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Pawbly | 6 years ago
6-month Old Golden Retriever/Labrador Mix Bites Me Most Of The Time. She’s Usually Nice When…

6-month old Golden Retriever/Labrador mix bites me most of the time. She’s usually nice when it’s playtime or feeding time (if she’s overstimulated accidents may or may not happen). But in downtimes she just comes at me. I could be sitting quietly not bothering her and she could be lying down 1 second and the next she’s suddenly biting my arm. It doesn’t often happen to other family members. Is it because she wasn’t taught bite inhibition properly because family members don’t want to leave the room or do it nicely? Is it because they react aggressively when she bites them (i.e. they used to pinch her and step on her paw. now it’s mostly just pinning her down to the floor)?

I’m honestly tired. They think they’re doing it right, but I don’t think it’s working. But since she’s not biting them as much they think of it as working.

I’m literally the only one playing and exercising her and I think that factors in a lot. They just leave her and aside from feeding her in the morning, they really don’t do anything else.

I got a response from another site a few months back and they said I had a people problem, not a puppy problem. Is there anything I can do though? Is it something that’s wrong with me?? I don’t know anymore please help :(((((((((((

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  1. Natisha Mullis-Brooks

    You do have a “people problem”, but that “people problem” has now caused a dog problem. It sounds like the pup is bored and wanting to play, but hasn’t been taught the social niceties of the “human world”. Retrievers are very mouthy in general because that’s what they’re bred for; picking up and carrying things. But there are actually several things you can do to help.

    First things first: If she comes at you and bites down on your arm, yell out, “Ow!”, in a loud and high pitched voice. As hard as it might be to do, try not to pull your arm back as this may trigger the tugging instinct. Even at six months old, she can be taught bite inhibition. It’s not too late!! Yelling out in a high pitched, loud voice may startle her into letting go. After all, her goal is not to hurt you, but to play and get some attention. Think of puppies when they play. When one yells in pain, the other usually lets go. That’s our goal here. If she does let go, offer her a toy that the two of you can interact with: a rope for tug, a squeaker for catching, a ball for chasing. Make sure, when you are with her, you have a toy that she likes with you at all times. Because once she lets go, you want to say, “Good girl!” and give her the toy immediately and then a bit of affection for doing the right thing. Most retrievers have high drives and love a game of fetch.

    If the yelling doesn’t work, you can yell “Aaaanntt” and push your arm firmly into her mouth. This losens her grib by widening her jaws and most dogs don’t like how it feels. As soon as she releases you, say “Good girl” and offer the toy and your time.

    If neither of the above works, you may have to try a bit of nose pressure. When she bites down yell “Ow!” and then place your hand (thumb on one side and index finger on the other) over her nose so that the meaty part between your thumb and finger are applying pressure to the top of her nose. You want to place it about a quarter of the way down her nose. Then squeeze your index finger and thumb together as if you’re trying to make them touch through her nose. You’ll have to supply a decent amount of pressure for this to work, but you don’t r ally want to harm her. The top of a dog’s nose is VERY sensitive and a. Other dog will bite a pup here with some force, when the pup has gotten out of hand. You want to mimick a mother’s technique, sans the teeth. Once she releases you,give her the toy and affection. She may yell when you do this, but I promise you are only causing a bit of discomfort and no large amount of pain.

    Lastly, if all else fails you’ll have to become a bit more aggressive in your tactics. -sigh- Ehen she bites you, place your thumb behind her upper canine by the same means as applying pressure to the top of the nose, but apply no pressure. Instead, run your thumb down to her upper lip and push it into her mouth a bit. This will cause her to bite down on her own lip (we all nonhow horrible this feels!) and in most cases, she’ll let go of you almost immediately. Give you, “Good girl” and affection immediately. And bonus, she’ll get to experience her own bite strength, which promotes bite inhibition.

    I wish you two a lot of luck. If you have any questions about technique, I’d be happy to send you videos. I’m a Canine Behaviorist and have worked with dogs for over 30 years. Just email me at: tishtish1975@yahoo.com

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Pawbly | 6 years ago
Hello, A Couple Months Ago My Home Became A Multi-dog Household, With The Newest Addition…

Hello, a couple months ago my home became a multi-dog household, with the newest addition being a now 10 month old GS/lab mix, and our resident dog, a 3 year old beagle/rottie mix, both males. They are both very well behaved and have never fought. However, they were not socialized properly as puppies—or at least we did not adequately socialize our beagle mix when he was a puppy, and GS mix was already 6 months old when we got him and we don’t know if or how his previous owners socialized him.

