[Pareeeee]

Hello! I'm new to this site.

I have been having some problems training our new dog, Pika, whom we got a couple of months ago. He is 3 years old approximately. Breed: I think a Pom X Chi X Papillon.

Anyway, here is my dilemma.

Often, but not always, he growls when you tell him to do things. "Get in your bed" or "lay down". If he doesn't want to do it, he's a complainer. And WOW if you try to pick him up and carry him to his bed to put him in it, he gets really growly and ferocious sounding. It would be funny if I didn't know this was a behavior problem. Would make a good "funniest home videos" vid.

Anyway, when he is already in his bed, sometimes he will growl if you go to reach to pet him. He will growl if you try to take him out or pick him up out of his bed. (I do it anyway, his growling doesn't scare me) If you try to push him out of his bed he REALLY growls.

Also, if he is chewing his rawhide or bones, and you go to reach for it he growls and gets all weird. (I still take it away, I don't let him win, then make him sit/shake a paw or something before he gets it back as a reward.) dunno if that is the proper way to stop this problem though.

I will try to explain his body language when he is in his bed and you come towards him or try to move him. He seems to get all 'stiff' and his tail goes down a bit, kind-of at the neutral position, not between his legs and not raised high either. He puts his ears back and makes an 'angry face', staring at you...he moves VERY stiffly and slowly. If you try to move him he growls and sputters and kinda goes stiff as a board and seems like he doubles in weight like "IM NOT GONNA MOVE!!!"

He does a lot of weird things. Trying to fix one at a time.


PIKA'S HISTORY
I know it takes a long time to 'un-train' a dog that has had previous owners. A lot easier to train a dog up from a pup. I have no idea how his previous owners treated him, but he obviously was allowed to do anything he wanted. The first three weeks or so he had a marking problem. Marking things in the house, trying to claim them. His bed reaked of urine when we first got it, we washed it immediately. He tried to claim our bed in our bedroom. We'd find him up on it (strange to me since a previous dog (a JRT) I owned would never have just got up on things without 'asking' first) we made him get off. He would go in to our bedroom and mark the corners of our bed, out of spite I guess. He was afraid of brooms, anything that looked like a stick pretty much. I assume he had been whacked a few times by someone.


I am not used to this, he is the first dog I've owned who was not a pup when I got him, and the first dog with these problems.

Please help
Thanks in advance
-Pareeeee

[Lara's mom]

What a little cutie he is!!!

Personally, I've never encountered your problem with my dogs but, I asked my breeder and this is "in a nutshell" what she said.

You absolutely cannot allow your dog to have that kind of "attitude" with you. It will spread from you to other people and dogs that your dog encounters. It could become a dangerous situation.

If it is safe for you to do so, when the dog has a toy, ask him for it and then give it back immediately. DO NOT try this if you think there is a chance that you'll get bitten!!! The dog needs to know that all good things come from you. When you feed him, put his bowl on the table where he can see it and stick a human cookie directly behind it. To the dog, it will appear as if it is food coming out of his bowl. Eat the cookie while the dog is watching. Take your time. Then, put just a bit of food into his dish and let him have it. Feed him by little bits and when you feel comfortable, put your hand into his dish. The dog needs to know that what he has comes from you and that it is not ok to be possessive.

If he growls at you when he has a toy, take it away if it is safe to do so. Offer him another toy with you holding onto one end of it. If he growls - other than in play, take the toy away. He will learn that being aggressive towards you has consequences that he doesn't care for.

[Pareeeee]

BUMP

Pika tried to bite me yesterday. Grabbed my pant leg instead. I threw his pig knuckle bone away. He was nuts over that thing, loved it so much he would die fighting for it. Kinda feel bad I had to throw it out but he would go ballistic if you tried to take it.

He still has his rawhide. He likes it too, but that pig knuckle drove him wild. He still growls over the rawhide as well...

[french bulldog girl]

Hi,

I just want to tell you that i am having similar problems with my Meatloaf. She is 5 years old and she did bite another dog for the first time about a month ago.

She will growl when i pick her up out of the couch so i started dominting her like crazy, controlling evrythng she does (making her work for evrything, not letting her walk in front and so on) and in the beginning it seemed to work so i relaxed a little but now she still growls sometimes and when she does i put her on the floor and ignore her.

Its very hard and im scared about christmas bc we are having it with 3 other dogs and i´m quite sure she will try dominate them all...

please keep posting and let me know if anything works

take care and good luck

[french bulldog girl]

hi i just want to add that my dog is also scared of brooms and she was that way when i got her at 8 weeks so maybe she had similar experiences when she was a pup. When i got her things didnt add upp so i guess she is a "smuggle" dog and might have had traumatic experiences previously...

[Lara's mom]

With 3 dogs in the house on Xmas day, things could be "tense." What I would suggest to get you through the day with a minimum of trauma is to set aside one room in your home as the "dog room." Then, keep your dog in the room for part of the time and the visiting dogs in the room for part of the time. Put toys and treats in the room so that the dogs will still be able to enjoy themselves.

You mentioned that your dog bit another dog. Until you get his issues resolved, I would suggest a muzzle. I know that nobody wants to have to muzzle their dog but, you also don't want to have to pay a huge vet bill if your dog should injure another one and, you certainly don't want whatever your version of animal control is to declare your baby a vicious dog.

[ggross]

It was said once but I am going to recap it. It is an alpha dog thing. You need to make sure the dog knows who is boss. One of the best ways is to eat out of their bowl before they do. If you have a bigger dog never let them put their head on top of yours. When you want your dog to go to bed do it in a cheerful voice while you are next to the bed. When the dog lays down or comes over to the bed reward them. If they don't do it do not discipline them. If you are having issues getting the dog out of bed then use a command to get them out such as come. If your dog doesn't know the come command then work on teaching it to them. When you teach them you need to say come in a very happy voice and attitude. When they come to you give them a treat. If they don't come, don't discipline. Your dog should understand that when you tell them to do something it will be either fun or good for them. No dog will want to do something to ruin their fun.

[german sheep]

Hello pareeee,

go to the vet.
his eyes are getting dull and do you know that he has no pain?

Be carefull with your hands, he knows that hands mean he is carried around and because he has the controll and the responsibility over everything he will not accept it.

Call a specialist, immediately because in a few weeks he will bite you in the hands.

LG
gs