Suddenly barking and biting at me

[cookiesmommy]

Terri -

I'm SO sorry that you're going through this, too. How badly did your little guy bite you and your son-in-law? Did he break the skin?

When Cookie acts like that, I'm afraid he's really going to hurt me badly....like E.R. badly. I've never seen such viciousness. :-( I've volunteered at an animal shelter for a while now, and I walk Pit Bulls and other large dogs regularly. I'm not afraid of most of them...but I'm afraid of a 13 lb. Yorkie :-(

Have you talked to your vet? Tonight, so far (fingers crossed), he's fine...but my roommate is staying at her parents tonight.

A friend was over a few nights ago and witnessed this. She was totally shocked b/c she knows how loving he usually is with me.

When my roommate is here, I'm going to let him sleep in her room and see if that makes any difference. I'm also going to ask her to call the vet and see what he says.

He may end up sleeping in the crate. I really hate to do that. I know that people swear by using a crate, but I just don't like it.

Good night and Merry Christmas. I wish us both luck. This is such an emotionally draining situation to be in.

Kathy

[MeAndMyOlivia]

Kathy,

We've had 2 more episodes and yes he broke skin during one of those. Both of my (grown) daughters have a lot of experience with all kinds and sizes of dogs including pit bulls, but they agree that they have never seen the likes of my 5# yorkie! He simply will NOT back down, no matter what...we've tried the controversial alpha roll, jabbing with a finger in the neck, but nothing seems to work. He continues to snarl and snap until we finally put him in his crate which I don't like to do but at least that way I don't have to worry about him biting anyone. Eventually (at least an hour or so) he'll calm down and I'll let him out of his crate and he is FINE...no problem. Until he decides he wants something - this morning's episode was over a sucker that got knocked off of the kitchen counter while I was cooking breakfast. My entire family thinks I need to return him to the rescue place...but I just am not sure about that.

No I haven't talked to the vet; I have been emailing with the foster mom though. She said he did have some food aggression but they worked with him and he got better. But this is more than food aggression! It sure has made for a very unpleasant Christmas...

Good luck...I feel badly for you because you've had Cookie for a while and I am sure are attached to him. It must be so sad for you....keep me posted!

Terri

[katelin]

I went through a bad patch with one of my dogs, and while we were trying to establish who owned who I had to use a cloth muzzle for awhile. They have them at Petco, and the dog can still drink water with it on.

This was our immediate solution, and I only suggest it to keep you safe while you work through this. Best wishes to both of you.

[MeAndMyOlivia]

Originally Posted by katelin

I went through a bad patch with one of my dogs, and while we were trying to establish who owned who I had to use a cloth muzzle for awhile. They have them at Petco, and the dog can still drink water with it on.

This was our immediate solution, and I only suggest it to keep you safe while you work through this. Best wishes to both of you.

You said "went through" - did it improve?

[cookiesmommy]

Well, Terri, I had a pretty lousy Christmas, too...but at least he didn't bite me. He did flip out on me earlier today in front of my parents and we had to crate him for a little bit.

I'm going to contact someone at the Humane Society and see if they can help me since I adopted him there. They said he had food aggression when I adopted him, and I had to hand-feed him for a few weeks. I never noticed any problem with that really.

Kaitlin, PLEASE, let us know what you did to iron things out with your dog. I'm so burned out daily over this, and there's no end in sight. I really don't think that I could ever get rid of him. I've had him for a year and a half, and I love him like an important part of my family. It would be like getting rid of a child for me.

I'm just at a loss. He'll be wonderful...and then he flips out.

<sigh> Merry Christmas.

[katelin]

Mine was a little different than what you are talking about. We had two females and the dominant one took a dislike to the other when they were in heat and attacked her on several occasions. Once when I tried to break them up I got bit as well. I cried and cried. So I know how upsetting it can be.

We went to a vet/behavior person who explained the NILF program. I also learned that the time I was bit, my dog was very angry with me for interfering with her attack on the other dog. For us, it was a dominance issue. I had to become the pack leader and make the dominant female submissive to me.

