[mangenty]

I need help with my 4 month old Chihuahua. I bought him from a friend who breeds chihuahuas when he was 8 weeks old. When I first brought him home, he was pretty scared. After a week or so he was finally comfortable in my home and was a normal, playful puppy. He would run and jump around the house and loved to play with his toys. But when he was around 10 weeks old, my other dog (Jack Russell Terrier) bit him after he went after her bone. It was a pretty painful bite that made his eye swell a bit and caused some more swelling under his jaw (chin?). He cried for about 2 minutes straight - well more like screamed until I could finally calm him down. It scared him real bad and he has never been the same since. Now he shakes all the time and always has his tail between his legs and his ears straight back. He always has this sad, scared look on his face and it breaks my heart. He doesn't want to play anymore (AT ALL) and only gets mildly happy when outside. If I'm not around he will just stay in the same spot shaking and not move at all. This has been going on for about a month or so and it just worries me that he will stay like this for the rest of his life. He hasn't made any improvement whatsoever even though I try to be loving with him.

I'm wondering what I should do. Will he grow out of this fear? Is there anything I can do to help him become how he used to be - a playful, loving chihuahua? I want to help him with this problem while he is still young so it hopefully doesn't become permanent. Thanks in advance for any help/suggestions.

[Shreya]

he needs to see a vet for antibiotics, he may have injuries you can't see. as it has been a month and he is not happy and scared all the time, its better that you take him to a vet.. the vet will be able to determine the real cause of your dog's unhappiness..

your dog is very sensitive and emotional.. he needs extra care and love.. just show that you really care for him and love him and you will be able to see the changes in him and his behavior.. his beautiful smile will lighten up your mood too..
all the best..

[taesnasunt]

maybe taking the little guy out to a park where its just you and him and away from the other dog a few times a week/month will help him regain some confidence as well. hes small in a big world and most small dogs are afraid of the bigger ones.

[german sheep]

Give one of your dogs away!
Your little chihuahua will have a life i fear. He can not come out of his fear because the reason of its panik lives with him together 24 h a day.
Would you like to live with an tormentor together all of your life? I guess no.

The other thing is maybe when you have bad luck your chihuahua will never be able to change his attitude because it happened in its sensible phase and all fearful situations that occur in this time influences behavioural problems that are irreversible for the rest of its life.

The littlan knows that the human is not able to safe him in dangerous moments and he will decide in those situations of his own. That means lately you will have problems with aggression against other dogs.

gs

[Lara's mom]

Surely, there has to be a better answer than giving one of the dogs away!

[german sheep]

I'm not here to make people happy but to give an advice to help the dog, and the second dog is the cause for its behavioral issues.
If you think there is a better solution for the whole life of the little chihuahua in safety without stress I'm open for it.

LG
gs

[Cúréaltach]

As was stated in a previous post this happened at a very delicate stage of the dogs life and without carefull handling of the situation, could cause serious problems in the future. From my own experience one of the biggest mistakes people make is in comforting a dog in the wrong circumstances. We, as primates instinctually know how to comfort a human child, unfortunately this is not how canines work. In a "tricky" situation a pup, before deciding on how to react, will look to see how the other members of the pack, especially the leader react. If the rest of the pack are unconcerned then the pup will accept there is nothing to be worried about. This is instinctual in all canines and is how all dogs, wolves etc learn what to be worried about and what to ignore. The worst thing you can do with a scared dog is give it loads of comforting, remember a dog wont really understand the difference between praise and comforting, so when you say "there there poor doggie don,t be scared" what the dog hears is "Good doggie thats right be scared". You SHOW a dog there is nothing to be worried about by ignoring the situation. Now onto the problem.. You have to show your dog you are a good pack leader and can protect and provide. A leader has certain qualities and carries out certain actions that your dog WILL look for in you......
Leader controls ALL food..and ALWAYS.. eats first..(vital).
Leader enters and exits all doors first
".........controls all space .....ie if your dog is lying in the hall you walk through the dog, he must move for you.
"........ignores situations of no concern and takes control of problems
"........Gives little affection recieves lots (tricky but important here)
".........is aloof almost dismissive of subordinates
".........will NOT accept a subordinate putting a paw over its back....the equivelent for us is when your dog jumps up greeting you. or puts a paw up on your knee
"........Decides when and how to interact with the rest of the pack.....You decide when games begin and end (and you win 90% of the time)
Remember the dog is watching you ALL the time and seeing how you react with other dogs. These tips are one of the best possible ways to gain a dogs trust because a dog reacts to what we do as if we were dogs, they are not good at translating from human to dog.
These are some of the things your dog will be looking for to decide if you are a pack leader and can protect and provide for it. ........ There are books on this (these days it's called dog wispering, but its just learning the language of canines). It's important with 2 dogs that YOU own all the toys not either of the dogs. If the terrier thinks its the boss then it HAS the right to everything and is within its rights to do what it wants to the other (and I mean ANYTHING it wants).

