Bark Busters Minneapolis look forward to providing the best in dog training, for any breed, any size dog.
Call. 877-500-2275.
Email Us. twincities@barkbusters.com.
To Find the Trainer Nearest You
To see how your dog rates, take our short, FREE behavioral quiz
I took in a 13 yr old dog this past July when my good friend and karate teacher was hospitalized. Unfortunately, although he fought hard, he did not survive. Millie was his baby. He’d had her since she was a pup, trained her and took her with him whenever he could. I did not plan on keeping her originally as I already have a number of pets. Another friend took her in for a few weeks, but it didn’t work out. Millie freaked out (cowering, shaking, etc). She acted quite happy when she came back to my house. Physically she’s in good health, eats, etc, and the pecking order w/my other dogs is now established and they get along (thankfully….that was major reason I didn’t initially say yes to keeping her). However, she doesn’t particularly interact with them. She shows no interest in playing with them, so they leave her be. I’m not sure if this is age or depression. She’s “velcro dog” with me. She enjoys attention from my boyfriend and the kids and anybody else that offers, but she’s zeroed in on me, the person that got her from her home, her last link to her beloved owner. When I’m not at work, she’s never farther than a foot or so away from me. She often pants more than I feel is normal, will groom obsessively, and startles easily. Walks do seem to calm her. Any other ideas?
It is not unusual for a dog who is “new” to an established pack to not necessarily interact with the other dogs. Her pack has consisted of Millie and her owner. It is not surprising she is attached to you less than the other dogs. Try some games with her as well as just obedience work. You can engage her with the other dogs on walks, playing outside or other fun activities. One mistake people make is to try and soothe a dog who is visibly upset. Humans respond to this but many dogs misunderstand and think they are being praised for their fearful reactions. I would have her vet rule out any physical condition that would cause panting (some dogs react to pain by panting) or the excessive grooming (which may be an allergy or skin condition). You can check out other indoor and outdoor games by going to this link: “http://www.barkbusters.com/page.cfm/ID/470/newsTypeID/24″. Good luck!