Help Needed! Mrs. Billy Goat now eats mud and is becoming braver

[Izzy's Mom]

I am going to start calling Izabel "Mrs. Billy Goat" from now on.... here's my question and I would love some advice/input on the two current "minor" issues:

Mrs Billy Goat likes to eat MUD!!!! She started eating mud at the dog park at the Buffalo Bayou here in Houston and the way the bayou is located it is kind of hard for me to go after her, unless if I want to take my chance to fall flat in mud, cuz the closest I got I already had mud all over my shoes (but I will be ready to jump and rescue her if needed!). After I start calling her name and getting close to her she starts to eat ever faster!!!! Like she is trying the get the most of it before I can pull her away from it.... Yesterday was the same issue at the other dog park... she found the mud and started eating it. WHY DOES SHE EAT MUD!!!!????

Another issue we are now facing is that my baby is becoming more brave than I expected. So far I dont have major complains but I noticed she is kind of obsessed with toys (or wood sticks) and she will cover her ground and fight for it, in a good way but she is not scared of other dogs! She literally grabbed a frisbie that was inside a pitbull mouth and the two of them would not let it go. She is not scared!!! Yesterday my friends bully that is very very dominant lost the toy to Izabel. Zoe was faster catching the frisbie but Izzy went and grabbed the frisbie on the other side and Zoe started growling and Izzy would not let go of the frisbie. Some dogs she will play with the toy but I dont want her to develop any major compulsive or obsessive behaviour. The question is, is all this already a red flag or is it okay? If it should be a concern how can I address this in public? This happens mainly at dog parks.

 

[linwhite]

the mud, I don't know about. Could be a pica, could be nothing. The toy thing sounds like she wants to play tug. Bullys love that. If she's not trying to take it away nastily she might just be wanting to play tug of war with the other dog. Mine have destroyed more stuffies that way....

 

[DesertBum]

first off, if you are going to be falling flat in the mud PLEASE have someone film it :hahaha:

We have an EB that comes to the park and plays tug-of-war with a couple of the dogs that like to play and there have been no problems. Just keep your watchful eye on them to make sure that play doesn't turn into something else.

 

[2BullyMama]

Mud --- no idea, but Banks has started doing this since we moved into the new home. I asked our vet about it the other day -- he said, could be manure or something else in the dirt which she is smelling and it is like food to her, but he did say to watch and try to avoid it as it could build up in the system and cause a blockage... try to stop her as much as you can.

Play - when this is taking place is she or the other dog doing 'play-bow'? If yes, all is good

 

[Baconator]

No idea about the mud either, sounds like she is trying to play tug to me too. Bacon will come over with a toy to me so I grab it because he wants to play tug, if you didn't know better you would think he is a viscous beast because he growls like crazy when we are playing tug (it's really funny) if you rub his neck when doing it he really growls it cracks me up.

 

[Izzy's Mom]

Mud --- no idea, but Banks has started doing this since we moved into the new home. I asked our vet about it the other day -- he said, could be manure or something else in the dirt which she is smelling and it is like food to her, but he did say to watch and try to avoid it as it could build up in the system and cause a blockage... try to stop her as much as you can.

Play - when this is taking place is she or the other dog doing 'play-bow'? If yes, all is good

What do you mean by 'Play-bow'? They are both playing but serious about it.... You know how bullies are about being stubborn, like "there is no way I will let the frisbie" go type of thing!

 

[Izzy's Mom]

[MENTION=2894]2BullyMama[/MENTION] - I just google 'Play-bow" and no, she does not do it in a playful way neither an agressive way but I could see it escalating to getting her in trouble if she does that to the wrong dog. She growls at the other dog and might snap at them and the other dog will back off. She is too little, only 5 months to hurt another dog but if she is showing dominance in such a early stage I was just afraid that behaviour could turn into something more concerning in the future.

 

[2BullyMama]

@2BullyMama - I just google 'Play-bow" and no, she does not do it in a playful way neither an aggressive way but I could see it escalating to getting her in trouble if she does that to the wrong dog. She growls at the other dog and might snap at them and the other dog will back off. She is too little, only 5 months to hurt another dog but if she is showing dominance in such a early stage I was just afraid that behavior could turn into something more concerning in the future.

Have you gone to training classes with her or planning to? It will be great for both of you as you can learn to identify when she is going too far and she will learn to drop when you tell her to. Banks is very dominate, but with years of training (continual process with her) when either of us say 'DROP' she drops whatever is in her mouth at that moment regardless of what it is or who is near it

 

[Izzy's Mom]

Have you gone to training classes with her or planning to? It will be great for both of you as you can learn to identify when she is going too far and she will learn to drop when you tell her to. Banks is very dominate, but with years of training (continual process with her) when either of us say 'DROP' she drops whatever is in her mouth at that moment regardless of what it is or who is near it

we attended puppy class and she did great, she learned "leave it" but it is always easier when we are training with a nice treat in my hands and I have her full attention. At the time, in class, I had a hard time finding something that she really liked.... maybe because she was too young and now she seems to be more into things, if that makes any sense.

 

[2BullyMama]

we attended puppy class and she did great, she learned "leave it" but it is always easier when we are training with a nice treat in my hands and I have her full attention. At the time, in class, I had a hard time finding something that she really liked.... maybe because she was too young and now she seems to be more into things, if that makes any sense.

Make her work for everything at home then if not already.... google 'Nothing In Life Is Free' (NILIF)

 

[Tracy T]

I'm not sure I have any really good advice on the not sharing toys issue- but I do think teaching her to drop a toy on command would be the best. Not the easiest of things to teach a Bulldog, but she needs to know that selfish and agressive behaviour is unacceptable.

As for the mud, we have called Winston a "Bullygoat" for a long time now. When he was an adolescent I swear he would eat anything he could get into his mouth! Fortunately that behaviour has mostly passed, and more often than not he will pass over things in the yard. He still eats a LOT of grass, though. I know dogs do that when their stomachs are upset, but Winston just enjoys it, I think. Silly Biscuit grazes constantly!