MELISSA BACELAR: Celebrity Pet Communicator

Talking Dogs!

Dear Melissa,

I have owned Benny three years now. He destroys things when I'm home as well as when I am not home. He is not aggressive to people or other animals normally, other than the time he got into a fight with my other dog. Actually, I am a dog trainer and am at a loss for what to do with him.

The typical trainer tricks and behavior modifications don't seem to work with him. He doesn't get enough exercise right now, but when I walk him he appears anxious. His vet and I have both discussed the separation anxiety issue and quite honestly, he doesn't exhibit the typical signs of anxiety. He takes 20mg of Prozac daily which had originally helped quite a bit, but now doesn't seem to help as much.

Believe me, he has come a long way in the three years I have owned him. The reason I adopted him was because the shelter had deemed him unadoptable, he had been there six months and was going to be euthanized. On my first meeting with him (we used him to train while we were going through the training program), he peed on my leg, ripped my shirt, bit my leash in half, and humped my leg! So he truly is much better behaved now.

He'd had a hard life; he was left chained to a fence with his mother in a yard; the people moved and left the dogs there. They both were confiscated by animal control after a couple of weeks. I do realize Benny is not a confident dog and have tried and tried to get him to feel secure. I am just really concerned that he is not happy, and wonder if I did him any favors "saving" him if he is truly tormented. The funny thing is that everyone who knows him adores him because he is so lovable and quirky.

~ Maureen

Answer:

Hi Maureen. First of all, thank you for saving Benny. He is a great guy and deserves a good life. It sounds like separation anxiety, but after speaking with him, you are right! It absolutely isn't, he could care less about being alone. He does remember being left tied to the fence and it was scary. But he knows you love him and it really is more about attention than the fear of being alone.

The medicine makes him foggy, which he hates, and he acts out for attention like a kindergartener. He loves you, loves your daughter, and loves people. He just is very unpredictable and certain things make him mad. His thoughts are very human.

He gets jealous, he worries, he projects what will happen in the future. He doesn't feel like he deserves happiness, and he makes up problems in his head, which is ridiculously human! You almost never see this in a dog. Dogs are usually living in the moment. Benny lives in worry. He sits and questions himself: Do they love me? Are they happy with me? Why aren't they paying attention to me?

I honestly think this behavior will settle the longer you have Benny. He is just insecure! He is happy"”just needy. I hope this helps? He is very smart
and understands you. Praise him. The more praise he gets, the better he feels. Punishment doesn't register with him; disappointment does. When he acts out, really feel disappointed in him, ashamed of him. That will register. You have a big kid on your hands. But, it is so wonderful that you are taking the time to understand him. If he were human, he would need therapy twice a week!

~Melissa Bacelar

Dear Melissa,

Banzai is a six-year-old, spayed, female Border Collie-Australian Cattle Dog mix. My husband and I adopted her at the age of 14 months. She was way too much dog for her former people, and we are disc dog competitors, so she now has a job that she loves and she is really good at. She is my husband's disc dog, and has traveled all over the U.S. competing; she has also been to South Korea and Canada. When we first took her in, she told me, "I'm a superstar!"

She has the natural style and grace of an athlete, and the heart of a champion. Dharma is a three-year-old, spayed, female Australian Shepherd-Border Collie mix. We adopted her at the age of five months, and we were her sixth home (that we know of). No idea why she had so many placements, unless it was because she was destined to be with me. We adopted her because my aging disc dog (Rider, a 14-year-old, neutered, male Australian Shepherd with many titles to his name) fell completely and instantly in love with her and gave her his whole heart. Dharma is also a natural athlete, with a wide repertoire of tricks, but she doesn't care for the disc.

So, with that background, the situation is this: Banzai and Dharma are very close and get along really well, most of the time. They are almost identical in size, and they love to play chase and wrestle. However, once in a while, Banzai gets offended when Dharma tries to play with her.

Our question is this: We would like to know why Banzai sometimes growls, snaps and fusses at Dharma when they seem to be interacting (to our human eyes) like they always do? Is there a specific trigger for Banzai that makes her react this way? Is it just her mood? How does Dharma feel about it? Is Dharma causing this, or is it dependent on Banzai's reaction in the moment? Is there some way that we can help? Can they give us a signal before the problem starts so we can intervene, distract, separate? Or should we just let them work it out and stay out of it? (That is usually what we do, unless it looks like they might come to blows, then we tell them to cut it out).

~ Christi, Chris, Banzai, Dharma (& Rider"”who stays completely out of it and doesn't seem to care)

Answer:

Hello! I want to say that your dogs are just charming, really quite intelligent, and very, very happy! They put an instant warmth inside of me and I am
smiling from ear to ear. Banzai and Dharma. They are sisters and they do love each other. The spats are just that. I feel like Banzai is just super intelligent, inquisitive, and a problem solver. Dharma feels like an intelligent being but not the intellectual type. She is a little more of a clown. Banzai says when she acts funny you guys really laugh because it is unusual. But Dharma is always doing something silly. Banzai gets a little jealous and annoyed in typical sister fashion. It doesn't seem horribly aggressive, just nasty. She is saying, "I have had enough"”not now."

Banzai gets sick of Dharma always being cute and funny and everyone saying how cute she is. Banzai has a more refined feel. She feels like she is the smarter one and yet Dharma gets more attention! Banzai also says she is just more of a superstar! Dharma's silly antics just get on her nerves. That is it! Just let them work it out. I don't see it being an issue.

I love them both!

~Melissa Bacelar

Photo of Dharma (brown & white) and Banzai (black & white) hiking on Herman's Gulch Trail in Colorado.

Melissa Bacelar is an animal communicator and looks forward to getting to know your animal companions. If you have a question for Melissa, please email a high-res picture of your dog and your question to her at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and put "American Dog" in the subject line. You can also visit www.melissabacelar.com