Might have a new travel companion soon
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highdesertranger
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what a frickin bummer. hope it works out. highdesertranger
rvpopeye
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It does suck , but I guess that's the risk with adopting a pooch without knowing how it was treated in the past.
Hope he comes around for you .
I had a friend that adopted a bunch of pits from a local shelter instead of letting them be euthanized.
His method was to blow "mellow smoke" in their faces as often as he could......hey , it actually seemed to work !
Hope he comes around for you .
I had a friend that adopted a bunch of pits from a local shelter instead of letting them be euthanized.
His method was to blow "mellow smoke" in their faces as often as he could......hey , it actually seemed to work !
highdesertranger
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let's see, a bunch of pits that need mellow smoke blown in their face. that's a lot of mellow smoke. are you sure they were doing it for the dogs. highdesertranger
TrainChaser
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About the lunging and biting... You've only had him for a week; are you overdoing all the visiting friends and relatives? Is something in particular provoking him? Did the rescue know his background? An acquaintance acquired a gorgeous German Shepherd, and he was great with everybody....... except men in uniforms, and then it was full attack mode, as if he had been deliberately trained for that.
I hope they can work him out of it.
His name is perfect for stealth camping!
I hope they can work him out of it.
His name is perfect for stealth camping!
Every Road Leads Home
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I've been working with him a few hours a day and he's getting a lot better. I talked to a friend of a friend who runs a rescue in San Diego and she said it's quite common to have rescue dogs nip/bite people the first few days they are placed for any number of reasons. We found the common denominator in the people he's bit at and so far it's only been men with beards, which would suggest his prior owner may have been a male with a beard and treated him less than satisfactory. However, my cousin, one of the ones he first nipped at is no longer an issue, he greets him with a wagging tail and happy body.
I'm still going to take the rescue up on their offer and place him in a training class, they actually let me pick the place and it's a local place i've used in the past with excellent results. The family has a 50 acre facility and has been training dogs for over 45 years. 50 acres in my neck of the woods is basically unheard of, lucky family that bought and held onto that piece of property. It would be worth tens of millions sub divided, but they have no interest and keep on doing what they feel they were meant to do.
I'll keep everyone updated with his progress, but I think he's going to turn into a fine dog.
I'm still going to take the rescue up on their offer and place him in a training class, they actually let me pick the place and it's a local place i've used in the past with excellent results. The family has a 50 acre facility and has been training dogs for over 45 years. 50 acres in my neck of the woods is basically unheard of, lucky family that bought and held onto that piece of property. It would be worth tens of millions sub divided, but they have no interest and keep on doing what they feel they were meant to do.
I'll keep everyone updated with his progress, but I think he's going to turn into a fine dog.
Cheli
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Just catching up on this thread.
So sorry to hear that happened but also happy to see he's doing well since you've been working with him. I see your last post was a couple of weeks ago, any work with the training class since then? If so, how's it going? He's such a cutie and looks like he'd be a great travel companion if he progressed well with training.
50 acres in our area? Wowza, yeah that would be worth millions for sure!!!!!
I hope all is going well, keep us posted.
So sorry to hear that happened but also happy to see he's doing well since you've been working with him. I see your last post was a couple of weeks ago, any work with the training class since then? If so, how's it going? He's such a cutie and looks like he'd be a great travel companion if he progressed well with training.
50 acres in our area? Wowza, yeah that would be worth millions for sure!!!!!
I hope all is going well, keep us posted.
highdesertranger
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thanks Cheli I was wondering too. highdesertranger
Every Road Leads Home
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Hi Guys,
Thanks for asking, I've been meaning to update this post. So it's been a wild ride for this poor dog and in hindsight I wish I had done things a little differently but at any rate he's back at home with us and although probably traumatized at all he's been through the last ten days or so he seems to be settling in pretty good and looks pretty happy to be home.
