Protective Aggression - YorkieTalk.com Forums

Chair · 07-10-2006, 11:19 AM

At an early age, my husband and I worked with Gus to train him to be very gentle with humans. When he was playing and would nip - even if it didn't hurt, we would yelp and ignore him...to get to the point for him to think you have to be very careful and gentle with humans. he is now 10 months old and is just that. He still likes to nibble on fingers and toes, but is extremely gentle.

About a month ago, I was lying on the couch with Gus sleeping on my stomach. My brother-in-law was leaving and leaned down to hug me. This woke Gus up and he growled and barked very agressively. I had never seen him do anything like that! We both laughed and went on about our business.

This past week, he has done this same thing 5 or 6 times. It is always when he is with me -- usually him being startled (Gus and I went home this weekend to stay with my parents. One afternoon, my mom opened the door to wake me up from a nap. He went to the edge of the bed growling and barking very ferociously. Then he hopped off the bed and wagged his tail and jumped up on her legs to get her to pick him up.)

What do you think? How do I deal with this? Say "no"? Ignore it? My mom said that he sounded serious and it scared her some. Please help!

RLC12345678 · 07-10-2006, 11:22 AM

My parents' yorkie does this. She is 7 years old and has grown up around me. She sleeps with my parents and if anyone, including me, comes into my parents' room and she is on the bed, she gets PISSED! She growls and shows her teeth, etc. I think she is just being protective! I tell her NO and make her jump off the bed, then I pet her and show her that I'm not going to hurt anyone and that it's "just me" and not some stranger.

Personally, I wouldn't worry about it. As long as he never hurts anyone...

Chair · 07-10-2006, 11:23 AM

Also -- let me add. Gus is an extremely friendly dog to other dogs, cats, and humans. He has never met someone he does not consider a friend. He is patient with my 4 year old nephew and 3 year old niece. He LOVES other dogs. (Here's a picture with him and a new friend after swimming)

JeanieK · 07-10-2006, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chair

At an early age, my husband and I worked with Gus to train him to be very gentle with humans. When he was playing and would nip - even if it didn't hurt, we would yelp and ignore him...to get to the point for him to think you have to be very careful and gentle with humans. he is now 10 months old and is just that. He still likes to nibble on fingers and toes, but is extremely gentle.

About a month ago, I was lying on the couch with Gus sleeping on my stomach. My brother-in-law was leaving and leaned down to hug me. This woke Gus up and he growled and barked very agressively. I had never seen him do anything like that! We both laughed and went on about our business.

This past week, he has done this same thing 5 or 6 times. It is always when he is with me -- usually him being startled (Gus and I went home this weekend to stay with my parents. One afternoon, my mom opened the door to wake me up from a nap. He went to the edge of the bed growling and barking very ferociously. Then he hopped off the bed and wagged his tail and jumped up on her legs to get her to pick him up.)

What do you think? How do I deal with this? Say "no"? Ignore it? My mom said that he sounded serious and it scared her some. Please help!

I'm not sure this is a bad thing if he is doing it when you are asleep. As long as he changed his tone as soon as he recognized her, it seems to me like he is just being protective when he is unsure.

How is he around strangers when you take him out?

We had a yorkie/poodle mix, and she would snap if she was startled when she was sleeping otherise she was as sweet and gentle as could be.

Chair · 07-10-2006, 11:25 AM

Oops..here are the pictures.

Chair · 07-10-2006, 11:29 AM

How do you know if the aggression is a problem? How do you know if he really would bite someone?

Gus is friendly when meeting new dogs. He grew up with a 70 lb. German Shorthair Pointer - so size has never intimidated him. Sometimes other dogs seem unsure at first when meeting Gus - but he immediately wants to be friends.

It seems like sometime I read that if a dog thinks HE is the leader of the pack - he will feel responsible for the protection of the pack. do you think this is the case here? (I have tried very hard to be the pack leader -- training, making sure that he watches me more than I watch him, making him sit for food, etc.)

Chair · 07-10-2006, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeanieK

I'm not sure this is a bad thing if he is doing it when you are asleep. As long as he changed his tone as soon as he recognized her, it seems to me like he is just being protective when he is unsure.

How is he around strangers when you take him out?

Oops -- you said strangers...not strange dogs. He is quite friendly with any human he meets.

RLC12345678 · 07-10-2006, 11:53 AM

Maybe he DOES think he's the Alpha Dog. I know FOR SURE that my parents' yorkie that acts this way thinks SHE'S the Alpha Dog. But as long as he's not doing this to YOU and he's not BITING or HARMING anyone, I don't think that it should be a problem.

SnowWa · 07-10-2006, 09:40 PM

I had the sweetest dog in the world who did the same thing. But, she didn't have to be with anyone. She just had to be on the bed - and beware anyone who wanted to take her off the bed. Sometimes, she even did this if she was curled up and comfortable on her favorite chair. There was no way anyone was going to move her if she had her way.

