Skye is a one year old Border Collie and suitably cheeky and boisterous! He tends to skid to a halt, turn on a nine pence, that kind of thing. A couple of evenings ago he had a lovely afternoon and evening playing Ball Boy for us. (Sadly he only brings the ball half way back!) The tennis court was a kind of tar-mac surface which has had quite a damaging effect on poor Skye's paws. The front two have a skinned patch on the biggest pad, a deep crack. All of these are obviously very sore. I took him to the Vet yesterday and they advised I wash his paws and put cream on them twice daily, (Hibiscrub & Sudocrem). This hasn’t gone so well. Skye is a rescue dog and as such we know very little about his past other than he was chained up night and day. What a start in life eh?! The day we got him my other half bathed him to get rid of the smell of ‘kennels’ etc and he apparently sat in the bath quiet as a lamb with no apparent distress. Perhaps somewhat traumatised by the dramatic events of the last few days, being confiscated by RSPCA etc. However when I tried to wash his paws in a washing-up bowl it quite quickly became evident that he was really scared. Having encountered a lot of something very sticky we tried to bath him once before (between the first instance and last night) and that was similarly traumatic. While not overly thrilled with the idea he did let me put cream on (which he just licked off anyway) so I don’t think it was just that his paws are too tender. I’m not someone that feels the need to regularly bath dogs but every now and then that deer poo is just to irresistible so would be handy to be able to get him in the tub from time to time!

Our vet says: It can be very difficult to get any dog to enjoy a bath but obviously if you do not know the dog's history it can be slightly more complicated.

To manage the immediate problem with Skye's paws why not try wiping them with cotton wool soaked in the Hibiscrub solution? This may be more acceptable for Skye and treatment may be less traumatic. (Speak to your vet to make sure this will be acceptable)

Long term if you would like Skye to accept the occasional bath you will need to work slowly to build Skye's confidence around water. Perhaps start by gently grooming Skye with a damp cloth. If this is done outside then Skye will not have to stand in a bath or tub.

Gradually (over a period of weeks) increase the amount of water you use so that eventually Skye is getting wet and having a proper wash and rinse. If this can be done regularly over a period of weeks or months you will build your dog's confidence and trust.

Getting Skye to be happy in a tub of water may be difficult and it may be best to contact a behaviourist in your area if you feel that this will be necessary. Always remember to give lots of praise when Skye is confident and ignore "scared behaviour" (by soothing a scared dog you are perhaps giving the message that this is the correct way to behave).

If you feel that Skye is extremely scared then you should not attempt to bathe him at all, in case the fear causes him to bite you in an attempt to "get away". Even the most mild mannered and gentle dog can inflict a nasty bite if they are terrified! If in any doubt consult your vet or local behaviourist about this issue.

Answers to Your Pet Healthcare Questions

Showing similar questions and answers in this category

behaviour problem

Species: dog | Category: behaviour | Submitted: 15-Mar-09 05:51PM | viewed 38166 times

Catherine asks about abbiegale (dog) :

i have an 15 year old Yorkie dog who is deaf but she has become naughty stealing food off the table, knocking kitchen bin over and standing in front of us weeing, without asking for out. She has stolen onions from my plate which was on the table. Please help.

Our vet says: First of all, I would advise you get your vet to check your dog to rule out any medical causes of her urinating indoors and the increased appetite. Once medical problems have been ruled out, you can treat the behaviour.

Urinating-Try to put her outside regularly, for example every 2 hours. When she urinates outside give her a treat and praise her. When she urinates indoors, do not show any reaction, just walk away. If you tell her off, she will learn that her behaviour is provoking a reaction from you and that she gets attention. Dogs don't mind if attention is positive or negative, its all the same to them!

Also use a biological cleaner (such as Totalcare-available from us) to clean up when she urinates indoors. Household detergents do not break down the bacteria in urine and the residue left behind smells of ammonia which encourages animals to use the same area.

Food Stealing-Again this could be an attention seeking behaviour. When she steals food in front of you, do not show any reaction, just walk away. This will teach her that stealing food does not get the attention she wants.Try to praise her and give her her treats at other times when she behaves appropriately. This will help her differentiate between behaviours which get her attention and those that don't.

