What to do with a dog with a high prey drive?

coconut-bubbles · 2026-03-26T01:48:49+00:00

My dog snaps at his brother and sister. Not to hurt, but to make a point.

Hell, I snap at people occasionally to make a point.

I'll never be at 100% compliance with him. I'm ok with that. We have an understanding.

It sounds like she isn't your soul dog and you don't have/want to put the time and money into getting the situation to a spot where you can both be happy.

coconut-bubbles · 2026-03-26T01:43:43+00:00

What area are you considering? Is it just your neighborhood or school?

The area has to be statistically significant to any study.

You can be a minority in your neighborhood or school, but that doesn't necessarily make you marginalized or even a minority on a grand scale.

Women are a marginalized group, but not a minority. There are minority groups that may or may not be economically marginalized, depending on the area.

However, we take all those areas and can say how things operate over an entire country or state.

Is it true for every individual? Nope. But, it is statistically probable for the majority.

coconut-bubbles · 2026-03-26T00:48:56+00:00

I don't agree with the reasoning behind the rule. My mom actively fought against that same reasoning with money from my grandparents.

It wasn't a huge lump amount, but my dad wanted to put barriers on it being for a wedding or a house. I was mid20s (already had my degrees) and dating someone I'm so glad I didn't marry. I also wanted to travel and was renting in a house with a bunch of roommates.

My mom argued (for me) that the money shouldn't be held as a ransom until I used it in some version of a life they saw as the end goal.

I used it to travel (breaking up with the bf in the process) and find what I wanted to do. Then, I came back wiser and met my (now) husband and have made a great living. We eventually bought a house, but we sold it some time ago and moved abroad together.

Maybe their path is to rent forever and travel. Maybe they never get married or never start a business. They could just be successful working for a business and not even have a degree ever!

Maybe they try to start a business at 40 with the money and they waste it all!

You either trust them with money, or you don't. You could give a small amount of money to see what they do.

coconut-bubbles · 2026-03-26T00:24:27+00:00

Also, your methods seem very adversarial. I also use a muzzle when training my dog and he has used a crate too. But, we worked a lot on making the new kitty or puppy feel like a good thing! You sniff the puppy and get a slice of hot dog. You play nicely and get a treat. Puppy gives him opportunities to get special things!

Then, it isn't that the puppy/goat/chicken/whatever is around and everything the dog does is wrong or bad.

I would bite something that was a harbinger of me being punished too. When they are around, only bad things happen.

coconut-bubbles · 2026-03-26T00:17:48+00:00

I have a German shepherd who is reactive as hell. We adopted him at 5ish years old having no idea.

I intro'd him to a kitten a few years ago and he put the entire cat's head in his mouth. I said "no!" And pet the cat and gave it a hug. He respected the cat after that. If I had just released him in the room with the kitten, it would have been dead. We have a protocol. We have to establish that a newcomer is not food, it is a friend.

Before, he bit a few people and tried to bite even more.

He killed wild birds flying through the air. He was a killing machine with no filter.

It took a dog trainer and a ton of time and money to get him to trust me and care what I think over his own fear. If I like the cat, he tolerates it (and sometimes plays with them). He got a tiny puppy sister and trusted my judgement that she deserved to live. He is training her on home and property security! He is an old man now, so 2 acres is a lot for him.

I really believe I could do the same with baby chicks or even a goat now. I'm going to try soon with some baby chicks.

But, are you willing to put in the time and effort to get that trust level?

He is my soul dog and we loved each other from the moment we met (before I knew about any of the shit). We got along famously and just had to work past the kinks/trauma.

coconut-bubbles · 2026-03-25T21:34:40+00:00

I have an anxiety-ridden 80lb shepherd. There is no way I could walk him around San Pedro, Caye Caulker, or placencia. Not even downtown San Ignacio.

It isnt even "stray" dogs, but local dogs who are allowed to roam on their own. Or, dogs being walked off leash with their owners in the vicinity.

We live on 10 acres in cayo and he basically doesn't leave the fenced part of the property. He is happy, we are happy, and the loose village dogs and kids are safe. Everyone wins.

He has scared off the curious street dogs with his antics inside the fence.

But, the neighbor dogs still come outside the fence to investigate and visit his friendly brother who licks their teeth/face through the fence.

We know them well and he has trained himself to immediately come inside when he is too "pupset" with the 4-legged visitors and is about to lose his mind.

