Dog problems

[helloBuddy]

Hi,

I just wanted opinions really.

We got a dog in 2016 and had just recently had a baby. We've always had difficulties with the dog, he's reactive on the lead and had separation anxiety. We've coped with this until the new baby arrived, the first few days he was awful, howling, trying to get near the baby etc. He has calmed down now and we've introduced him to the baby in a controlled way, however he keeps trying to get to her when not invited and lick her. I never leave them alone together which is a task in itself constantly having to move one of them from one room to another.

The dog also hates being left alone, we try and limit this but inevitably he has to be left sometimes. I can hear him barking when I leave the house and return. The neighbour has commented about it as well but so far isn't complaining. I also feel an immense amount and of guilt when I'm going because I know he hates it. He evens barks when we go to bed at night but will settle after about 5mins.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I would like to rehome but my partner is very against this. I feel he needs more attention then we can currently give him and needs somewhere without a baby. He's only a small dog but I worry what he could potential do. Does anyone know how easy it is to get him into rehoming charity?

Thanks

allaboutdogfood.co.uk is a great site that you can use to compare food brands (wet/dry/cooked/raw). It also gives you an indication of cost per day as well. Often with the better quality foods you need to feed less quantity so it doesn't necessarily work out any dearer.

I agree with @Biteyshark. Check out allaboutdogfood.co.uk. Can you not afford a dog walker who can take him out for an hour a day?

I would steer clear from Bakers, Purina, Waggs, Pedigree etc. Burns, James Wellbeloved and similar are ok in that they have less bulking agents and additives than previously the ones mentioned. Orijen, Acana, Canagan are premium brands that have a good reputation imo.

JRT are known for being terrors that's why so many of them end up back in rescue centres. I have a rescue JRT, she can be a little madam, but has calmed down in the last year or so (she's just 2)

Do you leave your dog with kongs? Activity toys? to keep him occupied when you're out? They're very clever little dogs and do need to be constantly stimulated. Does he get enough exercise? Ours needs at minimum 1 hour a day, but ideally 1.5/2hrs. We do have 2 dogs so they at least keep each other company (and wear each other out) If he isn't getting mental stimulation or enough exercise that might be the problem. The key is also not EVER backing down. The moment you allow them to get away with something i feel like i have to start from scratch again with my JRT.

My other dog is golden, but he is a Standard Dashshund and much calmer, but i wouldn't be without either of them.

Please remember to make the transition to the new food gradual. So, add in a couple of teaspoons for a few days, then 4, then 5 etc. I've always found doing it over 2 weeks does the trick. Get some plain tinned pumpkin (no additives, no flavouring) and mix in a teaspoon with his meals if his stomach gets a bit dodgy. If you can't find 100% natural pumpkin, some boiled and mashed butternut squash will do.

Agreed with @misshannah they are stubborn and intelligent and will try to break you knowing fine well what they're doing

You'll have to learn to brush it off when he inevitably makes a tit out of you in public during training

Pooch and Mutt do a Calm food. You could also try giving the dog chamomile tea in his water bowl but cold.

I always say pets are a great idea until a baby comes along and I have a cat who isn't that dependant on me but still drives me insane with her constant need for food. (I think she's going a bit senile in her old age and forgetting poor thing)
A dog is a much bigger commitment than a cat though. Put your baby first and rehome the dog to someone who will put all the time in cause believe me, as soon as baby hits the age where they're starting independence, you need eyes everywhere as I'm learning and a very dependant dog may not be a good idea for you if now is hard for you.

Twocats it is definitely possible to have a baby with a dog. Yes it can be tricky and hard work at times but suggesting rehoming isn't helpful. For the dog or the OP.

Hey,
I may get a lot of stick for this, but I'm just telling you what worked for me.
Had my dog years, baby came, she developed separation anxiety and would chew the house up if I left, howl/bark. I tried everything. Eventually went to vet in tears, very stressed out, newborn all that jazz. He gave my dog diazepam. Just a small dose daily for a month and then we weaned her off.
It worked.
I understand you want to try everything else first, I would not recommend this as a first route (or at all really), but for us, it worked and we were desperate. I just wanted to share this as a last resort.

She said in her OP she wanted to but dp didn't? unless I read wrong. It is possible yes. People have lots of dogs with babies but if she's finding it difficult now, what about when she needs eyes on her dd all the time and then the dog needs all the attention?

Sorry wrong name .it is called Perfect fit Harness. My terrier can leap so high and is terrified in traffic. The harness goes round the body and round the shoulders. The first ring is behind her shoulders and the other one low down on her chest. So with a double ring lead, even if she leaps she can only go so far and she cannot go forward.

Walking her is much better now, but it is a constant distract with kibble and treats. She is so unpredictable at what she will take exception to. We had a trainer come to our house who taught us a lot. She works with police dogs and said that there are some dogs that are untrainable in certain areas of behaviour.

Our terrier is terrified of everything. We got her at 8 and she was like it with her previous owners, who had her from a puppy and spent a fortune on behaviourist and trainers

I can echo what pp are saying about good. We've switched our dog from dry food and Pedigree Vital (he hated dry food and picked every piece out of his bowl) to a mix of cooked and raw meat with cooked carrots potatoes and green veg. He still has issues (well we do in how we handle him, which is why behaviourist coming) but he is a million times calmer and more settled. A good meaty raw bone exercises him for hours. We buy cheap beef mince, turkey legs, chicken livers, raw chicken wings. Anything on special offer. The higher protein content really satisfied him.

Two cats millions of people worldwide manage to look after a baby whilst having a dog.

