I'd really appreciate some suggestions with how to deal with a tiny yorkie that is displaying some (what i believe to be) fear based aggression/and possibly jealously issues.. i was told to place him on his back when he initiates a fight but it doesnt really seem to be working. if anything, i think it has maybe made matters worse/increased his insecurities... i think he seems to be confused as to his place in the hierarchy within the home... he is the youngest and the smallest, yet he seems to want to be the alpha dog, and other dogs he encounters seem to let him behave badly because he is so small and probably looks rather harmless. It seems they are just humoring him really but i am afraid one day some dog will not be so understanding and he will get into some trouble and get seriously hurt. He subtly guards food/toys/people from other dogs who honestly could care less about who "owns" what, (for example, he likes to lay on the top doggie stair to, subtly, prevent others from going up on said bed, couch etc.), he growls lowly occasionally and tries to intimidate by staring at others for LONG periods of time and he sometimes gives a little snap at the air when he is upset and thinks no one is looking. Also, among other crazy things, he sometimes jumps from very far away to try and knock another dog out of the way when someone reaches to pet them! To be honest all of this is can be hard to witness without laughing (i mean he does some really unbelievable things), but at the same time i understand he is doing these things very seriously and i am therefore very stern and treat his actions accordingly... but at the same time while he is doing all this, it is very obvious that he is underneath a little scaredy cat in most situations..
I really would like to help him through this...and i will be as patient as i have to be. i am thinking one of the things he really needs is much much more socialization, but it needs to be done gradually. it seems he is getting worse lately though and that is causing me great concern. He is not like this all of the time though... he can be very sweet/affectionate indeed and has a (deceivingly) angelic little face to go along with it.. but as far as i have been able to gather, the bad behavior seems to stem from him wanting to get the most attention. i would really appreciate any suggestions... i am really looking more so towards positive reinforcement or something else along those lines... i dont really want to punish him for bad behavior because i dont want to make him any more insecure/afraid. But i also dont want to condone him picking fights or being mean (he is not aggressive towards people, strangers or children). He is getting neutered this week which i hope will help calm him down and he is starting positive reinforcement obedience in october.. but other than that, any suggestions for what i can do in the meanwhile?
thanks for any help
