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From what you write it sounds to me like she is very sensitive to vocalized negative energy...an argument, loud voices, etc...otherwise known as any vibe that sounds/feels in the least bit angry or frustrated or unhappy. That includes your version of yelling at her by "emotionally exclaiming in a loud enough voice for me to be heard by her".
But I sense you still don't understand how your actions are affecting your dog. Whatever you try (Thundershirt or whatever) and whether it works or not, if the underlying cause of her licking/scratching/chewing/biting is anxiety you are only making it worse by getting on her about it. She already feels anxiety and you are piling more anxiety on her by getting on her about it. So you are actually making the problem worse for her. Does that make sense?
Say you are afraid of spiders. You see one and you act fearful. Your partner then takes out the box of spiders he's been saving for such an occasion and empties the box on your head. Now you have spiders crawling all over you. Does that make you less fearful of spiders? Or does that send you into a frenzy of more fear?
Do you have interactive food toys? Those are not the same as typical dog toys. She prolly needs something pretty desirable to distract her from this deeply ingrained behavior. BTW, she is not trying to make you think she is chewing on her toy. Dogs are smart and can reason but that kind of thought process is too advanced for dogs. She is simply trying to hide her behavior from you because you yell at her for it and the yelling makes her feel anxious. But she can't stop the behavior so she is stuck between a rock and a hard place with no place to turn.
Try calmly interrupting her licking/biting by speaking to her softly, offering her an alternative and attractive item to safely chew...like a bully stick....and praising her for chewing the stick. That is an anxiety-free way to try and stop the behavior.
I understand what youre saying but i cant just be all lah dee dah about her and what she is doing. If shes biting herself im going to tell her to stop. if she keeps on going back to it im going to be more emotional about it. Im not going to just sit here and stroke my finger and say shame shame. We've tried the soft spoken stuff and she still bites, licks, etc. We have tried the other toys and she plays with them for a few minutes then we catch her licking and biting again. We done praise, love, walks, playing, baths, pills, foods, meds, everything. Its time to put our foot down just as you would with a child. Well, maybe not you but people like me who believe in that.
She DOES know what shes doing when it comes to chewing on herself and hiding it from us. havent you ever seen the guilty look pics and vids of dogs after theyve done something bad? This is no different.
I get what youre doing youre doing which is trying to make me think like a loving parent or animal loving liberal tree hugger (thats where the PETA part came from) because you keep telling me to look at it from her point of view. I have been. Ive been seeing it from hers for 5 years nonstop. I have a limit to my stress and whatever the hell else levels. I CANT just sit here and think "Oh well guess i gotta just excuse it because hey i gotta look at it from her point of view". I cant and I wont.
I know youre trying to help but do you NOT see things from my perspective? Do you only see me as a dog Hitler or something? Can you not have a "think of the animal its a poor animal oh god the animal the poor poor animal" attitude and not be one of those people i see on cd who never get mad or have any negative emotion about anything ever? Please? Can you not become emotionally detached from the subject matter/patient?
I understand what youre saying but i cant just be all lah dee dah about her and what she is doing. If shes biting herself im going to tell her to stop. if she keeps on going back to it im going to be more emotional about it. Im not going to just sit here and stroke my finger and say shame shame. We've tried the soft spoken stuff and she still bites, licks, etc. We have tried the other toys and she plays with them for a few minutes then we catch her licking and biting again. We done praise, love, walks, playing, baths, pills, foods, meds, everything. Its time to put our foot down just as you would with a child. Well, maybe not you but people like me who believe in that.
She DOES know what shes doing when it comes to chewing on herself and hiding it from us. havent you ever seen the guilty look pics and vids of dogs after theyve done something bad? This is no different.
I get what youre doing youre doing which is trying to make me think like a loving parent or animal loving liberal tree hugger (thats where the PETA part came from) because you keep telling me to look at it from her point of view. I have been. Ive been seeing it from hers for 5 years nonstop. I have a limit to my stress and whatever the hell else levels. I CANT just sit here and think "Oh well guess i gotta just excuse it because hey i gotta look at it from her point of view". I cant and I wont.
