New Dog - Puzzling Behavior

[MotherOfLady]

We acquired a pomeranian about a week and a half ago. Jazzy is female, about 1 1/2 years old.

Here's the deal.......

Everytime someone gets up, either from the bed, couch, chair, bathroom, etc., she barks nonstop at them until they sit down somewhere. The only exception to it is me.

She can be in one room with me and if my daughter walks by, she follows her and barks until my daughter sits down. Same thing with my husband.

What really puzzles me is she can be laying on the bed with my husband, while he's petting her or asleep in his lap. BUT if he gets up off the bed, she follows him and barks at him until he sits back down somewhere.

We experimented......he sat on the couch, she was on the couch next to him. He stood up and she immediately jumped off the couch and started barking. He sat back down without ever moving away from the couch. As soon as he sat down, she stopped barking and got back on the couch.

My first thought was she wanted his attention. However, the more I thought about it is when I realized that she never ever barks at me. What makes everyone else different?

Why is she doing this? Is there a way we can get her to stop?

I also have a 2nd question.

A friend of the woman we obtained her from, told me some things about Jazzy that the previous owner neglected to tell me.

Apparently Jazzy is very sensitive around her neck. Touching her neck can cause seizures. If Jazzy should go into a seizure, is there anything I can or should do?

How can I tell for sure if she is having one? I've never seen an animal have one, so I'm not sure.



Thank you so much for any information you can give.

[LavenderRott]

So, if she has seizures if you touch her neck - is she wearing a collar? How do you take her outside?

First off, if you haven't already, you need to take this girl to the vet. Get her a good once over,any shots she may need and set up an appointment to spay. Any problems with pregnancies and heat cycles in these little dogs can kill them.

You have only had her for a week, you are going to need to give her some time to settle in. Hopefully, the barking behaviour will slow down.

You need to go to the store and get a couple of packages of those small, soft cat treats. Have your family keep some in their pockets. When they get up, as the pup starts to bark tell her "that is enough" and give her a treat.

Also, you might want to check around and find a good training class. There is nothing worse then a poorly behaved toy dog.

[MotherOfLady]

No she's not wearing a collar. I've read some other threads and have seen discussions about harnesses. Will see if I can find one for her.

I have a fenced back yard, so she goes out there but I also go with her. She never wanders far from me, so I don't think she's a runner.


On the cat treat suggestion, someone had told me to try that, but they warned me that they would probably give her runny bowels until she got used to them. True?

Well they didn't tell me to try giving them to her for the purpose of her barking. They suggested them as a treat. The regular dog treats are just too big for her. I've been buying Canine Carryouts, but I have to break them into 5 or 6 pieces that she can chew.

If I give her a treat while she's barking, won't that tell her that anytime she barks she gets "rewarded"? Seems like that would create a new problem.

She is scheduled to see the vet on Wednesday.

[H.P.]

Hi! I have been using the Purina "Whisker Lickin's Deli Slices" cat treats for my pup. I break them in half for training. They have not caused her any digestive problems. Other things have, but those seem to work well.

[LavenderRott]

I use the little cat treats that come in the little cardboard "can" They are about the size of a fingernail so you should be able to use a whole one. Unless you are giving her the whole container at a time, she shouldn't have any problem with her stools.

When she barks at your husband, he should tell her "that's enough" and in the ensueing pause give her a treat and tell her good girl. If it is necessary for you to tell her "that's enough" to get her to pause, that is fine too. I teach my dogs their commands first and then my family uses them. Poms are very smart so it really shouldn't take too long.

Just remember, you must be consistant and everyone in the family has to work together.

How tiny is this girl and what are you feeding her?

[MotherOfLady]

Just say "that's enough"?

If I snap my fingers at her and say "No", she will come sit by me and be quiet. But I'm not always close enough to her or I'm not home. When they do it, she ignores them. Sounds like your right in that I'll have to be the one to teach her then pass it on to them.

