Canine Compulsive Disorders!

[SarzWix]

According to my GSD book, for any 'unacceptable' behaviour, you should use the "distract, command, reward" technique, which involves doing something to instantly distract your dog from whatever it's doing - this can range from calling it's name or a loud clap of the hands, to squirting the dog with water. As soon as you have it's attention, you give it a command, such as "sit" or "here", then when the dog obeys the command, you immediately reward it, either with praise or a treat, or it's favourite toy or game.

Cloud my lovely, if you don't like dogs, perhaps you should avoid a thread about them?

[di]

we used to have a GS when i was young & I remember as a pup she'd do the same,we just put it down to her way of playing(just imagine the fun you could have with a tail!~no rude comments!)we also had a sheltie who'd,every time she came on heat,hijack all our slippers & for 2weeks they were her babies!!she'd carefully carry them round with her,sleep with them...looking back i sometimes think we should have let her have proper pups but she seemed happy enough with the slippers&we didn't have the turmoil of finding new homes for a litter of pups~just reclaimed our slippers once senile moment had passed!

[squashysu]

Don't get me wrong, I've got nothing against vets, they do a good job, but if you have a problem with your pet that isn't life threatening, first stop should be you breed club/association for first hand advice. Lots of people with years of experience in that breed.

my poor rosey died due to the vet not giving her the anesthetic for older dogs (she was 8 1/2), she didnt make it through the anesthetic, even though the op itself was successful, so on the morning she was poorly i didnt have a clue that she needed an op, on the same day she had the op and at 5pm i was told that she hadnt made it, but that the op was successful!!

Not only was i heartbroken but also £800 poorer, when they gave her a 90% of being great and a few more years, i didnt get to say goodbye to her and i am still heartbroken by that, she was the best dog in the world ever.....the money didnt matter but the fact that i wouldnt have put her through the pain had they have told me how bad it was!

i miss her terribly and sitting here in bloody tears now - soppy sod i am!!!

SS

[Snadger]

my poor rosey died due to the vet not giving her the anesthetic for older dogs (she was 8 1/2), she didnt make it through the anesthetic, even though the op itself was successful, so on the morning she was poorly i didnt have a clue that she needed an op, on the same day she had the op and at 5pm i was told that she hadnt made it, but that the op was successful!!

Not only was i heartbroken but also £800 poorer, when they gave her a 90% of being great and a few more years, i didnt get to say goodbye to her and i am still heartbroken by that, she was the best dog in the world ever.....the money didnt matter but the fact that i wouldnt have put her through the pain had they have told me how bad it was!

i miss her terribly and sitting here in bloody tears now - soppy sod i am!!!

SS

A similar story to my beautiful German Shepherd Kes. She was 9 years old, in perfect condition yet died the day after an hysterectomy operation. Vet wouldn't come out to see her and she was too ill to try and get back in the car and take to the vet. She died in my arms in her favourite place at the end of my bed. Needless to say I've changed the vet I use!
Like you I miss her terribly and wrongly expect the pup to live up to all that she was!
I visit her regularily where I buried her (sometimes taking the pup for inspiration) in a wooded copse about half a mile from home.

[squashysu]

A similar story to my beautiful German Shepherd Kes. She was 9 years old, in perfect condition yet died the day after an hysterectomy operation. Vet wouldn't come out to see her and she was too ill to try and get back in the car and take to the vet. She died in my arms in her favourite place at the end of my bed. Needless to say I've changed the vet I use!
Like you I miss her terribly and wrongly expect the pup to live up to all that she was!
I visit her regularily where I buried her (sometimes taking the pup for inspiration) in a wooded copse about half a mile from home.

Funny enough, Rosey needed a hysterectomy as well and then they found the BIG C there as well.. Rosey is at the top of my garden and her rose bushes called "simply the best" are about to bloom, which makes me happier.

I have found the breeder who bred rosey and I am gonna try and get a pup from the same breeding, hopefully next year, as a surprise for Mr Squashy, he will love that I know he would, all being well, i dont think any dog could ever beat Rosey though, arent GSD's the best dogs in the world, not all what people expect.

Good luck with her Snadger, i am sure she will live up to your expectations and if not surpass them totally x

[pjh75]

No i'm not saying that.
Round here our local council employ dog wardens and men on little machines to clear up dog mess,and I just think that the money could go towards the cost.
Mind you maybe cats should be licenced then people might think twice about owning one and/or having them neutered!

So you're saying that because I am a dog owner (a very responsible one who cleans up after my mine) I should contribute towards a particular service that is paid for with public money, while other people don't?! Interesting... what other public services should that apply to then?

[squashysu]

So you're saying that because I am a dog owner (a very responsible one who cleans up after my mine) I should contribute towards a particular service that is paid for with public money, while other people don't?! Interesting... what other public services should that apply to then?

I always cleaned up after mine as well, i agree perhaps the money could be spent clearing up the cans, bottles and needles from the junkies and drunks!!!! NOT!!

[dexterdoglancashire]

Hi Snadger! Don't know if this will be of any use, but Dexter is still as barking mad as when we got him from the RSPCA!
I reckon your doggie is getting lots of love and cuddles and will grow out of her problem in time - she is only a puppy.
Dexter meanwhile, although being 6 years old (we think) still barks and howls at the moon............makes for interesting evenings and walkies when the moon is in the sky I can tell you!
Love Bernie

[OverWyreGrower]

TBH my 2 Boxers do it when they are really excited (1 is 2.5 yrs and the other is just 1year old) ... I've never worried about it at all.

