What To Do?

[Micky Moo]

I have posted before about my pound pooch's behaviour.
I adopted a pooch from the pound (18month old Lhasa Cross) whom we have no details on his background at all, but from his behaviour it seems that he has been neglected, but also reprimanded with violence. I have come to this conclusion because on the occasion where he feels threatened, or is spoken to in an angry tone, his response is to defend himself first before the reprimand comes. I abhor violence or physical reprimands and have never used either with any dog that I have owned (you catch more flies with honey than vinegar). He also has been slapped around the face to "rile" him up to play, so he used his teeth to play. In the 6 months we have owned him he has come along in leaps and bound, where once if you asked him to sit he would look at me with a blank face, he now has a full grasp of basic commands. He now never uses his teeth when playing, but still will use them (rather like a puppy mouthing) if I do something to him that he does not like, ie looking between his toes. A stern "no" stops the behaviour quickly, but he will still continue to try and mouth. I use the method "No teeth on Skin", so as soon as his teeth touches my skin, I walk out of the room.
My main concern is the fact that he has "gone for me" on occasion, as well as my mum. Granted it was not an unprovoked event, that didn't make it any less frightening. I now know that it's all bravado, but my mum was quite upset about it. On every single occasion it involved grabbing his collar (at the back of the neck) and try to walk him out of somewhere. As soon as you start to pull on the collar, he lip comes up and the snap soon follows. I am try to make him feel at ease with being handled by the collar by using treats and pets and making a game of it. I have made sure that he knows that I am not frightened by this behaviour, and will not accept it. As soon as he does it, he is put out of the room, but let back in a short time later so as to not forget the reason for the reprimand. It's no use putting him out if you leave him out, otherwise he will never understand "why" he was sent out. This advice was given to me by an RSPCA Dog Trainer.
Please can someone tell me is it worth my time and effort to continue with the training and keeping him. 99% of the time his is a loving dog, and allows me to handle him in any way, almost like a rag doll cat. He does not get snappy around food, he sits and stays before he's allowed to eat and will even allow the full bowl of food be taken from him.
Please tell me that I can overcome this problem, as I love him to bits and feel that he warrants a second chance in life.

[Sarah]

Absolutely it is worth your time. You have assumed that this dogs background was abusive, but yet you provoke him/her to attack you. This is YOUR fault, not the dogs.

I would suggest instead of pulling on his collar stand in front of him, very firmly say "OUT" point your finger in the direction you want him to go, and don't give in. When he/she is calm and submissive you can invite the dog back to share your company with.

You cannot put a time on "training". You yourself said the dog has come leaps and bounds so why give up now? It appears you are doing all the right things in the training and he is listening to you. As long as he listens to you he is gaining trust in you. Trust for this dog is a big issue.
Focus on the good things this dog does, and not so much on the bad things. As you said, it's only that one small percentage he is bad.

The keys to training an animal, any animal is patience love and persistence.

[MaryAnn]

Many of these problem behaviors can be modified with a little more time and understanding. Don't give up. The effort is worth it. With renewed confidence, your dog can develop into what he was always meant to be: a happy and healthy companion that deserves our time and respect with coping with all the pressures that human life has thrown at him.

It is easier to blame problem behavior on a dog's character than to look at how the environment we have created might be affecting it.

Always use CALM AUTHORITY. A good relationship is based on COOPERATION, NOT DOMINANCE. Never correct a dog by using negative punishment.. This kind of training has proven not only to be dangerous (many people get bitten as a result)but psychologically damaging (most negative behavior is due to a dog's insecurity, not dominance, so using harsh punishment serves to heighten that insecurity and make the negative behavior worse). The real sadness, though, is that dominance training teaches a dog to respond out of fear, damaging that important human-animal bond. Harsh punishment has been shown to be detrimental to a child; the same is true for a dog. Positive training methods are much more effective, as a dog will respond to its owner because it wants to, not because of fear. Instead of numbing a dog's natural and real emotions, positive methods can change the way a dog feels, promoting a deeper level of understanding in both dog and handler. The results are longer lasting, and this creates a happier dog and a happier owner.

[mia]

Yes everything MaryAnn and Sarah is saying is so true. You have to stay calm and assertive and you need to be the pack leader, be patient, it sounds like he has developed very well. Never get mad or hit. If you are anticipating this, put a short leash on him and he can walk around the house with it and you can grab it to get his attention, I would not grab the collar, carry on and say No , then lead him to where ever you want him to go for time out.

I don't think you have a big problem, just give love and he will be fine.

