Crystal

Oh come on do you believe my husband will do such. My husband is harldy ever even here. He works practically endless hours. He'd probably have to stop sleeping to help train the dog. Seriously he helps when he can, but he is a busy busy man. Poor guy, works his butt off for us. I love him. I won't give up on Toby, but it is so hard. His actions are so discouraging. He is more hard headed and stubborn than any man I've ever meet. Such a male. I'll figure it out.

I go out there often and I have even tried bringing him in here with me. He gets very scared when I bring him in the living room. He runs and hides behind the couch. If I keep him on the leash so he has to stay close to me he pulls until he almost chokes himself and usually pees everywhere. I run all over the yard with him and try to play and sometimes he does, but usually he ignores me or hides. Who knows what he is thinking? I've read they go through a fear period maybe this is his.

but he is only afraid of me :cry: This is hilarious. I just went outside a few minutes ago to check his water bowl and he let me pet him. He was a little uneasy about it, but he let me pet him and he even put his paws in my hand and licked me. I honestly think he may be trying to drive me crazy. I think I'll scream now.

Ok, well I'll stop trying to guilt trip you now. My husband says he is going to take up smoking so he can lose weight. I promised I would give him a good kick in the butt if he did.

Ah come on, think of all the money you will spend between now and september and how some doggy could really use that money. You could help some other dog that needs suregry so that his family won't have to return him for lack of funds. Guilt Trip.

McKenzie had one spot in a bank a few feet from the creek she loved to dig in. She would dig huge holes and lay in them. They were on the back side of the bank and when she got in it she disappered. She loved it. I say let the dig if it makes em happy.

Wow, tons of questions. Ok here goes. Yes, Toby has been like this with me 90% of the time. No, nothing bad has ever happened with me and him. Tail between his legs and ears flat against his head. His hair stands up on his back when he sees me. He doesn't enjoy brushing, bathing, nail cutting, or even my petting him. I can't touch him at all. His paws are the worst, his neck doesn't seem to bother him worse than anything else. My daughter has tried to get him to come inside and feed him. He just looks at her and seems confused. I got him when he was about 7 weeks old. The only thing I can think of that could have happened is that the people that had him had a 3 year old and he was the puppy she liked best. I think she carried him around everywhere. I shouldn't remind him of a 3 year old. Ok I think I answered all your questions. Maybe he is deaf or something. I know far fetched, but I've heard that can make them act odd. If they can't hear it is hard to udnerstand what you want from them. Then only thing I can get him to do is sit and that takes and firm "Toby, sit" with a visual hand command. HMM, maybe that is why he doesn't come when called. Will have to go see if I can get his attention with noise now.

Well, now I can add. The barking and jumping is not the playing stuff he was does with others. He crouches down and it seems like a defending himself kinda thing. I don't stay at the door and try to get him to come in, I walk away calling his name. I get his dinner and try to get him to come in and eat it. I even sit it down in the room and leave completely. He will come to the door and put his paws in, but not come in the house. As soon as he sees me he runs back out. I don't know that he is an alpha-wanna be. He doesn't seem it. McKenzie was alpha-wanna be and Toby doesn't seem to be like that. Who knows what he is thinking? I feel I am doing everything I can and I feel I am doing everything right, but he seems to hate me. My husband picked him out. It's all his fault. I should have known, because I picked out McKenzie and she was my baby. She loved everyone though. I try not to compare Toby to McKenzie, because I know all dogs are different. But I guess after having a dog that was so easy to train and always loving and friendly a dog like Toby is a tad disappointing. I feel horrible that I feel that way but I can't help it. It is disappointing to expect this grand relationship and be given the reactions I get from Toby. My heart is broken and now I must stop typing as I am in tears. Thanks for the reply, you have reassured me that I am doing things correctly. I guess it just takes time. I'm not the most patient person, but I'll work on it.

:cry: It is so sad that an elderly lady can't walk her dog because some idiot tries to take it. People should be ashamed of themselves. To pick on someone who like that. Geez. I hope he gets his.

Oh I love the goal to quit smoking, what a great idea. Pooh Bear will be fine. He may be sore for a while, but his life will be so much better afterwards. I know you will take such great care of him and he will know how much you love him and you are only doing what is best for him. Good Luck.

Alright, I don't know what I've ever done to Toby, but he has major issues with me. He stays outside on his chain when the weather is nice, and I bring him in before dark. Well last night I went out to get him and unhooked his chain. I'm trying to teach him once he is unhooked to go on in the house. He sleeps inside the laundry room, which is right inside the door where I unhook his chain. He can actually get in the house if I open the door while he is still chained up. Well anyhow, last night he backed of the porch and barked at me. I couldn't get him to come to me. Finally when I got him to stay at the door while I grabbed his collar. He was bouncing all over the place and pee was dripping all over teh porch. Everytime he sees me no this happens. For the past 3 or 4 days. If I go near him he starts jumping, barking, and peeing. Why???? It doesn't happen with anyone else. I am his main care provider. Nobody else feeds, waters, baths, and brushes him. Yet, he rolls over and lets my husband pet his belly. He plays and licks at my daughter. But me, he barks, jumps, pees, and even nips at me. This morning when I went to take him outside he would hide in the corner and try to bite me. Why doesn't he like me??? I'm honestly confused, I've never been mean to him. I don't yell, I have changed my tone to say no, but never to loudly. I try to play with him and pet him but he seems to hate me. I'm honestly at my wits end here. I was very uspset lastnight. I had determined he must have mental problems or have been poisoned or something. It's sad, but this is really causing me problems. I'm having a hard time loving this dog. I mean I love him, but it is hard to have that bond and relationship when he is a total nut. I know I can't give up, but I'm losing my mind here. HELP ME!!!!

