Warning- long post..
PIL have taken on a rescue dog. Their previous dog, a labrador *** died in February. She was a fairly typical lab, guided by her stomach but gentle and soppy as well. After a few months, they decided to get another dog, FIL missed his walks and MIL misses companionship during the days when FIL works (3 days a week,up to 5 hours). MIL is disabled, she has very poor mobility, has poor balance due to severe arthritis and lymphodoema (sp?). FIL is very active, always on the go, one of life's fidgeters!
Soooo, I agreed to go to the rescue centre with FIL (where they got previous dog aged 7 months) to help choose a new dog for them. The 2 of us went three times, looking for a dog aged 1-2 years, medium sized, calm, preferably a ***. There were several "contenders" mostly mongrels, a couple of very gentle staffie's and a few older dogs which MIL dismissed when told about because "she wants no bad habits" grrr.
The centre asked FIL to fill in a form which would help them match the right dog with them. FIL had a shortlist of 3 or 4 and said he would bring MIL to have a look for a final decision.
Later that day, a home check had been done and the In laws decided on "Mungo" a black and white collie cross because the MIL said "he looks like Bella" their lab....
Mungo, soon re-named Pepe (family are Italian) joins them in his new home and everyone thought he was very sweet. He has been with them approximately 4 weeks and I think they have made a big mistake. Pepe is approximately 9 months old and came with no history (came from W elsh pound to this rescue). He is ultra energetic, has torn up their garden, does the wall of death around the house until he crashes into things, runs around with onions trailing from his mouth (FIL has an allotment) so fast his eyes look like they are going to pop out. The worst thing though, is that when he's excited he "play" snaps, sometime leaping off the ground towards your face, if you push him away he goes for your hands and wrists, if you put your hands in the air and turn around he goes for your ankles. I am covered in bruises and welts from fending the dog off and getting pretty fed up. The rest of the family seem to be looking at me for advise because they know I love dogs and have a fair bit of knowledge (none practical) of training methods. The trouble is, I'm only there for a couple of hours 2 days a week. The other day I was clicker training him in the garden, we were doing brilliantly, sit, stay, paw, lie down, all learned super quick, but it was during one of the "downs" that he leapt up at my face to "snap". Then MIL comes into the garden and tries to fend the dog off with a broom... I shout at MIL not to do this, it's dangerous, she will get hurt, the dog may go for her and she would fall. MIL ignores, FIL comes out, yells at the dog, yanks him away by the collar and everyone gets distressed by the whole episode. FIL has mentioned half heartedly a couple of times about going to obedience classes but he's utterly against them because he would see it as a failure on his part that he couldn't train a dog "I've had dogs for 55 years and never gone to one training class"
Pepe gets an hour walk a day but my feeling is that he is bored stupid, he's a collie cross so I think he needs to be "doing" something, maybe agility or flyball, and I would be happy to take him, but it will be impossible until they get some control over the dog. Any ideas gratefully received please!
This is Pepe, on the day he arrived home, before the garden destruction began.
