~ Our Prima Donna

Hope this finds you and Cliff well. Attached is a picture from Remy’s birthday last month. The kids insisted that she get a special doggie cannoli from our local pet store. She is obviously spoiled.
I have been working a ton on her leash training and she’s doing much better. She is still scared of other dogs but overall we are making progress, tons of positive reinforcement and she isn’t lunging anymore. The only time we have a problem is if a dog is off leash and approaches her on the leash, but that is understandable at this point. I am hopeful that we can get past the aggressive behavior and I’m seeking some 1:1 training with a professional.

We had a scare – she was spayed last month and there were complications. The surgeon nicked a vein or something and she lost a lot of blood. They sent us home but we were concerned that she still had internal bleeding and took her to urgent care. Glad we did because she probably wouldn’t have made it. Poor thing, she did not need additional surgery luckily and had a rough recovery, but is fine now.
Anyway, until next time 😀
Haley

Breeder Comment

We are sorry to hear you have issues. To us, this sounds a lot more like a territorial behavior (which is a Weimaraner thing) mixed in with some fear. Who can guess what brought it on? There are a lot of unknowns. Here are some links that might be useful.

Critical Fear Periods

Dogs Go Through an Adolescent Fear Period

The worst thing to do with FNS is to force your dog to do something he’s frightened of. It’s also not a good idea to soothe or praise the dog’s fear in this situation. That can unwittingly reinforce the dog’s fearful behavior, while using force may lead to a permanent fearful response. The best approach is to be patient, be jolly, remove your dog if possible, and know that adolescence is just a period—and it’s my fervent hope that it’s short-lived.

Canine Fear Periods

There is some useful information in these articles; however, like every bit of dog-related advice–it is essential not to overreact or make something into more than it might become. I am always cautious when labeling a dog as aggressive–especially in a situation where they don’t like another dog in their space or even humans coming at them. This issue seems like a fear –but territorial behaviors are also a bit issue with this breed. Don Wilbur (a long time Weimaraner breeder /expert) said of them, “they may be the most territorial of breeds.”

Territorial behaviors may express in many ways — protecting their crate, their fence line, a corner of the room, etc.

Caesar on Territorial Behavior

Territorial Behavior in Dogs

Dogs and Territorial Behaviors

Quite possibly the most successful way to deal with this behavior in our experience is to remove the trigger and not to force the issue. I think we expect that we will be able to do everything with our fur family member and sometimes it is not possible. Seriously, every environment is unique. We each have different leadership skills–and worst of all when we are disappointed or frustrated our Weimaraner picks up on the cues. This information may help someone. I think it is essential to realize there is any number of things that can occur. There is not always an easy solution. Thank you to Remy’s family for all the hard work and making her life special. And Happy Birthday Remy!