Hi,
I have recently aquired a 71/2 mnth Dobe bitch and have followed someones advice and put her on a high protein diet(28%) as she's still a pup they said. I think I have made a mistake. She has become hyper and upset today, she will not settle and is aggresive to my other dog. We have only had her a week but today has been out of the blue. I know she is missing home and perhaps I should expect this, but I get this feeling that the diet is having an effect too. Should I change her to Burns and if so, where can I get it on a Sunday in the Midlands? What makes it harder is that she knows us and has been very good considering, though very hard work. Things are extremly bad at the moment.

What food are you feeding? I would be more inclined to think colours and preservatives skitses dogs out rather than a good quality protein.Hence why i'm interested on what brand your feeding.

Raw fed dogs are fed much higher amounts of protein than any commercial food could ever supply and these dogs tend to calm down after being switched to raw :)

I agree with Frodo, if it is good quality protein then it should not have any effect on her.  Raw food is the best choice for your dog but of you can't face a raw food diet as I am afraid I can't try using Nature Diet - www.Naturediet.co.uk - Dried food even Burns is not the best choice.

What about some flower remedies to help her settle into her new home and cope with all the change??

Good luck

PS - You can get naturediet at most major pet stores

Thanks for that advice. I am using a pets at home puppy complete and it has everything, or so I thought. Now I see it has a high protein level of 29%. I used to feed my Lurchers and greyhounds tripe and any old cheap mixer, so would that be better? The tripe came in frozen blocks minced with beef, lamb, rabbit etc and my greyhounds and lurchers did well on it. I will have a look at nature diet though as my husband used to complain of the smell.

Hi spiritulist :)  One thing that is very apparent to me is that this Dobermann has had a bit of a time of it recently!  Why couldn't your sister cope with her (as mentioned on a seperate post?)  You have only had her for a week - yet she has already been sent to the naughty room ;) again as mentioned on another post?  Your sister fed her 2 meals a day - you feed her four - Why??  You dont mention what she was fed on before but you have mentioned previously that she doesn't behave like a hungry dog and that her coat shines like glass - So why did you change her??  If it were me I would be obliged to let her settle (which cant happen in a week) on the food she was previously fed (for now)  So far you have mentioned Burns, naturediet, tripe......I know its a confusing subject but I really think you should let this girlie settle and in the meantime do your research.  When the time is right and necessary go for a gradual change. 
With regards to your original question I really dont know what some peoples fascination is with protein levels these days!!  I overheard a lady at our training club talking about another womans Rottweiler as being aggressive and out of control because its raw fed and therefore receives too much protein :rolleyes: - Nothing to do with the fact that this woman and her Rott are totally incompatible, it wasn't socialised properly and bred from poor lines!!!  I was very quick to ask her why she thought my dog was cool as a cucumber despite being on a raw diet ;)  I also know of a couple of hyperactive dogs with bad scurfy skin and fed on cheap dry foods full of sugars and colourings who have been advised by a so called expert to cut down their protein levels :D
I think the key is a to go for a good quality 'digestible' protein - which I'm convinced my dog gets on raw especially seeing as she only poo's a few chalky nuggets twice a day as apposed to those big sloppy piles of crap that many pet dogs produce numerous times a day!!!
Anyway, good luck
Sarah :)

Hi Rozzer,
My sister has not socialised her. She is good in the house and lets people in after a couple of barks, but she has the red mist come down when you take her out. She will attack other walkers and has to be muzzled. She has bitten and we are wondering if she is just a "biter".
Changing her diet I thought would help as she was on tins and mixer plus scraps from the table. She was also being given a lot of tit bits and coloured chews etc.
We have walked on the lead and she is a nightmare. Off the lead she will attack first and ask questions later, so we go no-where without the muzzle. We took her in to try and help her as we had visions of her being shunted from pillar to post and used for breeding, but I don't think we can. I have been home with her all week and we have all invested all our time in her, sitting in the garden just watching her and our JRT, just being there. Because of this she has settled in well and has taken to the family like she's always been here. We are good owners I know as we are chilled and have always done our best for our dogs and they have turned out to be friendly and obedient. So what do we do now? have I got it so wrong for trying?
She has not had a bit of a time either. The naughty room is the dining room and all our rooms open out into a big hallway and wherever you are you can be seen. We have done this with all our dogs and she has not had to be in that room for a few days now as she is polite at home now.
We have only had her for a week, so if we sent her back now, it would be an education, but if she does go back, my sister is going to advertise her and is this right?
I would appreciate some advice and I can't chance an incident as this would mean she would be PTS perhaps.

Hi spirtualist i dont think dogs just turn in to biters you have only given her a week and you knew what you were taking on, by the sounds of it you have already decided to give her back and a week isn't long enough really.  I believe she may well be better in a new home with someone who will give her the commitment she needs.  Rozzer is complateley right in everything she says give the dog a chance.

I've been reading your posts, spiritualist, and I think that you are doing very well - you've had a 7nmonth old dobe puppy who hasn't been socialised in the least, and you have turned her round at home - give yourselves a pat on the back for that!

Keep perservering - and yes, I would change her food to something like naturediet.    I would also suggest that you look at giving her some Rescue Remedy, just before you take her out - this should help her "chill out" a bit more.   Yes, you've got to keep the muzzle on her, of course, but get her used to the fact that YOU will protect HER - she doesn't have to look out for herself!

