caraline Posted July 29, 2014 Report Share Posted July 29, 2014 Hello, I am wondering if anyone has experience with a dog that paces the backyard. I have a 5 month old puppy that loves to chase flys. So when he was younger he would chase bugs out in the yard and just play, so it was fine. Lately I've noticed him no longer chasing, but purely pacing the perimeter and a brisk walk-run. If I call out to him, he listens, but as soon as I change my focus he goes right back to it. He does have access to the yard when I'm not home, so I am trying to find a way to break it. I know I could just crate him, but that doesn't seem to fix the problem, just doesn't let him do it. I am distracting him from it while he's outside and I am home, but I wondering if there are other ways. Is it a boredom thing? I also have a 1 year old and they play together, but most of the time as soon as they go outside the puppy resumes his pacing. Any ideas would be great, thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted July 29, 2014 Report Share Posted July 29, 2014 Preventing him from pacing when you're not there to distract him is a huge and necessary component of working with this OCD behavior. The pacing has become self rewarding, and if he can do it when there's no one around to dissuade him, then it's just becoming a more firmly ingrained behavior. You might want to consider talking to your vet about medication for the dog. Truly OCD (CCD in the canine world) dogs benefit greatly from fluoxetine or similar meds, and some simply can't be reached without them. He's awfully young, so you may not need them now if you can prevent the behavior, or you may only need it for a short while if you find that doesn't work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted July 29, 2014 Report Share Posted July 29, 2014 Please crate him when you can't prevent/disract. The more he's allowed to practice the behavior, the more ingrained it will become, and the more difficult to change. The fly chasing was probably also obsessive, but you just saw it as play. If you don't want him developing other obsessive behaviors, you shoud manage his time and work to engage his mind. Obsessive pacing often arises out of boredom. J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shetlander Posted July 29, 2014 Report Share Posted July 29, 2014 I completely agree with not allowing the dog to practice the behavior. This means that he is not allowed access to the outside without supervision. When you are out with him, engage him in play and training and redirect when you see the pacing. Otherwise, if you need to keep him leashed to prevent the behavior (when not actively interacting with him, but just letting him potty or sniff around), I would do so. Discussing the issue with your vet may be also helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandysfarm Posted July 29, 2014 Report Share Posted July 29, 2014 As of very recently I have a client who has a big black collie mix shelter dog that's about 18 mos old. They tell me that their dog is fixating on their overhead fans and before that he was hunting flies 24/7. He gets enough exercise and is in a house where the owners work from home. My question is, if they can't curb the CCDs, what is their progression like, and will the dog potentially be unreachable? In my world, clients jump on this kind of problem the minute we offer them assistance. In this case however, I think the owners are going to prove to be totally incapable - but I don't want to just 'wing it' as I explain why they need to help me help their dog. Does anyone have first hand experience they wouldn't mind relating? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandysfarm Posted July 29, 2014 Report Share Posted July 29, 2014 Apologies! I'm having an off day! This is a highjack and I should have used my brain before I typed. I'm not sure of the protocol now... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caraline Posted July 29, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2014 So is it an action that can be broken or just prevented? He's so young that I feel as though it can be fixed, I just want to make sure I'm doing it right Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shetlander Posted July 29, 2014 Report Share Posted July 29, 2014 He is very young. There is hope. Prevent it as much as possible through management. Always go out with him so you can stop the behavior immediately or better yet give something else to do, such as play with you, train with you or simply the fact he is leashed will not allow him to pace. If he doesn't keep practicing the behavior and associates going outside with other things, then you may well "break" him of this behavior. Keep in mind that he has this tendency (chasing bugs, pacing) and if in the future you see other similar behaviors (staring at shadows, lights, ceiling fans or splashing around in water for great lengths of time) you should immediately interrupt the behavior and again do what you can to prevent it and redirect him to less obsessive behaviors . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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