Help With Brandi And Pack

[Brandiandwe]

Hoping to get some advice for dealing with Brandi. We've been having a few issues with her recently associated with food and also with insecurity and fear so I'm hoping to get some advice. It culminated yesterday with her attempting to resource guard inappropriately and challenge Hermon, our pack leader, and she's now got a nice hole in her neck from telling him off for walking past the kitchen where their dinner was being prepared. Lots of sound and posturing and a tooth in the wrong spot, but it comes after a build up.

 

Brandi suffers from separation anxiety from me, in addition to leash reactivity and fear aggression toward other dogs. She's pretty good with dogs she knows but dislikes all strangers and particularly non-greyhounds. She's also intolerant of rude greys and needs the butt sniff first. Her reaction tends to be quick and noisy with lots of growling, snarling and barking. I suspect she does this to try to get in before they do anything to her.

 

She's at the bottom of my four pack, submissive most of the time, but does resource guard. She's also intensely food driven and food obsessed. She's well fed, but recently has been trying to push the others off their food, including Hermon. I'm standing right there and obviously stop her, but yesterday, Hermon had a go back.

 

Since then, she's been very frightened and submissive with everyone, cringing and displaying excessive calming signals. Ideas?

[DofSweetPotatos]

Reading that sounds exactly what we went through with Yardman. Come tofind out, it wasn't behavioural. As he aged, he became hypothyroid. With supplementation his behaviours pretty much stopped on their own.

[greysmom]

I would agree that since this escalation came about rather suddenly it might be medically based. Time for a full check up. At that time, you might also discuss the possibility of a trial of an anti anxiety medication. Her fear and anxiousness seem to be the root cause, so lessening it would be helpful. If you haven't tried it yet, she might benefit from a DAP collar/diffuser, or some of the more homeopathic remedies for anxiety.

 

{{{hugs}}}

[NeylasMom]

I would agree that since this escalation came about rather suddenly it might be medically based. Time for a full check up. At that time, you might also discuss the possibility of a trial of an anti anxiety medication. Her fear and anxiousness seem to be the root cause, so lessening it would be helpful. If you haven't tried it yet, she might benefit from a DAP collar/diffuser, or some of the more homeopathic remedies for anxiety.

 

{{{hugs}}}

And in the meantime separate her before you start preparing food and only release her back with the others once all food bowls are picked up and put away.

[Brandiandwe]

I'm doing the food bowl thing already which is a start. We did use a DAP collar on her a couple of years ago. It worked but turned her into a zombie who had no joy in life, so not ideal. And she is a very very happy dog. It's just that the anxiety and resource stuff has begun escalating. Off to the vet then.

[NeylasMom]

Try Composure and l-theanine.

[3greytjoys]

Agree with others re: vet visit, and that feeding management is key.

 

We do potty outings immediately before meals. Separate hounds during meal preparation and while they're eating meals (using baby-gates/ex-pens/crates, etc.). If possible, give each hound something else to do independently while they're waiting for food. Ours get a fun toy or something to refocus their excitement/energy towards while awaiting meals. Bowls are removed immediately after each dog finishes their own meal. Fosters and/or canine visitors are separated before and during meals also. When dogs can eat in their own private space without fear of another dog stealing their food, they can relax more easily.

 

Multiple dogs around food, and/or food preparation has been the most risky time for serious fights in my experience. I've separated dogs by holding a chair upside down (by chair legs) and placing the chair's back between fighting dogs' faces. This safely separates dogs (even if dogs are rearing up on their hind legs), while keeping a human at a safe distance away.

 

Brandi's probably stressed and feeling pain now and needs time and space to recover.

After she's feeling better, if possible, briefly work with Brandi separately to help her with confidence building exercises. Keep sessions <5 minutes or so. Example: Practice "down" and "stay" with you remaining close by. Provide treat rewards, then offer a "release" cue for her to move around naturally. Practice gradually extending her down/stay duration. As she improves, you begin to move farther away, eventually going into the next room (leaving her sight) for a few seconds. Gradually build duration of her down/stays while you are out of sight. If she breaks her stay too soon, calmly start over. If you begin to feel any frustration, or if she begins to shut down mentally, stop immediately. Briefly refocus by asking for one easy behavior she does really well so her practice session ends on a positive note. "Find it" or "treasure hunt" exercises are fun.

 

Helps to practice walking behavior when she's alone (or with only one other hound maximum). During walks, if you see another dog in the distance, happily keep moving while offering Brandi treats to engage her attention towards you instead of the other dog. Brandi needs her personal space so try make a brief turn (or U turn) walking away from the strange dog. In Brandi's mind, you need to be a lot more fun and exciting than a potentially scary passing dog. Good to keep leash length short enough to keep Brandi safely heeling next to your leg, but it's important that there not be tension from the leash going to her collar. (Constant leash tension increases a dog's stress/anxiety. Also makes them feel trapped if meeting an unfamiliar dog.) Hope some of this helps.

Edited October 5, 2015 by 3greytjoys