Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Just a quick fill-in for the details-Lorax is a 9lb Yorkie/Papillion mix who became a Tripawd in June 2016. His right rear leg was amputated a month or so before we adopted him due to a patellar "slip" that went untreated for a long time before he was surrendered to the Humane Society. His behavior problems apparently began before amputation, but could be because of the pain he has gone through. He isn't even 2 yet.
To begin with he wouldn't let anyone touch him, in fact, upon meeting him the first time he bit me. My fault though-he was just so adorable I couldn't resist. I know better now. It took a couple of days before he trusted us enough to warm up, longer with my husband. Now he is a little snuggle bug. Except when he isn't.
In an instant he turns from a Little Angel to a Tiny Tripawd Terror!
What sets him off most (and it is very obvious) is when I touch one of his legs or paws. Trust me, cutting his nails is a real horror-show, but just casually touching them, if he isn't super relaxed or asleep will do it. He snarls, growls and Bites. Hard. Glad he is just a little guy, but his teeth are still sharp! This is the problem that bothers me the most, because I tend to take it personally, even though it appears to be an instinctive reaction.
But he behaves that way at other times, too, chasing and biting ankles of anyone he doesn't know. We can't open the door to greet anyone, especially the mailman, without first confining Lorax in his crate. Even those of some people he does know, like my daughter. She was petting him and gave him a treat, and he was just so sweet, even licking her fingers! Then he suddenly turned and bit her.
He also barks, growls and tries to bite me when I need to leave to go to work in the morning, barring me from going out the door. I think that is a serious overly-attached reaction, but not sure. When I come back he rolls all over the floor, whining for love and trying to climb up my legs until I pick him up for kisses.
Two Dogs-One Tiny Body.
What can I do myself for him and where can I go for help? The Humane Society did tell me, and I signed my acknowledgement that he has behavioral issues. They gave me a little brochure about fearful behavior, but not many suggestions. We love him and want to help him get over whatever it is and live a happy fun doggy life!
If anyone has dealt with this problem please let me know. I honestly think it is long-term pain at the bottom of it, but how can help?
Thanks, folks!
Hi! I am not a vet, but I wanted to touch base with you. I also have a reactive dog and have gone through periods of hopelessness with her. But, don't give up! There are a lot of small changes you can make that will make life more pleasant for everyone - we've gotten to a great place where I no longer have to worry about Jack and she's much less stressed.
First, I would do whatever you can to find a trainer. It might be an investment up front, but it sounds like Lorax is pretty stressed out and could use some professional help. Look for someone who uses positive reinforcement methods (and I hope someone else can chime in with what else to look for!).
Second, I would recommend learning or refreshing how dogs signal stress and frustration and watching him carefully for those signals. I'm embarrassed to say that I had Jack for 18 months before figured out that I was doing things she didn't like. Backing off when he signals will help you when you start working to overcome his fears and will prevent any more bites in the meantime.
You're right that his bites right now are instinct and it may take some work to figure out what sets him off. Don't take them personally, and don't punish him for biting (if you even are...). He's having trouble controlling himself right now, but he can learn self-control and appropriate reactions - just not when he's over his stress threshold.
Finally, regarding the way he behaves with new people in the house - that can be addressed with a little work. Every dog is different, so I'll tell you what worked with Jack and maybe it can give you a bit of insight. First, Jack was mistreated when she was little and her default is to assume that new people are going to try to hurt her, so she plays tough when she gets scared, even though she's just a puddle of love. What works extraordinarily well for her is to have anyone new pretend like she doesn't exist - I bring her outside and we escort visitors back into our apartment. For the first few minutes, they're instructed not to look at her or try to pet her and she'll usually just observe them from a distance. Once she sees that they're not interested in her, she immediately trusts them and remains calm.
I hope this helps and am happy to talk to you more if I can be of any help!
Grisha Stewart - an author (her book BAT 2.0 is great) and trainer who provides links to resources for finding a trainer of your own.
Dogs In Need of Space - she has recommended vets, training classes and other resources
Notes from a Dog Walker - this post has links to wonderful posts by a trainer and information on resources for positive training.
One more thing - my vet put Jack on prozac close to two years ago when we started working on this behavior seriously. I moved three times in three months and she had a very difficult time dealing with the stress, which made everything worse. I know some people have had bad experiences, but it made a world of difference to us. And sometimes just a couple of months of medication is all you need, because then dogs can master the basics and start backing off the medication. Your vet and a trainer will be able to give you more information and help you figure out the best course, but I wanted you to be aware of the option.
Thanks to you and Jack, both. It does sound like some of the same issues and even background. I appreciate the support and won't give up on our little guy. Yes, he is such a puddle of love when all is going well. The resources you included will be useful, I'm sure. I need all the help I can get. I've been in touch with a couple of trainers in the past couple of months, but with the holidays they just haven't had time or responded. I will keep trying. It would probably be better one on one and not a group class.....I have never seen Lorax up close and personal with another dog...mostly he warns them to keep away. The foster-mom, however, had a 10 year old jack Russell that adored him, and visa versa, and he oddly seems to like attention from cats!
