As if things haven’t been delightful enough around here, our unlovable dog Madame Cujo has decided to inject her own brand of fun into the mix.
If you’re at all familiar with Madame Cujo, our term of endearment for our miniature schnauzer, Shelby, you might remember that she has fear-aggression issues. Because of this, she does not like anyone who is not in our immediate family and announces her displeasure at their very existence with an extremely shrill bark that sounds as if she’d just been dropped into a wood chipper. If the visitor were to be bold enough to attempt to talk to her or (gasp!) pet her, she will lunge at them, growling and barking, until they back off. My husband says that she’s just like I am before I’ve had my first cup of coffee but he’s exaggerating; I avoid lunges at all costs.
So what does one do when their dog has these kinds of issues? We’ve taken her to a trainer. We’ve practiced the management techniques that we’ve learned. We’ve watched every episode of The Dog Whisperer. When we have to take her to the vet’s or if she’ll be in an unpredictable environment, we’ve muzzled her. We rarely invite people over to our house. Essentially, we’ve altered our lives to accommodate our dog’s “defects.”
Finding her a new home isn’t possible. Schnauzer rescues and shelters will not take a dog like Shelby because no one will want to adopt her. Can you imagine going to your local animal shelter to choose a pet and approaching one who growls, snarls, and barks psychotically at you? It’s for this reason that the various rescues that I’ve consulted recommend euthanasia as the only option for dogs with these kinds of aggression issues.
Knowing that we are Shelby’s last hope, we’re attempting to do all that we can for her. Managing her aggression is difficult, especially considering that I have three children who constantly pester me to have friends over. Shelby is forced to be confined in her crate in these situations because I can’t take a chance that she’ll frighten, or worse, bite a child.
Last week, my oldest son had some friends over. They have a band and were out in our barn practicing. Typically, no one comes into the house during band practice, so Shelby was free in the house with me. It was dark outside and I was busy cleaning up the kitchen. Shelby, as usual, was near me. All of a sudden, our back door opened and one of my son’s friends stepped into the kitchen. No knock, no warning, nothing. Before I could even react, Shelby was on him, nipping at his groin, and barking frantically. I know that in her mind, she was protecting me from an “intruder.” It was a rude and stupid move for my son’s friend to simply walk into someone’s home without knocking especially when he knows that we have a crazy dog.
Shelby’s reaction to the “intruder” didn’t alarm me as much as the day that our accountant came over to do our taxes.
I made sure that Shelby was in her crate when the accountant arrived. Of course, she was using her help-me-I’m-in-the-wood-chipper bark and he felt sorry for her. He loves dogs and told me that I should let her out. I reminded him of her fear-aggression issues and told him that he can’t look at her, talk to her, touch her, or otherwise engage her until she is calm and approaches him. He agreed.
I put Shelby on her leash and let her out of the crate. She barked for a few minutes then calmed down. The accountant did not look at her or pay attention to her. Shelby sniffed his shoes, his briefcase, and his pants with no reaction. All seemed to be going well. After about 15 minutes, I dropped her leash so that she could have more freedom. She stayed near me, though, as I answered the accountant’s tax-related questions.
Things were going well until the accountant reached down to retrieve something from his briefcase which was on the floor near my feet. In an instant, before I even had a hint that something was wrong, Shelby’s mouth was on the accountant’s hand. There was no bark. No growl. No warning. Nothing like this had ever happened before.
Fortunately, she did not actually bite him. She appeared to be warning him to keep away from me and her way of doing that was to put her teeth around his hand. Apparently the briefcase was too near my feet and she thought he was attempting to touch me.
Naturally, having two incidents of Shelby nearly biting someone within the same week completely freaked me out. My husband and I questioned whether or not she is a dog that we can effectively manage or whether it’s best to just admit that we can’t handle her and have her put to sleep.
