Unpredictable agressiveness from my dog...please help.?

I have a fox terrier, the cutiest dog I've ever had. He is very sweet, smart, friendly and very loving. All my family and friends love him.





In three occasions he had a sudden agressive behavior towards me. One time I tried to pick him up to take him out the room and he groweld at me, and when I tried to make him stop he tried to bite me on my hand. The second time he was chewing on his bone and I tried to remove it since it was late and he was making too much noise. Well, he growled again and tried to bite my hand. Last night, he was asleep and I move him with my hand and he growled at me and I yelled at him to stop and tried to bite me, I spank him and he turn around and bit my hand very hard. He did not break the skin, but he touch a nerve or tendon, I felt the pain went all the way up to my elbow. I just don't know what to do. I am so shocked by his behavior. I don't mistreat him, don't hit him, I am very loving to him. I baby him a lot. Any advice?

Unpredictable agressiveness from my dog...please help.?
He is the boss. You have let him become the leader and he is disciplining you as he would another dog. He knows he can push you around and that if he's aggressive you are scared, so he wins. You need to look into obedience training so that you can be top dog again, because otherwise his behaviour will get worse.
Reply:your first mistake: "i baby him a lot". remember he is a dog, and dogs must have a strong leader, if there is not a leader, he will take on that role. he sounds like a dominant dog so you cannot baby him, you have to show him whos boss. when he growls at you or snaps at you, hold him down in a submissive pose such as lying on his side until he relaxes and will still lay there once you have let go of him. i, myself am not afraid of dog bites, but if you are keep some oven mitts handy to do this ruotine. do not let this behavior continue it will only get worse. i would also take some obedience classes, they will help you control him.
Reply:Okay, first of all, just want to clarify, this is not unpredictable aggression. He's clearly acting out in response to your actions.





Action 1: "I tried to pick him up/tried to make him stop"


Action 2: "I tried to remove it"


Action 3: "I moved him with my hand/I spanked him"





No wonder your dog bites/growls at you. Having said that, it is completely unacceptable behavior and you need to contact your veterinarian (to make sure nothing is wrong physiologically) and then a professional trainer.





I see some people have been paying too much attention to that man Cesar Milan. Please do not use the "Alpha Roll" or pinning technique, it teaches your dog that you are an unfair leader and not worthy of being obeyed. There are many more positive reinforcement techniques that are FAR more successful. Again, I urge you to consult a professional trainer, as none of us can observe him in these situations to help correct them.
Reply:This aggression isn't unpredictable at all -- in fact, you just told us exactly what triggers it!





DO NOT SPANK YOUR DOG. IT WILL INCREASE THE AGGRESSION. I learned that the hard way, you don't have to.





I highly suggest heading to the library and reading Jean Donaldson's "The Culture Clash". I also suggest checking out the website www.abrionline.com, which is made up of trainers and has a lot of good info.





You may also want to check out the "AGBEH" Yahoo! group, it's for owners and behaviorists dealing with aggressive dogs, and they have TONS of good advice.





Good luck, and don't worry, it CAN get better, it just takes work!
Reply:when he grows at you make yourself look bigger and say "no" or "bad" sternly. make him feel inferior to you. if he persists, give him a little "nip" with you hand on his neck if he tries to bite you say "no" and give him a harder nip. he must learn he is not the leader and that you are his superior. you can still love him and baby him, but first he must learn to obey you. also, do not give him treats or a praise unless he deserves it. good luck!
Reply:Yep, as the above person said... you need to bring him to some classes to learn how to assert yourself as alpha dog. I find standing up and saying a short NO in a booming voice (not a scared, desperate voice) works. "Spanking" him isn't going to work. You need to show him that you are bigger, louder and won't be taking that kinda behaviour.
Reply:You said you spank him, then said you dont hit him? You need to train your dog. Look into an obedience class. Sounds like he is the boss. If you train him he will not do those things. Since he is repeating this type of behavior he has figured out how to have it his way.
Reply:this is very common in dogs so it can be fixed. Its sounds like he is very protective of himself. If possible dog training will surly fix him. Also, you need to teach him who's the "alpha"when he shows agression right away dicipline and sternly yell no. Put him on a leash and put him in a crate cage whatever. Leave him there for 15minutes then let him out and ignore him for another15. His agression could be from past owners if adopted. Or could be from not enough exercise or social interaction. Good luck
Reply:***Please do not alpha roll or pin your dog down to "show him who is boss" - please do not "bite" him by hitting him with your hand. *******





Hey there. I think that if you re-read your question, that you might see a predictability in his aggression - the times that you say that he's warned you (and then finally bitten you) have happened when you tried to take something away from him or when you got physical with him.


I strongly suggest that you stop hitting your dog. I am aware that being bitten is extremely stressful. But you must not take that out on your dog. This is called fighting fire with fire - and what do you think will happen if you hit your dog again?


So : no more yelling, no more hitting, no more spanking - or threatening to spank. This is very important.


There are a few things going on here : the first being resource guarding. Your dog is not used to things being taken away from him and he does not like it. You can take away all of his toys and bones for a little while (to give him a break) and watch carefully for his warnings, please. If you need him to move, *do not* shove him around. Get a treat or 2 and throw those treats to where you need the dog to go.


When you push a dog as you describe, if the dog has not learned that you don't mean any harm, then he will not like it. Please do not do this any more.


Please find a positive trainer. Getting help from a professional is the best thing you can do for yourself and for your dog. Thanks.
Reply:Uh, you just admitted that you spanked him.....that qualifies as hitting. Anyway, he obviously doesn't consider you to be any kind of pack leader. In his eyes, he is higher on the totem pole than you. In order to gain a dog's trust and respect, you need to be able to lead them in a gentle, firm, confident manner. Yelling, hitting, and anger never works in gaining a dog's trust or respect. It does the exact opposite. Dogs crave leadership....rules....boundaries.....li... Please visit the following website:
Reply:I had this very same problem with a Pekinese. Some dogs, especially small and or babied animals will show occassional aggression. Removing their food makes them insecure but that doesn't mean you don't have that right. You are the boss but I wouldn't get too cocky without consulty a dog behaviorist.





Our dog, which was named Oscar would poop in the house, then frantically eat it, scared of getting in trouble. If you tried to whip him, he'd show his teeth and start snapping but when my Dad ran after him, he got scared. You should take him to behavior classes, like at Petsmart, or you could call the Dog Whisperer, Cesear Milon. LOL
Reply:He's trying to see what he can get away with and it looks like he's succeeding in getting away with a lot. My dog growled and snipped at me once, and I repremanded him and he never did it again. He needs to know you are in charge. A stern no with a hand on the back of the neck was all he needed to hear from me. You should be able to take anything away from your dog with no problem. You may want to take some training courses with a professional to learn these techniques. You mentioned that your don't hit your dog, but you said you spanked him and he bit you, so you obviously do hit your dog. You might want to refrain from spanking him in the future. You will get a better response from him if you forgo the spanking.