How do I scare my dog???

[BringBackTapestries]

Talk about your ODD threads!!! Here's the deal. I have this window in my new den. It was put there by ME. I built the den. The window is one and a half feet off the ground. The window is a 2 panel slide to the right window that opens up to a size just big enough for me to crawl through it (to retrieve the occasional pacifier; yes we wash it!) approximately 18"X20"but its also big enough for the dog to crawl through if we were to let him, which we DO NOT lest he eat our cat. The other side of the window is a fenced in area (doglot) that the dog is in. The window is VERY VERY VERY handy! I LOVE IT!!! We can feed and water the dog through the window without leaving the comfort of the livingroom(great when its snowing or such). There's an outside spigot in the den (it was once a carport), so we just run his drinking water into a big bucket and pour it through the window into his water bowl. We can open it, and pet him, and watch him (and he watch us) while were watching TV.
Here's the problem: For no apparent reason he goes "crazy" and wants in the house. He acts like he is scared (we once traced this back to neighbors shooting off fireworks, but this isnt always the case) He starts scratching fast on the glass with both feet. He is a BIG dog (he's a chow) and we are afraid he will bust the glass and cut himself, and/or destroy our window and the siding around it. I tried putting a board in front of the window so he cant see in, didnt work. I built a "ROOF" above the window, protruding off the side of the house so his dog food stays dry, and water stays free of leaves and such. I thought that this roof would be low enough that he couldnt jump up to scratch, but he just lowers his head way down and scratches like that! If he got into the house (he definately would if we let him) he'd trash the place and eat our cat. Not good. We are trying to figure out a way to train him NOT to do it. I considered trying to figure out how to mount something right beside the window to make a very loud noise to scare him away when he does this. Something we could control from inside the house. Maybe a firecracker type noise. (He's scared of loud noises) I love my dog, but he's destroying this window, and my 2 year old daughter has figured out how to get around the locks and she likes to open the window. If I put up bars, I cant feed him, as the part he scratches on is the part that is open when I feed him.
Any inventors out there??? Any ideas???
This should be an interesting thread!

 

[patsvette]

Well ill be honest,im a pet person and pets should be with there owners,they need there company.I have 2 samoyeds and 2 cats and they live together in the house,not happily at first but they do now.OUr dogs have to be with me at all times if not they howl like wolves.
As far as the window how about strips of grip tape,its used for skateboard decks and for stairs so you dont slip.You can get it at home depot or lowes and its sticky on one side so itll stick to the window but it has a rough surface like sand on the other ,a few times of his paws sliding on that and he might stop.I like chows.

 

[Pop Daddy]

long post

 

[Serena]

I'm sorry, but pets are pets, they need in with the family. Why did you get the dog if you just wanted it outside?

 

[helenabear]

My only suggestion, that is if this situation is for real, that you give the dog to someone who will create a better home life for him. If you aren't going to let the dog in the house (let alone get off your feet to go out and give him food and water) you shouldn't even have one in the first place.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Dogs are very social beings and want to be with their families - inside if that's where you are - but I'm sure he'd be happy to stay outside if you were out there! He's "wild" in the house because he hasn't learned how to behave (this can take lots of time and patience but is worth it in the end). I don't think scaring him or punishing him for what he's doing is really fair. Dogs left outside like this sometimes get very frustrated and turn into biters when they finally get ahold of objects of their frustration, please be careful.

I've had German Shepherd Dogs all my life. They've always been part of the family inside the house. Currently I have a puppy who is 5 months old. Pretty wild when we got her. She's tried my patience big time but we've made her part of our family and truly welcomed her into our home. I've made time to take her to training classes and work with her myself every day. I try to take her with me whenever I can in order to socialize her. I love having her beside me when she's quiet and sleeping, I wouldn't have it any other way. She's already turning into a wonderfully behaved dog. The other night I had her to my brother's house (with a cat and two birds) and after exploring quietly she laid down and fell asleep. I was so proud of her but no question she was able to do that because of the time I've taken to socialize her.

I realize you are probably very busy with a toddler and such. But if you can't take the time for the dog you will continue to have this problem.

 

[kasar]

Sounds like you've gone to a lot of trouble first, constructing the window and then adding all sorts of barriers on it. That's a lot of time and effort that, in my opinion, could have been better spent socializing and training your dog. The dog just wants to come in. Can you blame him? He doesn't want to watch you watch TV through a window, he wants to be at your feet.

Chows are big dogs that sometimes have aggressive personalities. Sounds like your dog needs some serious training or maybe given to someone that has the time or inclination to deal with him. I would be very concerned about your daughter if you think he would eat your cat, though. Just my opinion.

 

[zakatak]

Very "troll" like post. As in some others from OP.

Easy solution. Give the dog away. Then your "window" is sacred.

 

[marlasmom]

ITA agree with the other posters. Leaving a dog outside 24/7 is just plain cruelty.

 

[Serena]

You need to find another home for the dog. A home where they will love it and take the time to train it.

 

[CheshireVal]

 

[SEAlla]

Very "troll" like post. As in some others from OP.

I agree. This is the same op that started the controversial "Stir fry in the room" thread.

If not all I can say is "poor puppy" No wonder it acts the way it does.


susan

 

[EsmeraldaX]

I think this is a troll post but WOW.

If you are serious - give your dog to a loving home where he will be part of the family.

Feeding him should be a nightly ritual. When we go to the kitchen to get Monty's bowl, and pour his food into it. He sits, licking his chops & wagging his little tail while we get his dish ready and dances excitedly until we put the bowl down for him.