When you see that you are getting near something that has freaked her out before, either turn away from it, making sure that she is concentrating on you - or possibly, if it is an environment that is upsetting her - just take her there, sit with her, for 10 or 15 minutes - dont "baby" her there - in Jeangenie's words, give her the "jolly hockey sticks" routine - you know, just pretend that the elephant ain't in the room!

Keep up the good work - you're doing so well with her.

Margot

Thanks for that. I do feel we have tried and she does learn thats true too. It's just that something in her that makes all her sense dissapear, she becomes a different dog. Yes we knew what we were taking on and still we did it. I think that says a lot about where our hearts were with this one. It would of been so much easier to of gone out and bought an unblemished puppy and lets face it, there's plenty of them out there.
Viv

Hi Spiritulist :)  It sounds as though you are going to need more than 'good intentions' and a diet change to get this dog socially accepted - and I mean that with the respect that you deserve for your efforts so far :)  I'm not a behavioural expert but your bitch has her age on her side and if I were you I would be prepared to put a whole lot of work into her, starting with a GOOD trainer/behaviourist.  May I recommend that you get in touch with a lovely and very knowledgeable woman (especially with regard to aggression problems) Mrs Angela Stockdale (www.dogpartnership.co.uk) - I haven't worked with her directly but my clicker trainer has and still does and I know she is bloody brilliant!  I think you should seek advice asap without accepting that she is 'just a biter' or 'she's been spoilt' or 'its her protein levels'.  I commend you for taking her on and I wish you all the luck in the world with her.  Please E-mail Angela and check out her site -she is usually pretty good with getting back to people!
Let us know how you get on
Sarah
PS. I dont think you have got it wrong for trying, it sounds as though this bitch is in good hands for now ;)

just reading post please would you tell me what exactly do you mean by RAW do you mean BARF or is it raw meat i.e. mince /beef/tripe??

Hi Welshie :)  When I refer to raw I mean Biologically Appropriate Raw Food or B.A.R.F.  People also refer to this as Bones And Raw Food or B.A.R.F ;)  Just to confuse you! 
When 'I' feed raw, this includes a multitude of food items based on a prey species such as raw meaty bones (chicken wings, duck legs, poussin, lamb chops, whole rabbits to name a few,) muscle meat (chick breast, steak, heart) offal (kidneys, liver) recreational bones (not part of dietary intake but still given - marrow bones,) eggs, fish etc...
Sarah :)

thanks just get confused with what raw actually means but i feed raw mince stewing steak etc but cook fish and chicken  my bitch loves raw liver but i don,t cive her much at a time because i,m not sure if too much is good for her at the moment have,nt give her any as she,s just had a litter and as i said i,m not bure if it would be o.k have,nt ventured into chicken wings etc//////////yet

At 7 months I would say that she dosnt really need a high protein puppy diet anymore. I took my labs off of 'puppy' food at about 3 to 4 months as they were growing far too fast. It may not just be the protein that is making her hyper, but she may well be sensitive to a number of ingredients in any diet.

Also dont forget that at 7 months she is a teenager and regardless of how good or bad her experiences so far she is going to be pushing the boundaries and she may well be starting to be effected by those hormones :0

Dont be hard on yourself you wont make progress over night, just keep plugging away. Good luck

My 17 month old GSD is very high drive and has always been so since we got her at 8 weeks old. She has always been a handfull, at one point she was suffering with Struvite Crystals in her urine and the vet put her on a Royal Canin special food for 3 months. During this time she calmed right down and we were going great guns with the training. I looked at the ingredients on the tin and noted that it was very low in protien. It was quite expensive so as soon as she had a clear result from the vet she was spayed and put on a BARF diet. Since then she has returned to being hyper active and training has taken a backward step. I too am wondering wether it is the BARF and the high protien level. I have asked the question before on this site and everyone does not agree with my observations but surely every dog must react differently to foods, it seems like a big coincidence. The other thing to think of is that maybe my dog was calm because she was not in the best of health.  

If a dog has "high drive" it will have, whatever you feed it (unless of course it highly allergic, being made ill, starving etc).

The other thing of course is what "drive" does she happen to be in ie prey drive, pack drive, defence drive, fight drive etc etc etc

There is a difference between "drive" and "hyperactivity" they are not synonymous.

Drives can be harnessed, if a dog suffers from "true" hyperactivity, they are very difficult to direct.

True raw feeding has its protein levels mitigated by the mineral and water content if the correct diet is being followed.

It may be that your dog has a metabolic disorder which needs mitigating with supplements etc.

What is your definition of true hyperactivity? Maybe I'm using the wrong terminology (other peoples definition when I describe her behaviour) not mine. I just think she is a basket case. We never know from one moment to the next how she is going to behave. One day you can take her on a crowded bus, allowing all the people and children to pet her, the next she will go for any man woman or child that has the nerve to be on her street when leaving the house. On the other hand she welcomes any visitors to the house and has never gone for anyone.My husband can take her to the pub after the football match where she will be everyones friend but then, on walking home, go for someone who is walking along minding their own business. She will play with known doggy friends but will go for the same dog as soon as we put on her lead. We have one very confused dog but at a loss as to how to handle. We have tried everything and are hoping that we will get direction form Angela Stockdale in July. So as you can see any improvement in her behaviour is duly noted and the change in food and the spay combined has made her harder to handle.

I think that this all goes back to dogs being individuals and what suits one may not suit all (no matter what some manufacturers may claim). The only thing is to get to know your dog and what suits it best at that point in its life. I know that is not an easy answer to live with, but it is exactly the same as feeding a child and they dont come with complete food or instructions :D