So, the rescue thought it would be best to put him right into a place that trains and boards him as he hadn't been with us too long and she thought it would be better to do it sooner than later before he really settled in with us. I've used this place in the past and had absolutely amazing results. I had less than satisfactory results this time around. He was supposed to go for two weeks and we'd do a follow up with the trainer and dog after first 7 days. We checked him in with the owner who's also the head trainer, or supposed to be anyways. Explained his issues with nipping people and the trainer Bruce said he didn't think it would be to difficult to correct the behavior. So we show up after the first 7 days and the owner doesn't even know the dogs name.....a little unsettling but didn't give it too much thought at the time. As he was bringing him out another customer was walking in and asked if he could pet him and Bruce the trainer/owner said sure. Well Camo bit the guy!, just a little nip, he was so excited to see us he was barreling towards us and think he just wanted the guy out of the way, the guy didn't care but i'm thinking in my head, ok you didn't know his name, you seem to have forgotten why we brought him in and we continue with the private lesson. He hadn't taught him anything new......was parading him around showing how good he was at healing on the leash, not pulling, staying, sit, paw, and lay down. He knew all those before I brought him in. Then as i'm petting him he rolls over and there's a HUGE rash all over his belly. Now i'm starting to get pissed and asked the owner "what the **** is going on here" You didn't know the dogs name, you are letting him near strangers when we brought him in for problems with strangers and now he has a huge rash you never once called to mention. Had enough at that point and took the dog home with me that day. Called the rescue to let her know what was going on and she was still worried about the nipping and said why not bring him back to her and she'd get a vet to look at the rash and have a trainer she knows come down and see what his thoughts were.
So the next day we dropped Camo off with her and he was def not happy about it. Stopped eating, started chewing his tail, was now for the first time actually aggressive towards other like he meant business if anyone tried to get near him. So she called me up and said I should prob come get him as no one there could do anything with him with him so aggitated. Thus we picked him back up last night and again, he was super excited to see us. He didn't want to get in the car though as i'm sure he was scared we were gonna drop him off somewhere else again. But he eventually hopped in and passed right out in the back seat. So like I mentioned in the first paragraph, in hindsight I think we tried to do too much with him too quick......as no one knows what his past history was, how long he's been bounced from shelter to shelter down south...then the long ride up here, a week with us and he was thrown back in a kennel for training, then an unpleasant experience and right to the next kennel where he decided enough was enough. Kind of feel stupid now thinking back on it all, but when it was all happening we felt like we were doing what was best for him.
But the rescue has been great, she told the owner of the place we brought him to to pound sand she wasnt paying for animal abuse and to take her to court if he wanted his money. We both talked to another trainer that she's worked with and he said let him stay with us for about a month to get him settled in, try not to expose him to any new people for a bit and then he'll come to the house and work with us one on one. That way he doesn't have to go to anymore unfamiliar places. My mom did come over the other night, who Camo has met before and he greeted her with a wagging tail and the mailman gave him a biscuit so now he waits for him to show up everyday, again with a wagging tail so hoping everything just kind of falls into place. He is so friendly and non aggressive with us I still almost don't believe he's nipped anyone even though i've seen it. The trainer asked me to try to take his food away when I was on the phone with him to see if he'd show any aggression towards me and he didn't not that I expected him to. Then gave him a chewy piece of beef jerky and took it out of his mouth as he was chewing it. He just looked at me like I was a weirdo. I can touch his feet, clip his nails, clean his ears, all the typical things that bother some dogs and he could care less if I do it.
Whoah, longer update than i expected! Gave you guys a short story. So yea, basically I'm thinking he's been through a lot the last month, I unknowingly probably put him through a little more he didn't need right away. So now we are in rewind mode. Get him comfortable, let him know he's not going anywhere else and then back to the issue at hand. Oh, and the skin condition is clearing up, no idea what happened to him at that place, but they are getting a less than stellar review on yelp.
Thanks for asking, I've been meaning to update this post. So it's been a wild ride for this poor dog and in hindsight I wish I had done things a little differently but at any rate he's back at home with us and although probably traumatized at all he's been through the last ten days or so he seems to be settling in pretty good and looks pretty happy to be home.
So, the rescue thought it would be best to put him right into a place that trains and boards him as he hadn't been with us too long and she thought it would be better to do it sooner than later before he really settled in with us. I've used this place in the past and had absolutely amazing results. I had less than satisfactory results this time around. He was supposed to go for two weeks and we'd do a follow up with the trainer and dog after first 7 days. We checked him in with the owner who's also the head trainer, or supposed to be anyways. Explained his issues with nipping people and the trainer Bruce said he didn't think it would be to difficult to correct the behavior. So we show up after the first 7 days and the owner doesn't even know the dogs name.....a little unsettling but didn't give it too much thought at the time. As he was bringing him out another customer was walking in and asked if he could pet him and Bruce the trainer/owner said sure. Well Camo bit the guy!, just a little nip, he was so excited to see us he was barreling towards us and think he just wanted the guy out of the way, the guy didn't care but i'm thinking in my head, ok you didn't know his name, you seem to have forgotten why we brought him in and we continue with the private lesson. He hadn't taught him anything new......was parading him around showing how good he was at healing on the leash, not pulling, staying, sit, paw, and lay down. He knew all those before I brought him in. Then as i'm petting him he rolls over and there's a HUGE rash all over his belly. Now i'm starting to get pissed and asked the owner "what the **** is going on here" You didn't know the dogs name, you are letting him near strangers when we brought him in for problems with strangers and now he has a huge rash you never once called to mention. Had enough at that point and took the dog home with me that day. Called the rescue to let her know what was going on and she was still worried about the nipping and said why not bring him back to her and she'd get a vet to look at the rash and have a trainer she knows come down and see what his thoughts were.
