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He is friendly during the day when he is playing and will greet me or jump on my lap give me kisses when when I’m in the living room on the couch but at night if he is in the bed with us and I lean over to pet him he turns around and growls and tries to bite me then gets up and goes to the other side of the bed by my husband and just stares at me at me like he is scared and angry. I’m not waking him up. He is just sitting or laying on the bed in the middle of us. The first time I thought maybe I just startled him but he does this anytime I pet him at night. He doesn’t do it to my husband though. He lets him pet him and pick him up. Only snaps at me and then goes to him for protection it seems.
I would be very careful. I had a dog kind of like that which got progressively worse and we had to give it away to someone who could handle problem dogs. I wouldn’t want that type of dog in my house. You could go for some sort of training but my mentality is once it snaps it’s out.
Sounds like he is being protective of your husband. How big a dog is it? Whether it's a 5 pound Chihuahua or a 100 pound German Shepherd this is not acceptable behavior and could become downright dangerous. What do you or your husband do when he does this? I would start by having your husband correct him with a firm "NO" and then putting him off the bed so he learns this is not okay then I would definitely take him for some behavioral training.
He is a Boston terrier/chihuahua mix. He’s about 17 lbs. It doesn’t seem like he is being protective of my husband but more so afraid of me or just is mad all of a sudden. Sometimes he will let me pet him or pick him up when he is in the bed but other times will snap. We do tell him no and sometimes he will jump down from the bed. I prefer him on the bed with us though or in his crate because he still will pee or poop on the carpet. He is so smart though. He got sit, give paw, lie down all within a half hour of me training him when he was 3 months. He knows words. He knows when we are leaving and we have to put him in a gated area and doesn’t fall for the treat trick. It’s kusr that his disposition seems to have changed in the last month or so. Not as sweet as the first month or 2 we had him.
He thinks he is higher than you are in status and thus you have no right to disturb him while he is sleeping on his bed.
I'd immediately remove his bed privileges and you, OP, and not your husband need to start teaching the dog obedience lessons.
The dog needs to be put on the no free lunch program where he gets nothing without doing a trick first. He must sit and wait for his supper and you, OP, need to be the one to feed him.
You need to reverse the social standing order in your household. Hubby can still be first, if you so wish, but doggy needs to be downgraded to last place in the hierarchy.
He thinks he is higher than you are in status and thus you have no right to disturb him while he is sleeping on his bed.
I'd immediately remove his bed privileges and you, OP, and not your husband need to start teaching the dog obedience lessons.
The dog needs to be put on the no free lunch program where he gets nothing without doing a trick first. He must sit and wait for his supper and you, OP, need to be the one to feed him.
You need to reverse the social standing order in your household. Hubby can still be first, if you so wish, but doggy needs to be downgraded to last place in the hierarchy.
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.
I'd immediately remove his bed privileges and you, OP, and not your husband need to start teaching the dog obedience lessons.
The dog needs to be put on the no free lunch program where he gets nothing without doing a trick first. He must sit and wait for his supper and you, OP, need to be the one to feed him.
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I agree and this dog would not be allowed to sleep on my bed he would instead be sleeping in his crate. You need to nip that behavior in the bud now.
When there are sudden changes in a dog’s behavior it never hurts to have the dog checked out by the vet as it could be related to a health condition. It could be something as simple as a UTI (untreated UTI’s in humans can cause changes in behavior as well).
All my dogs sleep in the bed with me, but they know it's a privilege and not a right and that they can be stuck back in their crate at any sign of misbehavior. Put the pup in a crate at night and also take over his care for the time being. YOU take him on walks and feed him. YOU have training sessions with him.
Another factor at work could be the pup's age. You don't tell us what age the pup is, but you do indicate this is still a puppy. Which means he is in a learning stage of one sort or another. This could be a "fear" stage, where fear-based behaviors pop up.
It also sounds to me like the pup is focusing on hubbie as "THE" human - a one-person dog trait. I don't agree with the "status" issue, but in this case, looking at the problem that way will work.
Best advice is what others have said. Stop allowing the dog on the bed. He behaves like this and off to the crate. I think you AND hubbie should be involved in training - but it is certainly worth you giving it first shot. BTW, I have no issues with allowing a dog on the bed, but NOT if the dog is creating a problem. It is YOUR call for the dog to be on the bed. It is YOUR call to allow the dog to misbehave.
I'm not saying to punish the dog. Positive methods work better in the long run. So make it "IF you behave, you are allowed to be on the bed/couch/whatever". And if they can't learn self-control, they don't ever get the freedom to choose the bad behavior.
Obedience training - you'll be happier - the dog will be happier. Take some classes.
No Free Lunch - or Nothing In Life Is Free (NILIF) - this too. Dogs need to learn manners. Sit and wait patiently for dinner. Sit at the open door and wait for permission to go outside. Etc. You will be happier, and as a result, dog will be happier.
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