No, actually, I only worried once. We'd had visitors and Max got very over-excited. He did the spinney round thing and cracked his head on the doorframe

She is only 6 months old, I'd put it down to being an excitable puppy really.

[bluemoon]

My daughter took in a 12 month old dog, by that point he'd been pushed from pillar to post and the tail chasing did seem a compulsive behaviour, linked to anxiety. He's 5 now and hasn't grown out of it and there seems to be little that she can do to stop it except to ensure that he doesn't encounter stressful situations. Your dog, Snadger, is still young and has had a secure loving home from the start so hopefully he/she should grow out of it. My daughter's dog is a GSD x collie and apparently this type of behaviour is quite common to both breeds.

[jamesp]

Or more accurately tail chasing and biting!

My six month old German Shepherd pup is forever chasing her tail and has recently taken to grabbing it and hanging on whilst she spins around.

Anyone had any dealings with CCD? as if that's what it is I was wondering what I can do about it?
I've got a week off work now so intend taking her on some long walks to bond a bit with her and hopefully tire her out!

This is a very easy thing to stop (assuming no medical problem), but it will mean you have to assert yourself as the pack leader.

Exercise...discipline...then affection in that order only.

As your dog goes to bite its tail give a short sharp noise, like tssshhhh, timing is all important, wait to late when your dog is doing the biting and its much harder to stop, so watch for the signs of it starting and correct at that stage is much easier, also you have to make the noise as if you mean it..ie not to weak, but you also must be calm assertive and not angry, nervous, frustrated as dogs will pick up that you feel that way and see that as a weakness and will ignore it.

If the short sharp noise doesn't work then there are other techniques involving using physical touch, but you really need to know what to do and how to use them.

Don't use your dogs name when doing the above or any other discipline and dont shout or talk to your dog while doing it just use the short sharp noise, this is because a pack leader does not negotiate with the pack as short sharp noise they use as the first part of the discipline process.

You don't need to reward when the behaviour stops as in the wild a pack leader just expects the follows to do as they told and their 'reward' is to be part of the pack ie food , water and survival.

I would suggest you look at Cesar Millans website, watch his shows on sky 3 which are on around 6pm daily (which is a freeview channel) and read his two books....Cesars way and Be the Pack leader.

You mention that you take your dog out twice a day which is good as long at least an hour of walking is involved combined, but you have to 'master' the walk which actually starts before you go out, the above books and info will help you with that.

I have helped many dogs using Cesar's techniques and have never known it fail yet, some people think his techniques are cruel but not in my opinion, it helps the dogs achieve balance as close as possible as mother nature intended, you must however discipline your dog and not punish it, there is a clear difference...ie never hit a dog.

[Cloud]

So you're saying that because I am a dog owner (a very responsible one who cleans up after my mine) I should contribute towards a particular service that is paid for with public money, while other people don't?! Interesting... what other public services should that apply to then?

Public services are a nessescity which hope fully we will never need to use but we pay for them through our Council taxes and are there if we need them.
Owning a dog is a luxury as is owning a car and for that privilige car owners pay car tax,insurance ect wether they be responsible or irresponsible drivers.Those of us that do not own a car don't pay road tax because we don't use the roads.
I am not having a go at dog owners and am sorry if I have offended.I am just expressing an opinon.

[OverWyreGrower]

Owning a dog is a luxury as is owning a car and for that privilige car owners pay car tax,insurance ect wether they be responsible or irresponsible drivers.Those of us that do not own a car don't pay road tax because we don't use the roads.

Yes, owning a dog is a luxury (as is having a child, no one has the "right" to have children).

But responsible dog owners already pay for their dog. The inital layout for a decently bred dog can be anywhere between £400 - £1500, then there are vets fees, insurance, food, costs for training classes/agility etc, costs for equipment (crate, beds, grooming equipment, car guards, toys etc).

For every responsbile dog owner, there are probably 2 or 3 irresponsible ones. For every dog owner that would pay a "dog tax" there are 2 or 3 who just wouldn't. Exactly like the fact that there are thousands of drivers who drive without a licence, tax, insurance, drive when drunk, on drugs etc.

[Cloud]

Yes, owning a dog is a luxury (as is having a child, no one has the "right" to have children).

But responsible dog owners already pay for their dog. The inital layout for a decently bred dog can be anywhere between £400 - £1500, then there are vets fees, insurance, food, costs for training classes/agility etc, costs for equipment (crate, beds, grooming equipment, car guards, toys etc).

For every responsbile dog owner, there are probably 2 or 3 irresponsible ones. For every dog owner that would pay a "dog tax" there are 2 or 3 who just wouldn't. Exactly like the fact that there are thousands of drivers who drive without a licence, tax, insurance, drive when drunk, on drugs etc.

Firstly how can you compare a dog to a child?

Secondly if you choose to have a dog as a car ,these are all considered as RUNNING costs.A dog is not considered as an essential.

[pjh75]

Public services are a nessescity which hope fully we will never need to use but we pay for them through our Council taxes and are there if we need them.
Owning a dog is a luxury as is owning a car and for that privilige car owners pay car tax,insurance ect wether they be responsible or irresponsible drivers.Those of us that do not own a car don't pay road tax because we don't use the roads.
I am not having a go at dog owners and am sorry if I have offended.I am just expressing an opinon.

I know what public services are, I work in the public sector. To build on a comment given previously on this thread... if you do not like dogs or dog owners and have no interest in providing assistance or helpful comment to the original post then do not respond to it.