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Alot on my mind!

2K views 12 replies 6 participants last post by  Lisark2017 
#1 ·
Hello All!
Its been a while! I was trying to catch up on all the posts and threads i missed yesterday!
Snow is doing well since i found a food that works for her. I give her carrots & fruit for treats and snaks lol i giver her some dog treats but i try to be mindful of whats in them (like minimal ingredients that i can identify) cuz she often catches the runs when i try new things lol

Shes doing better with commands, walking and listening in general. Shes a very good listening except when she not in the mood lol she is still really skiddish tho and it comes and goes in intensity. Even sudden movements or unexpected noises from me make her scare her. She still scared of other ppl and dogs. Im working on that more tho. Like yesterday i was doing a delivery and a bunch of kids wanted to pet her so i took her out and told them all to put their hands out so she could smell them and knelt down with her. She did good (for her) and didnt bark at any of them although she was clearly terrified even the kids noticed but they were sweet about it. I kept telling her it was okay and a couple times she tried to crawl in my lap lol but it was short too. I figure i just have to do things like that until she gets comfortable.
Shes super curious about others but then she runs from them lol
With other dogs its a total crap shoot. She seems like she really wants to meet them but then she kunges and barks at them when they get near. Shes made friends with several dogs in our neighborhood but they are all behind fences lol so ive decided i just have to get out there and keep introducing her to ppl and dogs. I wonder if she will always be so skiddish?

The mouth rash thing has gotten better she was itching so bad she kept breaking the skin but I started giving her these allergy aid tablets for skin & coat by well & good (pet co)which seemed to have reduced the itching enough for that to start healing up. We ran out this week but inwanted to see if they were really working and ive noticed that she is itching and licking quite a bit more. So i think i will go baxk to those. Ive also been giving her 2 benedryl daily.

I do have a question about insurance. I think someone mentioned it in a pist recently! So we have healthypaws and i pay $63/mo BUT it doesnt cover office visit fees, pre-existing (which they have determined her allergies and her stomach issues are) or any wellness. So basically only medications for new things and any emergency or surgery type things. After of course i meet the deductible. So i feel like its a waste of my $63 that i could probably just save for these issues. Any thoughts??

Also she seems to be more clingy than usual now and im pretry sure she has seoeration anxiety! Shes fine when i go to work (i put her in the kennel) but if i go somewhere else she cries and howls and rhen she will follow me around even wait outside the bathroom for me when im home. Last weekend we went to a sleepover party at a relatives house and she had to be in her cage. She was doing the most pitiful howling and crying!! We all felt bad for her but they have 2 big boy dogs and she did not have goid interactions with them at all so we had to keep them seperate. She eventually was fine or at least stopped crying lol but afterwards she would not leave my side. Shes the sweetest thing honestly. Not sure what i can do about this or if its normal?

Today we are gonna go to the beach and im hoping it will be a good time for her. She broke all of her retractable leashes (various levels of quality) so we just have the rope leash that is like 6ft maybe or less lol. I will say each time a leash broke we happened to be outside somewhere and she did really good with not running off!

Here some pics!



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#2 ·
Can't help with the insurance. Sorry

Just wanted to say Snow looks great! I remember those 1st pics you posted and she looked like skin and bones. Whatever you are doing with feeding, it seems to be working.:cheers:

As for the being skittish, thats a tough one to tell without being there. You say she is curious which is really good. I'm thinking continue with taking her out and about and don't force anything on her like meeting dogs and stuff.

The one thing I personally wouldn't do is have her meet kids like that in a group where she seemed to be a little stressed. Not saying Snow would ever do it, but a dog that is stressed and feels slightly trapped can lash out, you just never know. The whole fight or flight thing. I would do more 1 on 1 meetings if she is interested. A group can be overwhelming. imo
 
#3 ·
Thanks a lot Matt! You did make good point about the kids. She had done well in other instances so i thought it would be fine. Which is part of the struggle some times shes into it and sometimes shes not

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#4 ·
Well I won't speak to the insurance thing or the health/itchy issues. But what you are doing, with the constant exposure ie strange dogs, strange people strange homes etc. Is not good, it's not good at all. All a dog needs is "you." And "you" need to keep them safe. Once they know and understand you have there back?? Then they will have yours.