I know youre trying to help but do you NOT see things from my perspective? Do you only see me as a dog Hitler or something? Can you not have a "think of the animal its a poor animal oh god the animal the poor poor animal" attitude and not be one of those people i see on cd who never get mad or have any negative emotion about anything ever? Please? Can you not become emotionally detached from the subject matter/patient?
Depending on what the cause is and because this has gone on for so long (which means there is likely also a behavioral aspect to her issue), her condition may require a multi-pronged approach and may be more of a process than a quick fix.
You still don't get it and I fear you never will. The reason she still licks/scratches/chews/bites is because whatever is causing the itch is still there. All the putting your foot down in the world isn't gonna fix it because putting your foot down won't get rid of the itch.
It is not the same as correcting a child for willful misbehavior because what your dog is doing is not willful misbehavior. An example of willful misbehavior would be your dog counter surfing or digging a hole in the yard...a behavior she would choose to do. The behavior we are discussing is not a choice for your dog. You continue to refuse to understand that no matter how many of us have tried to explain it. YOUR DOG LICKS/SCRATCHES/CHEWS/BITES BECAUSE SHE FEELS A CONSTANT AND ENORMOUSLY ANNOYING ITCH AND YOU HAVEN'T ELIMINATED WHAT IS CAUSING HER ITCH! There. I don't like using caps but since yelling apparently comes naturally to you maybe you will respond to yelling.
I understand you've tried but you haven't hit on the solution yet. That's because canine allergy can be extremely challenging to resolve. Every traditional vet will tell you that. I believe a holistic vet can fix her because so many allergy dogs' symptoms have been resolved by the holistic approach but you refuse that route. That is your choice but realize you are making a conscious decision to keep both your dog and yourself miserable by refusing.
I am not seeing things from what you call your perspective because that will not fix your dog so your stress will continue. My goal is to fix your dog which will then reduce your stress. I have many years of experience training and learning about dogs and their behavior so my assistance will naturally stem from that perspective. I am not a therapist.
BTW, you are the one emotionalizing and sensationalizing this. I have not written anything remotely close to how you describe me above. My posts have been straightforward and rational offering some practical solutions. I understand you have emotions...we all do; your dog does...but reacting emotionally is not gonna fix your dog which means your situation is not gonna get fixed and the vicious cycle goes on and on.
You are the human with the bigger brain. You are smarter than your dog. That gives you the capability and the responsibility to fix this problem and to understand what is going on.
BTW, that guilty look you speak of? That's not guilt. That's the dog's fear which is the result of the person's negative facial expression, voice, attitude and/or demeanor and/or a strong historical base of punishment associated with a specific scenario (such as when the person comes home). Simple learning theory which laypeople incorrectly assume is a feeling of guilt.
Another BTW, PETA does not love animals They actively work to prevent pet ownership and to euthanize animals in order to further their misguided cause. You have many misconceptions.
I am done with this. You really need to take this to a different forum if all you are looking for is sympathy for your own self. Or to a therapist. Who will advise you to reduce some of your many stressors. Which will mean rehoming the dog since you refuse to try the holistic route.
Depending on what the cause is and because this has gone on for so long (which means there is likely also a behavioral aspect to her issue), her condition may require a multi-pronged approach and may be more of a process than a quick fix.
You still don't get it and I fear you never will. The reason she still licks/scratches/chews/bites is because whatever is causing the itch is still there. All the putting your foot down in the world isn't gonna fix it because putting your foot down won't get rid of the itch.
