My dog is being so bad

Poor Misha. This week I have decided to try to break her of her fear of her little doggie jacket. I'm making her wear it a couple of hours every day. Each day, she gets a little better, but I think I might have to do it all year before she accepts it.

It is affecting her behavior, though. She mopes a bit while she is wearing it. She looks so sad. She has also started doing things that she knows not to. For instance, she is not allowed on the furniture unless she is on a human's lap. She has gotten up a couple of times by herself. Today, I found her by herself in my mom's chair!

I hope this is worth it. She is so cold since our weather change. I am really doing it for her own good. I am so surprised that she accepted the dog hood for two weeks when she was injured but she is terrified of the jacket. It's just a small jacket that has two velcro strips. It doesn't go all the way around her and she doesn't have to put her legs in.

 

This sounds to be quite a problem to resolve. I guess the easiest thing would be to give in and not try to make Misha wear it but that's not what would be the best thing to do. Dog's need to know you are their boss.
You are doing it for her own benefit. Are there other issues such as sensitivity around where the jacket goes on. Something like when we get prickles in our sock and it drive us nuts.

 

Argon, I don't think the jacket is poking her. I have three different jackets and she acts the same way no matter which one I put on her. I try to slip my finger underneath to make sure that it isn't too tight and restrictive.

She does seem to be getting better. At first, you couldn't touch the jacket. Now she will accept a belly rub or a pat on the back. My Mom's friend came over today and Misha didn't notice the jacket at all while she was distracted.

She is kind of pathetic when she wears it. She will walk in circles. Or, she gets on your lap and stands there paralyzed with the saddest eyes. When I take it off her, she would yell "Free at last!" if she could talk.

I wish there was some way that I could explain it to her. It's going to be raining for the next 5 days so it will be damp and cool. I just hope that in a week or two she'll decide the jacket is okay. I don't want to give her any new psychological scars. She has enough, thank you very much!

 

It sounds like a difficult chore to get her to wear it.I hope you and her can resolve it some way. It sounds if Misha is not going to give up.

 

I hope she'll get used to it soon! If she already seems to be getting better, then everything should be allright . My Homer doesn't like clothes either but he accepts some of them - or fight with them only for first 10 minutes, then he forgets he is dressed up When it's really cold, I keep his winter sweater on the radiator - this way it's always pleasurably warm when I'm puting it on Homer.

 

Argon, she actually accepts putting it on now. That used to be a big battle. But, once she has it on...crazy! Once we caught her going into her bed. She was under the blanket with her butt end hanging out. Her head was down resting, but her back legs were still standing.

Claudine, Misha is fine while distracted. We take our walk and she doesn't care about the jacket. Give her food and there is no jacket problem. But, once she is left to her own devices, she obsesses over it.

I could never get a sweater on her. Anything that her legs have to go through would be twice as traumatic.

I did get her to play a little with the jacket on today. She fell asleep on my computer chair behind me for about a half hour afterward. Still, my Mom left for awhile today. Misha moped around for awhile. When she was quiet, I went to check on her and she was sitting in my Mom's living room chair where she should not be! It's almost as if that is the only place she feels comfortable wearing a jacket. It is so bizarre.

I was thinking if I got a jacket that was white with brown and black spots maybe it would be better. She'd look back and think it was herself. LOL

 

Now that sounds like a marketing opportunity.

 

Maybe it's the texture of the jacket that disturbs her. Some dogs hate the plastic feel so if it's made of plastic or plastic texture, it can be the reason why she is driven crazy by it.

Perhaps you should find a jacket that has the same texture as your mom's chair as it seems to give her comfort. Or maybe you could sew the jacket's inside with the cloth used in your blankets.

I think Misha prefers wearing your shirt than hers. You could try bundling her up in those and maybe she'd curl up like a little ball in it.

 

I think you have a good idea of taking an article of your own clothing and making a jacket for Misha. It might be something that would be more adaptable then the store bought jacket. So far this one doesn't seem to be something Misha likes too much, and your being told as much in her actions.

 

Ah, if only I could sew!

The jackets have different lining. One has a lining like a human jacket--that thin material. The other has soft fleece. The newest one is plaid. I'm not sure why but when we take our walk it makes her walk sideways sometimes. I have not figured that one out!

I'm backing off for a couple of days on making her wear it several hours. It was traumatizing her too much. She became a completely different dog with sad eyes and droopy ears. I'll continue to put it on for her walks. Then, I'll try to build up the time again.

Perhaps in 3 or 4 years she will decide the jacket is okay.