Attn, anyone familiar with dogs

[Guest]

My mother has a toy Eskimo that she treats like a baby. I can't stand the thing. I'm not a dog person to begin with, but when she comes to visit, and she stays at my house, the dog is a regular and important part of our lives, even more important to her than my son, her only grandchild. Anyway, has anyone ever seen a dog do this before.... she growls and barks at any sound coming from another room of the house.

 

I can walk into the next room and a minute later she'll hear me and come running and bark, as if I'm some intruder she's never seen before. It's like she has no memory of my smell or the sight of me from one minute to the next. My mother lives alone and is a very quiet, sedate person and I know sometimes dogs who are alone with one owner can tend to be neurotic, but I think something is wrong with this dog and it is about drove me crazy. I had to walk on egg shells through my own home to keep from being barked at. Nothing my mother is doing to try to stop the growling and barking is working. Everytime my mother visits, and we get along well just her and I, it is now stressful because I have this crazy dog pushed on me.

 

It's not just the barking, this dog is sickly and vomits regularly too. My aunt told my mother she can't impose her animals on people when she visits. My mother is getting ready to get a second dog in February. She said she'll have to stay in a hotel with having 2 dogs next time, and I didn't say anything to the contrary. I don't want those dogs here. I tried to be so patient and understanding this last visit but I don't know how to deal with that dog. Am I just not used to dogs or is this behavior from this dog a bit over the top?

[Trialbyfire]

Purebred dogs especially the little ones can be very neurotic. It's the luck of the draw, the skill of the breeder and the consistent training from the owner of the dog.

 

I love animals in general and currently have my first purebred animal. In the past I've always had SPCA animals because I wanted to make a difference. The SPCA animals were always mixed breeds and were fantastic. I would like to make kitty soup with the purebred, although I still love him dearly.

[Green]

First of all trial by fire I just notced that its a Pheonix fire bird or something in ur avatar really cool I like it. Secondly just tell her the dogs arnt aloud in the house. This do is more anoying than most dogs to more so because of the vomiting than the barking. Its not normal and the dog probably wasnt socialized properly if its this unfriendly all the time.

[My Fair Katie]

Ugg, that's dominant behavior and it don't fly in the Fair Household. Tell mom to either leave the dog at home or bring a crate for it when it visits. The dog probably remembers your scent, she (the dog) just thinks you aren't alpha and therefore you don't have the right to move freely about the house. Time for poochy to learn her role in the pack.

 

Really by treating her dog like a baby your mom is not being fair to the dog. And a second dog won't make it better. Yes, dogs do better in packs, but not when a firm alpha (the PERSON head of household) has been established, that'll just amount to chaos.

 

Good luck with your mom.

[Trialbyfire]

Thanks KMT. It's significant to me because it represents "rising from the ashes".

[BlueEyedSarah]

My mother has a toy Eskimo that she treats like a baby. I can't stand the thing. I'm not a dog person to begin with, but when she comes to visit, and she stays at my house, the dog is a regular and important part of our lives

Eskimo is a dog? I thought they were the little people up in Alaska who live in igloos.

[sweetscarlet]

I don't see anything wrong with the dog and I've had dogs all my life. She's not used to the environment. She probably also senses that you feel uneasy around her. Think of a sensitive child brought to a strange home where he wasn't very welcomed.

[Island Girl]

Ugg, that's dominant behavior and it don't fly in the Fair Household. Tell mom to either leave the dog at home or bring a crate for it when it visits. The dog probably remembers your scent, she (the dog) just thinks you aren't alpha and therefore you don't have the right to move freely about the house. Time for poochy to learn her role in the pack.

 

Really by treating her dog like a baby your mom is not being fair to the dog. And a second dog won't make it better. Yes, dogs do better in packs, but not when a firm alpha (the PERSON head of household) has been established, that'll just amount to chaos.

 

Good luck with your mom.

 

Sounds right on track.

 

Having trained dogs for almost 20 years -- this is common -- sepecially with toy breeds like the American Eskimo.

 

Ususally due to the owner NOT being viewed as the "Alpha" or dominant member of the household.

 

Your statement that your mom 'babies' the dog is indicative of this. Your mom gives the dog attention and praise constantly without any real 'work' done on the dog's part.

 

I'm thinking your mom doesn't walk this dog very often (going for rides in the car doesn't count) and doesn't require a lot of this dog as far as manners/behavior and there doesn't seem there is any training here.

 

Another dog won't help the situation. Both dogs will behave the same way.

 

One dog will be dominant over the other but they will both view themselves as above all of you (the humans - including your mom).

 

If your mom isn't willing to find a trainer/behaviorist to work with -- and it will take effort and breaking some bad habits that your mom has -- I would say the dogs don't get to come over.

