HELP WANTED W/ PERIODICWEST HIGHLAND WHITE TERRIER AGRESSION

bridgetjones726 · Post by **bridgetjones726** » Tue Sep 08, 2009 9:20 am

Hello All..

I need some help desperately. I have a two year old West Highland White Terrier named Delaney. We are having an aggression issue with her. This has been going on since we have had her, but it has been under control as of late, but Delaney has stepped it up a notch in the past week.

Normally, Delaney is a pretty good Westie. She can be very lovey dovey. However, last night I was on the floor reading a magazine and she just attacked me. She didn't "bite" me, but mouthed me. I distracted her by offering her a treat and it worked.

Later on in the evening, I said to her "Where's Houston?" (Houston is a wire fox terrier owned by one of our neighbors) She did it again. She mouthed my hands, but didn't bite. She also did it again for a third time later on. A treat did not work these next two times and my boyfriend distracted her and guided her out on the deck to cool off.

Like I stated above, these outbursts had been sporadic in the past six months. I am trying to figure out what I did wrong and how I can correct this behavior when this happens. We do not have children in our house, so we are not worried about children being harmed. We do not want to give her away and want to work with her to be a more happy dog. I do admit that our dog doesn't get walked enough and I know that needs to happen NOW. I will work on that starting TODAY.

Does anyone have any guidance as to how we can correct this behavior and work to get her out of it before she goes into these outbursts? ANY SUGGESTION AND ANY ADVICE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.

Thanks in advance for any reply. Thanks so much!

Sincerely,

Cricket
[email protected]

Nettle · Post by **Nettle** » Tue Sep 08, 2009 10:09 am

Please tell us how the "aggression" manifested itself before, and what you did to change it.

Also please tell us your dog's daily routine, what she is fed and when, when she is walked and for how long, what training you do or have done.

Thank you.

bridgetjones726 · Post by **bridgetjones726** » Tue Sep 08, 2009 10:53 am

Hi Nettle...

We didn't really have a game plan to stop it before. The only training that has been done is by a trainer that came to our home and gave us some advice and not re-training tools.

She sleeps during the night on our bedroom floor. This is because she can get aggressive during the night when we toss and turn. I know she needs to be on the floor for many other reasons and that it is frowned upon that a dog sleep on the bed. Nevertheless, she is not in our bed at night, but on the floor.

Here is our morning routine--i get up, get ready for work and then delaney gets fed. she roams around, goes potty out on the deck and plays with her toys until my boyfriend is ready to go to work. We then pick her up and put her in her "room" (which is a 1/2 bathroom with a gate all around and with carpet so she doesn't destroy cabinetry and the vinyl floor) until the work day is done. we then bring her out of her room when we come home, she gets fed again and goes potty and it's play time the rest of the night until bedtime. I AM GOING TO START WALKING HER TONIGHT WHEN I GET HOME. I know walking is essential to a happy dog and I am going to do it every day from here on out.

We really haven't developed a solution to the aggression problem. We sometimes have a hard time picking her up to put her in her room. I know it's because she doesn't want to go in there, but she still chews on furniture, etc. She gets a great treat once she is in there for not making a fuss. If she does put up a fuss, she doesn't get her good girl treat.

She is also possessive over anything plastic. We are very careful not to drop anything plastic on the ground--she will find it and she will keep it. I do take her for a walk with it in her mouth and she eventually drops it when outside-which is a great solution and it has worked in the past.

I am sorry for my ramblings. I hope this gives you more insight. Thank you so much for replying. I look forward to your suggestions.

Thanks and have a great day!

Cricket

maximoo · Post by **maximoo** » Tue Sep 08, 2009 11:58 am

Sounds to me that you girl is very bored. She may be trying to get your attention when she starts mouthing you. Think hard! what PREceeds her attacks? If you can figure that out, that's half the problem. The other half is to do something with her or give her something to do BEFORE she winds up. As the saying goe--an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! Do some training sessions, especially 'leave it" & "drop it"
teach her new tricks or to get things like slippers, newspapers, etc. Or play some mind games (see Exercise thread).
Also you might want to try spraying your cabinets with bitter apple spray (sold at petstores) It could possibly deter her from chewing cabinets.

