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3rd Trimester
Frustrated with dog...major vent.
I'm at my wits end. We added a puppy to our home over a year ago and it's been WWII ever since. He pesters our old dog to the point she is miserable most of the time now. He eats poop outside and then vomits all over the house. Anything inside or outside that's on the floor he eats. When he's in the house he's constantly into everything. No amount of walks or outside play time has curbed him of this.
Tonight I get home and he starts his usual antics and then starts vomiting feces all over the place. I put him on the patio and he gets on the furniture and vomits all over it.
Seriously, I don't want to hear a dogs a responsibility because I know this. We've done obedience training, positive reinforcement etc. I've had animals most of my life and have "never" felt like this.
Despite my feelings I'm not sure I can do anything but deal with him. The breeder and I are pretty close and it's in the clause to return him to her in the event I can't care for him but I can't bring myself to talk to her about this. I feel so guilty for feeling like this but my pregnancy is high risk and I find that he is the source for a lot of my stress at home. I'm constantly having to correct him, grab him, or stop him from pestering his sister. I'm supposed to be taking it easy when I get home from work but unless he's crated I'm stressed when dealing with him.
I just feel very frustrated/ sad and don't know how to feel or what to do.
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Frustrated with dog...major vent.
Take the dog back to the breeder. It's only going to get worse when your baby comes.
The breeder will probably be excited because they get to sell the dog again.
And never bring another animal into your home again.
Feces eating is generally a sign of a nutrition defect. What food does he eat? My last foster was eating her poop so I added some canned pineapple chunks (in juice, not syrup) to her meals and it stopped her. I would definitely talk to the vet and breeder about this to see what ideas they have for him. Vomiting like that is NOT normal and I would be worried something more serious is going on here. You (or your DH) need to pick up the poop as soon as either dog defecates outside.
Can you swing doggy day care 1-2 days a week so he can play with dogs who are around his energy level? What about asking a neighbor or friend who rollarblades or jogs to take him along in the evenings?
How old is he? What breed? How old is your other dog?
As for eating everything inside, we have a girl on Pets (the nest) who battled this for 8 years with her dog. She may be a very good resource for you if you cross post this over there.
Dixee, your comment is not worth responding to.
Punky; Thank you for your post. I've switched up his food from Orijen (too rich) to Canidae and now he is on a natural holistic diet as my older girl. We have a lot of wildlife around here too so he's going to town on that as well so it's hard to "pick up" that due to how small the droppings are.
I do need help but our neighbors are old. I may put up some flyers to see if any older neighborhood kids would like to walk him for me since I'm currently in a useless pregnant state. My husband does the best he can but he needs more.
He's a 1.5 yr old Boston and my older dog is 11 whom we've had since a puppy.
Eating feces can also be a sign of a dog trying to dominate or clean up its area. We started using these tablets they sell at PetCo/PetsMart that are supposed to make their poop taste bad (give them to both dogs) and our dogs stopped eating their own feces. Apparently, pineapple has the same effect too; although the pills are probably cheaper than fresh pineapple.
As for the other behavior, just wearing them out might help. LOTS and LOTS of exercise. Also, make sure they are nutered or spayed. He might grow out of some of this in a year or so. I thought our puppy would drive me bonkers, but he's calmed down a lot as he has gotten a little older. I think it's better to rehome an animal if you can't really care for it though, rather than everyone going crazy. Sometimes personalities just aren't a good match.
KRiffe,
You are right, thanks for the suggestion on the tablet. Problem is he is eating the rabbits, etc feces as well that come into our yard. I think lots of exercise will help and over time he will mature. It's just impossible for me to give him the exercise he needs due to this pregnancy. He's definitely neutered and that helped to a small degree. I'm just really struggling right now and he's just adding a lot of stress to the mix. I feel sorry for my older dog and then I feel sorry for him too. Just a tough situation.
I know how you feel. We got a dog on V-day (a month before I found out I was pregnant) and he is CRAZY! I love him to death but he is Spaniel, Border Collie and Beagle, so he has a TON of energy and is very head strong.
