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I doubt that an animal behaviorist is as critical a need right now as simply affording the dog some attention and exercise.
I would agree except for the mouth on the hand. Also given the new baby I would look at the behaviorist as cheap insurance. If the problem isn't really bad a good behaviorist will tell you right off the bat.
We've already done that, and will continue to do so probably permanently. The dog makes constant attempts to lick the baby's face. Nothing we've done will get her to stop.
Congratulations on you newborn.
Absolute obedience training for you dog is indeed in order. You may need to keep your dog on a leash indoors until the obedience is learned and proven.
It sounds as though you have a smart breed so you need to make certain that your dog never has access to your newborns room, is not allowed to enter it at all.
You need to train your dog that when the baby is present that it needs to be in a "down-stay" position. From the "down-stay" you dog has no way of approaching your newborn to lick his/her face. He should lay in that way until your child has been removed from the room and he has been released.
I have a pup that is very "alpha male". One exercise we were instructed to do was to sit on the floor with dog on his back head between my legs looking up up at me. Since he is in a submissive position and my head is well over his this emphasizes to him that he is not the boss. He has to stay that way for about 15-30 min. every evening, allowing me to touch and inspect his feet, belly, ears, eyes, teeth. Talking calmly and telling him "good boy" with lots of praise and verbal re-enforcement when he does not struggle and "steady", holding him in position by his forearms on his chest when he tries to get up without permission.
I view this as a thing that could get serious quick. Something to take very seriously but something very fixable if done right and done early. I may be wrong but assuming I am right the cost of a behaviorist in the DC area is about 125/hr or about 1/10th of the insurance deductible and cost of putting a dog down. We just have very different levels of concern about the behavior.
I view this as a thing that could get serious quick. Something to take very seriously but something very fixable if done right and done early. I may be wrong but assuming I am right the cost of a behaviorist in the DC area is about 125/hr or about 1/10th of the insurance deductible and cost of putting a dog down. We just have very different levels of concern about the behavior.
Very different economies too. DC has one of the highest costs of living in the country. Euthanasia in most areas would not cost anywhere near $1,250.00. Its not an important point to the topic but being a retired accountant - I couldn't help correcting a number descrepancy
As to the hand in the mouth...many working breeds are mouthy and its not considered aggression but a bid for attention. The dog has just gone through a massive upheaval in its environment. Bringing new behaviour or training techniques into the mix would not (in my opinion) be helpful but could confuse and unsettle her more. Consistancy (return to routine), attention and exercise would be the more conservative approach and the one to try first. It should be more than enough to calm the dog down and adjust her behaviour to her prior level as she adjusts to the new routines.
As to the hand in the mouth...many working breeds are mouthy and its not considered aggression but a bid for attention. The dog has just gone through a massive upheaval in its environment. Bringing new behaviour or training techniques into the mix would not (in my opinion) be helpful but could confuse and unsettle her more. Consistancy (return to routine), attention and exercise would be the more conservative approach and the one to try first. It should be more than enough to calm the dog down and adjust her behaviour to her prior level as she adjusts to the new routines.
I wouldn't necessarily see the hand-in-mouth as aggression either. I agree that it is likely a bid for attention in this case. to me the dog seems to be saying that she does not want to go in the crate because she has not had attention. She's calling your attention to that fact.
I had a blue heeler years ago, and she thought of herself as a busy working dog. She did not particularly enjoy it when people she did not know well patted her as though she were a pet. She would tolerate it - but when enough was enough she would simply grab the person's hand briefly in order to say so - no teeth.
She did the same to children. When enough was enough that was her way of telling them to let her be. She never once bit a person and once I got used to the fact that this was the way she was, I had no problem with it, to be truthful. I'm not that much of a people person myself .
It reminded me a little of when old aunts hug children too long. It seemed that that was the way the dog felt. She tolerated people to a point but after a while she was asserting her right to her own space.
I wouldn't necessarily see the hand-in-mouth as aggression either. I agree that it is likely a bid for attention in this case.
This is my feeling, as well, and perhaps why I would be unconcerned with a dog mouthing my hand (as my dog, who has never bitten in the time I've had him, has been known to do), and why it seems a bit of an overreaction at this point to bring in a costly animal behaviorist, when simply taking the dog for walks again may well be all that's needed. But the OP can decide whether or not this behavior constitutes aggression/is a precursor to biting, in his opinion, obviously.
She is getting enough exercise with hours of running, but I think she needs more attention and I do not mean petting. Some training/disipline as well as positive attention.
I have no idea what your temps are out there but maybe you can toss her a ball for a bit, have her bring it back, getting exercise, interaction with you and some training.
I would contact either a behaviorist or a dog trainer, they do two separate things but maybe one is near you and more affordable then the other. With a new baby in the house I would not take chances once the baby is mobile.
Does she have any food aggression? If she does not give her a bone, toss it into the crate and shut it behind her, keeps her busy and less bored while in there. If she does have food/toy aggression that needs to be addressed well before the baby crawls.
She is getting enough exercise with hours of running, but I think she needs more attention and I do not mean petting. Some training/disipline as well as positive attention.
I have no idea what your temps are out there but maybe you can toss her a ball for a bit, have her bring it back, getting exercise, interaction with you and some training.
I would contact either a behaviorist or a dog trainer, they do two separate things but maybe one is near you and more affordable then the other. With a new baby in the house I would not take chances once the baby is mobile.
Does she have any food aggression? If she does not give her a bone, toss it into the crate and shut it behind her, keeps her busy and less bored while in there. If she does have food/toy aggression that needs to be addressed well before the baby crawls.
I have a feeling that by the time the baby is mobile the problem will already have been resolved.
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