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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

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Original poster

Dog suddenly gone naughty

11 replies

frostedviolets · 08/12/2019 17:22

Anyone experienced this?

Not an adolescent, she's about 7 years old!

First I had to ask her two or three times to lie in her bed (normally only have to ask once!).

Then on a walk she decided she wanted to go to the woods, ran miles ahead and refused to come back when called, just sat there waiting for me to get closer then ran off further

The absolute worst was a few days ago, I let her off lead (as normal) and she ran off!
She has never in all the years I have had her ever gone out of eye line. Ever.
Even during the woods incident I could still see her clearly, just ahead of me.
This time she properly ran off, I had no idea where on earth she was.
Thank god some nice person had managed to catch her.
That one she'll come to regret as she is now harnessed everywhere except big open fields where previously she would have been off lead the entire time.

And just now, we have just come back from a McDonald's trip with the kids, I looked just by chance, to see that she had taken my DDs hat off the stairs and was chewing it, immediately shouted leave which she did, but then tried to chew it again a further two times?!

What on earth has got into her??

OP posts:

abitlostandalwayshungry · 08/12/2019 17:38

Can her hearing be off? Our dog went a bit deaf when he was around 8.

Original poster

frostedviolets · 08/12/2019 17:44

That is a possible answer for the refusal to recall on the walk but on the bed incident she was pretty much right next to me, I was asking her to go to bed because I didn't want her begging around the food DH had and with the hat just now she obviously heard me shout leave because she did but then tried to start chewing it again a further two times so I'm not convinced it's hearing related

OP posts:

SharkasticBitch · 09/12/2019 01:11

What's in it for her to do as you ask every time?

If the answer is nothing because she was just trained when young and expected to always behave that way then it's time to brush up on your training skills. Learning is a constant activity so if she's not learning the right things, then she's learning the wrong ones.

If you do constantly refresh training then what else has changed in her life or your lives recently?

SlothMama · 09/12/2019 11:37

Could she be going deaf? I'd take her to the vet for a check up, a change in behaviour can be an indicator for a health issue.

Booboostwo · 09/12/2019 12:16

I think you need to pop to the vets with her. Pain often causes behavioural problems, and they can manifest in ways that don't immediately shout 'pain'. Also it's worth asking the vet about dementia, it can manifest in really baffling ways in dogs.

LochJessMonster · 09/12/2019 12:32

I was asking her to go to bed because I didn't want her begging around the food DH had so in her eyes, she was expected to go to her bed and leave the possibility of getting some food? You need to reinforce the 'in your bed' command with a treat.

The running off - if you go after her its a game. Running away may make her chase you. Otherwise, back to square 1 with recall training, keep tasty treats in your pockets.

The chewing - take away the item once she leaves it, and replace with a chew or toy. Possibly could be a tooth issue? Is she hungry?

IWorkAtTheCheesecakeFactory · 09/12/2019 12:34

If you think it might be hearing- add visual commands to your voice commands.

For the bed thing- try incentivising it.

Sparklybaublefest · 09/12/2019 12:44

is she bored? is she missing out on walks/attention?

TwattingDog · 09/12/2019 12:47

Has anything changed in her daily routine? TD is playing up a lot at the moment (nearly 4) because DH is in the Navy and is in and out the house at seemingly random times - away most nights, back for 1 etc - as the ship comes and goes. She's very unsettled.

adaline · 09/12/2019 13:22

What's the incentive for her to do as you ask all the time? She might be seven years old but she still needs to experience some kind of reward for good behaviour occasionally. Do you ever treat her for going to her bed, for recalling to you, or for leaving things when you ask her to?

If the answer is no, I would go back to basics and offer rewards for good behaviour. So if you want her to lie in her bed and stop begging, give her something to keep her there - some food in a kong or a chew, perhaps. Or just chuck kibble randomly in her bed so she associates it with good things again, not just somewhere you expect her to go for no real reason (in her eyes, anyway). You can use similar techniques for the "leave it" command as well.

What do you do to keep her interested in walks? Could you take a ball or a tug or rope toy with you to keep her focused on you? Or yummy treats?

Booboostwo · 09/12/2019 14:31

A seven year old is unlikely to lose her training overnight. There is nothing here to suggest a behavioural issue, e.g. I once had a three year old who lost his recall but he was chasing squirrels which he had never seen before. These problems are not specific to one behaviour either, so it’s not the case of a dog that has suddenly taken a dislike to her bed. Something has to explain this global change in temperament and until pain or a physical cause is ruled out I don’t think you can treat it as behavioural.

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