It is not the same as correcting a child for willful misbehavior because what your dog is doing is not willful misbehavior. An example of willful misbehavior would be your dog counter surfing or digging a hole in the yard...a behavior she would choose to do. The behavior we are discussing is not a choice for your dog. You continue to refuse to understand that no matter how many of us have tried to explain it. YOUR DOG LICKS/SCRATCHES/CHEWS/BITES BECAUSE SHE FEELS A CONSTANT AND ENORMOUSLY ANNOYING ITCH AND YOU HAVEN'T ELIMINATED WHAT IS CAUSING HER ITCH! There. I don't like using caps but since yelling apparently comes naturally to you maybe you will respond to yelling.
I understand you've tried but you haven't hit on the solution yet. That's because canine allergy can be extremely challenging to resolve. Every traditional vet will tell you that. I believe a holistic vet can fix her because so many allergy dogs' symptoms have been resolved by the holistic approach but you refuse that route. That is your choice but realize you are making a conscious decision to keep both your dog and yourself miserable by refusing.
I am not seeing things from what you call your perspective because that will not fix your dog so your stress will continue. My goal is to fix your dog which will then reduce your stress. I have many years of experience training and learning about dogs and their behavior so my assistance will naturally stem from that perspective. I am not a therapist.
BTW, you are the one emotionalizing and sensationalizing this. I have not written anything remotely close to how you describe me above. My posts have been straightforward and rational offering some practical solutions. I understand you have emotions...we all do; your dog does...but reacting emotionally is not gonna fix your dog which means your situation is not gonna get fixed and the vicious cycle goes on and on.
You are the human with the bigger brain. You are smarter than your dog. That gives you the capability and the responsibility to fix this problem and to understand what is going on.
BTW, that guilty look you speak of? That's not guilt. That's the dog's fear which is the result of the person's negative facial expression, voice, attitude and/or demeanor and/or a strong historical base of punishment associated with a specific scenario (such as when the person comes home). Simple learning theory which laypeople incorrectly assume is a feeling of guilt.
Another BTW, PETA does not love animals They actively work to prevent pet ownership and to euthanize animals in order to further their misguided cause. You have many misconceptions.
I am done with this. You really need to take this to a different forum if all you are looking for is sympathy for your own self. Or to a therapist. Who will advise you to reduce some of your many stressors. Which will mean rehoming the dog since you refuse to try the holistic route.
Its a dog problem so theyre just going to send it to a dog forum. Im sorry (figure of speech im actually not sorry) that i dont have the super calm love conquers all approach to curing my dog. We tried that at first and it didnt work. You dont deal with the dog and you dont live here so you dont know exactly what all is going on and what all of us have to go through every day regarding her. Even people who we've managed to have watch her for us have told us never again. So while you say that she does this because shes scared of us or whatever it isnt that. She does it because she wants to and whether its a psychological or environmental problem its something that wont go away with soft hugs and all of us being on prozac and getting counselling. She gets rehomed around here people are going to do far worse or not have the patience that we have with her. Theres always someone worse out there.
As for PETA, i dont research what they do to find out exactly what their ways are. Theyre bat you know what crazy people who cry at the death of an ant far as myself and everyone I know is concerned.
Just got back from taking her for a walk where peoples' dogs charged at us. People here dont believe in leash laws they just let their rotts, pitts, and other such dogs roam free which is why we dont take her for walks. Much safer staying at home.
Depending on what the cause is and because this has gone on for so long (which means there is likely also a behavioral aspect to her issue), her condition may require a multi-pronged approach and may be more of a process than a quick fix.
You still don't get it and I fear you never will. The reason she still licks/scratches/chews/bites is because whatever is causing the itch is still there. All the putting your foot down in the world isn't gonna fix it because putting your foot down won't get rid of the itch.
It is not the same as correcting a child for willful misbehavior because what your dog is doing is not willful misbehavior. An example of willful misbehavior would be your dog counter surfing or digging a hole in the yard...a behavior she would choose to do. The behavior we are discussing is not a choice for your dog. You continue to refuse to understand that no matter how many of us have tried to explain it. YOUR DOG LICKS/SCRATCHES/CHEWS/BITES BECAUSE SHE FEELS A CONSTANT AND ENORMOUSLY ANNOYING ITCH AND YOU HAVEN'T ELIMINATED WHAT IS CAUSING HER ITCH! There. I don't like using caps but since yelling apparently comes naturally to you maybe you will respond to yelling.