 

A crate would resolve the symptoms that you are seeing - but will not address the underlying problem.

[Guest]

I don't see anything wrong with the dog and I've had dogs all my life. She's not used to the environment. She probably also senses that you feel uneasy around her. Think of a sensitive child brought to a strange home where he wasn't very welcomed.

 

I did all I could to try to get the dog used to me and get along with it. She would be fine then turn on me, due to nothing unusual on my part. How can I help but be uneasy whenever I come around a corner and get viciously barked at like I'm some intruder, in my own living room? Who would enjoy the company of a dog like that? I disagree that this is a perfectly behaving dog. Everyone else who responded seemed to have a different view.

 

Thank you for your remarks, everyone. I appreciate it.

[vanessabg]

Eskimo is a dog? I thought they were the little people up in Alaska who live in igloos.

Yes,i know about them.

[pricillia]

I love dogs and all dogs may have issues, just like any other person, but the OP does not like dogs altohugh the dog proably need to have more experience and training nothing that is done will make her feel better about the situation.

 

 

 

Crating the dog should only be done while they are a puppy to house train the dog other then that I think it is cruel.

[My Fair Katie]

Crating the dog should only be done while they are a puppy to house train the dog other then that I think it is cruel.

 

Obviously we're not saying crate the dog and then leave the house for 8 hours, but WHILE at the OP's home and the dog is misbehaving crate it. Is it a solution for this dog's improper socialization? No. But you can't train someone else's dog. It's apparent to me his mom doesn't want to do the work of training a nicely behaved dog and would rather have a "baby substitute." And that's a shame and unfair to the dog but it's also unfair to the OP to have to walk on eggshells in her/his own home to accomodate a dog with dominance issues. Crate it a few hours in the same room as everyone else is in, take it for a long walk, back in the crate. For the duration of the visit. Maybe mom will get sick of it enough she'll hire a pet sitter or leave it at a dog daycare. Or heck, tell mom to keep it leashed for the whole visit.

 

Besides, it's also cruel to have a stressed-out dog with dominance issues in unfamiliar surroundings. At least if it's in its own crate with its own blanket and chew toy that smell like home it can take some comfort in familiarity.

 

Both my dogs are crate trained. They haven't been shut in a crate since halloween (which was only because they were part of our display as my h3ll beasts), however they WILL go into their open crates on their own to sleep during the day (at night they don't have access to their crates as they sleep with us in the master bedroom on dog beds).

[pricillia]

yes it is cruel to have a untrained dog...

 

and no I don't think the OP should have to walk on egg shells at all, but she does not like dogs so even if it were the most well trained beast in the world its presence would still bother her...

[Island Girl]

I love dogs and all dogs may have issues, just like any other person, but the OP does not like dogs altohugh the dog proably need to have more experience and training nothing that is done will make her feel better about the situation.

 

 

 

Crating the dog should only be done while they are a puppy to house train the dog other then that I think it is cruel.

 

 

All dogs do not have issues.

 

Crate training is very important. And NOT only when the dog is a puppy.

 

I utilize my crates often and it is important that even older dogs are familiar and comfortable when restricted to a crate.

 

They are used to being in crates at different times so they do not become stressed, dig at the crate door, or break out. This is absolutely necessary.

 

I still feed them in their crates and they see their crates as their safe place to get away. They go sleep in their crates at times on their own - it is their "den".

 

There are many instances when I travel with my dogs. They are in crates when they fly, and on road trips (in case of an accident they are not projected or propelled out of the vehicle).

 

I show my dogs and at these shows crates are invaluable to keep them quiet and happy in an unfamiliar environment. It keeps them out of trouble and away from all of the other dogs when I can not watch them vigilantly as you have to in that environment.

 

When I have had to have work done on my home, with strange people coming in and out of the house, I do not have to worry about them getting loose and lost or biting someone they feel is intruding into their home. I don't have to worry about them getting injured being in the wrong place at the wrong time, etc.

 

There are other times as well, for instance, when I shampoo the carpet, I crate them for a few hours until the carpet is dry enough that I am not concerned about them picking up residual chemicals on their paws and licking them - possibly poisoning themselves.

 

I can use my yard only for a certain amount of time and only when I can be vigilant about keeping my eye on them. There has been an instances of dog poisoning in my city. The poison was thrown over the fence in tainted meat form and the dogs just gobbled it up.

 

Some people just do not like dogs and a dog barking outside bothers them. My dogs will bark at someone walking on the other side of the 6ft wooden fence. I expect them to. But I am also aware that a neighbor may see that as annoying or intrusive. So they are only out in the yard when I can hear them, check to see what they are barking at, and tell them to be quiet.

So, in day to day life, my dogs are loose in my home with only short instances of them being out running around in the yard and walked often on leashes.