Again, with the dustbin, if she knocks it over while you are there, ignore this behaviour, perhaps even walk out of the room. When you go out, leave the bin out of reach so as not to tempt her.

When treating attention seeking behaviour, dogs will generally try harder to get your attention at first. Persevere and ignore all unwanted behaviour and praise appropriate behaviour.

Dog seems to become tired as summer closes in

Species: dog | Category: behaviour | Submitted: 08-Mar-09 03:29PM | viewed 38478 times

Riana asks:

I have a King Charles Cavalier x Sheltie. She is about 8 years old. I've noticed over the past 2 to 3 years that during winter she is very energetic and on the go but during the warmer months she becomes noticeably slower and seems tired. I've had other dogs before but never noticed this. This year - only March now and not yet warm, but she's gone really slow already over a matter of weeks. Walks doesn't seem to excite her anymore. My concern is the relatively quick switch between states. Her coat length is comparable to a Border Collie and she's got short ears like a Collie.

Our vet says: It would be worth asking your vet to check her generally since these types of changes could be due to medical problems such as a bad heart (Cavaliers are well known for heart problems especially at this age) arthritis or metabolic problems etc.

If she gets a clean bill of health you could try getting her coat clipped short during the warmer summer months. If this is not successful then you could try herbal treatments (some herbs are known to be cooling in their action and this may help her). If you would like to know more about herbal options please contact us again.

Alfie

Species: dog | Category: behaviour | Submitted: 06-Nov-07 08:24AM | viewed 46625 times

Elaine asks:

Hi Sam Thank you. Alfie has no feeding time he just has food in his bowl when he wants it as he doesn't eat it when served, he is not a greedy dog. He plays all day with us a different times but no set time. We have a big garden and he has never really had walks partly because he will not get his lead on. However I have managed to get it on yesterday and will leave it on. Alfie sleeps at the same time as us usually he has a crate which is his bed. So all in all he has no set routine. After reading this I know this is a problem. How do I fix it?

Our vet says: You may have lots of work to do here! Lets start with feeding. A dominant animal would eat the choicest parts of the kill in a wild pack situation and would also be able to eat when he liked. This is the situation for Alfie- tasty food is available at any time he likes and he does not even have to work for it. See it from his point of view- the lesser members of the pack have done all the work to bring food to him and now leave him in peace to eat it as and when he likes!

Start by taking up the food bowls and deciding on a strictly timed feeding regime. You might like to feed him a small amount in the morning and his main meal at night for example. You should take up any food which remains after 20 minutes and he should have no further access to food until the next meal time. (Do not attempt to remove food while he is eating as this may lead to you getting bitten). Ideally he should be fed enough to satisfy him but he should be hungry again at the next meal time- if he does not eat at all for a meal don't worry-he will be hungry next time or the next.

If he is a little bit hungry at his meal time it will make your job of establishing yourself as pack leader easier. Ideally he should be allowed to see you eating your meal before he is given any food (do not ever feed him scraps from the table). Let him see you eat peacefully while you ignore any attempts he might make to get scraps etc. Later when you have cleaned up etc it will be his turn. If he knows any basic obedience commands such as sit he should be asked to do so before he receives his food (he should work a little for his reward). Let him feed in peace (as not to do so may result in a bite) but remove any left over food once he leaves his dish.

I suspect that you may play with Alfie when he wants, not when you initiate it. Play is good but it should be on your terms not his. Set aside a time for play if possible and otherwise ignore his attempts to involve you in games. At play time call him to you to initiate the game. Obedience commands are a good idea and if possible a training class would really help.

I am pleased you have a lead on Alfie it will give you more control- keep it on and if you can, use a long lead to pull him off the furniture- his place should be firmly on the floor not the raised chairs and sofas which should be the privilege of the pack leaders alone. (Do not challenge him if you may get bitten though)

Ideally Alfie should sleep downstairs and it is good that he sleeps in his crate- hopefully not in your bedroom?

Remember that Alfie will definitely see all this as a direct challenge to his dominant position and things may get worse for a while! If you feel that you are in any danger of being bitten- do not challenge him or make the changes I have suggested- your safety must come first. I would suggest the change to his feeding regime may be the easiest to make first and present fewest difficulties for the biggest impact.

Whatever you do at the moment though do not try to take food/ objects away from Alfie while he is nearby- this may come later but the other changes should be well established first and he may always be unreliable in this respect.

