I know somebody here will have had some experience with this, and I could do with some advice

Charlie, 18 month rescue, is on the whole, settling in well, and his behaviour improves day by day.

Walking on the lead is better, social skills improving, (going to dog training classes is helping on both these fronts), off lead definately better, his recall is much improved. Food time, with him & Benji, absolutely a delight Both excellent

But, here's the problem.....Come playtime, after their dinner time in the evening, Charlie gets very boisterous. If I try to calm him down, he just gets dominant. I don't want to use the word aggressive, because he is not vicious, but he does bite and rush at me continously. Even if I walk away, he continues the mad excitable barking and rushing around, and unless I close a door between us, he continues to push at and snap at my legs. I try to keep calm, but it is unsettling. It's like a split personality.

Any ideas?

Niki

time out worked for us. The moment it starts say nothing just leave the room and compeltely ignore him, or if you can place him in another room. It doesn't need long, just logn enough for him to realise that play stops when he goes too far.

Then go back in and if he's still kicking off leave again, but if he's calmed tons of praise and play with him. He'll get it eventually.

What is he fed on? It's interesting that you say these moments come just after his meal time - there may be a connection.

hhmm i was wondering what you feed him on too - sounds like it could be a 'bonkers' reaction

Try changing his routine to see if its definately after the meal.
Do you feed twice a day? if so does this happen after both meals?

maybe make walkies time after his meal (but give him an hour or so to let his dinner go down to avoid bloat)

maybe its just sheer excitement - my two have days where after they've eaten they decide its playtime and start rough and tumbling each other and rubbing themselves all over the floor

[QUOTE]time out worked for us. The moment it starts say nothing just leave the room and compeltely ignore him, or if you can place him in another room. It doesn't need long, just logn enough for him to realise that play stops when he goes too far.[/QUOTE]

Thanks, I will try it. I have tried shutting him in the garden, but he just barks & scratches at the door. However, he can still see me, so perhaps it's a little unfair.

[/QUOTE]What is he fed on? [QUOTE][/QUOTE]hhmm i was wondering what you feed him on too - sounds like it could be a 'bonkers' reaction[QUOTE]

He is fed on Hill's science plan adult chicken, as that was what he was on when he arrived. Is that one of the food's that can make dog's hyper? I've read that some like Baker's Complete can, but I don't know the reputation of this one.

we used the downstairs loo. Stuck the light on and closed the loo lid ( otherwise he'd just think it was a time out for a drink, we learnt the hard way!). This way we weren't shutting him inthe kitchen were he sleeps and he wasn't in any of the other rooms where there was stuff to do liek throwing cushions around etc. He had nothing to do but calm himself. Was only in there for 30 secs or a minute, just till the barking stopped, then when we opened the door he looked all sheepish but was calm.

He doesn't do it anymore, he still ahs the mad time, but he'll hare up and down the carpet scratching his back and having a good old wriggle including a goo woof at the carpet or the same in the garden.

One thing we tried was teaching our mad Charlie to get a toy, by saying 'get a toy toy' and taking him to the toys, he's not allowed to play bite hands or anything else, we turn away from him, avoid eye contact, and keep hands tucked up and in, and he gets lots of praise for getting a tuggie/whatever. Now he'll just bounce to the toybox instead. Might not be helpful in your situation, but I guess anything helps!

I'll try anything! I've got so many scratches and bruises from where he keeps nipping me

It gets like a mad house, coz Benji gets protective of me, or just dominant with me & Charlie, and growls at Charlie.
If i'm sitting down, Benji will jump on my lap and growl very ferociously at him. So I have Charlie snapping at me, with Benji snapping at him....I just try to keep fingers & toes out of the way Benji and Charlie are normally fine together, it's only when Charlie gets his mad moments, Benji seems to catch it!

All dogs have mad moments. I don't even try and interfere, just let them get it out of their system- doesn't last long. Just walk away, fold your arms, turn your back etc.

If you've ruled out a dietary cause, I'd would actually disagree with Penel - ignoring has its place, but in a case of inappropriate and possibly dangerous behaviour, I think teaching the dog an alternative activity is better, and 'find your toy' worked well for us with Barney - infact he now brings me a toy when I come in

I agree with that, but....there are mad moments, and nasty moments.

When he rushes around at 90 miles an hour, in & out the house & garden, yapping like a lunatic....mad moment.

But when he nips you for ignoring him when thrusting a toy into your legs, and if you dare to rebuke him, he gets worse, growling & snapping, jumping up at you, following me when I walk away...nasty moment. He really is uncontrollable. The more I rebuke him, the worse he gets.

I have been paying more attention to when it happens. It seems to start when he is in a high state of excitement, but doesn't get what he wants. So at playtime, but usually when I want to stop, and at walk times, but only until we are out the door.

Picking his lead up sets it off, I just hadn't realised it was the same behaviour, because it stops as soon as the door opens. If I don't go out the door, he tries to 'kill' his lead & my feet

We have only left him three times, with Benji, and while we were out & when we came home, he was as good as gold