I can't imagine ever passing him his food through a window. What is the point of having a dog if he is to live outside? I can only assume you got him because you wanted a watchdog. Well, real, good watchdogs are very bonded to the families they protect. You don't make a good "mean" watchdog by leaving him tied up outdoors. You get a good watchdog by having him be bonded with your family and that means he spends agood portion of his time with you, playing with you and being part of your "pack".

You think SCARING him will get him to do what you want??? I have to be the bearer of bad news here. Scared dogs are the ones who act out, who bite and who attack random people passing by. Never mind that it's obvious you care more about a window than a living creature, and probably wouldn't care at all if animal control took him away and had him killed, but do you want to be held financially liable for the cost of treatment if your dog bites someone because he has been trained to fear? You have a young child in your house? Do you want her to accidentally scare the dog someday? Chows are pretty tough dogs.

Animal cruelty is a crime in most states. As it is now, if what you say is true and this dog is kept outside and handed his food through a window all the time, you are guilty of negligence and cruelty. And I'm sorry but if you don't either give the dog to a real home, or start changing the way you treat it, I hope someone reports you for the sake of the dog, and the future sake of your child and neighbors.

Neglected dog + small children = very bad situation waiting to happen.

Harsh negative reinforcement DOES NOT work. Hitting, shocking, scaring with deafening sounds etc. are just cruel and do more harm than good. You need to get your self a good dog trainer who can go over GOOD forms of reinforcement for you.

But honestly, I think you are much better off giving the dog to a Chow Rescue.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I think this is a troll post

The scary part is what if it's not...

 

[CheshireVal]

I'm really hoping this is a bogus troll post and that there is no doggy all lonely outside.

 

[tkyes]

OK - be gentle, I don't think they make flame retardant suits thick enough for me right now.

We have an outside dog. She has only been in the house once when she was fixed. She has been outside ever since she was born. We love our dog. We spend a lot of time with her playing in the yard, getting her lots of exercise. Our dog is also a hunting dog. During hunting she is often exposed to cold temperatures and ice cold water. She loves every minute of it.

She has a large kennel, sheltered by 2 sides of our house. She also has a shingled dog house with sprayed insulation. We are very aware of the temperature in her house when it gets cold. There have been times it has gotten too cold here in Minnesota and she has come in the garage. Why not the house? The change from 20 degrees to 70 degrees would be an extreme shock to her system and not good for her at all.

I'm not saying the original poster is right, not at all! The dog is acting out because it's not loved, period.

I do believe dogs can be happy, healthy and loving parts of a family without being in the house. I know most disagree with me.

Just because dogs our indoors doesn't mean they are better off. Our neighbors had 2 indoor goldren retrievers. Two of the meanest, disobedient dogs that I've ever seen. Why? Because no one paid any attention to them, even though they were inside dogs. I guarantee that our dog gets far more exercise and attention than those 2 dogs ever have.

I know many of you now think I'm a horrible dog owner and there is nothing I can do to change your thinking. I just wanted to share another side of the story.


tamie

 

[Disney Doll]

If you're not a troll, do yourself and the dog a favor. Give him to someone who will love and appreciate him the way a pet should be.

Everyone should not own a pet. Put yourselves on that list.

PS-tkeys, I do not think you are a bad dog owner for having a dog that is conditioned to the outside and is properly supervised and obviously loved and has attention paid to it. Inside vs. outside is not the problem with the OP. The lack of attention to the dog is the problem. If the OP has concerns about his/her home, child etc with regard to the dog, then the OP is not the proper person to own the dog. I have known many folks like yourselves who have outside kennels that are nicer than some folks' houses! The OP's dog appears to be an afterthought to them. A dog deserves better than that.

 

[TheOtherVillainess]

I don't think you're a bad owner, tkyes. My BIL hunts and while he doesn't own a hunting dog himself, I have known more than a few hunters to treat their dogs as you treat yours. It's not bad, as long as they are treated right. That's what hunting dogs were bred for, right?

TOV

 

[Pea-n-Me]

tkyes, it sounds like you are a caring dog owner who happens to keep her dog outside. Some dogs do live outside happily and in many parts of the country it's the norm. Unfortunately, many people put their dogs outside and then forget about them. They are left in extreme temperatures, starving, dehydrated and desperately lonely and that's what people are reacting to. To see examples of this tune in to Animal Cops any night at 10pm (Animal Planet).

The OP doesn't sound like someone who would have their dog taken away by Animal Control because of the way he's kept. They are, after all, providing food, shelter and some interaction with people, albeit minimal (and the latter is not a requirement according to the law). So as it stands they are not breaking animal cruelty laws.

People who have posted, like myself, just know it can be better and feel that if you really don't want to interact with the dog, then maybe you'd all be better off finding a different home for him where he could be part of a loving family - an ideal standard for any dog we'd all love to see. And of course the safety issues for an untrained/unsocialized dog are surely real - if the dog bites someone it will be a tragedy for all involved.

 

[Crankyshank]

ITA with Esmerelda.

We have an outside dog. She has only been in the house once when she was fixed. She has been outside ever since she was born. We love our dog. We spend a lot of time with her playing in the yard, getting her lots of exercise. Our dog is also a hunting dog. During hunting she is often exposed to cold temperatures and ice cold water. She loves every minute of it.
She has a large kennel, sheltered by 2 sides of our house. She also has a shingled dog house with sprayed insulation. We are very aware of the temperature in her house when it gets cold. There have been times it has gotten too cold here in Minnesota and she has come in the garage. Why not the house? The change from 20 degrees to 70 degrees would be an extreme shock to her system and not good for her at all.

Tykes just this quote from you alone shows me that you are a responsible dog owner that cares for your pet and lets him feel loved and part of the pack. The OP doesn't appear to do that