I understand you've tried but you haven't hit on the solution yet. That's because canine allergy can be extremely challenging to resolve. Every traditional vet will tell you that. I believe a holistic vet can fix her because so many allergy dogs' symptoms have been resolved by the holistic approach but you refuse that route. That is your choice but realize you are making a conscious decision to keep both your dog and yourself miserable by refusing.
I am not seeing things from what you call your perspective because that will not fix your dog so your stress will continue. My goal is to fix your dog which will then reduce your stress. I have many years of experience training and learning about dogs and their behavior so my assistance will naturally stem from that perspective. I am not a therapist.
BTW, you are the one emotionalizing and sensationalizing this. I have not written anything remotely close to how you describe me above. My posts have been straightforward and rational offering some practical solutions. I understand you have emotions...we all do; your dog does...but reacting emotionally is not gonna fix your dog which means your situation is not gonna get fixed and the vicious cycle goes on and on.
You are the human with the bigger brain. You are smarter than your dog. That gives you the capability and the responsibility to fix this problem and to understand what is going on.
BTW, that guilty look you speak of? That's not guilt. That's the dog's fear which is the result of the person's negative facial expression, voice, attitude and/or demeanor and/or a strong historical base of punishment associated with a specific scenario (such as when the person comes home). Simple learning theory which laypeople incorrectly assume is a feeling of guilt.
Another BTW, PETA does not love animals They actively work to prevent pet ownership and to euthanize animals in order to further their misguided cause. You have many misconceptions.
I am done with this. You really need to take this to a different forum if all you are looking for is sympathy for your own self. Or to a therapist. Who will advise you to reduce some of your many stressors. Which will mean rehoming the dog since you refuse to try the holistic route.
I agree with your post. I think every avenue has been exhausted to the OP about suggestions as to what might be wrong, what she might do to help herself, and what might be done to help the situation. After reading all of the posts here, it's pretty clear that the OP simply wants to vent and is looking for others to say "Wow, that's a terrible situation" (and I'm not saying it isn't) and wants others to agree that the dog is to blame for a great deal of it. Any suggestions offered that might lead to a resolution, or at the very least some relief, are immediately dismissed or put down. There's a lot of anger and frustration in her posts, I'd suspect because of the difficulty she's been going through, so to make any further suggestions or ideas seem rather pointless.
In the meantime the dog is still suffering and she just WILL NOT get the point that she has to make the changes, the dog cannot cure itself. If she looks after the dog, change will come and everyone will be a hell of a lot happier.
In the meantime the dog is still suffering and she just WILL NOT get the point that she has to make the changes, the dog cannot cure itself. If she looks after the dog, change will come and everyone will be a hell of a lot happier.
In the meantime the dog is still suffering and she just WILL NOT get the point that she has to make the changes, the dog cannot cure itself. If she looks after the dog, change will come and everyone will be a hell of a lot happier.
Youre right she cant cure herself. What im saying is that any suggestion or hint of a cure being for us to stop getting on to her about her biting etc isnt going to solve the problem. Shes NOT biting and such because we're telling her not to. trust me, we've done the kinder gentler approach and she just bites and scratches more. The only thing reducing her scratching and licking etc is us being there to get on to her and making her quit.
I realize she may be in pain and she may be suffering but you know what i dont care. We simply want her to quit with the licking scratching and biting and everything else she does. We want to be able to not have to constantly get on to her about what she does, we want to be able to leave the house and not have to worry about her, and if that means she has to just sit here and deal with it then thats what she can do.
Shes like a kid with poison ivy being told to not scratch it. No amount of love is going to take the itch away. It is going to take willpower and until we find that magical aveeno solution to her problems shes just going to toughen up and deal with it.
We dont toss our problems into other peoples' laps.
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