I always felt she was saying, "Leave me alone and let me be. I am happy where I am. I don't want to be moved..... growl growl growl -- teeth showing and the whole bit.

BUT - I had her more than 10 years and she never bit anyone in her life - and was a very friendly dog - she especially loved children.

-----

My sister stayed with me one night and woke up with a stiff sore back. She said it was because she only had about 8 inches of bed to sleep on all night. I asked her why, and she said because Dutchess was sleeping and pushing against her. I said, "Why didn't you just move Dutchess over?" She said, "For sure! Like I'm going to do that. Have you ever tried to move Dutchess when she's on the bed?????" She had a point...

Carol Jean

ginnysanchez · 07-10-2006, 11:14 PM

Google almost never barks--and when he does, it's usually in my bedroom. He barks if anyone is approaching my bedroom, even if it's my husband (it's his bedroom too! LOL), and I am in there asleep (when I'm alseep Google likes to sleep on the floor of the bedroom at the foot of the bed, on my bathrobe).

He bark sounds, to me, like he's shooing off people--"hey, get out of here, Mom's alseep!" But his barking wakes me up. LOL I don't have the heart to shoo him out so I can get some quiet, because it does seem like he wants to protect me as I'm sleeping.

RLC12345678 · 07-11-2006, 04:26 AM

My parents' yorkie KoKo also will bark if she doesn't want to be moved. One day she was on her favorite chair just relaxing and my dad came up to her and said, "KoKo, do you wanna take a bath??" KoKo started growling and showing her teeth...I guess she was just trying to tell my dad she didn't want a bath!

Chair · 07-11-2006, 06:22 AM

Thanks for all of your replies. It is reassuring to know that Gus isn't the only dog like this.

I still wonder if this is a red flag --

I love my little one tremendously and want to provide the best possible environment for him. Once I read that if a dog sees himself as alpha - rather than feeling secure that YOU are the alpha and will take care of him and looking to you as the leader, he will feel the need to take over that role. I wonder if this is a sign that he is taking over. And that makes me sad because I want him to be able to live a happy life - one that he feels secure and well taken care of.

Does this make sense?

Shadow · 07-11-2006, 06:35 AM

Google protective aggression in dogs. I found this. I have the same issues with Rocco.http://www.animalhealthchannel.com/a...ritorial.shtml

RLC12345678 · 07-11-2006, 06:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chair

Thanks for all of your replies. It is reassuring to know that Gus isn't the only dog like this.

I still wonder if this is a red flag --

I love my little one tremendously and want to provide the best possible environment for him. Once I read that if a dog sees himself as alpha - rather than feeling secure that YOU are the alpha and will take care of him and looking to you as the leader, he will feel the need to take over that role. I wonder if this is a sign that he is taking over. And that makes me sad because I want him to be able to live a happy life - one that he feels secure and well taken care of.

Does this make sense?

Well I, for one, know for sure that my parents' yorkie, KoKo, feels like she is definately the Alpha dog towards other DOGS, but she definately obeys my parents as if she know that THEY are the Alpha humans...or Alpha before her. You get get what I'm saying?? KoKo was the very first yorkie, or very first dog for that matter, that anyone in my family has ever had. Now my grandmother has a yorkie, my sister has a yorkie, my aunt has a yorkie, and I have 2 yorkies. My family often gets together so all 6 yorkies are frequently around each other. And every single yorkie knows that KoKo is the boss. I dunno...dogs are so funny. If how Gus is acting is anything like how KoKo acts, I think that Gus feels like he knows YOU are in charge and YOU are the boss, but he is just the alpha dog in all other respects. You know? I think he is either just trying to protect you, or he doesn't want to be bothered while while he's asleep, or he gets startled when you try to wake him up while he's asleep.

I would just continue trying to establish dominance over him. You can look on the Internet for ways to do this. I know taking him on a walk everyday and make him walk BEHIND you is one way to do this...also look on the Dog Whisperer website...I am sure there are some good tips there. AND if you continue to do these exercises and he continues to act in this manner, that I would not worry about him feeling like he is the alpha dog. I would assume it is something else (startled, doesn't want to be moved, etc.)

07-10-2006, 11:19 AM	#1
Chair Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 36	Protective Aggression At an early age, my husband and I worked with Gus to train him to be very gentle with humans. When he was playing and would nip - even if it didn't hurt, we would yelp and ignore him...to get to the point for him to think you have to be very careful and gentle with humans. he is now 10 months old and is just that. He still likes to nibble on fingers and toes, but is extremely gentle. About a month ago, I was lying on the couch with Gus sleeping on my stomach. My brother-in-law was leaving and leaned down to hug me. This woke Gus up and he growled and barked very agressively. I had never seen him do anything like that! We both laughed and went on about our business. This past week, he has done this same thing 5 or 6 times. It is always when he is with me -- usually him being startled (Gus and I went home this weekend to stay with my parents. One afternoon, my mom opened the door to wake me up from a nap. He went to the edge of the bed growling and barking very ferociously. Then he hopped off the bed and wagged his tail and jumped up on her legs to get her to pick him up.) What do you think? How do I deal with this? Say "no"? Ignore it? My mom said that he sounded serious and it scared her some. Please help!

