Our Snowball is always screaming!

[109ACE]

Three years ago we rescued from a michigan shelter a mini eskie that was an owner surrender. The dog was surrendered by this woman's ex father in law. We think there was some abuse of the dog by its former master and the ex father in law intervened. Anyways, Snowball has always been a bit wound tight. However in the last year she has started screaming if we touch her, pick her up, or try to clip her nails. She is now screaming at the other dogs for no reason other then they are near her. She does the same to us. She will scream at us and then try to get as close as she can to us. If we feel sorry gfor her and try to comfort her, she screams, snarls and even tries to bite. Oddly we can brush her. Anybody have this happen to them before? It's driving us nuts. I don't think it dental issues as she comes up every afternoon at 4 for the afternoon milkbone break. She manages these big hard dog bones without issue and has no desire to join the other oldsters who get soft treats.

[Steve]

That's a really nice photo of her.  I'm not typically an advocate for medication but perhaps she could benefit from something like prozac...

[109ACE]

I never thought about that Steve. I am going to be taking her in to our vet and have a dental done. Just in case she does have an issue there. We started clipping her nails this afternoon. But it is such a stressful experience for all of us that we only got one and a half paws done. We have to place a bath towel over her head to keep her from biting. We'll continue tomorrow.
That is my favorite picture of Snowball taken by Sooz Ashe who did the pull and transported Snowball to a meeting place. Snowball was supposed to be rehomed. But we fell in love with her on the first day. I know rehoming her wasn't going to happen when Melissa carried her into the bed that first night. Usually a big no no with rescues. So she has had a nice side in the past. Snowball is 13 years old.

[Yukon]

Could she be experiencing pain in her joints or elsewhere?  Does she scream every time you go to pet her at all, or maybe certain places/ways you touch her or pick her up?  What are the other dogs doing when she screams at them?  Are they touching her in any way?  I would definitely ask the vet to see if there is some sort of physical cause.

[Geno]

Wow, that would be annoying. If there's nothing wrong with her you'll need to start some mental rehab and correction exercises.

I hope she's okay, or at least the vet figures out what's going on, if it's physical.

Keep us informed, Steve.


Geni

[JimmyThy]

Hmmmm....wish I could add more to the advice basket here, but I'm stumped, too. Is her vision OK? Could she be losing it and get startled by people/dogs coming close to her that she didn't expect b/c she couldn't see as well?

[109ACE]

The odd thing about this, and I should have included it in my original posting, there isn't any particular place on her that brings these fits on. If we hold our hands over her as if to want to pet her she screams. The other dogs can just be standing around and she will walk up them, shove her nose into the side of their necks and scream. She has never had issues with weight control and is pretty darn fit for a 13 yo girl. Ever since we took her in, she has had this thing, in a bad way, for our Wally. If Wally wants to play, she's right there in his face snarling at him. No other dog in our pack gets this attention from her. Over time this has been getting worse. She never goes into an all out attack on another dog. More snarl and screaming. We have thought that maybe she was used to being an only dog with just her single woman master, and with all the rescues we have introduced to her, she has become a nervous wreck. Overwhelmed with the pack. But none of the others have issues with another dog in our house. I'm wondering if we're not doing right by her by keeping her in this environment and maybe have to rehome her to a new master who lives alone, and she can be the only dog in the house?

[snowballsmom]

i have been known to scream under stress.
all kidding aside it could be stress, she could be not great as a multi pack dog, you're great at tending to their needs before your own so i know if this is the case you'll do right by her, even if if it sucks for you and melissa.

[DebbieA]

What does the screaming sound like?  Is it a bark, howl, screech, or what?

[109ACE]

A very rapid fire snapping when near another dog, or other dog passes. When an attempt made to pet her, it's a high pitched yelp.

[109ACE]

Our tenant living next door is an older single woman who works at home. She's not a dog person. But we are thinking of trying an experiment by placing Snowball with her for a few hours to see if there is a change. Thinking there might be something to the environment having an effect. Being an only dog in a house with a single owner might be what she needs.
Our original pack was a trio of Holly, Wally, and Dakota. Holly and Wally used to always play together. Then we got into rescue and started bringing in all these strange Eskies. And keeping some along the way, getting stuck with some, and having too big a bleading heart to break up sibs and families. So one day a few weeks ago all the dogs were outside in the backyard and Holly, Wally, and Dakota were in the living room with us. Wally feeling good, picks up a plush toy and starts playing with it. Soon Holly is on the other end of this toy and pulling. Just like they did years ago. We hadn't seen that interaction for years. Once the others came back in, the playful mood died. If this experiment proves that Snowball can act normally and thrive in a home where she is it, we will look into rehoming.