The results of their poor socialization: resident dog does not seem to recognize playful behavior from new dog and thus becomes uncomfortable, clearly cares for new dog (acts to protect new dog if anyone is playing rough with him) but won’t play with new dog, and seems to sometimes even avoid new dog.

New dog is a little better with socialization, but his main fault is that it seems he doesn’t know how to recognize resident dog’s “corrections” to him and to back off (even if most of the time he simply wants to play with resident dog), and he also has some bullying tendencies, some intentional and others not (wants to play with whoever resident dog is playing with, sometimes bugs resident dog to move if new dog wants to lay down in that spot, etc; though never has shown any physical aggression).

Resident dog is, personally, my dog, and I love him dearly, though I love new dog too, and would love to see them bond and play together, only I don’t know the best course of action to achieve that.

I would greatly appreciate any help with ideas on how to adjust these behaviors of theirs, as well as weigh in on the idea of setting up a doggie-play-date with a friend (with a stable and model dog, of course) so that maybe visitor dog can teach them how they should behave.

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    Is everyone spayed or neutered? Have you seen your vet about any of this? Can you reach out to a local trainer for help? I would start with these and remember exercise and training are super important for all cases of behavioral problems. I hope this helps. Please keep us posted

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Kari White | 6 years ago
Looking For A Healthy Dry Food Brand To Feed 2 One Year Old Cats. We…

Looking for a healthy dry food brand to feed 2 one year old cats. We we’re using Rachel Ray Chicken and Brown rice then their Indoor complete – Chicken with Lentils & Salmon. 1 likes it and the other tolerates it. I also feed 1 small can of Fancy Feast Medleys per cat in the evening as a treat. Thanks

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I should preface al of this by stating that I am not a nutritionist and all feeding plans should be discussed with your vet ans they know you and your cats best. Here’s what I do for my cats. I like science diet adult dry and I often give RR as a treat. I also lean more on the canned food as a better weight loss food for overweight indoor cats as it can be diluted with water and is higher in protein. Cats can have a hard time with dry food as it is often higher Ion carbs and they often don’t get enough exercise. Let me know a little bit more about your cats or better yet ask your vet for guidance. Thanks for the question.

  2. Kari White Post author

    Hi Dr. Magnifico it is Tom and Jerry I adopted from your office last year. Prior Doc and Happy. Jerry is getting big but not overweight. Jerry loves food so I cut nohim back to the package recommended amount of 3/4 cup dry. Tom is one I had to syringe feed and is smaller than Jerry. That had the outbreak around his mouth..totally cleared up. He likes the wet food and will nibble the dry but doesn’t eat much of it. Both are active. Tom much more than Jerry.

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Pawbly | 6 years ago
There Are Are Small (smaller Than The Size Of Pea) Bumps On My Dogs Head…

There are are small (smaller than the size of pea) bumps on my dogs head, that were not there yesterday. She’s a 5 year old beagle. They seem to be underneath the skin with no redness or any other noticeable protrusion above the skin. They don’t seem to be bothering her. She’s up to date on all vaccines and flea/tick treatment. I wiped the top of her head off with a wash cloth with dawn dish soap on it and they gown down significantly. I’m not sure what it might be and what caused it

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    Based on the acute onset my guess would be allergies or hives/uticaria. But this is a guess. Your best bet for a better answer is at your vets office. Call them and ask for help. If it is allergies you might need help with a medication like a steroid or antihistamine to stop and/or reverse them. I have seen some dogs start with a few bumps to develop a whole body reaction over a few days or even hours. It’s always better to address an issue in the early stages then to have it get worse

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Sarah | 6 years ago
Hi Pawbly Friends? Our New Love-Riva- Is Fitting In So Seemlessly. It’s Fantastic. A Few…

Hi pawbly friends? Our new love-Riva- is fitting in so seemlessly. It’s fantastic. A few hiccups but nothing catastrophic. My question is, preventatives. Hers are due and our other GSD doesn’t get his until the 1st. For my own sanity, I’d like to have them on the same day. What’s the protocol for changing the schedule? Is there a way to space them out so that I can still have them protected but get them dosed on the same day?