However, I must tell you that in the end we had to re-home the other female, for other reasons, but we were never able to completely break this cycle. I was told a good outcome had only a "fair" chance by the behaviorist. We have not had any further problems since we re-homed the other female.

But while you work it out, I really would suggest a muzzle. When our dominant female wore the muzzle she never even tried to be aggressive. You could put it on in the evening before bed, or when you know there will be others around. It won't change the behavior behind the aggressiveness, but at least you and others won't get hurt.

I feel so bad for both of you. It is a hard thing to deal with, especially when you love the dog and can't part with it. Sending all my good wishes.

[MeAndMyOlivia]

Thank you for your reply, Katelin. And my problem differs from Kathy's a bit in that Kathy has had Cookie for some time now and is very much attached. I have just had this dog for a couple of weeks and have not gotten attached to him at all, due to this behavior - I don't trust him and right now he is not very likeable. Which makes me very sad because I wanted a little boy so badly...

[katelin]

Oh I'm so sorry. I hope you can figure this out, or that he will find the right home so everyone can be happy.

[JoeyP]

Hmm ... that's too bad
The problem with aggression is that it sometimes gets worse if not nipped in the bud
You said you have some other dogs
so it's not surprising that this dog's aggression is getting worse because he feels he has to compete for some things
Instead of putting him in his crate
why don't you try this ..... try putting a treat in your hand
and let him search for it
if he growls whiles he's licking your hand take it away
if he wags his tail and is good give it to him and praise him
also while he is eating move his bowl
and praise him if he let's you do it without growling
take the food away if he does
and keep trying to set up situations where he might become aggressive
and prasie and treat him if he doesn't growl or bite

[cookiesmommy]

Well, I spoke too soon when I said that Cookie hadn't bitten me on Christmas. Later that evening, I asked him if he wanted to go for a walk. He got up, was excited and happy about the walk, I got the leash, reached for him, and he flipped out when I went to attach the leash (which I've done at least a thousand times). He Cujo-ed out on me....bit at my hand (caught a little skin, but there was no blood). My parents were shocked. My father tried to put on the leash and he bit at him as well.

This was in the living room. At the time, my roommate was asleep on the couch in that room.

I have a 3:15 appointment at the vet's to rule out any medical issues.

This morning, he's been his usual loving, sweet self with me...which he usually is earlier in the day. It's as the day progresses that this happens.

I just can't reconcile these two totally different personalities in my own little dog who's always been so sweet with me up until now. He's breaking my heart. If I have to, I'll hire a trainer. Anyone have any idea what they cost?

I honestly don't think that I could ever give him up... but this violence is escalating fast. It happened out of the blue about a week ago or so, and it's getting worse every day.

Does anyone know of any medical conditions that could lead to this?

Kathy

[demitasse]

Thank you for posting this. A huge light just went on for me.

My dog lunges and barks when I leave the house -- I understood that she was trying to keep me from leaving, or at least, leaving without her.

But Demi s also terrible in the car. She's gotten better about riding, but when I stop the car, all heck breaks loose. When I stop the car and unleash her from her carseat, she leaps onto my lap and attacks the steering wheel and my purse.

Now I'm thinking that she's jealous of the car and the purse.

Very strange.

I often wonder what she'd say if she could talk, but I suspect that her two favorite phrases would be "I shall NOT!" and "I PROTEST!" Ha ha ha!

BTW, Demi is being operated on this afternoon, so if you're reading this and have any good thoughts to spare, send some her way. I'm terrified about the anesthethia. Also, the house seems so empty without her - it's amazing how one little 5-lb dog fills up a room. I'm distraught without her.

Jay

Originally Posted by JoeyP

Good for you that you're not giving up on the little guy
He's likely resource guarding and he's resource guarding YOU!

It happens at night because he knows that you are going to be getting up to go to bed
alot of dogs do this when people leave the house to
they're fine until someone gets up to leave and then they start lunging and barking
You need to add some discipline to the love you give him
Make sure he knows that it's You who owns him and not the other way round

[cookiesmommy]

Jay -

I'm keeping you and Demi in my thoughts and prayers.

