Got dog troubles! Don't know what to do....

[Tollster]

Sounds very much like separation anxiety.. Research it online, there are things you can do to get it under control.

Toys that require interaction to achieve a reward, such as Kong toys with treats, or other type toys depending on the length of time alone.


Here are some of Ceasar's tips for dealing with canine anxiety.

5 tips to help dog separation anxiety | Cesar Millan

Dealing with dog separation anxiety | Cesar Millan

Research it, he is part of the family and obviously loves you and everyone else there very much, he just needs some help right now, and he's trying to tell you that.

 

[dave1949]

The Alpha dog thing only works with the dominant human in the house. The dog will still see the other members of the household as subordinate.

We had a GSD with extreme separation issues. It was so bad that he would have instant diarrhea if he was left in the house alone. And I mean instant!

We finally got him a partner and built them a large dog run outside with a shelter. He finally calmed down after that, but we could not leave him in the house until he was at least six or so. His deal was that he needed to be able to see everything that was going on around the house.

I see it as the Alpha sets the boundaries for what is allowed. That is how the desired behavior gets transferred to others in the house.

For example, if the Alpha sets the boundary that it is not okay to take things from hands, it will apply to all hands. What happens when that "other hands" boundary is crossed? The Alpha applies a correction. True, the dog is responding to Alpha correction avoidance more than seeing others as more dominant, but the end result is very similar as having actual dominance. Realistically, a young child is never going to establish true dominance over a dog on their own.

A practical example: If you train a dog to wait until given permission to eat a treat you are holding under its nose, your child should be able to duplicate that obedience. Not because your child is seen as more dominant necessarily, but because the Alpha has set and enforces the rules.

What I love about dogs is they don't progress much beyond the reasoning level of maybe a 5-year-old. Every now and then they will do things they know are not allowed, just like kids. They just have to do it.

 

[tcartwri]

I see it as the Alpha sets the boundaries for what is allowed. That is how the desired behavior gets transferred to others in the house.

For example, if the Alpha sets the boundary that it is not okay to take things from hands, it will apply to all hands. What happens when that "other hands" boundary is crossed? The Alpha applies a correction. True, the dog is responding to Alpha correction avoidance more than seeing others as more dominant, but the end result is very similar as having actual dominance. Realistically, a young child is never going to establish true dominance over a dog on their own.

A practical example: If you train a dog to wait until given permission to eat a treat you are holding under its nose, your child should be able to duplicate that obedience. Not because your child is seen as more dominant necessarily, but because the Alpha has set and enforces the rules.

What I love about dogs is they don't progress much beyond the reasoning level of maybe a 5-year-old. Every now and then they will do things they know are not allowed, just like kids. They just have to do it.

Well there's definitely two sets of behaviour in our house. One when I'm home and another when the wife is trying to get them to stop something... It's pretty funny sometimes what they try when I'm not home.

 

[mark02tj]

The dog is a large munsterlander, we got him as a puppy.

I'd never heard of that breed so I used Dave1949's Chrome trick and Googled it. Beautiful dog! Looks a lot like a German Shorthaired Pointer.

From Wikipedia on the Munsterlander - "if they determine an owner to be inconsistent or indecisive, the owner might find that the dog will challenge the owner."

Good luck with the dog!!

 

[Gary Fowler]

i think if you showed extreme displeasure in the dog's face when he does something wrong and you are a little patient to allow for a couple of miscues he will learn what is acceptable and what isn't. destroying his crate is unacceptable. bad dog. yelling should be enough to make him want to avoid that scene again. it took 2 times to get my dog to not chase the chickens.

I have a new german shepherd pup that loved to chase and kill chickens. Yelling, spanking etc did nothing to stop her. I put up an electric fence around the chicken free range area and one time of her getting into that fence, got her attention. No more chasing and killing my chickens. Now if I could just keep her from digging up the plants in the yard.

 

[paulharvey]

My advice is get rid of it. The longer you wait, the more difficult it is. Dogs are an animal, no different than a chicken or sheep; and when they become more of a problem than something you get enjoyment from, what's the point. If you wait longer and longer, it will be very difficult to do what you need to. They aren't your children, or family, there a dog.

The laying on a dog does work well, but it has to be reinforced over time. And it doesn't work well at all with a timid kid. The dog might see you as the alpha, but if you have kids would act scared or weak around it, it sees them as below itself.

 

[rrrkkk]

The problem is you not the dog! He needed to go to obedience training, or does now. You are the master he is the dog and he has never been taught that. Obedience trains you as well as the dog.

 

[crash325]

If you have not read this, it may be of some help.

Small Münsterländer - Ask.com Encyclopedia

 

[dave1949]

If you have not read this, it may be of some help.

Small Münsterländer - Ask.com Encyclopedia

It's a Large Muensterlander which is a different breed than the small:
Large Munsterlander Breed Information

His ancestor was the German Longhaired Pointer, which was crossed with various Spaniels.

 

[tcartwri]

The problem is you not the dog! He needed to go to obedience training, or does now. You are the master he is the dog and he has never been taught that. Obedience trains you as well as the dog.

I'm so tired of hearing this. The dog has anxiety issues, obedience training will do nothing for that.