Scooby again, I don't know what to do.......

[MJBadger]

I'd rather have her in a muzzle when socializing w/Alice

But how long for , life , 24/7 ?

I have had infection every time I got bit & my right hand is now 50% disabled from bite damage so don`t take no chances & get antibiotics . Just tell the hospital that is was a stray dog & you have no idea where it came from or where it went .

I know you have a hard decision to make but like you I gave mine another chance & it turned out badly , whatever you decide respect for that .

 

[meadowman]

if the dog can't be trusted.....i hate doin it, but.

 

[Rakkasan]

.

 

[Stoner4Life]

But how long for , life , 24/7 ?

I have had infection every time I got bit & my right hand is now 50% disabled from bite damage so don`t take no chances & get antibiotics . Just tell the hospital that is was a stray dog & you have no idea where it came from or where it went .

I know you have a hard decision to make but like you I gave mine another chance & it turned out badly , whatever you decide respect for that .

I have antibiotics on the way, tomorrow, thnx bro, I know you speak from experience. You gave your girl 4 chances and each attack was aimed @ you, as superior beings we allow for certain transgressions.

If I tell the hospital it was a stray or strange dog to me then I open the door for them to insist on treating me for rabies.

Today/tonight Scooby is trembling when she comes out of her kennel, never seen her act that way; after previous assaults on Alice she becomes very docile for days of her own accord, no scolding or shaming from me needed.

we'll see what the vet thinks tomorrow.


btw, here's what will stop this from happening again:
I can't/won't allow the dogs to snuggle up ever again, plain and simple it has only ever happened when they're snuggling.

 

[Garhart]

I can hardly believe my eyes here. Very powerful subject matter. I have to say how much I admire the thought and consideration, and the depth of the morality.

 

[shawkmon]

whats the vet say ?getting lose to noon this way

 

[Stoner4Life]

vet not in today, tomorrow @ noon.......

my vet has 5 doctors on duty @ his clinic but I want to see him in particular, I'll have to wait one more day.

 

[Stoner4Life]

earlier today I locked Alice in the big kennel for a short while, Scooby needed some snuggle time and I wanted to play it safe in case I nodded off. she's very very timid at this time, blanketed in her own guilt and that's just fine with me.

gonna do it again now, poor girl does need to feel the love.

she really is a good girl, tail always wagging, constantly rolling over for belly rubs, submissive behavior not assertive, doesn't ever snatch treats from my hand and the only time I ever hear her growl or bark is when she's dreaming and those dreams are still considered nightmares by me with what I hear coming from Scooby.


I've owned her for over a million minutes and in all of that time the sum total of her transgressions have amounted to less than one minutes time. of course her worst offense being this last one.


If I decide to keep her then there will be very limited interaction between the 2 dogs and absolutely zero snuggle time ever between them, this shouldn't be a problem to pull off.

it wouldn't be the loving family of canines I'd hoped for but it beats the guilt and shame I'd suffer having to put down a healthy dog when alternatives were available, adopting out a pitbull that has bitten would first of all be nearly impossible and then it would open the door for less than loving treatment of my beautiful little girl by a new owner.


No, Scooby's mine until the end whenever that might be. again, I'll update after the vets visit for sure.

 

[Wiggs Dannyboy]

Damn S4L....rotten series of events, and nasty wounds too. That situation sucks. I don't have any personal knowledge in this area, but just did some looking on google. You might have already done some looking yourself, but if not, this link has some interesting information regarding why dogs who know each other begin fighting all of a sudden. There are a couple of places where they talk about why fighting will all of a sudden happen between a younger dog and an older dog. Might be good to have some of this stuff in your head when you go to see your vet.

Here is the link:

http://www.vcahospitals.com/main/pe...lems-aggression-sibling-rivalry-diagnosis/146

Good luck man.


.

 

[Stoner4Life]

awesome link Dannyboy, my issues & the dogs dilemmas are described there in detail.

 

[Stoner4Life]

from the link provided by Dannyboy:

Previously, most familiar dog-dog interactions were described as a dominance hierarchy in which one dog was competing to take over by controlling resources such as food, space, and favored possessions. Current interpretations of canine behavior question these underlying motivations as an accurate interpretation of how dogs contemplate these confrontations. Dogs indeed show a preference gradient and a variable desire for certain resources and their ability to retain or secure these may be predicted based on observation of past experiences and confrontations. These resources include food, resting places, mates, territory and favored possessions. Ability to acquire these resources is generally communicated through facial expressions, body postures, and actions. The more confident, bold, assertive dog may deem his chances good against a meeker, less confident and less successful opponent. Fighting is rare, since as soon as one dog submits or defers, the bolder animal gets its way, he or she gives up the challenge. These displays may appear non-existent in some households while in others, these displays are dramatic and may seem to support a clear hierarchy.

one of Scooby's new habits, crawling inside my arm support pillow. I sleep on my left side and my right arm rests on that pillow, sometimes she does it while I'm sleeping other times as seen below.

So this (and perhaps the other pillows) is Scooby's obsession, she covets this pillow deeply I think. And right now after coaxing her from the kennel she's lying down on the bed w/the pillow on top of her, Alice is on the floor.


