Suddenly barking and biting at me

[cookiesmommy]

We adopted Cookie a year and a half ago from the Humane Society. He was found as a stray, underweight with his ribs sticking out and severely matted hair. We don't know if he was neglected, abused, dumped, or lost.

At this particular moment, I tend to think that he was dumped. For the majority of the time that we've had him, he's been a great, albeit odd, dog. He seems to have some obsessive/compulsive issues, such as licking things for huge amounts of time (anything from a person's hand to the carpet).

I am a teacher. The first summer when I went back to work, he started staring at things that were not on the ceiling and running in a huge circle. We couldn't make him stop. The vet suggested we crate him as soon as the behavior started. After a couple of cratings, he stopped.

This year, when I went back to school after the summer, for FIVE WEEKS, every night, he lunged at me, bared his teeth, barked, growled, and tried to bite me. My roommate put him in the crate for about 15-20 minutes. Finally, it stopped....until this past week. He's doing it again, and I don't know what to do. He's in the crate at the moment. He never directs any aggression toward my roommate or anyone other than me. It's only at night. At first, it was when all three of us were on the couch, and I'd stand up....he'd come after me violently. As of tonight, it's also happening when I'm anywhere in the living room....but my roommate also has to be in the room. He doesn't do it if it's just him and me. My roommate says that he's afraid...however, that makes no sense to me at all.

He was at the vet a couple of weeks ago b/c I noticed that the skin on his underbelly was getting darker. The vet said it was just a natural changing of the pigment as he's aging. (We don't know how old he is...maybe around 4).

I'm at my wit's end. My roommate and I love him to death, and we'd never get rid of him. However, I'm scared that this violence is going to escalate and I'm going to end up in the ER. He went through basic obedience, which was mostly a nightmare b/c he doesn't like other dogs (but he ended up doing well by the end).

I hope that there's not a medical problem, although I doubt it since the aggression is only directed toward me. The only other next step that I can think of is to have treats with me in the living room and give him one as I get up.

Please let me know if you have any suggestions.
Thanks,
Kathy

[QuickSilver]

Does your roommate provide most of his care? There's another thread here about a dog that is resource-guarding a chair. Humans can be resources too. Is it possible he is guarding a prized possession, ie your roommate?

If that's the case, I'd suggest that you take over feeding him, etc. Also, your roommate can correct him in this situation by taking him off the couch if he is aggressive towards you, or giving him a time out.

I think the treats idea is good too.

[MeAndMyOlivia]

Hi Kathy, welcome to yt! I'm having similar issues with my recently adopted little guy...he too was a stray and was in horrible condition - he's still so thin and is still re-growing the hair on the back half of his body that he lost due to flea infestation and matting. We think he's about 5 yrs old. We've determined he is "resource guarding" and crazy as it sounds, his most prized possession seems to be my chair! There is lots of good info available on "resource guarding" if you will google that. I'm not sure what to make of Cookie's aggression being directed only at you. Hopefully you will get others' more expert advice on that.

You can read my thread and some of the great advice others have given me, some of which is already working! Good luck...I figure it will take a lot of time and patience to work through the "baggage" these poor little rescue guys bring along with them. Bless you for rescuing him!

[cookiesmommy]

Actually, I spend much more time with Cookie than my roommate does, and I am the one who feeds him, grooms him, etc.

For the first year or so, he never acted like this toward me. Right now, he's lying peacefully next to me, as he sleeps with me in the bed every night. He's fine when my roommate isn't around. By the way, my roommate and I get along fine...nothing there that would instigate his behavior.

He's always seemed to love us both. He does have some jealousy issues, though, and always wants TONS of attention (which he does get a lot).

Things just can't go on like this. I love him more than I can say, and he's not only scaring me, he's breaking my heart. We normally have a wonderful relationship. My mother is shocked by this behavior, b/c, as she said, I'm so wonderful to him. I'd do anything for him. I buy him the best foods, research everything, play with him, exercise him, spend time with him. And he's leaving me in tears every night.

What I really need is Victoria Stilwell to come here and help us.

[MeAndMyOlivia]

Is he neutered? Just curious...

[cookiesmommy]

Yes, the Humane Society neutered him when we adopted him. He wasn't neutered prior to then.

The resource guarding thing makes sense. I'm going to do some research about that. What have you done that's worked to help your Yorkie stop guarding the chair?

