McMuttigan's

I've been getting a lot of emails from people who have questions about their pups issues. I'd like to open this topic up and have you shoot me some questions or just post what you may be having issues with. I know many of you are pros too, so if you have a suggestion feel free to add your 2cents... It's worth a lot to have many opinions and options. I always love when someone tells me they tried ........ and how well it worked out. You can never know everything and if you do, in my world you know nothing! So many different ways to solve different issues and I want to open this topic up:) In some cases it can save a life or keep a pup out of a shelter. If a dog can stay in its home that it has grown to love that is the ultimate goal. One thing I will tell you though... Most of the crazy things our dogs, horses and even cats pick up, we cause. Yes, I said horses and cats! Feel free to post questions about them too. I may have to go to my cat expert friends on some of those issues.lol

So OPEN FOR DISCUSSION!!! What's going on with your pet?

As always, I'll open this one up. YES! I too have issues with my Brat Pack:( Guess why? I did it.lol Actually not completly true, but I didn't nip it in the bud soon enough because I didn't know who started it.

It's called excited barking!!! I have to say probably the most frustrating thing I've ever had the displeasure of working through and it is a work in progress. BOO! Bet ya thought I had it licked! Nope, not yet, but here is how it all started.

My rag tag group was once a silent bunch of beasts when in their crates waiting to go out first thing in the morning. Then, as if by some awful doggie demon, it all changed. We have one lil man who on occassion gets a sick tummy and will wake me in the night if he needs out ASAP! Little did I know, he was doing a test on me to see how well that warning cry worked...Like a Charm! (I don't want a kid to be sick in its crate and me not know until morning, that would just be yucky for them, make me feel bad and be a nasty morning greeting!) Anywho... He did this a few nights in a row and I would get up all hours to make sure he was OK, thus him putting 2 and 2 together and teaching the others. DUMB DUH DUMB DUMB ME! He no longer does it at night, unless really feeling like YUK, but in the morning it is a doggy free for all with the barking. OMG!!! WHAT HAPPENED TO MY QUIET BUNCH??? Granted, they don't all take advantage of their vocal chords, but the ones who do are LOUD! and small.lol

SO, Where do I go from here now that it has become a morning ritual? Turns out...ummm, tried the squirt bottle, the ring leader likes water, tried a shaker can "We can't hear your shaker can over Midget mom!", tried waiting it out...note to you all, that was an AWFUL IDEA! It's called excited barking for a reason and done out of anxiety (I had a DUH moment, it happens.) So far 2 things are working a bit...still in the beginning so it's going to take a while. 1. A Tibetan Bell, the ringing of the bell lightly redirects them from themselves and also puts out a nice vibration, it's also a great sound:) and 2. CRACKERS! I swear, I think with my dogs crackers solve everything. Unsalted crackers for .88 cents a box, who knew? But the main barker will do most anything for snacks...the other barkers follow his lead when he calms and quiets

So as this is a work in progress, I'll keep you posted on what is working best for my anxious pooches ready for potty time in the morning. It is beginning to click for one, but Midget is still having some issues. I may need to move his crate away from his buddies so he doesn't feel the need to GET OUT FIRST!!! Bless his heart he had a rough start and had to struggle with larger dogs as a puppy, hid under the bed most of the time in his former house, so now as an adult he feels "if he's not first he's last." (Quoting Ricky Bobby) His anxiety is what causes the rest of the noise makers to start, I fix him, I fix the problem... Sounds so easy, but it really is a patience related issue. If anyone else deals with something similar, know that if you too become anxious or upset, you feed it directly to them and they become much worse. I know this because when I was very sick, my mom was releasing the hounds in the morning. She doesn't like noisy mornings, so we're working on that too. She did discover the Tibetan Bell though:) Great Job Mom!!! Now it's just a matter of time, placement and patience to me and the grasshoppers. I foresee in a couple of weeks quiet mornings once again.

And a side note... All of the dogs are a bit punchy with the awful weather! They too get cabin fever and at the moment are so fevered out they can't stand it. Are my pooches spoiled? I admit it, YES. Is this new behavior my fault, YES, I taught one that a high pitched yip in the middle of the night would get me to him and out ASAP! feeding his need to get out first. Is this a fixable problem, ABSOLUTELY!!! But only with a calm head and a reminder to myself when it begins...My fault! But I'll fix it:)

God love em', they do what works, when it stops working it's pointless. They learn to manipulate us to make their lives better, that's why it's our jobs to teach them they don't have to be our of hand to get from point A to point B, we love them when they are behaved and must always reward them when that behavior is being exhibited. Once they KNOW what you want and know it comes with a GREAT JOB! Most will pretty much jump through hoops to make it happen, literally.

Now that I've caused you to squint from suck a long post... Feel free to post away. HUG YOUR POOCHES! and let them know they are the most important thing in your world, or at least make them think it;)

Happy Posting!

Donna

Oddly enough nobody wanted to post their issues. I got a lot of emails for help though. You can't be ashamed or embarassed about any issue your dog may have, it doesn't help your dog if you don't ask questions. Each question asked got a full prescription for what they could do to get over the quirky humps their dogs had. I'm still up for questions via this forum, but don't really expect anyone to post.lol

As far as my puppers issue, we are  coming along. I had to mix it up a bit to muffle the barking. Everyones is beginning to calm down and life should soon be bark free again when it comes to that glass sliding door:) Funny to me that they are so easily programmed, as are we, but it also makes finding the trigger a bit easier and knowing something as simple as opening their door only to shut it back would take the tension down has been great. They aren't anxious about getting out, they go outside whenever they want and are only crated for bedtime and meals, it is more of who gets to go first... The one who is quiet and patient, and they are watching and learning. So my little monsters are getting better day after day. It is a process. 

For those of you who got info, glad it helped, but you should never be afraid to ask on here, this is a no judgement board.