sparky

poppydog83

As you all know by now,a few months ago a beagle x jack russell we named sparky moved in. And this hasnt gone without its problems,however comes some sad news. Please dont hate me anyone....
We have found (recently) sparky increasingly hard to cope with. He is constantly barking at anything that goes past our house human or car,he has gotten even worse when we take him out,his behaviour is now rubbing off on our jack russell and our lab x isnt his old self since sparky moved in. We thought we could cope with 3 dogs and sparky did show some promise and his behaviours got better. However they are now going back to the way they were. He is very possessive over phil sometimes or myself (depending on who he likes on that day,he is a bit weird) We are thinking of possibly rehoming him as we cant cope. I dont want to give up on him,but i dont know what else to do. Also me and my partner are possibly splitting up and im going to be the one who has all 3 dogs as he wont take any of them Crying or Very sad

please any advice would be grateful,dont hate me anyone Sad

clareabella

awww that must be a very hard thing for you to do Sad

It sounds as though you have tried your best with sparky though Wink

Do you have any relatives that could take sparky in? I dont realy know what else to say. I have had to rehome a dog in the past and it was the hardest thing i have ever had to do. If you do rehome him to a stranger then i would certainly do a home check first, just to put your mind at rest.

Sorry i cant be of much help but i do sympathise with you. Good luck in whatever you decide to do. Very Happy

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poppydog83

unfortunately everyone that knows of sparky knows what he is like and they are very reluctant to take him in. I have thought if he is to be rehomed then i will take him to wood green animal shelters near huntingdon (cambridgeshire),i know they are very good there with all their checks etc......Im just gutted that we thought we could help him and we cant,he is certainly a hand full

clareabella

At least you gave sparky a chance Wink

You have done what you can so dont blame yourself!
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Hcollie85

Have you though of talking to an expert about sparky's problems

Heather
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poppydog83

we were going to try and find a behavourist,or go to training classes. But his behaviour just seemed to improve on its own,so thats why we left finding anyone to help us. I might ask the vet tomorrow if they know of anyone

Hcollie85

Have a look at http://www.lynne-davies.co.uk/ dont know if that will help
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nahatalie

Watch the Dog Whisperer!!! Seriously, this guy is amazing, he seems to be able to solve any problem! Obviously the dogs on the show won't match Sparky's problems, but you can get an idea of how to "talk" to a dog using body language and "calm, assertive energy". He goes trains owners to become pack leaders and they are always amazed at how they transform thier dogs! Maybe Sparky thinks he is pack leader, and has to control everyone and protect everything. I know it's only a tv show, but it's pretty amazing what this guy can do for dogs! And I know he obviously cant help you directly, but the show might give you a bit of inspiration and hope. I think its on one of the freeview channels at 5-7pm every day.

poppydog83

hcollies85 i sent an email to that lady from the website you suggested and am waiting for a reply,fingers crossed Very Happy

VickienBubs

i love the dog whisperer!! he is great, he has a book out so might be woth picking that up.

i would much rather spend lots of money to help my dog than rehome it but i know its hard when you have a mad dog that just doesnt seem to listen!!

i think every dog has their weakness and if you can tap into that then you are well away - maybe food/toys/extra hugs/offlead runaround, could be allsorts but if that particular thing is only gven to reward then they are more likely to respond. when they get your idea of thinking then that reward can get smaller and smaller and then hopefully the dog will do it as it becomes second nature. sometimes it takes not just months but years to install a behaviour.

i hope you can sort your situation out however is best for you. 3 dogs must take up so much time aswell, i know my single one does!! best wishes x
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Where would I be without my Bubbles....? My little boy makes me so proud!

poppydog83

Well,ive had a reply from Lynne Davies. She will be sending me a price for her services and when she is available

Hcollie85

clareabella

awww i hope everything works out for you no matter what you decide Wink

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poppydog83

well i had another reply from lynne. The first consultation is 1 1/2- 2 hrs at/in the home and its gona cost me £200! I didnt realise it could cost that much,has anyone else used a behaviourist for their dog (s) ?

honeydlc

Sorry to hear about your ongoing problems with Sparky Sad

That behaviourist does sound expensive, a few years ago I fostered a dog that the owner couldn't cope with and a behaviourist came round to mine for a consultation with the dog and owner, the lady was here for ages and the consultation cost £100.
I would ask around, speak to your vet and try and get some reccomendations, at least if you had a behavioural consultation you would know every avenue had been explored. Do you have pet insurance? I think some companies will pay out for behavioural problems.
I hope a solution can be found, it sounds like you love Sparky and have put in so much work already. But if it doesn't work out, no one will judge you, you have to do the right thing for yourself and your dogs, no matter what people may or may not think!
XXX
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Georgia, Honey Bear, Rosie, Obi, Timber, Mia, Oscar and Mango XXXX