# rescued a 6 year old unspayed female Bernese



## dakotajo (Jan 29, 2009)

I haven't been on here in awhile so hello everyone:wave: for those who don't remember I have a spayed female Bernese who is 2 and a half now named Dakota. 3 days ago I rescued her mother from the breeder who was selling her because she couldn't produce pups anymore, ya I know.... she has been in a kennel outside all her life and spooks fairly easy living in a home but surprisingly is doing quite well considering the circumstances. To top things off she started her heat the night she came here so I imagine she is stressed to her max anyway, her and Dakota tolerate eachother quite well but she is extra needy and likes to push dakota out of the way for affection and growls at her, Dakota was backing off in the beginning but now won't put up with it so the new one ( named Roxie) is now posturing over Dakota when Dakotas laying down or she puts her head over Dakotas when they are both standing next me. Dakota is now growling back at her and there's some snapping of jaws, no teeth touching fur yet. As soon as I yell "hey! Enough!" they both stop and do their own thing. I do not want things to escalate to were they have bitch fights and I really want this to work because she is a good dog but of course everyone has to mesh. Will she improve after she's spayed? I have to wait at least 3 more weeks. Am I expecting things to go smoothly way to soon? Please advice!!


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## Bones (Sep 11, 2009)

probably a thread better suited for the training forums (just so it gets more eyes on it!)


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## JustTess (Mar 19, 2008)

Have you tried contacting a Bernese Rescue in your area?

I contacted a Husky Rescue to ask a few questions about bringing in a new dog with existing dogs. I sent them an email and asked to respond at their convienience and I was able to get a good impression about rescue dogs and interactions I might encounter. So far for us, it may just take our adult husky some time to sort out how he feels so he hasn't had unsupervised time together with the new husky.


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## dakotajo (Jan 29, 2009)

The Bernese rescue is aware of the situation and will help find her a new home if things don't work out between the dogs. They told me to that her being in heat can contribute to moodiness etc... I'm hoping after she is spayed things will work out. She is guarding me and her food so my own dog is hesitant to come near me now. They both initiate play with eachother but you can tell that my dog Dakota is on her toes just in case Roxie decides to turn play into a scrap. The biggest thing is I have to wait till her cycle is over to get her spayed and then find a new home if needed and by then I will be very attached but I can't compromise my own dogs happiness or mine.she's a great dog otherwise, good with cats, great with people, walks well on a leash(she sits so calmy waiting for a walk too) very healthy for a Bernese thats turning 7 years old in May


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## Newt* (Apr 24, 2009)

It's really important that you show that you are the pack leader at all times. You should not allow either of the dogs to guard or posture over you, food or each other. As soon as there is ANY sign of that behavior it should be stopped BEFORE it becomes an issue. It is very important that it is stopped before they 'get involved', so you will need to be observant for a while. Staying calm and relaxed at all times is most important. Look for the signs that it will start with eye movements, facial movements, tail up, etc and give that 'Hey' to distract them as soon as you see those. Once they know who is the leader and that you won't tolerate that behavior, they won't need to establish dominance between them and will look to you to take the lead. Some additional exercise would also be helpful in getting them more relaxed and tired so they won't be so on guard. I can't stress how important it is to stop the behaviors as soon as you notice them start, not once they are already interacting and it's most noticeable.

Newt


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## dakotajo (Jan 29, 2009)

Thank you! I've been stopping any posturing and snarls etc... when they are around me, other people and they seem to be more considerate of eachothers space now for the past couple of days. It's mostly the new on Roxie that does the guarding when she starts things. Dakota has no guarding issues whatsoever, except with me after Roxie was doing it. I think I will feed them in seperate rooms for awhile. I've been taking them on walks together and they have been good, I'm more determined now than ever to have control on walks with 2 big dogs. The new one is great on a leash and my dog is the brat if I let her get away with it. They have started playing more so that's a good sign, I can never totally relax just yet as I'm watching them like a hawk! I think I forgot to mention that the new one is in heat also so her moods might swing? She can go from licking Dakotas face to guarding. She will be getting spayed as soon as her cycle is over.


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## Newt* (Apr 24, 2009)

You did mention that the new dog, the mother to Dakota, is in heat, and that could be part of the issue. I suspect lack of proper socialization for her is the greater part of the problem. Not sure feeding in separate rooms will be best, but not having competition for food will be helpful. Again, you are the leader and you should be calm, relaxed and in control at feeding time. They need to sit and be calm when you start to prepare the food and all during the prep and putting down of the food. They need to know that YOU own the food until you allow them to eat. That way there will be no competition between them.

I see you live in Canada, so I'm guessing you've seen Cesar Milan, aka 'The Dog Whisperer' on TV. He has some really good advice on how to stay calm and in control at all times. He even has a website called Cesars Way, but not sure if I can post a link here. There are some helpful tips on there. I've used his techniques in rescue situations when I didn't have time to 'train' for days, but only had a few minutes or hours in a disaster situation, and they sure do work! I was able to take dogs that were labeled aggressive or fearful and 'snap' them out of it enough in just a few minutes to prove they weren't what they had been labeled.

