Suddenly barking and biting at me

[cookiesmommy]

Terri -

Yea! I'm glad that you and the little guy had a good day, too. Looks like our Christmas came a day late this year.

I know that mine was a small success, but it gives me hope that we'll get past this.

I won't get the results of the blood panel until Monday. I specifically asked to have the thyroid tested in addition to the other tests since I heard that low thyroid can cause aggression.

Let's keep our fingers crossed that we have many more successful days w/ our guys.

Kathy

[Baxter8]

Hi everyone! I am new to this thread, but am having the exact same issues with my fur baby. 2 days ago he bit me so hard he drew blood in 3 places. It is so crazy because he is the most loving dog, 99.9% of the time. My husband and I are going to look into private training sessions, has anyone had any luck with those? We will do anything to help Baxter.

[cookiesmommy]

Dear Baxter's family:

First, rule out that there's a medical problem.

For us, putting Cookie in the crate to sleep one night seems to have helped some (at least temporarily). Also, he has to work for each piece of food by doing a command (sit, paw, etc.). I am making him sit to put on the leash and to go out. I make sure he no longer walks ahead of me. We're keeping him off of the living room furniture (but I'm probably screwing up right now b/c he's on the bed with me). I've heard to keep comforts/luxuries away from them until they're acting better. I've picked up all of his toys except for a kong bone (with has helped at night...for him to focus on that) and one toy.

I also contacted the Humane Society where we adopted him. They have a trainer who has lots of experience and lots of positive results working with aggressive dogs. She's going to contact me after the holidays, but I've filled out a form giving background info.

You may want to contact your local Humane Society. They probably have someone with loads of experience working with aggression, and they're probably more reasonable than other private trainers. Besides, at least you know your money would be going to a worthwhile organization.

Good luck. This is an exhausting experience, but I refuse to give up on my guy.

Kathy

[jrsygal37]

Please do insist on a work up on him. Even if your vet tells you it's behavior - insist he does further testing (Blood panel etc) Even an MRI of the brain. We lost our Jersey in August. She was 17 months old. Like your guy she was a little odd even as a 10 week old pup. Our vet kept telling us it was just her personality. A few months before we lost her she became very aggressive. It seemed towards our other Yorkies but she would also attack me as well. Almost instantly after it was like it never happened, as if she didn't remember doing it. I will tell you that if you have pictures of your guy when you got him and now PLEASE do look at his eyes. Jersey's eyes became distant - almost dead. In the end I really insisted - crying on the phone that the vet has to find out what is wrong and that it was not behavioral. We did do testing etc. It was not conclusive and we were told we could spend $5,000 and still never have an answer but that the vet at this time felt she was only going to get sicker. In the end she seemed unhappy, sad, and at times even in some pain. The best conclusion the vet came up with was that it was either organic or a brain tumor. He found an abnormalty in her brain. I'm still haunted by all of this and for a long time would stay up all night searching for answers - to give me peace that I did the right thing in putting her down. I came up with Hydrocephelus. A lot of symptoms Jersey experienced seemed to fit that. I'm sorry that I did not get my little girl the help she needed early enough and I don't ever want to see that happen to someone else. I can't tell you how horrible it was to have to put a 17 month old baby down. We had lost our 10 year old Yorkie to cancer a year earlier my boys brought Jersey home to me to mend my heart. Losing our 10 yr. old I thought was the hardest but some how when you have to bring a little baby in and say good - bye the pain is unbearable. Please, keep searching and don't let anyone tell you something if your gut says different.

Elaine