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Total Regression


katetk
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Hi all

So, we have a 4 yr old cairn terrier - isobel. And now Hugo, our 12 week old border terrier pup. They are getting on like a house on fire which is great..but I have been noticing some odd behavior on isobels part and wonder if anyone else has had this occur.

Isobel has always just had 1 toy - "coony" the raccoon, not for lack of toys, that's just her thing, her baby, the only toy she will fetch etc. we have always had cuz, tennis balls, kongs around also. Now, when she lost her mate (Harvey in my avatar) last year, we naturally bought her a couple more, a kong wubby thing and some chew thing - NO intrest ever been shown in anything other than "coony"

Isobel as also never been a chewer, she will take things from the table outside but just put them round the side of the house... Also never been much of a digger, although there has been the odd time.

Now - in comes Hugo. We have some new puppy toys, a duck, a chicken, Nyla bone etc...he of course LOVES everything.

Isobel now of course loves everything, the kong wubby thing that has been here for MONTHS is now a favorite, even if Hugo isn't playing with it. She also has chewed her coat.. (winter coat not her fur coat) I walked outside and there was fluff everywhere from where they had pulled the lining out... It is not just Hugo cause I busted her.

Also, there is no way Hugo could drag, pull or whatever the outside dog bed - its a big outdoor dog pillow type bed.... There it was with issy on the side chewing the corner in the middle of the backyard (again - more fluff) oh... And the digging, she never bothered with this garden and there she is (with Hugo) digging up plants.

Is she trying the get him in trouble? Loosing her mind? (she did have to go on some homeopathic remedies after loosing Harvey due to her behavior) what is this? Think I am dealing with two pups!

Edited by katetk
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Maybe he brings out her cheeky side?...my OH swears Nala never chews,rips,destroys things but I have seen her egg Gus on then let him carry out the work... point to soil with her nose then he will dig, play with him near pot plants then push him into them so they break, make a tear in toys and let him finish off the rest... its funny, dogs do funny things when a pup comes home.

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:) she is having FUN!! The new boy has encouraged her to play and reminded her what fun chewing etc is , that's all.... We have an old tart of a dog .. in double figures and very sedate and "no I am stiff, I can not jump onto my bed"..however , when pups are being idiots..she is right in there..stealing toys, barking, running ...

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:) she is having FUN!! The new boy has encouraged her to play and reminded her what fun chewing etc is , that's all.... We have an old tart of a dog .. in double figures and very sedate and "no I am stiff, I can not jump onto my bed"..however , when pups are being idiots..she is right in there..stealing toys, barking, running ...

:) Exactly that!

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Awww...I think it's cute. :)

She's probably just happy to have a new friend to play with. My old girl Gyps (when she was still with us) was a funny old chook when a younger one came into care. She absolutely loved them and would play zoomies and show off. You'd never guess she was 11 the way she carried on half the time. lol.

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some odd behavior

:D she is now officially out of mourning !

and boy did she mourn the poor girl. Within 1 week of harvey passing she was at the vet for an UTI (never had before) then we would go for a walk, if she saw a white dog she would come home, lie on the bricks and HOOOWWWL, sometimes randomly just sitting there howling... It was like she just didnt know what to do with herself, if the postman came, harves would usually run down the side of the house and have a bark.. when he was gone isobel just looked damn confused about what to do.. it was just the saddest thing (this was then back to the vet for some "puppy homeopathic valium LOL)

Oh, dont get me wrong, i am glad she is loving life again.. just strange as she can be such a moody thing.

They are currently both zonked out on their bed, after isobel showing Hugo (who is a midget at the moment) how to scale the retaining wall (now blocked off).

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:) she is having FUN!! The new boy has encouraged her to play and reminded her what fun chewing etc is , that's all.... We have an old tart of a dog .. in double figures and very sedate and "no I am stiff, I can not jump onto my bed"..however , when pups are being idiots..she is right in there..stealing toys, barking, running ...

This! :D

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I didn't expect this to be such a feel good thread! It actually makes me so happy to read about a little dog that's come out the other side of mourning and is now having such a blast with a new friend :thumbsup:

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Thanks alkhe :)

Well, I am glad to hear that it means she is happy... I honestly believe she had come out of her shell after reading others comments. She was a zombie there for a bit, and with hugos arrival I can now see how sad she must have been.... She would seemingly mope about, not for lack of trying with her.

It's great ...not the chewing or the digging or the "lets climb the retaining wall and get stuck and mum had to walk over wet grass" ... I'm just glad she is having fun.

They are both In bed with a hot water bottle after a play date with myfriends terrier mix....

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Zeus was much the same after we lost Poochie. I think it was because he was so used to the company of another dog and then went to being an only child of sorts.

He's having a blast with Kirah and back to his fun self!!

It's lovely to hear that Isobel is back to enjoying life -- now it'll be a matter of who's teaching who the bad habits!! :laugh:

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Its so funny to read this thread because we are going through exactly the same thing in our house at the moment, with a cairn as well!

We have a 9yr old american staffy boy, a bit pudgy, a bit arthritic, and i finally got my wish of getting a little cairn of my own (family has westies and cairns) and she brings out the 'monster within' lol

He has never been a playful dog with other dogs, friendly but a bit aloof, more interested in people than dogs and a very placid and gentle boy. We have never seen him actually play with other dogs before and since getting her he has become a different dog, the transformation is amazing. He plays everyday, he runs around the house with toys (never interested before) he plays the 'snappy' game with her, he lets her boss him around, jump on him, chew on him, pull his tail, share his bed etc etc. We joke that she is the brain and he is the muscle, he lets her decide the game and we watch her run shoes/slippers/toys/branches anything really up to him, eggs him on and before you know it he is ripping apart a slipper he wouldn't have dreamed of touching since being a pup.

He has a new lease and life and is acting years younger, she really has brought new life into our old boy and its fantastic to see him acting like a big goofy puppy again.

Embrace it, i think it great :)

Edited by Cleveland
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