So the next day we dropped Camo off with her and he was def not happy about it. Stopped eating, started chewing his tail, was now for the first time actually aggressive towards other like he meant business if anyone tried to get near him. So she called me up and said I should prob come get him as no one there could do anything with him with him so aggitated. Thus we picked him back up last night and again, he was super excited to see us. He didn't want to get in the car though as i'm sure he was scared we were gonna drop him off somewhere else again. But he eventually hopped in and passed right out in the back seat. So like I mentioned in the first paragraph, in hindsight I think we tried to do too much with him too quick......as no one knows what his past history was, how long he's been bounced from shelter to shelter down south...then the long ride up here, a week with us and he was thrown back in a kennel for training, then an unpleasant experience and right to the next kennel where he decided enough was enough. Kind of feel stupid now thinking back on it all, but when it was all happening we felt like we were doing what was best for him.
But the rescue has been great, she told the owner of the place we brought him to to pound sand she wasnt paying for animal abuse and to take her to court if he wanted his money. We both talked to another trainer that she's worked with and he said let him stay with us for about a month to get him settled in, try not to expose him to any new people for a bit and then he'll come to the house and work with us one on one. That way he doesn't have to go to anymore unfamiliar places. My mom did come over the other night, who Camo has met before and he greeted her with a wagging tail and the mailman gave him a biscuit so now he waits for him to show up everyday, again with a wagging tail so hoping everything just kind of falls into place. He is so friendly and non aggressive with us I still almost don't believe he's nipped anyone even though i've seen it. The trainer asked me to try to take his food away when I was on the phone with him to see if he'd show any aggression towards me and he didn't not that I expected him to. Then gave him a chewy piece of beef jerky and took it out of his mouth as he was chewing it. He just looked at me like I was a weirdo. I can touch his feet, clip his nails, clean his ears, all the typical things that bother some dogs and he could care less if I do it.
Whoah, longer update than i expected! Gave you guys a short story. So yea, basically I'm thinking he's been through a lot the last month, I unknowingly probably put him through a little more he didn't need right away. So now we are in rewind mode. Get him comfortable, let him know he's not going anywhere else and then back to the issue at hand. Oh, and the skin condition is clearing up, no idea what happened to him at that place, but they are getting a less than stellar review on yelp.
highdesertranger
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dang, I hope it works out. highdesertranger
RossCoe
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EveryRoad- You and your pup have been through a lot. As a dog lover myself, I had a dog who bit out of excitability. Among family members he was a big loving mush, but ring a doorbell, or rattle paper and he was a biter to the instigator of the noise!! Even us- that's how I found out what his problem was, by accident he bit me just behind the knee, his preferred spot when riled up! This was a dog born and bred in my house and never left it- so I know he was only loved and never harmed by anyone. There is a correct term for it, but essentially it's like a switch in his brain that is flipped with noise. We ended up crating him till his excitement faded, then we could let him out and he was fine with the visitor or the activity that instigated his behavior. It took 3 years for us to figure it out. So hang in there.
I hope you figure out his "why" so you can divert his nipping. Not knowing Camo's background can be really frustrating when trying to solve problems. Sounds like you are doing everything possible to get help for him and your family. Thank you for the update. Give him lots of love <3 and security and hopefully things will fall into place for him. I'll say a prayer to St. Francis for him and you!
I hope you figure out his "why" so you can divert his nipping. Not knowing Camo's background can be really frustrating when trying to solve problems. Sounds like you are doing everything possible to get help for him and your family. Thank you for the update. Give him lots of love <3 and security and hopefully things will fall into place for him. I'll say a prayer to St. Francis for him and you!
TrainChaser
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RossCoe: It could have been worse. When I was a kid, we had a neighbor with two Boston Terriers, and when anyone came to the door, the male would attack and bite the woman who owned him.
