bc4pack

When puppies become teenagers they do test the boundaries and all of a sudden their brain cells take a vacation. Just stick to reasonable rules and be patient...Teach good manners and the dog will defer to you without any of the 'dominance' stuff. Dogs do not learn from us how to act around dogs, they learn from other dogs.

Check into flying Continental (Bogota or Cali) through Houston IAH and either staying with Continental or flying Lufthansa out of Houston. You can give your dog some melatonin which WILL NOT sedate but can help her relax, at worst it will have no effect. The dog will DEFINITELY travel easier if comfortable with a skykennel. http://www.continental.com Check under Travel Information there is a section on traveling with animals. I happen to work at IAH as a Customs k9 officer. Continental has a good setup for flying animals... employees whose sole job is meeting flts, picking up and dropping off at connections... all in dedicated vehicles. With airlines having to make public any incidents, the number has gone down. http://www.petflight.com Petflight.com has really good info.

BCs can get a little obsessive about certain behaviors and the more they practice the better they become. Interrupting and redirecting helps. And it never hurts to get a medical checkup to rule out any issues. We are talking a young guy so it could be anything...from teething to a behavior issue that is self rewarding.

Pet Botanics (found 'em at Petsmart) makes some low cal treats: Salmon /Duck/ Chicken My guys love them. Might be worth taking a gander at. Our USDA Beagle handlers use them, as their guys are a bit more inclined to put on weight (food rewarded).

Play 'hard to get' and here is a website with a link to Shy-k9s... http://www.fearfuldogs.com Do come on over... 1. There are tons of savvy, experienced owners and trainers dealing with these dogs specifically and 2. You'll find tremendous emotional support. Plus training help too http://www.clickersolutions.com

There is a good article on introducing dogs on http://www.aggressivebehaviorsindogs.com under articles... Might be of interest..

In the trips to the vet have you had thyroid checked and checked for tick borne diseases? Proximity sensitivity aka 'space' issues can be common in BCs...although you probably know that but if y'all have been meeting increasing numbers of people< I think that would definitely play into it. Stress is cumulative. Have you read Jean Donaldson's Culture Clash? And here's a site you may find helpful http://www.aggressivebehaviorsindogs.com you may also find some helpful stuff on http://www.fearfuldogs.com All boils down to making 'friendly strangers' something very good in you dogs life. Working underthreshold. It does help to figure out what triggers the behavior specifically but it isn't always necessary if you have a 'good idea' Anytime any aggressive behaviors come on fairly suddenly you know the first thing to do is eliminate any medical reasons first. You may want to send blood off to Dr Jean Dodds for thyroid. Maybe an ortho check? HTH.

Have you ever read Pat McConnell's 'Feisty Feido' ? On leash reactivity is pretty common....

Nylon collars/ leather leashes

Yep play 'hard to get'.... and , sounding like a broken record.... http://www.fearfuldogs.com

I have one that leaves if you reach for a flyswatter or the vacuum... His mama you have to bop on the butt with said vacuum to get her to move....

I am another raw feeder but... Have you looked at the new Blue Buffalo kibble? I think called 'Wilderness'? I've seen it at Petsmart, falls into the 'grain free' category...and Petsmart doesn't sell high priced kibbles.... Might be worth a look?

Once again I will recommend http://www.fearfuldogs.com and the shy K9s Yahoo group. I'll also agree with the vet check... Um if nothing else on shy k9s you'll find folks that have been in the same boat, plus some good trainers that can really help with specific issues ... can also help folks determine that fine line between encouraging a scared dog to approach the world and pushing too hard.... Hate to say it but there are quite a few BCs.... but it is good for other BC owners...

How much time was taken introducing the new dog? I think you would want the resident dog to have a safe place where the foster can't access. Separate for now. There may be some things on http://www.fearfuldogs.com and even http://www.aggressivebehaviorsindogs.com under articles there is "Introducing A New Dog....." Just a thought...

http://www.aggressivebehaviorsindogs.com Some good articles and there are also the positive training yahoo groups... Good advice from the pros, who give their time at no cost.