Good Luck

Mia

[Micky Moo]

Thanks all for you advice, I feel more assured knowing that I'm doing the right thing.
Please Sarah, do not think I am provoking him to attack, the occasion that I mentioned happened in the bathroom. He loves the shower and tries at every opportunity to get in it, either with me or without. This particular time he was sat in front of the shower door and I was partially undressed (I always carry treats on me) so I did point toward the door and say "out" in a calm but firm tone, it was only then that I made the fatal mistake of collar grabbing (normally I come in from under the chin and gently hold the excess collar and gently pull), so I must agree it was of my doing, but by no means would I ever provoke him into doing something that I KNOW will cause an adverse reaction. I once read something that Krista Kantrell wrote and try to follow her lead on a daily basis, "Try and find 90 things that you can praise your dog for everyday", granted you may not find 90 things, but I find alot.
The reason I asked the forum about my pooch was because my brother-in-law made such a huge drama about my dog's snapping, that he caused me to question myself as to if I was putting other people in danger.
I also must mention that I have organized to have a one on one with a RSPCA Dog Trainer in the next few days, in the hopes that she can give me more advice.
Unfortunately I am a very impatient person, and was hoping that after 6 months of continuous hard work, I would have made more progress. I forget how far he has come, and I realize it will be a continuous job, which I enjoy immensely, it has formed a bond between my dog and I, but I know I still have a fair way to go.
Again, thankyou all very much, I would still love to hear any comments or advice you feel would benefit me and my situation.
Zoe

[MaryAnn]

I glad you are seeking the help of a Certified Dog Trainer in your area. Be sure though, that they use only POSTIVE REINFORCEMENT with your dog. You have come a long way which is outstanding. Be sure to continue some training everyday with your dog. Set aside a certain time of each day for just the 2 of you to work on basic obedience skills, etc...

My little Schnauzer is 2 years old and we have taken numerous classes every since she turned 16 weeks. We continue daily working on skills we have learned in classes. After time with the ono-on-one trainer, and perhaps a few classes....you may want to take the AKC Canine Good Citizen class and test. I feel every dog and owner should have to go through the AKC Canine Good Citizen Program. Check the AKC website for more information.

[Micky Moo]

Just to let those who are interested know: I have a one on one session with a RSPCA Do Trainer tomorrow (Wednesday 1 September) at 1.30pm. I'm hoping she can give me some tips and advice on training and about Micky's behaviour.
So wish me luck and I'll fill you in after the session.

Micky Moo

[Sarah]

You don't need luck both you and Micky will do fine...

Let us know how things are going

[Micky Moo]

I'm so glad I decided to get a one on one. Her name is Charlotte Smithson and as well as a dog trainer she is an Animal Behaviour Specialist. She gave me some great advice, but also reassured me that I am on the right track. I have been doing all the right things with Micky, but she gave me some great tips which I have put into practice and am already getting great results.
Unfortunately, the evening after she had been out to see me, I had an incident with Micky. It was his dinner time and I had asked him to sit and stay and he did I really good job, so when I gave him the cue to eat, I stroked him and said "Good boy". I felt him growl, so stroked him again to see if it was just me and this time I heard him (petting him during his meal is not a habit). I knew I had to take the bowl away before he had finished the food, otherwise he would have won the stand off. I dared not pick the bowl up with my hand, not thinking I used the broom to push (not hit, or swat, I was gentle{still no excuse})and pushed him away from the bowl, that's when he got nasty, not toward me, he was trying to get back to the bowl. I picked the bowl up off the floor and he was fine. I asked him to sit and again did the cue for him to eat, but this time I was holding the bowl.
I know there are many who believe that dogs should be left alone while eating, but I am of the belief that I should be able to pick the bowl up if necessary, without the fear of being bitten. As I have always dealt with puppies before, so this has never been an issue for me. Can anyone give me advice on how to make Micky less food possessive. He's not possessive over bones, treats or toys, why his dinner? Please advise, not admonish, I know I did the wrong thing.

[Sarah]

I am so excited for you because the trainer lifted your confidence to continue on with Micky. Having said this..

At feeding time when you put Micky in a sit stay to be fed, was he calm submissive, or was he calm excited because it was meal time? Always wait until the Micky is calm submissive before feeding him.

2 Micky shouldn't be growling at food time. You should be able to pet him, remove his bowl or anything else.
When you are trying to take his bowl away from him, never pull it out, because this makes him "go forward". What you do is stand near the bowl, if he growls tell him No but don't move.. when he goes back to eating, take a baby step closer to the bowl, do this until he backs away and you are in front of the bowl.

Another way you can do is this: Have Mickys head in a up position while you are holding the bowl while he eats. Lift the bowl of food up and away, then make him sit and stay, then go back to feeding him again. You can also hand feed him, from his bowl. I bet he is in a hurry to finish his bowl of food, I don't know if anyone has told you, but you, handling his food placing your scent on the food, is another way of bonding with your animal.. Whether it is dry food, or a mixture of dry and wet.

Don't let him be near you while you eat. Teach him to go to another room, until you are finished eating. you can place him in a down stay. Don't feed him table scraps yet, let him earn this through his good behaviour.

Let me know how things go...