07-10-2006, 09:40 PM	#9
SnowWa YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: USA Posts: 2,992	I had the sweetest dog in the world who did the same thing. But, she didn't have to be with anyone. She just had to be on the bed - and beware anyone who wanted to take her off the bed. Sometimes, she even did this if she was curled up and comfortable on her favorite chair. There was no way anyone was going to move her if she had her way. I always felt she was saying, "Leave me alone and let me be. I am happy where I am. I don't want to be moved..... growl growl growl -- teeth showing and the whole bit. BUT - I had her more than 10 years and she never bit anyone in her life - and was a very friendly dog - she especially loved children. ----- My sister stayed with me one night and woke up with a stiff sore back. She said it was because she only had about 8 inches of bed to sleep on all night. I asked her why, and she said because Dutchess was sleeping and pushing against her. I said, "Why didn't you just move Dutchess over?" She said, "For sure! Like I'm going to do that. Have you ever tried to move Dutchess when she's on the bed?????" She had a point... Carol Jean __________________ http://tinypic.com/ipxhmb.jpg A Yorkie is worth a thousand words.

07-11-2006, 06:22 AM	#12
Chair Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 36	Thanks Thanks for all of your replies. It is reassuring to know that Gus isn't the only dog like this. I still wonder if this is a red flag -- I love my little one tremendously and want to provide the best possible environment for him. Once I read that if a dog sees himself as alpha - rather than feeling secure that YOU are the alpha and will take care of him and looking to you as the leader, he will feel the need to take over that role. I wonder if this is a sign that he is taking over. And that makes me sad because I want him to be able to live a happy life - one that he feels secure and well taken care of. Does this make sense?

07-10-2006, 11:22 AM	#2
RLC12345678 I heart Hootie & Hobbs Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: USA Posts: 7,149	My parents' yorkie does this. She is 7 years old and has grown up around me. She sleeps with my parents and if anyone, including me, comes into my parents' room and she is on the bed, she gets PISSED! She growls and shows her teeth, etc. I think she is just being protective! I tell her NO and make her jump off the bed, then I pet her and show her that I'm not going to hurt anyone and that it's "just me" and not some stranger. Personally, I wouldn't worry about it. As long as he never hurts anyone...

07-10-2006, 11:23 AM	#3
Chair Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 36	Also -- let me add. Gus is an extremely friendly dog to other dogs, cats, and humans. He has never met someone he does not consider a friend. He is patient with my 4 year old nephew and 3 year old niece. He LOVES other dogs. (Here's a picture with him and a new friend after swimming)

07-10-2006, 11:29 AM	#6
Chair Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 36	How do you know if the aggression is a problem? How do you know if he really would bite someone? Gus is friendly when meeting new dogs. He grew up with a 70 lb. German Shorthair Pointer - so size has never intimidated him. Sometimes other dogs seem unsure at first when meeting Gus - but he immediately wants to be friends. It seems like sometime I read that if a dog thinks HE is the leader of the pack - he will feel responsible for the protection of the pack. do you think this is the case here? (I have tried very hard to be the pack leader -- training, making sure that he watches me more than I watch him, making him sit for food, etc.)

07-10-2006, 11:53 AM	#8
RLC12345678 I heart Hootie & Hobbs Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: USA Posts: 7,149	Maybe he DOES think he's the Alpha Dog. I know FOR SURE that my parents' yorkie that acts this way thinks SHE'S the Alpha Dog. But as long as he's not doing this to YOU and he's not BITING or HARMING anyone, I don't think that it should be a problem.

07-10-2006, 11:14 PM	#10
ginnysanchez No Longer a Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Northern NJ / NYC Posts: 175	Google almost never barks--and when he does, it's usually in my bedroom. He barks if anyone is approaching my bedroom, even if it's my husband (it's his bedroom too! LOL), and I am in there asleep (when I'm alseep Google likes to sleep on the floor of the bedroom at the foot of the bed, on my bathrobe). He bark sounds, to me, like he's shooing off people--"hey, get out of here, Mom's alseep!" But his barking wakes me up. LOL I don't have the heart to shoo him out so I can get some quiet, because it does seem like he wants to protect me as I'm sleeping.

07-11-2006, 04:26 AM	#11
RLC12345678 I heart Hootie & Hobbs Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: USA Posts: 7,149	My parents' yorkie KoKo also will bark if she doesn't want to be moved. One day she was on her favorite chair just relaxing and my dad came up to her and said, "KoKo, do you wanna take a bath??" KoKo started growling and showing her teeth...I guess she was just trying to tell my dad she didn't want a bath!

07-11-2006, 06:35 AM	#13
Shadow No Longer a Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: California Posts: 5,368	Google protective aggression in dogs. I found this. I have the same issues with Rocco.http://www.animalhealthchannel.com/a...ritorial.shtml