my dog is a handful...but she's getting outta control help!!?

Question

she's a mutt, we rescued har from the pound. i know that when we did that we were taking that chance, i know we did the right thing....but she could possibly be THE most annoying dog ever, wich actually is part of her charm. but lately, its like a have another baby in the house...she chews on EVERYTHING she can possibly find, just now i was fileing my nails, got up to get some water, and when i came back to the couch...she had already chewd on it...ITS DRIVING ME NUTS!! she loves to test me. she HAS TO have all the attention, i cant caress my other dog or cat cause she will do everything possible to be her the ONE. and when she finally get our attention..she get over excited, i hate to say it but it's annoying. when we go to work we leave them in the kitchen,for our carpet sake, and we always findher in the livingroom, while the other dog IS on the other side. i can't afford traing classes right now. what to do???

***SHE IS NOT A PUP. SHE'S ABOUT 2 YEARS OLD***

***ALL YOUR IDEAS SOUND GOOD AND I HAVE DONE THEM BUT SHE DOES NOT KNOW THE MEANING OF NO!!!. WE'VE HAD FOR FOR 5 MONTHS NOW. SOMETIMES SHE'S AFFRAID OF ME BECAUSE OF HOW MAD I GET, SHE ALREADY KNOWS WHEN AM MAD, SHE RUNS TO HER CORNER TO LAY ON HER PILLOW. I DONT WANNA LOOSE IT WITH HER......

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h183/priscillamamila/the%20family/DSC02898.jpg

Answer 1

I would start thinking about why you need an annoying dog. You got some good answers here- and probably some bad ones too - I haven't waded through all of them. If you would get the money together for a training class or apply some of the suggestions you received consistently you would get results. Not overnight- but you would get them. So why don't you? Only you know. You are playing "Yes- but....."

You say you can't afford training classes so start saving for them. You can get a good 6 week class for about 60 bucks.

In the meantime I won't make any more suggestions. You are not taking them seriously.

Answer 2

The exam is needed as well as the blood test. Minor changes in your dog can be seen by your vet that you might not notice. A lot of things like heart murmurs, glaucoma, tumors, enlarged lymph nodes, and arthritis can be treated or managed easier the earlier they're diagnosed. A lot of medications (including Trifexis) have what they call contraindications, or times when the medication should be withheld. If a dog has a heart murmur, further testing should be done to make sure they can handle the medications, and a physical exam is the only way to catch those. Your vet isn't just out for your money, they actually care about your animal and want to make sure that the medication is working and that it is safe for the animal to receive it. EDIT: kps, your dog needs to be checked for heart worms every year, even if you've given the medication faithfully. Those medications carry a guarantee and if, for some reason, the dog has contracted heart worms, continuing the medication can kill them. When I was a tech we saw two or three dogs that came down with heart worms even though the owners had been giving the medication every month. Because the dogs were tested the year before and we could prove the owners were giving it, the company paid for the treatment. Medication isn't always 100% effective and mistakes are made in manufacturing (sometimes) so the test is a way to make sure your dog is healthy.

Answer 3

I know training classes are expensive, but training is necessary. Try the library or a book store. Online should have some good resources. First, anytime she is chewing on something, say "NO" very sternly and remove the object. Replace it with something acceptable (bone, chew toy). When she begins to chew that, reward her with attention. Look into getting her a covered kennel. If she's active like that, you'll have to get a metal kennel. It's worth the final price. Most are collapsable, so they can be moved out of the way when you aren't using it. But it also seems like you might be giving her attention at inappropriate times. Do not pet her if she noses her way in between you and another pet. Do not pet her if she is doing something bad to get your attention, or God forbid nips you or climbs in your lap. Only pet her when she is sitting and still. It will take some time, but it is well worth the effort.

Answer 4

this dog's got separation anxiety written all over her. here's da symptoms:

1. chew on everything when not given attention/owner not present
2. barks at everything when not given attention
3. gets overexcited when owner comes home

Dogs that are not used to being left alone can become destructive, may bark, or may urinate or defecate when they are perfectly trained not to. To help your dog feel good about being left alone, try this tactic:

Leave the house quickly. Avoid your typical routine of good-byes, putting on shoes, gathering your bags, or locking doors.
Return after 1 minute. Then leave again and extend the time in 1 minute increments. Whenever your dog shows anxious behavior, such as urinating, cut the time in half and build up again.

