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Please get in touch with a Miniature Pinscher Rescue group, who have knowledge of situations like Gracies. You don't just want to adopt her out to anyone, she needs a special home. One where she can be spoiled a little and not get in trouble with her alpha nature.
Miniature Pinscher Club of America, Inc. - Rescue Information (http://www.minpin.org/rescue.html - broken link) any number of the people listed will help you find a MinPin rescue group near you. Even if you live in the middle of no where, they will make arrangements to pick up your dog.
Adding these as well...Internet Miniature Pinscher Service (IMPS), if Urgent help is needed 1-877-Minpin1 or try their website at Internet Miniature Pinscher Service, Inc. (IMPS)
additionally, Friends of Penny MinPin Rescue Min Pin Rescue, Friends of Penny. Again, these places specialize in placing the right MinPin with the right adoptive family.
Those sound like great resources. She is not getting her stitches out for another week, so I am not going to start looking until then. She has been doing better lately, with 100% supervision, but then I remind myself that another run-in with Buffy could kill her. I don't think I can ever trust Gracie to behave all of the time.
I hope I can find her a forever home without having to go to a foster home in between. All of you who foster dogs do a great job, so this is not a criticism of you. I just would like Gracie to have as little change as is realistic.
I have 4 dogs. The two females, Buffy the 60 lb mutt, and Gracie the 14 lb min-pin. Gracie keeps attacking Buffy and trying to dominate her. Buffy is a very sweet girl, and has started losing patience with Gracie.
Two months ago, Buffy chomped Gracie, and tore her thin little min-pin skin in several places around her neck. She needed stitches, and it cost a couple hundred bucks, and upset all of us very much.
Gracie learned nothing, and keeps bullying Buffy. Buffy chomped her again 11 days ago, and Gracie just got her stitches out yesterday. Gracie attacked Buffy again today, so Gracie is headed back to the vets.
Gracie is a rescue, she is about 5. She was a year old when I got her, and she had spent the first year of her life in a crate. That made her a little crazy. I promised the rescue org. that I would never crate her because of that. She is a very sweet and affectionate girl, and we love her very much.
Buffy is alpha after me. She is about 3 1/2. She was very young when I adopted her. I don't have any other major problems with her.
The vet recommends that we find a new home for Gracie. We have tried everything else. All of my dogs are fairly well trained, and we try to keep the excitement level down, because that is when Gracie acts up.
I don't know what to do. How do you find a new home for your beloved pet? Who would want her? She hates cats, kids, and most other dogs. She can't be left alone.
Any advice is welcome.
We can help you! Do NOT give your dog away because of behavioral problems. We can "fix" it. Why would a VET say to get rid of your dog??? They are just unaware of us! What if your doctor told you to get rid of your child because he doesn't know what else to do? Why not refer to someone who CAN help.
Anyway, I am Mark German, known as America's Dog Whisperer. I train and certify "dog whisperers" around the country so everyone who needs help can get it without relying on a television to answer your questions.
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Feel free to contact me at your convenience so I can help all of your dogs...and you!
Last edited by SouthernBelleInUtah; 08-31-2010 at 01:45 PM..
OMG..... I've read all the posts...MIN PIN's think they are ROTTIE's...I've owned many and had three males under one roof...one nuetered and two not...the two not would get into it with each other because they were both ALPHA's..... the biggest issue I had was both of them marking their territory inside the house.... outside who cares.... I also believe in crate training especially if you have multiple dogs..especially MIN PIN's and CHI's as they like their private time in their crates...and they are protective of their crates... the only time I ever locked them in was at night... I eventually found a new home for one of the MIN Pin's... one passed away and the other is still kicking but missing his brothers... TRY TRY very hard to have them live cohisively (I think I spelt that right LOL) in the same home..otherwise try finding a home that only wants to have one dog....
OMG..... I've read all the posts...MIN PIN's think they are ROTTIE's...I've owned many and had three males under one roof...one nuetered and two not...the two not would get into it with each other because they were both ALPHA's..... the biggest issue I had was both of them marking their territory inside the house.... outside who cares.... I also believe in crate training especially if you have multiple dogs..especially MIN PIN's and CHI's as they like their private time in their crates...and they are protective of their crates... the only time I ever locked them in was at night... I eventually found a new home for one of the MIN Pin's... one passed away and the other is still kicking but missing his brothers... TRY TRY very hard to have them live cohisively (I think I spelt that right LOL) in the same home..otherwise try finding a home that only wants to have one dog....
Old thread Jackiejr-
Gracie is still a little monster, but she is our little monster and we love her.
She and Buffy are in separate rooms when I am not right there to supervise. The rest of the time Gracie is on a leash by me so she can't cause trouble. We have gotten used to it, it has been working well.
Sadly, Gracie has made her choices, and will continue to make them from your description. I believe your vet is correct, and in your heart you know it. An alternative is placing your other dog. Which would you prefer?
Life isn't fair, but I am no longer certain that isn't the point.
Sadly, Gracie has made her choices, and will continue to make them from your description. I believe your vet is correct, and in your heart you know it. An alternative is placing your other dog. Which would you prefer?