Thanks so much,
Kathy

[MeAndMyOlivia]

For starters - he is NOT allowed on the chair, period. Apparently there is a connection between him being up on the chair (he liked to sit up on top of the chair back, level with my head) and him feeling like the chair is his possession. If he gets on the chair (even if I am not sitting on it) I tell him "down". The first couple days, he growled/barked and I had to force him down, but now he does get down on verbal command. Actually, this evening he hasn't even tried to get up - that's progress! And he isn't allowed to get on ANY furniture...one of the articles said to keep them on the floor at all times. It's very interesting; he does seem to understand that his place is on the floor now and he actually seems more content, not as fidgety or nervous. I am hoping that at some point in the future when the issues are resolved, he can come sit with me again....I enjoy that as much as the furbabies do!

I keep his toys picked up; if I give him a toy, he has to sit for it first. Same with treats - he has to work for them. It's the NILIF method (Nothing In Life Is Free).

He's a real challenge; my Olivia is such a sweet, laid-back little girl - I wanted a little guy so much....I guess I got a triple-dose of little guy! LOL
I know how upsetting it is though...and scary. Especially since you've had him for a while. Do research on "resource guarding"; I'm sure you will find it helpful. Good luck and keep us posted!

[cookiesmommy]

Thanks for all of your input. I went back and read replies to your thread as well. I will do more research on resource guarding and see what happens.

I need to replenish my Buddy Biscuits supply to use as treats. The other treats are too difficult to break into small pieces...and I have a feeling that breaking him of this might require quite a few treats!

Thanks again, and good luck with your little guy. I read something this weekend that brought me to tears. It was written by someone who had adopted an adult dog who had issues and required a lot of patience and understanding. She had the dog for 12 years and it recently passed away. She talked about how she needed her dog, and her dog needed her. I have a feeling that we both have dogs who need someone who won't give up on them, no matter what.
Have a happy holiday,
Kathy

[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

[KimberlySRN]

Sometimes the hardest ones along the journey are the most rewarding in the end...keep faith that your actions will help him get there and how wonderful of you not to give up on him.

[Doodlebug]

Good luck, I hope you can find the answers. I have been watching a steady dose of Victoria Stilwell and I think she is Awesome! Her training methods make so much sense to me.

[cookiesmommy]

Kimberly, your message brought tears to my eyes. As difficult as Cookie can be lately, I am so proud of even the smallest of his accomplishments. Last night, I decided to really work with his obedience training and to practice his commands (sit, down, roll over, etc.), which he does very well. I made him work for his food and I hand fed it to him. Then, I was finally able to teach him "give paw." I was just gushing over him for being able to do this. I've tried a little before, but he never got it until now. We practiced it again tonight.

My roommate wasn't home last night, and he did somewhat better, although he started to bark a little meanly at me at night when I got up, but he didn't try to bite me.

Tonight he got to go for a car ride (which he LOVES), he got groomed, we practiced obedience tricks, and I even gave him one of his Christmas presents since he loves toys. We'll see how he does when it's night, night time. Keep your fingers crossed!

Kathy

[cookiesmommy]

Well, another unsucessful night <sigh>

I tried to have an evening of positive interactions with Cookie...lots of fun, playing, obedience for food, etc.

It happened again. He was up on the couch (it's happened on the floor also) and he flipped out on me out of the blue....baring his teeth, lunging at me, barking viciously, etc. I just don't know what to do. We're trying to keep him off the couch, but he jumps up, flips out, and then attacks. He's behaving extremely violently...so much so that it's scary to try to pick him up to take him off of the couch....he's attempting to bite. I can't really get near him.

When my roommate yelled, "Cookie, NO!" he immediately stopped, cowered, and came submissively over to me and pressed himself up to me..and licked my hand. It was like watching him do a sudden and total personality change from Cujo to a sweet little puppy in an instant.

I was then able to pick him up and put him in the crate upstairs for a while (about 45 minutes, I think). He didn't bark or anything. When I let him out, he pressed himself up against me again and I just started crying.

This happens EVERY night. I don't know how to make it stop. And what kills me is that he never did this for the first year that we had him.

Please give me some ideas of what to do.

Thanks,
Kathy

[QuickSilver]

Aw, I'm sorry.

Can you possibly afford a trainer?

I do think it's probably going to take more than one or two tries to diffuse the behavior. Can you and your roommate practice this over and over one night? The last "It's Me or the Dog" episode said it can take up to 20 tries to change a behavior.

Alternatively, maybe you can prevent the behavior before it starts. Why don't you crate him earlier in the evening? Maybe you can put the crate in your living room and he can spend evenings in there with you guys.

[MeAndMyOlivia]

Cookiesmommy, just so you don't feel all alone - I have had the worst 2 days yet with my guy! He has bit my son-in-law and me, and snarled/snapped at my other son-in-law and grandkids. I have been trying so hard, using all the techniques that I can think of - but then we go right back to where we started. It's really getting to me...my family doesn't like him and I can understand why.

But at least my guy came to me this way...I can imagine how discouraging this is for you since you have had Cookie for a while. I don't even know what to do next.