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Originally Posted by pinky71  Ive had my baby since 11 weeks..i got him from a breeder..He is 9 months now and weighs close to 9lbs. i never crated him , instead i used a playpen.He does not have free roam of house.primarily he has access to kitchen and bedroom....i started seeing aggression, dominance and possessiveness towards things and people around 4 months..I chalked it up to him just being a puppy..I put him through obedience school around 16 weeks because i had to wait until he was fully up to date on his vaccinations. he has been surrounded with a lot of love and he is in a wonderful home.. Its just him and me here and grandparents downstairs.i admit that he has been spoiled..He has completely taking over my home and I just happen to live in it..He has bitten me many times and other family members..Basically he gets very aggressive when he doesn't get his way..Ive been working with him about his resource guarding issues..He was neutered at six months and he still humps a lot..what has made me think that i may have to re-home is that he bit my arm pretty bad and my thigh the other night because i was trying to take my underwear from him. I feel like Im walking on eggshells in my own home and to tell you the truth, im now scared of him..Sometimes just having me walk into the kitchen he starts to growl as if im invading his space..The vet has ruled out any underlining medical issues...I feel like he may be possibly be a product of improper breeding..my heart is broken and im not sure what im going to do..I love him dearly but he is very unpredictable which makes me anxious....money is no option..Ive spent a small fortune with a very good trainer who comes to my home who uses positive reienforcement but i see no improvement in him...The vet has suggested that he may benefit from doggy Prozac .ive always looked for Yorkie talk for wonderful advice and support.. I just don't know how many more bites i can take without getting severely hurt..sorry for long post.. |
This is a prime example of what happens when you let a dog become the ALPHA. I'm tremendously sorry that it's come to this. I wouldn't say this dog is a result of bad breeding so much as he's a product of bad training, no offence. Positive reinforcement is a waste of time at this point. I'm in no way condoning negative reinforcement, I'm merely saying that you have to gain control of his biting. There is so many steps to this but it's soooo completely doable. The very first step is that he learn to be OFF the bed/couch unless invited up. This shows him that you're in charge of the couch and are claiming it. In fact, EVERYTHING in the house has to be "claimed" by YOU so he can see who's in charge. This is the fist rule of thumb. You even need to claim his food after it's in the bowl and on the floor. You should get your trainer to teach you how to "claim". I would begin there. If you have to put cooking mitts to do it!
An example of "claiming" would be: Put a toy on the floor (or his food even better...). Wrap a thick towel around your lower legs and duck tape it on you to give you protection in the case that you are afraid to be biten. As he's about to go for his food put your body between you and his bowl...saying "Leave it" in a strong tone (not yelling) and have him back away. Take his bowl up...repeat 20 times till he just sits there looking at the bowl waiting for you to allow him to eat. Each time he's backed away and sitting and waiting...you reward him with a little bite of his food and say, "Good boy". This is a process. He WILL learn to respect you and STOP BITING all together once he gets that it's not his job to be in charge. He isn't happy...he deeply WANTS you to take over. He has no peace in his life. Once you "claim" all of this stuff he'll start to relax and then you can begin your relationship. I promise this works. You have to ask your trainer to show you how to do this so you may have a calm dog. Prozac is a vets alternative support for those that won't/can't train their dogs...they don't want to see you give up your dog. He just needs some training... SOMEONE had to be in charge...he just thought it was HIM.
