clinically insane Gordon Setter...where did I go wrong!!?!

[VictoriaEDT]

Hi

Just some brief history...I have owned a Gordon before and also an English (so I know the breed!).
I bought Angus in April at 12 weeks of age. He sleeps in his cage, has a very good routine, from 13 weeks old attends training every week (we still go and he is 10 months old!), he is house trained, very intelligent...but totally insane and a nightmare to live with!!

He whines constantly if he is not getting attention, wrecks the kitchen the second we walk out of the door through the gate, he bullies our 8 year old working cocker spaniel (not dangerous, just pushy), when he is behaving hysterically he ignores all commands.

Does anyone have any new radical ideas that I have not already tried? (done the water spray - he loves it!, the stones in a tin does nothing, low pitch authoritive voice does didley squat!).

I love him to bits but any advice by anyone who knows Gordons will be appreciated!

Thanks!

 

[piaffe]

Ha Ha!

Gordons are ace, we've always reffered to them as Gormless Gordons!

No idea really, have you tried the spray with lemon juice? Do you ignore him when you come in? Thats what we had to do with our greyhound as she would scream and scream when we came through the door.

only other thing to suggest is the amount of exercise he's having- perhaps he needs more (lots

). Do you have puppy classes around you, a good puppy class is worth he weight in gold.

 

[showjumperlady]

Oh dear! yes we had a Red setter for 14 years he was my wedding present form my hubby

just 8 weeks old and he had to sleep in he middle of us because he cried so much i tried putting him in his bed next to ours but no it was our bed or nothing and that last for the next 14 years if my hubby came near me he went mental,he dug a hole in the kitchen wall while i was at work,when we answered the phone he chewed us to bits,he chewed every shoe,slipper in the house,he was a night mare for the first six years we had him.

But we loved him to bits and he passed away on my b'day when he was 14

Good luck with yours must be the breed.

 

[emmablatch]

What food is he on? When our dog was on one type of food he was mental... changed to Arden Grange and he was far more chilled...

Emma

 

[VictoriaEDT]

Thats a good point but here comes our next major issue with the wee scottish fella! He is the fussiest dog I have ever known. He used to be on Purina Beta salmon and rice dried food, then he bacame really ill (totally unrelated). Since he was ill (3 months ago) and came off his prescription diet - he would not touch any food we could offer him (tried every dog food going). After losing 4 kgs (already underweight from being ill) and refusing to eat for 3 days, i introduced tripe!
He loves it so he has 3/4 sachet tripe and 2 handfulls of complete twice a day. Also we have managed to get him to eat a can of rice pudding a day (to gain weight). He wont touch anything else!!

 

[milor]

setters can be very hard work and he has hit the teenage stage so his hormones are adding to his craziness ! - you need to be exercising both his brain and his body - give him a stuffed kong toy when you have to leave him so that he is occupied - (otherwise he will occupy himself by destroying your house !) - or a large shank bone. Get him used to being crated for short periods too so that you know he can do no damage. take him training to give him something to think about and to enable you to control him more easily - you could also try and find a club that will train for working trials or the new dog sport Cani-Cross which involves following a set route . He will LOVE retrieve games so get a retrieve dummy and train him then incorporate this into his walks.

He WILL grow out of this but it can be exhausting and annoying for you - he also needs a low protein diet if he is being 'hyper' - Chappie is one of the best - try adding some tinned tuna in oil to it to encourage him to eat - the oil will be good for his coat too !.

Don't forget that he is a large working breed - his body and brain are telling him to be active and work - you just need to find ways of harnessing this. They are a lovely breed and well worh persevereing with.



Good Luck

 

[archoak]

Sorry don't have any advice but do know how difficult Gordons can be, I had an English Setter years ago who was a handful and one weekend also agreed to look after a friend's Gordon puppy. Within a short space of time they had stolen a pound of lard from the fridge which they shared - needless to say they were both 'poorly' for the rest of the weekend!