Boyfriend should walk her in the morn for at least 20 mts, preferably 30. That's IN ADDITION to you walking her in the eve. Give her her breakfast frozen stuffed in a kong & seal with peanut butter when you put her in room upon leaving. Also give her frozen marrow bones in her room for her to munch on during the day, as well as some chew toys.
If possible can someone come mid day to take her out and play with her a bit? That would be ideal but I know not everbody has that luxury.

Anyway, I think when you tackle the boredom & give her more exercise & things to do her mouthing will extinguish. Just put more effort into making her happier, more fulfilled. She doesn't sound like she needs to be re-homed.

Good Luck!

bridgetjones726 · Post by **bridgetjones726** » Tue Sep 08, 2009 12:13 pm

Maximoo:

Thanks so much for the reply. Walking is something that I can do both day and night. So, I will work on that.

She has chewed up a kong before--to me they seem indestructible, but she seems to chew it apart, then we fight with her over it to get it away from her. she gets aggressive over some toys. the ones she doesn't get possessive over are stuffed toys, which we also need to be careful with because once she gets a hole in one and the stuffing comes out--watch out! We always review toys on a periodic basis to make sure they are not worn and have a tiny hole.

I am in agreement that she is bored. I will try to work on doing more thinking exercises with her and I will view the Exercise threat on this board.

Thanks again for your informative reply.

Sincerely,

Cricket

Noobs · Post by **Noobs** » Tue Sep 08, 2009 12:25 pm

Unrelated to the boredom issue - for her toy guarding issue, this is an excellent post by emmabeth detailing how to help a dog who guards. You can make this part of your training sessions.

http://www.victoriastilwell.com/phpBB2/ ... php?t=3334

Westies are very smart hunting dogs, so being bored she'll get into more trouble than your average non-hunting dog. Research the kind of activities you can do with your girl that will help tire her out mentally and physically.

By the way, I bet she's beautiful.

maximoo · Post by **maximoo** » Tue Sep 08, 2009 12:28 pm

There are extra tuff Kongs, they are black in color. The regular ones are red. I would definitely give it a try. You can also gets SKINZ --stuffing free toys, or just take stuffing out of her other toys so she doesn't shred/chew/swallow the stuffing. My boy Max (GS/Chow mix) loves his Fox on a Stick. He loves to chase & capture it. It satisfies his prey drive & need to chase. Perhaps Delany would like one too.

Just try different toys/games see what she likes best and I'm sure she will improve overall.

bridgetjones726 · Post by **bridgetjones726** » Tue Sep 08, 2009 12:35 pm

She is very cute. We love her so much and it breaks my heart that I am not doing enough to make her happy.

I was prepared for the energy of a westie, but I was not prepared for the aggression, which, to what I hear you all are saying, is related to the energy that needs to be spent physically and mentally, am I right?

Thanks for your suggesstions. Keep them coming. I will review the exercise thread to get more information on activities.

Thanks again for your support!

Cricket

Mattie · Post by **Mattie** » Wed Sep 09, 2009 5:57 am

Aggression can be caused by a health problem, before doing anything else I would have a full vet check including bloods to rule out health problems. This should always be the first stop to solving problems.

Why are you picking her up to put her in her room?

How long is she in there when you are at work?

Smillin'Sammy · Post by **Smillin'Sammy** » Wed Sep 09, 2009 5:23 pm

More exercise of all types would be my advice. The shell game (put 3 cups face down on the ground with a treat under one, and let her find which one has it and how to get it out), hide and seek (use the stay and come commands, reward her when she finds you), and more walking will help a lot. Any other games you can play with her will be great, terriers as a breed have a whole lot of energy.

