behavioural problems??

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itsme123

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jack's now 8 months old, and doing very well. With me he's a confident dog, he's excellent with the children and loves to be outside. Whenever possible he has free run of the garden (which is huge).

He's a real people dog, loves to be fussed. he will roll over as soon as someone goes to stroke him though, I don't know if that is of any relevance to the following.

He is FINE with everyone, except my OH. If I'm not in the room and OH even so much as touches him he starts this high pitched yelping noise. It's not a 'men' thing as he's fine with other men.
I wondered if OH was playing too rough with him? but I've watched, and he's not. I've watched, out of sight of the dog, and he's definately not doing anything wrong.

This is worst when jack is in the garden. If I ask him to come in he's okay. Sometimes he's a bit of a bugger, but that's just pups... so I'll tell him to lay down, pick him up, and bring him in.
If OH asks him to come in he's the same. If OH asks him to lay down he does, then rolls over, wees over himself, OH picks him up and he howls like he's being murdered and tried to bite. He;s definately holding him right, we just dont understand it?

OH's tried everything, from gentle play (jack loves to play ball with OH, is all waggy tails and happy) to ignoring him completely. it's just as soon as he a) picks him up or b) touches him whilst he's in the kitchen (no other room, though the kitchen has always been the only room Jack has free access to as we have a gate up at the door).

In the evening this dog will curl up on OH's knee and go to sleep, and will prefer him to me.

We've asked a GSD breeder (okay, he's JRT but hey a dog is a dog) and he feels jack is attention seeking
confused.gif
. Is that really possible?
 
How tall is your OH/is he particularly loud?


None of my dogs have been super with men as they live in a very female dominated household but it would be more of a 'You asked ME to sit? In that funny deep voice? Eh?' rather than nervousness.

I think maybe something your OH did when Jack was younger, possibly something you would consider inocuous, may have freaked him. Dogs have great memories/recollections/associations of certain incidents.
His voice may be a trigger that he associates with something frightening.

Not suggesting for a moment that your OH is as grumpy as my dad, but when she was a silly puppy, my old dog jumped up on my dad when he came to visit.
He yelled at her and cuffed her around the face.
Until the day she died, whenever she saw him coming or heard his voice, she would slink into her kennel and hide.

This was a big, brave GSD with a very strong character who came from working lines, she never backed down from anyone or anything throughout her whole life, apart from him. And a whippet (long story...)
 
he is tall, and has got a deep voice.

My brother is just as tall, with a deeper voice, and Jack's absolutely fine with him.

How do we get over this? There are time when perhaps I can;t be the one to bring him in from the garden, and I'm concerned that one day someone's going to think this dog is being beaten to within an inch of it's life and report me to the RSPCA. The yelping is like nothing I've heard
crazy.gif


My mother was here yesterday and witnessed this for the first time. My dad used to train gundogs and she said she's never seen anything like this.
 
Forgive me if I have got this wrong, but didn't you and your other half split up when Jack was very young? I know some people will mock but at that time when your OH visited did you have arguments, or did you get upset, because I do believe dogs pick up on things like this. It could be a combination of this, oH not being around for a bit and Jack being a bit of a wimp.
Sorry if I am thinking of someone else and this has no relevance to yur situation. Regarding getting over it, can OH be totally responsible for Jack for a few days, feeding, exercising (on lead) etc, but not get in a situation where he has to pick Jack up, hopefully this may be enough to cure the problem. Failing that then I thnk might be worth speaking to a behaviourist.
 
Does your OH feed him? If not, he should start.

I would maybe stop physical contact/picking up for now (oh for a dog I could pick up
tongue.gif
) You included, if he has to come in, teach him to walk in on his own four feet!
For both of you, he will associate you coming in and picking him up as 'the end of fun' in the garden, and anywhere else, perhaps your OH being tall and louder is making it worse.
Jack needs to know that OH lifting or touching him results in fun and that coming inside is also good.

When he follows your OH or obeys a command, he should feed him something yum like a bit of chicken or ham, not his normal food (he gets that every day, he expects this!)

