# Help!



## mynameisgucci (Mar 22, 2015)

Hi everyone! 

I have a six year old Vizsla/Pitbull mix name Gucci, who my husband rescued five years ago. He's a sweet boy just very scared (shelter said he came from an abusive home.) We've made lots of progress with him in the last few years. Even though he's still scared he's very well behaved and obedient. We moved to Kuwait last year, where dogs are disliked so we starting sending him to doggy daycare to get exercise and socialize since we aren't able to take him out like we could in NYC. We don't know if he's learning it from the other dogs in daycare or from the change in environment but he's developed two behavior changes that we just don't know how else to deal with. 

For starters when I am sleeping if my husband wakes up to use the restroom or when he's waking up to get ready work Gucci will growl, bark and try to attack him. He has to leash him and take Gucci with him to prevent it from happening. We recently tried moving his crate to the bedroom and he growled and barked when he heard my husband getting up. He'll continue even after my husband has left the bedroom and only stops after he leaves the apartment. Any suggestions on what we can do to stop this? It has never happened before and just started a few months ago and only when I am in bed. 

Secondly, Gucci has started nipping me when I get up. He'll run up to me, nip me and run away. We've tried grabbing his mouth and pressing down to make him uncomfortable and firmly telling him no and send him to his crate but it still happens and more recently in the past few weeks. If there anything else we can try? He doesn't break skin but it still hurts and leaves huge bruises  

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated, thank you!


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## organicthoughts (Oct 9, 2012)

Get him vet checked. This seems like it could be health related.


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## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

Yes... having the vet check him out is the first thing to do. 

It does sound like the behavior changes coincide with starting Gucci in day care. There could be something bad happening to him in daycare, and he doesn't know how to cope with it. I can't imagine an entire country not liking dogs. 

p.s. Maybe you will need to consider shipping Gucci back home to live with relatives until you can return. How long do you have to stay there?


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## mynameisgucci (Mar 22, 2015)

Thank you for the responses. 

I wish it was that easy to just take him to a vet 

We took him to vet here and the doctor thought he was a girl... when he's clearly not 

Unfortunately living in a country where they poison dogs because they think they're dirty it's been impossible to find a vet to take him to. We would have wait until he comes home with me in the summer to take him to a vet who can actually differentiate the differences between a male and female dog. 

We considered shipping Gucci back home to my mom but she already has three dogs and he's too big for her to handle since my parents are older. We're going to be in Kuwait for two more years and can't imagine not having him :-[


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## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

Since you're living in such a hostile environment (for dogs), maybe you should consider taking him out of daycare entirely, and making do with your own care. I'm old enough to remember when there was no doggy day care. Dogs routinely held on for eight hours until their people came home from work. A good walk in the morning before work, and then dinner and some quality outside time after work. The way it is now, you really have no idea what's happening to him during the day. Could be anything. I don't envy you. Good luck!


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## mommaofalot (Apr 10, 2014)

If it was me I would find a way to get my dog back to the states. What do you do if someone gets aggressive with your dog? Do you go to jail defending it? What happens if something were to go wrong with your dog... there is no proper care there for your dog to receive. I am sorry if I offend you but sometimes when you love something or someone you have to think what is best for them.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

I'm just guessing, on what might be the cause.

It sounds like he is resource guarding you, or thinks he needs to protect you. I would say keep him out of the bedroom when your resting.
If its not medical, it might be the confinement that's causing him to lash out. To go from being able to have freedom on walks, and then have it all taken away. He may also be reacting to how your feeling, dogs pickup on our feelings very easy. He only knows you stress when any stranger is in the area, he does not know you are stressing over his safety. He may think you are stressing over your own, and that he needs to protect you. Next dogs are more protective over sleeping owners, than they are when you are upright and alert.


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## mynameisgucci (Mar 22, 2015)

mswhipple: Since it's so expensive to spend him to daycare everyday we only have him go once a week to socialize. The rest of the week I pretty much run a daycare at home: playing games, working on new tricks and a run where I'm armed with mace, a stun gun and a baton just in case. I just feel bad taking him out of daycare since he won't be able to socialize with other dogs but with what's been going on maybe I should stop for now. 

mommaofalot: No offense taken at all! We have considered it a great deal but that would mean giving him away since my parents can't handle another dog and we don't have anyone else to leave him with  We keep him away from the local so that hasn't been an issue and if anything were to happen to him I'd be on the next flight out of here. It's just hard to let go since he's basically family and since he's a rescue I really don't want to give up on him and have him go through it all over again :-[

TexasRed: Thank you for the advice! We're going to try keeping him out of the bedroom again and hope it gets better


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