Brother's dog is a nightmare...he is upset about it...any advice please?

[NeoMaxiZoomDweebie]

He got the dog almost a year ago as a 5 month old. It had been thrown at a wall by it's owners partner. The owner had the sense to take it to a vet and the owners Mum then asked DB if he would have it.

She's a nice dog in many ways...half greyhound and half something else but she is very badly behaved when visitors come. Yesterday my Mum went to see my bro and the dog was well behaved for once until Mum was leaving....she went out the gate and Db and the dog were in the yard waving...the dog got all jumpy and then bit my brother on the arm...one puncture wound.

She's generally snappy and leaps up at people....he puts her out of the room when she does this jumping up and "play snapping" type thing. She does it more when children come...my DC are scared of the dog due to her leaping ON to them when they sit down.

Brother puts her in the vestibule with the door shut and tells her no when this happens...he always does it straight away. He has treats in his pocket to reinforce good behaviour like sitting and not running away....but she's a little rotter at times and he's upset she bit him and nervous incase she bites soemone else.

She is dominating a lot...when Mum arrives, the dog will try to leap into the passenger seat if Mum is giving my bro a lift somwhwere even tho the dog knows this is my brothers seat!

She is very attention seeking. She has three walks a day.

he REALLY loves her...she's been great company for him as he's had a hard divorce recently and has been lonely.

What can he do?

Keep on keepin on. Sounds like he's doing the right things, but training a dog, especially one who's mistrust of people is understandable, is a long slow process.

I think first port of call would be to consult a dog behaviorist. they can be found online etc or he could ask at his local vets. they can assess the behaviour and come up with solutions if possible to rectify these behaviours

She isn't dominating, dogs don't do that to humans. She does however, sound very insecure which is hardly surprising due to her start.

She isn't dominating but it sounds like she's missed out on a lot of important learning, such as bite inhibition, self control and general manners.

I think your brother would find the input of a properly qualified behaviour counsellor to be very useful. He'll need a vet referral to see an APBC behaviourist but it will be worthwhile, he will be given a better understanding of her behaviour and a plan to deal with it - the outcome, if he is committed, will be a dog which is much better company and a pleasure to own.

He can't afford anything like beahviour people....he's on very low wages. But it's comforting to hear that he's on the right track. I just think the poor dog must remember getting chucked at the wall.

I'd strongly suggest looking on the APDT website for local dog training classes held by well qualified, positive trainers who use gentle, non stressful methods. To give an idea of cost, I pay £60 for a block of six hour long classes, however our teacher is brilliant, classes are very small, usually over-run and he's very supportive and helpful outside class e.g. can help with email queries etc. Paying £10 a week for those six weeks has been one of the best investments I've ever made in terms of transforming the relationship between me and our dogs.

Doing classes together will help strengthen the bond between immensely and he will learn techniques and behaviours that will stand him in excellent stead in the future. We use clicker training in class - you can buy a clicker for about £1 on Ebay and you just need that and a bag of treats to get started - there are masses of resources on Youtube which will help get him started.

Just a couple of other points. If the dog was thrown at a wall or otherwise physically abused, it's very possible that it's still in pain, or has unresolved physical issues that may need to be sorted. I'd make sure the dog has been thoroughly checked by a vet who's been made aware of the history of the dog - if the poor dog is in pain, this will affect their behaviour.

Secondly, greyhounds are notorious for being very gentle, and extremely sensitive. They generally HATE shouting or rows - it makes them nervous and frightened. Make sure that everyone around the dog only speaks calmly and gently, no shouting, no teasing, no rough handling.

Lastly, wherever you are there will be a local greyhound/lurcher rescue - most are very experienced in handling abused dogs (sadly) and many run lots of free social activities like walks etc. Going on such events will open up a lovely social side both for the dog and your brother and he will be able to meet up with very experienced sighthound owners/volunteers who can offer support/advice etc. If you would like any help with this, just PM me as I have sighthound contacts in many parts of the country.

Hope this all works welland after a difficult start, this poor dog is able to flourish with your brother.

Don't forget that most insurers will cover behaviour problems too. But Scuttle gives good advice - if money is right then the right class could be a good compromise. I agree on the importance of going via APDT though, some trainers are not practising appropriate methods unfortunately.

Scuttle thank you for all that information....but unfortunately, even 60 pounds is beyond my brother atm and I can't afford to pay or I would.

She's the opposite of gentle and sensitive...nobody ever shouts near her and my DC are very quiet and passive...so I can't imagine what she's crossed with!

She has had extensive vet treatment and the vet was happy with her....she had a broken leg and was in the vet for some time getting that mended before my brother was allowed to take her.

Please, please try to make sure your brother gets the appropriate professional help. Many dog trainers will allow payment week by week if a lump sum is a problem, and some don't even cost what I've mentioned - those are indicative prices. You might even find that a local rescue would be willing to help support the classes cost, or even run their own - for instance, I know our local Dogs Trust does. This is too much though for your brother to handle by himself - he will need professional assistance. Can he ask the woman who asked him to take her to contribute? Surely if she was able to chip in £20 or £30, then you and your brother between you could pay the remainder.

He wouldn't ask her for help...she's a single parent with a wayward daughter...she's always struggling herself. He will I am sure contact some local greyhound rescues for help and advice though...I have googled and there are some not too far away. I am sure they would adivse wouldn't they?

He is ver worried about it as he loves the dog SO much and just wants her to be happy and well behaved so she can socialse properly.

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