Now all that said I would strongly advise you to get one to one profesional help. With someone who understands all the above and more. Good luck!!!!

PS lots of inter dog aggresion in the home is caused by a lack of exercise. Walk Walk and more Walking.....not just letting dogs run around a garden.

[leashedForLife]

4-MO Chi... (arrived at) 8-WO. When I first brought him home, he was pretty scared. After a week or so he was finally comfortable... a normal, playful puppy. He would run and jump around the house and loved to play with his toys. But when he was around 10 weeks old, my other dog (Jack Russell Terrier) bit him after he went after her bone. It was a pretty painful bite that made his eye swell a bit and caused some more swelling under his jaw (chin?). He cried for about 2 minutes straight - well more like screamed until I could finally calm him down. It scared him real bad and he has never been the same since.

this was very unfortunate timing - approx 10-WO is a fear period in many breeds, and highly emotional events then can mark the dogs behavior lifelong.

and a JRT with a tiny dog like a Chi, ** especially! ** a puppy, is never a combo that i would personally suggest. JRTs have a well-earned reputaion for killing cats - not merely chasing or biting, killing - and a cat with 20 claws and needle-sharp teeth is a much more dangerous and scary foe than a Chi-infant, who has a small body, no claws, and no great amount of muscle; this baby is at serious risk, IMO.

Now he shakes all the time... always (with) tail between his legs and his ears straight back (and) this sad, scared look on his face and it breaks my heart. He doesn't want to play anymore (AT ALL) and only gets mildly happy when outside. If I'm not around he will just stay in the same spot shaking and not move at all. This has been going on for about a month or so and it just worries me that he will stay like this for the rest of his life. He hasn't made any improvement whatsoever even though I try to be loving with him.

if he is living with his tormentor, i cannot imagine him being any more joyful than this - he is terrified, and i cannot blame him.
the initial event was essentially *your* fault, as the aggression over any toy, bone, ball, food, ad nauseum in JRTs is not only predictable, but expected - JRTs are varminty, predatory, bossy, OWN every doggone thing they see, smell, or touch, and are pretty much complete little #@$%! as far as other dogs are concerned - let alone juvie pups.

I'm wondering what I should do. Will he grow out of this fear? Is there anything I can do to help him become how he used to be - a playful, loving chihuahua? I want to help him with this problem while he is still young so it hopefully doesn't become permanent. Thanks in advance for any help/suggestions.

i would not disagree with GermanSheep - if it is possible to re-home the JRT, i would; if it is not, i would re-home the Chi.

the odds of keeping this pup safe, let alone happy, are poor in the same household with a Jack, whether M or F.

keeping both dogs consistently SEPARATE is another option -
however, given that management always and inevitably fails (visitor opens the door, baby-gate, the crate, lets the Jack off the tether, puts the pup in the yard with the Jack... ____ ), this is dangerous for the pup.
he WILL eventually get hurt again - he can live another 16 to 18 years or more, is this any way to live that life?

