Ivy! Please,please,please

[coco-bean]

Hi Keith & Helen

Just wanted to say your story is so upsetting and it comes across how much you are thinking about both fur-babies. I hope with all my heart it works out for all of you human and fur

[mcca]

Good luck with Ivy i hope things work out for you all
when we first adopted jess she used to lunge on her lead doing rotweiller on speed impressions everytime she met a new dog particularly a white one we considered a muzzle someone we met on the fell suggested that he didnt think she would bite and suggested letting her of with his 2 dogs as she had no chance of catching them from that day she learned to play with dogs she new sometimes she barked sometimes she showed teeth she has never bit anyone or anything when we adopted bracken old big sure of himself and the world she settled right down and let him take the lead always her choice we had tried to let her be lead dog as she was there first she didnt want that when bracken died jess got a bit bolshie again but i know her better now and have managed to do a bracken and show no stress at her silliness the more relaxed i am the more relaxed she is but at times its hard i hope things get better with help

anne and jess

[Joe + Hilary]

Hi,

In case it's of any use I'll try to explain about Rowley and how, with help, I got him to live with Douma. He came to me in Feb 2012 from a home. He had lost his Dad and the Mum favoured the red setter who was a rescue dog. I had at that time a female black lab and a basset hound. All well for a while, but one night Rowley on settee, William approached and Rowley went for him but was stopped. All well again for a while and then they fell out over tugging at toy. Big fight. I then found out that the red setter has gone for Rowley and fighting became the way things were. I was luckily able to keep Rowley separate and I did extra walks till we lost William, about 18 mths. They hated each other and I had a few nasty moments. June 2015 I got a female rescue dog, believing what I'd heard that males do not attack females. Wrong. All well for a while then Douma snapped at Rowley when he went towards her the 1st time she'd bothered to pick up a toy(he was being ok). Back to normal. Luckily, a dog behaviourist had been fond of Douma at the rescue place and had taken me to fetch her. She gave me a lot of her time to get them together. For Rowley, no extra treats at all. No toys, no settee (he was back in the kitchen though). He was brought into the garden on a lead, and Douma on a lead, and thrown chicken if he looked at her, and saying her name and good boy etc., then walking around the garden, chicken if he went by her nicely. Never given chicken at any other time. Then we started taking them for walks together, piece of chicken when he first saw her, maybe some on the walk if sniffing nicely together. Eventually put them in the car together, her first, then him and gave him a piece of chicken, (saying her name) went for a walk. Took ages doing all this. Eventually just before Christmas '15 I put a harness on him, a long lead, and a muzzle and took him in the sitting room (this had been a difficult place) and made him sit in his basket, (the others in baskets also) piece of chicken. Gradually, when he was settled I would take his muzzle off but keep the lead and harness on. Eventually able to do away with lead and harness and reduced the chicken. Now they are quite good pals and sit together and he tries to get her to play with him. I think he's finally realised he's not going to be given away again.

If you are seeing a behaviourist you may be fine but I thought I'd give a brief run down of that in case it's of use because I knew Rowley was a lovely dog when he didn't have his "killer" hat on. I wouldn't bother getting another dog while I have Rowley though.

Best of luck.

Hilary, Rowley & Douma

[P_P]

What a difficult position to be in
We are in a similar position with poppy as she can be dog aggressive (fine with Parker though) and we had a 'dog whisperer ' out to see her recently who spoke a lot of sense and as a result we have a much happier calmer dog - she is a work in progress though and always will be but we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel!
I really do feel for you and hope your situation gets better - they are beautiful dogs

Love Gill Parker & poppy

[Keith]

I can't thank everyone enough for the kind thoughts and words.

Ivy has seen the dog whisperer today and it's been diagnosed as nervous aggression. Having seen her on a lead with someone else and witnessed her behaviour from slightly further away it became clear that she is not so sure with other dogs as I thought she was. Thankfully she did show her "naughty side" with the handler and he has shown us how to go on when she is on the lead. Obviously there is no overnight cure and this is going to be a long haul but not Mission Impossible. He, like us,thinks she has been attacked at some stage which has triggered this behaviour.