[BanaerEskies]

Can you explain "screaming"? 

I know that my dyplastic dog will protests with snaps and growlsall types of attention from the dogs or with avoidance from humans when she is in pain.  Rarely does she show her pain in other ways except a VERY subtle change in her gait. 

[Jasmine]

I have a friend who has a small Eskie, who is a very shy dog, and if I try and pick her up she starts to sqeal.  I am definately not hurting her as I am barley touching her when she starts to squeal.

This little Eskie's human mom is very kind to her and all three Eskies are treated like Royalty at home.  She sqeals like this sometimes for her owner as well and I know that she most definately have never ever been mistreated in any way.  She is just a very shy little girl.

[Eskies4Us]

Princess doesn't like it if the other two invade her space, and gets snarky with them.  Snowball and Bandit love to chase each other and wrestle, and Princess will really let them have it if they get to close.  It sounds like she's in pain, but they don't even touch her. She also doesn't like having her nails trimmed and can be grumpy about that.  We don't think she's that old, but she acts old and grumpy.  We think she was in an accident before we got her, because she sometimes yelps if you try to pick her up (like for a bath). Some of it is probably pain, but some is just attitude.

Maybe she's just stressed by all the others?

[109ACE]

Can you explain "screaming"? 

I know that my dyplastic dog will protests with snaps and growlsall types of attention from the dogs or with avoidance from humans when she is in pain.  Rarely does she show her pain in other ways except a VERY subtle change in her gait. 

Think of walking up behind somebody and goosing them in the butt. The response would be YIKES! It's a very high pitched, nervous like yelp.

[109ACE]

I guess the best way to describe what we are living with is to show you all. Now understand, she has not been abused, taunted in any way. She has never been around children while in our house for the past 3 years when we took her in.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouSdBiNl1JA

[snowballsmom]

oh man that is not pretty.
she has some personal space issues.

[109ACE]

Bingo! I think that might be it. She used to be a really nice dog. Would love to sit with or on us. She still does, but don't dare try to put your hands on her. She freaks. When we aree snaking in the living room, Snowball will jump up onto our laps as if to get a treat. She'll get one, seem happy, we try to pet her, she explodes.
She insists on sleeping in our bed at night. Takes a spot between Melissa's head and the headboard of the bed. Melissa last night mearly placed her hand under her pillow and accidentally touched Snowball's fur and she went ballastic. She's damn lucky she's in our home. I think in a less experienced home she would be getting marched to a shelter or the vet to be put down. We'll work with her and figure out her issue someday.

[Saint Mom]

Whew. I watched the video. And from what I see, it really seems as if she wants to control the game. And on the video, it seems to be working for her.

If a medical check-up reveals all is normal, I would try the NILIF on her. Earn the points to move forward.

As a next step if things are not moving the right way, it may also be a good idea to talk to the vet about some type of medication so she can be responsive in a positive way to you.

Not knowing her background (abused, etc.), her age factor, etc., it is not an easy situation to be in.

But for sure, she would have the rights to the bed eliminated and other privileges removed until she acts a way that is acceptable.

[katie's mom]

Wow!!!  I think Helene's scattergun approach sounds like a great idea--anything and everything that might possibly help and maybe something will stick.  But certainly NLIF and the possibility of medication warrant *serious* consideration.

[snowballsmom]

She insists on sleeping in our bed at night. Takes a spot between Melissa's head and the headboard of the bed.

1) she insists? oh kevin, you know better, she's the DOG you are the PEOPLE you make the decisions and rules. 

2) that is where snoopy sleeps when he insists on sleeping in bed with us. but, it's less space lost to dog and more space for people so it's ok. 

[109ACE]

I'm sorry, what is NILF?

[Steve]

Nothing In Life is Free

[snowballsmom]

nothing in life is free.
a training program whereby the dog has to earn everthing. the right to furniture. the  right to pets, to food. to treats. etc. they have to sit, down, etc for everythign. establishes order and you as top of that order.

http://k9deb.com/nilif.htm

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/nothingfree.htm

[Steve]

I was thinking the exact same thing as Helene while watching the video.  I would also add a permanent leash to her for a while and I would work on not backing down (easier said than done, I know).  It could well be related to the addition of all the other dogs over time she's decided to claim certain things as her own.