I am learning his signals on when to back off, which is one reason he has too-long toe-nails right now. It was suggested that I try a muzzle like the vet gets out when she sees Lorax coming. I did try once, but he was able to bite right through it, and it really stressed him out even more.
I will definitely try your method of introducing new people, or even repeat visitors, that you mentioned. I had read about just ignoring him when I come home in the evening to help with his overly excited greetings, but it's hard to ignore a little guy squirming all over the carpet and literally licking your feet 🙂
Asking visitors to ignore him as though it is the most natural thing in the world that they are in "his house" is going to be on the list.
Again, many thanks for the help!
Andrea and Lorax
DCJack has given you fantastic advice and I'd very much second everything she says. I had a lot of problems with Meg too, similar in some ways different in others. With Meg, she was extremely sensitive about her tail (which had been hacked off before I got her), and in fact touching her or even just brushing against her anywhere from the shoulders back made her liable to turn and bite. Sometimes even an inanimate object, like a sofa cushion would trigger her. She would brush against it, swing round and give it a bite.
The switching you describe from being apparently calm and relaxed to just suddenly turning is very familiar. The other thing Meg used to do when she was stressed, especially when we were out and a scooter went past (she still hates scooters) is to deflect her rage onto the nearest object, which was usually my leg, which she would grab and bite, really bite to the extent of drawing blood.
One thing I found helpful (in addition to what DCJack said above) is to make sure I never take Meg by surprise. I will never just touch her. I will always make sure she has seen and, in her way, given me her permission to touch her, pick her up, or whatever. Surprise is a trigger for Meg. She is extremely affectionate and very tactile these days, a very physical and cuddly dog, but that permission thing is still important.
A couple of books I found helpful (and I will be looking up those mentioned above) were:
Turid Rugaas: Calming Signals. This has lots of photos of dogs using calming signals and I learned some of these (in my cack handed human way) and tried to mimic them for Meg. It also helped me to read her behaviour.
Robert Sapolsky: Why Zebras don't get ulcers (which goes into a lot of detail about stress and the effects of stress).
Finally, just to say, perhaps most importantly, that not only can this behaviour be changed with time, and support and plenty of patience (on both sides), but that the experience of working with a dog to overcome/manage their problems can be an intensely rewarding and fulfilling one. For all Meg has driven me UP THE WALL and at times left me feeling quite desperate, I would not have missed this experience for anything in the world.
All best to you and little Lorax,
Meg, Clare and Elsie Pie xxx
Ruby, Staffy, born June 2022, became a Tripawd, November 2023, adopted January 2024.
Also Angel Tripawd Meg (aka The Megastar), who died in April 2023, aged 14, after seven glorious years on three, and Angel Staffies Elsie Pie and Bille. In the pawprints of giants...
Thanks for the hope, great ideas and mostly taking the time to share. The folks on this site are the BEST! Just knowing we aren't alone to deal with this and most especially that Lorax isn't the only Tripawd to have this issue. Knowing Meg beat it does give hope that we can help Sometimes it does get discouraging but with help from you all we will make it.
I have much to read and things to try whereas this morning we didn't know where yo turn. Thank God for The Tripawds! And thank YOU, Meg, Claire, Elsie Pie, and Jack,too!
💖🐕
(Love, Lorax)
My current Tripawd is a little pug mix who is also missing her back right leg, she weighs about 15 pounds. Elly was hit by a car when she was 7 months old, I adopted her at 10 months old, she is now 2 years old.
Elly isn't as aggressive as Lorax, although she does bark constantly at visitors until I get her to be quiet, and she did bite my dad not long after she moved in with us when he tried to pick her up and make friends. She is very shy and fearful of people, in the 15 months I have had her she has only let 10 people pet her (yes, I'm keeping track!) and they have all been women or kids. I think her problems are mostly fear based, not only was she hit by the car but we were her fourth home in her first 10 months of life. My girl was afraid of plastic bags and gloves and pretty much anything that moved (or sometimes didn't move!) that she wasn't familiar with. She once spent 20 minutes barking at a seed from a pine cone that periodically fluttered in the wind! I adopted her in October, it was a long Fall season as she was startled by almost every leaf that would blow past us while we were walking.
I have focused on building Elly's confidence, maybe some of what we have done could help Lorax. I have taken her to many classes over the last year. We started with an obedience class for small dogs. I talked with the instructor ahead of time- the dogs were not allowed to interact and accommodations were made for each dog if they had a special need. Another good class was one designed for shy and fearful dogs. I learned a lot in that class- maybe the most important being how to identify Elly's triggers. In both of those classes I learned and got to practice 'tag' with Elly. She will touch things with her nose when I tell her to 'tag'. I got her over her fear of plastic bags by having her 'tag' newspapers in driveways that were in bags. She was afraid to go under things like chairs- getting her to 'tag' my hand (and also a wand) I got her to overcome her fears. I taught her to go to 'place' which is a mat near the front door. I can usually get her to go to 'place' when someone comes to the door- of course you have to have lots of treats available.
