Quote:
Originally Posted by gemy  You need to correct unwanted behaviour. My boy at about six months old started to growl at our other animals when he was on my lap or the bed - he was immediately taken off either the bed or my lap with a stern no and not allowed back up again right away. Toys are a different issue but a similar one of resource guarding. I do not leave toys out all the time = my dogs play with their toys when I take them out to play with. If they are crated they might have a chew toy in with them - otherwise toys come out when I can superivse the play. |
Teddy was protective of me and would bite if hubby or teenager touched me so he was immediately put off my lap after sternly being told, 'NO'. He learned very quickly that the behavior was not appreciated and would not be tolerated. 2 years down the road, he still doesn't like when people touch me and he's on my lap but, instead of biting, he gets down from my lap on his own.
Regarding dogs, your dog is very aware of its small size and may be afraid of being stepped on or hurt by other dogs so it makes them aware that it is there or is afraid so is in fight or flight mode. My vet told me that if Teddy, who has the same issues, reacts in this way, remove him from the situation. Some dogs just do not like being around other dogs and, whilst we have a choice about the company we keep, dogs do not. The only way they can express their preferences is by barking. I was skeptical about this, at first, but two international specialists who saw Teddy separate to one another mirrored this opinion without any prompting from me. One was from Canada, the other Spain, so there must be some truth in their opinion within the community of their discipline.
Since she is so young, a lot of what we can offer re: behavior is speculation since we don't know if something is prompting this behavior and you could be missing signs. So, I'd suggest you refer to the vet or contact a behaviorist who can assist you in interpreting your dogs reactions. It will work wonders for your understanding and communication with your dog.
Good luck.