Need Help With Japanese Spitz

[dancinbcs]

Okay Maple is acting strange... He seems really frustrated and would throw tantrums on his bed, he would begin to scratch it rapidly ( something we've never observed him to do ) Like he's pissed and distressed.. Could there be anything wrong with him or the diet? We still bring him for 2 walks a day.

My JS digs the floor to try to get attention and to tell me he is hungry. When I am getting his dinner ready he frantically digs at the kitchen mat. Sometimes he does it when I am getting our dinner, to let me know he wants some of that as well. If he is being ignored he will start trying to dig a hole in the carpet as he knows it gets a reaction. He also digs before lying down sometimes and loves to dig in the yard. He has done it from 8 weeks and I have never had another dog do it before.

[Daisys Mum]

My CKCS does the digging thing too when she wants attention and if you don't give it to her quick enough she play growls too ... she is a little monkey :laugh: she also does it on her bed when she wants a comfortable position , or wherever she sits or sleeps :)

I have had dogs all my life and Lacey is the first dog of mine to do it .. the first time she did it I thought it quite bizarre lol.

[Salukifan]

Digging at bedding is something many dogs do. Its normal canine behaviour.

My dogs seem to get a lot of pleasure from it.

Edited September 11, 2013 by Haredown Whippets

[Bundyburger]

Okay Maple is acting strange... He seems really frustrated and would throw tantrums on his bed, he would begin to scratch it rapidly ( something we've never observed him to do ) Like he's pissed and distressed.. Could there be anything wrong with him or the diet? We still bring him for 2 walks a day.

You are humanising him abit much, much this is normal behaviour for dogs. My dogs do this regularly. They do it to get comfy on their beds. My boy nests then does 3 circles every time before settling. They are all different. Just chill out a bit, not everything is bad.

[Lasareina]

Bundyburger may be right about the humanizing thing... our trainer at obedience has been trying to knock into our heads that dogs are not humans and don't think, act or feel like humans... we do have to be careful about putting a human interpretation to dog behaviour. I'm still convinced that Hunter thinks he is a person though :laugh:

Juno also makes a nest ... she will spend about 10 minutes pulling her blankies around and making it all perfect, then will lay down for about 3 seconds and then walk away :laugh: . She does have a very focussed intense look on her face when she does this, although I wouldn't call it pissed or distressed. Hunter just lays on his back doing his 'dead dog' impersonation.

It could be a good sign afterall that he is feeling settled in :)

Edited September 11, 2013 by Lasareina

[dancinbcs]

Looking at the photos again, Maple's coat doesn't look too bad but photos can be deceiving. Have you tried brushing him yet? That much coat will need a thorough brush through at least twice a week and must be brushed in layers from underneath. If you do not know how to line brush a coat then you probably need to pay a groomer to teach you how to do it but do not leave it too long. A week can make the difference between an easy to groom coat and a complete matted mess. If he is likely to freak out with a groomer you might have to learn how to bath, dry and properly groom him yourself but never bath a JS that has not first been completely brushed through or you will cause the coat to turn to felt as soon as it gets wet. It isn't hard to groom a JS once you are shown and JS don't need a lot of bathing as the coats shed dirt, so once every couple of months or so is fine but the brushing is vital.

The right grooming tools are also essential. I use a top quality Mason Pearson bristle and nylon brush but you can also use a soft slicker brush. Then you need a really wide toothed "Collie comb". A grooming spray or conditioner diluted in a spray bottle makes the whole process much easier. Dampen the coat slightly with the spray then starting at one back leg, brush in small layers working your way forward. Each hair must be brushed from the skin out. Do the other side and the belly then run the Collie comb through to check for any tangles and brush them out from the tips back to the skin. It should take about 30 min with a full coat but can take hours if the coat has been neglected.

[W Sibs]

Okay Maple is acting strange... He seems really frustrated and would throw tantrums on his bed, he would begin to scratch it rapidly ( something we've never observed him to do ) Like he's pissed and distressed.. Could there be anything wrong with him or the diet? We still bring him for 2 walks a day.

that's normal behaviour.. he is nesting (trying to organise his "bed" they way he wants to before he goes to sleep). my Jap Spitz does this, she puts her heart and soul into nesting.. she digs, growls, barks while she does it and once she finish, she flops down with a massive sigh as though saying 'finally!' and then goes to sleep. It's very serious business getting their bed right before sleep :laugh:

My Samoyed does this too but doesn't put as much heart into it as Emmy :laugh:

[Clarabelle]

we just found out that maple eats his own poop. We have been suspecting it as there are some brown spots on the wee wee pad but today we confirmed it as there are traces of poop everywhere at the hall way. im a cleanliness freak and this really put me off quite a bit.. esp when i think about him touching us with his paw which he stepped on his own poop and gladly spread it on the ground.

[persephone]

Sounds pretty normal .. for various reasons ....

You may like to try using pineapple in his food to help ...

which he stepped on his own poop and gladly spread it on the ground.

:) he doesn't do these things on purpose or anything - he's a dog . he is an UNKNOWN dog , at that ... he is confined, he is on a reduced diet .... he has had a LOT of changes and experiences recently , so things will start to crop up ...

Edited September 12, 2013 by persephone

[Clarabelle]

hahaha everything that concerns me is normal k thanks (:

[W Sibs]

What is his current diet?

