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my dog is acting out, help?

Sydnie - posted on 07/11/2011 ( 2 moms have responded )

2

14

hi all, I have a one year old child and a soon to be 4 year old dog and he is starting to act out! in no way is he aggressive towards my child, he is wonderful with him! however, he is starting to run away(we used to be able to walk him thru the woods with no leash, that is no longer the case) and he is peeing in the house on the baby's toys/crib/chairs! we include him in everything we do(that we can, of course) and haven't cut short on walks or outdoor play time so I'm stumped. any ideas?

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Kris - posted on 12/08/2012

64

0

If he isn't fixed, then he's probly marking his territory for some reason. It could be that he senses the baby is getting older and trying to keep rival males away. There could be a stray dog and he's trying to protect his territory. He could be trying to tell you that he thinks the baby is his, and it's his job to take care of him. Or it could be trying to tell the baby what's his, and what's the baby's. He could be getting jealous and trying to ward the baby off. It could be a form of separation anxiety, and he pees on the baby's stuff so the baby won't forget his scent. My late dog used to poop right in the middle of the living room every time he was left alone. He wasn't going because he couldn't hold it anymore, because it was in the same spot every time. A lot of dogs will become more attached to a baby then they will an adult, unless they've been teased or abused by kids. They can sense how vulnerable children are, and often take on the responsibility of taking care of them.



As far as taking off, that could be a sign that he now see's himself as the pack leader, and can do whatever he wants. Or it could be that there's something in the direction he's going, and he thinks he needs to get to it first to protect the family.



Don't punish him just yet, you don't know what's causing him to act this way. It could be totally normal and instinctual for a dog, or it could the result of kind of illness. Animals don't really do things out of spite, so I seriously doubt it's anything like that.



Talk to a dog/animal behaviorist, and they should be able to help you.

Corinne - posted on 07/28/2011

864

70

might be an anxiety problem? id looks into local dog trainers! They might be able to work with you and your dog into getting back to the normal swing of things! if you are state side, i know petsmart, and places like that, have classes!

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