Spending more one-on-one time with your dog and going to obedience training may also help build up your dog's confidence.

If you notice that your dog needs to urinate often when you are home, he or she may have a urinary infection or other condition. See your veterinarian right away.

this is going to be annoying going in and out of the house. but plz bear with her. i tried this. it works. my dog had separation anxiety b4 too.

Answer 5

Crate train. This will allow you to keep her contained when you are not at home or sleeping. And even those times where she is really trying your patience, you can get her to go in there for short periods of time while you are at home too.

As for the rest of it, puppies chew. Get some Bitter Apple spray from your local pet store and douche the hell out of things that she will normally chew on. That should deter her a bit.

Answer 6

she is a pup! dogs are considered pup until age 3! come breads chew worse then others!! Rotts., are bad chewers!! seems like may be she didn't get allot of attention before you got her!! now she is trying to make up for it! use two gates one on-top the other to try & keep her in! just keep working with her! if she gets too excited, make her get down and do not pet her untill she calms down! after a while she should relize good behavor get attention not bad! if she chews infront of you tell her no in a stern voice and give her a chew toy!! thats how i trained my dog when she was little! it may take a while seeing her age, but if you stick with it who knows she may end up being a good dog!! good luck:)

Answer 7

Here is the simple truth you may not like it but deal. You need to tak the time to train and socilize her you probably will have to start from scratch with her. If you don't want to tak the time with her or just can't do it then the kindest thing to do is to return her to the shelter so she can be with someone who will take the time with her that she needs. She doesn't need training classes just someone to work with her you can train her yourself aslong as you use simple commands such as sit stay off down and no if no does not work try a loud et sound.

Answer 8

make sure there is plenty of chew toys around for her

for when you find her chewing on other things you could try this:
say no in a very stern voice, spray some apple bitter spray in her mouth and put her in a kennel way from you for about half an hour.
When she is behaving and not over demanding give her plenty of attention so she learns good behavior earns good attention

Answer 9

i can understand where you are coming from.
i adopted a female 2 year old ckcs, few months ago, & she was treated unkindly by her 1st owner. i am the 5th owner. between the 2nd to the 4th owner, they can't handle her for more than 2 months.
when i decide to adopt her, i know what i'm getting.
she was hyperactive, don't know how to pee & poo in the urine tray, bark unneccesarily, chew on everything, urinates on my bed & sofa, shed ALOT, etc.
basically, she is untrainable...
since she was a puppy, her 1st owner shut her up in the cage 24/7, without human or canine contact, except the owner.... the 2nd- 4th owners had tried to teaching her with various methods- coaxing, clicker method, & alot of whacking was involoved ... the final straw that the 2nd - 4th owners gave up on her, was her bizzare behavior to urinates on the blankets & beds.
so, when she was with me, it took me 2 months to train her to 'sit', pee on her urine tray....everyday, i will pick up her poo in the living room or kitchen....she more quiet now , bark only when she's excited. changed her diet, & lesser shedding...blah blah blah...
but she will still urinates on my bed if she can sneak her way into my bedroom (interestingly, she will not urine on the bed when we sleeps together @ night....its only in the afternoon time)
i guess i'm luckier, because my another female maltese is quite territorial, so, if she tries to bite other things than her chews, my maltese will growl @ her, & she will comically sneak away. but they are a fun pair, they do play together,. my maltese will always maintain her dignity as the matriarch in my house *giggle*
well, she does drive my friends & her previous owners nuts too *LOL*
but for me, as long as she's healthy, happy & not aggressive, i'm ok with picking up her poo twice daily & endure her wieredness...but thats because i stay alone.
2 years ago, i thought i'll lose my maltese to liver shunt, but i didn't. my maltese taught me 'unconditional love'....and when my ckcs comes along, she taught me 'patience'...
this adopted babe is a handful, no doubt. i never have all these 'incidents' with my other pet pooches before... she will give me 'surprises' everyday....but hey, its ok!

Answer 10

she may not ne a puppy but if she never had proper training and no one ever worked with her then this is all she knows is to act like shes a puppy. she never learned that chewing was not ok,etc. You need to keep firmly telling her no when she does such behavior and then praise her when she does good behavior. She needs your paitience, discipline, and love. If you take the time to work with her it will pay off in time, she just needs to learn the ropes. Good luck and please dont give up.