The above text explains better how the thought process might be working in Scooby, every fight but one was when Alice was right next to the pillows; Alice sleeps hard & probably has no idea via facial expressions or body posturing that Scooby is ready to fight for the pillow(s), and the signs she's giving are being missed by me somehow, the dogs are no more than 3-5 feet away from me @ any given time.

Scooby's at peace right now, puppy under pillow
~ this pic from 2 mins ago ~

so I'll start by controlling the bed and pillow situation, as previously stated I would stop them from snuggling, all of this ties in somehow.


Here's another quote from my rescue thread about Scooby & the pillows.

Scooby gets to claim position #1 by my head & Alice brings up the rear snuggling up on Scooby's butt, the pillow lying on top is what I rest my right arm on as I always sleep on my left side.

Scooby's so cute, when she's up on the bed w/me & Alice is still on the floor I'll whisper to her "should we get Alice to come snuggle up???" and her tail starts beating the bed just hard until Alice jumps up when called.

most nights though Scooby sleeps in her kennel (door open) and Alice rests in just about the same place she is in the pic above. If Scooby's told to kennel up for the night that's where she stays, so well behaved once she understands what I want/need from her.

yeah, she still has her berserk terrier moments, I guess it's the kid in her.......

 

[Wiggs Dannyboy]

Dog psychology....very interesting. I'm too tired right now to wrap my brain around on how you would go about curing the situation. Because Alice sleeps and is unaware of Scooby's body language, how do you prevent the aggressive behavior? Seems like somehow you'd have to keep Alice from getting too close to the pillows...but how do you do that without keeping a constant eye on her?

It is interesting that you found a potential answer to the problem though...maybe the vet will be able to provide additional insight, and suggest some possible solutions.

 

[justpassnthru]

Nothing personal S4L but, I draw the line when I see my own blood. Those wounds look much more serious than you think!

"Scooby again, I don't know what to do?" Really??? Or you just don't want to do, what you need to do???

This thread should be titled: I'll offer up a few pints of blood and my arm before I'll admit defeat and get rid of that stupid dog! I doubt Keflex will be strong enough, you've waited too long. Not to mention, you are lucky the cuts didn't poke an artery. I've seen that happen too! Better luck next time, i guess? heh?


S4L; Get a new T-shirt...I think you know what it should say.

Sure hope your 2 legged companion doesn't bite like that too!

Hopefully, your arm will heal before the next attack. Shit always manages to happen. Good luck to you and Alice. jpt

 

[Stoner4Life]

sorry jpt but I'm gonna give her this one, just one time.

I knew all along it had something to do with possessing her pillow, I just didn't see the signals. She doesn't growl @ a sleeping Alice who's on or very near the pillows, she doesn't make a physical fuss, no signs unless I've not noticed a silent curling of the lip.

I'm forgiving her for biting me in the heat of the moment, this one time; if she ever bites again she's history, no chances beyond this one, I hope to control the situation from here out.


I have no children jpt and I've lost my sense of family years ago, my dogs are my kids bro and I hope to salvage this one. found as a stray her history's unknown.

I see the potential for some awesome years ahead.......

 

[hayday]

Sorry you got bit Stoner.I suggest you get the pillow out of the equation.If scooby is being territorial over it than its got to go or keep it in scoobies create,not the common area.
Take care of those wounds friend. Neosporin with pain reliever and suture strips...

 

[MOneYMiKe]

Im w/wiggs....S4L a true ace ventura pet detective....good soul.....big heart...

 

[Stoner4Life]

So I'm at my computer & turn around to find this staring up @ me.......

she got there herself, I didn't go fluffin' up her
pillows, oh no, Scooby's on an agenda.......

 

[1TWISTEDTRUCKER]

That dog don't even know just how lucky She is to have been rescued by a Stoner4Life.

Peace; 1TT

 

[Stoner4Life]

just got back from the vets office, he agreed that the issue is of pillow possession but also warned me, "swim at your own risk" as far as getting bit again.

So Scooby's on double secret probation, I'm gonna figure that the girls are gonna squabble again but I won't be involving my hands in any fracas. I'm going to tether a noose to a stout walking cane that I have in case I need to separate them safely. There won't be any bedtime attacks as she's now sleeping in her locked kennel every night, any altercations will be w/me wide awake and able to defend where need be.

I'm gonna continue to control the bed, pillows and kennel routine, if I'm successful it will eliminate 100% of the reason Scooby's been aggressive, if she offends only to exert her dominance then I'll put her down w/o hesitation. This really is her last chance.

I have to expect them to squabble from time to time, even Kayla & Alice (mom & daughter) got into it a couple of times per year.

I have to control the environment from now on instead of having the 'live & let live' attitude allowing the dogs to regulate their own behavior, I have to help shape that behavior.......

 

[Stoner4Life]

this is an old pic, it saddens me that this part of our lives will be gone forever but at the same time if it brings peace then it's well worth it. I feel like I've failed both dogs by not asserting these changes when I originally thought the pillow(s) to be the catalyst. Because I failed Scooby I cannot punish her with death, if she fails of her own accord hereafter that will be on her.

It's a shame I'll be forced to keep the peace.......