possessiveness in new adoptee

[luvdogz]

I posted a couple weeks ago about a breeder going out of business in phx and selling his stock very cheap. I adopted a small brindle/white female - to be spayed in october.

Anyway, she's a great dog but she follows me everywhere!! In the kitchen - if i just turn around and walk 4 steps, she's right there turning and walking with me. It's driving me crazy.

She attacks one of my other dogs out of jealousy - that dog is hiding from her right now.

Luckily, at night she doesn't try to get up on the bed.

anyone else have this problem with a new dog?? She's 4 years old.

 

[kazzy220]

To start with she's in a new home ... pulled out of something she used to consider to be home. So she's unsure of you, herself, her surroundings, and her new pack.

You are pack leader, and therefore right now her protector. Good for you because she has already picked that up and so is instinctively following you as the pack leader and her protector. She doesn't know where she is. She doesn't know who you all are. She doesn't know her new role in this pack. As pack leader she's going to stay right close to you because she knows you will look after her. So all you have to do right now is show her that you are pack leader, and then reinforce all the new roles/rules.

The fact that she is following you right now, means that she is just that .. a follower. She wants to be submissive, and she wants to have very definite rules, guidelines and boundaries. So she's unsure, and right now she is looking to you for guidance.

If she snaps at the other dog then immediately turn her on her back, and put one hand on her chest and one hand on her neck and pin her. In a true pack situation one of your hands would be the pack leaders jaw on her neck, and the other hand would be the weight of her body pinning her. You are only showing her that this behaviour is unacceptable in your pack. It shouldn't take too long because I truly believe from what you have described that you have a very passive female. When you feed them make sure she is the very last to be fed. That puts her at the bottom of the chain, and your other dog at a higher level.

As far as being glued to your feet in the kitchen ...........welcome to my life!! But it doesn't bother me. If it bothers you then you need to claim the kitchen as your space and block her from coming close to you by standing over her and blocking/backing her off. This is going to take some time, and it may help if you have a doggy bed in a corner of the kitchen so that she can sit there and watch you without being under your feet. Then train her to stay on that doggy bed or doggy pillow/blanket.

Hope some of that helps.

 

[JAKEISGREAT]

[MENTION=959]kazzy220[/MENTION] said it all! Perfect advice...give her time and the structure she needs. She will be a great member of your family!

 

[Fontanafox]

Sorry but I think she sounds adorable. My dogs follow me everywhere so that sounds normal. The kitchen too, usually lying frog leg style on the cool linoleum. I usually have to manually slide one bully away from the refrigerator so I can get into it.LOL I try to get them out but they just keep coming back in. I know they just love to be near me. We can have jealousy issues sometimes so that sounds normal too. It just seems to be part of the package when you have more than one dog. I've got three cats and three dogs all vying for my love and attention so it can be a bit of a strain but I manage. It can be a lot of work but when I see their adoring little faces looking at me with such complete trust I just melt. You've already been given good advice by [MENTION=959]kazzy220[/MENTION] and there will be an adjustment period but it will work out. Congratulations on your new addition!:D

 

[anatess]

I adopted my bulldog, Bullie, when she was 3-years-old. I already have a 4-year-old bichon, Gizmo, that I raised from when he was only 8 weeks old. Gizmo follows me everywhere. He's only 18 lbs so he's not always in the way. He goes to the kitchen with me, sits right by my foot wherever I am in the house... even goes to the bathroom with me if I leave the door open. When we got Bullie, she started doing the exact same thing. Follows me around too. But, she's 60 lbs and I trip over her all the time at first. But now, I think I've just instinctively gotten used to it that I don't remember the last time I tripped on her. I am, as I type, sitting on the wing chair with my laptop. Gizmo is right by my feet that if I wiggle my toes I catch his hair. Bullie is on the sofa right next to the wing chair snoring.

I never did experience jealousy between the two though, although, Gizmo always wiggles inbetween Bullie and me. He always has to be closer. But Bullie doesn't fight him for the spot so it all works out. But then, when my kids come home from school, Bullie follows them around, Gizmo stays with me. So, that could also be why Bullie doesn't mind Gizmo's spot. And then when my husband comes home, Bullie goes to whoever is giving the butt scratches. LOL.

 

[Victor Y]

When she attacks the other dog you may want to try getting down and placing yourself right in front of the other dog and facing the Bully. Keep yourself in front of the other dog if the bully tries to go round and keep Direct eye contact. You are letting the Bully know that you are claiming the other dog, that its your property.
Bullys can be the jealous type. Mine would get downright jealous like you would not believe when I sat with my daughter close . She would try to dominate her. Its not that she disliked her or wanted to attack more like she wanted to claim me for her own so the above method worked but it took a few tries before she got the message.
As for the kitchen thing , as mentioned Welcome to our world. Pepper does the same as every other Bully I ever saw. I put a kitchen rug down by the sink so at least she could sit and watch and I did not have to orry about tripping over her while cooking

 

[Davidh]

Thanks for adopting the bully and we need some pics please. [MENTION=959]kazzy220[/MENTION] gave some good advice, in fact I am doing the same thing with Buddy and Cash, it just takes time and persistence. Good luck with the training and it does get better.

 

[bulldog family]

All excellant advice. As the saying goes... this too shall pass. But you have to take control. I like that she follows you, but if she's too heavy to flip over, sometimes a can of pennies or a loud noise distraction might be an option. I had a severe jealousy issue when Norm entered the pack. I, to this day will stand in between the two that "just tolerate" each other. Good luck... and bring on the photos!!!

 

[GatorRay]

Gosh, all of the advice above is great and I can't add a thing but I did want to say I would love to see pics of your new girl!

 

[Victor Y]

please

 

[luvdogz]

I like these ideas - about pinning her AND the one about giving her direct eye contact between her and the other dog. She's dependent enough and wanting to please enough that these might work. The fights between the two dogs are minor and end without any intervention but there are tiny wounds created on the face area. They AREN"T playing but they're not vicious either. I've seen fights that are serious - these are not.

i'll let you know how it goes. She's more athletic than my other bully. And unconventional-looking, really - though she is an AKC dog. I'll post pictures.

vicky

 

[anatess]

And unconventional-looking, really - though she is an AKC dog. I'll post pictures.

vicky

Oooohhh.... I'm really really really anxious to see pictures now!!!!