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Hello everyone,
I am facing a serious problem and I am seeking the advice of anyone and everyone knowledgeable about dogs and dog behavior. This will be long because I want to include every tidbit that might help.
I have a 7 year old Brittany--female. I purchased her when I turned 18; she was 12 weeks old. The first 4 years of her life were pretty simple; I lived at home with my parents and brother, we all worked opposing shifts and she was rarely home alone. Fenced yard, regular trips to the dog park, obedience training, the whole nine yards.
Then my father died suddenly and unexpectedly; my mom was forced to sell her house and dear dog and I had to move into a 300 sq foot flea infested apartment with no yard. During this year while she was being dog sat she ingested 3 times the lethal amount of baking chocolate and was rushed to the emergency vet in the middle of the night. The vets told us that basically there was nothing they could do for her and we decided to take her home. She survived. A little while later she was diagnosed with hemorrhogic gastroenteritis and spent a few days in the animal hospital. She developed severe separation anxiety and the landlord complained that she barked all day while I was gone at work. She destroyed 2 doors and broke out of her crates trying to escape. We tried several anxiety meds but nothing helped her. She started attacking other dogs and I was no longer able to take her to the off-leash park. We lived in the 300 sq foot apartment alone for 1 year and then my fiance and I got married and moved into a 1000 sq foot apartment. While there the neighbors never complained that she was barking while we were gone and she never destroyed any doors or woodwork. She remained aggressive toward other dogs and the few times she was exposed to children (I simply didn't know any), she was uneasy around them.
Now we live in a 1000 square foot house with a large fenced yard. She is starting to get better around other dogs where my ILs can bring there dogs here and they will run and play together with only a few occasional tiffs. She remains uneasy around children, however. It does not seem to be an aggression issue with her and children, IMO, but more of an anxiety issue. With other dogs, she is aggressive. Hackles up, putting her neck over their necks/heads, stiff posture, knocking them down and putting her body on top of theirs. With children and babies it is her pacing, looking around the room, backing up, acting jumpy, ears back.
She has lunged toward our ds several times and been met by us with a sharp correction. We keep them separated as much as humanly possible and they are never alone together but it is unrealistic for me to always be on the ground in between them. Last night for the first time, while I was just a few feet away, she lunged unprovoked toward his face with an open mouth and her teeth caused a large bruise on his forehead and the top of his skull.
I never allow ds to bother her, crawl on her, irritate her; I always help the dog find a "way out" when she is feeling cornered, and I always alert her by waking her up or making her aware that the baby is on the floor so she is never caught off guard. Our house is a very small Cape Cod and there isn't anywhere for her to go. We feed her in gated off room.
She is very obedient, listens very well to basic commands, is not food aggressive toward me or dh, is extremely food-driven and outwardly anxious when we are eating around her and ds is crawling around on the floor but has never so much has made a move to correct him. We allow him to eat say, spelt-O cereal off the floor while she is around (properly supervised) and she would never make a move toward eating a crumb of his cereal without our permission first. I am familiar with NILIF and she readily complies with the principles without protest.
Please help me with any wisdom or advice. I am afraid that there is little we can do but have her put down at this point. She has nipped two children in the past; one 3 years ago (first time we realized she had a problem around children) and one a year ago. The first time her tooth hit the child squarely in the eye. I can't risk something like this happening to ds and am afraid that I am being an irresponsible parent by even considering anything other than having her put down. I do not know how to curb this behavior and we cannot afford a behaviorist (yes, I have looked into the cost). In addition to separation anxiety she suffers from urinary incontinance and takes a daily PPA tablet (since she was 1 year old). I have read "The Dog Who Loved Too Much" and "Second-Hand Dog" in the past and neither have been of any assistance.
I feel like it is only a matter of time before she makes a move that breaks the skin or otherwise seriously injurs ds in the face.
I am facing a serious problem and I am seeking the advice of anyone and everyone knowledgeable about dogs and dog behavior. This will be long because I want to include every tidbit that might help.
I have a 7 year old Brittany--female. I purchased her when I turned 18; she was 12 weeks old. The first 4 years of her life were pretty simple; I lived at home with my parents and brother, we all worked opposing shifts and she was rarely home alone. Fenced yard, regular trips to the dog park, obedience training, the whole nine yards.
Then my father died suddenly and unexpectedly; my mom was forced to sell her house and dear dog and I had to move into a 300 sq foot flea infested apartment with no yard. During this year while she was being dog sat she ingested 3 times the lethal amount of baking chocolate and was rushed to the emergency vet in the middle of the night. The vets told us that basically there was nothing they could do for her and we decided to take her home. She survived. A little while later she was diagnosed with hemorrhogic gastroenteritis and spent a few days in the animal hospital. She developed severe separation anxiety and the landlord complained that she barked all day while I was gone at work. She destroyed 2 doors and broke out of her crates trying to escape. We tried several anxiety meds but nothing helped her. She started attacking other dogs and I was no longer able to take her to the off-leash park. We lived in the 300 sq foot apartment alone for 1 year and then my fiance and I got married and moved into a 1000 sq foot apartment. While there the neighbors never complained that she was barking while we were gone and she never destroyed any doors or woodwork. She remained aggressive toward other dogs and the few times she was exposed to children (I simply didn't know any), she was uneasy around them.
Now we live in a 1000 square foot house with a large fenced yard. She is starting to get better around other dogs where my ILs can bring there dogs here and they will run and play together with only a few occasional tiffs. She remains uneasy around children, however. It does not seem to be an aggression issue with her and children, IMO, but more of an anxiety issue. With other dogs, she is aggressive. Hackles up, putting her neck over their necks/heads, stiff posture, knocking them down and putting her body on top of theirs. With children and babies it is her pacing, looking around the room, backing up, acting jumpy, ears back.
She has lunged toward our ds several times and been met by us with a sharp correction. We keep them separated as much as humanly possible and they are never alone together but it is unrealistic for me to always be on the ground in between them. Last night for the first time, while I was just a few feet away, she lunged unprovoked toward his face with an open mouth and her teeth caused a large bruise on his forehead and the top of his skull.
I never allow ds to bother her, crawl on her, irritate her; I always help the dog find a "way out" when she is feeling cornered, and I always alert her by waking her up or making her aware that the baby is on the floor so she is never caught off guard. Our house is a very small Cape Cod and there isn't anywhere for her to go. We feed her in gated off room.
She is very obedient, listens very well to basic commands, is not food aggressive toward me or dh, is extremely food-driven and outwardly anxious when we are eating around her and ds is crawling around on the floor but has never so much has made a move to correct him. We allow him to eat say, spelt-O cereal off the floor while she is around (properly supervised) and she would never make a move toward eating a crumb of his cereal without our permission first. I am familiar with NILIF and she readily complies with the principles without protest.
Please help me with any wisdom or advice. I am afraid that there is little we can do but have her put down at this point. She has nipped two children in the past; one 3 years ago (first time we realized she had a problem around children) and one a year ago. The first time her tooth hit the child squarely in the eye. I can't risk something like this happening to ds and am afraid that I am being an irresponsible parent by even considering anything other than having her put down. I do not know how to curb this behavior and we cannot afford a behaviorist (yes, I have looked into the cost). In addition to separation anxiety she suffers from urinary incontinance and takes a daily PPA tablet (since she was 1 year old). I have read "The Dog Who Loved Too Much" and "Second-Hand Dog" in the past and neither have been of any assistance.
I feel like it is only a matter of time before she makes a move that breaks the skin or otherwise seriously injurs ds in the face.
