Guest Anonymous Posted March 26, 2005 Share Posted March 26, 2005 Hi! I hope someone can make a suggestion for me. My fiance and I recently adopted a 3 yo male Shih Tzu. My parents have a Shih Tzu, so I thought I knew what to expect in terms of breed. Our little Sammy is fabulous 23 hours, 59 minutes of the day. However, my fiance and I work opposite shifts, and if Sammy falls asleep with me and my fiance comes into the room, Sammy barks, growls, and actually bit him. The strange this is, though, this only happens if it is night time. ??? Otherwise, all Sammy wants to do is play and lay with you or on you. We love Sammy already, but this is frightening behavior. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted April 18, 2005 Share Posted April 18, 2005 Hi, I have a similar problem with my Trey. He's 4 yrs old and he growls quite a bit and has biten my 8 yr old daughter quite badly. I'm looking for help in the worse way. I have 3 children and they love this dog unconditionally, even the one that was biten. We've discussed finding him a new home but we don't want the same thing to happen to another family and it breaks my kids hearts to see him go. I'm at my wits end because I'm not sure what to do to make him stop. I don't have the heart to have him put to sleep because he is a very healthy and mainly happy dog. He loves to cuddle and is quite content 99.5% of the time. We got him when he was 2yrs. He was abused and neglected quite badly when we got him and we think that is the problem but he's been with us for two years now and receives an abundence of love but he still growls and bites. This isn't a daily occurance but it has happened a couple of times. He, also, refuses to allow us to pick him up. He gets quite aggitated and will bite if you try to pick him up. Please, please, can someone help me. We love this baby, and don't want to part with him but we can't have him keep biting. Thank You Suzzy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lokipups Posted April 18, 2005 Share Posted April 18, 2005 To both posters, get your dogs to the vet for a full checkup. Shalee, your ShihTzu may have either a hearing or vision disorder, I'd have both checked out. Suzzy. in your case, I'd have the vet do a CBC, tick titer (certain tick borne illnesses can manifest itself as aggression) and a thyroid panel, just to rule out all medical possibilities. If everyone comes back clean, healthwise, then start behavior modification. NILIF, or Nothing In Life Is Free, is the first step to reestablish your position as pack leader. You can find info on it here [url]http://dogden.proboards21.com/index.cgi?board=Questions&action=display&num=1079736429[/url] A dog that no longer has to be the boss is a dog who is calm and unstressed. Shalee, the dog needs to get off the bed, pronto. That is a privelege he must earn. I have the feeling he sees it as his territory, and your fiance is seen as the interloper. Either crate the dog or let him sleep on his own dog bed. Suzzy, if you don't trust the dog around your children (and I wouldn't if he's already bitten), get a basket muzzle and use it. Give your dog all the love and affection you want, but on YOUR terms, not his. Make the dog work for everything it gets, food, toys, playtime, walks, treats, etc. [quote]we think that is the problem but he's been with us for two years now and receives an abundence of love but he still growls and bites.[/quote] That sentence speaks volumes, as said before, loving your dogs is wonderful, but loving them with no discipline is a recipe for disaster. We are a nation of pet owners who are "loving" our dogs to death, literally. By treating them as furry bi-ped family members with no boundaries and parameters, then they become spoiled aggressors who will bite to keep their alpha status, and they end up being euthanized. Suzzy, please don't hesitate to seek professional help from a trainer, it will be money well spent in the long run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted April 18, 2005 Share Posted April 18, 2005 Hi Lokipups, I want to thank you so much for your help. I will certainly try those options and see how they go. I don't want to lose Trey, he is a wonderful cuddly dog and the thought of him not being around is very upsetting for me and the rest of my family. I'll call the Vet first thing tomorrow and see about getting these tests set up and see how setting boundaries goes... :fadein: ...thank you again Suzzy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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