Jacks are best with opp-sex other terriers, or with larger tolerant dogs who can set them in their place without feeling forced to hurt them; just SIT on the little monsters, now + then... which is also what humans have to do, STOP them from pushing everybody else around and stealing anything not nailed to the floor, LOL.

has the older Jack been desexed?
if not, i would SPAY her before attempting to find an adopter.
intact Fs are also more-aggro than spayed Fs, * particularly * re other Fs, intact or spayed; they can be driven to serious aggro by hormonal fluctuations.

good luck - this is a very hazardous setting, for this pup. :---(
sorry that i cannot be more hopeful! :???:
best regards,
--- terry


terry pride, APDT-Aus, apdt#1827, CVA, IPDTA, TDF

[leashedForLife]

You have to show your dog you are a good pack leader and can protect and provide. A leader has certain qualities and carries out certain actions that your dog WILL look for in you...
Leader controls ALL food... and ALWAYS... eats first..(vital).
Leader enters and exits all doors first
"... controls all space ...
ie if your dog is lying in the hall you walk through the dog, he must move for you.
"... ignores situations of no concern and takes control of problems
"... Gives little affection recieves lots (tricky but important here)
"... is aloof almost dismissive of subordinates
"...will NOT accept a subordinate putting a paw over its back...
the equivilent for us is when your dog jumps up greeting you.
or puts a paw up on your knee
"... Decides when and how to interact with the rest of the pack...
You decide when games begin and end (and you win 90% of the time)

Remember the dog is watching you ALL the time and seeing how you react with other dogs. These tips are one of the best possible ways to gain a dogs trust because a dog reacts to what we do as if we were dogs, they are not good at translating from human to dog.

hey, C! :--)

this is not whispering in the original sense, which uses MINIMAL control or confrontation of any kind, and instead manipulates the animal with delicate management techniques that use the body-language and emotional constructs of that species, as their Rosetta stone - to understand the other species.

Monty Roberts whispers -
CM/DW on National-Geo channel SHOUTS Incessantly, using highly aversive and confrontational tools and methods, which have been described as backward, old-fashioned, harsh, cruel, and inhumane (quoting various organizations directly from their press releases, including the American Humane Assoc, the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behaviorists, the American Vet Medical Assoc, and more).

the common sense of CM/DW and all his kin, roughly categorized as wolf-pack theorists,
is dominance - physical, mental and emotional.
a) dogs are not wolves
b) we are not dogs
c) dominance is not affiliative, but confrontational

as a trainer with over 20-years experience with dogs, and having had many years of dogs, clients, fellow professionals, classes, seminars, conferences, books, films, telecourses, and etc, here is my shortened version:

there is no need to limit affection to an animal -
but to pay attention to WHEN we give attn in any form, including food, treats, touch, eye contact, and so on.

eating before the dog is silly and un-necessary;
dogs care when THEY eat, not when we do.

aloof handlers do not have highly attentive, affiliative dogs.
U miss a lot in trying to make the dog a robot.
cheers,
--- terry

terry pride, APDT-Aus, apdt#1827, CVA, IPDTA, TDF

[Cúréaltach]

Originally Posted by leashedForLife

hey, C! :--)

this is not whispering in the original sense, which uses MINIMAL control or confrontation of any kind,........etc

Thank you Terry for your comments, as no human lives long enough (or is the correct spieces) to learn everything about dogs I consider all advice I am given.
I agree with everything you said In you post concerning dogs.
I at no time mentioned CM/DW and from what little I know of him (It took me quite a while to figure out "cm/dw" ) have been trying to tell people his methods are not to my and many other peoples taste, are overly harsh, and though they may work for him, are best avoided. If they want advice go to a professional not a TV personality.
Yes its the timing of affection that is important maybe I should have been clearer, but I think you would have to agree with me that the results of too much at the wrong time are much worse than too little, and knowing when to share affection with a very nervous dog is VERY important and something that takes a while to learn.
My only mention of wolves was in how dogs & wolf pups learn how to react in situations re: comforting. I'm sure with your experience you know this in dealing with thunderstorms, fireworks etc.
No we are not dogs But dogs do react to our body language and actions as if we were. This I also know you know Because well... they do.
Food and the control of IS very important as you know (sorry if I keep repeating myself with that) and often the best way to explain simply to someone is "dont share food & eat before your dog or at a different time" basic, to the point and easy to understand.
My mention of aloofness is something I use with people because many people smother their dogs with attention even when its quite clear the dog would rather be left alone, or the attention is misplaced very badly timed affection,
this has more to do with the nature of people than dogs... ask someone to stand back 20 foot from the dog and they will stand 5 foot away perfect!! (Hope you understood what I meant there, its not literal).
QUOTE: This is not whispering in the original sense, which uses minimal control or confrontation of any kind.......
By using the tecniques mentioned above one doesnt need confrontation and
control is by the dogs own desire to follow.