As if to show it's not terminal, when I took them out tonight, I met up with a gentleman who has a 15 month old Dalmatian who is one of Jakes favourites, if only because they are as daft as each other. Ivy was off the lead but muzzled and after only three sightings of this dog has now decided that,although daft, is no threat and she showed no animosity towards him whatsoever She even tried to join in the silly male dog games but eventually got fed up! Most girls do!

We now feel we have a manageable, if not ideal, situation.

Thank you all again.

Helen & Keith

[Jane267]

So pleased to hear this good news. Lily has nervous aggression and five years on is mostly good. one or two dogs we always avoid. Positive praise for good interactions works wonders. Stick at it. It's worth it in the end.

Jane

[Lisahoward123]

Hi Keith

I agree with others give it a little longer. We got tarka from lab rescue last December after having Archie from a pup (tarka is now six Archie five ) . It's been a journey, Archie loved tarka from the start but tarka was said to have got along with other dogs but it took at least six months before she would tolerate Archie she was fine on a walk but when he came near her at home she would growl. Now I call them "tag team" he still mithers her and she stilll growls when he goes too far playing but honestly they're the best of friend ten months on but , like you initially I thought it wasn't going to work hang on in there , I bet the issues will resolve eventually

Love lisa Archie and tarka xxx

[Keith]

Sorry to say I had to take Ivy back to rescue yesterday. Broke my heart! Her behaviour towards Jake was escalating and was very difficult to spot. No growls, no curled lip, no discernible body language. It was making everyone miserable including Ivy herself. I'm sure she felt guilty and grumpy afterwards.

Being the only dog will get rid of 50% of her problems straight away. Such a lovely girl and we/do miss her terribly. She will make someone a lovely dog as she has so many fabulous traits. We will always want to be kept updated with her progress and she will always be in our thoughts. I hope she finds a home quickly as the thought of her being in the kennels is awful.

[Morticia1162]

Aw Keith, please don't feel too bad, you really tried your best. You have to put Jake first.

We were very lucky that Barney accepted Lola straight away and we had no issues, we then homed another little girl and it was a nightmare, very similar to your experience, she showed real aggression towards Lola from the start which escalated rapidly, upset the apple cart all roundand like yourselves had to return her to rescue. like Glenys said the other dogs welfare and happiness has to come first and we mustn't feel as though we had failed.

You tried to give a dog a wonderful home, it just didn't work, you tried, she will find the right home on her own with Glenys help, don't worry.

[Lins]

So very sorry things didn't work out. I'm sure as an only dog in the house she would feel more secure.

Don't beat yourself up about it Keith, you did your very best and Jake had to come first.

[Keith]

Thank you for the kind words. I think we will start to feel better once she has found a new forever home. We will always miss her though and she will always have a place in our hearts.

[Joe + Hilary]

I also feel sad you have had to decide to re-home her. I can understand how sad you feel. I am sure she will find a lovely new home with Gleny's help. As an only dog she will feel happier, and your Jake's life will not become unhappy.

(Funnily enough, earlier today my Rowley growled and charged at Douma all of a sudden. Hasn't done that for months and months, she was sniffing a sun bed cushion that's stuck in one of the rooms on its way to the barn - crazy.).

Hilary, Rowley & Douma

[coco-bean]

So sorry it didn't work out but you had to do the right thing for yourselves, jake & Ivy

[Liz5353]

Difficult for you all,but you do have to do what is right for you your family Jake and Ivy of course.
Thinking of you
Liz

[janie1]

I so wish I had seen your post earlier. I had a similar problem with Ellie in her first year with me. This is her second year and she is so much better. I chatted to lots of people mainly other dog walkers and in the end I used positive rewards for good behaviour. Every time she met a dog and it was polite sniffs I highly praised her and gave her food treat and ignored bad behaviour and no treat. Eventually it seemed to work and now she only barks at young dogs annoying her which I think is fair enough.
Her background was not being taken out for walks and I think she lost her socialisation skills. I still reward her now randomly so she doesn't expect it all the time. My only problem with her now is guarding a human i.e. sitting in front of person for a stroke then telling their dog off for having the temerity to come near them. She never bites but growls and warns the other dog off.
I was quite scared when I first adopted her as there was a lot of teeth baring but then I realised she must have been so scared after not meeting any dogs for years.
Now she is a little treasure. She came to realise she was safe with me and looks for other dogs to play with which warms my heart. I do realise though that every dog is different. What works for one might not work for another.