Maybe he will keep his dog on a leash now. Maybe not. Can't wait to see though, bet you can't either.

Glad to hear he is home. Dress up that food and spoil him, he deserves it after what he has been through. Then when it is time to go back to real food he will eat it. He may act silly for a while, but when he is hungry enough he will eat it.

Oh what a great thing to complain about. I've got a great one. My neighbor has the ugliest dog in the world, He is about medium sized but he is so funny looking. She keeps him in a crate in the house at night. Well she used to keep him chained in the carport all day, but her son decided to get her a new puppy, rat terrier. So now the other one, I think she said he was golden and feist mix, runs loose. He walks like he has something stuck in his butt. It's hilarious to watch him, but he barks at everything. He chased my daughter and scared her to death. He barks at poor scared Toby and sends Toby scrambling to find his crate. He even barks at my husband when he comes home in the company truck. One day my husband and a co-worker were unloading a lawn mower my husband was gonna fix and the dog went nuts. The co-worker was pierced and looked funny and the dog hated him. Anyways, poor Toby is so scared of things that move and this dog terrorizes him. He stands just out of Toby's chain reach and barks and growls and I have to go out and chase him away. My husband wants to shoot him, but I said no. It's not the dogs fault his owner got a new puppy and throwed him outside to run free. She also has to chase him down everynight to take him back to his crate. It takes her hours to catch him. Usually once she gets the leash on him he jerks loose and runs away with the leash dragging behind him. Oh so well behaved.

YAY, glad to hear he is doing better. I bet you can't wait to get him home.

OHH, how sweet. The dog loves the kitty. I love those kinda stories.

Very sad news, yoiur in my thoughts and prayers. Hope you can find out what is wrong and fix it!

Happy Birthday. :bday:

I also thougth maybe it had to do with the smell of the grill. He knows there has been good food on that thing, he can smell it. He is attacking the grill in hopes that it will drop whatever that smell is so he can gobble it up!

:cry: Such sad news, but as long as you are sure you did what was right for your situation. Your right in saying you will remember his as a beloved family dog instead of something worse. I'm sorry for your families loss. :cry:

Well, I hope he is to sad being alone tonight. It is all in his best interest though. Hope he enjoys his field trip tomorrow.

Oh no I don't dare do that. I make sure he knows that when he acts that way I am not happy about it. I don't yell or anything, but I know by the tone of my voice and the look I give him he has to know I don't like it. When he does come to me and act normal I pet him and tell him he is a good boy. I just wonder why in the house seems to be different then outside. Unless he sees the leash or knows it is time to come in. If I am going to play with him he is fine. It is mainly when I go to put him outside, or even bring him back in. He hides in the crate like he doesn't want to be moved. I would understand it better if it were one place or the other, but it is both.???? I'm so confused

Actually he likes the crate to much. See the door is off the crate. We use it as sort of a dog house. Unless he has to go in the car then I put the door back on. When he is confined it is to the laundry room. He has nothing against the crate at all. He feels very safe and comfortable in it. The problem is he is so timid. Scared of everything. He tends to run with his tail between his legs 80% of the time. Maybe he is just at that age where they are scared and insecure. I don't know. I just hoping someone had som advice on how to get him to be more trusting of people. It is almost like he always expects the worst. I think it may come from the fact that the people that had him when he was a baby had a 2 year old. Toby was her favorite puppy out the the bunch and I am pretty sure she took him all over the house with her. I think her playing with him scared him silly. He is very skidish about being picked up so I really think this is where it came from. Who knows? He trusts me to an extent, but not completley. He has recently decided my husband is good, and rolls over for a belly rub. Maybe he will grow out of it.

Toby is a total chicken. I mean always freaked out. I go to pick him up or just pet him and he retreats the the very back of his crate. The only time he does not do this is outside. When I put him out I take his crate out on the porch so he can sleep in it. I can go out there and he will play with me, but in the house he always hides in the crate. CHICKEN. What is wrong with him? Why is he is skidish? I've never had a dog that acted this way. McKenzie was all lovey dovey, even with new people. Toby is still shy around people he has meet 3 or 4 times. He tends to pee when he meets someone new. Which was quite funny when he put his paws on my husbands cousin knee and peed on his boot and his pregnant wifes leg at the same time. HELP ME. I'm afraid he is gonna be real timid and end up nipping at my kids because he is so afraid. If he bites the kids my husband may ban him from the house. Then I would be forced to rehome him. I'm about to cry just talking about it. What can I do????

[quote name='pollysmith']Why can't people act like the sensible creatures God made us to be :([/quote] Diddo.