Stressful Mealtime

[Barb Wright]

The vet's conclusion is that there are three possible culprits in Bear's issues.  First, he may be Vitamin B12 deficient.

Treating for Vitamin B12 deficiency is the new buzz protocol for vets. Just let me say that the symptoms for Vit B12 deficiency are "fatigue, inactivity, lack of appetite". Does this sound like Bear? IF there is a B12 deficiency it can easily corrected with raw meat, especially organ meat. A blood test will answer the question of a B12 deficiency. I'd do the blood test for other reasons, get off the prescription diet which in most cases does not really qualify as proper food for a dog, settle on one grain free novel protein food (fish, duck), stick with it, divide his food up into 5-6 meals a day so that he is not getting a lot of food at once, SOAK it so that his digestive system doesn't have to work so hard. If his small intestine "doesn't recognize the proteins in his current diet" it is most likely because they are not the proper proteins for a dog....MEAT is the proper protein for a dog. Any other protein sources are not well utilized even by dogs that have no digestive issues. If the pancreas is not functioning correctly this can be determined with lab work. JMPO
 
Bless your "hubs" for getting more involved. This will help a lot with their interaction.

 Is Bear going to stop biting and jumping and attacking soon?  

Along with the coprophagia these are training and management issues. You control this with patient and consistent training. There have been many tips and suggestions made, some of which it sounds like you have used. Incorporate the methods that seem to work the best with Bear and stick with them...be consistent. There is light at the end of the tunnel, and it isn't a train

PS. Edited to add.....you might do a Barium test for motility. Just a thought.

[brittienewbie]

I'm going to just put it out there...he is a frustrating little critter, cuter than the dickens, but frustrating.  We feed him well, we exercise him 1.5-2 hours per day, we spend nearly every waking moment interacting with him (much to the shagrin of Yorkie), we take him new places, he meets new people, and we are devoted to his training both at class and at home, has a strict routine...I just can't figure out what we're missing here.  He learns commands (on your bed, shake, crawl, etc) in minutes...but he still bites and attacks?!?!  I guess I'm just venting/discussing to the folks who know Brittanys better than anyone...
In terms of diet, we don't have the luxery of feeding him 5-6 times per day due to our work schedules.  We soak his food, he gets a probiotic supplement, etc.  I am a firm believer in grain-free, high quality, meat based foods...but I'm gonna give my vet the benefit of the doubt here and try the Z/D.  Like I said, volume of poo is already decreased significantly.  I have a very trusting and open relationship with my vet (I mean, I'm there often enough to have a wing named after me!) and will

I am so grateful for the advice on this board...I really do appreciate it, and I would be curled up in a corner crying if it weren't for you friends.  I think I've read each and every post on the behavior board.  I've implemented a lot of the techniques on this board with great results...let me tell you, there isn't a puppy in Wisconsin that can get "on your bed" as fast as this little devil.  I've had dogs my whole life, I even spent 8 years in the trenches at a vet clinic while I was in college, but I have never experienced a dog quite like Bear.  

[BARB J]

I'm going to just put it out there...he is a frustrating little critter, cuter than the dickens, but frustrating.

I'm so sorry. I just want you to know I understand how you feel. We don't have the feeding or stool issues you do, or a second dog to consider, but at 7 months Gus is still very much a 'trial'. Like Bear, he's smart as a whip and we devote our waking hours to him. But, one minute he can be behaving like a normal pup and then, just as suddenly he'll take things too far and start the snapping and jumping. And, my husband gets the worst end of it, perhaps because we interact with Gus differently.

I let him explore more and interrupt inappropriate behavior, and my husband tends to prevent the exploration, assuming the inappropriate behavior will always occur. Also, my husband's skin takes a beating when Gus gets rough, while mine weathers it just fine. So, he's more skittish around Gus, knowing he'll strike blood again. Gus hasn't caused me to bleed in months!

I'm not giving you any insight into solutions, just saying I understand. I've gone to bed on occasion despondent and worrying if we'll be able to guide Gus into learning how to be a good dog. If, after all our efforts, we won't be able to make it work. And that would break our hearts. Then, we'll have three or four really good days in a row and he'll be all sweet and loving and I realize so much of it is just getting through the puppy months. And that, once we are on the other side, we'll actually miss the young years.

Today he self destructed right in the middle of fetch. Just started snapping and jumping at us. He just does not have the maturity (or sense or whatever) to know he needs to stop and we don't always sense the signs. He won't stop - ever - unless we crate him. He's almost never napped outside his crate his entire 7 months. People think we are cruel to crate him for a couple of hours morning and afternoon, and then again during the night, but that's the only place he lets himself relax.

We probably both just need more time. You are experienced and we aren't ignorant, either - we just have challenging pups.

[brittienewbie]

Thanks for the heartwarming post, not sure why it makes me feel better that I'm not the only one dealing with this - but it does!

I think Bear and Gus might be long lost brothers, each plotting against their fathers!