May 24, 2011
Why won’t my dog let me put his harness on him and why does he always have soft stools? He’s on a quality dog food.
Full Question:
Hello,I was told that if I ask you a question you would answer them to the best of your ability. If I was told incorrect information please accept my apologize. My question is do you have any idea why when I try and put my dogs halter on him to go for walks he freaks out. He is a cocker spaniel and when we try he will run all over the house until we get him cornered and when we do get the harness on him he will try to rub it off. I have checked under his leg for soars and there is none after I get the harness and his lead he is fine it is just the process of trying to get it on him. It is as if he is scared to death of it. We have had him since he was a baby so I know he was never abused or anything. I just want to make sure I am not hurting (like scaring him to death because some times he does shake.) If you have any ideas or your service is a pay service just let me know and I will send you fee.
The second question is about his soft stools. They are formed as a stool just very soft and he always goes during our walk. Is this something I need to talk to our vet about or can we give him some Kaopectate, Imodium AD as stated in one of your article. We have tried pumpkin and he will have nothing to do with it. We feed him a high grade kibble dog food with a few scoops of a can dog food on top. Our dog Shadow is about 1 1/2 years old.
Thank you for your time,
Richard and Shadow
Cindy's Answer:
Some dogs have less than ideal temperament and can be fearful, nervous and difficult to handle. Whether this is a genetic issue or not, it can be improved through structure and training. I would say that if one of my own dogs ran from me when I tried to put a harness on them I would take a good look at how I am handling that dog on a daily basis. Sometimes all that is needed is structure and training. If your dog is a bit nervous (which I am guessing he is based on your email) I probably would not recommend a harness for walking a pet dog, unless the dog had a physical problem that made it impossible for him to wear a collar.
I’d start with our Groundwork program and the video that picks up where the article leaves off - Pack Structure for the Family Pet.
Basic Dog Obedience
He would wear a collar and leash at all times unless he was in a crate or kennel. If you have a line on him all the time, he can’t run around and avoid things he doesn’t feel like doing. Set yourself up for success.
Your dog may need a different food. I would always try to find the solution through food before I give medications. You say you are feeding a high quality food, but you don’t mention the brand. If you let me know what you are feeding now, I may be able to make some suggestions. We also have a great section on feeding dogs, I think you’ll find a lot of helpful information there.
Cindy
I’d start with our Groundwork program and the video that picks up where the article leaves off - Pack Structure for the Family Pet.
Basic Dog Obedience
He would wear a collar and leash at all times unless he was in a crate or kennel. If you have a line on him all the time, he can’t run around and avoid things he doesn’t feel like doing. Set yourself up for success.
Your dog may need a different food. I would always try to find the solution through food before I give medications. You say you are feeding a high quality food, but you don’t mention the brand. If you let me know what you are feeding now, I may be able to make some suggestions. We also have a great section on feeding dogs, I think you’ll find a lot of helpful information there.
Cindy
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