Life isn't fair, but I am no longer certain that isn't the point.
Uh, did you miss the part where things are working out fine now?
Special thanks to Col. W. Deering! I looked at the links with all the poor little min-pins looking for homes, and I didn't want one of them to not get a home because I wouldn't deal with my own dog. I have no regrets.
Uh, did you miss the part where things are working out fine now?
Special thanks to Col. W. Deering! I looked at the links with all the poor little min-pins looking for homes, and I didn't want one of them to not get a home because I wouldn't deal with my own dog. I have no regrets.
You're very welcome. I'm glad I was able to help. Sounds like things have worked out well. My MinPin Sheba sends your MinPin Gracie her best wishes!
You need a trainer. Without a trainer you need to crate her. Screw the stupid rescue; what idiots! They'd rather her be killed by another dog than crated? I hate stupid rescues!!! Gah!!!! That statement that they made you promise to never crate her pisses me off.
Crating a dog when done properly is not cruel. I've got many fosters that prefer their crate. It's their private space and they enjoy it and willingly go there to nap.
Anyway, if you can't get a trainer and you won't break the stupid rules, you've got 2 choices; euth her or send her back to the rescue. I'm assuming you don't have training experience yourself? My concern is that the other dog is sending off aggressive signals / body language that you are missing and the wrong dogs is being blamed. Not that I doubt what you say. My 'problem child' right now is a 5 pound female chihuahua. Thankfully she's never been really aggressive, just pissy with the other dogs, but it's enough for me to stay all over her little butt to make sure it doesn't escalate. For some reasons little dogs seem to never realize their true size!
I've got a female pittie that's been wonderful. She thinks she's a chihuahua and just loves to snuggle with us. She gets along with every other dog in our house except the newest female pittie. I don't know what it is, but she's gone after her twice now. She's not done any harm to her physically, but even that is not acceptable in my home. I've worked with her since last fall when the new pittie came in, but if she does it again, I'm having her put down.
One thing I will not tolerate ever is an aggressive dog, even if it's only occasional aggression. I've taken in dozens of aggressive dogs that after working with them six months or so are different dogs that are completely trust worthy. I've had 2 dogs so far - a rottie and a rat terrier - that I couldn't re-train that had to be put down.
The rottie girl killed me. I was madly in love with that dog. I'd never seen such a perfectly conformationally correct rottie in my life; she was stunning. And OMG did she love people; amazing with them. But she had an aggression issues with dogs and I never could find her trigger. I won't adopt a dog like that. Too many things can go wrong that could wind up with a person in the middle of a dog fight getting bit and now you've added to the bite statistics.
There are too many amazing dogs out there that die every day in shelters that have amazing temperaments. It's not fair for me to devote so much time to one that has problems while others that are wonderful die. It sucks and I cry like a baby every time, but I have to be fair, regardless of how much it hurts.
I have to say, I am with a min pin rescue organization and all along I was thinking. Give the dog her crate back. If this was a puppy mill dog who was crated her whole life, she is use to the crate. She is probably comfortable and feels safe with the crate. I always leave my crates open for my foster dogs to go into when ever they want to. And all of my foster homes crate their fosters when they are not home. We teach them to be crate trained. We want them to be ready for any family dynamics and most people work and have to crate their dogs when they are not home. We also need to ensure the safety of each of the dogs when we are not their, so it is best for us just to crate them, most of them.
I also really like the suggestions of separating your dogs. You may need two gates stacked double high because min pins can jump most baby gates. (learned that one from experience).
Them darn min pins, they think they are tough little buggers. We have some that will not back down from any size dog. It is our job to protect them. I really wish you luck and maybe having someone come to the house to watch the interactions and signs might help. I use a squirt bottle of water for any unwanted looks or signs to try and nip it in the butt right away. Good luck
IMHO, here's what I would do (besides never have 2 female dogs as pets, this is just too common a turn of events with dogs and cats; things are generally fine for sometime and then it goes sour betw. females sometimes).
1. Think of the triggers as displaced aggression and start working on desensitizing the dog to the triggers. Turn the tv on and off at times when you can do a training session. Perhaps your dog needs to learn to go for a specific stuffed animal or place in the house when the trigger occurs or perhaps you can reward her with treats when she self-restrains.
2. I would begin crating her with great rewards in the crate when I was working at my desk; keep the crate very close and only use the crate initially when I am in the same room with her and can give her rewards. Eventually, when she was accepting of the crate I would start using it regularly. Maybe even work towards having her go to the crate when there is an aggression trigger.
3. When not crated, as you are doing, keep her leashed to your side.
4. Have muzzles for both dogs and after acclimating each to the muzzle, anytime they are both off leash (like in the backyard) I would have them both on muzzles.
5. Maybe get another crate for your good dog, too, and rotate off leash, unmuzzled time in the house. You can find crates cheap on Craigslist. A lot cheaper than vet's visits!
I am not a personal fan of gates just because they are a PITA and can be forgotten or they fall.
Good luck and thanks for taking a rescue dog!
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There's Hope!
Sounds like things have worked out well. My MinPin Sheba sends your MinPin Gracie her best wishes!
That statement that they made you promise to never crate her pisses me off. 