Have you tried teaching your dog "leave it"? It was very helpful in our case because my pup is similar in that he thinks everything at his level is for him lol
Also, as the PPs have said, his diet could be a factor. While yes, it may be a healthy diet, you should go over it with your vet still because there may be a vitamin/mineral that he needs that isn't included/is a lower level in his diet. You have to remember that every dog is different and just because it works for your older dog, doesn't mean it will necessarily work for him.
Do you have an off-leash dog park near you? If so, and if his recall is good, you might consider taking him there. The time he spends socializing and running around will help a LOT. I like off-leash parks because I don't have to move around as much and the dog gets a lot more exercise than he would on a leash.
If he is eating wildlife poop, I would bring it up to the vet. He could be getting really, really sick from that. I understand it is not possible to pick up all of that- nor would it be expected of you. I thought you meant he was just eating your other dog's poo and his own poo.
There are tablets too that may be worth considering. I think I saw some on Drs Foster and Smith online a while back.
What about dog parks? Do you have some friends with young dogs so he can play a few nights a week with them? Does he have mental stimulation? (obedience, toys such as kongs or puzzles that require figuring out)?
I'll keep thinking on some ideas for you.
Harshbarger- so you feel my pain. It's defintely a love/hate relationship. I love my dogs, even the terror, but I think with me going through a lot health wise, anxious about my baby, and reprimanding him constantly it's taking a toll on my nerves.
He does know the "leave it" command and a few others but he's very sneaky. I've gotten kongs and interactive toys that keep him busy and that helps for a short while and then it's off to more trouble. I think once I'm healthy again things will get better but its just hard right now, more ways than one.
I remember being very overwhelmed by the puppy stage, which doesn't necessarily end at one year!
I believe that adopting an animal is a huge commitment but it is NOT always a lifetime commitment. Sometimes it is better for the dog and the human to part ways. If the breeder will find him a good home, I say return him. The stress isn't good for you and it won't be a good home for him either.
I feel for you because it sounds like a very frustrating situation, especially while your pregnant.
I glanced over everyone's posts and they all gave some great advise. My first reaction to the poop eating is that he is missing something in his diet. There are products on the market (Forbid is one) that you can mix in your dogs food so they do not eat it. I am not sure if that was suggested already. Sodium free meat tenderizer works just as well, just sprinkle a small amount in his food. 2-4 tablespoons of canned pumpkin also makes poop less appealing. Its great fiber for your dog too! I also found this online just now...
I also am thinking if he is eating wildlife feces he might have a parasite (as suggested earlier) If he has a parasite it is probably taking a lot of nutrients away from your dog causing your dog to eat his poop. I would take a stool sample to your vet so they can check for various parasites.
Another reason could be strictly behavioral, he is bored and is just creating something to do. I am not sure the situation you have for your dog but when you let him outside be out there to supervise. Pick up his poop right away so there is no tempting treats out there for him. Also if you do catch him going for some poop tell him to drop it. Give him a small treat if he listens. He will eventually learn to leave the poop alone all together.
Unfortunately he is still a very young dog and just needs additional training. Poop eating is a very hard habit to break so I hope the advise you get helps. As frustrating as it might be try to stick it out. In the end you need to do what is best for you and your dog and maybe placing him with a family that can handle him is best (for you and for him), but definitely a last resort.
I am having to re-train my pom mix because she recently went blind. All three of my dogs were in obedience for years and my Pom mix even got her canine good citizen certificate and was a certified therapy dog. Since going blind though its like I have to start over from square one and being this far along in my pregnancy I am finding my level of patients is definitely not what it use to be. But she is part of my family so I will do whatever it takes. I personally would never think of getting rid of any of my dogs, but I use to be a obedience trainer and have been a vet tech for 5 years so I have more experience then most. Some people just are not in that situation. IF you find you need to re-home him please look into a Boston rescue or find someone you know who has the time, patients, money, etc to care for him.
Best of luck!
Connor - 12/15/10 Abby - EDD 11/29/13
Terriers are another ball game too (coming from a pit bull terrier mom).
Does he like fetch? Swimming?
I'm not a huge shock collar fan, but I do like redirection. Of course, a terrier is going to keep at it until he finishes his task, so it takes some energy and creativity to manage that and if you are sick, that is not going to be easy right now.