Every Road Leads Home
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So we made a potentially huge discovery yesterday. The rescue was finally able to track some of Camo's previous shelter stays while he was in Georgia. The last one had him on prednisone with the heartworm treatment but his records didn't indicate it. He had been on it for a few months and they stopped it abruptly when they shipped him up instead of weaning him down slowly. He's been off it a month now and the vet said it should all be out of his system by now. The vet said it's very common for Dogs to get temperamental while on it or shortly after stopping it. She gave him a full exam, poked, picked at and prodded him for a half hour and he didn't so much as flinch. She didn't seem to think he had any aggression in him and this past week he's had zero incidences with people or dogs. On our daily walk around the neighborhood he met a new friend.....an Irish Setter named Casey. The owner had a fenced in yard so we let them romp around together for a half hour and he was having the time of his life! We've probably met a half dozen new people in our outings and he's greeted them all with a wagging tail. Hoping all this was just the new surroundings and prednisone. Now that he's settling in and getting used to everything he's been great.
I've been taking him everywhere I go and he's been on his best behavior. If I run into someone I know and we start talking, he just sits or lays down and patiently waits til we're done talking. If my feet are hurting at home, he'll lay right beside me for hours on end until i'm ready to do something. Really really pleased with him these last few days. He seems really happy, always smiling and being a goof. He really cracks me up some days with his personality. The one thing he does that I've never seen before is he'll only do his # 2 on a bush. Even if it's two feet high, he'll prop his butt up there hind legs off the ground and does his business. I'm thinking it wouldn't be too hard to train him to use a toilet like that!
I've been taking him everywhere I go and he's been on his best behavior. If I run into someone I know and we start talking, he just sits or lays down and patiently waits til we're done talking. If my feet are hurting at home, he'll lay right beside me for hours on end until i'm ready to do something. Really really pleased with him these last few days. He seems really happy, always smiling and being a goof. He really cracks me up some days with his personality. The one thing he does that I've never seen before is he'll only do his # 2 on a bush. Even if it's two feet high, he'll prop his butt up there hind legs off the ground and does his business. I'm thinking it wouldn't be too hard to train him to use a toilet like that!
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ggwoman
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The one thing he does that I've never seen before is he'll only do his # 2 on a bush. Even if it's two feet high, he'll prop his butt up there hind legs off the ground and does his business.
LOLOL Thanks for a great post, especially this part! Glad he's working out.
My Thor was on prednisone for only 3 days, made him sick as can be (uncontrollable throwing up and diarrhea). I ended up staying with him in the animal hospital emergency room for a day and it definitely messed with his personality too as he wouldn't allow anyone ie the doctors and handlers near him. Tremendous aggression never seen before or since. They ended up having to teach me how to do his IV so that's what I did and sat beside him all day to keep him calm until the fluids and medications could work. Prednisone. That is some really potent shit. I will never take it or allow any of my animals to take it again either.
LOLOL Thanks for a great post, especially this part! Glad he's working out.
My Thor was on prednisone for only 3 days, made him sick as can be (uncontrollable throwing up and diarrhea). I ended up staying with him in the animal hospital emergency room for a day and it definitely messed with his personality too as he wouldn't allow anyone ie the doctors and handlers near him. Tremendous aggression never seen before or since. They ended up having to teach me how to do his IV so that's what I did and sat beside him all day to keep him calm until the fluids and medications could work. Prednisone. That is some really potent shit. I will never take it or allow any of my animals to take it again either.
highdesertranger
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that's great news. hoping for the best. highdesertranger
Every Road Leads Home
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ggwoman said:
They put me on Prednisone with my Lyme medication to help the swelling all over my body, wanted me on it for a minimum of 90 days, I made it to day 4 and said never again. I ended up modifying my diet for the three months to help with the swelling and that seemed to do the trick. It's a nasty drug! Not glad to hear your dogs reaction to it, but makes me happy in the sense that it further backs up that it's probably what his issues were about.
Here's to some happy and healthy dogs moving forward!
Every Road Leads Home
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rvpopeye said:
Hi RV,
Man, it's been a busy few weeks just knocking down all the obligations left hanging in Mass. Moved around a bunch of Dr's appoitments that were all spaced out and got them all done last week, so it will be 3 months til my next ones now. I think after the next round I can bump them to every six months and shouldn't be too long til I can just do them yearly again. Then brought Camo to the rescue's vet in RI to have his last check up, he's got a good clean bill of health! Few social obligations out of the way, met with the lawyer about disolving the trust the family summer home in Plymouth is in and are just about ready to reach a deal for my cousin to buy the rest of us out of the house, so now looks like i'm heading up with a perfectly clean slate.
Driving up today to drop off a truck load of stuff....generator, ride on mower I just picked up for short money, half dozen 7 gallon jugs of water to use until the well guy can get there and get that running, and bunch of other odds and ends. Figure I'd rather have all the weight out of the back of the truck before towing the trailer up tomorrow. Plus it will help to have the bed empty to fill with everyday stuff like food/clothes.
Won't be long now!
Matt