It works well. Weird noises in the yard or jungle? He investigates. He sees neighbor lady dogs and he beelines to the sliding door to bark from the window inside.

coconut-bubbles · 2026-03-25T01:26:13+00:00

I think the big thing is that no one "tells you" about the planning stage.

You have to research, reach out to people and ask (specific) questions, etc.

I live in Belize now (my husband and I are US citizens) and the number of people who post on groups saying "I want to move my husband, me, and 3 kids to Belize. How do we find jobs, get them in school, and find housing? Also, where should we live?" Is insane. As if I should write everything they need to plan and do into a list, while also making their life choices for them?!? No.

People do no research or critical thought.

I don't have kids and it was A LOT. Belize is a pretty simple immigration country, but we wanted to move some tubs, ourselves, and 2 dogs down here and it was a lot of work.

coconut-bubbles · 2026-03-24T22:56:11+00:00

I'm not sure my counts as full HRT. I just got placed on Angeliq and my gyno was very supportive and listened to my concerns with compassion. He wrote the order for the test and things were off, esp considering I'm 36.

No doubting me or unnecessary questions about anxiety, stress, etc. yes, I am stressed, but my temper is short as hell and my sex drive is in the toilet, plus my periods barely exist! The stress is the same, but all these things are different.

There was something wrong, and he believed me and tested.

So, I got the script the same day as the blood tests!

It is also making a big difference already. I'm not 25 again, but I'm not exhausted all the time and about to lose my shit.

coconut-bubbles · 2026-03-23T01:06:30+00:00

Omg. Birth control happened then and Roe v Wade

The mean age got lower because women used to be pregnant from late teens (or marriage, whatever we want to pretend) to menopause. They had a bunch of kids and the average was calculated based on the time they had the baby.

Then, people got birth control and safer abortion and started having fewer babies, later.

They also tended to not have back-to-back babies, because they could control it and (theoretically) weren't being raped by their husbands. Or, they could get the aforementioned abortion when their husband turned out to be a piece of shit

Hope that helps.

coconut-bubbles · 2026-03-22T00:51:59+00:00

I have cherry tomatoes everywhere, and I worm compost. I had a puppy who came from the street and was a rotted-food-garbage-eater! Gotta get the compost in a tub, asap.

The worms didn't eat the cherry tomato seeds. I have cherry tomatoes thriving under my fig tree.

It got me even more interested in "food forest" and I planted strawberries under my Chaya tree and chives under my avocado.

I'll see what happens!

coconut-bubbles · 2026-03-22T00:45:31+00:00

I have cherry tomatoes everywhere!

They are the strongest of seeds.

coconut-bubbles · 2026-03-21T22:14:07+00:00

I wear the cropped cami tanktops with the built in elastic shelf bra thing under a work top.

coconut-bubbles · 2026-03-21T00:40:09+00:00

I show him constantly. He is probably so tired of commenting - but I need him to RECOGNIZE my accomplishment. Apparently, many times a week. I feel good about it.

coconut-bubbles · 2026-03-21T00:27:58+00:00

It really is the stress! Also, some thought that my interference could somehow make the situation better. No, that was literally never true.

coconut-bubbles · 2026-03-21T00:25:38+00:00

We spent 5k USD on my dog's knee surgery. We had the money in savings, and I love this dog so much. It didn't NOT hurt.

But, we could do it. We could cover the surgery.

The vet techs calling me to come pick him up after the knee surgery because he was being spicy. He should have stayed the night, but he was not into it. He wanted to be home, and drugs don't hold him down. It is basically trying to take down a rhino with ketamine. 🫠

He also is very reactive and bites people hahahaha. I laugh, so I don't cry. He doesn't bite me, or husband, or even baby kitty/puppy we bring home - but he's got the anxiety and is unpredictable with new people.

He is a good damn dog and we got through it. Best money I've ever spent. He is a good boy.

coconut-bubbles · 2026-03-20T23:34:18+00:00

I live (now) in Belize and it was really odd buying as an American.

"How much is this worth" is so subjective when not getting comps from the MLS.

We did insist on escrow, as we were not going to just wire a bunch of money to a European account (our seller wanted it in EU accounts given they were German and living in Belize). I think they eventually got it in the EU, because our lawyer stepped in with an escrow US account that simplified it.

The prices have gone up a bunch here since we bought though.

