old tricks

[no time for this]

Many thanks for the kind words and good luck to everyone who has exams to do!

too late!  mine went crap yesterday.....

oohps! There's always re-sits?

[Ben's mum]

I agree with what other people say here about some treats - most treats make Ben agressive and very possessive and I know from experience that he would bite to keep a treat that he wants.  For that reason he has no doggy treats at all, but he does have left over 'human' food, which he loves but doesn't get possessive over at all.

I know you've had a long struggle with Sooty, but trust your gut instinct - if you think this most recent problem is behavioural then you know him best.  We had similar issues with Ben (but I realise not on such a serious level as yours) there was a point when Ben would bite you as soon as look at you and that went for other dogs, kids etc.  Our behaviousist said it was not rage (in Ben's case).  He wore a thin line attached to his collar at all times so I could handle him with out losing any fingers!

We used to give him a yellow card warning - we chose to say 'you'll be banned', but any words would do, when he had a tantrum, we had to say the words and then if he didn't stop growling and snapping, follow through by taking hold of the lead and putting him behind the baby gate without saying anything else.  We were told that its so important that you have words that are a warning that you are cross and you are going to remove them.  They need to know what is going to happen so that they understand they are being told off but not frightened because you are suddenly grabbing them and putting them behind a gate or door.  I would imagine this is even more important because of Sootys eyesight - any sudden moves will make him more defensive.

There is lots I don't know about dogs and I know there are so many experienced doggy people on this site - but I do know about eyesight problems.  I was a counsellor for some years for people who were losing and had lost their sight.  Many people who lose sight go through quite a long period of personality change (often lasting a year or more) mostly anger and fear which can cause very extreme recations from previously mild mannered people.  Huge blow ups in temper followed by being very down. Unpredictable moods, very jumpy and anxious the list goes on. Finding a place to feel safe in and refusing to come out - often bed or a particular chair.(I don't want to offend anyone using this site who has eye problems - I know I'm generalising but it is fairly common)

 I don't know how much a dogs reaction to losing sight mirrors a human reaction - do they feel like we do?  who knows.
 I realise its easy to try to personalise a dogs emotions - but do we really know that they don't feel things as we do?
Any way enough rambling - I guess what I'm trying to say in a nutshell is that some of the things you describe for Sooty - if you were talking about a human then I wouldn't be surprised at the behaviours and emotions he is showing.
Sorry this is such a long post - but couldn't find a shorter way to say it!

Ben's mum

[no time for this]

Thank you for your very informative post, a lot of it rings true with soots, I feel that he has adjusted to his eyesight quite well, although he could still be insecure and frightened, I can only imagine how I would feel if I were in that position.

I really am stuck with him as, as soon as I have a theory something happens to contradict it (lack of congruence - thats an in word for any psychologist / therapists), basically because his behaviour is unpredictable, although this could indicate a biological cause. I also feel that (at this moment) he has a good quality of life, and that if he is "tormented by demons" then it is only for brief periods of time, and not enough to justify pts, however if his condition worsens then it may have to be an option, however I'm very much hoping that this is just a temporary blip.

Today he has been ok but tried to bite me when I was towelling him down after a walk, 15 mins later though I was playing and handling him without complaint!

The vet cancelled our friday appointment so were going to see him monday.

[happydog]

- but I do know about eyesight problems.  I was a counsellor for some years for people who were losing and had lost their sight.  Many people who lose sight go through quite a long period of personality change (often lasting a year or more) mostly anger and fear which can cause very extreme recations from previously mild mannered people.  Huge blow ups in temper followed by being very down. Unpredictable moods, very jumpy and anxious the list goes on. Finding a place to feel safe in and refusing to come out - often bed or a particular chair.(I don't want to offend anyone using this site who has eye problems - I know I'm generalising but it is fairly common)
 

Sorry as this is a bit off topic, but I have to say that as my partner has recently lost his eyesight I can only agree with you totally there. I only wish there had been someone like you around when it started to warn me in advance. (No offence taken at all btw  )

[Ben's mum]

Can I just add one more thing on the eye-sight theme that I meant to say before - then I really will shut up!!

With human eye conditions - and I see no reason for animals to be any different, when some people loose sight, the brain sends peculiar and very strange messages to the eyes.  As a way of compensating for what you can not see it creates 'visual images'  which can be frightening and disturbing.  Many people think they are having hallucinations and it causes extreme fear and anxiety.  A  lot of people do not mention it because they have a secret fear people with think they are losing it! (and actually people do get mistakenly labelled - but thats another story!)  Fortunatly for most people it is fairly transient as the eye/brain sensors adjust, but for a few people these images continue

The brain is amazing and in humans creates images floating in space often extreme pictures of things you might never have seen i.e. ladies in crinoline dressess is common - (I have no idea why)  Animals with lots of legs and disturbing insects and funny shapes, moving accross your vision.  If someone is looking at a blank wall the brain might fill in what it might expect to see i.e. windos doors etc.

I expect you get the picture - so I was wondering is it at all possible that Sooty is experiencing some visual image disturbance enought to provoke him to a fear/agression responce.
Just a thought
Bens mum
ps thats really the last word now, I promise!

[no time for this]

Can I just add one more thing on the eye-sight theme that I meant to say before - then I really will shut up!!

With human eye conditions - and I see no reason for animals to be any different, when some people loose sight, the brain sends peculiar and very strange messages to the eyes.  As a way of compensating for what you can not see it creates 'visual images'  which can be frightening and disturbing.  Many people think they are having hallucinations and it causes extreme fear and anxiety.  A  lot of people do not mention it because they have a secret fear people with think they are losing it! (and actually people do get mistakenly labelled - but thats another story!)  Fortunatly for most people it is fairly transient as the eye/brain sensors adjust, but for a few people these images continue

The brain is amazing and in humans creates images floating in space often extreme pictures of things you might never have seen i.e. ladies in crinoline dressess is common - (I have no idea why)  Animals with lots of legs and disturbing insects and funny shapes, moving accross your vision.  If someone is looking at a blank wall the brain might fill in what it might expect to see i.e. windos doors etc.

I expect you get the picture - so I was wondering is it at all possible that Sooty is experiencing some visual image disturbance enought to provoke him to a fear/agression responce.
Just a thought
Bens mum
ps thats really the last word now, I promise!

Very interesting thought, I'm sure he might "see" or "imagine" things unfortunately I'll never know, but its certainly worth bearing in mind.