[ChelseyK]

(omg i just typed a whole novel and then while attempting to delete an angryface my browser went back and deleted it all....just to had to say that causewe've all been there and it just made me that much more frustrated)

Okay...SOOO the problem i was almost done explaining was this... My preciousbaby girl, Georgie is 16 weeks and in the almost month in a half that i havehad her, she has been an absolute DOLL! She's great in almost every way, she'sloving, energetic, confident, spunky, and absolutely hilarious. She's friendlywith other people and dogs, laid back when i take her places, and for the mostpart does what i tell her to (exeptions mostly being when she's distracted orin "crack puppy play mode") She's very smart and has learned a LOT oftricks that she performs flawlessly when there is a treat in my hand, BUT sheis pretty independent and at times will ignore me, though i mostly chalk thisup to her simply still being a puppy. HOWEVER, now she has me worried that sheshe may be (or become) a devil in disguise because whenever i try to put a bowin her hair she actually turns into satan. I know it sounds silly, but shebecomes a totally DIFFERENT dog.

I think its worth explaining that she is completely cool with every otheraspect of grooming... she didn't like getting brushed at first, but as i'vebeen doing it every day she is totally fine with it (might even like it, dare isay) and lets me get at the more difficult areas with no problem at all. Shestill squirms a little bit when i clean out her eyes, but has gotten used tothis too and now lets me hold her head still with very little fuss. She evendoesn't seem to mind getting a bath too much. i mean she'll shake and sort oftry to get away, but cmon what puppy really ENJOYS bathtime.... BUT, as soon asi go to put a bow in her hair, Mr. Hyde comes out.

Its not the bow itself (i've tried bows on ponytail holders, clear pony tailholders, and even ones on barettes incase it was just the wrapping around ofthe band that freaked her out) So its not the object itself she wants tokill...its me. (also once i get it in, she forgets about it and is fine, andwears clothes with no problem at all)...its the combination of holding her headstill while gathering her hair together that brings out the demon....shes FINEwhen i hold her head still to clean her eyes, and she's FINE if i just gatherthe hair....but once i do both...get the hair and then hold her still enough toput it in, she FREAKS out.

She gets this crazed look in her eyes and starts whipping her head aroundviolently (in an aggressive way, NOT the way she'll sometimes squirm when i doher eyes or in the bath). If I keep trying, she'll then start growling andbaring her teeth before eventually trying to bite me!! (NOT OKAY!!! lol) ....now at first i couldn't tell if shethought it was a game and was trying to play, so i'd calmly tell her no, lether settle down and try again (with her still on my lap) when it became obviousthat she was challenging me I started getting much sterner in my reprimands.(usually when shes doing something shes not supposed to, i say "HEY!"in a much firmer and lower tone than i usually talk to her, and she's come tounerstand that this means that she shouldnt be doing what shes doing (usuallychewing something she shouldnt or trying to steal peices of my roomate's poodlemix's kibble) if she doesn't listen, ill repeat it louder, more seriously andmake a clapping sound, which usually is all it takes to get the point across) SOI'd obviously do this when she'd start with the attitude, essentially trying totell her "NO, you don't talk to me like that. that's NOT okay". But,instead of backing down, it only pisses her off more. So, the madder (moreserious) i get with her, the madder and more determined she gets in return andthe whole situation escalates until she tries (with varying degrees of success)to bite me.

Don't get me wrong... i tried everything i couldthink of to stop it before it got to that point because i dont want her eventhinking she CAN bite people. I'd put her down and blatantly ignore her, evenshutting the door essentially "kicking her out" of the bathroom,while i stayed in there.... i realized that my frustration was obviously nothelping the situation, and thought maybe if i changed my energy, she wouldchange hers too. So then once she started freaking out, i'd stop for a minuteand pet her and talk to her like normal (thinking she's probably just scared,and attempting to assure her that it's just me and i'm not going to hurt her).She'll still be on my lap on the toilet (where i brush her and do everythingelse, as i've found its the easiest place for me to hold her still) and i tellher its okay, how much i love her, and put my face down by hers and she givesme tons of kisses. Once were both happy and calm, i'll try again but the samething happens. I've tried going through the whole process of bathtime withtreats, while singing and trying to make it all seem like a lot of fun, andshell have fun...until the bow. i'll give her treats when she lets me hold herstill, but again once the bow starts to go in she doesnt care what food is infront of her.

You'd think it was a life or death battle and that i was trying to kill her. Iwas afraid that i was hurting her or pulling her hair too much, but she'llstart going crazy before the hand with the bow is even touching her!! And thefew times i have gotten it in, im sure it is uncomfortable because shes tryingto tear her hair away out of my hand....i'm so frustrated and dont know what todo about it anymore. i dont know whether i just need to keep doing it every dayuntil she gets used to it, or whether to stop and try to reassociate it in away i havent already thought of or tried. It's really worrying to me that shethinks she can challenge me like that because i know im supposed to be the"alpha" and i'm afraid she doesn't know that i'm in charge. when itell her no and she challenges me right back until she bites me WHAT DO IDO!!?!?!?:confuse d: despite thefact that it makes me really sad that my baby that i love and adore so muchwould bite me, i also just don't know how to respond!! I've triedLIGHTLY tapping her on the bottom, but she doesn't care and the more i push herthe more she will push back...my brother is a huge cesar fan and recently got ahusky that he has done an AMAZING job with, and he says i need to show her thati am the dominant one.... which, yes... but i feel like thats a lot easier to make sure a husky knows you're in charge than a tiny, fragile YORKIE!! also it's hard cause in every other respect she DOES let me be in charge (or at least lets me think i am haha)

....but really... i have no other problems with her, and i've tried to do someof the things they tell you to establish myself as the "pack leader"like making her sit and behave before she gets her food and walking throughdoors first and eating first. the problem is that if it were a real dog pack,and a dog was challenging and trying to bite the alpha in an aggressive way,the alpha would simply fight back until the other dog got the hint who was incharge....my baby is 2.9 pounds...not only is physically fighting with or assertingmy dominance simply NOT an option, but knowing her personality and seeing herlike this, i know that even if the light tap i tried were to get a littlestronger, it still wouldnt do anything... she still wouldn't give up, and itcertainly wouldn't solve the problem, it'd just create more. I refuse to havethat kind of a relationship with my dog, and want her to WANT to listen to mebecause she loves and trusts me, not because she has to or is afraid of me. like i said,i refuse to go down that road.

I just dont know what to do because its the ONLY thing that she'll challengeme like that with and nothing is working.... i dont know why she is reactingthe way she is and (as silly as this sounds) it makes me really sad that shewould bite me, and it makes me worry that she doesn't love me lol. If anyoneknows of anything that could help, or has had any similar experiences, i wouldREALLY appreciate it!! I know i could just ignore the problem, and never makeher wear a bow, but i'd rather address it and work through whatever her issuewith it is (not to mention get it through her head that she is never allowed tobite me)

i know this was a long post, but thanks in advance for reading, and any insightyou guys might have!!! it makes me feel better just knowing i found a placewhere i CAN write about this.