Did it throw her off-kilter?

[Jax08]

Not sure where to put this or what to put in the title....

I was in the hospital over the weekend. DH said Jax was pretty mild while I was gone but he's pretty sure she pooped in the bathroom. He found that someone had and when he went into the bathroom she cowered and ran. Which is a really odd reaction. She's never had an accident before and was never punished when she was a pup so why would she react like she's been beaten?

Then, after I got home, she started growling at lunging at Sierra over a bone. We've had resource guarding issues in the past but I thought she was over it. Why would she suddenly escalate again/

Could my being gone have screwed her up?

And I found out the difference between doberman and a german shepherd!

Baron, our fostered dobe, was like "You left me all alone. Pet me, love me and reassure me" Nudge Nudge because it's all about me.

Jax was like "I couldn't find you! I looked and looked! I"ll make sure I don't lose you again so I'll just lay here at your feet and lick your leg"

[StryderPup]

Glad you are feeling better.

[Jax08]

Thank you. I'm really concerned with her actions. What would have happened if I hadn't come back? Would she have completely fallen apart? Does the rest of the family need to step and work with her a bit so she views us as equal so if one of us is gone it doesn't affect her to much?

Or am I just overreacting?

[Dainerra]

I think it depends on the dog. With Rayden, I'm his favorite person. Even though the entire family works with him, he gets very depressed if I'm gone. He doesn't want to eat and just lays by the door until I come home. Hubby says I get a more excited greeting after 5 mins in the bathroom than he does if he's gone for the weekend.

It wouldn't hurt to have everyone work with her more. It might not make a difference though.

[vomonyxhaus]

One of my dogs who never does anything wrong will what I like to call "throw herself under the bus" usually it is the cat who has knocked something over or stolen one of my shoes( yes my cat steals shoes) and Z will act all guilty and brown nose and act as if she was the one who did the wrong doing....Like I said she never does anything wrong.... Even as a puppy she was a good girl and has never been punished for anything..... But she will throw herself under the bus for the darn cat...It's too funny.....

[Mandalay]

I don't know that I would read too much into it. I am sure her world was thrown into upheavel for a few days, and she may have pooped in the bathroom as a result. Maybe she did not get out when you would have let her (and when she'd have been used to going out) or maybe she was too concerned that you were not there when she was out to poop outside.

In any case, I would go on as normal and see how she recovers over the new few days and if she goes back to normal. Recovery, I think, is just as or maybe even more important as initial reaction in most cases.

Glad you are home, hope it is nothing serious.

[Mandalay]

Originally Posted By: Dainerra Hubby says I get a more excited greeting after 5 mins in the bathroom than he does if he's gone for the weekend.

That's funny cuz that's what my DH says about Mandi. He said that when he gets home with the kids, Mandi does not even get off MY chair that she has most likely spent all day sleeping in. She'll look at them like "Oh...you guys again." But then when I come home she is trying to get her head through the iron railing to get to me before anyone else gets to me. I get to the top of the stairs and she is trying her darndest to sit (while wagging her tail so hard her whole body is moving back and forth) because she knows the rule is that she must sit before I'll even say hello to her. Sometimes she just cannot do it and will run around me, stopping every couple steps to sit before she HAS to get back up and take a few more steps just to make sure I see her. LoL

[Jax08]

Originally Posted By: DainerraHubby says I get a more excited greeting after 5 mins in the bathroom than he does if he's gone for the weekend.

It wouldn't hurt to have everyone work with her more. It might not make a difference though.

Yes. I hear "she's a different dog when you come thru the door" LOL
But I'm actually concerned that she regressed in resource guarding. It was like that was one thing she could control so she would.

I'm sure she did go on the floor because she was stressed. And she had full rein of the house instead of being in the bedroom. But it may not have been her at all either but it was just a weird reaction to cower over something she'd never been punished for.