I called my vet, hoping to engage in a frank discussion of any options that we might have with Shelby. I knew that I could trust Dr. B to offer me a realistic prognosis for her issues. Will she ever be a dog that we can have around people? Will she get worse? Is euthanasia our only option?
According to Dr. B, now that Shelby has reached maturity (she just turned 2), she is attempting to re-establish her place within the human hierarchy. She does not attempt dominance with any of us, but evidently strangers are fair game. Dr. B says that 95% of all dog bites occur from dogs that are between the ages of 1 and 3 years old.
The disturbing thing is that Shelby’s former fear-aggression has now seemed to morph into a more dominant form of aggression. The incident with the accountant is called “non-contextual dominance,” which, in spite of sounding rather kinky, actually means that the dog behaved in an aggressive manner without provocation. When my son’s friend walked into my home, Shelby’s reaction to him was appropriate, in that she viewed him as an intruder. She was merely being protective of her home and her family. With the accountant, there was no real threat, so her behavior in that instance was inappropriate.
I was given the name of an Animal Behaviorist (fancy term for “dog shrink”) who specializes in treating dogs like Shelby. Dr. B said that she’s seen good outcomes with the treatment when it’s combined with medication like Prozac to curb the underlying anxiety issues and when the training protocol is followed perfectly.
Oh, and just to make sure that nothing in my life lately is easy, Dr. B warned me of one more thing: it’s costly. I will need approximately $300 for the initial 2-hour long session and the first round of medication.
I don’t have the money currently, so for now, I’ll have to severely limit Shelby’s contact with visitors. Once I’m able to get the money together, I’ll make an appointment for Shelby and I’ll do whatever the specialist advises that I do.
I’m going to be optimistic that Shelby can learn to manage her aggression, but whatever the outcome, at least I will be able to say that I’ve tried every single thing possible to help this dog.
Comments
I liked your tag opposite of aw..
it would be fine if you never had company or if you wanted a dot to scare the bejessus out of people.... maybe an oldster who wants an aggressive watchdog may want her? If they could get along?
Rated
George - It's so nice to see you here! I checked into the Dog Whisperer but he only visits dogs in the Los Angeles area. I'm on the other coast. He could probably work miracles with her; he's amazing.
Cartouche - My last schnauzer loved all people but wanted to rip apart any other dog or animal that he'd encounter. No fun! I've already left my birthday wishes for Gary. :)
Jess - Darn it! You only needed to mention it. Thanks for the dogs-barking-jingle-bells earworm. Aren't you so kind to share? It's bound to drive me nuts all day.
just a suggestion ...
Rated
I hope it all works out with Shelby, good luck!
Ann - You're too funny! If you're going to Barbados, to heck with Shelby; take ME!
Julie - I agree; Shelby probably did think the accountant was going to hurt me. Is it normal for dogs to be quite this protective of their owners? She's so good and smart in other ways. I hope I can help her when it comes to this.
Pamela - That's what freaks me out. I can't reliably say what Shelby will do in any situation. I never worried about it with my other dogs.
JK - Well you did totally set that one up, you know. :)
My sample size for dogs on Prozac is tiny (2) but I'm dubious about the difference it's made with those two. Still, some have had great success with it. Chromacalm is another drug I've heard that can be effective in dogs with anxiety issues.
Like you, though, it's like, what do you do? I've adjusted my life to his (he has a particular hatred of men, one day we WILL have to work on that – there's only so many sacrifices one can make for your dog!!). I'm ridiculously careful whenever we're out anywhere. But at this point, he's MY SON, it'd be like getting rid of a kid! He's been with me through six long years (during which a LOT of crap has happened), we have seen each other through various medical issues!! Seriously one time when I got VERY depressed, he did too and stopped eating. Had to go to the vet to get a "jumpstart" so he could eat again, how guilty did I feel about that!?
I got him from the basset rescue of Georgia, he'd been there for two years because, since he was part beagle, no one wanted him. How sad is that???
I can't give up on him now!
May I suggest actually dropping her in the wood chipper? Kidding, of course.
