raineth Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 Oh man that is just so sad and frustrating Why cant people just sometimes say that they've stuffed up!? I mean at the very least you would expect after that lesson she would be honest with herself and you and admit that something happened and offer to help you and justice through the recovery. I know I would be devastated in that situation snook. I'm sure Justice will recover but its just so hard on you and him to have lost some of the gains you've made Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raineth Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 Hi, new to this topic. I'm wondering if anyone here has their reactive dogs on anxiety medication? If so, does this help take the edge off? How much? Is it worth the side effects (what are they?) or do they side effects outweigh the benefits? I've been recommended to try anxiety medication by my vet and I'm weighing up my options. It will be quite expensive, and I don't want him to lose his personality when for most of his day-to-day life he can manage just fine. I can't work behavior modification with him and dogs currently, have tried with professionals, he is reactive on sight. I've tried the Thundershirt in the past for calming, no help. I'm currently trying a DAP collar. I know I have to give it at least a month, but I'm not seeing any signs of improvement as yet. I'm not hopeful enough to think medication will make him alright with other dogs. I'm ok if we just avoid them altogether, but he can be reactive with people, cars, car travel and new places. If I medicate him I'm hoping it will improve his reactions with these things. Thanks for any help. Hi Ren, sorry to hear about the struggles your dog is having. I think its definitely worthwhile to look into medication. It might just give you the edge you need for training to make some progress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hankdog Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 So just when you need her help she's backed away. Thanks for nothing. I can't think of anything useful except to be cranky for you. Would a medium level obedience class maybe be helpful. Somewhere that the dogs are on leash but reasonably obedient. You know all the ropes now so that could maybe just ease him through without costing an arm and a leg? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hankdog Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 Right that would require a special kind of dog. Guess that's back to the drawing board for a trainer then. So annoying how quickly it's all gone south. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Crazy Posted June 21, 2014 Share Posted June 21, 2014 Hi Ren, welcome to the thread. First off have you had a thyroid test done. The one done by Hemopet in USA is a very detailed one and more comprehensive than is done here. My boy is also reactive on sight. He is on Prozac, generic Lovan. It's actually not very expensive if you buy from a chemist rather than the vet. The vet writes a script and you get it filled at a human vet. Jakes also pretty committed to his dog phobia, without medication he doesn't actually have to see a dog. He just has to be in a place where he saw a dog before or smell a dog. Medication just have him a little bit more brain so that some of the training can stick. There is some personality change and we had to play around with the dosage, on 30mg he was too sleepy, on 20 he is manageable but on 15 you get some bounciness. Good for playing but not for his phobias. The first few weeks he will be sleepy anyway. Without medication I would not have been able to get any training in. I was told PTS by a few trainers and may have done so without medication. The loss of some playfulness is a small price to pay. Hi & welcome Ren, Totally agree with Hankdog's advice here. I'm looking at finding a new Vet atm as my Vet of some 20 years refuses to write scripts for us. His mark up on the meds both my dogs are on are 4 to 5 times the price I can buy them for eg. Stellas Kalma Tabs I can buy them for $11.69, he charges me $47. Sonny's Tramadol $ 11.50, he charges me $57.60. They are life long meds so I just have to find a more economical option sadly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hankdog Posted June 21, 2014 Share Posted June 21, 2014 My first vet charged me $80 for a box of Prozac. I lost faith and found a less flashy but more friendly vet who actually told me that it was cheaper to get a script from the chemist. Ren my boy is very reactive, like you if I never took him out I would just have a very sweet at home dog but he also has other fear issues. I think by tackling rather than avoiding the issues I will increase his quality of life. Not easy and I finally understood he will never be dog friendly but the approach that has worked is to train him in obedience and then work closer and closer to dogs so that ultimately they're just another distraction. My present trainer is very open minded and just accepts the Tubster for what he is. I am quite sensitized to people's opinion of him and get uncomfortable around people who dislike him. I guess there's a balance to finding a way of training that is pleasant and enjoyable for the trainer and the dog human partnership. My first sessions he wouldn't look at her now she gets a tail wag and some licks which is great for me to see him relating to other people. I hope you can find a balance with your dog too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Crazy Posted June 21, 2014 Share Posted June 21, 2014 I get very uncomfortable around people who dislike Stella too Hankdog. She is an absolute sweetheart but some folks only see her or hear her at her worst. When she is going 'off' & while it's not pretty she is improving but folks tend to want to label her whilst at her worst. Which is very unfortunate IMHO.