As some of you know, my Mum rescued a 16 week old whippet last weekend. In many ways he's been the perfect dog but has one problem that we are trying to address - I'm not worried about it because I think it's understandable but my Mum got herself convinced it was a sign of someting deeper. I'll explain!
Every evening when my Mum and Dad try to sit in the living room and watch TV, Sidney goes manic. Now this is not the usual whippie running around and high jinks and mouthing that I had with R and G (the typical 'mad half hour'). He jumps from one sofa to other like a demon and is actively going for them and biting - nasty biting, going for the throat at one point and trying to injure their hands and faces. He gets himself really worked up, snarling and flinging himself about out of control. My Mum says she can't do anything because she is getting scared of him biting and got convinced he had a nasty streak. Fopr the last three days my Mum and Dad have stayed in their kitchen/ dining room with him all evening because he is as good as gold in there but clearly that's no way to live!
My take on this is that this whippet has had four homes in 16 weeks. He has been shoved in a garage every night at his second home and ignored. He is a darling during the day so he does not have a 'nasty streak' because it would show at various times during the day, not just in the evening. I think he gets extremely anxious that he is going to be dumped in a garage again and takes pre-emptive strikes! I was so worried that my Mum and Dad would be adding to the problem by giving up on him that last night I went around determined to sort it out. I thought she might be exaggerating about his behaviour but she wasn't - it was extremely bad.
We took him for a long walk to make sure he was quite tired and then took him home. My Mum and I sat in the living room with Sid and started watching TV as she and my Dad would do and at first Sid was great. However after about ten minuted he became a demon and was in real danger of hurting us or himself. I tried holding him but he became more feisty and out of control and it didn't achieve anything - he was really trying to hurt me/ protect himself. I decided to try time out. My Mum hadn't done this because she was worried that the dining room ( a room he is calm in) would then become a 'punishment' room but as we were doing time out for only 20 seconds til he calmed, I don't think it's a problem - it is his 'calm' room, not a jail!
As soon as he started attacking, I scooped him up (he's still attacking at this point, my Mum feared for my face!) and put him in the dining room. He scratched for a few seconds but I told him to 'sit' and bless him he calmed down immediately and sat, so I let him in. It only took three times of doing this when he was naughty and he came back, played normally and then fell asleep on me. When he was asleep I could stroke him, move him, lie my head on him etc and he was a darling. I could tell by his breathing he was in a completely different state of mind.
I've suggested to my Mum to change his food to JW anyway to make it easier when the dogs are in each other's houses and I think better food would calm him. I think he's been through a tough time and is anxious, not nasty, and with exercise, discipline, routine and cuddles he will get over it. Please help me convince my Mum though! She is worried that he could revert to this when older and do some damage. What do you think?
BTW, Sorry such a long post but I've told my Mum I would never speak to her again if she gives up on this dear little fella!
Every evening when my Mum and Dad try to sit in the living room and watch TV, Sidney goes manic. Now this is not the usual whippie running around and high jinks and mouthing that I had with R and G (the typical 'mad half hour'). He jumps from one sofa to other like a demon and is actively going for them and biting - nasty biting, going for the throat at one point and trying to injure their hands and faces. He gets himself really worked up, snarling and flinging himself about out of control. My Mum says she can't do anything because she is getting scared of him biting and got convinced he had a nasty streak. Fopr the last three days my Mum and Dad have stayed in their kitchen/ dining room with him all evening because he is as good as gold in there but clearly that's no way to live!
My take on this is that this whippet has had four homes in 16 weeks. He has been shoved in a garage every night at his second home and ignored. He is a darling during the day so he does not have a 'nasty streak' because it would show at various times during the day, not just in the evening. I think he gets extremely anxious that he is going to be dumped in a garage again and takes pre-emptive strikes! I was so worried that my Mum and Dad would be adding to the problem by giving up on him that last night I went around determined to sort it out. I thought she might be exaggerating about his behaviour but she wasn't - it was extremely bad.
We took him for a long walk to make sure he was quite tired and then took him home. My Mum and I sat in the living room with Sid and started watching TV as she and my Dad would do and at first Sid was great. However after about ten minuted he became a demon and was in real danger of hurting us or himself. I tried holding him but he became more feisty and out of control and it didn't achieve anything - he was really trying to hurt me/ protect himself. I decided to try time out. My Mum hadn't done this because she was worried that the dining room ( a room he is calm in) would then become a 'punishment' room but as we were doing time out for only 20 seconds til he calmed, I don't think it's a problem - it is his 'calm' room, not a jail!
As soon as he started attacking, I scooped him up (he's still attacking at this point, my Mum feared for my face!) and put him in the dining room. He scratched for a few seconds but I told him to 'sit' and bless him he calmed down immediately and sat, so I let him in. It only took three times of doing this when he was naughty and he came back, played normally and then fell asleep on me. When he was asleep I could stroke him, move him, lie my head on him etc and he was a darling. I could tell by his breathing he was in a completely different state of mind.
I've suggested to my Mum to change his food to JW anyway to make it easier when the dogs are in each other's houses and I think better food would calm him. I think he's been through a tough time and is anxious, not nasty, and with exercise, discipline, routine and cuddles he will get over it. Please help me convince my Mum though! She is worried that he could revert to this when older and do some damage. What do you think?
BTW, Sorry such a long post but I've told my Mum I would never speak to her again if she gives up on this dear little fella!