The advice given was to give the poster an idea of how to deal with a situation. Note...I advised one to one professional help.
If you would like to continue this discussion in another thread no problem I would welcome it, as I will be considering advice and learning about dogs till the day I leave this existence. Thank you again. ..Mark..

[leashedForLife]

(It took me quite a while to figure out "cm/dw" )
I have been trying to tell people his methods are not to my and many other peoples taste, are overly harsh, and though they may work for him, are best avoided. If they want advice go to a professional not a TV personality.

hey, mark! :--)

i am so sorry -
i was not trying to be obtuse, Cesar is plastered everywhere and is so ubiquitous, that i did not even think of that potential problem - i apologize, my fault entirely.

i agree -
a TV-presenter, no matter how photogenic or what an amazing rags-to-riches back-story, is not as helpful or reliable as a hands-on local resource, but that assumes the poster can find a LOCAL pos-R trainer or a qualified behaviorist, which is not always possible; many areas of the country have no genuine pos-R professionals available. :---( bummer, eh?

The advice given was to give the poster an idea of how to deal with a situation. Note... I advised one to one professional help.

i do not know why - i DID submit an earlier post direct to the thread + for the Original-Poster, but it did not go up... i will wait till tomorrow, and if it has not posted by then, i will re-send it. i do not know what the problem might be, this post to U went right up... strange, but who knows?

cheers, and happy training!
--- terry

[Yogi]

to understand, all posts that can be deemed as offensive, off topic, derogatory etc. may in many cases not post until a moderator has viewed it. Common sense reason is in hopes of preventing unnecessary debating, arguing or off topic attacks. Keeping in mind, most forums though welcoming of "professional" people, it must be noted that you are not talking to the masses therefore standing on the proverbial box with speeches or coming across with anything other than sincere concern to address the OP's question of concern in a tactful manner can cause posts to not be approved. Simply put, we prefer that posts are addressed in a manner so the OP can understand the answer, advice without having to read through issues that are not directly associated with the question.

[leashedForLife]

...posts that can be deemed as offensive, OT, derogatory etc.
may... not post until a moderator has viewed it...
coming across with anything other than sincere concern to address
the OP's question of concern in a tactful manner can cause posts
to not be approved... we prefer that posts are addressed...
so the OP can understand the... advice without having to read
through issues... not directly associated with the Q.

hey, yogi! :--)

the post that did not go up was the pertinent, directed to the
OP post; the one that went up immediately with apparently
no mod-check was the tangent - which is a bit confusing.

also, i think neither of my posts was tactless or offensive -
in my post directed to the OP i was trying to be helpful,
practical + clear.
cheers,
--- terry

[Yogi]

To note, I saw nothing in your post that implied non tactful of rude. But as you noted, a bit confusing.
In the case of the post missing, I can only assume either that submit failure error or systems error as it did not come up for moderation.
Generally speaking, professionals when they come on board have a tendency to
go slightly off topic and therefore somewhat confuse the OP with information other than a simple answer to their inquiry.
In the past we have had issues where opinions from professionals have led to heated debates and in the end the OP issue failed to be addressed thus leading to no real help at all.
We ask that when replying, take into consideration the laymans point of view and address replies in this manner as to sincerely offer advice that one can take and use.
It is no reflection on you or anyone else only asking that replies be on point.
Your information and input is greatly appreciated.

thank you. Yogi