Our healthy 10 year old lab will not listen to anything our husband and I ask her to do. She just stares at us and refuses to do. We are becoming so frustrated. She has had her eyes and her hearing checked and both are fine. She will not sit or stay anymore, something she previously did with no trouble. She is defiant climbing on the furniture, drinking out of the toilet, eating the cat's food. We can't leave her by herself at all without "dogproofing" the entire house. She is wearing one of those Elizabethan collars right now because she constantly licks and chews at her skin and she has several raw sore spots that she keeps reopening after they've started to heal. The vet says she's just getting older and we'll have to live with it. She is driving us nuts and we need another solution to the problem. If anyone has any ingenious ideas for dealing with this dog I'd be thrilled to hear them Thanks alot.
2007-02-26 14:32:28 · 8 answers · asked by older and wiser 1 in Pets ➔ Dogs
Has your vet mentioned cushings disease, this will cause them to have skin infections, drink way more water then what they should and can also cause them to eat alot.
2007-02-26 15:18:52 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Dogs are not "stubborn" or "defiant". You need to learn some management techniques. If she's getting the cat's food, move that food so that she can't. If she's getting in to the garbage, make it so that she can't. Your time to dogproof the house should have happened a long time ago - just because you feel that she should not drink out of the toilet and climb on the furniture doesn't mean that your dog has learned to think the same thing. She's created habits from 10 years of living with you - and you haven't bothered to learn how to teach your dog. Take your dog to another vet to be sure that your dog suffers from allergies - though frankly, your dog may be self-mutilating out of boredom. Dogs need interaction and quality time with their people - and when they don't get it, this is what happens.
2007-02-26 22:52:05 · answer #2 · answered by Misa M 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The symptoms you are seeing sound very much like a condition called Canine Cognitive Disorder (doggy alzheimers)
Do more investigating on this, and try to ease up on the tension in the house, she likely is feeding off your anxiety towards her. The more stressed you get, the more she'll act out.
You may find you have to revert back to crating her when she's not attended to. This will keep her safe when you can't be watching her.
I hope she's feeling better soon.
The skin condition you describe sounds painful. Does she have a skin infection or bacteria? Allergies (food or seasonal)? I hate to say it but if you are not dealing with the root of the problem, she will simply tear open the wounds again once the collar comes off.
Your vet should be able to perscribe something for her itching and pain, while you seek treatment for her condition.
One food I've had amazing results with for allergies is Natural Balance Duck and Potato. If you are changing her diet to investigate food intolerances, you will need to eliminate ALL her foods/treats/bones except for ONE TYPE OF FOOD for a minimum of 3 weeks to determine if she will have a reaction.
Best Wishes
2007-02-26 22:42:38 · answer #3 · answered by Kimmie 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I had similar problem with my shar-pei. After months of going nuts, the vet, who specialized in this breed put the dog on a type of low dose prednisone. This knocked out the itching/contstant licking problems/ and the sores were able to heal. And since she was now comfortable not always itchy, she was able to pay more attention to her surroundings and back to her old self. We rationed that the getting on the forbidden chair was just a way for our dog to try and get comfortable during this time. Because long term steroids are not good for the dog's immune system, we only use them now when she has flare ups, and only for a short period of time. And we have come to recognize when this starts to happen before she can chew herself up.
Hope this helps.
2007-02-26 22:51:22 · answer #4 · answered by 8p8a 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
She sure sounds like a unhappy puppuy to me. leave the lid down on the toilet or close the door and crate her if ner if you need to .
she apears to be asking for attention does she have chewies ( alpo makes them) leave some of these around for her plus some toys and start over training her simple commands with rewards like u did when she was apuppy.
Give her lots of love and see if this works the collar may be making things worse bored dogs get desstructive
2007-02-26 22:43:23 · answer #5 · answered by Elaine F 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Might I suggest a large crate? This is YOUR home, not the dog's home. Dog proofing should be replaced with supervision. Always use a crate when you are not there and use inside tethering (hand leash) until the dog is back under control. Don't take my word for it. Check out the website.
2007-02-26 22:59:11 · answer #6 · answered by Terry D 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well its pretty obvious that its lazy.
You can try starting with the basic commands.
Sit, Stay, Heel, and etc.
Remember to always praise it.
Everytime it does something wrong, say "NO" in a firm voice and tap its nose.
Hopefully it will work.
2007-02-26 22:40:47 · answer #7 · answered by 2Bad4U 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
i usually use a rolled up newspaper when mine dont listen. They hate the sound. Dont even have to smack them with it. I just show them the paper and just like a David COpperfield trick...they vanish in the air.... and they also listen more...
2007-02-26 22:39:22 · answer #8 · answered by Val® 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