[nagdu] Indoor Behavior - So Confused

[Pickrell, Rebecca M (TASC)]

Ava,
A few thoughts.
First, is this behavior new for Coco? If yes, then there could be a couple reasons. First, she's getting older and this may be an early decline. Not much you can really do except be aware of it, cry and begin looking for another dog.
Realize that your family is under a lot of stress with your dad's surgery. Your mom probably isn't thinking clearly now.
I could forgive the chips especially if they were on the floor, but stealing stuff off dressers would drive me bats**t crazy. I could. not. deal. with this issue.
I'm wondering if you've got the perfect storm of your dad's surgery, your mom's stress, and some bad behavior that you've excused?

Or, this behavior is new for Coco and you're dealing with an elderly dog, dad's surgery, mom's stress and your folks realizing that the dog that has helped their daughter will no longer be able to do that.

My parents held both my dogs in very high esteem which doesn't mean to suggest it was all roses and sunshine.  They probably view Coco as helping you when they can't and rightly or wrongly, they view you as more fragile then an adult that doesn't have a disability.  I think that's just part of being parents.

I'd figure out which set of issues you're dealing with. I'm not clear based on this post.


-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of avapup.7 at gmail.com
Sent: Sunday, September 09, 2012 4:32 AM
To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
Subject: [nagdu] Indoor Behavior - So Confused

Hi,

This is Ava with Cocoa, my 8 year old owner-trained guide dog. Cocoa's work outside the house is beautiful, and she absolutely has the best time working.

But a new problem has come up, one that I haven't dealt with since she was about a year old, and I just don't know what to do.

Cocoa has seemingly forgotten most of her indoor manners!

Tonight was more or less the last straw with my parents ( I live with them ). Cocoa found a bag of opened chips on the ground, where my visiting sister's boyfriend has set them, and just shoved her giant Lab head into the bag and began eating. Needless to say, no one was pleased and I was blamed. And blamed. And blamed.

Cocoa also barks outside, no more than other dogs, but my mother says she can't be doing that anymore. She said I must get one of those anti-bark citronella collars.

Cocoa gets very excited, and will jump in circles at the prospect of being fed or going on a walk, sometimes making the rug over our wooden floor crooked she bounces so hard. She will steal things off dressers and shelves.

She also begs for food, I've never allowed it but my father has always allowed it, to the point where he will toss leftover food down to her. Luckily I have kept her weight at an ideal 68-70 lbs. She doesn't beg from me, but does from the rest of my family -- and I get blamed.

My father had surgery a month ago and Cocoa was so anxious -- he is not a good patient -- my mother has me call the vet and had Cocoa put on Xanax for two weeks. It did help, as I think she was picking up on the general high level of anxiety and tension in the house.

Cocoa is also whining a LOT ever since my father's surgery. My mother at one point wanted me to put a muzzle on her to make her be quiet. I absolutely refused. As long as Cocoa is with me, she is generally quiet. But she's picked up the habit of whining incessantly in the car as well.

The thing is, I'm being accused of being a bad dog handler by my entire family. They wont listen when I explain how she behaves around me versus how she behaves around them. No, my mother is convinced SHE is the only one doing a good job with making Cocoa behave, and that I'm never consistent with Cocoa.

I'm very confused. I don't know what to do to please my family. I offered to keep Cocoa with me on leash/tie down/gated wherever I am. I offered to keep Cocoa on leash with me 24 hours a day for a week or so, as this worked with one of our prior pet dogs who was quite hyper in the house. They haven't told me what they think of either idea yet.

I don't think it's so unusual for a pet dog to see an opened bag of chips on the floor and stick her head into it. But, Cocoa would never ever do that outside the house. She is well trained not to take food while working. And no, it's not good she did it last night at home, but I wasn't even there when it happened. Yet I became a big ordeal, and I again was blamed.

Can anyone please, please offer me some advice on how to get Cocoa back to observing the indoor ground rules which were set for her as an adolescent?

Is there anything I might be able to tell my parents to reassure them I am taking care of this issue? I doubt they'd ever threaten to force me to find a new home for Cocoa -- she is my guide and my girl, after all -- but they are angry at me, frustrated with her, and I just want my hyper Lab to behave as well at home as she does while working.

Please, can anyone help? This is awful, having my mother believing I am a bad guide dog or just plain dog handler/owner. I am in my early 30's by the way, having had to move back home years ago because of money.

Thank you for anything, any ideas you might have.

Sincerely,
Ava and Cocoa



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