Hide and seek is a particularly great game because it takes advantage of her hunting instincts. Teaching her a retrieve command and hiding object (with a distinct scent on it, such as a perfume) would also be a great way to let her instincts and energy out. And it's easy for you!

bridgetjones726 · Post by **bridgetjones726** » Wed Sep 09, 2009 6:22 pm

Hi Everyone!!!

Thanks so much for your advice. Delaney was tuckered out after two, yes two walks last night. We played and played and played. She was tired, which is a good thing...

In response to Mattie:

Why are you picking her up to put her in her room?

A: there is not a door, but a gate that doesn't swing, therefore we need to pick her up to put her in her room.

How long is she in there when you are at work?
A: I am very sad to say that she is in there from 6:45 am - 4:45 pm so 10 hours. We do not keep her out due to chewing on furniture and soiling issues. Any advice for that? Do you think that is part of the problem?

Also...I will be making an appointment with the vet to have her examined. She has always been this way periodically. She hasn't acted up in over six months. So, this was such a surprise.....

Thanks again so much for your replies. It truly means a lot to me that you are attempting to help resolve my issues and help me help Delaney be happier.

Sincerely,

Cricket

Smillin'Sammy · Post by **Smillin'Sammy** » Wed Sep 09, 2009 6:30 pm

Yeah, being couped up for 10 hrs is a big part of the problem. That's a bit much for any breed, but for a terrier that's too much. Look into a doggie day care, that can really help. That, and having a neighbor come over to let her out and walk her for a few minutes during the middle of the day. Or you could come home from work during your lunch break to let her out. You could consider doing both, with half of days of the week at the daycare (like every other) and the other half having the neighbor come over and let her out.

emmabeth · Post by **emmabeth** » Wed Sep 09, 2009 8:23 pm

Just wanted to say, the aggression...

Shes a terrier, they are bred (and it still remains even in breeds who havent worked for generations) on the whole to use aggression first... ask questions later.

Think of what terriers 'do' - many of them take on foe bigger than them, in confined spaces, and are supposed to hold them at bay.... actually kill them... or make an unholy racket so that the handler can then find them and dispatch the quarry.

So in a confrontational situation... a terrier is highly unlikely to back down. When scared.... when another dog would turn tail and run... a terrier is much more likely to take things on head to head...

Is it any wonder that the two biggest problems pet owners have with terriers... is aggression, and barking!

I dont think when she mouths you, shes being aggressive - shes trying to get you to play, and play in a way she likes... rough and tumble.

When she doesnt want you to have 'her' stuff... she means it, and the more you confront her the more practice she will get at making you back off, so you need never to confront her over stuff - think your way round the issue (as you already have been doing), distract her, offer her a better item as a swap.

You need to as well as the walks, give her more terrierish things to do - if she totally trashes a Kong (presumably a red one and not a black one, if so, get her several black ones) then she LIKES that sort of activity, so find ways she can do that kind of thing safely.

Provide her with destruction boxes - cardboard boxes filled with twists of newspaper, some of them containing treats or smears of cheese spread etc... if she can wreck one fast, then make it like 'pass the parcel' and put a box inside another box.... etc etc.

Get a scrap of fake fur or real fur, tie it firmly to a length of string and tie that to a pole and use that to play chasey/raggy games with her.

Get her a sandpit if you can and bury things in it so she can dig them up.

If you dont provide suitable games that she likes... she will find her own entertainment!

Smillin'Sammy · Post by **Smillin'Sammy** » Wed Sep 09, 2009 8:30 pm

emmabeth wrote: Get her a sandpit if you can and bury things in it so she can dig them up.

Yeah, this is a great one! I know many terriers who would attest to this!

Smillin'Sammy · Post by **Smillin'Sammy** » Wed Sep 09, 2009 8:44 pm

http://www.victoriastilwell.com/phpBB2/ ... php?t=1135

This post has some good ideas for mind exercises. The "Exercise" forum as a whole has some good ideas too. You should check them out, you'll find some great stuff!