She's very tiny. Only weighs 4 lbs. I'm not a big girl either but she can sit her entire body on ONE of my thighs and have room. She looks bigger than she really is because of all the hair!! Hubby says if she ever got a haircut, she would only weigh 2 lbs...lol

I feed her a combination of IAMS wet canned food with a little of those dry meat packets mixed in it. Can't think of the name, but they come 12 in a box? They look like the long pieces in Kibbles and Bits. (She doesn't get a full can though....she eats about a 1/4 of a can and a 1/4 of the dry and she's done.)

Her previous owner did say that she's allergic to Dairy, so I have to watch what I give her. I'm not sure what her issue is with the neck. I've seen some stuff on the internet about weak tracheas....but nothing that said they cause seizures.

I really think the barking has alot to do with her previous owner. Apparently the person won a big settlement, so she was just spending money because she could. She bought the Pom and she bought a Shi tzu. However, she kept them locked in the kitchen. That was the only room in the house they were allowed to be in. She kept puppy pads down, so they never went outside either. (Apparently this person never paid any attention or talked to the dogs either. She just put food down in the morning, in the evening, and changed the pad once a day. That was it.)

So I think that's why she doesn't wander far from me when we go outside? I also tend to think that's why she barks when anyone walks through the house. Maybe she thinks they are going somewhere they aren't "allowed" to go? I could be way off though.

She doesn't snap or bite though, just follows right behind barking nonstop. It's a shame she was treated that way. She's such a sweet little girl. So glad I was able to take her in.

[Prin]

I think it's dominance. She didn't say you could move. So why are you moving? This really has to be nipped in the bud... You have to start doing exercises that tell her you are the boss around here. Search this site for NILF or NILIF (Nothing in life is free). It's a way of humanely establishing the alpha position on your doggy.

[Prin]

I feed her a combination of IAMS wet canned food with a little of those dry meat packets mixed in it. Can't think of the name, but they come 12 in a box? They look like the long pieces in Kibbles and Bits. (She doesn't get a full can though....she eats about a 1/4 of a can and a 1/4 of the dry and she's done.)

Iams isn't great, especially for dogs with sensitivities... Maybe lurk around the dog food forum and see what the members here recommend.

[LavenderRott]

I can't think of a single thing that would cause her to have seizures when you touch her neck. Have you tried it? Is it her entire neck or just the front of her neck? I must admit - this has me a bit baffled.

As for dog food - she needs something better quality and dry is better for her and her teeth. My guy eats Merricks which doesn't (so far as I can see) contain any dairy - at least the Wilderness Blend doesn't. At 4 pounds I would think that about a quarter cup in the morning and another in the afternoon would work well. Merrick also makes a canned food that is equally complete that my guy gets on occasion.

Yep. Just "that's enough". In my house it means "stop what you are doing", but I have had my little guy for about a year now.

[MotherOfLady]

IAMS isn't great? Really? Wow! I always thought it was in the top 3 to buy!

Guess higher price doesn't really mean higher value! I really bought it because it was a name I was very familiar with and I saw it had no dairy in it. My other two dogs don't eat wet food, so I'm new to that type.

Jazzy can't eat the dry stuff though. Or she just won't...lol. She won't eat anything hard or crunchy, which I really prefer she didn't anyway. Her teeth and mouth are so tiny. Plus I read about the Pom breed and it said if you don't care for their teeth, they have problems later. Don't want that to happen.

Dominance makes sense. Except, that, again, she doesn't bark at me at all. She will follow me, but she never barks at me. Hmmmm, however, if I snap my fingers, she will listen to me. If they do it, she ignores them. She obviously must view me as the "master"?

Ok, off to search NILF and Dog Food! Thanks for the tips!

[MotherOfLady]

No I haven't tried to touch her neck. I'm scared to try it just to see what happens. If she does have a seizure, I don't have a clue what I'm supposed to do. I have no idea if it's supposedly her entire neck or just the front.

I really hate that she has the neck issue. I am BIG on making sure my dogs always have their tags on....rabies license and ID tag with our name and phone numbers. I would be devastated if they ever got away and I never found them again. They are my "children".

Why is dry better for the teeth? I admit, I've never heard of Merrick. I will go find the threads that discuss food.