[Clarabelle]

Premium quality kibble from Royal canin 1/2 cup at 10 am, 1/2 cup at 6 pm, and a healthy snack at 8-9 ( been trying carrots, apple). I've been googling about corophagia, and he doesn't eat other dog's poop. When i walk him and he smells other dog's poop, he would walk away.

[W Sibs]

I think that's still too much for a JS... especially if he is on diet.

I suggest feeding him 1/2 cup of food a day, especially if you are planning to give him snacks.

Edited September 12, 2013 by W Sibs

[persephone]

Premium quality kibble from Royal canin 1/2 cup at 10 am, 1/2 cup at 6 pm, and a healthy snack at 8-9 ( been trying carrots, apple). I've been googling about corophagia, and he doesn't eat other dog's poop. When i walk him and he smells other dog's poop, he would walk away.

I agree with Wsibs ..if you are trying to help him get trim, taut , & terrific .. he is indeed getting much more food than he needs.

coprophagia can indeed be restricted to his own faeces ... and it may be a long standing habit .. or maybe something he has now learned in the hours he is alone ...Maybe the kibble is too rich, and smells good even after being eaten?

[Bundyburger]

Premium quality kibble from Royal canin 1/2 cup at 10 am, 1/2 cup at 6 pm, and a healthy snack at 8-9 ( been trying carrots, apple). I've been googling about corophagia, and he doesn't eat other dog's poop. When i walk him and he smells other dog's poop, he would walk away.

My 23kg and 25kg dogs get 1 cup of food a day each and they are perfect. You need to decrease what he's being fed, it's too much for a little dog.

[luvsdogs]

My JS does the nesting thing too occasionally. Especially if he goes on my BC's bed. As to the feeding I would suggest that you decrease his kibble very gradually over a period of a couple of weeks until you have it down to a suitable amount. That way he won't notice so much that he's getting less. :D

[Bjelkier]

we just found out that maple eats his own poop. We have been suspecting it as there are some brown spots on the wee wee pad but today we confirmed it as there are traces of poop everywhere at the hall way. im a cleanliness freak and this really put me off quite a bit.. esp when i think about him touching us with his paw which he stepped on his own poop and gladly spread it on the ground.

Try adding pineapple to his diet. It stops many dogs eating their own poo.

[Salukifan]

we just found out that maple eats his own poop. We have been suspecting it as there are some brown spots on the wee wee pad but today we confirmed it as there are traces of poop everywhere at the hall way. im a cleanliness freak and this really put me off quite a bit.. esp when i think about him touching us with his paw which he stepped on his own poop and gladly spread it on the ground.

Your dog is NOT deliberately stepping in poo and 'gladly' spreading it.

Your chosen living arrangements have removed his option to exercise his natural instinct to defecate outside his usual living area. He has no option but to poo in your apartment unless you give him better access outside.

If you want a 'cleaner' place to live, move somewhere with outside access. This is your decision making at work, not your dog's.

If I sound a bit annoyed by your post, its because I am. You are the one who chooses how this dog lives. You are the the one who needs to deal with the outcome of that choice.

If you want a squeaky clean apartment, you have chosen the wrong pet. It's not fair to put this on the dog.

Edited September 13, 2013 by Haredown Whippets

[Clarabelle]

we just found out that maple eats his own poop. We have been suspecting it as there are some brown spots on the wee wee pad but today we confirmed it as there are traces of poop everywhere at the hall way. im a cleanliness freak and this really put me off quite a bit.. esp when i think about him touching us with his paw which he stepped on his own poop and gladly spread it on the ground.

Your dog is NOT deliberately stepping in poo and 'gladly' spreading it.

Your chosen living arrangements have removed his option to exercise his natural instinct to defecate outside his usual living area. He has no option but to poo in your apartment unless you give him better access outside.

If you want a 'cleaner' place to live, move somewhere with outside access. This is your decision making at work, not your dog's.

If I sound a bit annoyed by your post, its because I am. You are the one who chooses how this dog lives. You are the the one who needs to deal with the outcome of that choice.

If you want a squeaky clean apartment, you have chosen the wrong pet. It's not fair to put this on the dog.

my apartment is HUGE and i have a big space for him to wee and poo so if he decides to pick his poo up and eat it its MY fault ? we bring it multiple times for it to have enough exercise so he can adapt to our new apartment well. You have no right to judge me and saying its my bad decision because I am damn pretty sure me and my partner cares about his wellbeing more than his last owners. So sorry if i decide to get some first hand opinion from dog owners, and if my post angers you, just leave. I dont need YOUR judgemental views.

[Salukifan]

my apartment is HUGE and i have a big space for him to wee and poo so if he decides to pick his poo up and eat it its MY fault ? we bring it multiple times for it to have enough exercise so he can adapt to our new apartment well. You have no right to judge me and saying its my bad decision because I am damn pretty sure me and my partner cares about his wellbeing more than his last owners. So sorry if i decide to get some first hand opinion from dog owners, and if my post angers you, just leave. I dont need YOUR judgemental views.

Over reaction on your part perhaps?

I commented on your squeamishness about your dog "gladly" STEPPING in poo and "spreading" it, not eating it. And touching you with his paw Never said a word about the coprophagia.

I've been here nearly 10 years, so I wont be leaving on your suggestion thanks. I never said I was angry either.

You've got plenty help and opinions from a heap of dog owners including me before now. Some of it suggests you stop humanising every thing your dog does and treat him as the canine he is. Mine is more of the same. Getting the message?

Edited September 13, 2013 by Haredown Whippets