Other pets (pics and discussions)

[mikem]

Glad to hear Tank is feeling better

[ProXimuS]

A steak, or two?! I want my next Birthday at the ranch

[EasternGirl]

Okay...that's it! I'm calling Cesar Millan. My Cujo chihuahua is now attacking people...he is going after my son's friends. This is not good...if he bites a child...I am in trouble. I have had it with the little devil. I love him and he is sweet as can be to me...but if a cat gets near me...he attacks the cat. If my son gets near me...he goes after my son...although he normally loves my son. If someone comes in the house and he is not in his bed...he goes berzerk and beelines straight for them and attacks. Do you think maybe Cesar would let me work for payment? Lol...

[Light of Dae]

I would call him, if I were you. Tell him to do it for free lol Your son needs it.

I just met a couple n a dog they are fostering and am going to help them socialize her cause she is aggressive to other dogs, but they were happy with how I handled my excited Shade n we got to talkin n yea,. will see how things good. I love my Shade'y dog! She's sure a good girl.

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Had my Ifrit running around the house n this is where he ended up lol trying to climb back in his tank.
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Kittens are growing... having a hard time finding homes for the brats as they are eating me out of my home!
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[ProXimuS]

Marnie, sorry to hear about Presley's behavior. There may be some good/affordable trainers in your area I know it's awkward to have a dog that acts like that. Honestly, Tippy is kinda like that I know the pics I've put up don't portray that, but she's really weird about any person she doesn't know. Especially in the hosue. She doesn't bite, but if someone didn't listen to her crazy barking and still tried to pet her she probably would. It's embarrassing at work, when customers are trying to talk to me, and my dogs causing a big scene She has come a long way since I found her though, I've just had to really work with her.

[EasternGirl]

Well...it's getting dangerous at this point...because if he bites a kid, the parents could call animal control and that would not be good. He still needs to be neutered...which might calm him down some...but chihuahuas can be like this. I am so broke right now it isn't even funny...but I can try to find a trainer when I have more money. Emily...you got your custom title!

[Light of Dae]

Well...it's getting dangerous at this point...because if he bites a kid, the parents could call animal control and that would not be good. He still needs to be neutered...which might calm him down some...but chihuahuas can be like this. I am so broke right now it isn't even funny...but I can try to find a trainer when I have more money. Emily...you got your custom title!

Stop by some cattle farmers n get them to put castration band on his little fur bits. It works on cats, bulls, dogs etc. If you lived near here I'd do it for you. Done it lots on farms to the mouser cats to control population.


Chihuahuas... Don't blame the breed, if you watch ceaser Milian you know this.

Maybe try changing(drastically) EVERYTHING about how you are with Presley; from you n him alone time, to how you react to his actions, to your tone of voice in talking to him.

[jitami]

Marnie, I'd start by keeping the little stinker leashed to you at all times. Obviously on a Chihuahua this can be a thin little leash that's hardly noticeable. Tie it to your belt loop and he follows as you move about your day. He's never out of reach and always right under your control so he has no opportunity to act poorly. Do you have a crate for him? Any time you can't have him leashed to you or anytime you have guests over I'd put him in the crate. Eventually you'll be able to try him with guests out of the crate, still leashed, after he's learned appropriate ways to deal with the guests. If he's excited and really wanting to see them, but gets too nippy out of excitement it should be fairly easy to train him to sit for attention. Just the act of him having to think 'Oh, I need to sit if I want them to pet me!' will slow him down a bit and take his mind off of snapping for a few seconds anyway.... you'll be able to stretch the time gradually. If he's nipping because he really doesn't want anything to do with them he may be very happy to just go to his crate or a bed and stay there while you have visitors.

Call your local animal shelter and explain what's going on and see if they have free training classes... ours does for pit bulls and I'd be surprised if the didn't offer some sort of help for a Chi. Our shelters here are over run with pitbulls & chihuahuas, so helping to keep them safely in a home should be a valuable thing to them?

This is a decent program for dogs who are starting to get out of control - Nothing in Life is Free - even though all of the dogs I have right now are pretty easy going and mellow I still use parts of this program on a day to day basis to shape behavior I don't want into something acceptable. For example, Gizmo, one of 2 of our basset hounds, came to us really really mouthy. He wasn't biting to be nasty he just wanted attention and boy did biting at our hands work to get it. They don't care so much if it's negative or positive attention they just want to interact with you. I had everyone in our house completely ignore any biting or mouthiness. No need to tell them no or punish them, simply ignoring it will usually do the trick because it's not getting them what they want. Gizmo on his own started nosing my hand with a closed mouth while I was waiting for him to sit calmly. I decided I would take the nosing and rewarded him big time with lots of praise and attention. Really carry on a bit so they know what they did was right. It took a few times, but even now almost 4 years later that's how Gizmo lets us know he wants petted. We don't have to really think about any of it anymore. He's never mouthy now at all and usually gets petted before he ever has to nose anyone, but when he needs to communicate that message to us he now has an acceptable way to do it. Does that make sense? It really wasn't difficult at all, it just took some time of all of us being consistent for it to really sink in that nosing was the way to get what he wanted (petted) and not mouthing which got him nothing at all.

Fwiw, I am not a trainer by any means and these are just suggestions. I have lived with multiple great danes over the last 12 years or so and have always been a 'dog person'. The danes are so large they just have to behave, period, so while I haven't done extensive formal training they all behave pretty well because I don't tolerate anything else. Again, you don't have to be mean or loud, just consistent... like raising little kids

[mikem]

Getting him neutered may help with aggression. Sometimes it does, sometimes it don't.

[BLUESIRTALIS]

I know it would make me angry. I would bite everyone after that.

Getting him neutered may help with aggression. Sometimes it does, sometimes it don't.