Dog training help

[Oldsgirl]

Didn't someone on here work as a dog trainer? I'm seriously in need of some help/advice.

Long story short, I ended up taking in my neighbor's year old lab. They had gotten her only a month earlier, but couldn't keep her because she was way too hyper, jumped all over their young kids, and chewed and distroyed a ton of stuff at their house.

So I, like an idiot, decide to adopt her.

She has calmed slightly, which I thought was in part due to my two lazy big dogs, but it's like she'll just switch into bat**** maniac mode out of nowhere. Lately she's been getting more and more aggressive, and attacking my mastiff. When she goes after him, she'll sit there or just stare at him, then crouch down and just go bezerk, and it's almost impossible to get her to snap out of it. It's odd, because it's really (luckily) more noise than actual attempts to bite, but it's still out of control and totally unacceptable. Equally luckily is the fact that most of the time my mastiff seems to ignore her, which kind of amazes me.

Anyway, I'm about at my wit's end with her, but feel bad about getting rid of her, since I know she's more than most people would want to deal with and tolerate.

Not that my others are obedience champions or anything, but I've always been pretty good at working with animals, and I just have no idea what to do with her.

Any help or advice from someone who really knows what they're doing, or (better yet) the name or number of the member who was a trainer would be awesome.

Thanks
-Eileen

[freespool]

I am not a trainer, but have trained my own dogs (with professional help). Sound like the new dog is just trying to play with the Mastiff. You needs to establish a hierarchy in your pack. You need to do some regular controlled walks with the dog, and some at home discipline. The best control mechanism I have at home is my dogs must sit and stay during food prep and can not eat till I give the word "release". It all takes time and commitment, but it can be done.

[Oldsgirl]

I am 100% sure that a big part of the problem is that I've been swamped trying to finish my last grad class and finish up my thesis. I think she just has a TON of pent up energy (it's unreal) and it just manifests as being crazy.

She's not trying to play with him, I'm sure of that. It's just strange, because it's like she just snaps and goes crazy. I had her at the vet (it was like having an electron on a string, just totally bezerk) and an older lady went to pet her. She was all calm and sweet, then with no warning flipped out and was snarling and barking at her.

The people who had her before my neighbors had her professionally trained. She is a total crackhead about tennis balls and playing fetch, and when you have her focus, she has an intenisty like I've never seen, lol. She knows sit, lay down, and thankfully is totally house trained and is crate trained. Well, house trained in the sense of not peeing or crapping in the house- I have already had to buy new couches (in additon to about 6 pairs of shoes being eaten, phone chargers, anything of monetary or sentimental value, etc).

When she is calm, she really is the sweetest dog. Originally I was just putting up with the craziness, trying to stop the jumping (it's better, but not fixed), and chewing, because I chalked it up to 'year old lab craziness', but really, she's getting more and more aggressive and unpredictable, and something needs to be done.

O, and for what it's worth, I don't think she's 100% lab, because he tail isn't a lab tail. Other than that, she seems to be mostly labish

[Astex]

If you can afford it, I would have a basic blood test done on her and make sure there is no medical reason for her behavior. Sometimes thyroid issues can manifest in personality changes.

To see if it's just energetic related, try one of the treat dispensers that you can use to feed her dinner in. I have the Kong wobble and it makes them think, which makes dogs very tired. You can also try locking your other dogs up and spread her dinner around the house or in the yard. No replacement for exercise, but with a young dog (esp lab cross) you can keep exercising them and only make them more fit, not tired.

I'll think some more on it and see what I can come up with.

[Mzungu]

I am 100% sure that a big part of the problem is that I've been swamped trying to finish my last grad class and finish up my thesis. I think she just has a TON of pent up energy (it's unreal) and it just manifests as being crazy.

I agree with you 100%. Not the swamped part, but the fact that she has pent up energy.

My advice: Run her, run her, run her. You said she loves playing fetch. Maybe you could sit outside in your backyard and work on your school stuff, or even just take a break every once in a while and let her get her "puppy crazies" out by playing fetch. If she is mostly lab, most of her issues are because they are extremely athletic dogs, and need to run and use up that energy. One of the labs I had was easy - you would just take her outside for 15 minutes and she would literally run around in circles faster than any dog I've ever seen, and then she would be good. Other breeds turn neurotic without exercise, but I've found that labs just start chewing. Lol.

She's not trying to play with him, I'm sure of that. It's just strange, because it's like she just snaps and goes crazy. I had her at the vet (it was like having an electron on a string, just totally bezerk) and an older lady went to pet her. She was all calm and sweet, then with no warning flipped out and was snarling and barking at her.

This worries me a bit. Dogs usually won't do something like that unless provoked by something. Astex has a good idea. If you can get her back to the vet, maybe do some tests, if possible? I don't know anything about this, so maybe Astex can expand.

The people who had her before my neighbors had her professionally trained.

So you're her third owner? Poor thing. :( I commend you for taking her - that's a really great thing you did. But also, the aggressiveness could be emotional baggage. Just like with people, having a succession of different parents takes a toll. It's really tough on them. It might take her a really long time to learn to trust that you won't leave her, too.

[Mzungu]

P.S. If you get the time, post a picture of her! :biggrin:

[Mzungu]

P.P.S. Tiapan (David) is a trainer. Do you have his number?

[imagirlgeek]

You might be thinking of Taipan? I think he was doing dog training classes at one time. Not sure if he still does. He also doesn't get on the Box much anymore, but I'm sure someone here can get a hold of him.

EDIT: ) Oops, was typing at the same time you were, MB.

[Oldsgirl]

I don't have anyone's numbers anymore (killed my blackberry a while ago, and didn't have contacts backed up). If someone could PM me his number I'd really appreciate it.

Well, on the way home from work I bought another one of those Chukkit (?) sticks, that lets you throw the tennis ball super far. This was, of course, to replace the two she has already eaten. Anyway, after about 20 minutes of her running her *** off and having a blast playing fetch, I decided i needed to get to work on my paper. So into the house, and she ends up going ape**** after the mastiff. I only have about 15 seconds to get her away before he decides to go back after her, and i grabbed her just in time. Still though, she snarling/screaming she does- it's insane. Like I said, I can't imagine she does this much when I'm not around, i think my mastiff would have killed her already if so.

I was thinking about the bloodwork to test for hormones too. I've seen that kind of stuff in horses- Mares that act super aggressive, and stallion-ey, and it turned out in both cases that they had some sort of tumor that was effecting hormone levels.

She's the only dog I've ever had that wasn't fixed. She does have an appointment to get spayed on Dec 2nd. She's been through one heat cycle since I've had her (ughhh- gross) and while both my dogs are fixed, I still asked the vet if he thought she might be pregnant, and he said he didn't feel anything inside her. She was getting a bit more filled out, that's why I was concerned, but I think she's just eating more here than at her old homes. When I got her she was on the "1 cup twice a day" meal plan, but I just leave food out all the time for my dogs.

I really think she has the potential to be a really good dog. She's very intelligent, and honestly I think that compounds the excessive energy problem. Apparently I do better with dumb, lazy animals

[armthehomeless]

David is still a professional dog trainer. I PMed you his number.

[Oldsgirl]

Thanks for sending his number- I left him a message, and I'm looking forward to hearing his thoughts on it.

Someone asked for a picture- I'll try to get one if she stays still long enough, lol.