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OP....I am looking at breed types for my next dog. I've been considering a Boston myself. This link has some good info.....towards the bottom in the "ease of training" section is a very descriptive paragraph describing "small dog syndrome"
I think you should read it, and do a bit more research about this syndrome. You may have a mixed breed given to this disposition because both Boston and Chihauhua may have this behavior. I've definitely observed this in Chihuahua's. However It sounds like if you nip this in the bud you'll get your dog back on track. Keep updating please….and best of luck
OP....I am looking at breed types for my next dog. I've been considering a Boston myself. This link has some good info.....towards the bottom in the "ease of training" section is a very descriptive paragraph describing "small dog syndrome"
I think you should read it, and do a bit more research about this syndrome. You may have a mixed breed given to this disposition because both Boston and Chihauhua may have this behavior. I've definitely observed this in Chihuahua's. However It sounds like if you nip this in the bud you'll get your dog back on track. Keep updating please….and best of luck
This. He has placed himself between you and your husband in the "pack" heirarchy and he is defending the choice spot on the bed.
This is controversial, but you need to do the "alpha roll". When he growls, get up IMMEDIATELY, put him on his back, hold him down and yell and growl at him. Start with HEY as loud as you can, roll him, and keep growling at him until he submits and relaxes.
Don't get your face near his during this, or you'll likely be bitten.
Do it a couple times, and that behavior will be over. At 6 months, he's developmentally a teenager, with budding sexual maturity and the desire to find a place for himself in the pack. He's low man on the totem pole but he doesn't yet know it.
NOTE: This works great for little dogs like your BT. Do not try this on dogs who are big enough to overpower you, or you'll likely be mauled.
Someone up-thread mentioned the possibility that you might be putting on some hand lotion or other scented product before bed that the dog doesn't like. Since the dog snaps only in the evening and only when in bed, maybe there is something to that.
Either way, the training suggestions given above are valid.
"Because fear and anxiety are common causes of aggression and other behavior problems, including those that mimic resource guarding, the use of punishment can directly exacerbate the problem by increasing the animal’s fear or anxiety (AVSAB 2007)."
This is such an important statement, and it's why suggestions such as the alpha roll can be so harmful, and dangerous. I made this mistake many years ago with my dog, and that one action broke all trust my dog had with me, and exponentially compounded his food guarding issue. It took an extremely long time to gain back my dog's trust, and much longer to help his guarding issue with proper techniques, rather than the antiquated alpha roll. (IMO) no guarding issue should be approached with dominant, forceful tactics.
"Because fear and anxiety are common causes of aggression and other behavior problems, including those that mimic resource guarding, the use of punishment can directly exacerbate the problem by increasing the animal’s fear or anxiety (AVSAB 2007)."
This is such an important statement, and it's why suggestions such as the alpha roll can be so harmful, and dangerous. I made this mistake many years ago with my dog, and that one action broke all trust my dog had with me, and exponentially compounded his food guarding issue. It took an extremely long time to gain back my dog's trust, and much longer to help his guarding issue with proper techniques, rather than the antiquated alpha roll. (IMO) no guarding issue should be approached with dominant, forceful tactics.
Yes this^^^^^
Years ago when Jazz was having issues and would lunge at dogs that come too close, The trainers in town that I talked too said to do the alpha roll. I said no as she was reacting out of fear and I was her one safe being that she trusted and I wanted to keep it that way. They all poo pooed me but I did not care as in my heart I felt this was wrong and this was in the 1990's when trainers tended to believe in the alpha roll. " it is what wolfs do" Well no they do not what you see in wolves is one submitting to the other not one wolf grabbing the other tossing it down and rolling it. There is a huge difference in that!
I ended up finding an animal behaviorist which was a vet with a PHD in animal behavior and at that time period it was not easy to find one. He said I did the right thing refusing to do the alpha roll. Jazz's issues were fear based and he said if I had done the alpha roll they probably would have gotten worse as you have to look at it from the dogs stand point. Strange dog approaching and Jazz being afraid and deciding to lunge at it in hopes that will frighten it away, sort of an I will attack you before you can attack me. Now if I did the alpha roll it would frighten her and the next time strange dog approaches she would be thinking Oh Oh I do not like this dog as he is getting too close but if I try to yell get away my crazy lunatic owner will get mad and grab me and toss me over on my back and that scares me too! I do not know what to do and the anxiety would escalate and she would really freak out. So no doing it for. a fear based issue is just wrong . I never want my dogs to fear me.
Yeah, I'd agree that dogs are pretty predictable and very basic in their notions of their "station" in life. I had a dog that was going down that path of ranking himself above us, we just had to "adjust" his behavior and as a pup he quickly learned his place. Dogs don't belong ON the bed, and they should never be fed from anywhere but the floor, and NEVER let a dog's aggressiveness go unpunished. In most of the Dog Whisperer stories, the owners are simply allowing the dog to make good on it's attempt to gain the alpha position, a natural aspiration for some dogs..Too many people are ignorant of how dogs live as pack animals and don't understand the various dominant/submissive social cues involved in that dynamic.
Our dog is 14 now and slept on our bed all the time
We have had no issues like the OP described
Ours is a min schnauzer and they CAN be snappy dogs at times and have obedience problems
Our dog isn’t particularly well trained for things like commands but she has never snapped at anyone, never voided in the house as a power-play like some dogs and cats do
I know plenty of people whose dogs sleep on their bed—some dogs are more problems than others OFF the bed—but they don’t behave like the OP is describing...
I think this could be something to do with the dog being very still prior to the poster going to touch it
He appears to be startled and afraid as per the OP’s description
Could he be having a petit mal type of fit?
Could he have issue with lack of sight or hearing
Does the OP speak before moving?
I would investigate a physical reason which might take sophisticated detection
PS—for a smaller dog sleeping with two average or larger adults, the safest place on the bed for the dog IS between the two humans
Sleep at the foot of the bed and risk being kicked by either of them moving around
We have a king size bed in both houses and our dog normally sleeps between us
W/O any aggressive behavior from her for the last 14 years
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Some new dog owners haven't got the memo on that training tool.
