Dog help please.....before I lose my family :-(

CH27

Get a metal bin & fit a child lock to stop the dogs raiding the bin.

madvixen

Just another thought (and I may well get shot down for this one) but there is a book by Nora Roberts called The Search. It's a typical Nora Roberts love story but the lead character is a dog trainer. It's all researched and there are some really useful tips in there. Little things like if a dog goes to jump up at you then take a step forward as it stops them being able to land on you. It may take some of the mystery out of dog training for you and give you an idea of some of the things you'd need to ask a potential trainer. If nothing else, it's a dam good read.

quietheart

I copied ideas from Victoria Stilwells, It's Me or The Dog programme. You can watch an episode here
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/its-me-or-the-dog

You'll need to commit to training these dogs, you need to teach them manners and it'll be baby steps but i do believe most dogs can be trained to be family friendly.
Currently your dogs are out of control and making you miserable. Dogs usually respond well to training and enjoy the rules that are inforced. Rules usually make dogs more confident and more settled.
Best of luck

Caroline_a

'Dog whisperer' is a daft name for a behaviourist. They are ultimately the same thing. Most people think that dog trainers and behaviourists train dogs - they don't, they train owners. Then the owners train the dogs.

To me, I'm seeing two issues here. I'm not sure you and your husband are working well together as a married couple, and I think that is where the fundamental problem is. The dogs are a symptom of that. If he wanted a happy marriage with a happy wife he wouldn't have got the second dog. It sounds as if there was no discussion about what is a decision that will affect you all for many years, assuming you don't get rid of him. (the dog)

Personally I would be looking at going to Relate. You need to fix (or not) your marriage before you can both work together to solve a solution with the dogs. For what it's worth, I would suggest that a solution for the dogs would be for you to take the dogs one by one to dog training. If the dogs are to stay with you, you will need to learn how to behave around dogs, and how to 'talk dog'.

However, firstly - do you want this marriage? do you love your husband still? does he want it to continue? Sort that out then make your decisions about the dogs.

lovesabargain123

Thank you everyone x

londonsurrey

Life can be civilised with dogs. I've had, amongst others, a labrador, ridgeback, rottweiler, alsation. Big thunking critters that I'd find difficult to push through if they wanted to be in the way.

I was determined not be be left standing at my front door, loaded down with shopping, being rained on, and trying to push my way through an excited dog standing there, nosing into the shopping, doing the "HELLO! AND WHAT HAVE YOU GOT FOR ME?!!" thing.

So I taught them "Excuse me", which meant they cleared a path for me, rather than me stepping around them. A little girl in the park did once ask me why I said "Excuse me" to my dogs, and I told her it was just my chosen phrase. I could have equally chosen "GERROUTTAMYWAY", but preferred saying "Excuse me".

dizziblonde

CH27 wrote: »

Get a metal bin & fit a child lock to stop the dogs raiding the bin.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/simplehuman-40ltr-slim-plastic-black/dp/B000YCNLSC/ref=sr_1_22?ie=UTF8&qid=1328976433&sr=8-22 is the same type as we have - the silver bit pushes back to "lock" the bin shut, and given time, it HAS stopped our resident bin raider. Think we got it cheaper from Argos but couldn't find it on their website when I just looked.

Sally_A

lovesabargain123 wrote: »

Thank you everyone x

Hope it all works out for you. Dogs are really great family members to have, but also appreciate that not everyone is brought up with dogs, so are wary of them.

Please believe me when I say a little bit of effort on your side will reap bucket loads of love in return.

xxx

Mankysteve

The problem is that the dogs know you are afraid of them, which why they run rings around you. While when your Oh or kids about they behave a bit better, because they know there not.

Dogs are a pack animal and you need to make it clear to them that your the alpha female of the house. This doesn't mean using physical force. It's all in body language and tone of voice.

Really though I'm just repeating what other have said.

You make an effort not to be afraid.

Either that or the dog need to rehomed to someone who can properly look after them.

kingfisherblue

Well, I'm not going to say anything about training the dogs, I'm going to tell you what I would do. I would give your OH an option - either rehome the dogs or consider the marriage over if he puts their needs above yours. The only thing is, you may not want to do that. It's entirely up to you. Personally, I wouldn't let him limit your life so much by allowing the dogs to have full rein of the house. He is also teaching your children to be disrespectful towards you by calling you 'shouty mum'.

I wouldn't replace anything that the dogs have chewed, either. I would just put them into a large linen bin. Then, when either your husband or children ask where is their book/jumper/toy/whatever, you can direct them to the linen bin to claim their (chewed) belongings.

It is easy to give in for a quiet life, but things have gone too far now. You have to do what is right for you. Living the way you do, with two dogs who rule you, would not be right for me, but only you know how far you can stand living the way you do.