Preventing leaving

[Clodagh]

Stepson has an Irish terrier bitch, she's about 6 years old. My OH lets her out in the garden when SS's at work (he's a baker so early starts and she barks a lot). She is always delighted to see OH when he walks in, runs playfully about in the garden, then as soon as he heads to the gate she goes mental. He gets bitten every day now, only nips and mainly clothing but it is definitely escalating. Why? What triggers it? Our dogs are never in sight, he doesn't rush. It is quite funny to watch (from a safe distance and not in her line of sight) but no way would I be going in there.
Any suggestions on diffusing?

 

[Roxylola]

Sounds like shes a bit over excited, I generally give my dogs a little treat if I'm going out, they know that means im going and just settle themselves - only a small thing.
Could he maybe say goodbye to her and scatter a few treats for her to snuffle up while he leaves so shes busy

 

[CorvusCorax]

I'd roar at her personally but that's probably an unpopular opinion lol.

Pop slip line on before he leaves so he can hold her out/away from him and then take it off again when he's on other side of gate.
Feed her and leave so there's a positive association with him leaving. My dogs used to love me leaving for work ?

 

[Clodagh]

I'd roar at her personally but that's probably an unpopular opinion lol.

Pop slip line on before he leaves so he can hold her out/away from him and then take it off again when he's on other side of gate.
Feed her and leave so there's a positive association with him leaving. My dogs used to love me leaving for work ?

This morning he used a handy plank to keep her off, just blocking not whacking. I didn't like to say that as figured that would be unpopular too!

 

[Clodagh]

She won't eat or take any treats...she just waits...

 

[meleeka]

I'd roar at her personally but that's probably an unpopular opinion lol.

Me too!

I always give a treat when I leave. My dog gets so excited by her treat (given in the same place every time, next to the sofa) that she runs to the spot wagging her tail as soon as she sees me go to the cupboard. It’s much better than having a depressed dog looking at me with those eyes.

 

[MissTyc]

Our terrier has started doing this since lockdown! Not always, but esp if OH leaves. He doesn't really do it to me, but I think I'm better at (not) responding and keeping him under threshold. We give him a licky toy like a mat or a frozen kong and that seems to settle him. It's "danger payment" and I laugh about it, but in reality I think these are serious expressions of anxiety that the person is leaving and reassurance and feeling safe are the only long-term cure. I think ours started because we're both working from home since March and OH, in particular, doesn't leave the house much these days.

 

[Roxylola]

Oh bless her, she sounds a bit hyped up. Could your OH take her for a walk round the block then pop her back in the garden?

 

[CorvusCorax]

In my teens I used to walk a big brute of a GSD who used to grab my ankle and start screaming when I tried to take him home.
Usually in the middle of the front lawn and all the neighbours would come out to see what the noise was.
Also tried to eat lightbulbs out of lamps and chase cars and bikes but only going in the other direction.
The first thing I did when I collected him was swap out chain lead and flat collar for a leather lead and check chain lol.
Funny I drove past his breeder's place at the weekend, all her stuff was lunatic.
Character building stuff ?

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

She won't eat or take any treats...she just waits...

Will she respond to sit/stay command? That's what I would do as I was ready to go, and then from the other side of the gate, release her, possibly with a stuffed Kong. I certainly wouldn't be putting up with being bitten/nipped. The trouble with this kind of behaviour is that it has to be nipped in the bud at the first signs, or it is much harder to break the habit.

 

[Clodagh]

Oh bless her, she sounds a bit hyped up. Could your OH take her for a walk round the block then pop her back in the garden?

Not unless he got up earlier. He lets her out on his way to work and has already walked ours. It is a good idea though.
I think the putting her on a lead until he is out the gate, at least you can hold them away from your body. He could put her on the lead, walk her out the gate with him and then spin her back in, he wouldn't actually need to walk. Shes very clever though, terriers, who would have them.

 

[Clodagh]

Will she respond to sit/stay command? That's what I would do as I was ready to go, and then from the other side of the gate, release her, possibly with a stuffed Kong. I certainly wouldn't be putting up with being bitten/nipped. The trouble with this kind of behaviour is that it has to be nipped in the bud at the first signs, or it is much harder to break the habit.

She won't take a treat, the focus is all on him. I think he has left it too late now. She even does it if SS is home and OH pops in to see him, so it isn't all being left anxiety.

