I agree, I do not think he has any respect for me at all. He's not my dog and I do not believe in hitting animals so I tell him off in a stern voice and say NO. His owner who I doubt will be able to have him back says to hit him so does my dad who is the partner of the owner and so I leave things to him. He never used to but he's also started doing this to strangers when they go for a meal and sit outside a pub, people walk past and he starts. People just laugh because he's small but it's not on imo and after being properly bitten on the hand by him it effing hurts. Dad has suggested that when he goes for me I pop him in his crate and shut the door BUT he loves that crate. It's done out like a little den with loads of fur throws and I don't think he would see it as punishment as he loves going in there.
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I know you wont but please dont hit a dog to deter the behaviour.
Redirect and show the behaviour you do want to see. Praise when behaviour is good.
There is a lot of research into pack mentality and why its been debunked recently.
Id recommend a vet check to make sure all ok, no pain or anything like that.
Redirect and show the behaviour you do want to see. Praise when behaviour is good.
There is a lot of research into pack mentality and why its been debunked recently.
Id recommend a vet check to make sure all ok, no pain or anything like that.
I also think maybe he can tell I don't feel much for him. Not like my own dogs even one that I adopted at 2. Since my last went I didn't want to ever feel that way again and I do think
He's been checked out by my vet and is only young. I know from previous experience a change in behaviour can mean they are ill. I would never ever hit a dog. I always praise him up and for the most part he is very good bar the going for my ankles and growling at the same time. It does seem to happen when my dad is around or is coming in the door and I get up to go open it for him or say there is post he has to be the first there and I've only been able to open the door a crack because he's going crazy biting at my ankles and feet. There is a new Nurse at the practice I go to who trained in behavioural problems I thought we could give a try. He's also not neutered as per his owners request and I'm not sure if this may be the issue? I would prefer him done if she's not going to be able to take him back as I had a male who got prostate problems because he wasn't done.
Sounds like youre doing all you can with a dog that hasnt been trained properly by the other owner.
Yes you dont need to hit him and dont crate him either as thats his safe place and he will soon resent it.
Firstly, I would remove access to absolutely everything apart from water, toys etc all get put away, dont let him access the couch etc, things like that have to be earned, make him work for things. If he does it again, grab him by the collar, firm no and remove him from the rest of the house, not saying lock him in a container but just pick him up and move him to the opposite side of the house. Clip him on a lead and show him that YOU are in charge and that what hes doing is unacceptable. Next time your expecting visitors, clip him on a lead and control him that way. I dont use treats for rewards as its a form of blackmail, use plenty praise instead.
No she didn't train him properly.
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Thanks. I couldn't get him by the collar as he'd have my hand off. He may only be a 2.4kg chihuahua but his bite hurts bad. I tried to find a muzzle for him for when I clip nails and things but even the smallest are too big as he has a short nose. I had to buy a pair of special gloves that go up to my elbow instead that he cannot bite through. He is obsessed with walks and loves that lead going on thinking he's off out but I will try. I'd have to remove his steps plus shut him out the living room as he can jump up on the chair he likes. He loves to look out the window sitting on the back of the chair like all my chi's have done. The only way to stop that would be shut the door so he can't come in. He's not been trained properly. He recently spent some time back with his owner (a week) with my dad there and he woke to poo on the bed because she lets him sleep on there and didn't take him out for his evening walk. He doesn't mess in our house as we make sure he has his walks and goes in the garden. I'd never hit him. I don't agree with it and it would make the situation worse. I'll just have to whip on my gloves and take him out. Funnily and maybe because his owner hasn't got one he doesn't like the garden so I could put him out and shut the door. The removal of the toys is a touchy subject. I kept all my previous dogs toys and a sofa style dog bed all 4 used. The toys are a massive pile in the corner next to it and when my last girl died my dad wouldn't let me move anything as she was his favourite and used to love to sleep on the pile of toys. He'd be furious if I took them away.
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Agree with the lead, I’d have a house lead on him at all times, until you can retrain the behaviour at the door simply put him away when you need to open it.
