# Problem Dog (Sassy Cakes)



## Kihluna (May 27, 2011)

So we adopted this dog when we first moved into the new house a few months ago. Figured it was a new place so the old dog couldn`t be territorial when we introduced a new dog. They get along great, but the new dog has more issues than a mental patient.

She has seperation anxiety, which we`ve begun to deal with by giving her a Kong and crating whenever I leave. She is obsessed with me only.
She has this strange fear of men, especially when we wrestle or try to be intimate, and since she has pit in her I don`t want her to bite anyone because laws around here I`m sure she`d be put down. She growls and barks and bares her teeth and tries to get in between us, also has gotten predatory of the bed, if shes sleeping and Tony tries to move her down she flips out.
She apparently hasn`t been socialized, hates cats but gets along with rats and my infant just fine (still learning she cant play with the rats.) She tries to eat small dogs and fight with bigger ones we pass on the street.
She jumps on the sliding glass door whenever she wants in. Then she gets crated for abt five minutes. She knows shes doing bad because she runs right into the crate, you dont even need to lock her in anymore, but she wont stop doing it. She also won`t use the restroom unless someone stands outside with her, she won`t play with Diamond unless we are standing in the doorway, as soon as you shut the door shes back by the glass jumping.
And when she gets really stressed she pees and (seemingly) forces herself to have diharrea all over the place. Just today Tony woke up to the whole room full of it and she peed on the bed right next to him than ran to her crate and threw up.

She`s been to the vet, had hookworms but they were treated and now she is worm free, she`s been vaccinated, booster shotted and they say theres nothing wrong with her, so How can I get her to calm down and stop all of this. The crate doesn`t bother her, She gets a walk every day to expel energy and she is played with on and off all day by Diamond, and the 3 of us, and I`m working on basic command training..nothing is seeming to work..and I dunno what to do


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## ratchilla (May 12, 2011)

Oh wow, it just seems like so many issues. It isn't just one, it's multiple. I think she'd be a perfect candidate for Cesar Millan. Seriously though, I would look into a professional because it isn't just minor things and if it's becoming more of an issue I think it would be better to start on them before she gets older. Especially if you're worried about her biting. 

If you can't afford that right now, you have the internet at your fingertips. Youtube has a plethora of videos that you can watch on obedience training and get help from there or other sites. 

Just type in any of your issues. E.g. how to control separation anxiety in dogs. 

This is the first result I got: http://www.dog-adoption-and-training-guide.com/separation-anxiety.html

I would do that and work on all your issues. I would also try to correct each one every time it occurs instead of working on only one issue at a time. One thing I noticed is that you said when she is sleeping on your bed. If she becomes aggressive on your bed, then she shouldn't be up there at all. Specifically, she shouldn't have enough time to fall asleep there. You need to make sure she understands she isn't allowed up there. Once again, there are a lot of videos on this and I would try their methods to see if they work (mostly being a noise with a push of the hand). 

Another link: http://www.therealjackrussell.com/wwwboard/faq/aggressive.htm

I'm not sure if this has helped at all, but I wish you the best.


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## HowlsOfAngels (Apr 9, 2011)

Wow, it sounds like you've got your hands full with many derious problems that need to be addressed.

First her anxiety, it'd being caused because she is so attached to you and only you, plus the stress of your boyfreind. The solution is to help her trust others so that she won't feel the need to obssess. And more walks/positive reinforcement training.

Time outs don't work for dogs, not in this situation. She only knows that when she displays those behaviors that's where 
she goes and as you said "the crate doesn't bother her" by
no means does that mean finding something that does, it just means that's where she goes it's not reward or negative reinforcement (most common is simply ignoring the dog until he stops displaying negative behavior). 

Ever watch It's Me Or The Dog, there's less stress on the owner and the dog, plus no 'alpha'. No dragging an animal to a tredmil until he tires himself, only slow positive introduction with treats and praise.

All of her issues can be solved with positive reinforcement training and the following sites can help: positively.com , http://positively.com/dog-training/find-a-trainer/ , http://animal.discovery.com/tv/its-me-or-dog/

I hope that the above links help you and feel that I must encourage you to use positive reinforcement over any alpha based training method.


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## sorraia (Nov 10, 2007)

It sounds like a LOT of those behaviors could be stemming from anxiety. That is probably the FIRST thing you need to improve and THEN see which behaviors continue. Its possible she may need to be medicated, at least initially, to get her mind to a place where you CAN effectively work with her. Also, how long a walk is she getting? The "pit bull" breeds are extremely high energy dogs. They really really really need a LOT of structured exercise EVERY day. One walk a day and some play time isn't going to be enough. My dog is 1/4 American Staffordshire Terrier (one of the "pit bull" breeds) and 1/2 German Shorthaired Pointer. I can take her with me to work, which means hiking for 6 hours of the day. THAT tires her out well enough that she will sleep and behave herself the rest of the day. Anything less and she is crazy and hard to handle, EVEN playing with my puppy all day long. I really think if you can get a handle on her anxiety issues, and provide her with a lot more structured exercise, she will probably be a much different dog.


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## Kinsey (Jun 14, 2009)

Yikes, that sounds just like a dog we fostered. The dog we fostered was a monster, neither positive nor negative reinforcement worked- she LOVED negative reinforcement, even if you acted like you would kick her she wagged and continued the behavior. Ignoring her produced continued negative behavior, and she was destructive.

She peed, had diharria, vomited, and chewed. It was awful. My mother finally got tired of it and gave her back to the humane society, because she howled all night in the crate. If she wasn't crated, she vomited, pooped, peed, and destroyed everything in the house. 

She howled all day in the crate, too, but was so nervous about being left that we couldn't leave her out.

She found a home and I hope they've found something that worked for her, she was EVIL.

However. You dog can hopefully be worked with better than that retarded chiuahua mix. Pits are smart. (so was that dog, but AHHH)

My dog is separation anxious, and was abused and hurt when we got her. We kept her with us, and started leaving for short priods of time, then coming home. Even just walk out to get the mail for 5 minutes, but dress like you are going to work. When you come back, she will see you are going to come back at some point and are not abandoning her. Gradually lengthen the time- it should help.


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