Sometimes you just need to ask for help. The introduction of Lucy into our family made it evident that Chloe needs it. While it’s hard to believe that a girl with such a sweet face can turn around and be so mean… I have to admit, Chloe has issues. Aggression issues, specifically around food, or any other edible material for that matter {bones, snacks, etc.}. You can see how anxious it makes her. We’ve been dealing with the issue by isolating her when she eats, but we want to do more. Apparently, she also has stranger anxiety. She goes insane barking at other dogs outside of the house, as well as strangers. One day she was approached by a man on trail… He says, “Oh, look at that cute Boston,” to which she responds with ferocious snarling and barking in full attack-mode. It’s scary, and frustrating, and embarassing.
Our vet recommended taking her to a veterinary behaviorist. There’s little that makes you feel like more of a failure than hearing that your dog needs therapy. Honestly, how can I be trusted to raise a child {someday} when I can’t raise a pup without mental issues? Fortunately for all of us, the visit to the behaviorist was very reassuring. She felt that Chloe is not an overtly aggressive dog, but is responding out of anxiety. And while it will take a lot of work, it is something that we will be able to control and improve. We were given a treatment plan that includes a great deal of information; signs of anxiety, obedience training, and behavior modification. The idea is to systematically desensitize her to situations that generally make her anxious, and provide counterconditioning so that she no longer associates those situations with her fear. Gosh, even dogs can be emotionally complicated.
I’m optimistic about all of this. I’ll share her progress with you. Here she is… the deceptively-sweet looking, crazy girl…
And the baby, loving her new bed…
On another note, CONGRATULATIONS to my little sister who finished her very first marathon yesterday in Las Vegas. YOU ROCK! She is one of the strongest people that I know, in all aspects. Six knee surgeries couldn’t keep her down. I love you, Christine!
Christy - What great pics!
Awww poor Chloe. She’ll be okay though. And you’ll be a great mommy to those 2-legged kids when it’s time! 🙂
Our kids are holy terrors. They’ve been known to be called land sharks for a reason. haha They hate strangers and other dogs and sometimes each other. I wonder sometimes if it’s because of how we treat them (like babies) and so they are unsure about who the alpha male is. Yeah, I’ve watched a few Dog Whisperer episodes. 🙂
I wonder if it is too late for a veterinary behaviorist for our chis. Hmmm.
claire - that is rough, but i totally understand! roux (our older dog) isn’t aggressive, but she definitely has anxiety issues. she’s going to start doggie therapy in january, and both her and the puppy are going to be doing extensive classes. i totally know what you mean though, i keep thinking, what did i do wrong raising her??? i can’t imagine being the parent of actual human babies! you’re definitely doing the right thing though, and it’ll all work out!
leesia - these are beautiful shots! i feel your pain on chloe’s issues…we have a little iggy/chi mix and from the day we rescued her she was slightly bonkers…lots of anxiety but the worst is her fear aggression around dogs bigger than she is (and that’s just about every dog, since she’s 7 lbs) and i don’t even know if it counts as aggression since every time she starts something she always comes away needing stitches and the other dog is unharmed (she once provoked a badger into biting her and she got four stitches for that). it’s a nightmare taking her for a walk because we have to run away when we see another dog…and my second dog picks up on what she does (he won’t do it if she’s not there) so it doubles the noise and embarrassment…hope the doggie therapy goes well!
Emilee - I know how you feel, too. Buddy gets aggressive (not red zone, thankfully!) around strange dogs, aggressive dogs, and strangers. It’s worse with other aggressive dogs, but we’re working on it. I’m glad when he barks at strangers (from inside the house) because I know that I have a great protector and guard dog. He gets tense around wierd looking strange people we meet on the street, too. I don’t know what kind of dog training you like, but I love Cesar Millan, the Dog Whisperer. Be the pack leader! Good luck with Miss Chloe, she’ll come around! I swear, Lucy looks like a stuffed animal! Adorable!!!
April - Thanks everyone! It’s reassuring to hear that we’re not completely alone {and that Chloe is not the only crazy dog out there. Ha.} I’ve been watching some of the program on Animal Planet {we don’t get the channel w/ Cesar Millian. Boo.} and some of the ways of training that I’ve seen are similar to the things mentioned by the behaviorist. I’m optimistic about Chloe’s training. Now we just need to get Lucy into some puppy classes so she doesn’t pick up any of Chloe’s bad traits. =) Good luck w/ all of your little rebels!
melissa - Hang in there! you’ve got a couple of cuties! Do you ever watch It’s Me or the Dog on Animal Planet? You can learn a lot from Victoria…she’s awesome!