Your thoughts on what I should do.

[Zak]

Hi,

As some of you will know Zak had his left hip replaced 3 weeks ago today. Physically he is coming on leaps and bounds.

I have always had problems with him with people though. When we would go on walks he would bark at people passing and lunge at them. Since the op and several visits to different vets with people doing things to him he is a lot worse.

He is now on 3 x 10 minute walks a day, He is cage bound at all other times (3 weeks left of cage rest)
If he hears a coffee cup go down to loud or even the phone rings he goes mental and takes a while to settle.

If he hears people or noises when we are out even in the garden he goes crazy. He no longer wants to heel for me and is back to pulling like crazy.
He is pretty big now, he weighs just under 50 KG.

I am a big guy but ill admit sometimes even I struggle with him when he is pulling.

Since we have had him at 6 weeks old he has had to go to the vets many times, so I can understand why he is not fond of people. He has always had someone doing something to him bless.

He has two more visits to the vet, one to check his gaite etc and a week or soo after that post op Xrays. One of the guys that performed the Operation knows how worked up he gets and depending on how he looks when they check his gaite they might leave the post op Xrays.

He has to go back through all this again in Jan with the right hip. Is it worth me getting some professional help in for his behaviour now? or would it be pointless with what he has to go through in a few months.

My local vets have said they can refer us to someone if I wanted, this way its covered under my insurance and surprisingly behaviour issues come under a separate section of my policy so he still has £750 per year for this sort of thing.

Last night I took him for his 10 minute walk and there was a lady walking down the path coming in our direction. She was a good distance away when he started to go nuts. I had him by the collar and the lead wrapped around my hand over and over so he was not going anywhere. She passed us but she walked on a sloppy grass section so was as far away as possible and all the time she was looking at him. Once she had passed us I looked round to see her running off and glancing back

It's something I need to sort out as soon as possible and don't mind admitting I need some professional help but I don't want to waste peoples time if when he goes though all this again he just reverts to square one.

What do you think I should do.

Sorry for the long post

[zetstaff]

Get some help now Rich coz you can carry on all the good work after his next op. Do you have another £750 in the next policy year? If so you can get more help next year if it happens again.

Don't struggle now, you can have things in place for January so it doesn't happen again

So I'd ask to be referred xxx

[chazzvetnurse27]

I would agree and get some advice/help Rich. You are NOT alone hun! He has been through a lot which is probably why he has kind of gone backwards rather than forwards. I'm sure he is a lovely boy and he is getting fed up of the cage rest, visits to vets etc. I bet he is like a coiled spring! He is reacting to everything by the sounds of it.

I would get referred if you have the option to. He has had a tough time and I can understand why he probably is unsure of strangers and strange noises. Although you know he is a good boy people out and about wont see it like that.

I think if he is a big lad it's a good idea to get help sooner rather than later. The longer he continues to behave in this manner the more he will think it is acceptable. I really hope you can nip it in the bud xx

Poor Baby
Not sure what to say really
Maybe ask a few people to give him a treat allowing Zak to approach him?
Same at the vets maybe
Bless him, please give him a re-assuring cuddle from me and Mine please xxx

[J&J]

I would take the behaviourist referal now and not wait...

As starting to tackle Zak's problems now will actually put him into a better position for his next operation in January...

If he's lunging at lot at the moment, I would consider using a head collar to help with maintaining control can make life and training a lot easier..

with Ellie I used both a head collar and normal lead... The Head collar was a back up system..

In the situation you face with Zak lunging and barking, you'll struggling hold normal lead and collar... If you had an Head collar you would have found it a lot easier to do a 'distract and redirect' with Zak, Using the head collar to gentle guide him into the other direction which breaks the focus, once you've broken the focus, several paces down the road you then redirect his actions, I used to play a 'touch the palm of my hand' game to get the treat with Ellie..

Now with Ellie she's on a normal collar only, and we only use the end collar if we are going somewhere like a dog show, as she tends to want to ferret off in all directions to say Hi to all the other dogs

[LOVEGSD]

Poor Zak, he's had so much to go through in such a short time hasn't he, it's not surprising he fears people.

I would definitely want to be tackling his issues now,I would seek professional help. He needs to learn that people don't equal nasty things.

[wolfman]

Morning Rich,
wow! You got your hands full, that's for sure. I see you already have some excellent advice and I have nothing to add..I can only agree with what's been said. I hope it helps you.

[Zak]

Originally Posted by zetstaff

Get some help now Rich coz you can carry on all the good work after his next op. Do you have another £750 in the next policy year? If so you can get more help next year if it happens again.

Don't struggle now, you can have things in place for January so it doesn't happen again

So I'd ask to be referred xxx

Yeah in Jan the £750 renews so that's one good thing I guess. Will speak to the Vet and this guy that are going to look at him on Wednesday then and get them to do the referral.

[Zak]

Originally Posted by J&J

I would take the behaviourist referal now and not wait...

As starting to tackle Zak's problems now will actually put him into a better position for his next operation in January...

If he's lunging at lot at the moment, I would consider using a head collar to help with maintaining control can make life and training a lot easier..

with Ellie I used both a head collar and normal lead... The Head collar was a back up system..

In the situation you face with Zak lunging and barking, you'll struggling hold normal lead and collar... If you had an Head collar you would have found it a lot easier to do a 'distract and redirect' with Zak, Using the head collar to gentle guide him into the other direction which breaks the focus, once you've broken the focus, several paces down the road you then redirect his actions, I used to play a 'touch the palm of my hand' game to get the treat with Ellie..

Now with Ellie she's on a normal collar only, and we only use the end collar if we are going somewhere like a dog show, as she tends to want to ferret off in all directions to say Hi to all the other dogs

Thanks for the input on the head collar, sounds like a good idea. I have just ordered one from Amazon

If it helps with distraction and control then its 10 x better than what I am currently using. Thank You xx

[Zak]

Thanks everyone else, he is a pain in the ass but I wuv him loads and just want him to be a happy dog. I am sure I will have him happy soon hopefully.