You already understand that you don't have a "typical" Boxer. A dog that should be "fearless and confident or you know ... clueless and goofy" depending on your point of view. :)

Aggression and fear issues are best handled "correctly" in pretty much the same manner. You build the dogs confidence and trust in you. And you do that best by ... "Not" constantly putting them in situations that they are not able to handle "correctly just yet." The second stage which you are doing is called "Proofing." But you skipped the "prep work" and are throwing her constantly into the fire.

Right now ... your not building her trust in you or unknown dogs .... right now what she knows is that "every time," I go somewhere, with my owner, something terrifying is going to happen??"

Clearly that is "not your plan" but it is what she sees. If that were not the case ... she would have "gotten over it by now?" What your are doing is called "Flooding the Dog." Constant exposure to a given stimulus until the dog "Gets over it!"

And clearly ... it is not working?? It is an advanced technic and it "can" be used ... with the correct preparatory work, by ... "Pro's."

And some of them disagree with that approach even still. But to better understand what "flooding" is see here, first for "aggression issues."

https://positively.com/dog-training/positive-training/victoria-stilwell-articles/flooding/


And here is what a "Pro" says about "Flooding" for dogs with "Fear Issues." :
https://www.training-your-dog-and-you.com/Flooding_Therapy.html


Poplar opposite there, but what they have in common, is neither one likes "Flooding a Dog!" And please stop with the "Strange Dogs" in uncontrolled situations! She already has a few dog friends, she is comfortable with?? That should be good enough. If she has one bad encounter with the "wrong dog" and gets attacked ... then it will "prove to her, that she was right and confirm, to her, that you can't protect her! Sooo, you know it's best, if I "defend myself first! Ie a "Fear Biter" and that is a much worst situation then you currently face now.

Read those post (so you better understand what you are doing now and why it's not really a good course of action) regroup and try again. But next time ... do "something different." And of course ... I got's a plan. :)
 
#5 ·
Well I'm not sure about the insurance. If something major happened I guess you would be covered for that. I would however check with some other insurance companies to see if there are better options. For $63. a m month I would think it should cover something anyway can't hurt to investigate. As far as people and other dogs..well I would just keep it slow. I wouldn't force it. My poodle has some fear issues so what I am doing is when he sees another dog I say well look at that puppy and if he is sitting nice I give him treats. They usually distract him. If I am too close to another dog and he is anxious I back away until he is more in a relaxed state and give him treats. He is now associating seeing strange dogs with getting yummy treats and he is beginning to ignore them and look to me. Last week I was talking to a neighbor who was walking her dog, we were in driveway. I didn't have to back away but I wasn't up in their face either. MY dog sat at attention at first, (i didn't have treat) and while we spoke he laid down then stretched over onto his side. So it was good. Earlier on he may have sat but would have stayed at attention. So my advise i not to force it let him see and hear and make good things happen between you when she ignores the distraction.
 
#7 ·
It's great that she's doing better!

It took this forum and some insight from our vet for me to realize that it's OK for dogs not lot like other dogs (we don't like all other people- as the vet said) and not to try to force them into uncomfortable situations.

Jax used to love all other dogs and people. When he was about 2 he decided people are good, but not all other dogs. At first I felt like I failed socializing him, but he changed and I learned that's OK. If he meets another dog, it is a very slow introduction and very rare. That said, he did great with Bandit as a puppy when we brought him home.

Bandit is a talker and instigator for playing (with us and our other dogs) but he is very skittish of other people, and a little bit of other dogs. We have had visits at the vet where something about someone set him off and he tried to crawl into the wall behind me. We don't force him to let people pet him. He's better when they come in our house, but it takes him a while to warm up. We let him do it at his pace.

