Ahh... Help please? (new dog)

Trianna · September 2009

So, my sister got a new dog, so she'd have a friend for hers... well she had to get rid of him... So I took him... He's a white American Bulldog(mix?) she adopted from a shelter... He's got problems. He's pretty good on walks, and I gave him a bath without incident, but, well, he barks the minute he's left alone. It's not a normal bark, either... It sounds like someone is beating him or something, and it just doesn't stop. He whines a lot too... Anybody have any ideas what I can do to get him to stop? P.S. I'll post pics when I get a chance.

Hibachi · September 2009

Sounds like seperation anxiety, I would try to stay with him/her as much as possible at first and slowly leave him home alone, get toys like kongs, bones, etc. to keep him occupied.

-edit- How do you greet him when you come home?

Trianna · September 2009

Well, this is the first day we've had him, so I haven't actually had a chance to come home after leaving yet... I was thinking of that too... I gave him a rawhide, but the only time he'll chew it is when I hold it... If I let it go he drops it, and then whines more.

Hibachi · September 2009

Well, when you come home the best thing to do is ignore him, say you went to the store...put your things away and once he's calm pet him and then continue about your day.

And for the rawhide bone don't hold it for him, place it on the ground and walk away, maybe even teach him a few simple tricks to keep his mind active. He just needs to find out where he fits in with your "pack"

Trianna · September 2009

He's been barking for the past 2 hours without a pause... I tried to sit with him at first, but that just made it worse... It's 11 at night. My sister got so fed up with him she was at the point where she just wanted to let him run away.

Hibachi · September 2009

Where do you keep him at night and how old is he?

Trianna · September 2009

He's staying in a room near the kitchen, so he's someplace he'll be near us, but also have some peace and quiet, and he's in a crate, because we have cats and a small dog, so he can't be loose until they get used to each other. I have no idea how old he is... I'd guess somewhere between one and four...

Hibachi · September 2009

Oh okay, that deffinatly makes more sense. :P He will be barking for a few nights until he gets use to the crate, just like a puppy you may suffer from sleepless nights until he is comfortable. To calm him somewhat put something in the crate that smells like you, my dogs each have an old pillow or something like an old shirt would work as well, make sure he has toys, etc. We keep my daschund in the bathroom at night becuase he has issues with tight spaces and it's a long story. xD So if you need to expand his space put a gate up.

You can also look online or in books for crate training ideas, I would keep the crate open during the day and put treats in there that way he will see it as crate=good. Older dogs make take more time to learn than younger dogs.

Trianna · September 2009

He has a blanket in there, and we still have to buy him some toys... my sister didn't have any for him. I think it's going to take him a while to like the crate... He was kept in there almost constantly before we got him. We have a feeling he was in the shelter in the first place because of his barking... It's not a normal bark, it's rather grating... Earlier it sounded like he said "mommy"... It was odd.

Hibachi · September 2009

lol. It's a deffinant speration anxiety case. Do you only keep him in the crate at night? Also talk to your vet, I believe they have medication for it.

Trianna · September 2009

Well once he and the cats get used to each other he'll have the run of the house like the others, we just want to make sure there's no fights while we're asleep. He woke up and started barking again... It sounds like he's screaming... I'm thinking of bringing him into my room, maybe he'll calm down then.

Hibachi · September 2009

Keeping him in your room would probably help, but just a reminder ignoring him when he whines/screams/barks O.o is a good idea, becuase if you go to his aid every time he whines it will just encourage him to countinue to do it. Once he gets use to his surroundings he will figure out where he places in your home. He did just lose his previous owners, so it's going to be hard. It would be like taking a three year old from it's mother and giving him to people he's never met and saying "here's your new home, you're not allowed to see your mom no longer" so that must be kept in mind to.

Trianna · September 2009

He did the same thing before... That's the whole reason my sister got rid of him. She couldn't deal with his barking anymore.

Hibachi · September 2009

Did she get him when he was a puppy (between 6-12 weeks) or was he older? I can give you some links to good websites that talk about seperation anxiety, just send me a PM if you want them.

Trianna · September 2009

When he was older. She just got him this year.

iluvdogs111 · September 2009

In sence you got him from a shelter, it's possible that he could have been abandoned, and is now afraid to be left alone. He needs to learn to trust you and know that you are always going to come back. Walk out the door for one or two minutes, then come back and praise him and give him attention if he doesn't bark. Keep extedning the time until you can go run an errand or something without him throwing a fit. Eventually he should realize you'll be back. Also, when you leave and when you come back give him treats and praise, then he'll think you leaving is a good thing because he'll get treats! Good luck.

