# Need to rehome Gemma.



## PoodlePaws (May 28, 2013)

This is hard for me, but best for our family. She is a shih tzu female spayed and up to date on shots appx 1.5 years old. 

Any of my Texas people interested in her or know someone who might be? She needs to be an ONLY dog. She is getting to be too AGGRESSIVE to the poodles. I can't have my poodles getting hurt. ?


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Oh no, I am really sorry to hear that, but you did a great thing rescuing her from that kill shelter, and I know that you will find the perfect home for her.


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## patk (Jun 13, 2013)

sorry to hear this, pp. hope there will be someone out there who can give her a good home. i know it's painful for you.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

Oh no...I'm sorry to hear this. I guess trying to keep them separate is awfully hard and not really fun for anyone. I do hope you find a great home for her. You tried, but there comes a time where safety has to come first. Sorry for this hard time you're having.


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

There is a ShihTzu rescue group in Houston called Lone Star Rescue.........I think I would put her with a rescue that is 'breed involved' rather than risk a stranger...... I hope Gemma finds a happy home. You did a good thing though, by rescuing her, but sometimes it just doesn't work. You saved her life and that should make you feel a wee bit better, that she is healthy and able to be rehomed!


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## PoodlePaws (May 28, 2013)

So my dh basically told me I was horrible for wanting to find her another home - even though the dogs aren't getting along. He is insisting we keep her.


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## patk (Jun 13, 2013)

love it when hubby is soft-hearted. my neighbor had the same problem. she had several dogs from the humane society and when she was thinking of trying to rehome one because he didn't quite fit in, her husband said no, because it would be unfair to the dog. love a loyal man. nonetheless, maybe your dh will go with you to the group molly recommended to check it out, at least. that's giving gemma a chance to be happier, too.


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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

I'm sorry to hear that she's not a Poodle fan. Place go the breed specific rescue group route. A young dog in good health will be immediately placed in a loving home. Gemma will be like winning the lottery for one of their applicants.


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## Carley's Mom (Oct 30, 2011)

This CAN be fixed. I had this issue for a year and finally I let Stella know there was a new bitch in the house and it ended.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

This might be a situation where it be worth getting a consult from a behaviorist - someone who is not so close to the situation, and has a skilled eye to tell you if it is workable or not.


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## BorderKelpie (Dec 3, 2011)

I don't know how feasible this may be for you, but my DDs son to be 12 year old shih tzu strongly dislikes other dogs. Ironic since I feel right now that if the floods hit, I could repopulate the canine world on my own if Noah remembers to pick us up. lol Isaac, AKA Sic Puppy gets the dining area to himself. He can still see everyone, put the room is barricaded with an X-pen. He has his crate and all his toys, etc. It wasn't done that way on purpose, I blocked that room while I was babysitting someone else's dog who was fully convinced that my parrots would be delicious. I put up that "temporary' pen and Sic decided that I did it just for him. 

He does get couch time every day, when I have mine outside for training/playing/whatever and since some of the pressure has been removed, he is becoming more tolerant of the other dogs, to the point where he is slowly allowing some interaction now. 

It might be an option for you although, I don't kow if your situation might be more difficult since I realize females are much less tolerant than males. (I can say this because I'm an intolerant female lol)

The problem with rescue right now is all the fosters, rescues and shelters are filled to capacity due to the recent flooding here in Texas. I was at DAS Thursday helping with photos and left in tears when I realized that owner surrenders are being euthanized upon reciept since there is no place to put anyone (and the owners were being told this, and dumped perfectly wonderful animals anyway. DAS has over 200 animals in one location now and we are expecting more in since the flooding hasn't let up yet. 

I wish you all the best for Gemma and I hope you can find a home or solution ASAP.


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## PoodlePaws (May 28, 2013)

Carley's Mom said:


> This CAN be fixed. I had this issue for a year and finally I let Stella know there was a new bitch in the house and it ended.



I read your story a while back. 
I have been letting Ash and Gemma fight it out. It's hard to watch. I don't know who, but one was screaming the other day. My daughter broke it up (forgot to tell her the plan). Gemma/Missy have had it out and conquered one another. They are good. But Ash will not let it go and she and Gemma fight all the time. I decided one of them will need to get hurt for this to end. Missy flips out during the fighting. If I'm in the room she will lay in my lap. I guess Gemma is staying since my husband is not considering re-homing her.


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## Carley's Mom (Oct 30, 2011)

I did not let my girls fight it out ! Carley was not even fighting back, Carley was not doing anything to cause the fights, she was happy to let Stella be top dog! Stella was a bully and she had some health problems. She would fight C anytime she did not understand something or got excited. It had nothing to do with C at all. And she went for the kill too, she would have killed C if I had not been there. To this day I never leave them alone together. 

I let this go on for a year, I would shake her muzzle and yell, NO, then put her in her crate. That did not do a thing. I finally got tough on her, so hard for me to do because she was the first dog I have ever hit in my life. But that is what it took. It has been over a year now with out any trouble at all. 

S is healthy too, itch free, her 3rd eyelid used to show, it doesn't now. Keep working on this, you can fix it and give G the home she needs. Breaking up a fight with little dogs is not even scary, but get them by their back legs and pull them apart and then get with them. Let them know a fight will be a fight with you and you don't ever lose.


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## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

No, you should never let the dogs fight it out.

Which brings me to Gracie mom's pomeranian/chihuahua mix, she's 10 now. She's 7.6 lbs, insecure and high strung, she's a resource guarder, food, people's food, people or toys. I have worked with her since I moved in with mom over 6 years ago. None of the above has changed but how its handled has.