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello!
    Yay for you all!! I’m so excited to hear she is acclimating so well! Here’s my tips. First absolutely make it easy for yourself. After all easy means better compliance. Second oh do have some wiggle room. A little more on the heartworm than flea & tick. So take a few weeks here or there to get the same schedule. Do them a little late this month and the same time next. Hope this helps! Xoxo

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Sarah | 6 years ago
Good Morning Pawbly Friends. Apologies For The Long Question. I Feel Like The Worst Dog…

Good morning pawbly friends. Apologies for the long question. I feel like the worst dog mom in the world right now? We recently rescued a beautiful black gsd- Riva the Diva. We have acreage, so while we do leash train, we also collar train (we cannot afford to fence in although we do have a small fenced section). We use the collar when we do our long walks around the perimeter or when we are playing in the yard, etc. we haven’t even started training Riva on it yet… I’ve only been putting it on her in the morning (“let’s get dressed” and taking it off in the evening “time for bed”) for the last three days. Yesterday afternoon I noticed she seemed uncomfortable and when I went to check her, her neck where the bulky part of the collar is was all raw! We haven’t even turned the collar on yet. I could easily fit 2 fingers width under the collar. Obviously I took the collar off right away and cleaned off the raw area. She slept completely collarless, and is without any type of collar at the moment. I’m only putting her regular collar on for short walks. This morning she is much happier and her neck looks much better already. My concern is what happened… was the collar too tight even though I could fit my fingers? Is there an allergic reaction? My other concern is, we travel/vacation with our dogs to the mountains, woods etc. and depend on these collars. This has not ever happened with any of our other dogs.Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

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  1. Anonymous

    It definitely sounds like an allergic reaction to me – there’s nickle in the contacts on e-collars, and many dogs are allergic to the metal. I would leash train her until you can figure something else out (maybe contact the collar manufacturer and see if they have an option for you?). Long line training is a good idea, too.

  2. Krista Magnifico

    I have seen hotspots develop. Just abrasion and fur with a tinge of humidity can cause it. They heal very quickly when the collar is removed. PS you are the best dog mom! Xox Riva

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Marlene Cepeda | 7 years ago
My Dog Was Diagnosed By Two Vets. One Said He Had A Mild Case Of…

My dog was diagnosed by two vets. One said he had a mild case of collapsed treacha without doing an X-ray. The other one said he had a reverse sneeze due to allergies. He is also sneezing. Put him on medicine. With a mild case of collapsed treacha what would be the symptoms?

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  1. Sarah

    Good morning…
    When you went for the second opinion, were you able to explain the first diagnosis to that vet as well? Did you ask for an X-ray? I cannot tell you what to look for, as I personally have never dealt with a collapsed trachea. I am sure one of the Pawbly experts can help you more specifically there… I’m just offering that if you are unsure of the diagnosis, I would certainly have a thorough conversation with the vet who regularly sees your pup, and explain your concerns, so that you can both come up with a plan of action you are satisfied with. Best of luck.

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Mary Fischer | 7 years ago
I Have A 9 Week Old German Shephard Puppy That Is Itching And Scratching. Apparently…

I have a 9 week old German Shephard puppy that is itching and scratching. Apparently all if them from the litter are. Ive washed him in oatmeal bath for puppies and someone suggested they were allergic to the food (blue buffalo puppy, chicken formula). Ive started to change his food, but I dont know what it could be!??
I have 2 other dogs and they don’t do this.

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  1. Sarah

    I would get to the vet right away, for many reasons? First and foremost, to have the puppy thoroughly checked over… this could be parasites, which are possibly contagious to your other dogs. It could also be a reaction which also needs to be treated. 9 weeks is young to be away from mom, in my opinion. Please bring your puppy to the vet right away for a thorough exam and puppy visit.

  2. Mary Fischer Post author

    They were at the vet at 8 weeks, for their shots. They didn’t have any concerns for them being away from the Mom. She stopped nursing, seemed early to me…. where would they have gotten a parasite? The mother father are fine.

  3. Laura

    You just brought puppy home? You need to get him to YOUR vet for a wellness visit, within the first week of bringing puppy home. 8 weeks is the legal minimum for puppies to leave littermates in Maryland. If this is the beginning of mange, demodex is on every dog – it will cause rashes and skin irritations in dogs with suppressed immune systems. Seriously, get your puppy to your vet and bring this up with them. 🙂

    As for the food, I would throw out Blue Buffalo entirely. There have been issues recently with lead poisoning, and in the past with melamine. I would also ask the vet about food options.

  4. Krista Magnifico

    I am not a fan of blue buffalo either. I would be worried about fleas, scabies and infection. Allergies are unlikely at this age. See your vet.