You asked how easy it would be to get your dog into a rescue charity- the answer is EXTREMELY difficult. One of my clients who had genuine reasons for trying to rehome her JRT (not aggressive, circumstances) was refused by every single one. It isn't an easy option.

From my experience, yes, having a dog with a baby can be difficult BUT it can also be great! I had 2 nutjob beagles when dd1 was born. I had to get them out for at least an hour a day, and one of them couldn't be off-lead while the other was not very obedient! We started long daily walks in the local country park. It was just on my This-has-to-be-done-list, so we did. DD1 had colic and was a very restless baby. I found she slept in the pram, so I had an hour or so of relative peace and fresh air (ok, sometimes rain!) every morning.
As she got older and dd2 came along, she started to walk for part of the walk, and we had an hour or so just for daft chatting. We also met other dog walkers and I made some friends for life. When DS came along I had 3 under 5 and the 2 crazy dogs. Other dog walkers called me Wonder Woman, but it really wasn't hard- it was just our routine. All 3 of my dc spent so much more time walking and out of doors than their peers it was really noticeable how much fitter and healthier they looked. They enjoyed the park, we had loads of stories about the things that lived in the trees or the woods, they still talk fondly about the Hobbit Hole and the Fairy Bridge as teenagers.
The dogs calmed down somewhat as they got older and were a source of love and comfort for the children.

I genuinely think if you can get over the initial difficulties having a dog with young children can be great

We have also spent a fortune on Bach’s Rescue Remedies which was recommended by the vet and a calming collar. Not sure if they work. At home she is an angel and in a field on her own she is great. But getting anywhere is a bit difficult to say the least.

Also, Google the Thunder Shirt

@teaiseverything he's currently get the thunder shirt on.

Ah ok. It stopped working for my own dog but I know others have had great success with it. It really did the trick teaching her not to stress out so much when waiting to cross a road.

As the others have said - change his food. And I raise another vote for pooch and mutt's calm formula.

However there is just no getting away from
The fact that he is not getting enough exercise, especially for a young JR. half an hour is not enough, especially on lead. No way near enough. And I'm sorry, but if that's your husband area, I feel for him with long working days but he simply has to get up earlier. Sorry but it's really quite simple. The dog needs more of your time and I feel for you juggling everything but these are simple steps that need to be taken as the basics of having any dog. Long walks at weekends don't make up for 5 days of way too little stimulation.
Can you not hire a dog walker? Why wouldn't they take him at day care?

Congratulations on your new baby too

Terriers need an awful lot of exercise. Because they're small, people often think they'll be ok with a couple of short walks, but they can run all day, the little gits. I'd say a dog like yours would need the best part of an hour's exercise, twice a day. Daxies need a good bit of exercise too, a daxie breeder I know gives hers at least 45 minutes, morning and evening.

Is he reactive off-lead as well as on-lead? My lakeland is reactive to other dogs on-lead but fine when off. I think she feels threatened when she knows she can't get away. She's got much better, now when we see another dog approaching, I tell her it's ok and it's a nice dog, and she seems reassured by that.

They often do better on a food with a lower protein content than most commercial foods (a terrier breeder with over 50 years of experience once told me "They're a working man's dog and used to being fed on scraps"). I switched to a working dog food for my first lakeland on this advice and both his behaviour and his noxious farts improved massively.

Has he been done?

A few points.....

Start using a Kong, as you’ve said you will, but mix the dogs kibble with a little boiling water, so it turns slightly mushy. Then stuff the Kong, and freeze it. It takes a lot more effort and time to eat then.

Similarly, peanut butter or fish paste etc. Smeared inside, but be aware low fat peanut butter is harmful as often contains xylitol.

Thunder shirt and plug in are good, try a radio too. Is the dog crate trained? I’d definitely recommend it if not, but if you are not experienced in would help to get professional help to do this.

A professional can help you, but it is entirely possible a dog that is dog reactive on lead will not be if off lead, being on lead can make a nervous or anxious dog worse, it’s a vulnerable feeling for them.

Did you walk the dog with the empty pram before baby arrived? What was he like? If you didn’t, I know it’s too late now, but I’d highly ecommend it to anyone else pregnant and dog owning that could be reading this. You feel a muppet but it’s very sensible.

Also, a sling is a god send.

It can be done :) I have a pack of big dogs, numbers between 3 and 6. They have all walked nicely by the pram, or when I use a sling, I walked my dogs twice a day every day, 45 mins minimum from when my baby was three days old. Practice makes perfect, it’s great for yo and baby as you know, and if you build it in as a non negotiable part of your day, you will learn to find way.

I do feel like the crazy dog lady with two or three dogs each side of a buggy! Or five in one hand and helping a toddler cycle on a wobbly bike with the other hand. It all works fine until a puppy or youngster decides they want to be on the other side, crosses in front of the pram or in front of my feet and causes carnage idiot

20mins twice a day on the lead? Double that might be enough, if you’re also willing to spend a lot of time throwing a ball. The fact that he isn’t aggressive or destructive with so little exercise suggests you have a very nice natured terrier, tbh. If you haven’t time to exercise him properly yourself then I’d suggest arranging for an experienced walker to take him out with a group as often as you possibly can - it’ll do great things for his confidence and manners.

Once he’s getting something like enough exercise, you’ll stand a chance at sorting his unwanted behaviour. I don’t mean to sound snotty - I do understand that it’s hard - and I well remember the days when our terriers could go for a 5 mike walk, talk a half hour nap, then be badgering me to play with them.