Kathy

[MeAndMyOlivia]

Thank you for the tips - I will try them.
* yes I have 1 other yorkie; Olivia was already here when the new little guy came 2 weeks ago.
* I only put him in his crate when he is snapping, snarling and biting and will not stop. Are you saying instead of crating him at that moment, use the treat in my hand? I can see where that would be a good training exercise at another time (not when he's snarling/biting, right?)
* I do move his food dish around while he's eating; he doesn't growl or anything but he eats SOOOO fast (I feed a raw grind), seriously he eats it all in 15 seconds or less! So there's not too much opportunity to move the bowl around. I have been mixing some of his grain free kibble in with the raw grind and that does slow him down, just another 5-10 seconds though!
* It makes sense that I need to set up situations where he might act up - that is what my son-in-law did yesterday; the dog was sitting in his bed and actually let go of the toy when my sil took it, but then proceeded to growl/snarl...but he didn't bite, he just stayed in his bed snarling. So I will work on doing that too.
Thanks!
Terri

Originally Posted by JoeyP

Hmm ... that's too bad
The problem with aggression is that it sometimes gets worse if not nipped in the bud
You said you have some other dogs
so it's not surprising that this dog's aggression is getting worse because he feels he has to compete for some things
Instead of putting him in his crate
why don't you try this ..... try putting a treat in your hand
and let him search for it
if he growls whiles he's licking your hand take it away
if he wags his tail and is good give it to him and praise him
also while he is eating move his bowl
and praise him if he let's you do it without growling
take the food away if he does
and keep trying to set up situations where he might become aggressive
and prasie and treat him if he doesn't growl or bite

[cookiesmommy]

Well, I went to the vet today with Cookie. She said he's fine...no fever, weight's fine, etc. Just to be on the safe side, I'm having a $96 blood panel done to rule out any probs. Although I believe that everything is most likely behavioral, I just feel better having this done once since we haven't had him his entire life.

She's very big on Cesar Milan and recommended that I get one of his books. I already read one, and I have mixed feelings about his methods. I'll probably reread something (or borrow the dvd from the library) to see if there's anything I want to use here.

In the meantime, I am feeding every piece of his food by hand and making him earn it by doing commands (sit, paw, down, etc.). I did do some of the Cesar stuff, like making him sit before going out for a walk and having him walk beside me rather than ahead of me. I'm also keeping him off of the furniture for now.

Believe it or not, YEA!...he didn't bite me tonight or act up. I don't know if it's b/c he spent the night in the crate last night (he never sleeps in that...only when we first adopted him...before we trusted him) or b/c I've been doing more of the obedience stuff. Who knows....just....please...pray it works.

Oh...I also put some of his kibble in the end of a kong bone and he was focused on that for a while in the living room. (but he was good before that, too). I think I'm going to use that more. When I reprimanded my roommate for allowing him to jump on the chair with her (and taking a good minute and some petting before she put him on the floor), he started to bark a couple of times, but then put the bone in his mouth and shut up...almost like he was trying to control himself.

Again...please say some prayers that things stay good. I have a constant knot in my stomach right now.

Kathy

[MeAndMyOlivia]

Kathy - I am glad to hear you are having a bit of success! Every little bit counts, for sure. I too can say that today was a better day with my guy. It's just been me in the house most of the afternoon/evening so it's really quiet. He has kept himself busy with his toys too. However a friend of ours was out in the "man room" above the garage and they came in for a few minutes awhile ago. Our friend (he thought it was Olivia!) reached down and tuggled with the toy that my guy was chewing on...I warned him to be alert etc. but the dog actually released the toy without snarling/biting! Our friend tossed the toy across the room and the dog ran to get it and brought it back, wagging his nubby little tail! Go figure! I'm not naive enough to think the problem is solved - but I am sure glad to have a bit of reprieve!

Glad to hear Cookie doesn't have physical problems...and I know what you mean about that knot in the stomach. *sigh* you're in my thoughts - hang in there!
Terri