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Many individual dogs of many breeds can exhibit this behavior…the best thing to do is to remind the veterinary staff of your pet’s needs when you check in for an appointment. Vets get used to "treating" puppies and can forget to Look Before Leaping! Just one of the reasons your presence during exams is vital.
When starting to work with a new vet or office, ask the receptionist to mark your pet’s chart with a warning that will be protective of everyone under all circumstances (ex: "Food Aggressive", "Food Allergies", "No Treats!" , "Dog Aggressive", "Seizures", "Fearful", etc.). An office that is professional in this regard will have a procedure for marking the chart.
Everyone in the office should be very receptive to and respectful of this kind of information!
Sorry about your near miss, and thanks for opening this important subject,.Well, that’s a personal call at this point…some companies are getting patents for all kinds of specialized chips (even blood sugar!). It seems to me that the UK-approved thermo-sensor chip is the first consumer-marketed multi-function chip…new stuff.
Yeah, the technology may not be exactly useful, depending on the individual differences in physiology……bodies can be Conceptualized as Machines for the sake of discussion, but they really don’t Work as Machines practically. Y’know?
Body temperature is best measured from a CORE source—underarm is OK with people, but colon is still most reliable for pets. There are fancy ear-sensor types on the market, but these do not give 100% reliable readings, and have passed pretty much out of vogue in veterinary practice.
If there is not a big difference in price, you might go with the newer style–as long as it if made by a well-established brand. What you are really looking for, of course, is the PROTECTION of getting your Pet back in case of emergency!!! The function of the ID barcode is more important than other add-ons, in my personal opinion.
Thermometers will still be with us for quite some time!
I’d like to see these extra technologies function in the Real World for a little while longer before I get really excited about them.LOL–many people feel this way! Most dogs don’t take notice.
The microchip itself is about the size of a grain of rice (amazing!), so the injector just needs to be large enough to safely deliver the chip between the layers of skin…not deep enough to jab the muscle, although timid dogs can nick themselves if the try hopping around.
A special Hospital-only treat really helps (hot dog slices, for instance–yummy) take Everybody’s mind off the occasion.
The injectors themselves are pretty unassuming plastic gizmos (not those crazy air-driven hypodermic things seen in movies)…the implantation is meant to be smooth and simple when handled by an experienced person.
Small pet breeds have more sensitive skin overall than larger working breeds that were ‘engineered’ to run in harsh weather, thick underbrush, rocky terrain, etc..
I’m sure you’ll both do fine! 😉The injector used to implant microchips is pretty big…the administrators familiarity with the mechanism and canine skin sensitivity is a very important part of the process!
Also, a dog’s size, individual sensitivity and temperament play into the experience a lot. Many larger breeds take no notice of the injection.
Bring a handful of treats to offer him during the "pinch" so that he has something to occupy his mind. If he learns that Syringe=Treat…he’ll be a better hospital guest overall.
Six-month neutering is sufficient, and his cardiovascular system will be in much better condition to undergo general anesthesia.
Glad to hear your Good Behavior Report! The sense of Urgency has to do with his age–dogs are receptive to learning during narrowly defined periods of development, so working away at this now is the Right Way to Go.
Enjoy your New Year!The only thing that affects litter size is Ovulation.
When fertile eggs are being released from the ovaries and come into contact with fertile sperm, pregnancy results.
A Single Tie during or just before ovulation can (and often does) result in a Full-sized litter for any one breed in question.
Eggs are released from the ovaries over a period of time…in other words, not all on one day.
Sperm can remain alive in the uterus for up to 4 DAYS. Any eggs traveling down to the uterus day after day will be able to encounter and mix with these implanted sperm. Dogs that are bred every 4 days throughout Standing Heat frequently carry full-sized litters to term.
Younger females produce more fertile eggs per cycle than older females…litter size can then be expected to decline as a bitch ages, no matter how many sexual encounters she endures. Each female’s fertility depends ultimately on her GENETIC HERITAGE.
Old Wives Tales about number of ties, etc. are of no value, and often result in physical exhaustion and/or injury to the male or female. There is no point to achieving a daily Tie…sperm counts can be depleted (this has been shown by research).
Small females are at much higher risk of injury than those from larger breeds. Toy dog breeding can be quite specialized in many respects.
Each female is different, and each cycle is different. This accounts for the variation seen in actual matings.
Ultimate litter size depends on the size of the uterine horns, and what nutrients are available through the placentas. Puppy size is dictated by GENES…not behavior of the parent dogs before conception!
Reproduction is not a Magical Occurence…we now know Exactly how pregnancy comes about in dogs, and can rely implicitly on the facts.Good question!
However, this wouldn’t be much of a useful "fix" (pardon the pun!)…it would not stop her from being aggressive to you, and would probably Increase her aggressiveness to you once she started nesting.
Then there’s the consideration of re-homing all the babies.
This kind of aggression is NOT solved with more bunnies…if this is genetic aggression, the youngsters will have problems, and this Momma would likely attack any new rabbit left in her territory.
