Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
We have had her a little over a month and it is not going very well. She keeps attacking our other dog. The big problem is she is a pitbull mix and much stronger then our pekingnese mix. Our pek mix is so scared of her and cowers. He is a very playful and social dog normally. We are at a loss of what to do. After talking to the trainer that the program recommended we followed all the advice and it is still bad. They just can not seem to get along. We are also having issues with her being crated all day while we are at work. Our other dog is free to go anywhere in the house while we are at work. The new dog can not be left free because she chews up everything including our other dog. The trainer recommended we keep her in a crate while we are gone but we are both having a hard time with this and think she is far too active to be confined for so many hours a day. When we got her we told them that we needed a companion for our other dog. They said she gets along with other dogs great. So far we have had my sister's dog and two friends dogs over and she went after all of them. Can this behavior be changed? We are worried about our pek mix as he seems depressed and doesn't want to eat. She takes away all his toys from him and won't let him have water. At first she wasn't letting him have food either but we started feeding her in the crate. We are at a loss and very sad that this isn't working out. She really is a good dog. Can we fix this?
First, you should ALWAYS feed dogs separately. ALWAYS.
And crating isn't cruel if it's done correctly. Look at the crate training page on the Humane Society of the United States Website: Crate Training | The Humane Society of the United States (http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/our_pets_for_life_program/dog_behavior_tip_sheets/crate_training.html - broken link)
Second, you need to contact the rescue from where you got the dog. It sounds like this dog is poorly socialized. There is a point beyond which socialization is a tough goal to achieve. And getting another small dog would serve you better.
Most reputable rescues will take back dogs that don't work out with the homes in which they're placed.
I'm sorry it's not going well! To me, it sounds like the rescue didn't match you with a dog very well and that's sad for the dog and for y'all! I don't know what to tell you, sigh. When I've brought new rescues into the family, I've watched them closely and guided them as they got to know each other but they usually worked out their relationships fine. It doesn't sound like your Peke mix is able or willing to stand its ground so the new dog is controlling everything.
Maybe that's the problem. The new dog believes it's going to dictate the terms when it should be you who's doing that on behalf of your other dog. You need to firmly set the terms and the rules -- there needs to be a clear plan of action and not "reaction" to what the new dog is bringing. I guess I'm just worried that your Peke mix will be hurt in the process.
Just had another thought -- you say the new rescue is a pit mix. Any idea what breeds might be in "the mix?" Knowing that often provides some insight into why the dog is behaving as it is. It would help to know what kind of situation it came from, too.
I always research the breeds and consider innate behavior before I adopt a dog. Last year, I adopted a Weimaraner from the pound -- by far the biggest dog I've ever had! I saw her, fell in love with her, and put my name down to adopt so I had first dibs when she became available. HOWEVER, I immediately went home and researched the breed and had to decide whether I could be firm enough with her and handle her, plus think about how she'd relate to my small Silky Terrier based on what she was bred to do. I decided that I could handle her and whatever issues she could bring, so I adopted her.
Heh, the first two commands I had to teach her were "sit" and "stay." She thought it was great fun to run after my Silky whenever he went outside to potty or play and attempt to retrieve him! (typical "gun dog" stuff) My Silky was irritated, understandably. At first, I made her sit and stay while Bobby went out and then I gradually allowed Morgan, the Weim., to go out, too, while I carefully monitored the situation. Within a few weeks, Bobby had confidence that he wasn't going to be hurt and the two learned to play together beautifully.
But the instinct is still there and I take nothing for granted. Heh, a neighbor came by to visit when we were outside and her chihuahua started to follow her across the street. Morgan ran over, scooped up the chihuahua, brought her to my neighbor and set her down! Thank goodness my neighbor is a huge dog lover and didn't panic. Her dog wasn't harmed in any way but this is a good example of breeding and instinct in action! Morgan will chase down and retrieve any small critter she sees. It's her nature.
A lot depends on your other dog, though. Is the Peke able to stand up for itself or will you ALWAYS have to intervene? Are you confident in your ability to train the pit mix how to interact positively with the Peke and to be the one who makes and enforces the rules? If not, your Peke may be in danger.
Pekingese or a mix of that breed sometimes need to be the only dog in the house. They can be very headstrong and aggressive towards other dogs. Yours sounds a little timid. The rescue dog probably wants to play and the Peke does not. I had a Peke for 4 years since a puppy and he constantly would start a growling war with my female pit/mix. I had to find a home for the Peke at 4 years old. Fights started breaking out because of those growling wars. I think the match you have is not working out. I would try everything you could before you return the dog. Perhaps a trainer or even talking to one. Good luck, I hate to hear of a rescue dog being returned. Sometimes it is their only shot at a home!
Most reputable rescues will take back dogs that don't work out with the homes in which they're placed.
Yep. I think the chewing and destructive behaviors can change with time and training but the aggressiveness towards other dogs isn't likely to change. It's a hard thing to do but you may want to see if they will take the dog back. Hopefully the dog can find a home where he/she is the only dog. Good luck.
