Brandei Snaps And Growls At Everyone But Me

[MsCherylReCo]

Hello everyone. I have a new fur baby. I guess she is an adult because she's 2 years old. I got her on valentines day. I noticed in the days since that she is so very skiddish and jumps at loud noises. She also growls at my husband and my son when they go to pet her. She growls at everyone other than me for the most part. She has also bitten my son twice. How can I help my little Brandei to become more social with others? My husband says if I can't find a way to keep her from reacting the way she does to others I will have to get rid of her. I don't know much about her history. The person I got her from told me she was re homing her because Brandei's owner was a good friend and she didn't want Brandei to be put in a shelter. Please help. I welcome any and all suggestions.

[kjc]

Have treats around so everyone can offer her a treat. The treats can be tossed in her direction until she will calmly take them from a hand.

[Buster Brown]

If you can I would invest in a good animal behaviorist/ trainer who deals with aggression. Maybe in her last home there were men/boys who mistreated or overwhelmed her so whe might react more to men than to women. A good trainer could asses her and recommend training to help her overcome her fears.

[MsCherylReCo]

Thank you both for your suggestions. Last night was the first night that she didn't growl at my husband. She is now beginning to play with the many toys we have for them to play with. She is interacting with Nala and Rocky now as well. I am glad she is becoming comfortable. She has even lifted her tail.

[SWHouston]

Possibly a bonding/protection issue with you.
Move well away from son/husband when they are attempting to handle the animal.

[R-Teddy]

I agree with all of the above. She needs to associate your husband an son with good happy things.Food, play, treats ect. but of course it needs to be done in a safe manner until she can be trusted not to bite. perhaps have your son and husband take turns with feeding her, playing with toys with her, and the treats. but o it from a distance at first if needed. Dont PUSH it too much too fast. If you see she is getting overwhelmed, have them step back. but keep working at it a little at a time until she she hopefully catches on that hey, these are good fun people. Dont even reward her for aggressive behavior though. If she growls, no treat.

[Bellabean]

I agree with all the above. She is precious. Look at that little face, it's saying " please, don't give up." So glad to hear she is getting adjusted!!!!

[Buster Brown]

How wonderful to hear she is adjusting better. Thanks for giving this sweet girl a new home.

[jeanm1963]

I also agree with keeping treats outside your house when ever your son and hubby come in have them toss her a treat at first then eventually start trying to hand them to her, I would keep her on a harness and leash in the house when she growls or goes to bite pull her away and say NO!!! Also you can remove her from the situation if she is being nasty and keep trying over and over again , when she finally is " nice" let her stay and reward with treats!

[MsCherylReCo]

Thank you all for your help and suggestions. Yes she is getting adjusted and I am happy to say that she approached my husband and sniffed his hand then came back and licked his hand. Yaaaaaaaay!!! Brandei. I am so grateful for each one of you. She is such a sweet girl and I can tell she has had it hard and I just want her to be comfortable so she can be loved. She is on her way and I am happy. I had read articles on the internet and I thought it was going to take a long time for her to accept them but your suggestions have considerably shortened the time and I thank you all so much.

[theporkieyorkie]

Perhaps she was abused by men, or just raised by women. My older dog was never abused, but he was raised and primarily cared for by women. For 7 years, he growled and barked at his old owners husband every time he'd try to get in bed for...but he was fine with her husband petting him outside of the bedroom.

[akaryendy]

I'm glad she is doing better. I think also the family needs to give her space to readjust and you need to approach her approriately. I notice my Oliver, 4 months old, does not like it if we come up to him and reach down to pet his head right away, we gotta go from under the chin and up. You need to have the family spend time around her first, not with her but around her so she gets the sense that these human are part of her pack too. You as the pack leader should be calm, confidently and stern with her when she misbehaves. I know she is cute but when she sense that you are nervous or worry, she will take it as you are weak and needs protection. I love my baby Oliver so much but I know babying him is giving him a chance to misbehave.

[yorkietalkjilly]

Her world has changed and her comfort zone is gone. She's trying to protect herself. Keeping her safe and secure feeling is important until she begins to settle and adjust. Having those she fears drop treats as they walk by her without interacting or looking at her for a while will help her warm to their nearness. Later, when she's out and about, tossing treats at her will also send her words of love in those treats and eventually she will want to initiate contact with those she trusts. I'd keep her sessions short and sweet with those she's growled out until she trusts them and feels secure with them and then they can begin to toss a ball for her, squeak a toy and baiting her with it, giving her treats all the while and eventually petting her on her back. Eventually, she will come to individually accept those in the home and cuddle and love with them as long as they don't scare or intimidate her by being too forward at first. Sounds as if she's come a long way already!

After she's settled in, a good home obedience program will help her regain her self-confidence and give her a job to do which is gold for a dog. It will help her more than anything - plus enriching her life with puzzles and games to challenge her mind and keep her focused on the issue at hand.

[MsCherylReCo]

Thank you. She is opening up and moving around more. Yesterday she started playing with toys. Today she licked my husbands hand. I am really pleased with her progress. I have all of you to thank for the suggestions you gave and I used.

How do I find a in home training program? I have two other yorkies that would benefit from the same training. I have two girls who are 10 and 11 pounds and I have a male who is 6 pounds.

[yorkietalkjilly]

I just train my dogs to sit, lie down, go around in circles, high 5, shake paw, rollover, jump up or down from the couch/bed on command, stay, stop in mid-walk and stand still, leave it, Bark!, Quiet, Drop it! and things like that. Basic commands every dog needs to do on command as well as "come" every time. You can keep training beyond that right into tricks of all kinds if the dog is having fun.

Treats, lots of lavish praise, keep the training very short - 5 mins. or under 2 times a day, keep it very upbeat and celebratory, positive reinforcement for every advancement and before long, lots of bonding takes place in the dog and she will actually LEARN how to learn, control her own impulses because your reward is greater to her than what she wants to do, learn how to obey you every time and in the process, learn that you are her leader, in control and will always keep her safe, never intimidate or scare her. She won't need to growl and feel scared unless you are not around as she will expect you to keep her safe from all others who might worry her. At the end of the training, you have a secure, confident pet who trusts you, enjoys the work you do together and lives to please you. They learn how not to misbehave or do things you don't like as if by osmosis once they are gently and well-trained with lots of love and fun in the process. They are happy, feisty dogs unafraid of life or what's coming next.

It's a magical cure to most doggie behavior problems but it takes a dedication not everybody has.