arliespaz

I know the lady I foster for is thoroughly interviewing everyone who calls about her. I as well have been talking to them to let them know exactly what she is like. She also will not let her go to a house with cats and small children, just for safety's sake. I can't wait till the behaviorist comes to see her!.. I realize this is not good and this is why I am asking for help!

Thank you everyone for your replies. I have been working hard with her, but I need just that little bit of extra knowledge to fix her right up! She is a great dog, and I want her to be able to be ok in an average household. Sometimes I just wish she was normal, but then I would not learn so much! The next one is going to be way easier! I can't believe how much she has changed me as a doggy mom (for the better of course!). I have been regularly kicking her out of my room just because I can. I will send her out with a yummy stuffed kong and shut my door for however long I want. She is never allowed on any of our furniture, and especially not allowed on my bed! I keep her on a drag leash in the house as a just in case thing, although it is rare that I have to grab it, as her behavior is not consistent. I think my roommate is really not helping her separation anxiety. If she's sitting in her crate crying for any reason, he will look at her and be like awww and then start crying along with her and laugh then walk away. It is driving me insane that he does that! If she barks in there and I am not home he lets her out then chains her outside for hours and hours on end and without anything fun to do. I give her a bone outside so she can do something while she's out there! I have someone coming to see her in a week or so, as a favor to the people I foster with! Which is really nice, and I can't wait! I was speaking with him on the phone last night and he was thinking of putting her on meds for separation anxiety just until we get it under control... What are your thoughts about that? It just seems like it would be possible to do it without the meds.. Also, if anyone is in Perth and has big dogs she can come play with please let me know!

They are in Karratha and she got flown in to Perth where I am. I'm not sure, but I don't think they do, as they never mentioned it to me when I got her. She was assessed, and I was aware she was a tough case. No-one wanted to take a difficult dog, and I was the only one willing to take on this challenge. She has improved greatly since the day she came to me, which was only 2 months ago.

Hello everyone, I am new to this forum, but looking for a few tips for training my excitable Bull Arab foster dog! She seems to be going through an "I'm a bratty teenager" stage. She is very well behaved and listens well, although sometimes she just decides she is going to GO CRAZY! I can see it the second its going to start, and I try to get on top of it as quick as possible. For example.. If I am in my room cuddling with my husband, she will deliberately try to make me correct her.. ie. getting attention whether it is positive or negative. She will step on my bed and when I tell her off her body language changes. Sometimes she will test me by barking at me or jumping up on my bed and running around my room in a frenzy until I correct her and kick her out or correct her and put her in a down stay for a prolonged period of time till she settles. This doesn't happen every time, only sometimes. Sometimes if I get up and correct her right as she's starting to show me that body language she will attempt to bite me. If I ignore her pleading she does the same thing. If my husband is on the couch and she wants attention, if he pushes her away or tells her no, sometimes she will snap at him. My roommate was home for 3 weeks, and this is when this all started happening. He lets her walk all over him. She listens very well to every command except for off. She just HATES that one. Also, sometimes her prey drive kicks in super hard and she takes off to run around the neighbors yards. She knows how to open the door, and will not attempt it if I am able to give her a correction. She is never gone for long, and when she did that at the beginning she would not come back, but now she leaves for a minute or two and when I get sight of her and call her and she comes bolting back. Another thing is that when certain dogs tell her she is playing too rough she starts to get a bit aggressive with them and I have to stop the playtime. It doesn't happen with all dogs... She also likes to step on feet and paw at my legs sometimes. I started teaching her shake a paw and she doesn't do that as much now. I also push her off me and grumble and walk away. I think she's starting to get it. Apart from those annoying things she is pretty good. Not perfect by any means, but I really want to get her to a good level for being adopted. She has killed a cat before and children and small dogs were always SUPER INTERESTING to her. She is really good with children now, and doesn't try to go after small dogs and cats when I am in control of her.