Ev lives the Lower Mainland of Beautiful British Columbia, Canada where she has been training dogs since 1969. She is experienced in many methods including clicker and motivational training. Ev is an original Superdog Performance Team member and her own dogs have travelled and performed with the Canadian SuperDogs since 1984. She has also served as an A.A.C. judge ans is an original Member/Trainer with the Dogwood Pacesetters Agility Club.
10/3/2007
Chinese Shar Pei - age 12 Monte has been a wonderful dog and I would like to make sure that the rest of his life is as happy as I can. Monte has started to act strangely. He will shut himself in a bathroom and then destroy it trying to get out. He has chewed the molding and pulled everything out from under the sink. This behavior has been going on for approximately nine months. I have to make sure that doors are closed or blocked so that he can't shut them. He isn't shutting himself in this room by accident he is doing in purposely. My husband watched him using his nose to push the door shut.
Early this a.m. Monte woke me by standing on the bed strattling me. He was panting and shivering. I watched him closely and after approximately 20 minutes he stopped panting and seemed to feel well enough to eat a treat. Then he followed me through the house and would even lean against me while I was getting ready for work. Monte appeared to be OK by the time I left for work. My son was home until 11:30 and didn't report anything unusual. Sometime between 11:30 and 5:00 p.m. Monte went through the house knocking over plants and tearing up every cardboard box he could find. He ripped them into small pieces. Sometime during this rampage Monte was bitten by Jazmyn, my 8 year old Rottweiler. She has bitten him in the past, a couple of times quite badly.
My husband and I are trying to make sure that the dogs have enough exercise and walk them at least a mile every day. The bottom line is that Monte's behavior is destroying the house and causing our other dog to attack him. I have tried crating Monte but it was too hard on him. It appears that Monte is suffering from fear or some sort of anxiety. I want Monte to be safe and happy. I have taken Monte to the vet and they were unable to find anything wrong with him. It also appears that Monte is going deaf. Do you have any suggestions for me? Thanks. (jiliemacston, Alaska )
Hi Jill,
I will do my best in trying to help you understand what Monte may be going through and from there perhaps you can find a solution.
I have no idea of how old you are or if you have ever had to deal with an elderly person but I know I have walked into a room many times, and then stopped and wondered why I was in there or what I went in there for. There are times when I have had drastic mood swings when one moment I'm laughing over a show on t.v. and then someone calls to chat and I get very sad or depressed. If any of this sounds familiar or if you have heard of others going through this then you might consider that Monte is around 85 years old.
To me, the things you have mentioned in your email, sounds very much like a dog that is 'forgetting' and having 'severe mood swings'. To be content one minute and then want to r ampage around just to get a reaction or perhaps to shut himself in a room and then want out may be another way of trying to get that attention.
I don't think Monte should be left alone.
I believe he feels the 'need' to have someone with him all the time.
I do not believe that a mile walk everyday is helping at all unless these walks are just 'you and him' or 'him and your husband'. Then I could see that extra one-on-one attention being beneficial for him to last through a day but taking him with the other dog or making the mile journey in a jog where there is no bonding going on, is not what I think Monte needs.
These signs of 'old age' may also be triggering the Rotty to 'get-rid-of-the-problem' so things can get back to normal.
If you feel there is a 'fear factor' then it would be the same fear that all aging beings have - getting old, forgetting, or becoming useless or hindered in any way. If you feel there is an 'anxiety' issue happening then perhaps it is the anxiety that he feels 'lonely' and much more so since getting older.
I don't think there is a solution but there are things you could do to keep him happy and healthy and keep your sanity as well. It may not be something that can be done easily (if at all) but it is worth consideration;
- Making sure someone is with Monte 24/7 ... this could mean a relative to babysit or a Private Doggy Daycare while you are at work or perhaps there is a way that he can accompany you or your husband to work and sit in a crate by your feet during the day (with the occasional pee break).
- The two dogs should NEVER be left alone unsupervised - not even when you get up to go to the washroom... take one with you or keep them separated in different rooms. This would mean changing your daily schedule to allow each to have their 'own time' with you and/or your family.
- Be sure that any time spent with Monte is 'Quality' time and not just 'Quantity' time. Allow for teaching of new tricks or just plain bonding with hugs and Praise.
It's not fun getting old and feeling restless; to wake up happy and then have a hint of anger hit you in the afternoon where you want to shove dinner out the window; to find yourself doing things that you wouldn't normally do in hopes that someone will notice and pay attention to you; to feel lost when you started out with a mission in your head; etc., etc..
Another thing you could try while you are incorporating some of the advice above, is to hunt down some 'Rescue Remedy'. It is a natural substance that has a calming effect. It has been used for dogs stressed about entering a show ring or going to the vet, even for dogs that panic about long traveling in the car, etc. A few drops on the tongue a couple of times a week may see Monte become a new man.
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