My roommate adopted the coonhound from hell last week, to add to the mix of my retriever and bloodhound. Unfortunately, it seems to have been sent by the devil. The 'calm' dog laying down while the others were barking and jumping has turned out to be the most neurotic animal either of us have met, to the point of the vet prescribing sedatives. She paces, circles, whines, generally wakes me up by 5.45 daily, jumps on people, but is afraid of everything. She urinates everywhere, and insists on trying to eat out of the other dogs' bowls, then won't touch her own when it's identical, even when kennelled with it. She is terrified or everything and runs into things, making morenoise. She tries to bust out of the door constantly. The pacing makes my dogs nip at her because it aggravates them as much as it does me. So, to get to the point, am I the only person that thinks this dog needs permanent sedation, or can she be helped? All we've had is crazy suggestions ranging from agility training to a behaviorist charging $800 for one consultation. My roommate works all day, so I am home dealing with the madness and puddles, and after spending his day off with her today he is getting frustrated too, but unfortunately not to the point of returning her. Is there anything I/we can do to make living with her more bearable? She spent her first 2 yrs chained and then 3 months in the shelter, and i'm just not convinced that she can adjust to living indoors. I hope I can be proved wrong, all I want is for the poor thing to lead some kind of a normal life or to be put out of her misery.
Other than the hyperactivity, it sounds very much like a neighbor's dog. The dog piddles at everyone, scared, barks, only this one is veryreluctant to leave the house. Show the dog a leash and she'll cringe but once on she's fine. The dog was also from a shelter but was originally own by an older person who past away and the spouse ended up with the dog for alittle while before surrendering to a shelter.
In this case, the neighbor believe she was abused using a leash. What the dog use to like (walks) was now associated with punishment. But when I met the neighbor, the dog came running out barking which totally surprised her. The dog was actually getting more bold.
As to your situation, I believe over time, the dog will get over any past experiences if you encourge the right behavior, ie. for a shy dog, slowly socialize it. Perhaps it was always chained and when it barked for attention it was disciplined?
Great advice from Mite......In time things will settle.....good luck...i take it the other dogs get along with the new addition, if so, thats a plus...
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She's doing a bit better, especially since we took her off the sedatives the vet had prescribed. I don't think she knew where she was most of the time. Since we put a bark collar on her, she's started scratching at the kennel more, to the point of taking the bottom out of a varikennel in 3 hrs today. She likes the bloodhound, I don't know whether she sees her as some kind of role model, but the bloodhound doesn't like her. They don't fight, but the bloodhound gets aggravated with the bluetick jumping on me or pacing the house, and nips and growls at her. The retriever thinks the bluetick is greatto run with, but the bluetick is grumpy with her [&:] I think most of her problems are lack of socialisation, but I have no idea whether dogs can learn this later on or she has missed a critical stage. I haven't wantedto shoot her nearly as many times this week though!
she is beautiful........i'm glad to hear she's doing better....also glad ot hear you took her off the doggy drugs....i understand why folks have to do what they have to do, but any drug that makes life easier for us humans , cant be very good for them(long term)....my brother took meds for years, he finally came to the realization, that it did help everyone around him, but he was a zombie....he's been off the meds for years now...and we're all happy, lol...i hope that things will continue to look up.....
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Don't go leaving your ethics in the truck
Yet another crazy coonhound - HELP!