Breaking up a small dog fight is not for everyone, Mom has be bitten seriously on at least three seperate occasions. Last time she was bawling because she knew this could be it for Gracie. She had bitten the older poodles serious enough that they had to go to the vet. Gracie even attacked Mom's cockatiel in its cage feathers flew.

So yeah it was bad.

We dialed back 

Gracie is supervised at all times when she is with the other dogs. This means catching the behavior cues before a fight erupts, the signs are there. 

If you have to break up a fight stomp up, I me loud usually that's enough to stop, you can do as Carley's mom says but you have to remember you still can get bit if you don't do it right.

Things need to change.

There No free feeding.

Freedom is earned, which means offending dog needs to be supervised or seperated from the other dogs.

If an incident does happen, I roll Grace into a submissive positive tell her in a firm voice to knock it off and then she gets a time out of 5 to 10 minutes. This helps de-escalate the tension and remind her that humans are involved.


There is hope, it did take awhile but we always have to remain vigilant, the other weekend Gracie attacked one of Mom's new cockatiels, old Sam passed on, so it can always be there but it can be managed.


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## MiniPoo (Mar 6, 2014)

PoodlePaws said:


> I read your story a while back.
> I have been letting Ash and Gemma fight it out. It's hard to watch. I don't know who, but one was screaming the other day. My daughter broke it up (forgot to tell her the plan). Gemma/Missy have had it out and conquered one another. They are good. But Ash will not let it go and she and Gemma fight all the time. I decided one of them will need to get hurt for this to end. Missy flips out during the fighting. If I'm in the room she will lay in my lap. I guess Gemma is staying since my husband is not considering re-homing her.


If your husband will not let you rehome Gemma (I have been there), then YOU get to set the rules on how you deal with Gemma's aggressiveness. I won't add to the good advice you have already gotten. Just want to stress that if you have to keep Gemma, then you can decide how best to do that and should expect your husband to get on board with your game plan, even if that means Gemma is isolated a lot to keep your poodles safe.


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## patk (Jun 13, 2013)

have to agree: no fighting among the dogs allowed. same way you would not let your human kids hurt each other. somebody has to establish the framework within which everyone will live together. 

consider hiring a behaviorist to help out. a veterinary behaviorist would first try to make sure there are no physical/medical conditions contributing to the behavior. also, a vet/behaviorist is also able to prescribe medication if needed. but in any case, a behaviorist is better than a wounded dog to worry about.

from what others are saying, pretty sure you can arrive at some kind of compromise that permits you to keep gemma if that is what dh insists on. best wishes for the best of outcomes.


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## Shamrockmommy (Aug 16, 2013)

Also have Gemma drag a leash whenever she is not crated. You will be able to snatch her up more safely if she picks a fight. 

And this sounds really cruel, but I would let her have it! YELL in a loud voice, scruff her by her neck and isolate her from everyone (time out). You don't have to hurt her, by any means, but I agree, if she picks a fight with one of your other dogs, she's picked a fight with you, and it ends with you. 

Good luck.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

patk said:


> have to agree: no fighting among the dogs allowed. same way you would not let your human kids hurt each other. somebody has to establish the framework within which everyone will live together.
> 
> consider hiring a behaviorist to help out. a veterinary behaviorist would first try to make sure there are no physical/medical conditions contributing to the behavior. also, a vet/behaviorist is also able to prescribe medication if needed. but in any case, a behaviorist is better than a wounded dog to worry about.
> 
> from what others are saying, pretty sure you can arrive at some kind of compromise that permits you to keep gemma if that is what dh insists on. best wishes for the best of outcomes.



Thousands of $ :-(


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## patk (Jun 13, 2013)

tp, keeping dogs ends up costing many people thousands. (thinking about your dogs and how lucky you are to have decided on insurance early on.) no question about it. some people here, however, have chosen behaviorists (thinking of judyd right now) and are getting the dog they want out of having done so. it's a choice. i also suspect the cost in new york is out of sight compared to elsewhere in the u.s.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

patk said:


> tp, keeping dogs ends up costing many people thousands. (thinking about your dogs and how lucky you are to have decided on insurance early on.) no question about it. some people here, however, have chosen behaviorists (thinking of judyd right now) and are getting the dog they want out of having done so. it's a choice. i also suspect the cost in new york is out of sight compared to elsewhere in the u.s.



Yes, and this certainly a more worth case than 13 year old Teaka's separation anxiety. Petplan only covers $1,000 for a Vetrinary behaviorist, and the one that was recommended to me would have been a minimum of four times that.


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## PoodlePaws (May 28, 2013)

Last night Gemma and Ash were at it. First let me start off by saying that I would not have hit Gemma with the flyswatter, but I picked it up and yelled at her and briskly walked toward her - she ran and got in the kennel. Ash kept barking at her trying to get her to come out. But she wouldn't as long as I was holding the flyswatter. Confirms my suspicion that she was probably swatted a few times at her previous home. Missy and ash don't even know what it's like to be physically reprimanded. I could swing all kinds of stuff at them and they wouldn't flinch. It did seem last night that Ash was teasing Gemma to come get her.


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## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

If you can figure out the dynamic of what starts the fights you can most likely stop them, watch and see what is atually happening. With Gracie's resource guarding, it took a bit to figure out that she was guarding mom's food from the other dogs. I noticed that she was in a more rigid posture when guarding and closer to the object, in this case mom's dinner. Grace got booted from the couch, and if that did help then escorted to the bathroom for a time out.


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