I have seen many rabbits physically savaged and/or starved by cage mates with over-territorial issues. Bunnies are NOT naturally sociable; they are Loners.
Hormonal Aggression is best solved by removing the hormones in question and then working to keep her hand-tame, not by activating new hormones and protective behaviors.Canine Reproduction is quite a bit different from that in Humans. Some females show very little sign of pre-heat, so you can miss what a male dog will Not!
Female dogs will NOT stand for breeding until they are ovulating (releasing fertile eggs from the ovaries), so the likelihood of fertilization taking place is quite High.
Your two dogs will continue to consort and mate until her hormones switch over to Pregnancy Mode. They have no intellectual or social reasons to refrain from mating, and cannot ever be taught to restrain themselves.
If you do not wish a litter, you need to separate them Immediately and Completely…dogs will mate through crate wire, etc., and males have been known to break weak doors.
Your vet can perform a pregnancy blood test in a few weeks, and help you decide what course of action is appropriate to take next.Yeah…this can be as confusing for him as it is for you! He just has no parental-guidance to fall back on in most situations, and badly needs to have this gap filled within the next few weeks, before his brain becomes Set in disadvantageous patterns.
I expect him to Always be well-behaved at this age on Someone Else’s territory (group puppy class)…his Dominance will show in places and circumstances that happen at His Place. This is why having a trainer come to the home is most helpful to you…it will teach you how to Always Be the Boss at Home, and reinforce a Stranger coming in and being Dominant to him as well. Submission needs to become a Habit for him.
You will have to work his training techniques daily and with commitment…and with this breed, for the remainder of his life. Not as a matter of Compulsion, but as a matter of Course–you have to really enjoy practicing the techniques and maintaining a Second Sense of what he is doing and Planning to do! 😉
I have known committed folks of retirement age do remarkable things with Tough Cases, so your bond with him can be used to great effect.
Never see him as a substitute Child–he is at all times a Dog (even when he’s a sweetie pie!) and subject to his instincts and education.
God bless.It is NEVER OK to Take pups from their mothers before age 8 weeks, and many breeds benefit from an extended infancy. Inexperienced breeders often confuse Maternal Training for Aggression–if a female dog is genuinely aggressive with her young (draws blood), then the pups have most likely inherited antisocial genes, and should not be given away/sold to average consumers. People breeding for-Profit seldom concern themselves with the genetic Basis of behavior, and often want to avoid the expense of feeding a litter until the pups are healthy enough in all respects to be re-homed.
Yes: your dog is being aggressive, and is showing serious signs of Dominance at this early age. Very soon he will become too old mentally and too large physically for you to handle safely.
OK, so what to do? You will need specialized help in your area In Person…you want to work with someone who can show you how to handle him and his tantrums in the exact way that a Psychologically Normal and Healthy DOG would do. Human instincts often run against a dog’s "culture", and you may be tempted to be "kind" and "understanding" with him, instead of Quick, Confident and Emotionally Self-controlled.
You want Results and you want them Immediately…the trainer must be able to demonstrate an ability to control him right away physically and mentally without provoking these attacks, and without Babying him and without Brutalizing his body. You are not seeking to scare him into behaving properly, but are seeking to gain his Trust and Respect so that he will be able to Look to you for cues about how to behave in the future, no matter the circumstances.
You might seek a referral from a local Kennel Club chapter (this breeder is NOT a good source of information about this breed or its handling), or from a trusted veterinary office.
If you are unable to provide him proper training, then finding him a new home is best for your family–breed rescue groups can help you find a proper situation for his needs.
I will be keeping a Good Thought for you all!Hey–sorry to hear about this problem! Unfortunately, this is not uncommon for the greater majority of maturing female bunnies…if she was not bred specifically for tameness, her emerging hormonal urges to secure territory can take over her brain.
Rabbits in the wild are not sociable close-up (although they do cooperate on a large scale to maintain secure borders). What you are describing are "normal" possessive and territorial behaviors. 🙁
Some bunnies develop cysts on their ovaries that over-produce estrogens…making their aggression an overdrive situation, and posing a potential health risk.
It may be possible to restore her to a hormonally-imature state by having a qualified veterinarian spay her for you…not all offices work with this species, so let me know if you need resources in your location.
Other things that may help:
1) Use thick gloves when working in her cage…this will stop you from having to Pull Out (she reads this as "RETREAT OF THE INTRUDER")…every time she succeeds in chasing you off, it will reinforce her instinctive attacks, and her brain will become Set in these patterns.
2) Make sure her enclosure is large enough for her to back into a "burrow"…you will need two doors so that you can close off this bunker for separate cleaning times. A single-chamber cage that is smaller than 4×4 feet will increase her territorial anxiety.
3) If she is Tame once removed from the cage, try keeping the enclosure on the floor so that she can be Invited Out for treats when you need to clean, etc….select a treat item that she particularly LOVES and reserve it for times that you need her Cooperation.
Bites into the skin can be quite serious, so you do need to exercise Caution, but too much hesitation will feed into her perceptions.
