[Patches Mom]

Seems like Buddy is loosing hair around his throat and chest back of legs?? He is now eating Eagle Pack Holistic Chicken & Rice was eating Candaie it is also getting really hot here.
To night got the wheel barrow out gave Buddy a bath he first I have given him the breeder bathed him once about 4-5 months ago so I know the hair loss is not from bathing too often.Should I be putting some kind of oils in his food?
We went to Pets Mart noticed all the shedding when someone petted him he was petted allot there. He was wearing a nylon collar for his tags so got him a rolled leather collar for his tags to wear.The stores have white vinyl floors at home we have carpet so did not notice the shedding that much.
I tried the getting his snout and looking into his eyes and telling him to knock off the whining & barking at other dogs.Did not work his hackles came up one time when he was doing that at a St Bernard???? hackles did not go up at the little dogs. May try to carry a little water bottle to spray him with does not like the water hose so it was interesting at bath time.
Patches Mom

 

[alwayshadpets]

There can be so many things if he is loosing hair. Is it thinning or just reg shedding?
Fish oil capsules are good to put in food. Make sure its human grade. I give 1000mg. morning and evening meal. There is a post on this forum listed( lets talks oils) Gives a lot of info on what others are doing.
As far as his hackles up at Petsmart--to prevent this do not let him have eye contact with other dogs. He will not do this as long as he is not making eye contact with other dogs. You have to always be looking ahead but it does work. Since you will never know which dogs will make him do this--make sure he does not make eye contact with any.

 

[tjmom]

Omega Fatty acid works really well. You can get it at Petsmart or your vets office, it comes in a squirt bottle and you just spray a few squirts in his food. When did you notice that he started losing his hair? Not all dogs do well on certain food. I am not saying that Eagle Pack is not a great good however what works for one dog might not neccessarily work for another. It could be the food or it could just be the heat. Does Buddy spend a lot of time outside? If so maybe you can bring him in more often. I hope you are able to fnd out what is causing his hair loss.

 

[Patches Mom]

As for the eye contact as soon as he started acting up I got his muzzle in my hand and I made him look at me told him in a stern voice knock it off???? Is that the right way to do it????.
As soon as I get my monies in I take Buddy & Patches to the vets where Buddy's Mom (Breeder) works she does his nails & Patches nails since I cannot get in the floor with them.I will ask her about Buddy's shedding wonder if Wall Mart's fish oil caps would be good.? Wonder about the Mercury in the fish oil???
Patches Mom

 

[dobebug]

Hi Patches Mom,

How old is Buddy now? I thought he was pretty young--some of the shedding can be the first of the puppy coat coming out and the beginning of an adult coat growing in. Also Dobes kind of shed year around with extra shedding in the early summer (about the time you start getting hot weather) and late fall so it may only be normal seasonal shedding.

I think what you are seeing with him raising his hackles and barking/whining around strange (and it sounds like specifically large) dogs is fairly normal. Puppies who haven't seen a variety of dogs will often got through fear reactions in the presence of very large, very hairy or very anything else type of dogs that they aren't familiar with. Exposure to novelty (whether it be dogs, people, places or things) is the best cure--that and time--puppies often freak out at things that a 10 month old pup takes in stride.

My solution for sight sensative puppies (those who panic around strange things--including strange dogs) is to turn around and go the other way without making a big deal out of it--when the hackles go down and the barking etc ceases celebrate that. Give a big treat and congratulations. Actually places like Petco's and other pet stores are great places to do this because you can make the perceived threat disappear by walking around to another aisle.

Most pups get used to seeing dogs that aren't like them and stop the fear reactions--when Buddy gets to the point that he can see strange dogs at a distance without reacting you can move closer and if you can find someone with an dog who is both puppy and other breed friendly it will give you an opportunity to let Buddy take a closer look.

Just remember that Saint's are not just big they are hairy (even the smooth coats) and something totally different that a Doberman. One of my Dobes almost had a heart attack when he was about 4-1/2 months old and we walkled around a corner at a dog show and he was face to face with an adult male Great Dane. He keep looking up higher and higher and could hardly believe the dog was still there.

Keep working at it--but try not to make such a big deal out of it--just turn around and go the other way. I'm not sure you really want to make him stop barking when it is pretty clearly a fear reaction--it's a warning for you so you can remove him rather than punish him for being afraid. One of the end results of punishment for fear reactions is that dogs will learn to stop giving the reaction (the warning) and you don't really want that. Much better to convince him there really isn't anything to be concerned about--and that you have it covered.

 

[Patches Mom]

Buddy is 14 months old I like your idea better about just ignoring the other dog, guess we need to go to Pets Mart & Pet co more often.
Thanks
Patches Mom

 

[alwayshadpets]

Patches mom --the eye contact hackles up is a form of fear aggression. To
Buddy the best offense is a good defense. There are a lot of classes we go where some dogs will do this. I would not grab his muzzle and look him in the eye. Just tell him no, leave it, stop or whaever your word is and turn him around and go the other way.
This usually will happen when one or both dogs lock eyes and stare at each other.(not unusual, but usually a dobie will not back down)--this is when a potential fight could happen)
When you go to Petsmart try to be aware where other dogs are and take Buddy the other way. If someone wants their dog to visit Buddy go the other way and tell that person that your dog is in training. By doing this all the time you will be training him that Petsmart and other places are not a visiting dog place. He will learn to ignore all dogs that are there. Makes for a pleasant trip for you and him.
All the classes (one of the places is a school that trains dog trainers all across the country)--I go to for some classes use this method. Dogs that do this stop doing it within a couple of classes. They learn that there is nothing to fear because you as pack leader presented it that way and you are the leader. Hope this helps. Buddy does make me laugh. He is going to be a great dog when he is all polished up and you are going to learn so much.