Thank you everyone for your advice. I have two friends who are involved in rescue. One for pits and one for dobermans. Both told me it will be very difficult to change her behavior and requires someone with alot of knowledge and training on how to do so. Both think she isn't a good match for us. I guess we (mostly me) are just having a hard time dealing with that which is probably selfish. I have also talked with the trainer from the rescue and was given tips on what to do. Her behavior is not changing which I fully know is our fault since we are gone so much during the week. The hard part is she is such a smart and sweet little girl. I guess we need to face reality and do whats right for both dogs. I just hate the thought of taking her back and no one else adopting her. She is such a great dog. I do think she probably wasn't socialized. She was a stray before the rescue got her. They listed her as a pug/beagle on petfinders. We thought that would be a good combo for pek mix (the vet actually thinks he is peke, pom and poodle). On her info sheet she has pug, beagle, cattledog but our pit rescue friend says she is definitely part pit. Our peke is very socialized. We had him in daycare twice a week where he played most of the day. He usually loves other dogs. We thought maybe he is just too used to being our only dog and doesn't like another in the house. The first week they did pretty good together. They played. The rescue (Patty - we call her patty cakes) was a bit aggressive in playing but Bailey was ok with it and fought back when it got out of hand. They had a couple of small instances but we figured it was just them trying to establish who was boss. Then one day for no reason Patty just pounced Bailey when he was just laying around chewing on a ball and since then things have been going downhill. It's like they had an argument or something and now don't get along. Bailey has mostly cowered from her but does fight back on occasion which seems to just make things worse. We tried the trainer tips to try to get Patty to see Bailey as the alpha dog but that hasn't worked as Patty still wants to be the leader and doesn't seem to be letting up. On one occasion she had grab of his neck which really scared us as he is not a big dog and she is very strong. She is about 30lbs.
I do not think crating is cruel in itself but I think the time she is in there is cruel. With the financial crisis going on there are days we can be gone up to 12 hours. Her trainer said it should be fine but we still think this is way too long. She is only about 13-14 months and way to active to be confined for so long. I thought maybe this is why she is acting out. We had her in a much larger play pen in the beginning but she learned to get out and started chewing up items. We were afraid she would get a power cord or choke on something. Plus she was getting more and more agressive with Bailey. That's when the trainer recommended we crate her. We do have a large kong that probably keeps her busy for a while (I fill it with dog food and peanut butter and freeze it) but I doubt for the amount of time we are gone. I just kept hoping that we could make it work and we know down the road our hours will be back to normal. The hardest part is the Peke is like our kid. Seeing him depressed and scared is horrible. At the same time we really love Patty too. My husband and friends think are only option is to give her back to the rescue but I'm having such a hard time with this so I wanted to see if there is anything else we can do before going this route. I see some of you agree with our friends that this is a very hard behavior to change. I did email her trainer again this morning and am waiting for the reply.
...I do not think crating is cruel in itself but I think the time she is in there is cruel. With the financial crisis going on there are days we can be gone up to 12 hours. Her trainer said it should be fine but we still think this is way too long. She is only about 13-14 months and way to active to be confined for so long. I thought maybe this is why she is acting out. We had her in a much larger play pen in the beginning but she learned to get out and started chewing up items. ....
In my opinion, there is something seriously wrong with the advice you have been given by the rescue group's trainer. Dogs decide amongst themselves which one will be alpha. This is not something humans can or should attempt to impose. It's flat out dangerous, as you have seen.
Also, I can't imagine any reputable trainer saying it is okay to leave a dog crated for 12 hours, especially one that is only 14 months old. Except overnight, most behavioral and training experts recommend that no dog be crated for more than 6 hours. Lengthy crating exacerbates hyperactivity and destructive behavior, too. Best Friends is one of the most reputable and professional animal rescue groups in the world. Here is their advice: http://www.bestfriends.org/theanimal...tetraining.pdf.
The rescue group you dealt with did a very poor job IMO in matching you to this dog, and the advice the "trainer" has subsequently given you appears to me to be tailored to convincing you to keep this dog, regardless of whether or not it is in your best interest or that of the dog.
Your judgment throughout has been good, your instincts are right on, and you have a valid reason to be concerned about what may happen to the dog if you return it. But it is right for you to also be concerned about what will happen to you, to your other dog, and ultimately to it if you keep it. It's not fair to your current dog to put him at risk--and to put yourself at risk, too--by keeping a dog whose needs exceed your ability and/or capacity to meet.
My advice would be to return the dog to the rescue group, tell them honestly why, and go somewhere else for another dog.
I wish you all the best. You sound like a wonderful and committed family who have a lot to offer to the right rescue dog.
I agree that 12 hours is too long to keep the dog crated. If you do decide to keep the dog, get a petsitter to come in once or even twice a day to let Patty out and go for a walk.
However, I would advise you to return the dog to the rescue, for the sake of your other dog. Rescue dogs often take a few days or weeks to begin to adjust to their new home and you start to see their true personality. I understand that you feel guilty about not keeping the dog, but how guilty are you going to feel if she hurts your Peke mix? Or another dog, as you stated that she has also attacked visiting dogs?
This is not a good match and I'm sure everybody will be much happier without this stress.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