As for the firm no, I respectfully disagree, she needs to show him what good behaviour gets him and to redirect the bad behaviour to good. Have you trained him “touch”? Simply hold out a hand, palm facing him and say “touch”, as soon as he touches your hand reward with a treat. Dogs love this one and learn it really easily, it’s great for redirection, next time he’s going for your ankles simply start practicing touch and his mind will work with that instead of biting you.
Sounds like your behaviourist friend might be a great asset to you, personally I’d happily spend 70 quid to find out why my dog was doing something and what I could do to make him happier than be locked in an endless battle of wills that no one wins. You don’t need to dominate, just be calm and assertive. Good luck x
He knows sit and paw we taught him. Never tried the touch one or heard of it tbh but I'll give it a go. His lead is one I hate those retractable ones but I have old leads from my dogs I could use and keep on him in the house> I personally think and I thought this with my girls too that he has too many treats all the time. Dad's not long walked in the door with more treats and given him two chews already. He gave him one that will take him a while to get through and then while he was chewing on it went to get a pig ear! I said he's got a treat that's enough. They are scattered everywhere toys and treats. dad said I should give him more treats so he learns to like me and he won't attack my ankles and feet.
Oh gosh, definitely stop the treats for no reason, he can have them when he earns them. A lot of people don’t feed out of a bowl they use all their dogs food for training.
The heller won't even eat his food out a dog bowl! I could easily use that to give him that during training. It's my dad, he did it with my girls and they were overweight. Treats all the time! I've told him for years and years and he swears he will cut down but doesn't. Now this one is really his and his partners he has more say than I do. I'll tell him when he gets in from walking him. He once gave one of my girls a handful of salted peanuts that made her ill and cost me a trip to the vet. He means well treating him but it's too much.
I personally disagree with re-directing bad behaviour but each to their own. In my opinion, your not telling the dog what behaviour you want to stop. Someone comes into the home, said dog jumps up and straight after gets a paw and a treat? Your not teaching the dog whats wrong, he instantly thinks oh if i want a treat il just jump up. Makes sense why theres so many behaviourist’s about these days I suppose more than ever
But you’re not rewarding the bad behavior, you’re showing the dog that the behavior you want gets him good stuff and the bad behavior gets him nothing. Ideally you’ve got him on a lead and you don’t let him jump up to start with, redirecting is for behavior that is already occurring. If someone is coming in she can have him on a lead and be getting him to do some basic training and ignoring the person coming in. He gets to greet them when he’s calm, if he jumps up they turn and walk away and the training continues.
There are a lot of behaviorists and I’ve got my first pup in over 16 years and things have changed a lot, some of it I agree with some I don’t, but I’m willing to learn and try new ways. Do I ever say no or shout? Of course I do, I’m human and he’s 15 months old but 95% of the time I do my best not to, who wants to be shouted at when they can be shown another way?
Do any of you think being in tact contributes to his behaviour. The behaviourist is a new vet nurse at the practice I've always used. I think it's worth asking her about this. The going crazy barking and biting my feet and ankles when someone is at the door is bad and although I try and shoo him into the living room to answer the door there was a time he wouldn't listen and I had to say through the letterbox to leave the parcel on the step. He's also twice run out the door when my dad has answered it.
Vet nurse here and would definitely recommend a behaviour consult if the nurse is qualified in it! The neuter issue relies heavily on what’s causing the behaviour in your dog. If it’s fear aggression, then sometimes neutering them can make them even worse! Chemical castration could be something to consider as it’s only temporary so gives you a chance to “road test” whether neutering can help. We often use it at my practice for dogs that are a bit temperamental so we don’t cause any irreversible damage.
Another vote for positive reinforcement here! Grabbing a dog by a collar and throwing it into another room may get them to behave but they’ll only behave because they’re scared of you. Not sure why anyone would want their dog to have that kind of relationship with them!
I always praise him when he is good. He isn't scared, I think he is jealous of me around my dad. He was in the bath and Barney waited outside, I came out my room and bam he's barking at me for being near the bathroom. When he's not here he's fine with me. I don't want chemical castration as I know long term proper castration will benefit cancer wise having been through that trouble in the past. Yes the nurse is specialising in behaviour. It's listed on the practice website. I would tell you so you could look at the site but I don't want people knowing my exact place I live. The practice has been there donkeys years, I've been since a teen and they are 100% reliable. Going there since 16 and I now 45. If you want to message privately I can tell you the website of the practice and the nurse. I've never met her as she is newer to the practice. I doubt they would lie about what she is working towards getting qualified in.