Trianna · September 2009

Update: yay he's behaving... Took a while, but he's been rather easy to train now that he trusts me. when my sister had him he would run away if he got out, but I can leave him off the leash and he doesn't run off... he's learned sit, and lay down, and heel for walks, and he sleeps all night in his crate without whining. now that I know my mom will let me keep him he needs a new name... I'm not a big fan of the name Willy for a dog lol... anyone have ideas?

BuffyBoarding · September 2009

When you leave, leave the TV on for him... Hearing people talk will help him calm down. We used to do it for our dogs when we were gone, also it will keep him from chewing on things and tearing things up since he thinks someone is home with him...

Hibachi · September 2009

Trianna wrote:

Update: yay he's behaving... Took a while, but he's been rather easy to train now that he trusts me. when my sister had him he would run away if he got out, but I can leave him off the leash and he doesn't run off... he's learned sit, and lay down, and heel for walks, and he sleeps all night in his crate without whining. now that I know my mom will let me keep him he needs a new name... I'm not a big fan of the name Willy for a dog lol... anyone have ideas?

Yay! Do you have any pics of him?

Pepper97 · October 2009

Steps to Eleminating Separation Anxiety: 1. Drive to Petsmart, Petco,or Pet supermarket. 2. Look for an EXTRA-LARGE kong toy. 3. Fill it with peanut butter or Kong Filling 4. Give it to her. 5. Leave. xP Hope it helps.

Hibachi · October 2009

Pepper97 wrote:

Steps to Eleminating Separation Anxiety: 1. Drive to Petsmart, Petco,or Pet supermarket. 2. Look for an EXTRA-LARGE kong toy. 3. Fill it with peanut butter or Kong Filling 4. Give it to her. 5. Leave. xP Hope it helps.

She said he's doing better. xDD Kongs don't always work. -from personal experience-

There is plenty of other methods that work faster.

Pepper97 · October 2009

Kongs always work from personal experience. xP And it was just another tip incase of relapse. And my grandma has always had American Bulldogs. All of witch at one time had separation anxiety. All of witch love kongs. My Aunt Breeds them, her male is the son of the American Bulldog from Homeward Bound(that one movie with the dogs and the cat. xD). <a href="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm221/Pepper97/ayla.jpg"; target="_blank" class="bb-url">http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... 7/ayla.jpg</a> Ayla, granddaughter of that one dog in homeward bound. xD The best dog in the world. Two weeks younger than I was, I remember being 4 years old and being able to walk her on a leash. Sadly, AB's don't live too long. Ayla was running in a feild and fell over. RIP, Ayla.

Hibachi · October 2009

Pepper97 wrote:

her male is the son of the American Bulldog from Homeward Bound.

That's awesome! xDD My doxie and one of my poodles had it when they where pups, we bought them bones, kongs, all kinds of toys.. and it still didn't work, it got so bad that they would get in the trash and destroy things because they would get mad at us. -.- So training was the only other option and it worked super fast, even just leaving the TV on helped. Our doxie will still whine if one of us leaves ocassionally but if you just call him over he will go lay down and get over it. XD

Pepper97 · October 2009

The trash? O.O Crate thier butts.

Hibachi · October 2009

They don't do it anymore...only when they where pups. They stopped after we did some training. ^^ We got Foley, our daschund from a BYB unfortunatly, and he has some mental issues and can't be kept in a crate.

Pepper97 · October 2009

Aww. That's kindof sad. Pepper's inbred. She's insaine. She can't be crated without peeing and pooping all over herself and then she'll bite her feet off.

Hibachi · October 2009

Aw.

That's how ours was, when I first got him I tried crate training him, but it would not help. O.O He acts as though he is afraid, he thinks discipline=good, if something falls in another room he yelps as though he's been hurt, he's aggresive towards larger dogs (even though that's doxie nature. xDD), he use to be food aggresive but I got him out of that.

Boz · November 2009

Here are a few links I found

<a href="http://www.barkingdogs.net/"; target="_blank" class="bb-url">http://www.barkingdogs.net/</a> <a href="http://www.placervillevet.com/training_your_dog_to_stop_barking.htm"; target="_blank" class="bb-url">http://www.placervillevet.com/training_ ... arking.htm</a>

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Ahh... Help please? (new dog)

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