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Canine Behavior/Beagle with strange behaviors

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Expert: - 1/31/2008


Question
My 3 1/2 year old beagle acts weird around my boyfriend who moved in 2 years ago. About 1/2 the time she is fine and will approach him for attention.  Other times she acts like he is killing her, yelping if he even looks at her.  Other times she is aggressive, growling, disobedient, takes his spot on the couch when he gets up and throws herself between us. If I leave the house and he is home she will try to run away, and she will not come home until I come home. Sometimes 12-15 hours later during a blizzard!  After he moved in she was hit by a car and he took her to the hospital.  I wonder if she associates this with him.  She also will not go to the bathroom on a chain or leash.  She has free reign at home, but when traveling she will hold it until she smears in the car. She has gone up to 3 days! I finally have to find a spot to let her off the chain.   I took her on a road trip, camping for 1 month, just a month ago and she developed anxiety in the car, throwing herself on me, hyperventilating.  When on a chain she becomes defensive and aggressive to other dogs.  She was attacked by a pitbull in a parking lot while chained, (the other dog was not chained.) I was sitting there beside her but did not see her coming.  I do admit to spoiling and babying her, but it seems as she gets older her behavior gets weirder.  Help

Answer
your dog's problems are far too complex to address in this venue.  I suggest you have her neurologically evaluated by a veterinarian who is capable of diagnosing temporal lobe seizure disorders.  A seizure disorder such as that can cause random abnormal behavior and it does not present with what one might imagine a 'seizure' will resemble.  On the other hand, you might consider that at some point your boyfriend has abused this animal.  Re: the poop related problem, there are many dogs who will not poop off their own territory; they are "bonded" to the area and sometimes the underfoot material (grass, concrete, etc.)  Regarding the dog aggression on leash, when a dog is leashed it is (obviously) RESTRAINED and cannot respond to the fight/flight mechanism by fleeing, so it MUST stand and "fight."

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Jill Connor, Ph.D.

Expertise

I have spent my entire professional life rehabilitating the behavior of the domestic dog and I can answer any question regarding any behavior problem in any breed dog. If you are a caring, committed owner and need advice, I'm here for you. THERE ARE NO QUICK FIXES for serious behavioral issues; not only is it unprofessional to offer same, it is also unethical. IF I ASK YOU SUBSEQUENT QUESTIONS, I NEED YOU TO INTERACT WITH ME. More information equals more credible answers and a more successful outcome. If you want ANSWERS THAT WORK, participate in any way I request. I'm quite committed to working on this site for YOUR benefit and the benefit of YOUR DOG. Help me in any way you can.

Experience

30 years of solving serious behavior problems in domestic dogs; expert in dog to human aggression; Internet columnist for ThePetChannel.com for 5 years; former radio talk show host, WHPC.FM, Garden City, NY "Bite Back" (1995 through 2000). List owner, international animal behavior experts, K9Shrinks@egroups.com. Seminar leader: "Operant Conditioning and Learning"; "Aggression in The Domestic Dog"; "Solving Problem Behaviors" -- conducted for various training facilities on Long Island from 1993 through 2000. Former clinical director of "Behavioral Abnormalities" in conjunction with Mark Beckerman, DVM, Hempstead, New York.

Organizations
Member, APDT (UK); Psychologists in Ethical Treatment with Animals

Publications
Harcourt Brace Learning Direct: "The Business of Dog Training" "The Fail Safe Dog: Brain Training, not Pain Training"

Education/Credentials
Ph.D., UC Berkeley

Past/Present Clients
Board of Directors: Northeast Dog Rescue Connection; The Dog Project; Sav-A-Dog Foundation; etc. Pro Bono counselor: Little Shelter Humane Society My practice is presently limited to forensics. I diagnose cause of dog bite, based upon testimony before the Court, for attorneys and insurance companies litigating dog bites, including fatal injuries. I also do pro bono work for bona fide rescue organizations, humane societies, et al, regarding such analysis in an effort to obtain release for dogs being held for death in municipal shelters in the US.

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