[LavenderRott]

Dry food keeps the plaque and nasty off of their teeth. My mom raised show poms for years and they ate top of the line dry food. Never had a dental problem. I pay about $10 a month for a 5 pound bag of Merricks. But it lasts all month and has quality ingredients. Merrick also offers canned foods, as do most of your top quality brands.

Give her the dry, mix in a little bit of the moist and leave it down for about 15 minutes. Pick it up, if she doesn't eat any - cover it up, and put it down for 15 minutes in the evening. Trust me, she won't starve herself. And I promise you that if she doesn't eat for a couple of days - she won't die. AND NO TABLE SCRAPS while you do this!! It defeats the purpose!

Rule of thmb - if you can buy it at the grocery store or at Wal-Mart - you are not getting good quality food. You don't want to feed anything with meat by products of any type and you want to avoid corn and soy. The first 5 ingredients should include at least three meat products and if the first one isn't a meat - don't get it.

[Prin]

Most dog foods are diary free, except maybe ones that add yogurt (gimmick).
Here are just a couple of good companies with wet foods to look at:
Merrick
Canidae
DVP Natural Balance
Wellness
Innova and California Natural

Originally Posted by LavenderRott

Dry food keeps the plaque and nasty off of their teeth.

Actually, that's not true anymore. Studies show it's the quality of the food, not the texture that keeps the teeth clean.

[MotherOfLady]

No I haven't tried to touch her neck. I'm scared to try it just to see what happens. If she does have a seizure, I don't have a clue what I'm supposed to do. I have no idea if it's supposedly her entire neck or just the front.

I really hate that she has the neck issue. I am BIG on making sure my dogs always have their tags on....rabies license and ID tag with our name and phone numbers. I would be devastated if they ever got away and I never found them again. They are my "children".

Why is dry better for the teeth? I admit, I've never heard of Merrick. I will go find the threads that discuss food.

[MotherOfLady]

Lavendar.....which Merrick's do you buy? The 5 lb. bags of the dry on their site is $17 to $20. I thought you said you got yours for $10? Do you buy it somewhere other than on their website?

Looks like good stuff and I think she could eat it fairly easily. From the photos, it looks like most of the peices are just a little bigger than a pea?

Also, what is the brand of the cat treats you buy that are the size of a fingernail?

I looked at my cans of IAMS that I bought to see what the first ingredients are....

Chicken Broth, Chicken, Chicken By Product Meal, Lamb, Chicken By Products, Brewers, Rice, Dried Beet Pulp (sugar removed), Fish Meal, Chicken Fat, etc etc.

Sigh.

I also found the NILIF. I found the Social Isolation website too. Lots to read! Sent them with your suggestion of "that's enough" and a treat when she pauses, to my hubby. Hopefully this will work. I think it will if I start it off with her.

[jesse's mommy]

I know I'm in the States and prices are a little different, but I pay $23.00 for a 15 lb bag of Grammy's Pot Pie and $14.00 for the 8 pack variety cans which is less than the website. So my suggestion would be to shop around in the stores and see how much they are because a lot of these companies offer retail stores their products at a lower cost so they can adjust their prices accordingly. But I can tell you my dog LOVES Merrick!

[LavenderRott]

Rusty gets Wilderness Blend and I get it at a local pet store that does not sell animals. The pieces are small, I think the peas are the largest pieces. He loves it, it has venison and buffalo, among other things and he thinks it is great. Although, he does pick out the small pieces of potato and leave them on the floor.


He gets those little Pounce treats. (I had to look them up online! LOL!!)

[jesse's mommy]

Oh I should say that I don't get mine at a pet store, I get mine at the groomer/kennel that we take Jesse to. They also have a doggie "bakery" there too that you can buy gourmet cookies. I love this place.

Edit -- MotherofLady, I didn't realize you were in the states too!!

[MotherOfLady]

I must have looked at Merrick's site wrong. I swore I clicked the 5 lb bag and the first one listed was $23 for it. The Pot Pie was $17.

I don't recall ever seeing Merrick at a store here, but I haven't "looked" for it either.

