Monday, July 01, 2024
I ordered a new e-collar this morning for Chase, my young Rottweiller/Shepherd. Yesterday, Chase behaved badly by picking a fight with old and arthritic Miles. I managed to distract Chase and immediately sent him into lockdown. He spent all day in solitary, looking pitiful.
Going forward, he’ll spend longer hours in the standalone escape-proof kennel and also will be reintroduced to wearing an e-collar.
I felt angry with Chase and again wanted to rehome the problem dog. Chase is a great companion but he’s also an efficient escape artist and tends to be aggressive toward older and weaker dogs.
Some unknown breed in Chase’s complex mix has given him a mega-streak of determination. When Chase digs, it’s nonstop; when focusing on leaping a fence, it’s nonstop; and when combating a weaker dog, it’s relentless.
I dislike thinking about tossing this smart problem boy. He needs special attention, and how many others would bother with that? Well, I’ll try to hang on until he matures and hopefully becomes more mellow.
Starting now, Chase may freely roam among my other dogs only when I’m home, is in an e-collar and I’m carrying a remote. When I must leave home, Chase will be in the standalone until I return.
Miles is approaching 13 years old and is special. After years of running alongside me on horseback, he’s a little arthritic and stiff. So far, Miles’ larger size has deferred Chase’s dominant behavior, but recently, I’ve noticed domination hints from Chase and that Miles tends to avoid the younger dog. These will escalate unless stopped.
Dear Friends: Sweet mother of pearl! It’s like Groundhog Day over here. Diana
Diana's Morning Blog 