Same with you, if he follows you into the house,

Start this with a lead on if he is being arsey about coming inside, plenty of encouragement, you could get on your knees, clap hands, do a goofy dance, whatever he responds to. Don't give him the option of not coming in, and when he does, treat him and make a fuss of him.

Steadily lose the lead.

When he is eating, your OH could run a hand along his back quickly and gently, and introduce this steadily.
Similarly, if he is giving Jack a treat, once this has been going on for a few days, he could fit in a pat or an ear tickle while Jack is scoffing.

It is also important that both of you remain calm and do not get stressed or frustrated as he will pick this up and it will prolong the situation.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Forgive me if I have got this wrong, but didn't you and your other half split up when Jack was very young? I know some people will mock but at that time when your OH visited did you have arguments, or did you get upset, because I do believe dogs pick up on things like this. It could be a combination of this, oH not being around for a bit and Jack being a bit of a wimp.


[/ QUOTE ]

I agree, if this is the case he will have picked up on it - dogs are like sponges, just as much as kids are, to emotional stress.
 
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Forgive me if I have got this wrong, but didn't you and your other half split up when Jack was very young? I know some people will mock but at that time when your OH visited did you have arguments, or did you get upset, because I do believe dogs pick up on things like this. It could be a combination of this, oH not being around for a bit and Jack being a bit of a wimp.


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I agree, if this is the case he will have picked up on it - dogs are like sponges, just as much as kids are, to emotional stress.

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That's a very relevant point...
OH and i split up, he moved out, then I bought Jack. I don't ever recall arguing infront of him, because any arguments were done away from the house (because of the children). But he may have picked up on tension. I hadnt thought of that...
At the time OH was just a 'visitor', and this point is starting to make me wonder if a little jealousy is coming out?
I know i shouldnt, but Jack is my 'baby'. Although he has clear boundaries he always gets mummy cuddle time (Christ, i sound mad
blush.gif
) after the children have gone to bed. So for a few months it was just Jack and I in the evenings. Maybe he doesnt like sharing me with OH?
 
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Does your OH feed him? If not, he should start.

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Yes, he feeds him when he's here.
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I would maybe stop physical contact/picking up for now (oh for a dog I could pick up
tongue.gif
) You included, if he has to come in, teach him to walk in on his own four feet!

[/ QUOTE ]
blush.gif

[ QUOTE ]

For both of you, he will associate you coming in and picking him up as 'the end of fun' in the garden, and anywhere else, perhaps your OH being tall and louder is making it worse.
Jack needs to know that OH lifting or touching him results in fun and that coming inside is also good.

[/ QUOTE ]
That's a good point, perhaps coming inside for a game of ball?
[ QUOTE ]


When he follows your OH or obeys a command, he should feed him something yum like a bit of chicken or ham, not his normal food (he gets that every day, he expects this!)

Same with you, if he follows you into the house,

Start this with a lead on if he is being arsey about coming inside, plenty of encouragement, you could get on your knees, clap hands, do a goofy dance, whatever he responds to. Don't give him the option of not coming in, and when he does, treat him and make a fuss of him.

Steadily lose the lead.

[/ QUOTE ]
Thankyou, we did have him on a longline (well, lungeline) because of his reluctance to come in, and he does come in after a fashion for his ball or squeaky toy, so we'll work harder on that one...
[ QUOTE ]


When he is eating, your OH could run a hand along his back quickly and gently, and introduce this steadily.
Similarly, if he is giving Jack a treat, once this has been going on for a few days, he could fit in a pat or an ear tickle while Jack is scoffing.

It is also important that both of you remain calm and do not get stressed or frustrated as he will pick this up and it will prolong the situation.

[/ QUOTE ]


Thankyou so much, that really does make sense. I will show OH this thread later and discuss where we go from here. Your advice has been really helpful, truly.
 
No worries. Play inside is also a good idea to get him in, but remember you decide when play begins, and when it stops, not him, otherwise you will have an energetic little dog doing laps of the house and dropping a ball at your feet every time you sit down for a cuppa!
 
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