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luna_kp · 10-12-2014, 06:35 PM

Hi there!

We just had our tiny, 3.2 pound, 5 month old female puppy to Thanksgiving, where she met a 10 month old male mutt named Fitz. They've met before and got on fairly well then, about a month ago. Tonight, she was kicking her back legs against the carpet when confronting Fitz, which, we now know after a quick google search, is territorial and dominant behaviour. The website we read says it's a way for dogs to show they're "big" and "powerful." Obviously, Luna is neither of those things. She was also running around playfully and sticking her butt up in the air with her front paws down, but then standing on her back legs to nip Fitz's face.

It's not the first time I've been worried about Luna's behaviour around other dogs. She "plays" rough, sometimes lunging to bite other dogs' faces, and she does not easily allow other dogs to sniff her butt. Last time we took her to the dog park (a park specifically for small dogs), she was attacked by another dog, whose friend joined in, so that two dogs were attacking her. I think she instigated it, but it happened too fast for us to tell - we scooped her up because she wasn't coming when we called her, and she was squirming to get back down! Now with this territorial behaviour (we weren't even at our own house!) I'm worried she's going to get herself into trouble.

The confusing part is that she's also a coward. She hides behind my mom and I, or backs up as far as the leash will allow, when an unfamiliar human or dog approaches her. She barks at dogs/humans when they're far away, but cowers when they come near. She shakes in new situations and sometimes tucks her tail under her. We have a personal dog trainer who calls her "neophobic" - that is, scared of new situations. It's really confusing to have a dog who is sometimes cowardly and other times aggressive.

What's going on with Luna? Is part of it possibly because she hasn't been spayed? Will some of this behaviour go away once she is spayed? Should we be worried, and are there things we should be doing to help correct her behaviour?

10-12-2014, 06:35 PM	#1
luna_kp YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 6	Mixed Signals - Is my dog cowardly or aggressive? And how can I fix it? Hi there! We just had our tiny, 3.2 pound, 5 month old female puppy to Thanksgiving, where she met a 10 month old male mutt named Fitz. They've met before and got on fairly well then, about a month ago. Tonight, she was kicking her back legs against the carpet when confronting Fitz, which, we now know after a quick google search, is territorial and dominant behaviour. The website we read says it's a way for dogs to show they're "big" and "powerful." Obviously, Luna is neither of those things. She was also running around playfully and sticking her butt up in the air with her front paws down, but then standing on her back legs to nip Fitz's face. It's not the first time I've been worried about Luna's behaviour around other dogs. She "plays" rough, sometimes lunging to bite other dogs' faces, and she does not easily allow other dogs to sniff her butt. Last time we took her to the dog park (a park specifically for small dogs), she was attacked by another dog, whose friend joined in, so that two dogs were attacking her. I think she instigated it, but it happened too fast for us to tell - we scooped her up because she wasn't coming when we called her, and she was squirming to get back down! Now with this territorial behaviour (we weren't even at our own house!) I'm worried she's going to get herself into trouble. The confusing part is that she's also a coward. She hides behind my mom and I, or backs up as far as the leash will allow, when an unfamiliar human or dog approaches her. She barks at dogs/humans when they're far away, but cowers when they come near. She shakes in new situations and sometimes tucks her tail under her. We have a personal dog trainer who calls her "neophobic" - that is, scared of new situations. It's really confusing to have a dog who is sometimes cowardly and other times aggressive. What's going on with Luna? Is part of it possibly because she hasn't been spayed? Will some of this behaviour go away once she is spayed? Should we be worried, and are there things we should be doing to help correct her behaviour?