pls help. im so disappointed with my dog..?

Question

i have a 5 year old beagle,female will be spayed soon and got it fom rescue, its been a month now with us.im giving her all the TLC ,we even sleep side by side at day time, but how come when at night where she shld. be in her kennel and not even once we parted our goodnights in peace, i have to push her to get her in,and in a few minutes she will start barking. i used to squirt a water on her head and will be timid in a few minutes and later back again in barking.(squirting water advised was got from yahoo answers too.)and i think its effective during day time out from kennel when i let her see the sprayer she gonna move away. is it because im too close to her?another thing is when im out from her sight she will look fo me inside the house and stay with my side.when im completely away from home even if she is withsomeone .shell bark and bark an later will be hushed with squirting of water. im getting fed of with her atttitude during those events.please advise what to do,please..

Answer 1

Dogs are extremely social animals, and they have a deep need for both emotional and physical contact with members of their pack. Take this away, even for a while, and it can upset them. There is no reason to be “so disappointed” with her for wanting to be near you or crying because she misses you. My dog does the same thing if I’m away. She only wants to be near me; how could I fault her for that? She’s also slept with me in my bed from day 1, just as my last dog did. It makes us both very happy, and there has never been an accident in my bed. I would miss her if she slept anywhere else, and she would miss me if she was unable to curl up with me each night.

Also, keep in mind that she spent 5 years with someone else. Maybe something happened to cause such extreme anxiety. Maybe they left her alone for hours upon hours at a time, in a kennel, and so kennels are unhappy places for her.

When you adopt an older dog, you also adopt their emotional baggage. It might just take her a bit longer to adjust to new training and commands than a dog you trained from a pup. You need to be patient and not get upset at her. She doesn’t know wanting to be near you badly is a crime, and I hope you never try to teach her that. She loves you. Rather than be disappointed, you should feel lucky you have found such a devoted friend.

Answer 2

Training an older dogs can be quite difficult, but CAN be done!

You might have to re-introduce her to the kennel from the sounds of it. She now veiws the kennel as a place of punishment. Try coaxing her into the kennel with treats and praising her when she enters. Most likely it will be and in and out situation at first. Leave the kennel door open. Keep doing this from time to time throughout the day. If you ever see her enter the kennel on her own... again praise her and give her a treat. She should soon show some interest in the kennel on her own. The kennel should never be a place where she is punished. Make sure you have plenty of comforting items in the kennel; Blanket, soft pad, a chew toy and/or stuffed animal (chances are she might not show interest in toys as shes a bit older).

I'm not sure about squirting her with water as this could just add to her fears... now with water. I would stop with that and turn to a calm verbal repremand. I make a small quick "shhhush" noise and use my hand sometimes in a point to poke my dog in the neck to redirect her attention from whatever it is that she's doing wrong. We have to remember as dog owners that dogs are single track minded and without direction they will go with whatever the mind is focused on until they are done... most likely doing something that they're not supposed to until they have learned!!

Good luck with your dog and remember she has attatched herself to you and looks to you for guidence... patience and time is key.

Answer 3

If she's a rescue dog there is a good chance she was abused by her previous owner. For some reason, she seems to have a terrible fear of the kennel at night. By spraying her with water, you are re inforcing this fear she has, rather than helping it, you are making it worse. I would advise you to try and make the kennel more comfortable for her, put a blanket in, or something that smells like you. Try to tempt her in with food, or if it's big enough, even go in with her and show her there is nothing to be afraid of. Try to get her to go in willingly, leave her for five minutes, then take her out and give her a treat and tell her she's a good girl. This way she will slowly gain confidence, and you will be able to leave her in there all night

Good Luck
:-)

Answer 4

The spray bottle or any kind of fear-causing device will not work, as you have seen for yourself. You need to base your relationship on positive training, not fear. But you also need to set some rules. If the dog sleeps with you at daytime, you can't expect her to realize that night time is different. She misses you and feels left out. She has connected with you and loves you. You shouldn't be disappointed, you should be glad she loves you so much, and she is disappointed you send her away. My advice is to find a good trainer, a dof behaviourist, you will know he is good if he never ever proposes anything violent or fear causing to your dog. No choking collars, no barking collars and no shock collars, most of all. Every dog has a ddifferent personality an needs to be trained to live with the family. It is your responsibility, not the dog's to teach it. If you are disappointed it means you did something wrong, not the dog, especially since this is not a matter of agression but too much love!

Answer 5

take in mind you got her from a rescue...there is no telling what she has been through..take into mind you may be the ONLY kind hand that she has EVER known...I do not suggest the spray method....why/.b/c this could be actually adding to your problem....try this..put her kennel in a quiet, dark place....in another room...this is perfectly natural for her...it is like the den she would instinctively live in and yes sleep in...the best thing you can do is be away for short times and when you get back praise her and comfort her...praise her when she is not barking....when she is barking ignore her...if it does not get better....please consult your vet...she could possibly be suffering from separation anxiety..they have a wide range of drugs on the market that help with this...you seem to want what's best for your dog, as you would not be posting this question if the opposite were true...and when you are about to get "fed up" take this into consideration..she is a part of your life...you are her life....you are the "mom" here so please take that responsibility seriously...good luck and please be patient..God Bless!.

Answer 6

You need to remember that her 'attitude' is coming from your treatment of her. By indulging her by allowing her in bed you set up an expectation that she can be with you at all times. If you're going to keep the dog outside, then the dog should be kept at a distance emotionally. If the dog is too bonded to you and expects to sleep in your bed then you should be expecting that she'll be very upset at not having you around. You are being unfair to the dog and your relationship with it. Make up your mind whether you expect the dog to be an outside dog or an inside constant companion and then draw the line and make sure you are consistent. Anything else simply confuses the dog and makes it more likely for the behavior to continue.

Answer 7

your dog is bored and nervous. she needs lots of outdoor exercise to wear her out. you also need to be very patient, getting her fixed will help the separation anxiety. but you need to take your time with her, she was already left once and she needs time to realize that you are not going to leave her forever. you should leave her for very short periods of time and come back BEFORE she starts barking and give her lots of love and praise. making those periods longer and longer until she can trust that you are coming back, this could take some time. practice with her when you can be home to do this not when you have to leave for work. i wouldn't spray her with water, it's not a long term solution to the problem. good luck and don't give up on her, she'll come around if you are consistent with your training.

Answer 8

I find that adding white vinegar to the water you spray it with is effective. Be patient though. You have to train it that its wrong. It may take some time. Spray it when it wont go in the kennel and whenit barks. It may prove helpful to place the kennel away from the house, give it some water/food and a toy. It probably is bored of a night

Answer 9

She will get used to the kennel give her time.

Answer 10

awww, just love her to death. and consider giving up the kennel. I mean, she's five...she's probably set in her ways. she's just so happy that a good person adopted her that she can't contain her excitement.