Newt


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## dakotajo (Jan 29, 2009)

Things haven't been going to bad for the most part, she seemed to have found her voice and barks some (not too much yet) She seems moody and will play with Dakota and the next minute is snapping at her and wants to be left alone so Dakota gives her space. I feed them all at feeding time in the kitchen, cats included, they all have their space and NO ONE is allowed to take over the others food. She has improved with her guarding food quite a bit. Housebreaking is another issue, thankfully I'm able to stay at home and watch her. it will be 10 days tomorrow since I brought her home and I hope it continues to get better and better. Any more tips are welcome


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## Newt* (Apr 24, 2009)

Sounds like you are doing great with her!  I wonder what the barking is about. Is she barking to be noticed, in frustration, or aggression? If you are not pleased with her barking then it is up to you as the leader to let her know you aren't pleased and give her that "hey' to stop her, preferably before she starts. As soon as you see her mood change from calm to frustrated you need to distract her so she doesn't escalate. 

It's been a while since I had to potty train a dog as we have a doggie door, but always taking them out after a meal is a good thing. Before bed and a couple in between also helps. Poor baby probably never had so much attention, and with her being in heat, she might have to go more often.

Hopefully she will eventually get used to Dakota's presence more as time goes by. I had a similar situation with a very ill blind dog I rescued. She had never lived with kids, dogs or cats, just an elderly couple. They were very ill and were unable to care for themselves, let alone her. They fed her dog food from the dollar store and eventually she developed a thyroid condition that went untreated. That lead to diabetes that was untreated, that lead to blindness. When they passed away and I rescued her she was a few days from death. She was so morbidly obese she couldn't walk, her eyes were pasted shut, her hair had fallen out and all her organs had begun to shut down. She did not want my animals around her, especially since she couldn't see them. She would lash out at all of them, especially as she started to get stronger. I once got in the middle and it wasn't pretty! She's a white husky and today my vet calls her the miracle dog. She's now even tempered and mild mannered, but it took almost 6 months after she had gotten well to accept the rest of the world, so give her some time. I did have to set boundaries, but I was watchful and kept limits on the other dogs so they wouldn't push her too far or tire her. I made sure they didn't go near her when she was eating or bother her when she was sleeping so there were no 'surprises'. 

I wonder how the household was structured where this mom came from. If she was isolated a lot, it would make sense that she would get frustrated with Dakota quickly. As she feels better and becomes more confident about herself and the fact that you are the leader, she will become calmer.

You are doing great!
Newt


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## dakotajo (Jan 29, 2009)

Thank for the support! it's so needed right now. One day is good and the next I have mixed emotions about bringing another dog in. I'm sure she's barking at nothing and it's been at night outside, she throws her head in the air and listens to herself I'm sure of it, it's not directed at anybody or anything. I told her to come in and she didn't want to so I told her,"okay, one more bark and your coming in." and she kept turning her head away from me while I was talking to her,lol, so I shut the door and she barked so I opened it and then she came in, quite comical actually like she knew what I was talking about.
She was kept in a outside kennel with a big male Berner and beside that kennel was 3 more with more dogs. He told me she was good with other dogs, leash trained and that his daughter was the one that bathed the dogs (she's 11 years old), good with cats. The kennels were clean and he must of let them out to run sometimes and clipped her nails because her nails are a not long


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## Newt* (Apr 24, 2009)

Ok, so the kid that bathed Roxie was 11 and Roxie is 7, right? Are you taking Roxie for a walk in the evening? I would think that would help. If she is used to being out in a kennel all the time, that may be part of the problem of why she is barking, boredom. That is probably what all the dogs did at night and how they communicated with each other. A walk will be mentally stimulating and will help to physically tire her out and settle her down for the night. Would that be possible?

You might also work on the 'come' command during the day. That way when she is outside at night and barks and you call her, she will come to you immediately - once she is trained to come on command.

Also found this from this site about Bernese:
http://www.bmdinfo.org/pages/Before_Buying.php:



> Can you provide a Berner with opportunities for exercise?
> 
> **Considerations**
> * A common question puppy buyers ask is, how much exercise do Bernese need? Answer: Depends on the Berner. Several on leash walks per day or at least two 15 to 30 minute off leash play periods will provide most adult Bernese with an outlet for their energy. For some this would not be adequate. Striking a balance between your lifestyle and schedule and the activity requirements of your dog at various stages of development is challenging to many owners. Bernese can be quite active and energetic, but they are not likely to self exercise adequately in a yard alone. Some Berners are happiest when resting and need encouragement to get moving! By providing a Bernese with exercise that meets his or her needs owners can expect to have a calmer, contented, healthier house pet. Playing 'Go fetch" is a great activity for some breeds of dogs - not so with most Berners. A typical Berner might chase a ball a couple of times, stand over the object and look at the owner who threw it as if to say "See, I saw, I followed, I found it and aren't I smart". No further action required!
> ...


Newt


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## dakotajo (Jan 29, 2009)

I'm thinking she didn't have too many baths, she totally shut down in the bathtub. The only daughter I seen was the 11 year old so maybe he has an older daughter, I don't know. She's 6.5 years will be 7 in May. I usually walk them in the day but I guess i could bundle up for 20 min. with this -18 celcius weather at night, brrr...
I read what you posted and she's great with the cats so far, as for dogs she has only met the neighbours dog, saw a puppy from about 20 ft and of course Dakota. she seems more interested in human companionship than dog. I haven't exposed her much yet since she's in heat.


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## Newt* (Apr 24, 2009)

I started reading up on the breed to get an idea of their basic personality and basic behavior and needs. They can be a bit stubborn and stand offish as they mature, so that could help to explain Roxie getting annoyed with Dakota, along with her being kenneled most of her life as well as being in heat.

My goodness, you must really be up north!! Brrr! If you can stand the cold I think it would be great to see if it helps her to settle down at night.

I'm off to get some zzz's. 
Newt


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