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Hi. We have 2 other maltese mixes-so delicious-and my groomer said one of her clients needed to give up her almost 3 year old, 6 lb maltese-could I take her. I met with the owner and she said she is never around, not a dog person and never had the time to take her to get spayed. I took her home and she seemed sweet but when I went to leave the house and tried to take her away from the door, she bit me. She also bit at my 7 yr old. How do you discipline this and teach her this is a no no? Also, I will have her spayed next week-will this effect her personality? Thanks.
we recently brought another dog into our home. he was in a one dog home and he came to our 3 dog home he makes 4. the first week was awful. he and the other dogs came out with all their worst behavior. he was used to being the alpha dog and being alone alot and there was already an alpha dog here who didn't want to give up her title. that took awhile and he has separation anxiety from being left alone. he hasn't bitten me just takes it out on the other puppy we have. after about 3 wks. he is wonderful. no more biting and has given his alpha title up to be part of the pack.
how long have you had this dog? and how is her behavior with the other dogs? does she need to be alpha dog? is she a loner? how are the other dogs reacting to her?
First, you cannot leave your child alone with this dog. Period. EVER.
Second, if you have other females, this new female should be spayed ASAP and she should NOT left alone with the other dogs. This is a formula for trouble.
Frankly, I'd have recommended that this woman surrender her dog to Maltese Rescue. There are many groups across the US who would accept this dog, evaluate her (and therefore giving a heads up to the potential owner of behavioral issues) and place her in an appropriate home. If it turns out that the situation with this dog isn't working out, you might want to consider that. Most small dog rescues are hesitant to adopt to families with small children, as many (though not all) small children are too rough with tiny dogs. I'm sure your child's been around them, but not knowing this dog's history, I'd not leave him/her alone with any dog until the behavior was sussed out completely.
This is the kind of owner that makes those of us involved in rescue despair. She should never have had a dog in the first place.
I have only had her for a day. My "alpha" dog in the house has gone at it with her a couple of times. I am going to keep her for the week, at least, because I want to make sure she gets spayed and I'll take care of her afterward. Then I'll see how she is afterwards. Thanks for the advice.
If you've only had her 1 day the poor little thing is probably overwhelmed. Everything she knew has changed. From being left alone a lot to an active household and "strange" people (to her) is a big leap. The biting may be her defense in what must be a scary situation. Give her a week or two to acclimate to the new situation and fit in with the "pack" but, don't leave her alone with your child. Let her be, don't over handle her and let her find her place with the other dogs first. If she doesn't find "her place" in the home, then contact a maltese rescue group to rehome her. They will find her a home without children. If I hadn't recently taken a new pup I'd have been more than happy to take her as we're an older couple that are home all day. I'm sure there is a good home for her if she can't adjust to your caring, lively household. Best wishes to you.
I work in rescue and I have had poorly socialized and traumatized dogs with similar issues. In many cases, the dog comes around and successfully fits into the pack heirarchy of my three-dog household. It does take a lot of work and consistency.
Do not use "discipline". Punishment and other aversive techniques can aggravate negative behaviors. Reward good behavior and distract her or take her out of situations that can lead to problems.
If you decide to keep the dog, even for a short while, you should keep the dog separate from your other dogs. She's scared, and fear breeds aggression. Use a crate. If she's not crate trained, try to accustom her to using one. If it's wire, cover it with a towel or blanket to make a den-like environment for her. The crate will help her feel safe and give your other dogs a break from dealing with her. Watch her body language. At the first sign of anxiety (panting, stiffness, whale eye, etc.) get her to go into her crate and reward her for doing so. When she is relaxed, let her out, but still keep her away from the other dogs for a few weeks. Gradually integrate them, but only under constant supervision. Again, at the first sign of stress, get her to go into her crate. Five or ten minute time-outs work wonders.
Meanwhile, get the dog used to being handled by you. (Stay away from patting the top of the head) Do this in increments. Gently stroke her back or chest and reward her for staying relaxed. Repeat until she takes that in stride, then move on to touching her legs, feet, neck and head. Reward, reward, reward.
ViralMD is correct: Keep the dog and the child separate and only allow them together under close supervision.
Getting the dog into a reputable rescue group is a good idea if you can't work through her issues yourself. They have the experience to evaluate her and place her in an appropriate home.
You guys are much more experienced than I am but it seems to me that she should wait for a while before spaying this poor dog... not traumatize the dog any further.
With a female dog it doesn't really change their personality as far as aggression...
Poor dog is already hurting mentally. I would work with her and let her get accustomed to her new surroundings instead of adding physical pain to the equasion.
I'm sure that if I'm wrong someone will explain it...
You guys are much more experienced than
Poor dog is already hurting mentally. I would work with her and let her get accustomed to her new surroundings instead of adding physical pain to the equasion.
I'm sure that if I'm wrong someone will explain it...
Thats a good point-I think I will think about holding off for a little time. She seems sad to me already. One of my others was a rescue,so scared she would pee on herself if anyone went near her, and now her tail never stops wagging. She's a total love so I know there is hope this little one too.
My thought was that she would associate her new home with bad things happening to her... instead of good. Not a good way to start a new relationship.
I bet she's going to come around for you!
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