He may also like a frozen kong- rather than a plain stuffed one. I like to put mashed sweet potatoes in mine, then top it with peanut butter and freeze. It takes mine a while to get through it that way. You could also try bully sticks? But first, I'd get the vomiting checked out to ensure he's not really sick or have a growth or mass in there that you cannot see or feel.
Definitely lurking here...
I have to tell you as an owner of two Boston Terriers, I totally feel your pain. I honestly can't give you anymore advice than these other ladies did. I believe they summed it up perfectly.
But I did want to say everything you describe sounds exactly my two girls (4 and 5 years old). They both eat their poop, although they don't throw it back up so that does sound like an infection, they have a love for expensive heals and underwear, and so much energy that I can't begin to tell you how many times I thow a ball a day.
All I can say... which is basically what everyone else has said is tire him out as much as possible... the off leash dog parks have been life savers. .
Good luck and try (I know hard) to be patient. My two have Slowly over the years calmed down.
This, you and your LO's well being come first. He may be a better, happier dog in a different environment.
I have a golden retreiver who is 16 mths old. She has eaten poop since she was young. It got better as she got older and now she only does it occasionally. There are weeks that go by where she does not do it and then out of the blue, she does it. She will eat our cats poop as well occassionally but we always try to correct her by saying "leave it." in a calm assertive voice. When she leaves it, we reward her with a treat. People will tell you many theories behind it, one that I heard was that it is natural for the mum of dogs to go around cleaning up after their puppies by ingesting feces and they learn by seeing mum do it. Anyway, who knows..
If you are having a high risk pregnancy you may want to consider asking this person that is close(breeder) if she will take the dog. It would be in the best interest for not only you, but also the dog. The dog sounds like he is not getting the attention he needs and if you cannot provide that for him or have someone that can help you manage him, I think its best he go to a home that will give him that. Its sad to give your puppy up but if you cannot handle it as you mentioned and puppy is miserable and stressed as well, this seems like the best thing to do so that both of you are stress free.
I was going to reply to OP that this is exactly why I picked my Frenchies over a Boston Terrier, then I read your post.
It isn't always the breed, but the individual dogs themselves. Good Luck OP I hope everything works out for you.
Just lurking, but we had similar problems with our Beagle puppy (aside from eating poop, but it's sounds like that can be successfully cured). She would eat everything in sight chase the cat and howl at us for no reason. We don't have a fenced in yard so we can't let her run free, but we do have a run outside we put her on to get out some of her energy and we walk her every day. Since thats not feasible every day we do send her to puppy daycare one day a week to get out some of her energy. When I go back to work we are going to send her one of the day's I am working so shes only crated for 2 days a week instead of 3. It does really help with the energy issues.
Another thing I wanted to add. Maybe wait until the baby comes. Stick it out until then if you can. Ours calmed down significantly the minute we brought Logan home, aside from the occasional chewing something, and we leave her out of the crate a lot more now.
LXF 8-25-10, XCF 1-14-14, Baby C EDD 6-16-15
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I have a whacky 1 year old dog who also loves to pester his older sister!
Tons of exercise is what works for us. He goes to doggie daycare once a week and comes home exhausted -- and is usually wiped out the day after, too. He gets 2 walks a day, each one about 20-30 minutes and they vary from a half mile to a mile plus. We have a large fenced in yard so he also runs around there every day. (We'd play fetch with him, but he hasn't figured that one out yet!)
He gets kongs filled with either frozen peanut butter or frozen banana/plain yogurt. Sometimes I stuff the kong with dog biscuits & jerky. He always has a toy available to play with -- we change the toy every day or so, so that he doesn't get bored.
I'm not much help with the poo-eating though. Iw ould bring that up with your vet as other people have suggested.
Y'all are great- thanks for the support! So often people make you feel like a horrible person for being frustrated with your pets. I have to say our older dog has definitely spoiled us. Even as a puppy she was so good.
He's just more challenging but still sweet. I spoke with my husband after my mini meltdown last night. He has some info. about dog parks and my husband fetched with him tonight for a while and that tired him out. He said he would try to help me tire him out so I'm not so stressed out and he doesn't have to stay in his crate.
It's just hard when I'm fairly useless but we are going to hang in there because I know things will get better and he "will" mature. This too shall pass!