None of our boys have ever bitten anyone, but even the vet was very cautious around Bandit when he was so scared. I understand they don't know what he may do out of fear.

As a parent, you feel like you have to socialize them and that means they have to be able to go up to every person or animal and be OK (unless they are the mean or weird people/animals). Once I accepted that that's not a true, I've been able to take better care of my babies and keep them and those around them safe.

There are a few other threads on here about insurance. We have not got any, but we may regret that at some point.....hope not.
 
#8 ·
Well you have gotten some pretty good advise thus far. And ... I'm pretty sure that I have already posted my "pretty much" I always do and recommend standard advise, uh always,advise??


Place and Sit on the Dog, which it seems like ... you have not done?? But whatever ... if you have a typical dog... you can do whatever and get away with it for the most part?? But if you have a dog with "issues" ... well you can't! And if you don't understand ... what you are doing you can cause more "damage!"

And Fear and Aggression issues tend to be the top two followed by Separation anxiety! Those are the top issues most people face in dogs with issues?? And if one messes up getting those "fixed" ... things only get worst!

And among the easiest mistake to avoid .. "is screwing around with unknown dogs!!" It only takes one mistake with an "UN Balanced Dog" and you will find yourself, in a deep world of crap!! If your dog "MUST" get along with other dogs?? Then "FIND A TRAINER!" Cuz for the most part "we" can't help you ... well aside from BTE 2, cuz he is a "Pro" on here and that is what he does. :)

But aside from that ... I don't care! My only requirement ... was for my dogs to be "civil" around other dogs and you don't need "corporation" from other dogs to teach your dogs ... to ignore them! But your dog needs "YOU" in order to accomplish that. And if you "Constantly" put her in "bad situations??" She learns that "YOU" can't be trusted!!

Aww, well live and learn I suppose?? I speak from experience here. And much to my recent surprise ... it seems I am more of what I most disregarded? A "Behaviorist" and not a "Dog Trainer??" Those are "apparently" two different disciplines? And thus far ... I have found that if I don't have a dog with "those issues" ... I got "nothing??"

But that is another story ... but what you are doing right now ... is "Flooding" your dog and it is clearly, not working! So "PLEASE STOP!"

If you must ... see if they have "Pack walks" available where you are. And do that, all dogs on leash and under reasonable control of there owners. Dogs don't "need" other doggy friends, all they need is "YOU!" :)
 
#9 ·
Thanks Cyn & Chip. I have stopped flooding her lol i will say that i didnt actually set out to do that or do it often, we just would go places where there were a lot of other people and/or dogs like a walking path, a park or beach. I always just thought that i should try to expose her more to that sort of thing. But now i understand that was not the right sort of thinking.
I usually say shes not friendly when we encounter other dogs and work on getting her to ignore them. She wont budge sometimes until the dog passes by so i thought maybe i was misreading her. Idk im fine to stay the way we have been lol. And i wont put her in any more uncomfortable situations like the one with the kids now that i understand the impact.
Also i do not know what sit on the dog means.
I do train her but not really formally. She knows the basic commands. She doesnt do laydown as well unless she wants to and there is a aoft surface. Ive taught her left & right and to get on the sidewalk. She is still learning paw but she didnt like it at first lol
Again thanks for all the advice!

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#10 ·
I think you are doing alright, just need some tweeks to how you are doing it. Exposure which I think is good can be taken a few ways. You can expose your dog to different situations without actually meeting people, dogs etc. If you have a dog park near you, you can sit outside the dog park on a bench or something and just relax with her. She is never making contact with the dogs, but will realize after awhile if there are strange dogs in her orbit, its not something to worry about and she can actually ignore it. There are a ton of ways for her to gain confidence without putting her directly in the situation. Just take it slow and use your best judgement.:cheers:
 
#13 ·
I have Embrace. You can customize deductible and amount. They have an add on for wellness. I am rewarded as well for every year that I don’t use it with a reduction in deductible. I don’t wellness though. When used - office visits are covered. Good luck.


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