Good luck and let me know how you get on. Ideally you should consult your own animal trainer or behaviourist as soon as you can. Your own safety must always come first so do not attempt any direct challenges to Alfie which could get you bitten!

Guarding problem

Species: dog | Category: behaviour | Submitted: 05-Nov-07 10:10AM | viewed 46673 times

Elaine asks:

Alfie is a terrible guarder and will take your hand off if you try and retrieve an object he is not allowed. It is almost like he looks for things to guard? He will not let you put on a lead. He will not let me remove him from furniture. I have had him castrated to try to solve this issue and it has not worked. He has given my daughter and I nasty bites also. These are the bad things which happen generally on a twice daily basis. The rest of the time his character is so good and that is the reason I am having so much difficulty in this problem. I have asked breeders for help but have got no where with it. Please save Alfie?

Our vet says: It sounds as if Alfie may be too dominant and considers himself to be the boss. Dogs still think much as they would if they were in a pack situation and they consider we humans to be members of their "pack".

Some dogs have a tendency to want to be the leaders in their pack and they do require special treatment if things are not to get out of hand. As caring owners we can often give the wrong signals to such pets and what we see as care and consideration for their welfare, they see as our submission to their superior leadership! If they then consider our actions (such as approaching a coveted object or trying to remove them from their place on the sofa) as a challenge to their dominant position in the family pack they will warn and then sometimes bite to repress our challenge.

Since Alfie has already bitten I would strongly suggest that you get in touch with an animal behaviourist in your area to help you with this problem. Also while you are waiting for help and advice, avoid all the situations which provoke Alfie to bite and supervise him at all times when he is with children.

Any behavioural changes you must make will take time and effort on your part so you need to be prepared to work with a behaviourist to get the best outcome for you and Alfie. I hope it all goes well for you!

behaviour

Species: dog | Category: behaviour | Submitted: 31-Oct-07 12:54PM | viewed 29286 times

Debby asks:

Hi Max is very lively of course but he seems to get very excited and bites the children, not hard or breaking the skin but nevertheless painful. He has all his adult teeth I think but still chews everything. He has his own toys /chews etc but he's worse now than ever. Any suggestions?

Our vet says: This may be a play activity but it does need to be addressed. You may be able to tell if this is definitely a play activity by looking out for the "play-bow" which dogs will often make to signal non-aggression. They tend to bow their front end leaving their bottom in the air and tail often wagging.

The biting (in play or not), does need to stop. Try to think of situations which invoke the biting and then avoid them completely (make sure everyone in the household does this). Then start to teach Max basic obedience commands such as "sit" and "down". Start to teach him when he is very calm, but as he learns you can ask him to perform these tasks in more exciting situations until you are sure you have complete control over him in all situations. He should be taught to respond to obedience commands from all members of the family. In this way he should eventually be asked to "sit" or go "down" before play becomes too rough.

Staffies can grow to be very strong dogs with incredibly powerful jaws. There is always a chance that things can unexpectedly get out of hand with dogs and children with tragic consequences. I would recommend that dogs are NEVER left alone at all with young children- who may not be able to recognise the signs of a problem developing/ warning signals given by the dog etc. They are also not strong enough to fight off any attack.

With older children it is still very necessary to exercise caution, especially with stronger breeds of dog.

Dogs do make great pets and with time hopefully Max will grow into a lovely family pet, but we must also remember that dogs are natural predators with an inbuilt desire to hunt, stalk, chase, kill and eat. Each of these behaviours brings a reward of its own so dogs can enjoy the "chase" without necessarily wishing to "kill" or "eat" but unfortunately things can get out of hand when the thrill of the activity is high. That is why dogs can be a problem when children are around since they are around the size of a dogs natural prey, they run and scream or make high pitched noises as would prey species and once caught or bitten they continue to do all these things which excite a dog and arouse it further. For example it is very difficult to teach a child to stay still rather than run when threatened by a dog and in this way the child will almost certainly get chased.

I definitely do not want to sound alarmist but the primary concern must be the safety of your children. It is probably a minor play problem at the moment due to Max's young age. To prevent anything further developing supervise the dog and children carefully and perhaps involve an animal behaviourist in your area who can help much more than I can over the internet.


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