I hope these ideas do help…spaying can be the Best and Only successful "therapy", and the sooner-the-better, before her brain pathways become solidified.Hi! Being on hand for breeding and delivery of pups is a tremendous way to ensure that you are prepared for any outcome…your employer is to be commended for letting you work this out schedule-wise.
Cycling in dogs is often discussed in terms of "averages"…most females cycle for the first time AROUND 8-10 months of age, then every 4-6 months thereafter. Breed lines and individuals actually show a lot of variation.
When we examine dogs like Tibetan Mastiffs we find that the reproductive cycle can actually be timed with the seasons of the year! This may indicate that these cycles are impacted by more than just genetic coding for "averages". So for instance, weather, body weight, circulating hormones, and general stress all seem to be important things to consider when our females cycle inconsistently.
Females that have been allowed to become overweight show more inconsistencies in their cycles, fertility, and ability to bear healthy pups to term.
It is also important to note that outward physical signs (these are medically termed "secondary") will change over a female’s lifetime, and generally decrease with age. Degree of swelling, amount and character of discharge CANNOT be relied on to predict ovulation and readiness to breed. Many "surprise" litters happen when outward signs do not live up to expectations over time.
Serious problems like uterine infection (can be "silent" or "closed" with no visible discharge or odor) or hormonal illnesses need medical solutions and support.
If you do not notice any physical or behavioral signs of estrus within the next two weeks, you should have this gal examined by a veterinarian you trust to determine if her hormone levels and general health are indeed normal.
If she goes off food, is lethargic, or seems feverish, have her looked at ASAP!!
Hope all goes well!You’re welcome! It certainly seems like you’ll be a good Mommy.
Enjoy, and g’day!VERY interesting! Things have changed a lot for the Average Pet Feeder this year.
I have Lhasas and Shih Tzus, and use a base of Solid Gold Wolf King, with either TImberwolf Organics or Nature’s Variety Instinct added in for protein…HOWEVER, I only use food "flavors" that do NOT contain spinach and celery since these veggies contain oxalates that are hard on the kidneys and bladder. Even the "Premium" brand labels must be read carefully to make sure they are suitable for daily use.
Shih Tzus don’t tolerate Soy very well, and I avoid corn as a general rule, as it is high-glycemic index and estrogenic (ie, makes your pets FAT)…this pretty much disqualifies all food store brands these days.
Enjoy your survey! 😉Hey Ashley! This is certainly a terrific First Pet for someone learning to care for another living Being.
I think the confusing information you are finding is simply a matter of folks wanting to recommend a WARM place in the house…some Laundry Rooms are Always Warm if the water heater is there, but some are not always the Same Temperature. The air quality in a Laundry Room can vary quite a bit too, super-high humidity can be bad.
A Guinea Pig needs to be kept between 74F and 80F degrees all year round…they get colds and infections very easily, so a constant temperature that is like what they would find in the underbrush in South America is best. You will have to discuss with your folks if this room is best, or if another place in the house is Better. Temperature fluctuations or dips are very dangerous.
Guinea Pigs also need Vitamin C added to their diets every day…pets like dogs can make their own Vitamin C from their foods, but GPs cannot. You can give a pediatric Vitamin C supplement from the regular pharmacy (10 mg daily).
I hope that helps clear things up for you…let me know if you have other questions!Hey there! Gorgeous breed–high energy and lots of muscle!
You’ll may get a lot of replies, lol, as this is a pretty common situation.
This age of dog will show excessive energy when crated, even for reasonable lengths of time…but, be sure she gets a good walk 3-4 times daily just in case she is winding up to develop some anxiety problems.
Nesting is Instinctive, so this is a "Normal" behavior in dogs, so you can’t feel too bad about it in general. Ripping things and digging the Guts out is also instinctive, and Positively Reinforcing–it’s FUN to do! Providing a new bed can give her the idea that you approve of her efforts…trying to "discipline" after-the-fact will NEVER work! Dogs just don’t think about 5-minutes-ago the way that we do.
Some dogs just get really Hot on a bed or blanket, so she may also be showing a preference to have a plain crate pan without a lot of insulation…in this case, you’ll need to just keep the pan clean with a mild solution of vinegar and water (50:50) every day.
I had this experience with an Amstaff many years ago that used to get sores on his elbows and ankles from the plain crate pan (he had lymphoma), and he and I compromised…I brought home cardboard boxes from work and laid them flat in layers on the pan (remove all tape and shipping stickers, and make sure the boxes were only used to transport "dry" goods-no chemicals). My Pup had a good time ripping the cardboard into a Nest, but had enough cushion to keep his joints protected! I rotated boxes every few days to keep him clean, and to reinforce that I thought this was a Good use of his alone time.
Some companies advertise that their beds are made of chew-proof fabrics, but I do not know of one to actually recommend by name/experience…perhaps someone else will. Again, she may not want a thick bed if the house is kept at a comfortable temperature all day long.
Hope that gives you someplace to start, and that you Enjoy each other for many, many years!