As breeders, we've done a lot of rescue over the years. It's always tough when you have a fearful dog. We just rescued a toy poodle with anxiety issues. She was about to be put down because of it so we took her in. She has improved remarkably since she's been here and with our other two poodles.
I know it sounds crazy, but she might do better with a canine companion. Then again, you might just double your trouble. Oy Vey. Good luck.
Maybe she needs a buddy.
I think the herb valerian is perfectly fine for dogs, they use it on many species... it is in a capsule and it smells like rotten socks (so a dog won't mind it) put it in a tablespoon of ground meat. I used it on my rat terrier when we weaned her pups and she went batshit crazy for a week. It is sort of like herbal valium. It might be worth a try. I think it is marketed as "Dog Calm" or something but you can use whatever you can find at the health store.
JK - :)
dorelvis - Thanks! Sympathy is welcome, too!
AustinCynic - Thanks for the info. You're the second person today to recommend Ian Dunbar, someone of whom I've never heard. I will check him out. I'm dubious about the Prozac; I don't want it to fire her up more, which is what my personal experience with the drug has been. I'll ask about Chromacalm. We did try Calming Bites (non-RX) but they made her throw up (she has a very VERY sensitive stomach.)
jenshrader - Do you live near me? We totally need to get together. I'm probably going to go to hell for this, but the dog biting your mom was definitely karmic justice. :)
Verbal - It's bizarre, isn't it? I think my dog is going to get better mental health treatment than most people do.
Deborah - Socializing a dog can be a full-time job. My vet had told me that ideally a dog should have 100 new experiences a month. 100! I don't even have that many OLD experiences a month. I hope you'll post some pictures of your puppy.
Cap'n - What a multi-faceted guy you are! Pirate, writer, AND dog breeder! What type(s) of dogs do you breed? That's encouraging news that you're seeing success with the anxious poodle. Is she older or younger than Shelby? I'm hoping that Shelby is still young enough for our efforts to do some good.
Mrs. M - I wondered if having her around a more stable dog would be beneficial but at this point, I don't have much faith in my ability to choose a dog who's not bat shit crazy. With my luck, I'd end up with two of them!
BBE - $300 is a huge amount for us right now. I have no idea when I would be able to afford this kind of money. I'm going to check out some websites and other dog experts that people have recommended. Maybe I can do something on my own until I can afford the specialist. Even if the bites weren't inappropriate, she is a monster around anyone who doesn't live in our house.
Brenda - I tried these things called Calming Bites that had valerian in them. They seemed to help a little, but whatever the "biscuit" was made out of caused her to projectile vomit. She has an extremely sensitive stomach and many food allergies. She's on special dog food now (another reason she is not adoptable) which has at least stopped the barfing. I minded that worse than the nastiness!
Deborah - I will check out your blog. :)
jenshrader - Just message LandP - I'm sure she'd offer some help.
Emma - thank you for understanding the quandry in which we find ourselves. I hesitated to post this, fearing that people would judge me harshly for even daring to consider such a disagreeable option, but what on earth do you do when everything has failed? Hopefully, there is still an answer for Shelby.
By the way, we've not been out of the house more than twice today, some MEN are here doing yardwork. Hobie would love to mow into them, I'm sure!
i asked mrs. cap'n if she had any ideas for you. she says prozak is what she'd try next. it's pretty cheap if you can get your vet to give you a script without having to pay the doggie shrink.
Cap'n - Thanks for asking Mrs. Cap'n. It makes me feel hopeful that she agreed with the vet. I'll have to see if I can start the meds before the training.
