Help!

[Red_BC]

Hi All.

I'm relatively new to this and I didn't know where else to post this. My problem is that recently moved in with the in-laws just for a few months (our house is getting some work done to it) and this also means my gorgeous Border Collie, Diesel has come with us.

The in-laws have a 2 year old kelpie who was brought for my partners youngest brother and this poor dog gets no attention apart from being feed and is basically treated as a backyard ornament (but don't get me started on that). Since we moved in I noticed that Diesel's fur on his lower back was looking patchy I took him to the vets had all sorts of tests done costing a fair bit of $$$ to find out their was nothing wrong with him. I took him back home had contacted his breeder and we were both scratching our heads trying to figure out what was happing.

Then one night I walked past Diesel whilst he was asleep and saw the Kelpie lying behind him chewing on his fur . I was absolutely horrified and repremanded him immediately. Since then I have tried my absolute hardest to stop this from happening by keeping an eye on them and trying to keep them apart. His fur is slowly improving but I wanted to know if anyone else has ever experienced this and what they did about it????

[Jacquiboss&scoop]

Hi All.

I'm relatively new to this and I didn't know where else to post this. My problem is that recently moved in with the in-laws just for a few months (our house is getting some work done to it) and this also means my gorgeous Border Collie, Diesel has come with us.

The in-laws have a 2 year old kelpie who was brought for my partners youngest brother and this poor dog gets no attention apart from being feed and is basically treated as a backyard ornament (but don't get me started on that). Since we moved in I noticed that Diesel's fur on his lower back was looking patchy I took him to the vets had all sorts of tests done costing a fair bit of $$$ to find out their was nothing wrong with him. I took him back home had contacted his breeder and we were both scratching our heads trying to figure out what was happing.

Then one night I walked past Diesel whilst he was asleep and saw the Kelpie lying behind him chewing on his fur . I was absolutely horrified and repremanded him immediately. Since then I have tried my absolute hardest to stop this from happening by keeping an eye on them and trying to keep them apart. His fur is slowly improving but I wanted to know if anyone else has ever experienced this and what they did about it????

My old dog washes the younger ones all the time , does no damage to the fur though just leaves them silky soft and gleaming they are not allowed to move while he does this

perhaps a bone for the kelpie to keep him busy ? and add a bit of calcuim to his diet he might stop trying to suppliment off your poor boy (SP )

[Red_BC]

My old dog washes the younger ones all the time , does no damage to the fur though just leaves them silky soft and gleaming they are not allowed to move while he does this

perhaps a bone for the kelpie to keep him busy ? and add a bit of calcuim to his diet he might stop trying to suppliment off your poor boy (SP )

I have tried to keep the kelpie busy with bones, toys tiring him out with excercise and training.

I wouldn't mind if he was just cleaning Diesel but he's actually chewing it I've never seen or heard of it before?

[megan_]

What is the kelie being fed? Maybe he is trying to make up for some nutritional defficiency?

[Red_BC]

What is the kelie being fed? Maybe he is trying to make up for some nutritional defficiency?

Before we moved in the Kelpie was just being fed dry dog food (supermarket brand), leftovers and with the occasional tin of tuna and the rare bone. Since we feed diesel primarily raw food supplemented with some royal canin we have also fed the kelpie in a diet more similar to Diesel as it is near imposiible to give one dog a chicken frame or bone for dinner and not the other.

Is it possible we're still giving Diesel sommething and the Kelpie not enough to cause this? I have only ever seen him chew at Diesel's fur when Diesel is asleep because there is no way Diesel would just lie there

[corvus]

I would be more inclined to think it was a coping behaviour by the kelpie. Excessive grooming is a known stereotypy in dogs and other animals. Animals start doing things like that because they are stressed and can't find a way to alleviate the stress.

[oakway]

Happens all the time with some dogs. They chew the coat of others.

The only way to stop it is to separate them.

Also it has nothing to do with nutrition. They do it because they can.

How do you think we feel when a dog that we are showing gets his coat chewed off or the their ear fringes removed.

[kiesha09]

I would be more inclined to think it was a coping behaviour by the kelpie. Excessive grooming is a known stereotypy in dogs and other animals. Animals start doing things like that because they are stressed and can't find a way to alleviate the stress.

I agree with this but obviously you would need to see what other body language is happening too. I probably wouldn't be reprimanding the kelpie for it either which would just add to the stress or teach the kelpie not to do it while you are present.

[dancinbcs]

Try spraying the chewed area of the coat with Bitter Apple or Bitter Bite from pet supply stores. Hopefully it will break the habit once the Kelpie gets a mouthful of it.

[corvus]

If it is a reaction to stress from the Kelpie, it's a hard thing to treat. I have treated obsessive habits before and IME it needs a two-pronged approach. You MUST stop them from practicing the behaviour first and foremost. If you stop them 90% of the time it's not enough. Then you have to give them an acceptable outlet for the behaviour so they can transfer it and don't have to go cold turkey. The problem with behaviours that are used as coping strategies is that they do actually make the animal feel less stressed. So they are inherently rewarding. The animal feels compelled to do it. They'll spend hours at it. If you stop them and then don't give them an acceptable outlet they can get quite anxious, I think. If it were me, I'd be looking at bitter tasting substances you can smear on the parts of your dog that are getting chewed. Or separate them at times when the Kelpie is doing the chewing. And if it is a coping behaviour, the Kelpie probably is suffering from some form of chronic stress, or is just upset by having a new dog in the house. Who knows. It might help to give the Kelpie something to occupy it. Like a Kong or a Nylabone (under supervision, of course).

That's all assuming it is a coping behaviour, which is nothing but a guess over the internet. If you can afford it, I think it would be a good idea to get it assessed by a behaviourist. That way you know what's probably at the root of the problem and will be told how to treat it. If you treat the wrong thing it won't go away.