Dog driving me nuts. I would swop her right now for a mars bar

[flapperghasted]

And I don't even like mars bars! I've said it about my dd in the past too, but the dog is really driving me nuts at the moment.

She's a 9 month old mongrel bitch, part poodle. We've had her since she was 3 months old. She had her first season very early, at 5.5 months, so we had to delay having her spayed. When the time came for the op, a few weeks ago, she was nursing a phantom pregnancy. I know that can't have been much fun, but anyway, long story short...she's just been spayed, 10 days ago.

She's started peeing on the kitchen floor near her water and on her red, fake leather bed. She used to do this when she was a little pup but had been clean for 3 months or so, so it's a bit much to deal with. Add to that the fact that she's started growling at my dd, she's biting/mouthing all the time and she keeps jumping up at us, at people in the street. She's chewed up bras, teeshirts, handbags, shoes...you name it, she's suddenly started chewing everything.

She's had two lots of dog training, and she's fine in a controlled environment, but day to day, in and out of the house, she's turning into a bleeding nightmare. Can anyone help/offer support???

Poor all of you. Your bitch is a bit of a teenager now, spayed or not. Is she recovering well from her operation? Have you taken her back to the vet so she can be checked? She could be in pain. The chewing is an age thing and will pass. It happens to us all . You may be able to find something she enjoys chewing which isn't something you're going to want to wear or cherish; like a big bone, or a Kong with something yummy in it. There are lots of things out there.

Your training needs to be consistant, and often it is the case that a small change in an owners attitude can make a massive difference to the dog. It's not always easy living alongside a different species! Your vet may be able to reccomend a behaviourist. Depending on what the breed is particularly used for, it can help to find someone who trains this breed specifically, and who works with them.
It is a difficult time, but with the right help and support you will get through it and end up hopefully with the dog of your dreams!

I'd guess hormonal chaos.

Did they test hormone levels before spaying?

My girl is fine...bounced back from the op, was fine for her 2 day check and had her stitches out on Sunday morning. She doesn't seem to be in pain andI had her temperature checked whilst she was having the stitches out. It was a bit above normal, but nothing major.

I've started tidying away all the things she was chewing, ie the slippers, the shoes, etc. Best of it, she doesn't do it when we're not in the house with her. Today, for example, she was left home alone from 10am til 4:30 and nothing. No mess, no fuss, nothing.

She's got a Kong with peanut butter and treats in and we bought her a tyre with a rope thing. She also has lots of rawhide chews and her reward for peeing outside is often raw carrot, which she loves.

In terms of consistency, she hasn't been having her long walks, because of the op, but has had short walks instead. She's hot all the time - she's got very curly, dense fur and is due at the groomers in 4 weeks. I guess we've been hot and grouchy too, so maybe that's part of it too.

I will have a word with the trainer tomorrow. See if she can help with this. If we can't have her in helping one to one we'll maybe look at someone else. I think we need someone to teach us what to do as we are rookies and I'm feeling greener than green at the moment. I'm sure we've made her into neurotic, bitey, dog.

Thanks for your words of wisdom Easytoeattiger I know we'll get through it just screaminmg at the walls doesn't seem like a positive way to proceed :)

I don't know about the hormonal levels daisydot. I was a bit worried that they seemed to be rushing her through. The only test they offered was a blood test to see if her kidneys were o.k. and if she'd be ok with the anaesthetic. I took that one..and would have taken any others offered, but I'm sure that's all they tested.

If it is hormones, will they settle down eventually? If so, how long d'you reckon it'll take???

I want someone to take my bitey dog away and give me back my lovely gentle girl...

Like Easy said, your training needs to be consistent, if you flip the situation on it's head and look at it from her point of view the things you are training her for are for use in controlled situations, so she may be confused as to what you expect from her in your house,you could try doing more of your training in your home or if all else fails a behaviourist will be able to come to your home and help you train her there so she will be able to associate the relevant training mode to each situation and know how to behave in your house (I've had experience of this sort of behaviour in the past,sometimes it is easy for us to confuse our pets with what is expected of them).
Also get her back to the vets incase she is suffering with something, an infection could be brewing hence the strange behaviour. Once she is better is there a chance you could do some activities with her? Poodles are a really intelligent breed and they can become bored easily. Maybe once her walks increase after her wound heals she might settle down too. I really hope things improve, it's a lot for you to have to deal with.

Thanks Mumbling. I was half expecting a mawling for moaning about her. We are taking her to obedience classes, cos then they do agility with her and we're already trying her with some of the tricks they're teaching us on the run up to that.

We've been much more low key with her since the op, so maybe she's bored. And I do think she's a little hormonal too. As the weather is due to break tomorrow, I'll see if she brightens up a little as the heat dies down and if she doesn't, I'll head straight back to the vets with her. They are a good vets. I'm sure they'll advise on the issues we're having if they don't calm down.

Also, I can take her on a longer walk tomorrow. Fingers crossed that'll tire her out a bit.

Just got to get myself some more pee cleaner so we can eliminate the scents she's leaving for herself. Dogs, eh? Who'd have 'em?? :)

I think walking and plenty of it will help a lot. one of mine was spayed recently and was a neurotic fusspot whilst in recovery.

I like training classes with other dogs, always learnt most when watching trainers with other dogs. very motivating as you see it transformed until returned to the owner! children in the house slows down consistency ... mine do anyway. but it will all come together.

Hormones are very powerful things and can massively alter the behaviour of a dog.

It seems the op itself has been fairly trouble free but the affect of her phantom and the spay are at the root of the problem.

Was she making milk during her phantom?

From my vague calculations, if she was in season about 5.5 months, she will have run for 9 weeks thinking she was about to have pups taking her to 8.75 months and has been spayed at what would have been (had she been mated, of course) 2 or 3 weeks post whelp.

So. Her hormones are all over the place. If she were mine, I'd get her onto a herbal remedy to help her get back to normal.

Dorwest offer some good advice, and their page for phantoms is here. Give them a ring and see what they say.

I currently have a girl who has had a wicked phantom and has been ill at the same time, so I've put her onto this which is making such a difference. She was a bit hysterical - over reacting to everything, barking, digging, nesting like a loon - and had no clue what to do with herself to behave 'normally'. I felt really sorry for her tbh - she must have been wearing herself out being so highly strung.

I'm not sure I would have spayed quite as soon as your vet has encourged you to do - but of course every dog and every situation is different and we all have to do what is right for us and our dog at the time. I am sure your vet has done the very best for you both.

I am also sure your dog will go back to normal with a bit of help and some calm and very, very consistent training.

Jollying her out of it will also make a big difference, so either long walks or a good lot of training where she HAS to use her brain a lot if you don't think she's up to the exercise yet. Take her out and about with you - anything to distract her and fill her brain up with something other than herself and her urges.

Thanks for the words of advice. Just off to follow the links now. Have also contacted a local behaviourist and am waiting for him to call, just in case that will help. I do feel really sorry for her and I do feel we got rushed through the spaying process, but this is my first dog so I just went with the vet really. I wish I'd challenged it a bit more now.

I asked them if she was definitely o.k. to be done when I took her back in and they checked her nipples for milk. There was none. I have to say we hadn't noticed her nesting or nursing cuddly toys because she didn't do it. She is, however, scraping at our bedding now...after the spaying! That seems a bit odd to me.

Right...off to link, then clean the kitchen, then work, then back home to training for the dog a dog. She's just come back from a park walk/run and she's flaked out on the sofa. I'm sure she'll be fine and your words have been most reassuring. Thank you.