My rescue dog has biting issue and I am afraid
 

Honestly....I AM afraid of it, although I do know I should NOT or I will never change her habits. I have never had any experience with MY dogs who bite ME.

A week ago I adopted a puppy mill girl. I was thinking about it for a long time, and finally, when the puppy mill, I got my Jessica from 5 years ago, was shut down, I immediately fill out application and... here we go:aimeeyork.

Ideally, I wanted to foster first, because my baby is way too spoiled and previous foster experience didn't work so great (jealousy), but were are some restrictions re foster program, so when I saw this baby that I like a lot, I just decided - if it not now, I would probably never get what I want.

Anyway, I know that puppy mills dogs need a lot of patience, and I am OK with that. I've read some articles re correction of behavior, and try to follow rules.

But the problem is: she continues to snap/bite... to my dog, and me. When I immeditely put my finger and say NO, she stops. She is much better re her food agression that a week ago.

BUT. When I wear color, she tries to bite, when I try to brash her, she tries to bite, when I try to dress her because of cold, she tries to bite. I complitely understand, that those puppy mill dogs afraid of hands, but not all of them bite. She does. I am just afraid.

What should I do? Soon she needs a bath, she already smells, she has had some ear infection, and her ears need to be clean regularly, and she doesn' let me to do it.

In shelter she was so timid, so I decided she can be a perfect match for my baby, but when she's got comfortable in my house....She wants to be # 1. Jess is afraid of her, seriously.

How can I wash her/brash her, ect?

Any advices?

Wow im not an expert like some of the people on here but thats sad. She must have been treated bad for her to be acting like that. You might need to train her. I hope everything works out

I will do my best. As I said, I don't blaim her, my problem is me. I have never afraid of dogs, and did have experience in past when another dog did bite me, but it was not MY dog. My problem - I am afraid that she will bite me. Actually, she did once, and it was not too bad :D

Also, what is treaky about this situation. At first, I think she was more relaxed re my hands. Btw, she is pretty good for puppy mill dog, she doesn't want to be in crate (!!!, usually they all do), she was pretty comfortable in my house from first minutes... But because she snapped/tried to bite, I had to tell her NO. Not too loud, I didn't yell, of course, just commanded, but she understood it, and got scared. Immediately stopped and went away. But experts told me that I have to stop her bad habits, or it will never change. So, by trying to fix one problem, I making her more afraid of me.
I am not monster, I am best with spoiling, not training:D.
I pamper her, let to smell my hands, leash, etc. try do be quite, slow with her, but anytime I ask her to come to me, she is afraid. Sometimes, she wants to come and almost jump to my hands, but most of the time she is not.

Trainer?
 

Have you consulted a trainer about getting her into a class for training and socialization? Do you take her on walks? The saying goes...a tired dog is a happy dog.

Did you get her from a rescue group or the puppy mill breeder? If it's a rescue, have you reached out to them for help?

I'm sorry that she's trying to bite you. Please, be very careful. I hope you don't let her see that you're very scarred when she tries to bite. Have you tried yelping like a puppy would who has been hurt, and turn away from her and ignore her completely (no eye contact) for about ten seconds.

Please, have a lot of patience with her...just keep telling yourself that it's gonna take a whole lot of love and understanding of her feelings and knowledge. Always think about how she was in a puppy mill and live in horrible, horrible conditions.

Barley was a rescue as well and he's gone through several personality changes in the month I've had him. First, he was very timid, and scarred. Then he became overly aggressive with the other dogs. Now he's a more secure and happy dog.

I started him on regular walks with the other dogs, started basic training commands, and refuse to let him guard me from them and guard his food from them. For a while it was scarry as he would do this jumping, growling, snapping thing to them. Luckly no one got hurt before we could stop it.

Good luck to you and please feel free to e-mail me if I can help you I'll gladly do so. You are an angel for getting her out of there.

I think she needs some time also to realize you wont hurt her and you are there to love her. When she try's to nip, let out a little whelp like OUCH that might help her to know she is hurting you and this behavior is not acceptable.
Only God knows what she has been through she needs time and maybe some training but most of all she needs to begin to trust you.
Good Luck:hug::hug:

Nipper
 

I have no experience with a puppy mill dog....but I know that genuine love and kindness will overcome just about anything......please don't give up on her

Hi, I wish I had some great advice for you, but I want to at least offer encouragement. You are doing a great thing! Also, a week is not long at all. Give her a month or two and I bet you will start seeing amazing results. Good luck to you.

