Also a doggie daycare in your area may be in order.....especially when you come home with the new baby.

This may be costly in a way but it may be well worth trying temporarily so you can keep your household under control. What I find a little disturbing is that the dogs are not trained to keep from tripping you. They should be taught to let you go through small spaces before them, and not run past you to the door or other distraction, and also wait for their meals by sitting until they are served.

With children in the house it is important to make sure the dogs mind you. If they see you as their leader they will be the best pets in the world. You must establish your role to them and not let them run amuck.

The kids may be hard to monitor along with the dogs too. They probably would help but will not be as consistant. So that means the dogs will not see them as leaders. Therefore, you should make sure the dogs do not take advantage of the kids by knocking them down, etc. That is a big no no.

It may take some time to do all of this, but focus on this to keep everyone safe. Also the dogs will not feel left out when the new arrival comes.

[Conifer]

OP Update

UPDATE:

I bought a Gentle Leader the other day and after a few tries I am happy to announce that I can walk J without serious injury : I love, love, love to walk and bring the other 2 dogs on hikes and walks a lot, but walking J has been impossible. I have been dragged down the sidewalk and through bushes and pretty much gave up and had been making DH walk him (but he can't do it as often as I can). If feel SO confident with this new head collar that I think it is going to work!!! I would even feel safe walking him with the baby at this point.

Has he had any training? Sitting and laying on command is a pretty basic thing to teach your dog.

The dog can sit, lay and fetch quite well as long as he is calm and paying attention. The problem is that he is that when he is excited, everything goes out the window. My DH can get him back under control, but when he isn't there, he will start running wild. I really think he gets stir crazy.

And he definitely sounds like he needs some exercise. Train him to fetch (and hand you) a toy and your kids can wear him out easily that way.

He loves to fetch and I do that with him daily while the kids are playing outside. He even drops the ball right at my feet.

I'd be more than a little upset if my dog bit my child over a piece of food.

J has some serious food issues. Because he was neglected and malnourished as a puppy, he gulps his food. We feed him on a schedule and absolutely no table feeding. He wouldn't dare steal food from the table or an adult, but a distracted child at the picnic table outside is fair game to him. I did freak out because I think of our future baby carrying around a teething biscuit would be way too much temptation.

And if he is a rescue that possibly came from here, please know that the contract states that you cannot rehome on your own, he must go back to rescue.

You are correct. According to the contract we would have to return him to the rescue center. Which is something we don't want to do. After I wrote the original post I realized that I was spending way too much time complaining and worrying and not spending enough time trying to come up with solutions. I am really trying to take control of the situation now...I still have a few more months before the baby is born (end of October) and I am going to try my absolute hardest to make things work

Question:
I think that the extra walks, fetching along with training are going to help a lot....but what should I do in the winter when the sidewalks are covered in 2 feet of snow? Seriously...any ideas so that I can keep this plan going if it is working? I am really starting to get hopeful Baby is due in the end of Oct. I don't want the baby to show up and the walks to end because of the weather.

[Girl In The Fire]

You could get a treadmill for him, they make dog specific ones (google " grand carpet mill") and a human one can be easily customized for a dog. Both can be found used on CL or other similar sites.

Does he get along with other dogs? If he does you could put him in dog daycare a couple days a week.

[Sailor]

This is definitely a training issue and an exercise issue. I would be very hardcore about training and exercise right now. You need to get these dogs in line before the baby comes.

I would never alpha role - especially a dog that is so out of control. That can backfire in serious ways.

I would, on the other hand, employ NILIF, consistently, with ALL the dogs. I'd crate train them - if they can't be calm in the house (after enough exercise), then they go in the crate.

You and your dh will have to commit to consistent training and consistent exercise. Otherwise, this situation will continue as is.

When it snows, can you play fetch? Snow doesn't really bother dogs that much. I didn't see whether or not you had a backyard - so, if you do, an hour of fetch twice a day is a great way to give dogs exercise. And all you have to do is throw the ball.

I lived in upstate NY with my GSD ... and we had LOTS of snow. However, this didn't stop us from walks or from fetch. If you can't go out, get your dh to do it.

[Tjej]

I'm really glad to hear that the gentle leader is working well for you.

At our family cabin our busy dog LOVES chasing the 4-wheeler through the snow. I don't know what sort of area you live in - any chance to do anything like that? We are fortunate here that it doesn't get snowy for very long, so we can continue biking her almost year round (and when it does snow, I go for walks in the snow).

Toys like the Buster cube I mentioned earlier can help. Frozen stuffed kong. Giant smoked bone to gnaw (we do ours with the dogs crated).

Tjej

[onlyzombiecat]

Can you hire someone to walk your dog in winter?