Aa
Mute puppy
Just purchased a new female puppy. She is 13 mos old and appears to be nearly mute. Just squeaks when she tries ot bark. Any ideas why or what should we do?
COMMUNITY LEADER
You say she's 13 months? And you just got her? So do you know her history?
When I first got to know the dog I've got now, she really belonged to other people at the time. They lived in a town. She wasn't cruelly treated, but wasn't properly loved either, and the 'owners' had serious issues with hard drugs....
After she came to live with me, she was very quiet. She never barked, not ever. She was happy, but looked a little 'punch-drunk'
I took her in the fields and woods. She loved it, and I threw frisbee for her, and for the first time she could run and express herself. Soon she began to bark. It was like her real self being set free.
I have a feeling, though I don't know this as a fact, that she was stopped from barking because the previous owners lived in a town, and in a small apartment.
When I first got to know the dog I've got now, she really belonged to other people at the time. They lived in a town. She wasn't cruelly treated, but wasn't properly loved either, and the 'owners' had serious issues with hard drugs....
After she came to live with me, she was very quiet. She never barked, not ever. She was happy, but looked a little 'punch-drunk'
I took her in the fields and woods. She loved it, and I threw frisbee for her, and for the first time she could run and express herself. Soon she began to bark. It was like her real self being set free.
I have a feeling, though I don't know this as a fact, that she was stopped from barking because the previous owners lived in a town, and in a small apartment.
Have you tried to get her playing and get her excited to see if you can make her bark?
Since you just acquired her, have you had her vet checked? If so, what was the vet's opinion? If not, I would make an appointment with a vet to have a physical done on her. It's always a good idea anyway when you get a new pet, just so that you know from the get-go that everything is OK with her.
Reverse sneezing, or the pharyngeal gag reflex, happens when there is a spasm in the soft palate or throat. It's very scary sounding but it's actually nothing to worry about. Usually you can rub the dog's throat, or otherwise distract it so that it takes its mind off the spasm, and the muscles will relax enough to leg air back in. The spasm is caused by some sort of irritation. Sometimes getting the dog to swallow will stop it. Sometimes, if you can cover the dog's nostrils, it will stop it. The sound is similar to the sound they make when they have a collapsing trachea, but the collapsing trachea sound has more of a "honk" to it.
If it happens so often that it disrupts the dog's life, then I would have a vet check it out because it could be caused by allergies, and antihistamines could make your dog's life (and hence, yours) a lot more pleasant. Otherwise, don't worry about it.
Do you have pictures of your new little girl? We'd love to see them!
Ghilly
Since you just acquired her, have you had her vet checked? If so, what was the vet's opinion? If not, I would make an appointment with a vet to have a physical done on her. It's always a good idea anyway when you get a new pet, just so that you know from the get-go that everything is OK with her.
Reverse sneezing, or the pharyngeal gag reflex, happens when there is a spasm in the soft palate or throat. It's very scary sounding but it's actually nothing to worry about. Usually you can rub the dog's throat, or otherwise distract it so that it takes its mind off the spasm, and the muscles will relax enough to leg air back in. The spasm is caused by some sort of irritation. Sometimes getting the dog to swallow will stop it. Sometimes, if you can cover the dog's nostrils, it will stop it. The sound is similar to the sound they make when they have a collapsing trachea, but the collapsing trachea sound has more of a "honk" to it.
If it happens so often that it disrupts the dog's life, then I would have a vet check it out because it could be caused by allergies, and antihistamines could make your dog's life (and hence, yours) a lot more pleasant. Otherwise, don't worry about it.
Do you have pictures of your new little girl? We'd love to see them!
Ghilly
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