You do not want to eliminate a dog's growl... it is an early warning system.... BCs aren't really barky by nature. Pups can sometimes go through stages/ some fear periods too...

Here is the public website for the Yahoo Agbeh group http://www.aggressivebehaviorsindogs.com There are some good articles and good book references under Resources. Worth a look....

Hmmm, maybe someone experienced with CAT might be the way to go....

Quite a few BCs have a bit larger 'personal space' bubble... At the moment it really isn't helping that he is being put in the position of having other dogs get into his space and he is feeling the need to defend himself. You do not have to allow other dogs to get that close. The more he practices the behavior the better he'll get at it. A good positive class with someone who knows about reactivity and/or anxiety issues will help. You could try the trainers list at http://www.peaceablepaws.com Click under Trainer Referrals. Quick question, why do you think he has to 'meet' every dog you come in contact with? I simply do not allow on leash greetings...

BTW, how old is this pup? Have you looked at http://www.fearfuldogs.com and the Yahoo shy-k9s list? Trust me, you'll find a fair number of members with BCs and it is a wonderfully helpful and supportive group. (There is a link through the fearfuldogs site) Even trainer Pat Miller has moved away from Haltis and GLs saying that many dogs simply do not get along with them even with TONS of DS/CC. Some do great but many more do not. HTH,

"Kipp is dog agressive when he gets wound up - which is most of the time he sees another dog. It's like he gets all amped up and has to have an outlet for it. And it has me frustrated At home he is sweet submissive and relaxed. He and Missy get along wonderfully. But go somewhere near other dogs and he just gets wound up tighter and tighter. For the life of me I can't seem to get him to just relax a little. " --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Correct me if I am wrong, but it sure sounds like Kipp is overthreshold before you think he is... that the distance needs to be waaay further back for DS/CC to be effective... Have you looked at some of the articles on http://www.aggressivebehaviorsindogs.com ? Have you tried slowly things down/ breaking things down into smaller steps? Tried starting with Open Bar/Closed Bar ? Another thing to try is Dr. Karen Overall's Relaxation Protocol... And, of course, the 'Look at that' which has been recommended... The DS/CC will help but many folks have a tendency to rush the process and not break it down into small enough steps.... Just some more thoughts.

Yeah, I remember that one... it tugged at heartstrings..

Take a look at http://www.colliecorner.com Don't forget to look at the puppies! You'll see all kinds of tris. I have a saddle patterned tri...and the colour morphing was pretty awesome as she grew up. I also have 2 younger dogs that are technically tris although a tad less obvious <g>. One is basically half black/half white with a small wheat coloured patch on her cheek. My predominantly white boy has black on his rump and ears with also a wheat patch on the side of his face. Those 'wheat ' patches were evident at birth.

My narcotics detector Lab is also hypothyroid and on the same med. She's right at 60 lbs, great weight and definitely fit. She's kibble fed 2x/ day - 1 cup AM; 1 1/2 cup PM. I certainly have not seen the side effects you have. My girl has been on meds for a couple of years. Her coat is pretty dull, but I attribute that to the kibble we have to feed. What dosage is your boy on? Honestly I would be looking at something else. I've been around quite a few Labbies w/ thyroid issues and haven't seen any noticeable stomach upsets... and it usually results in lack of appetite...and your boy is eating. Has the weather been pretty hot? Is he a black Lab? I have seen some get sick off and on in really hot weather. He won't like this if he's a chow hound but you could fast him for 24 hrs, let his stomach settle. Make sure he is drinking. If the episodes become more frequent or he refuses food, I'd be back at the vet's or looking for a second opinion... Oh, as to why vets don't mention it? No idea, but my guess would be that few dogs have belly upsets... Hope this helps,,,,,

Definitely one of the good things about raw fed dogs :D