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simply Grand Posted June 21, 2014 Share Posted June 21, 2014 I know emotionally it wont be that helpful but do remember that people will have their stupid prejudices about certain dogs no matter what the actual dog in front of them does! People don't like small dogs, people don't like big dogs, people don't like black dogs, people don't like fluffies, people don't like pit bulls, people don't like squishy faced dogs, people don't like "ugly" dogs (??), people don't like huskies, people don't like jumpy dogs, people don't like "aggressive" dogs etc etc etc... Even if all they see the dog do is literally sit there! Working in a shelter we hear this EVERY day, based on people's ignorance about what dogs are actually like, how individual they all are and what motivates them all individually. Try to disregard them as just ignorant, and remember yourself all the good things and all the progress you make :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Crazy Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 SG, your right in what your saying. I do try & not take it heart. I have learnt to shrug off most of the flak we get. I find a lot of folk are really quite frightened of Stella too, which doesn't help but they just don't her like I do I guess. On a positive note I have been making some quite good progress with her regarding her dog reactivity. There is a ACD where I exercise my guys that Stella usually reacts to. So I have been watching for when he comes walking along & we are usually playing ball retrieve, I very quickly move the game about 50ft away from him & up against a rock wall. Then I speed the game right up. She loves it & is so focused on me she pays no attention to the ACD going past at all. Now as soon as she see's the ACD coming which she used to try to charge at. She looks at me then runs down to this rock wall & is bursting with excitment waiting for me to start our new very fast ball game. So a fast game has become the reward for her leaving the boy alone & so far it is working really well. I'm very pleased that Stella has started to position herself in readiness of her own accord. Smart little girl she is :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raineth Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 Great work Bc Crazy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hankdog Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 It's so exciting when they show you they know the rules and are confident to start the sequence. I get some input from people about Jake "working the system" just to get treats. I'm completely fine with that. I think our slightly speshul dogs deserve recognition when they finally get it. She's more interested in her speeded up game and knows you'll play it with her, great work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Crazy Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 Thanks everyone. I'm pretty chuffed :) Hankdog, what you say is so true. It is very exciting when our speshul dogs get it...& gain some confidence. We all go above the call of duty trying to help our guys & when you see any signs of improvement. It too is pretty darn lump in the throat kinda speshul ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VizslaMomma Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 Thanks everyone. I'm pretty chuffed :) Hankdog, what you say is so true. It is very exciting when our speshul dogs get it...& gain some confidence. We all go above the call of duty trying to help our guys & when you see any signs of improvement. It too is pretty darn lump in the throat kinda speshul ;) I call it a light bulb moment. It's a bonus for us to see a positive reaction coming from our dogs. Well Done Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hankdog Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 That's great Snook. It's quite devastating for me when something throws the Tubster and I off the tightrope. You had so much invested in this relationship I can imagine how you were feeling. Lifelines offered by others are so welcome, when my daughter was ill always thought that those offering help were like elephant aunties just helping lift us through. Hopefully you have some elephant aunties for you and J-dawg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Crazy Posted June 27, 2014 Share Posted June 27, 2014 (edited) Stella is on a bit of a roll lately. She was quite ill for a few days so off to the Vets on Wednesday with her on my own. Usually this is a 2 person job & it is a mission from the time you get through the front door till you close it behind you on your way out. A nightmare doesn't even remotely cover it. You also had to watch she didn't jump through the closed windows as she has tried in the past as well Well she didn't put a foot wrong this time. I didn't have to carry her, she walked in herself. We had a lovely young english female Vet who Stella seemed to take to straight away. While she was being examined she stood like a statue & only had to be muzzled (as she has bitten the Vet before) as a precaution while getting her temp. taken. She didn't move a muscle. I couldn't believe it. While she wasn't over the moon about it, she tolerated the appointment perfectly I'm so proud of my girl. It took a lot of courage as she was very frightened but she is learning how to cope with those feeling so much better. The fear isn't overwhelming her like it used to. Bravo Stella girl. I'm beaming with pride darling sweetheart girl Edited June 27, 2014 by BC Crazy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Crazy Posted June 27, 2014 Share Posted June 27, 2014 (edited) Thanks Snook. Stella seems to be coming into her own now. It's wonderful to witness. She is not the type of girl you can push. She needs to absorb her surroundings. Once she is comfortable she excels way beyond my wildest expectations :) Edited June 27, 2014 by BC Crazy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hankdog Posted June 27, 2014 Share Posted June 27, 2014 Well done Stella. A good vet visit is such a blessing. There is a new Facebook page for volatile dogs started by our own creature teacher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Crazy Posted June 27, 2014 Share Posted June 27, 2014 This was our first 'good' Vet visit & it was just so much easier. Have to try & find that facebook page HD thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Crazy Posted June 27, 2014 Share Posted June 27, 2014 (edited) Snook , Justice did so well in that stressful situation. What that woman was thinking is beyond me but Justice handled it which is terrrific. Well done :) Edited June 27, 2014 by BC Crazy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hankdog Posted June 27, 2014 Share Posted June 27, 2014 When I used to take Hank to the dog park up the road there was this man used to run through the middle. Very small park and sometimes there's be over ten dogs having a ball game so running straight through was pretty stupid and he started kicking dogs that got in his way. Someone reported him to the ranger who came down took statements and issued him a warning. ???????? strangely he stopped turning up. I might have a link if I knew how to work it out, sorry I'm not great at technology. It's Melissa Starling who is creature teacher. I liked her fb page and then got a post about the volatile dig group she's started. If you can't find it I'll get an intelligent youngster to sort it out for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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