My pitbull has reverted back to puppy behavior

526 Views 4 Replies 2 Participants Last post by rachellbrunette, 2 mo ago

rachellbrunette

Discussion Starter · 2 mo ago

About 2 months ago we got a putbull puppy (male) as a companion for our older female. Our older female is about 18 months now and the puppy has just hit about 12 weeks but our older female has started tearing up the furniture and plants in the house and we don't know what to do to get them to stop. This used to only happen when we left them home alone but she has now started to do it even when we are home. Please help with suggestions if you have any on what the reason is for this as well as how to discipline them in the correct way

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JoanneF

· #2 · 2 mo ago

Rather than disciplining her, I think you need to start by working out why she is doing it -.otherwise you might stop the problem but not actually fix it, if that makes sense; so whatever is causing it might just manifest in a different way.

So, since the puppy seems to have triggered it, is it rooted in play, or perhaps anxiety, or boredom, or frustration, or for attention do you think? Or something else? What would typically be happening before she does it? What sort of exercise and mental stimulation does she get?

Has anything else changed?

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rachellbrunette

Discussion Starter · #3 · 2 mo ago

thank you for your response, I feel that it could be rooted in attention or perhaps frustration. She might not enjoy being left alone as she's a very affectionate dog however the issue comes in the fact that we can't help it sometimes if we have to leave the house or more lately when she does it while we're home it's if we're still sleeping. In the past before we had the puppy she would tear up toilet rolls or chew any items accidently left out if we left the house without her but never furnature or anything bugger so we hoped that getting a companion for her would help with this so that she was getting constant attention but it seems to have made it worse. she goes on long walks every day and I try to to play with them in the garden whenever I do come home during the day. nothing else seems to have changed in her behavior

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JoanneF

· #4 · 2 mo ago

If it is separation anxiety, another dog wasn't really the solution - it's not just any company she wants, it's specifically you.

Helping a dog with SA is a long haul, and the only way to do it is to take it slowly. I know that isn't going to be easy, but if you don't do it at her pace, any setbacks will push back any progress you are making. The key to dealing with SA is to be back before your dog gets anxious. You can't fix anxiety when an animal is in a state of anxiety.

So if she gets anxious at ten minutes, you go back at nine. And repeat, repeat, repeat before stretching the nine minutes to ten, then eleven and so on .

You might need to hire a doggy sitter when you have to go out.

Another thing - if it is SA please remember it's an emotional response and not a behavioural one. So, you don't discipline or punish her. She isn't choosing to feel anxious (and if she could avoid or stop it, she would). So discipline or correction would be like disciplining a child who was afraid of the dark.

There's a behaviourist here who has some great resources on SA, have a dig through her website too.

Separation Anxiety - Fact vs Fiction

Separation anxiety is something of a hot topic, something many trainers and behaviourists avoid like the plague and something widely misunderstood by the majority! So what IS it, and what ISN’T it. Separation Anxiety is used as an umbrella term to cover any anxiety based issues regarding...

www.thecanineconsultants.co.uk

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rachellbrunette

Discussion Starter · #5 · 2 mo ago

Thank you so much for the help, I'll have a look at the website

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Separation Anxiety - Fact vs Fiction

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