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Originally Posted by bibby4141  Thank you all. I would say yes she is trying to be "Alpha". So, put her in a room away from us "time-out"? I've held her down for 3-5min a few times while still being bitten, that does't seem to work. Maybe time away will. I'm guessing it's a tiny muzzle to fit her. That should be real fun  .Must buy one and try that at bath time. As far as housebreaking we take her out first thing in the morning and she sometimes pees outside (mostly sniffs around and looks on the ground) and will then come in and crap on the floor. She will use pee pads about 85% of the time and poop on them about 50%. She almost always uses them when she is in her play pen. |
This sounds like you're describing an 'Alpha Roll'? If yes, this most definitely should never be done to a puppy, it will never work. I have heard where puppies do get 'mean' from this treatment, or totally regress and hide from the owners. She is not trusting you at this point, you have to develope a relationship of mutual trust and respect with her. To start, never put her on her side or her back and hold her down.
I would buy a cheap halter and leash and put it on her for bath time and play time. That way you have a way of protecting yourself from her biting, by just holding the leash (and her) away from you. No tugging or jerking on it either, as some do as a reprimand. Just gently grab it and hold her away till she stops trying to bite, maybe say 'Ah, ah' or 'No, no' at the same time (just to let her know what she is trying to do is wrong), then begin where you left off. Be gentle and loving with her at all times, she is just a baby.
I don't know how long this will take, but you need to be really consistent and patient as you need to reverse the damage done by rolling and holding her down.
The 'Alpha Roll' or whatever people want to call it, was originally developed as a last ditch effort by dog trainers for use by other dog trainers to be used only on adult dogs with severe aggression issues, who were deemed untrainable by any other methods, all of which had been previously tried on the dog. If the 'Alpha Roll' did not work on them, they would be PTS. It is a last ditch method because it doesn't always work, and it can make a dog worse. It is only done one time, when it's done right, and if it works it will never need to be repeated again
If you try to give her a belly rub, be sure not to roll her over... she will have to roll over herself, or she may see it as a punishment and think you are going to hold her down again.
When you go to pick her up and she growls... she's thinking you are going to try to hold her down. Try calling to her to get her standing before you reach for her. If she still growls, make light of it. "Oh no, you're not growling at your Mommie! Well, I've never heard of such a thing! You silly girl... " and laugh a little. (again sounds crazy... but laughing will relax you... and her)
Please keep updating.... it is very important to follow your progress with her.... If you do decide to get a professional trainer... you need to tell him/her that you tried to do an 'Alpha Roll' on her a few times as this is the cause for her aggression, and needs to be considered when accessing her behavior and working with her.
No muzzle, it will just make her angrier, and keep her out until she poops and treat her and praise her tons....