Hello.
It started with a drain cover, my dog spent hours on end staring at it and drooling over it. For the past months he has been doing the same to the iron leg of a garden chair. He pounces on it, whines at it, drools on it and bites it when other people touch it.

One person said 'Some animals can sence magnetic waves' so it could be that. Another said 'He may have an iron deficiency and his body is wanting iron,' but wouldn't this make him sick and weary? As he is full of energy and always on the go.

Help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Don't know if this is much help and I may lose some credability for citing Victoria Stilwell as authority but here goes!

I remember one of the shows of "It's Me or the Dog" with a gordon setter who was obsessed with the glass patio doors of his owners house and would lick and stare at them all day and chase the reflections they cast on the wall. VS said it was the canine equivalent of obsessive compulsive disorder (not sure if that was stricly true or not). Can't remember exactly what she did to make him stop but I think it was mostly distraction techniques.

Hope this was some use to you...

It does sound very much like my murphy spaniel who spends all day watching the ground, ceiling and windows for shadows and light reflections. Given that they are metal objects hes staring at i would guess that prehaps there is a slight reflection being given off. THis is a form of obsessive compulsive behaviour that can be really hard to switch off. I can distract murphy to a point, but the obsession is always there.

Thanks, the reflection thing is a good point, especially when he has licked it all and it becomes very shiney so maybe that is why. It's hard to distract him, he usually runs to the front door if her hears a knock, but while he is staring at the chair he doesn't move! :rolleyes:

No, this behaviour is not at all difficult to 'switch off'. 

According to 'The Dog Whisperer'  Cesar Millan (one of the digi channels, Friday 8.30) all you do is put a choke chain on the dog as high up the neck as possible,  infuse them with your 'calm, pack leader energy' and yank the chain really sharply whenever the dog reacts to the object. Problem solved.

Of course you may get bitten a few times -Cesar certainly has in the couple of programmes I've seen - and the dog may never look relaxed or even less than fearful but what the hell, at least you've shown it who's boss and that's the real point.

(Have to take tongue out of cheek now as keep biting it - another case for Cesar?)

Mutts

Sorry JH, you were asking for help and I've just taken the opportunity to snipe - but someone more sensible will be along in a minute.

I for one do not like the 'dog whisperers' advice at all - a check chain?  I thought the idea of using one of those awful things as a training aid went out years ago. Thought it would be more likely to aggrevate the problem rather than solve it.

Actually on the programme i saw tonight it wasnt just a check chain he was using - it was a prong collar! I don't believe that method would ever work and the problems would just resurface elsewhere.

I've caught that programme a few times too, I dont agree with his techniques at all, Im not suprised he has been bitten! I'd love to go back and see how his cases are doing after a few months!

This gets worse by the minute! Why do they allow such programes to be put out on air?  Programes like this send out the wrong messages to dog owners. Modern dog training methods use kindness, such as the clicker not abusive aids such as check chains and prong collars!!

If anyone has been involved with Guide Dogs training, gone to an open day perhaps, will note that the trainers almost speak to the dogs in whispers, no shouting, yelling or yanking of aids. There is no need for hard handling in dog training, the dog in the programe judging by the first message appears to have a phobia, linked maybe to anxiety. To train hard with such a dog I would have thought would only make it worse surely?  Same if similar strict aggressive methods were used on a human if they had fears or obsessional behaviour traits, this would not not be acceptable, so why think it is acceptable on a dog ?

I am afraid I have to disagree about the 'shouting'. When I say shout I really mean using a positive, firm voice so that the dog knows you mean business. I have had 3 GSD'S & my first 2 only needed a very soft voice when training. My 3rd is very different, if I had used the same tone of voice with him he would have completely ignored me. I know because I tried it! My 2 children have been just the same, my son needed boundaries setting out very firmly, my daughter is completely opposite! I have seen lots of owners of GSD'S have (& still have problems) because they have not spoke firmly enough to their dogs. I am afraid when I have said 'no' I have meant it, I watched a lady only yesterday with her dog who is very, very disobedient & will not leave other dogs alone when training at the side of them. He has been lunging at other dogs for 2 years, he does not listen to her at all, he is obviously the boss in that relationship. I have shouted 'no' at him when he has lunged at my dog, and after a few goes he has stopped. The trainers have tried & tried to get this lady to be more dominant, but she will tell you that her son is the only one who can do anything with him. He treats her son as the pack leader, but doesn't listen to her one bit. She has always spoke (in my opinion) far to quietly & he has totally ignored her. I think it has to be horses for courses!

He has been lunging at other dogs for 2 years, he does not listen to her at all, he is obviously the boss in that relationship. I have shouted 'no' at him when he has lunged at my dog, and after a few goes he has stopped.

Hmmm if shouting is such a good method why does it take a few goes to work

Sorry but shouting at a dog especially if it is barking are the same as reassuring the dog it's ok & you are joining in. It is far more likely your body posture is what stops the behaviour-try shouting sitting down & with your back to the dog & see if that works It won't because your body language will not be threatening the dog

I've only had GSDs since 1958 & the first problem dog I trained was in 1964(not one of mine)she did the lunging & was showing signs of fear agression(because of maltreatment by a dog breaker) I learn how to work with her not by shouting or speaking firmly but by the tried & tested & proved method of rewarding good & ignoring bad, it took two months to turn her from monster to normal dog-with no shouting involved at all

I found with my dog, at home I could speak quietly & I have always worked with treats. I can whisper commands when we are 1 to 1, but at training though my dog was very, very different. He would pay me no attention what so-ever, all Zak wanted to do was chase, or jump on the other dogs.  He was a rescue & spent 5 months in a pen with 2 staffies for company. I don't know whether this was the route of the problem, it probably was, but now at 3 1/2 years old I feel my hard work did pay off. I don't feel that I trained him by threatening him, I just found that when talking quietly, I was completely ignored. I was told at training to ignore his barking when he was bored on the training field & he did eventually stop. I still use food as a reward, but can honestly say that I still have to speak loudly at dog training, if I don't Zak ignores me. I do have fun with him though! I do agility with him & he loves it. Unfortunately I really do have to shout then though because he always goes round the course barking his head off because he is enjoying it so much! I am sure you will say that's my fault & that he is only copying me. Perhaps he is!

I would advise trying to distract the dog when he does this. Perhaps draw his attention to a toy or something. What can be something daft and funny now could, quite easily, turn into a serious behavioural problem.