So that means no one buys from PetSmart or Petco huh? They sell animals. Other than going to a vet, I don't think we have a store here that doesn't sell animals. We have a very nice place called Guptons, but again, they sell everything from rats to dogs. I'd almost guarantee they would have Merricks though.

Pounce for the cat treats huh? I think I even saw a coupon for that yesterday...LOL I will go get some tomorrow and see how she does with them.

When my daughter came home from school today, Jazzy immediately started barking at her. I snapped my finger and said "That's enough". She turned around and stared at me. ( I didn't have a treat in my hand though.) She turned back around and proceeded to bark again. So I snapped my finger again and said "That's enough". She looked at me again and sat down. This might be easier than I thought!! lol

[jesse's mommy]

Here's the Merrick site:

http://www.merrickpetcare.com/

[LavenderRott]

I pay waaayyyyy less then they charge on th website. I go to a shop called the Pet Marketplace. I think they sell fish but no mammals, which these days is a dang site better then having to shop at Petland.

I also shop at Petco on occassion. They carry this dried fish treats that Rusty loves that I can't find anywhere else.

Put those treats in YOUR pockets!!

[MotherOfLady]

Ok, I clicked right. The first one is Cowboy Cookout. It's $23. The Granny's Pot Pie is $17.37 for a 5 lb bag.

Has anyone ever tried the Puppy Nibbles or Grandpaws?

The lamb training treats might be good for Jazzy. They look pretty small and says they are softer than average treats. Anyone ever tried those?

[MotherOfLady]

I just thought of something else I meant to ask.

What is good to use for cleaning around the eyes? She gets junk streaming down her face below her eyes. Is it better to use a solution or just plain warm water? Is that a common trait among Poms or do you think she has something going on?

I'll try to get a picture of her on here so you can see my new baby girl. :-))

[LavenderRott]

I do Rusty's with a damp clothe. Yes, it is rather common but ask your vet about it when you take her in for her checkup.

I noticed that there is a store locator on the right side of the homepage that Jesse's mommy gave the link to. Check there and see if you can get it someplace close for cheaper.

[MotherOfLady]

She's not in a picture mood and wouldn't sit still, so here's the best I could get.

Can you see the brown gunk below her eyes?

[MotherOfLady]

Wow, we only have one store locally according to their site. I'm not even sure where it is by the address, but shows it's 25 miles out.

Hmmm. Guess I'll check with the vet. If they don't have it, I may have to try one of those others listed earlier.

[jesse's mommy]

Don't just go by the store locater there because the place I buy it from isn't even listed. Check the organic grocery stores, check pet boutiques, anywhere you pass that has pet stuff. Do you have petsupermarkets near you? They are like a Petco and do not sell animals (except fish), but they just started carrying it.

[Prin]

What is good to use for cleaning around the eyes?

Really good food. Seriously, good food cuts down on the eye nastiness.

[MotherOfLady]

The only major Pet places we have are Petco and PetSmart. Petco carries animals like Ferrets and Hamsters. PetSmart carries puppies and cats.

We have a new place that just opened called PetLand, but they also carry the high dollar registered dogs.

Other than those three, we have Guptons. It's a family owned pet shop that carries all sorts of animals, including the high dollar AKC registered pups. They have been in the same location for 22 years. If they don't carry it already, I know they would order it, but I'd probably pay the same price as buying direct anyway.

Not sure how I feel about them. The pups are not kept in cages all day. They have a play area that customers can't reach, but you can see them through glass. Your not allowed to hold or touch any dog unless your certain you will buy it. They advertise all the time to come in at 3 in the afternoon because that's when the dog's "play time" is open to the public.

What would you think about the way they run their business? I've always had mixed feelings about it myself, so I've never bought there, but I have been in to look several times. My mom actually bought her miniature schnauzer from them....despite my pleadings to go to the Humane Society.

Other than those, we have several Vets I could try. I'm in Wichita, KS if anyone knows of another place.

[LavenderRott]

Petco should carry Canidae which is equally good food. Where I get food, Canidae is cheaper then Merrick's by about half.