Brenda - Yes, very sensitive. That's why I say she's my unlovable dog. Who would want an aggressive, fearful, barfing dog who needs special food? She can't have ANYTHING except for her prescription kibble. I feel bad for her having to eat the same thing day after day but anything else makes her throw up. I must have tried 40 different brands of dog food!
i say just give the prozac or a doggie tranquillizer. i was given some when i flew with my good willa hunting. it's clear that the poor cujo baby is extremely anxious. so far i haven't bitten anyone or even put my mouth around anyone's hand but, shit, when i'm severely anxious, i sure feel like it sometimes.
shit, this is a difficult situation. there is a show that i watch religiously, well, spiritually, called Dogtown. you probably don't have all the calbe channels i have because my redneck in-laws pay for mine. it's on natgeo channel. but they take in the most hopeless dogs, the michael vicks pits, puppy mills pups, etc. so there might be sometihng on there that could help you.
and i so relate. cocoa and ella have siren like barks and are deathly afraid of small children and big dogs. so they "protect" me a lot. what is workign for me now is "time out". time out means shut up and get in your crate. many dogs love their crates because they are relaly dens for them. they actually run for their den and stay there.
and believe me, they still bark, at everyone when they first leave the house, but time out seems to work outside. they don't know that their crate isn't nearby. :)
when you're anxious, human or canine, you want to feel safe. is the crate a nice place for cujo? also i rescues a puppy that was the Bad good willa hunting. would not let go of my pants leg or snuggle in my arms. lab/chow mix. but already she had an aggressive personality. it was scary. i took her back. so, seriously, prozac or doggie trancs could be the answer. this is a very very anxious scary puppy.
sorry this is so long but i love you and dont' want you suffereing. love love love. and im' going to Digg you if i can figure out what this it. because everyone has had a cujo dog or known one and your telling of this is so perfect.
Teddy - Tag deprived? Ha! That's because of Dreaded Job #3. They tell us ONLY to use single word tags that people will use to search with. They're breaking my spirit!
Yes, Shelby does like her crate and I do put her in it when someone comes. She's good about going in there, too; just walks right in for me. About the tranquilizers, we did try something that was supposed to mellow her out which the vet gave us but it didn't do any good at all. She still did all of her Cujo-barking and lunging, just a little clumsier. I just hope the Prozac doesn't energize her like it does with people!
Thanks for the Digg. :) I know it's a PITA to do and I appreciate that you did it for me.
Anyway, try the poor man's route since none of us have nearly the income that vets and dog shrinks do.
I have had many friends with miniature Schnauzers, including three that have them now, and they ALL are aggressive, yippy little dogs. I'm sure there are some that aren't and all my friends are just snake bit, but I am just saying, the ones I know are bonkers.
Good luck. If you find a nice home for little Ms. Cujo and decide on another dog try a Golden Retriever. They can actually be trained and are very friendly, except the ones that aren't -- that you will find out about when all the mini Schnauzer owners jump on me for posting this. Hey, what do I know? I'm a cat person.
;-)
Monte
I'm laughing about the hot flashes. :)
Thanks for stopping by. XO
Have you considered having an Exorcism for madame cujo? Oh, I forgot, my church no longer endorses exorcism. I guess they now lack the faith. Anyway you could hang a cross or Star of David around her neck or see if there are any male prostitute miniature schnauzers available, that might calm her down a bit. :)
Pete - You made me laugh! That's it; my dog is sexually frustrated, which is making her evil, thereby necessitating an exorcism. Hmmm...do you think there are exorcists listed in the yellow pages?
1WomansVu - I guess I'm going to just have to call the Animal Behaviorist and see what my options would be. I can't afford the $300 right now but maybe she will have other ideas. The saga of Madame Cujo continues!
Steph - So your schnauzer is the same age as Madame Cujo? They're both feeling their oats right about now! The barking is a schnauzer thing, although Shelby's is much higher-pitched than I've ever heard before. Please don't let my experience with Shelby sour you on the breed. They really ARE great dogs. They're smart and loyal, they catch mice (and bugs!), and (HUGE bonus) they don't shed. Plus they're adorably cute. Shelby is my third schnauzer and clearly an aberration. Thanks for your good wishes. I'll report back once we get something resolved.