Cranky old *****

[Simon]

So Rosie the Wonder Dog is coming up to ten years old now.

Recently she has been getting cranky towards my daughters (18 and 20) whom she grew up with. But just at night. During the day she is normal, friendly, active dog.

I don't think she is in pain, she walks well, swims for hours and it as fit as she ever was. But when the sun goes down she gets cranky.

Any dog experts out there have any ideas?

My title got rejected by somersoft. The asterisked word is a perfectly acceptable term for a female dog .....

 

[D.T.]

Sensitive to cold at night time but happy enough during the day when its a little bit warmer? Could be an arthritis thing?

Or could be just an old female thing

 

[Simon]

Good thinking. It has been cold here at night. But she seems just as agile jumping up to furniture etc. also happy to tear down the backyard at night to sort out suspected prowlers and murderers.

 

[property_girl]

Some dogs just get crotchety and grumpy in their old age--a bit like people. Is her eyesight okay? We have a dog who growls and snarls if we touch him the wrong way. I am sure he will get worse with old age.

 

[INVSTOR]

I asked my vet friend a similar question. She said as dogs lose sight and hearing they become defensive which appears aggressive. They may not see or hear as well so get startled more easily and try to protect themselves.

 

[Mr. Fabulous]

She's turning into a reverse vampire.

 

[Jaggannath]

I asked my vet friend a similar question. She said as dogs lose sight and hearing they become defensive which appears aggressive. They may not see or hear as well so get startled more easily and try to protect themselves.

I think this is the answer... during the day, she can see better, but at night she's probably getting scared. Have her eyes checked (esp. for cataracts), and her hearing too

 

[Spades]

Simon,Take her for a walk for 1/2 hr after sundown,let me know the results.

 

[MTR]

Simon
Similar issue, what we realised is our Westie did not want to be petted in certain areas, in the main around the footsies.

What I do now is pat her on the head gently and identify the no zone areas and just don't go there, for some reason I think she feels vulnerable in certain areas.

 

[Mr. Fabulous]

for some reason I think she feels vulnerable in certain areas.

Might be time to take her to the shrink.

"Chasing things only I can see and barking at the wall just don't do it for me anymore... *sigh*"

 

[MTR]

Might be time to take her to the shrink.

"Chasing things only I can see and barking at the wall just don't do it for me anymore... *sigh*"

Well, yes, this is another story... our little Westie developed OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder), she spent the day continually walking the permitter of each room in our house, we could not stop her She almost collapsed, poor little thing, anyways.....

I rang the vet and could not locate a doggy shrink, they have them in US why not in Oz, got the next best thing, a dog whisperererer.... to cut a long story short, she's fully recovered now, though we have another problem, she is "food aggressive", don't go anywhere near her food bowl otherwise your dead meat, fortunately no one in the family is into dog food, we're all good.

Oh well the joys of having dogs, and you thought kids are too much.

MTR

 

[twodogs]

A message to Rosie from Lizzy,

Hello mum! Hope you doing well for an old vitch.

Don't worry, I get a bit snappy after dinner, just want to have a nap in peace.

 

[Simon]

She must be turning seven next month.

Email me a picture if you have one handy

 

[Mr. Fabulous]

Oh well the joys of having dogs, and you thought kids are too much.

When I was a teenager/young adult, we had a family dog. Best dude. He was a bitsa. He's dead now, though.

 

[Spades]

though we have another problem, she is "food aggressive", don't go anywhere near her food bowl otherwise your dead meat, fortunately no one in the family is into dog food, we're all good.
MTR

You are the master not the other way around.

Give the dog a nuck in the ribs and a lone stern word eg:NO or STOP etc.

A lone word will let the dog no your not happy.

Good luck and don't pamper to it's whims.

Ps.Just to add,my RSPCA dog(2weeks now) will sit at the dog bowl until i say OK.

Pss,That's the problem i see everyday with dog owners,they give in and who becomes the master?...Seriously cruel to be kind comes to mind...Dogs have a packing order,bare that in mind,

 

[lizzie]

So sorry to hear about Rosie ... hope it wasn't her play weekend with Spot that set her off ... I suspect it may be the blind/deafness issue - or perhaps a touch of arthritis. Get the vet to check them out.

Even with arthritis, the compulsion to chase (an intruder or rabbit) can overcome the pain - as we found out with Mushka.

Sadly we all become old and - often - cranky at little irritants - like someone else sitting on my spot on the couch

 

[MTR]

You are the master not the other way around.

Give the dog a nuck in the ribs and a lone stern word eg:NO or STOP etc.

A lone word will let the dog no your not happy.

Good luck and don't pamper to it's whims.

Ps.Just to add,my RSPCA dog(2weeks now) will sit at the dog bowl until i say OK.

Pss,That's the problem i see everyday with dog owners,they give in and who becomes the master?...Seriously cruel to be kind comes to mind...Dogs have a packing order,bare that in mind,

.... OK.... be brave.....repeat to myself - over and over "I am the master"..... "I am the master"


BTW my dog has a different relationship with Mr MTR, he is firm with the dogs. I'll keep working on it....

 

[Simon]

I read something once ago about dogs that forever changed my relationship with them.

Forget where but it was basically about dogs being a pack animal which is why they adapt so well to being with people.

The gist of it was that a dog is never equal with anther dog (or person). They will seek to be dominant but will happily accept not being dominant. As long as it is unambiguous then they are happiest.

So they will dominate us over food, by sitting up high such as on furniture, by walking ahead of us instead of at our side when on the leash etc.

I think Rosie slotted herself in under the adults and but above the kids when she was very young. We fixed that by getting the girls to take the lead and be firm, the girls to feed her and feed her after we had eaten.

Patting a dog is actually counter productive. Ie a submissive dog will groom a more dominant dog but I drew the line at banning patting

But the key is to be firm. And consistent. A no in a low tone is perfect. A tone such as a mother dog might use to scold a puppy. Pointless talking to the dog. My gf will explain to Rosie that she doesn't like to share the couch with her, she will laugh and to Rosie it is a game. Whereas a low firm "get off" is what she needs and removes all confusion. Dogs are smart but they aren't people. Sounds like an obvious statement but we all know folks who do the opposite and treat the animal like a child.

This doesn't work with Lizzie's Dog.

 

[MTR]

Simon everything you posted makes sense.

I always call myself the "Leader of the pack", its a joke....

 

[Simon]

Rosie being dominated by my young daughters .....

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