I’m honestly at a loss, and I’m hoping someone here has been through something similar and can offer some advice.
I got my dog about four years ago. She’s a mixed breed, part Whippet and part Husky, and unfortunately, she was taken away from her mother at only 6 weeks old instead of the recommended 8 weeks. This wasn’t my decision; the breeder was giving the puppies away early, seemingly just to make money.
She is genuinely one of the most loving dogs I’ve ever met. She’s incredibly sweet and motherly toward both of my children. I trust her around them because she has never shown aggression toward them, and she’s so gentle and caring with them. I love her, and I know she’s a good dog at heart.
But she is SO difficult to manage, and I feel like I’ve tried everything.
She has an almost endless amount of energy. She can run and play for up to four hours and still seem ready to go. We spent $5,000 building a fence so she could safely stay in our yard, and she STILL digs underneath it to escape.
Taking her for walks is exhausting. She squeals, screams, and barks at practically every person she sees. It’s stressful and embarrassing, and I feel like I can’t even enjoy a simple walk with my own dog.
We spent $1,800 on professional training, but unfortunately, it didn’t solve the problems. I’ve tried positive reinforcement and using food to train her. I’ve tried a shock collar, an e-collar, and a bark collar. We’ve also tried medication, but it didn’t seem to help.
At this point, our next step is to speak with our vet about medication that might help calm her down, because I genuinely don’t know what else to try.
I feel terrible even saying this, but sometimes she is an absolute pain in the ass. I’m exhausted. I feel like I can’t give her enough exercise to satisfy her, I can’t trust her not to escape the yard, and even something as basic as walking her feels like a battle.
The hardest part is that she’s also such an amazing dog in other ways. She loves my kids, she’s affectionate, and she has such a sweet, nurturing personality. I don’t want to give up on her. I don’t want people to think I don’t love her, because I really do.
I just feel like I’m running out of options, and I don’t know what she needs from me that I haven’t already tried to give her.
Has anyone dealt with a dog with this level of hyperactivity, escape behavior, and reactivity? Did anything finally help? Could this be anxiety, overstimulation, genetics, or something else entirely?
I’m open to suggestions, especially from people who have dealt with similar dogs. I’m not looking for judgment. I’m genuinely looking for help because I love this dog, but I’m struggling, and I don’t know what to do anymore.