Aggression -- just asking.....

[SnowWa]

I'm amazed at how many people complain about having aggressive little Yorkies.

How many of you really do have this problem?

And - how many of you can't stop it?

Have any of you ever had to rehome an "aggressive" pet?

I know you can have an aggressive dog that is only mildly or moderately aggressive. But - if I had a real problem on my hands - my dog actually bit people --- especially children - I'm not sure I would want to keep it.

I don't expect dogs to be perfect - anymore than I expect people to be perfect, but my idea of having a pet is having an affectionate and loving addition to my family. Dogs can do terrible things and drive us crazy, and we still love them to death and will keep them forever. But, if I owned a dog that bit my children or my friends or other people and animals, I would do everything I could to stop this behavior, but I certainly wouldn't want a pet like this living at my house.

I have six pets - two dogs, two cats, and two birds. And the rule here (jokingly) is that if you want to live here, you have to get along with everyone else. And - so far, it has worked.

Anyway - I'm just interested in how many of you tolerate a pet that is more than a little bit aggressive.


Carol Jean

[browniesmom622]

brownie is aggressive i have tryed everything he started when he was 4-5 months
ive contacting trainers they told me hes to bad and he needs medication ( i wont do that to him) so we stay away from the problems
no walks unless its to a place with no animals & people
Brownie is aggressive to EVERYTHING outside the house & adult dogs
& children
i dont know brownies parents or lines or even where he came from since i did get him from a petstore
ive learned to live with it now everything we do is decided around him and i dont mind i will NEVER EVER give him up ( not that he could be rehomed anyways)
i know he gonna be GREAT with my kids when i have them cause hes a great family dog and weve babysat and they become his babys
my friends 9 year old came over the other day he was very good with her kissing her and she wouldnt stop touching him but hes VERY tolerant
he would NEVER snap at anyone in the house
his problems are mainly outside the house ive tryed to work with him its has become the way he is
i think hes just very protective of us
oh and he doesnt just bark he does go to Bite i have beware of dog signs on my fence

[Lola Calhoun]

Thankfully I havent had this problem with Lola, she has never been aggressive, unless you count her biting me & my boyfriend, but she's teething & when we say stop, she stops. but when I was growing up my parents had a rotweiller, named Coco, who was never agressive to myself or my older brother <at the time I was probably 3 and he was 5> even though she was 4 times our size. but when it came to strangers, she would let them have it. I assume it was because she was just being protective of me & my brother, but she would growl at babysitters, and when my parents ordered pizza one night, Coco wouldnt even let the pizza guy out of his car! she would bark like a maniac. She never bit anyone, but my parents figured that she might snap at one of us one day, so they found a loving home for her where there was less risk of something possibly hapenening....My friend had a Doberman for 5 years and she was the sweetest thing, never barked at anyone, but she recently had a baby, and all the sudden her dog started snapping at anyone who came near the baby, and they didn't want to take any chances, so they also found a home for her...I think you have to weigh your options, whether you want to keep your dog, or risk something happening to your children...and if you aren't sure that nothing will happen, you probably should find someone to care for your pet, there are plenty of people out there that will adopt an agressive dog & work with it to better socialize them.

[Patti]

My Pom is agressive when she is under my bed and you try and get something from under there. She snaps me when I try and clean her eyes or give her medicine. Yet when I have her at the vet she is the sweetest thing. She has never hurt Cali and the neighbor kids come and play with her. I always sit right with her when kids are around but she loves to sit in their laps and never has shown any aggression towards them. I know most people would have not put up with it but I am very aware of her hot buttons and I feel that I took on the responsibility of her and would not pass her on to someone else. She was bought from a petstore so I have no idea of her background but I love her and just know to be careful with her. It's funny but since I brought Cali into the house , Maya seems better. I do believe she is more territorial aggreesive than anything else.