 

[Clodagh]

Funny I drove past his breeder's place at the weekend, all her stuff was lunatic.
Character building stuff ?

Indeed!

 

[FinnishLapphund]

We might be able to offer better advice if you where able to show us a video of it? Or at least we, too, would know if it was sort of fun to watch (from a safe distance).


To me it sounds as if she's discovered the Try and turn a human into a huge squeaky toy -game.

But regardless of why she's doing it, the main thing is to find a way to stop her from doing it anymore. If it works with using a plank to block her, temporarily putting on a lead, making her go a few metres away and sit/lie down, or roaring at her, then do it. I would be more likely to growl, than roar, by the way.
Freezing to a standstill, whilst completely ignoring her, should also work, but it requires that he have plenty of time.

If those things doesn't work more than once or twice, could he perhaps put one or two tiny drops of lemon essential oil, or white vinegar, on for example his trousers? (Note, I don't know if it could harm the material in the trousers.)

 

[{97702}]

I really wouldn’t tolerate any dog biting me at all, let alone on a daily basis - I’d be giving the dog a clear indication that the behaviour was totally unacceptable! And then I’d be putting measures in place to ensure that the dog couldn’t continue with the behaviour - so either sit and stay while I walked out the gate, being put on a lead then popped back through the gate and released as I left, whatever worked best?

 

[Clodagh]

I really wouldn’t tolerate any dog biting me at all, let alone on a daily basis - I’d be giving the dog a clear indication that the behaviour was totally unacceptable! And then I’d be putting measures in place to ensure that the dog couldn’t continue with the behaviour - so either sit and stay while I walked out the gate, being put on a lead then popped back through the gate and released as I left, whatever worked best?

Nor would I - I think he is nuts! I can only advise, and if he is ever ill and I have to let it out it will be staying in.

 

[CorvusCorax]

I mean, if he likes that sort of thing I have a load of dogs that need worked right now ????

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

She won't take a treat, the focus is all on him. I think he has left it too late now. She even does it if SS is home and OH pops in to see him, so it isn't all being left anxiety.

I wasn't suggesting treating her. I would release from the stay from outside the gate and throw a Kong into the garden to occupy her after I had walked away. Tbh if it kept biting me when it had been told 'no', I would be strongly tempted to toe-end it.

 

[WandaMare]

She sounds as though she is distressed at being left on her own and doesn't want him to leave, its not the behaviour of a happy dog. I wouldn't let her keep biting me, I'd push her well away with a strong 'no' each time and then maybe look into ways of getting her some more exercise in the mornings. We used to have a terrier and she needed at least a good hour's run in the mornings, she was so busy and energetic and this one at age 6 is at her peak.

 

[Clodagh]

I wasn't suggesting treating her. I would release from the stay from outside the gate and throw a Kong into the garden to occupy her after I had walked away. Tbh if it kept biting me when it had been told 'no', I would be strongly tempted to toe-end it.

She won't sit, she is totally in guard/tense mode, even if SS is there. I'm not meaning to argue with every suggestion and I'd have whacked her with the plank this morning, not just blocked with it! I don't like her anyway, as she attacks my dogs and has killed several of my chickens so I am not predisposed to being nice. I just stay away. Madness on OH's behalf IMO.

 

[Clodagh]

I mean, if he likes that sort of thing I have a load of dogs that need worked right now ????

I think a GSD trying to take your face off would be a step further than an Irish terrier! I find the behaviour really intimidating, we had an aggressive Patterdale here when OH was working them but he was fine if you just avoided his triggers (he was a rehome so full ingrained personal space issues). This one is just...mad!

 

[CorvusCorax]

Arms only lol

 

[Clodagh]

Arms only lol

oh, well thats ok then

 

[CorvusCorax]

oh, well thats ok then

All joking aside, if she's taking her frustration/stress out on your OH with her mouth, a chew/tug toy might suffice. Some dogs chew on things the way we use a stress ball or a dummy. Redirect etc.

My non-real sports dogs are only trying to win a prey item off someone trying to take it away from them ? and didn't even let me know the window cleaner was standing at the wide open back door last week ?

 

[Clodagh]

She could chew the plank? . Seriously, I will suggest it to him. (toy not plank)

 

[SusieT]

A ball on a string or a pheasant toy like thing on a string so she can bite that instead. or a squeaky ball thrown the other direction