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Kari White | 7 years ago
Any Advice For Traveling In A Car With Cats. We Have 2 Cats And They…

Any advice for traveling in a car with cats. We have 2 cats and they are about 9 months old. we enjoying camping. They will go into the crate on their own and we buckle them in. They have their own blanket and toy. Our vet is about an hour drive normally they meow for a bit then quickly calm down. For this first time camping trip the 2.5 hour drive going up they were ok after meowing a bit. Arrived safely..new place so it took them a bit to get used to it. I went outside for a few minutes after an hour of being there, my husband was inside with them and both cried at the door till I came back. That night (several hours after we arrived) one of them was panting. I assume due to anxiety but that shortly passed. I took them in another room and stayed with them. The next day both of us went outside for short periods of time and they were completely fine and they were fine the day after. At home they are independent except at night they will sleep with me. The trip home both meowed but one continued for a full 2 hours. Do you think a larger crate for travel? Put both of them in 1 crate together? I am going to try and do short trips around the block and reward with treats when we get back. I prefer to have them with us when camping versus getting a sitter. These are short trips mostly 2-3 days in total with a 2.5 hour drive each way. Any other suggestions?

3 Responses

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  1. Sarah

    If they’re a close, bonded pair, traveling together in a larger carrier may help.

  2. Krista Magnifico

    My advice is to use a large carrier full of shredded newspaper. Avoid feeding a meal about 3 hours before leaving. Place towels over and around the carrier to block out noise and light. If the vomit or defwcate pull over. Close all the doors and roll up the newspaper to throw away. Then add more shredded paper. Never leave a door or window open with the cage open so no one can escape.

  3. Kari White Post author

    Thank you both. Thankfully no motion sickness or accidents. We did stop feeding about 4 hours prior. Whew!! Will look to try all suggestions…1 large crate…shredded newspaper and definitely cover. I think it is the road noise that annoys him.

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Shiria | 7 years ago
Does Reflux In Premature Kittens Exist? I’m Asking Because We Got 4 Tiny Premature Kittens Yesterday…

Does Reflux in premature kittens exist?
I’m asking because we got 4 tiny premature kittens yesterday with their mother. She didn’t have milk when the were born, so the little ones were bottle fed/syringe fed the 2 days before they came to us.. However since she still showed interets in her babys they stayed with her. They had around 70gram according to their owner. When they arrived, they were cold and crying. One died a few minutes after they arrived, despite slowly warming up. It had tiny bits of milk in its nose.
(they were fed ca. 60 minutes earlier)

When they were finally warmed up two were drinking, one was fed with a syringe. All were urinating normally, one had a bit of bowel movements (yellow and soft). I placed them to their mother who was very worried about her babies and cuddled around them immediatly. She had a heat pad below her box to help keeping the temperature. She was extremly nervous, so I left her alone for the time being.
When I looked after them for the next feeding, the second one was dead. Milk around nose and mouth. I checked for cleft palate, but there was none visible.
The other two also showed no signs of a cleft palate. However, they felt cold again despite lying on their mothers belly.

I warmed them up again and this time I didn’t put them back – as it seemed that the despite mother and heat pad below they could’t keep their temperature. So they stayed in the box we use for raising kittens.

One was drinking, one was not. The none drinking was tube fed. When I looked after them a ca. 15 minutes later the non drinking one hat milk running out of its nose and mouth. I cleaned it immediatly and it started breathing again – but I guess it still got something in its lungs, as it died a few minutes later.

The remaining one was now warm, still urinating normally and drinking. But it couldn’t settle down. It was always crying and seemed restless. The next two feedings went normally – as dfar as that is possible with such a tiny one. When I wanted to feed it in the late evening I found it dead – a bit of milk running out of nose and mouth. It was the smalles one of them with only 67 gram.

I’m very worried that I did something wrong… They were not the first babys I bottle fed (or syring fed/tube fed). But it’s not like I’m very experienced… Usually the ones I get are at least full term… I only had one premature Baby before, that also died after 2 days. It had only 53 gram when being born – but it was with me since birth.
None of the babyies I cared lost as much milk through their nose – and especially not their mouth. The only ones that did this, had a cleft palate. The healthy babys may choke at some milk at the beginnig when they try to figure out the bottle – and may show a bit milk at their nose when doing so – but they never showed those problems. They were fine later,

These ones died more or less immediatly after I took them in – and that’s why I’m asking myself, if I did something wrong – or if I should do something different next time – as all of them showed milk at nose and mouth. The third one looked like it had spit our everything it drank earlier and the last one also had more than just a drop outside of nose and mouth. I only fed tiny amounts – ca. 1ml each feeding, to get them started, was that still too much? The previous owner said nothing about problems with feeding – and I used the same milk as them.

It seemed all aspirated milk because it came back out of their stomach (reflux).
I know reflux is not unusual in human preemies – but what’s with cats and is their a way to avoid that? (If that’s the reason for their problems at all). But if not why came the milk back up?

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  1. Sarah

    Good morning. I’m so sorry that you had this experience. While I cannot truly answer your question about reflux, I just wanted to say that the fact that you cared so much and tried so hard does not go unnoticed. Thank you so much for trying?