Veterinary Nurse
I first started working as a veterinary nurse in 2004 at a small animal practice in Hertfordshire, and qualified in 2007. I later went on to work in Emergency and critical care nursing at the Queen mother hospital for animals, a specialist referral hospital that is part of the Royal veterinary college.
I moved to Cornwall in 2019 with my husband and two young children and started at blanked out for privacy vets later that year.
We have two dogs – a lively Jack Russell called Barry, and a friendly Labrador cross called Wilson.. who loves the beach!
I have a keen interest in animal behaviour and am currently working towards a diploma in behavioural medicine.
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Oh the bit about negative reinforcement wasn’t aimed at you, I know you’re not punishing him!
Yes, it definitely sounds like he has some issues around your dad being there doesn’t it! I think you’re making the right choice getting a behaviourist involved. And then if you can get the behaviour sorted, then go for surgical castration. I know what you mean in regards to avoiding health issues - I didn’t get my dog castrated till he was 6 as he had issues I needed to get on top of first but I was so nervous about cancer!I’d definitely give that nurse a go! Hopefully she can get a plan in place for you and if she thinks it’s more complex she may refer you onto a clinical behaviourist who would come out to your house. Let us know how you get on, I find behaviour fascinating!
Thanks. His behaviour towards me is terrible. He does go for my dad too if we need to do anything like nail cutting. I'm currently shaking like a leaf after the ordeal of trying to bath him. Not because I was scared but I have neuropathy and it set off my legs and hands shaking trying to control him. I used my dog bite gloves to get him into the bath, washing him he was growling and turning to bite me. I managed to get that done. Got him out with the gloves and tried trying him and he went mental. Totally uncontrollable. I tried to calmly get him to sit so he could calm down a bit before I carried on. He totally refused and he knows sit. Managed to dry him off as best I could. Getting his collar back on was a nightmare and he bit me several times on my fingers and hands. The gloves are too thick to allow me to clip it closed so I took one off after I got it round his neck. Thankfully it's on so he can have his walk later.Oh the bit about negative reinforcement wasn’t aimed at you, I know you’re not punishing him!
I’d definitely give that nurse a go! Hopefully she can get a plan in place for you and if she thinks it’s more complex she may refer you onto a clinical behaviourist who would come out to your house. Let us know how you get on, I find behaviour fascinating!
It's so frustrating it's such an ordeal to do something that would have been over very quickly if he hadn't gone crazy. His owner said he loved baths but now he goes nuts. I noticed it's since he turned 2 his attitude changed. I ended up shouting for him to stop biting and I feel awful. He's probably scared I don't know? He's never been hit or anything. Btw I've only bathed him once before and he was the same. I bathed him today because he was covered in mud after his walk as it's been tipping down and he's so low to the ground it's all on his legs and belly.
I'll take him into the vet next week. I want him neutered too. For health reasons and hopefully it may potentially calm him down.
Think the vet is a great starting point as well, you never know when something may be a pain response or not and the vet can rule that out for you.
I booked in with the Vet for a check over. I specifically asked for bloods too just to be on the safe side. On feel and having his temp done all seemed to be fine. Bloods came back normal. I've said I want to book him in for castration and the vet said it may or may not help settle him down but I want it done for future cancer problems anyway. My dad wants to wait until after Christmas so I have to wait a bit. If that doesn't work I'm gonna ask the nurse who is specialising in the subject for more advice. He's such a sweet boy otherwise. He came trotting up the stairs and wanted up with me on my bed and was loving snoring away and having his tummy rubbed. I didn't let him stay the night as he likes his crate for that.
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Another of the little trouble maker lol. He is rather cute
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omg he’s sooooo cute! 🥹 I do love my Chihuahuas, they’re sassy little demons but they have a special place in my heart
He’s so handsome! Glad his bloods all came back normal and the vet checked him Keep us updated!