[candybaby]

Originally Posted by Lola Calhoun

Thankfully I havent had this problem with Lola, she has never been aggressive, unless you count her biting me & my boyfriend, but she's teething & when we say stop, she stops. but when I was growing up my parents had a rotweiller, named Coco, who was never agressive to myself or my older brother <at the time I was probably 3 and he was 5> even though she was 4 times our size. but when it came to strangers, she would let them have it. I assume it was because she was just being protective of me & my brother, but she would growl at babysitters, and when my parents ordered pizza one night, Coco wouldnt even let the pizza guy out of his car! she would bark like a maniac. She never bit anyone, but my parents figured that she might snap at one of us one day, so they found a loving home for her where there was less risk of something possibly hapenening....My friend had a Doberman for 5 years and she was the sweetest thing, never barked at anyone, but she recently had a baby, and all the sudden her dog started snapping at anyone who came near the baby, and they didn't want to take any chances, so they also found a home for her...I think you have to weigh your options, whether you want to keep your dog, or risk something happening to your children...and if you aren't sure that nothing will happen, you probably should find someone to care for your pet, there are plenty of people out there that will adopt an agressive dog & work with it to better socialize them.

Please let me know who will take an aggressive dog. My yorkies are fine but I have a Dachshund and he is very aggressive and nobody will take him especially, the shelters. They do behavorial tests on them and if they don't pass they cannot take them, obviously. Where ever you know how to find a person that will take him let me know because I have looked EVERYWHERE.

[SnowWa]

I realize that once you have a problem -- it's often hard to find someone to take it off your hands.

But - it depends on what the problem is. I think a lot of dogs are constantly wound up and going in circles when they are in homes with a lot of children and noise and company coming and going. And, needless to say, a lot of dogs are fearful and intimidated by young children who are often running around them, scaring them, pulling on their hair, etc. As well, some dogs don't do well in environments where people are emotional - a lot of loud talking, arguing, etc.

I think some of the dogs that are in the above situations will often do very well and do much better in a home with more calm people who have no children.

------------

I am an older (not ancient) person who is single and lives alone with no children. All of my pets are the most laid back things in the world. My children were this way too. I just seem to bring this out in the people and animals around me.

I do have quite a bit of company - but my pets are so easy going - that all they do is go bonkers with excitement whenever anyone comes over. They are totally excited and love everyone they meet. They are extremely happy to see the people and other dogs in the neighborhood - and they visit all of them every day. (But these are people who totally love them and spoil them and never give them any reason to be afraid in any way.)

I think our home environments have a great effect on our pets.

--------

A lot of dogs work out just wonderfully no matter where they live. But there are many that really do much better in a more calm environment.
This is why some animals can be successfully rehomed and do very well.

**** And if any of us are worried about our dogs around children --- wouldn't they do better in homes that have no children???? I think this would be an easy fix......and probably a great home for such a dog.


Carol Jean

[Patti]

I also am an older person and my dtr is almost 21 and very laid back and we have a very quiet house, so I know it is not environment in Maya's case. I truly believe it is just a badly breed puppymill dog. She is the only dog out of 5 that I have had that was like this.

[SnowWa]

Patti -

I know what you mean - but I don't think your dog is very aggressive at all.

One of the sweetest dogs I ever had did the same thing. If she was on the bed happily napping away or hiding under the bed - she would turn into a terrible tiger to try and make me let her stay where she was. And, this was absolutely the only time she ever acted this way. I had her more than 10 years, and she never growled at or bit a person in her life. She loved everybody and other animals too.

And I can understand your little dog fighting back when you're cleaning her eyes or trying to get medicine down her. This is understandable.

Other than these things that you mentioned - you really described a very nice little dog.

This is what I meant when I said - I don't expect a dog to be perfect - but the type of aggression I am talking about is more serious than what you are describing. I don't think I'd have any problem keeping your dog. I really don't consider her very aggressive.



Carol Jean

[SnowWa]

Patti -

I know what you mean - but I don't think your dog is very aggressive at all.