Thank you so much for the help:).

I got Polly at Humane Society. If you would like to know more about place she came from and how I got my baby Jessica (first one), please read topic "Puppy mill raided" at Yorkie News.

My Jessica is very active girl (hiking, camping, walking, ocean, etc, etc). I am in Seattle, too much rain this year, however, every time when weather is not too rainy, I took my girls to the park. We have a great people/owners of small dogs there and this is very good way to socialize. Also, HC invited me to training program, I didn't want to go first because my Jess was very timid and scared as puppy too, and I socialize her very well without those cources. But now maybe I will go. Because they are a little bit different.

Plus, I do have a yard, and we are there every hour (housetraining:D). Last Saturday, we went to the park, although it was too rainy. But they were OK, dirty/wet, although :D.

Polly is trying to be a friend with Jessica, but Jess ignors her. Today, Polly was aggressive to Jess because Jess accidently jumped on her. But comparable their "relationship" a week ago, much better. I believe, Polly is much younger that 3 yo (as was appx. estimated), she still wants to play. Doesn't know how yet, but wants to learn.


Thanks again :animal-pa

but I still have a question... How should I wash her? Maybe when she will be sleepy and more relaxed?

yes... when she is sleepy and relaxed. Also little by little. She may be afraid of the water so take it slow and make sure it is a quiet environment. Start by only washing her feet then work your way to the rest of her if she is calm.

You may need to keep her in a short cut for awhile until she gets more comfortable.

Good luck. Bless your heart for rescuing!

Is her hair long enough to require much brushing? If it's really short, I might make that my last battle. I've been following the thread about the humongous puppy mill bust in Washington (those people were disgusting!) I'm sure this little one had more than one bath at the rescue - I would contact them about this & the biting.

What did you name her?

Also, I feed her from my hands. Is it right thing to do?

Thank you so much:)

Her name Polly was given in shelter. At first, I didn't like it much, but my hubby and son decided to keep it and now I do like this name :D
Re her coat. I think that she is redleg (?). When I saw her very first time, I was thinking she has ugly haircut, but now I think she one of those type yorkies. Also, I will not be surprised if there is Chinese Crested in her too:D. Her ears very typical for Chinese Crested. OR it is hair lost because of ear infection in past. I saw other yorkies in shelter, their hair much longer. For example, my Jess needs to be groommed pretty often, her hair used to be up to floor. I really don't know why I have chosen her:D, she is cute, but another yorkies much cutier and look like Jess.
She was so small, poor thing.... Other were more happy, but I wanted more submissive dog (and she is not really :D)

In the meantime, I'm not sure if it would do more harm than good, but if it were an absolute necessity for the time being, giving her a bath and cleaning her ears, I'd probably take her to the vet and warn them to use a muzzle on her. Ask that they help bathe her and explain that she's a rescue, so please don't hold her aggression against her. But she is in need of an ear cleaning and possibly a worming, etc. At least, if needs be, they should be able to gently sedate her, but in the least, would hopefully have more experienced vet techs at hand rather than at a groomer's you don't know, they might end up hurting her or suing you if the dog hurts them. :p Also be sure she's gotten her rabies shot before she ends up biting a stranger. :eek:

At least by taking her to get the job done elsewhere, she might not associate you with those bad feelings. You may then slowly work on gaining her trust in brushing, cleaning her at home. Probably having her shaved down at the the vet's is a good thing too, then you needn't worry about brushing her too much. Buys you some time to bond and train some more. :)

(Edited - Instead of deleting my post, I just took out the "bumping up thread" part since I see MANY posts since. LOL (so ignore my unprofessional suggestion) :)

Sounds like you have gotten tons of great advice, so I will just wish you and your little baby the best, and ask you to keep us posted on how she is doing.:animal36

thank you all for great advices!:thumbup:

Just becareful that someone pets her and they get bit and like someone said get her rabies shot also ..it sounds like also it could be jealousy...Not sure:animal36

Of course:thumbup:, actually, I have been telling about possible biting before people even try to pet her because she is cute. Same with dogs. I don't want anyone scared her and any problems for me. So far it works :D And I will not let any children to touch her. Jessica is good for that, not Polly:cool:. Although, recently, Jessica is also changed. She loves children, but with dogs.... She doesn't like dogs who have no manners and jump on her or just too pushy. No way - she will not let to do it, my snoby girl :D

Congrats on your new family member and thank you for all that you have done for her. As for bathing her I would try a waterless shampoo. It comes in a foam that you just rub on the coat and let it dry. It works great and takes only a minute. This could work untill she trusts you to actually bath her.

