Considering Rehoming. How Do You Choose Who?

[Dxenion]

Cleanrun stock thundershirts and have free worldwide shipping until 16 Dec.

Although every situation is different, we swear by the thundershirt for our thunder phobic GSD. We have a video on YouTube of her wearing it and you'd never know she had any issues by the behaviour. We've also found that it is having a calming effect leading up to thunder as well. The other day I heard the storm and went to grab the shirt then noticed that she wasn't panting, pacing or wide eyed like she used to be before an event. Wearing the shirt during thunder has allowed her to experience calm and get rewarded for it. Through training, she is now starting to associate thunder with good things, no longer as time to head for the hills.

I also used to live with two dogs with a kill on sight agreement (one dog was resource guarding my partner) and although it took a long time, the instigator was eventually able to tolerate the other dog. Through management initially via separation (so they didn't get a chance to practice and reinforce the aggressive behaviour), pack structure management and monitoring of our own behaviour around the dogs we were able to make it work.

I agree with others here that moving house to a new territory which neither of them has claim over can flame the problem as one or both try to claim rights over the new house. When we moved with the above dogs, we had to ensure that the alpha dog (which also happened to be the instigator) was given 1st dibs at resources and that we made sure the other dog respected that and wasn't given the opportunity to challenge.

Best wishes to you and please let us know how it works out.

Edited to add that we use a DAP diffuser here on one of our dogs and the difference is like night and day in controlling his anxiety (a story for another thread). I buy the refills online from the cheapest supplier on the day as the vet prices frighten me!

Edited December 11, 2011 by Dxenion

[Bilbo Baggins]

GSD's 4Ever states that that is her name on Youtube and http://www.petsprovidore.com.au/ is who sells them in Australia.

I can't find her :-( Will keep looking though.

Hi Sharna3 :D

Your vet has better prices than mine! I got charged over a hundred dollars for the diffuser (got my brother to go online for the collar).

It does sound as though the dap was keeping things together, if trouble started after they ran out.

Here's hoping peace comes back to your household

Sooo pricey, especially considering in the UK the collars are about 20 pounds - $AUD30 and the diffuser about $AUD40!! such a rip off. Thank god for ebay. If you ever need more, just look there

PM GSD's$EVER and she can put you on the right tram.

[Sharna3]

Quick update:

We are using dog crates and baby gates to keep physical barriers between the dogs and they ate doing fine with that. Jazz is being more relaxed around Harley and he seems back to normal towards her. Which is good but I'm not trusting it yet!

Another positive is that on Harley's walk this morning, a little off-lead terrier came to say hello and have a sniff, and Harley was fine with her, they sniffed and then wanted to play. So I was happy to see that.

Hopefully our DAP collars arrive today and we see further improvement

[persephone]

That's good to read . well done.

[Talien]

I'm so glad that things are starting to get better. Keep working on it, it is so devastating when two beloveds start to not get along but I think with some work you will get there and they will both be able to be kept

[Bull Arab]

My experience is with entire BCs and I would not tolerate a BC male that would fight with a bitch. It is as unacceptable as an adult attacking a puppy in my book. In my experience the males always back down if challenged by a bitch.

I would assume we could expect different behaviour from two sterilized dogs though? (obviously, you'd hope not this behaviour, but what I mean is I wouldn't compare the two eg entire vs sterilized?)

Both of these dogs are desexed and have been since early in life. One of the Aussies is entire (6 month old) he is the only entire dog in the house.

[Bull Arab]

Quick update:

We are using dog crates and baby gates to keep physical barriers between the dogs and they ate doing fine with that. Jazz is being more relaxed around Harley and he seems back to normal towards her. Which is good but I'm not trusting it yet!

Another positive is that on Harley's walk this morning, a little off-lead terrier came to say hello and have a sniff, and Harley was fine with her, they sniffed and then wanted to play. So I was happy to see that.

Hopefully our DAP collars arrive today and we see further improvement

Great news good to hear!!!

[Kustali]

Great news!

[wantsapuppy]

Thats fantastic to hear. Keep up the good work.

[Sharna3]

Latest update;

Dogs have been doing very well - we are still keeping them separated but have allowed very closely monitored contact.

Took the dogs to the beach on Saturday - we are driving home for Christmas and trying to work out the best way to have them both in the ute (it has a canopy) together. We put Jazz in the car first and then Harley (with his lead firmly attached.) The dogs were so happy to be with each other - lots of tail wagging and face licking and then they just looked at us as if to say "What?" We have tie points in the back so that we can if necessary tether them at opposite ends, but they seemed totally at ease with each other. So we left them untethered and drove to the beach with me watching them the whole time like a hawk (but trying to be inconspicuous).

At the beach they were again just their old selves. Harley was totally interested in his ball and Jazz just had a ball. At one point she crash tackled him which is something they always used to do; Harley did not react negatively at all. He just shook it off (Jazz had kept running, swinging around for another pass!) and kept chasing his ball.

Back in the car for the trip home, the dogs again were totally at ease and layed down together.

Once we got home - Harley was fine but Jazz would not just follow Harley and I into the back yard. She started to then froze and sat down. Once I moved Harley so I was between them, she came in quite happily. But it was so odd, the change in her demeanor was instant and dramatic.

At the park etc. they are fine and walk side by side quite happily when husband and I walk them together. Still the tension in the house / yard though.

DAP collars finally arrived today and are fitted. Lets see how they go, they may help with the anxiety Jazz displays here; for now we will just keep them physically separated and keep working on building their trust up in each other I guess!

[Bilbo Baggins]

Are you going to get thundershirt? It's sounds like it could work for her anxiety at home.

[Sharna3]

Are you going to get thundershirt? It's sounds like it could work for her anxiety at home.

I want to give the collars a go first, see if they help. Try one thing at a time so that if I get a positive result, I can be sure what I got it from!

[tdierikx]

Awesome news! You are doing so well, and the dogs seem to be coping just fine... just don't become complacent when they have been acting fine for a while - the fights could happen at the drop of a hat still, OK? It sounds like they are responding perfectly to an established routine... keep up the great work...

T.