One of the sweetest dogs I ever had did the same thing. If she was on the bed happily napping away or hiding under the bed - she would turn into a terrible tiger to try and make me let her stay where she was. And, this was absolutely the only time she ever acted this way. I had her more than 10 years, and she never growled at or bit a person in her life. She loved everybody and other animals too.

And I can understand your little dog fighting back when you're cleaning her eyes or trying to get medicine down her. This is understandable.

Other than these things that you mentioned - you really described a very nice little dog.

This is what I meant when I said - I don't expect a dog to be perfect - but the type of aggression I am talking about is more serious than what you are describing. I don't think I'd have any problem keeping your dog. I really don't consider her very aggressive.



Carol Jean

[SnowWa]

Patti -

I know what you mean - but I don't think your dog is very aggressive at all.

One of the sweetest dogs I ever had did the same thing. If she was on the bed happily napping away or hiding under the bed - she would turn into a terrible tiger to try and make me let her stay where she was. And, this was absolutely the only time she ever acted this way. I had her more than 10 years, and she never growled at or bit a person in her life. She loved everybody and other animals too.

And I can understand your little dog fighting back when you're cleaning her eyes or trying to get medicine down her. This is understandable.

Other than these things that you mentioned - you really described a very nice little dog.

This is what I meant when I said - I don't expect a dog to be perfect - but the type of aggression I am talking about is more serious than what you are describing. I don't think I'd have any problem keeping your dog. I really don't consider her very aggressive.



Carol Jean

[SnowWa]

Patti -

I know what you mean - but I don't think your dog is very aggressive at all.

One of the sweetest dogs I ever had did the same thing. If she was on the bed happily napping away or hiding under the bed - she would turn into a terrible tiger to try and make me let her stay where she was. And, this was absolutely the only time she ever acted this way. I had her more than 10 years, and she never growled at or bit a person in her life. She loved everybody and other animals too.

And I can understand your little dog fighting back when you're cleaning her eyes or trying to get medicine down her. This is understandable.

Other than these things that you mentioned - you really described a very nice little dog.

This is what I meant when I said - I don't expect a dog to be perfect - but the type of aggression I am talking about is more serious than what you are describing. I don't think I'd have any problem keeping your dog. I really don't consider her very aggressive.



Carol Jean

[SnowWa]

Patti -

I know what you mean - but I don't think your dog is very aggressive at all.

One of the sweetest dogs I ever had did the same thing. If she was on the bed happily napping away or hiding under the bed - she would turn into a terrible tiger to try and make me let her stay where she was. And, this was absolutely the only time she ever acted this way. I had her more than 10 years, and she never growled at or bit a person in her life. She loved everybody and other animals too.

And I can understand your little dog fighting back when you're cleaning her eyes or trying to get medicine down her. This is understandable.

Other than these things that you mentioned - you really described a very nice little dog.

This is what I meant when I said - I don't expect a dog to be perfect - but the type of aggression I am talking about is more serious than what you are describing. I don't think I'd have any problem keeping your dog. I really don't consider her very aggressive.



Carol Jean

[3CrazyYorkies]

Candy I pm'd you.

[everestgirl]

Since i was 10 yo girl, i wanted a dog that loyal only to me, and don;t like other people.
I wanted to walk with my dog and when people come and say "can i touch him"
I will say "no, sorry, he is biting".
Well..i grow up , but i stil want this kind of personality.
And...all of my pets are very freindly and loved everyone ...but this is the life.
People that want friendly dogs get the agresiive one..and who want agressive gets friendly

[browniesmom622]

Originally Posted by everestgirl

Since i was 10 yo girl, i wanted a dog that loyal only to me, and don;t like other people.
I wanted to walk with my dog and when people come and say "can i touch him"
I will say "no, sorry, he is biting".
Well..i grow up , but i stil want this kind of personality.
And...all of my pets are very freindly and loved everyone ...but this is the life.
People that want friendly dogs get the agresiive one..and who want agressive gets friendly

why would you want a antisocial dog ?
you should be glad your pets are friendly