Constant lip licking and yawning?


penbh

New Member
Hey everyone!
My mini daxi is 6 months old and I've noticed that she yawns a lot and licks her lips very often aside from having just eaten or woken up.
I thought it may have been some teething issue so I googled it and all the posts say it's a sign of anxiety and shes trying to calm herself down :eek:
I have no idea what she's stressed about! I don't shout at her and only use positive reinforcement =( I feel so guilty!! She is my first puppy.

We live in an apartment and the entrance is directly into the living room. Shes recently started going crazy at the doorbell, barking, so I've been working on distracting and redirecting her to perform a sit/down and a treat before I open the door.

I had some success with the washing machine barking by treating her whilst it was on and making her put her paws on it. The vacuum cleaner though is a different story. I thought she was playing but now I'm worried that shes frightened of everything! Is it normal!?

She doesn't walk well on leash and is starting to show signs of aggression towards other dogs and strangers when on walks. I am trying various ways to combat this including treats and praise when we see people far away or when she walks past someone without barking. Dogs I am struggling with though. Is it best to just pick her up and get out of there? I feel like she needs to see them but I don't want her aggression to be compounded!


We are starting puppy training classes on tuesday, but if anyones had any similar problems it'd be good to hear how you worked through them! I feel like a terrible owner and I'm sure she can tell =(
 

Lupita

New Member
Yes, you're right. She is showing you she's anxious. Both my Doxies are somewhat anxious, but my younger one is the worst.

When we got her at 11 weeks old, she was already growling and barking at children. She would hide under the bed when visitors came and forget walks-she froze and trembled as soon as we stepped outside. So yes, I understand exactly how frustrating and worrisome their anxiety can be.

You are on the right track with the positive reinforcement! It will take time and patience, but it WILL work. The key is to take things slowly, at her pace. My Lacy won't eat when she's really stressed. So at first, I worked with just getting her to eat in the backyard. Then the front yard. Then on the sidewalk in front of our house. It took about 2 months to be able to walk her around our block and have her take treats. Sometimes I cried, and sometimes I was frustrated that she couldn't just be "normal". Yesterday I walked her with a friend she had never met, in a busy park with cyclists, strollers and other dogs aplenty. She never barked, froze or cowered. She looked at me instead of freaking out, and took treats as her reward. She's a year and a half now. She still won't let strangers pet her, but she will sniff them and not bark. It's a process.

One of the best things you can do to strengthen your bond with her and give you support is to take training classes. Be sure they are with a reputable, positive-reinforcement only trainer. I take reactive dog classes with Lacy. It's helpful to see and hear of others struggling with the same challenges, and to celebrate our victories together.

With other dogs, it's best to try to avoid them on walks right now. Work on treating her when she sees them from a distance. The right distance is where she is fairly calm (tongue flicks are ok, but not barking or unable to focus on you or take treats). In our classes we learn "auto watch". It means we reward our dogs every time they look at us. When she gives you eye contact, say "yes" and give a treat. Do this everywhere-in your home, on walks, etc. Use her kibble for treats when it's a less stressful situation, like inside your home, and higher value treats like liver bites when you're outside. When she gets the concept, you can say "yes" and she will look at you, waiting for her reward. Use that when she sees something scary.

Eventually, they choose to look at us instead of barking at the scary thing. In time, the scary thing becomes a good thing, because it means treats are coming!

Also practice u-turns when you're on walks. Do this inside the house first. You can use food by her nose as a lure, to have her turn with you. Then teach her a cue like, "let's turn" so she knows to expect the sudden turn. This is helpful for thr times you unexpectedly encounter a dog on your walk. Try to stay calm and move far enough away for her to be calm. Bring treats with you and if she does have a fit, simply drop a small handful right in front of her nose. Usually, they will start sniffing the ground and gobbling up the food. This is an emergency measure, but will still teach her that the dog going by meant treats rained down from the sky!

These are just a few tricks. There are lots more a trainer will teach you. The great thing is, you recognize her reactions are fear-based, and you're starting early to help her through that fear. I wish you all the best!
 

penbh

New Member
Ah Lupita, thank you so much for replying I honestly thought I was the only one experiencing this! I'm going to start puppy classes with her in September. I feel like I am completely failing the poor girl. Thank you so much for your advice. I have been working on the eye contact thing for a few days now and she's getting better at it, she was avoiding it at all costs at first andnow she will look at me for a few seconds.
I just wish I knew what was causing it for her, the more I notice it the more anxious I become and upset. Which is probably not helping at all!
The story of your little one is giving me some hope though! How awesome that she managed to do all of that! x
 
Whatever you do, don't let her behavior cause you to shy away from taking her out on walks. Since you live in an apartment, you may have to get creative in finding ways to give her enough exercise to drain some of that nervous energy.
 

penbh

New Member
Thank you both!
Quick update - have been doing around 6 weeks of puppy training classes and she is improving SO much outside. Lupita your advice worked wonders especially with the treating when seeing dogs from a distance.
I meet a lovely lady on our walk most morning and Penny is very reactive towards her two huge dogs, but I've got her to sit and take treats while they come closer. When she does bark I don't pull her away anymore, I just wait until she turns even slightly to me and I click and treat.
I've noticed over the last week that she is starting to come to me automatically now!
And yes WanderingMan, I was definitely guilty of that at first; I was afraid to take her out but now we go out twice a day for 40-90 mins and I have noticed a huge difference!
So thanks for your advice =)
 

Lupita

New Member
I'm so happy to hear that! You are awesome for taking the time to teach your dog about the world instead of sheltering her from it. Just keep doing what you're doing and the progress will continue, however gradually.
 
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