Marsha, Thanks for commenting. I am actually the third home Max has had, and he's lived with me the majority of his life. He was born to a Chi who belonged to a coworker of my sister-in-law's. My brother thought it would be great to get my (then) 2 year-old nephew a puppy! (Yet another brilliant idea of my brother's... but don't get me started on him.) Not only was my nephew too young for a dog, but the apartment complex where they lived did not allow pets. Max lasted maybe three months before they found out my brother had him and he was told to move or get rid of the dog. In that time, I had seen Max (usually being toted unmercifully by my nephew while my brother and sis-in-law laughed about it) and I thought he was a cute little dog in need of a nice home. I would certainly treat him better! So I told my brother I'd take the dog.
Well, Max has been one incredibly destructive dog, but I will chalk most of that up to teething and normal puppy behaviors. I quickly learned that if I liked a pair of shoes I'd better put it out of his reach! LOL He has been a relatively good dog since the chewing has calmed down (although I do make sure that he has plenty of rawhide strips to chew on). He loves to play ball and will chase it until one of us wears out (usually me). So he's not all bad, it's just the aggression. BTW, while I am at work, he is snug in a nice roomy rattan crate so I have no fear of him biting anyone who enters. When I have guests over, I either put him in the crate or I put him in the laundry room (he seems not to bark as bad in there). I did have him on a Flexi leash this afternoon, as he never goes outside off-leash, and I had a simple collar on him as opposed to a harness. (I had a harness on him at one time but felt it was too snug under his ribcage and was rubbing him raw so I switched to a regular collar.) I had let him run outside to potty, and walked over to my car across the parking lot. While I was getting groceries from my car, a truck pulled up and let a girl out. I saw her disappear into the breezeway of the building, and when the truck looked as if it was leaving, I felt it was safe to start forward with Max. Unexpectedly, the girl made a second trip outside and with my hands full of grocery bags and Max already at the full length of the leash, I couldn't react fast enough to stop him. I called and pulled him back and thought that had solved the problem, but he lunged forward unexpectedly and the next thing I knew he was hanging by his teeth from the back of the girl's pants! I set the bags down, yanked him back to me, and told the girl (who was now hysterical) that I'd be right back... I rushed Max inside, yelling at him. (I know, I know, I was upset and scared, but I probably made it worse.) I dumped my groceries and went back out to check on the girl. I didn't realize who she was when Max attacked her but when her father came over later, it clicked. (I had thought she was just visiting my neighbors and didn't realize she was their daughter.) I have spoken with both of her parents before this and we get along well, so I am somewhat relieved that I at least had the basis of knowing them beforehand. The father's main concern was that Max had had his shots, and I assured him he was up-to-date as he goes to a kennel twice a month for boarding. The bite did break the skin and I was concerned about that, but the girl said she was okay and I apologized to both repeatedly. (The father and mother have both "met" Max before; the mother has worked with dogs so she is aware that Max has people issues. Max approached her once, growling, and once she showed she was not afraid of him he quickly backed down and lost interest.) I am hopeful that things will not escalate. The parents seem level- headed and the father felt like the girl would be fine. From where I was at, it looked like the bite was the type that scared her more than anything but I will check in on them tomorrow, just to make sure... For those who asked, I have seen the Dog Whisperer show before just not on a regular basis. I, too, am in awe of Cesar; I would love to ship Max to him! I am pretty sure socialization would be the key, but I don't know anybody who would let Max get close to them or their dogs. He's gotten a reputation and it's not a good one. In the meantime, I am considering a special trip to Columbia tomorrow to try to find a bigger harness for him; the local pet store only had very tiny or very large ones. I am also going to attempt to get him back into a walking routine, and maybe that will wear off some of the excess energy. The muzzle is a good suggestion, and I did look at those tonight also (but again, they had nothing in his size). Other than restraining him with muzzle and harness and keeping him by my side, I'm not sure what else to do. I feel like if I'm picking him up every time I take him out that I'm reinforcing that insecurity and fear of his. And yes, I definitely agree that he is scared and it manifests itself in "I'm gonna get you first before you can get me" behavior. I'm just not sure where that fear can be coming from. I've had him the majority of his life and he should feel relatively secure by now. Anyway, I'm sorry to have gone on so long but maybe I said something here that will help someone to understand Max's behavior and give me a clue about how to resolve it. I really do appreciate all the comments! Thanks so much! Sheila --- In [email protected], "marsha" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > May I ask how long you have had him? Did you get him as a pup or as an older dog? How to treat the situation would depend on the WHY behind the behavior. If he has ever been abused, then you can understand why he acts this way....and the thing to do is to show him that people can be loving...show unconditional love, no raised voices no physical punishment, ect. Punishment of any kind takes on a new meaning if the person/dog has suffered abuse. > > Maybe he is an alpha dog, in which case the treatment is to show that YOU are the leader of the pack. Make him submit to your authority. If he becomes aggressive, put him on his back and hold him gently but firmly until he submits. Wear gloves if you have to, but don't give in. He will have to learn he is NOT the boss. > > Maybe he simply was never properly trained. Maybe he has always gotten by with this behavior and sees no reason to change it. Give him a reason. If it is a lack of proper training, start all over from the beginning just as if he is a new pup. Show your alpha status, ignore attention getting behaviors, reward proper behaviors, ect. > > Bottom line, you gotta first determine WHY he acts the way he does before you can change it. Sometimes though, it is a case in which it has gone to far for too long, and the average person will not be able to change the behavior. I hope this isn't the case, but sometimes it is. If it is the case and you do find yourself having to re-home him, give yourself enough time to find the right home. It isn't about who is willing or who has had a chi before or something. The proper person has to be someone who has a "sixth sense" so to speak into a dogs mind. Some people simply can connect with dogs in a way most people can not. It comes more from the heart than the head...and just really loving your dog doesn't cut it. Don't get into a hurry and place him with just anyone. After all, if the family he loves can not connect with him, then a strange family will not be able to either, unless they have that "gift" > > I hope, for your sake and his, that it is something that can be re- trained. > > Marsha > " Lets talk about our wonderful little friends! Join today! " Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Chihuahuas/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Chihuahuas/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