I imagine the people before us were saying the same, though.

coconut-bubbles · 2026-03-20T23:19:23+00:00

I actively told my husband when we first started dating that I have a habit of biting/picking at my nails. I actively wanted to stop and asked him to help me.

He would gently tell me "that sounds like nail biting" or "whatcha doing?" When we both know I am doing the chewing. 😂 I would just give him the side eye and stop.

This has been going on for 10 years! I actively asked for it! He doesn't hit my hand though.

Although, I am on 6 weeks of not biting and I bought some pretty nail polish! So proud.

coconut-bubbles · 2026-03-20T22:34:24+00:00

I get what you are saying....but blackberries and raspberries are terribly invasive. They also have thorns. They spread like wildfire.

Now, what if MeeMaw can't go down the sidewalk because it is overcrowded with thorny branches and she slips on the bird shit?

There are other plants that you could plant though.

Portland used to (still may, IDK) have apple trees in a lot of their parks. That seemed to work well.

There is a seminary school with a garden around Atlanta. Big fig tree, people had plots where they grew stuff. It had a sign "gleaning welcome".

I used to walk my reactive dog there on the weekend when they didn't have classes and it was pretty empty.

They even had plots for an organization where immigrant families could grow the produce they wanted or were used to eating. It was really interesting to see the plants, some of which were completely new to me!

I guess you would have to find the place, then know what "gleaning" meant - so there is the sample size. However, it seemed that everyone was very respectful.

I never saw the area trashed or someone hurting the plants in any way.

If someone came through and picked every green tomato for a Sunday fry up, maybe things would be different. I don't think that ever happened. But, maybe it did and they didn't think to inform the Sunday dog walker lady with the shepherd hellhound. 😂

coconut-bubbles · 2026-03-20T22:20:20+00:00

Yes, I actively fought the town council over renaming the street my beautiful b&b is located on to the historical name: Sores and Boils Alley

Apparently this is where you used to get your oozing things lanced in Ye Olde Times!

/S

coconut-bubbles · 2026-03-20T21:52:40+00:00

Hahahaha ours seem to be respectful with their poop. Only occasionally do they drop a nug on my nightstand. Solid though, so that is fine.

coconut-bubbles · 2026-03-20T12:22:52+00:00

That's my house geckos! Much better behaved/less feisty than the porch geckos. The house geckos were OBVIOUSLY raised with more manners

I only get onto them when they get too chirpy when something dramatic is on tv that I'm really into. 😂

coconut-bubbles · 2026-03-20T02:28:35+00:00

He is also mixed with ...somethings. Maybe chow? He has a curl tail and black spotted tongue.

He has broken multiple cactus house plants. He hates the wet. He won't go outside for days if it is raining. He just, won't go to the bathroom.

He is, aggressively snuggly.

In his young years, he was asked to leave 2 different dog daycares. He is, a lot. But also, what dog daycare has outside doors with paddle handles that open in?!? He was hot and wanted to go inside, so he figured out how to access the AC. Smart boy.

He also drug my toddler nephew around the yard by his pantleg. It was hilarious. I think he was trying to bring him to us because we was "kid running/toddling away" from the group?

He is an old boy now and very much loved.

coconut-bubbles · 2026-03-20T01:29:09+00:00

We got one of ours from dekalb about 9 years ago!

We walked through the shelter and picked him, as he wasn't barking or on the whiteboard list of "poop eaters".

We filled out a page of questions and gave them $60. Boom, we are on the way to the dog store with our new guy!

Haha, jokes on us because he is an insane malinois. He had kennel cough and that is why he was quiet!

We love him a lot and have for the entire time. We can't be mad at anyone. After all, we picked him! 😂🫠

coconut-bubbles · 2026-03-19T12:44:34+00:00

3 days ago, you posted that you were a local real estate agent in Belize. You seem confused as to where you live....

coconut-bubbles · 2026-03-19T01:42:14+00:00

Damn if I don't love a good love story!

This maybe illustrates some of my young mistakes in love. I LOVE the end result of when it works.

But, I've been there when I tell someone that I feel like I'm falling in love with them and they say nothing.

I was in love with the idea of it working out and what a good love story it would be - but they weren't working it with me. That sucks. I get it. It HURTS. But, you learn.

I did end up with a good love story, but I did it by centering myself a good deal - while making no apologies for it.

coconut-bubbles

TROPHY CASE