Something very bad happened last night. I bit Mom. She was sitting on the floor, in between Tom & I eating popcorn. All of the sudden, I lunged across her lap to snap at Tom but instead of nipping Tom, I nipped her arm and then kept lunging at Tom and he kept growling and fighting me right back. Mom is still sitting on the floor, in the middle of all this, screaming for Dad to help break us up.
She wasn't bleeding but now she has a nasty looking bruise. What is most painful is how hurt she feels inside. This is the first time she has seen me lunge at anything. That's what scares her now. What if I lunged at someone else like a neighbor or a little kid? Am I going to lash out like this again? Will it be worse? What is Mom doing wrong that made sweet Huck become violent and mean like that? Mom thought Tom and I were doing great and we had a peaceful 2 dog house. Am I jealous? Am I not getting enough attention?
Mom feels like she can't trust me now.
Has anyone else experienced this? She feels embarrassed, like she is a bad dog-mom. She feels like she needs that Cesar guy to come over to our house and tell her that she is an irresponsible dog-mom and caused me to morph into an unstable, neurotic dog.
Please share any advice you may have. Mom's obviously emotional and trying to process it all right now.
This is what Mom's arm looks like.
Sep 26, 2008
Advice, Please
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7 comments:
How awful for everyone. I pulled out my copy of "Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Small Animals" by Karen Overall. I am not a vet. Starting on page 106 are sections about play aggression, interdog aggr, food-related aggr, etc. But I would take him to the vet or to a specialist in dog behavior. I've done that and it helped. Good luck.
Oh Huck! It sounds like something set you off, and your Mom's arm got in the way. BUT that is NOT an excuse for you continuing to go after your brother!! What has been going on? Was there food involved and maybe you thought your Mom shouldn't be giving it to Tom? Have you and Tom been secretly fighting for status behind your Mom's back?
It might be time for NILF and banishment from the furniture for both of you, and for your Mom and Dad to show you who is boss around the house. Then if you and Tom have issues, at least you won't be putting your Mom in the middle, literally, because you both respect her.
Momma's gonna email your Mom and maybe you want to check out Dogs With Blogs - The Bone Zone. If you haven't posted there, I'll put a link and get some advice there too.
Biggie
Are the boys neutered?
Thanks for the input, everyone. Yes, both boys are neutered. The one other time Huck has lunged at Tom is when Dad was eating cookies on the floor. No one was hurt though. Huck has never lunged or bitten anyone/anything else. I am mostly worried that this will happen again or escalate.
We eat around the dogs all the time but from this, I've learned there seems to be a big issue when "Mom eats something sitting on the floor" instead of the usual "dogs on floor with Mom eating at the table".
Sounds like Huck has a little food aggression, and it's exacerbated by the humans sitting on the floor, because then you are on his level and no longer dominant, in his eyes.
Humans on the floor with food maybe makes Huck and/or Tom a little uncomfortable because you're not the most dominant anymore be being above the dogs, literally. Which is also why I suggested banishment from the furniture, at least temporarily, because it has the same effect - they are elevated and on your level, which may lead to a little more aggression if you're on the couch with them, with food.
Huck.....DO NOT bitey your mum anymore....that was a very nasty bitey. Your mum is very sad and hurt and I cannot believe you did this. Why are you so angry?
I have been being bad too though, so I guess I should scold you. I have been destroying everything ever since Gizmo went to the bridge. You know what I think might help?
You come and play with me! Thats all we need is a playdate.
Deetzy
P.S. Why do the states have to be so far apart...I wish we lived closer...
Deetzy
woofy, huck!
Keeper says to check suzanne clothier at-
http://www.flyingdogpress.com/artlibreg.htm
since ALL the hounds in heaven (that's us and yes, we're all alive and living in a house called heaven!) are not neutered, we are extremely Super-Mega-Active-Aggressive.
suzanne's loving but firm advice has helped Keeper deal with our aggression...
personally, i think it's because Keeper barks the loudest and when she does, we have no choice but stay cool and sulk it out...
sweepyinheaven.blogspot.com
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