I spend time almost every day on teaching and practicing obedience and tricks. It helps with our bond, it burns up energy, and it helps with her confidence. Food puzzles are also a good way to burn energy and build confidence. Elly has come a long way over the past year or so, I am so pleased with her progress. It is slow and we have lots and lots of room for improvement. It has been challenging, she is not at all like the dogs I've had in the past.
And great input you guys! I'm going to check out those resources as well.
Karen and the Spirit Pug Girls
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
You have gotten very good advice. All dogs are different and I have never had very small dogs but in general you want to set them up for success. Some people/behaviorists use clicker training and treats as rewards and you must be very careful with any corrections. For some dogs a squirt with a water bottle can stop unwanted behaviors but does not work with others. A short course of Prozac with or without trazadone can really help with anxiety.
I would encourage you to find a certified veterinary behaviorist in your area if possible.
Pam
Couple of other thoughts:
When Lorax does something that really stresses you/ makes you feel like screaming or just when you feel stuck in a particular situation, try turning away from him and taking a big deep breath then expelling all the air from your lungs. This should help you to let go of the tension (which Lorax will certainly pick up on) and just helps you to regroup. I have found this incredibly helpful with Meg, especially when it reaches the point where I'm thinking I just don't know what the hell to do.
Also, try when you can to inject humour and lightness into the situation. I'm not suggesting you laugh when Lorax has just bitten you, but again if you get into a sort of stand off, which used to happen a lot with Meg, laughing can be an incredibly useful way of breaking the tension. To be clear, I'm certainly not laughing at Meg, but rather at the situation we have managed to get ourselves into. Often Meg 'joins in' the laughter herself, wagging her tail etc. This technique works with humans too. Except they don't wag their tails.
Ruby, Staffy, born June 2022, became a Tripawd, November 2023, adopted January 2024.
Also Angel Tripawd Meg (aka The Megastar), who died in April 2023, aged 14, after seven glorious years on three, and Angel Staffies Elsie Pie and Bille. In the pawprints of giants...
Such grrrrrreat advice and techniques!!! And @oved getting to know all the doggies even better! Such individual characters!!
And yeah, ignore...divert...and refocus his attention and with no noticeable reaction, other than a lighthearted one as Clare mentioned.
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
Clare - someone taught me to sing Happy Birthday when I got stressed with Jack (was that someone here? I don't remember!) to lighten the mood. It works so well we do it whenever she gets tense - I'm sure my neighbors already thought I was crazy for carrying a 35 pound dog back from the park, but here I am serenading my dog on the street day after day.
Andrea- it also occurred to me that if nail trims are causing a lot of tension, you could try a scratchboard or the Beckky-board. I haven't tried it myself, but it seems like people have had good luck with the strategy.
Thank you everyone for the caring and for the great ideas. I'm so happy that we aren't alone. I have an extra long weekend coming up that I can devote time to research and to work with Lorax on some of these, and some for me. Learning to relax and have patience.
I'll let you know how it goes!
I'm sure my neighbors already thought I was crazy for carrying a 35 pound dog back from the park, but here I am serenading my dog on the street day after day.
It's actually a bit of an issue, I've found, with a reactive dog, having to deal with other people's responses. Sometimes when Meg's gone completely BALLISTIC, proper mouth-foaming Hound of the Baskervilles stuff, you see people tutting and shaking their heads, and it really is just totally unhelpful. There's a woman I see sometimes dog walking, for whom I have the most tremendous respect. She took on a seriously troubled rescue dog. I mean a proper TERROR, and with a lot of time and patience managed to turn his behaviour around. I asked her what advice she'd give, and she told me various things but above all, she said, 'You need the hide of a rhino so you don't give a sh*t what anyone thinks.' Still working on that myself.
Ruby, Staffy, born June 2022, became a Tripawd, November 2023, adopted January 2024.
Also Angel Tripawd Meg (aka The Megastar), who died in April 2023, aged 14, after seven glorious years on three, and Angel Staffies Elsie Pie and Bille. In the pawprints of giants...
megstamum said 'You need the hide of a rhino so you don't give a sh*t what anyone thinks.' Still working on that myself.
Oh boy don't we know how THAT goes. When we brought Wyatt Ray into our lives, we were given the mixed blessing of being very humbled by his uh, extra exhuberant behavior when we went places together. As part of the mixed blessing, we no longer make assumptions such as...if a dog is levitating at the end of the leash and foaming at the mouth when another dog approaches, that doesn't necessarily mean that the dog's humans aren't making every effort at training that dog. Despite our many hours of training with him, we've been "those people" and have had the blanket judgements aimed at us on more than one occasion. Wyatt's taught us not to do that to others, you just never know what the story is there.
Bless you for giving Lorax a chance at being the best dog he can be! Keep it up!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
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