Posted by Jo
on July 16, 2009, 7:35 am, in reply to "Re: A second Marley!"
Marilyn
I would firstly be in no rush to send him off to training classes - this environment alone, no matter how well run, can be deeply stressful. If your trainer is willing to come to your house, then that is much better.
I would start teaching him to be left alone while you are at home to build up his confidence when you go out.
Do this by not giving him attention all day long, so that he depends on your company. Put a baby gate across the door of the room he is in, so he can see you in the house, but can't get to you all the time. Then practice just closing the door for seconds at a time and then walking back into the room. Don't make a fuss of him during this time, the aim is for him to get used to you coming and going as you please. As he relaxes extend the period of time to minutes. Then you can start going out the front door for a few seconds and so on. It's really important to practice lots and lots and as you are home most of the time you are in an ideal situation to do this. it does take time, but the results are worth it.
Re the heartworm, I'm not sure on this one, Imogen or Doreen may be able to help. If it were me though I would be looking at a homeopathic vet for treatment or searching on the internet as I donm't like the sound of arsenic or painful injections!
Keep in touch
Jo
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: Thank you both so much for the sound advice.
: I will try to follow up as much as possible
: as soon as possible. I have a good, kind,
: sensible trainer here who has trained my
: original 2 and I will restore the dogs
: original training schedule as soon as he can
: fit us in. I will also order the book you
: mention.
: The reason I had to stop or rather not start
: the training was because the female had an
: epileptic fit the night before the first
: lesson (probably owing to drugs given during
: her sterilisation operation). The 2 had been
: living together in one room, brother and
: sister unsterilised, no light, heat,
: electricity, water. Once a week someone
: left 10 bowls of water and food and if they
: ate it on day one they waited until day 7.
: This was for 7 months as their owner had
: died - now all this is history and they are
: safe with me.
: There are 2 areas I would really appreciate
: your further help with.
: One is that the male has been diagnosed
: positive for adult heartworm (after 2
: bloodtests to separate laboratories). I
: immediately had treatment for microfilaria (
: baby heartworm) and these were eliminated
: however the tablet has no effect on adult
: heartworm which are growing in his heart and
: possibly breeding. I can keep on killing
: off the microfilaria but the adult worms
: will be damaging his heart in the meantime.
: The treatment I am told is very painful to
: the dog both in terms of administration
: (deep muscle injection) and the arsenic
: which is injected. Let alone the chance of
: heart failure as the worms are eliminated
: from the heart. There seems to be no other
: solution to this but it is hard to subject
: the dog to so much pain and suffering after
: what he has been through.
: The other thing is to ask for any
: suggestions for a temporary period to simply
: detain the dog if we need to take the others
: to the vet for example. I am at home most
: of the day so it is rare for him to be left
: alone but I'm not sure where I can put him
: for a short period of time. Husband
: suggests chaining him up outside as you can
: imagine (for his own good!) and as much as I
: want this training and de=stressing to have
: an immediate effect I am worried about him
: going through glass windows or slashing his
: paws if he is not somehow restrained.
: (still talking about the dog, not the
: husband!)
: Any help you could give would be much
: appreciated.
: Thanks again
:
:
: --Previous Message--
: I would agree with Jo, that this dog sounds
: very much like he is suffering from stress
: and separation anxiety. There has been a
: huge change in his life and he is reacting
: to that. If your husband is starting to get
: a bit irritated he will undoubtedly be
: sensing that which will be making it worse.
: Physical castration is not the answer it
: will take time to build up his confidence
: and trust, the trauma of surgery at this
: time is likely to make things worse insetad
: of better.
: Get him checked out for any physical
: problems like a urine infection/prostate
: problems just to be on the safe side.
: Consider getting some help in relaxing the
: dogs, which can be achieved through
: something like Tellington Touch ( Getting in
: Ttouch with Your Dog by Linda Tellington
: Jones is very comprehensive) and you can
: also get trained practitioners. Try getting
: him to do some Ttouch groundwork exercises
: in the garden instead of him working himself
: up until all he can do is react instead of
: think/listen.
: As Jo mentioned keeping him on long lead
: in the back garden will allow you to keep
: control, and have a chance of distracting
: him onto something more positive. There are
: also a range of homeopathic and herbal
: remedies to help him relax, if your vet is
: not a homeoptathic vet, could you consider
: getting him to refer you to one who is?
: It sounds as though you have doen a lot for
: these dogs, I am sure with time it will come
: right.
: Doreen www.haveahappyhound.co.uk
:
: --Previous Message--
: Hi Marilyn
:
: The 2nd Marley sounds like he is suffering
: from stress and separation anxiety. i take
: it when he is confined he is on his own i.e.
: away from you or the other dogs? When dogs
: get stressed it affects their water works,
: so peeing is a release for them - he's not
: being naughty and shouldn't be punished for
: it.
:
: He may well be picking up on your husbands
: negativity towards him which will make the
: situation worse.
:
: I would not be in a rush to castrate him -
: castration is not a cure-all for these
: problems, or many others that vets suggest.
: The chemical implant they recommend can also
: 'fry' dogs brains and make them worse.
:
: I would start a plan of de-stressing him and
: training in small amounts. Be in no rush to
: start walking him, but do practice lead
: training - Turid Rugaas has a book on lead
: training (look on Amazon), her method is the
: best I have come across. Doing this a few
: times a day, plus games, will help him focus
: (brain work will tire him out), and bond
: with you. Also practice leaving him alone
: for very short periods of time and return to
: him with minimal fuss, to build up his
: confidence in being alone. Try to get your
: husband involved as well, positively!
:
: You may need to accompany him in the garden
: for now on a long lead to stop him running
: off - use this time to reward him for peeing
: in the garden, to reinforce that is where
: you want him to go.
:
: You've done a brilliant thing taking these
: dogs on and you will be fine, it's just some
: dogs take longer to settle than others and a
: house and owner change is a major deal in a
: dog, especially sensitive ones. He just
: needs time!
:
: Best wishes
:
: Jo
:
: --Previous Message--
: I started with 2 Samoyeds(now 4 years old).
: I
: adopted an elderly ill-treated Samoyed 2
: years ago (now 13 years old). I recently
: had no choice but to adopt a brother and
: sister Samoyed (four years old) as they were
: in indescribably bad conditions.
: They both have their medical problems which
: I am curing. Neither have ever seen a lead
: before which is currently making walking
: difficult. The girl is a sweetie, but her
: brother is a second Marley.
: Despite reinforcing all fences he bludgeons
: his way out (but always comes back). If he
: is confined in a room he hacks away at the
: door. I am afraid he may even damage
: himself in his desperation to get out. He
: sometimes pees against the furniture and
: husband is becoming very anti. He is a sweet
: dog in his own way but I don't know how to
: stop him wrecking the house.
: I wanted to have him sterilised but cannot
: until his heartworm is cured (he can't be
: sedated safely). The vet administered a
: "chemical sterilisation implant"
: which she says should last for 6 months but
: is showing no signs of slowing him down.
: I don't know whether to have the dog adopted
: or the husband. Help!
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