I've used this one with great results.


Miracle Coat Foaming Waterless Dog Shampoo

Cool:thumbup:, I love conditioner from this company, but haven't tried shampoo yet. Now I will, thanks :animal-pa.

She sounds like she has fear and some will cower and some will lash out. She is out of the mill now and wants to make sure she is never treated like that again but doesn't know anything else. She may be trying to take the upper hand to insure that. You have to let her know you are the alpha not her. Don't take any chances of her biting anyone shots or not. People don't realize how ugly a situation that can turn into. I would get her some training, and as far as grooming goes I'd take her somewhere else. I had to quit using the groomer I'd been to for 12 years when we got our rescue. I take her to a woman who only does one dog at a time and let's me stay. I filled her in on everything during our first phone call and she agreed to give it a try. She has been there three times now and gets better every time. My rescue was very quiet and scared at first, more timid now. She's coming along but it's all BABY STEPS. Good luck.

Thanks:animal-pa. I groom my dog myself and love it. People even ask me to groom their yorkies:), because they like Jessica's hairstyle. Recently, I bought professional clipper, so I am not planning to go to groomer at all.

My rescue Dog
 

That is why I don't do this anymore I have had a yorkie (dog from Hell) and he was so agressive with my other dogs he would draw blood. We tried everything. But at last it did not work I valued my life and my babies not to do this.

I would be Very careful about any rescue dog you just don't know what is in there past.


Cheryl

Just my 2-cents worth:animal-pa:animal-pa

Sadly some dogs are ruined beyond rehab. We just need to make sure that is the case and not give up on them to soon.

Actually, my new baby is much better:). Yesterday we went to the vet, yes, they wore muzzle on her, but she was not agressive - I would say timid. She tried to bite the vet because when he checked her ears, she was crying, maybe she had pain, I don't know. I think she will be much better, I just see the improvement. They eat with Jessica together - no fight at all. She is more relaxed re my hands....

... and she is playing with her new toy:) before she didn't know what is that.
I specially bought very small toy that looks like puppy. She likely had babies in the past, so I was thinking maybe it is the best toy for her. Well ...:D:D:D Hopefully, she didn't rip off her puppies as she is trying to do with her toy....:D:D:D

That is why I don't do this anymore I have had a yorkie (dog from Hell) and he was so agressive with my other dogs he would draw blood. We tried everything. But at last it did not work I valued my life and my babies not to do this. I would be Very careful about any rescue dog you just don't know what is in there past.

I feel it is necessarily to give an update re Polly behavior.

Simply because I just do not want anyone who read information about similar problems and might be afraid to take dogs from rescue/shelter because of that.

So...:):):) Polly is almost different dog now. She has no food aggression at all, I can touch her with no problem when she is eating her valuable :D bone...
She easily let me groom her, wash her...:thumbup: .... still doesn't let me to treat her ears, but she doesn't bite anymore!!!

She doesn't afraid of hands anymore (maybe sometimes, but comparable what was before, it is like sky and earth...)

The only concern I still have is ... she and Jessica. They are not really friends, and seems like will never be, they are just too different. Everytime Polly is trying to play with her, Jessica is afraid, because Polly is playing as alpha dog.....

Good news!

I think in time....They will learn to play with each other. They have to go at their own pace and their own terms. My sister brought in a teen female dog last year and Cuddles and Lulu (her first dog) would fight really bad...BUT now, they are sisters :D - of course they still rough house and play, but they do like each other now and protect each other and play on good terms ;)

It's all baby steps with a rescue dog, she will learn you won't use your hands to hurt her and the other dog wants to play not attack. It may take months like it did for my rescue Yorkie to play with our cat.