Help with Pixie

[boosiebutt]

Pixie's started to be all aggressive. She growls if you pick her up while she's sleepy. Growls if I play with her feet. Snarls when I put a sweater on for a walk outside. She's actually bit at me when I would groom her before I cut down her fur; if she felt the brush tugging at her hair she'd try to bite at it. And as I mentioned before, she FREAKS OUT if the nail clippers come near her. Same if I take to long putting on her sweater. I've been hoping she'd grow out of it, if I just ignored it, she'd get the idea that I wasn't going to stop if she growled at me.

Last night, I handled her feet and she started the growling. So, I held onto her foot/lower leg, very lightly. She totally snapped and started snarling and barking and biting.

Does anybody have any advice? I don't want her to be a "bad" dog. I don't want to have her be one of those vicious small dogs. My mom is anti-Pom because my uncle had one that was pretty evil. I want to be sure that I don't have to worry if somebody comes over that she'll snap at them if she doesn't feel like being touched. I'm just so worried about this...

[PaulaB]

How old is she??? Sounds like what my 6 month old beagle pup is going through, except she never has actually tried to bite, just growls. I just tell her no in a sort of loud voice and continue whatever it its was I was trying to do with her. I figured if I stopped whatever I was trying to do she would learn that's how to get her way. I'm hoping she will out grow this too, I was thinking it just may be her way of "trying" to get her way. But I am trying to teach her it won't work.

[boosiebutt]

Pixie is 4 months. Since yesterday when she flipped when I held onto her paw, I'm thinking I need to handle her much more. Get her used to the idea that I'm allowed to pick her up, mess around with her paws, move her legs around, etc. So she knows I'm in charge, but that I'm not going to hurt her. Peanut is sooo much calmer and more docile and has always been. I don't know if Pixie is just a different temperment, or if it's because she's a bitch (never was pun more intended) and Peanut's a boy and that's how it is, or what.

[kendalyn]

This is most definately something you'll want to get under control really soon. It sounds like Pixie needs a very firm hand and some serious rules that you follow very consistently. Obviously, NILIF is a must.

It's good that she's only 4 months old and that you realize it's a problem and not cute because she's so small though. You're ahead of the game!

When you're doing something to her and she snarls, I would tell her very firmly to stop it and continue what you were doing. When she stops snarling and being nasty, give her a treat and praise. And yeah, you're right to start handling her more so she gets used to it. Have you checked to see what happens if you try to take food or a bone away from her? I would add that to the list of things she needs to get used to.

[boosiebutt]

She hasn't been food aggressive with me. I can pick her up and move her away from the food, or pick the food up and mvoe it away from her. I can also take rawhide sticks away from her. She and Peanut will growl at each other and over rawhide sticks, but they both eat out of the same bowl all the time without growling. I actually have two bowls, when I fill the first one, they both pounce in on it and chow down. Then when I dump the rest of their food into the second bowl, one will leave the first bowl to go to the other food, and the second one will see that, and get over there to see if that's the "better" bowl. Once they finish one bowl, they both go over to the other one, and finish that.

I have just started to do NILIF. Pixie has some steps that I just bought that go up to the couch (she's can't jump up to the couch like Peanut can) I've told my family & friends not to pick Pixie up to the couch anymore, since she knows how to climb the steps. We had been picking her up whenever she bounced up against the couch saying "Pick me up, pick me up!" We need to work more on stay and come before I can do other stuff like, stay before we go upstairs, before we go outside, etc.

But, I will definitely be handling her more, and tackling this before it becomes totally ingrained as a grown dog.

Edited to say:

PS. I just set up an appointment for Pixie's puppy shots (DHLPP & Bordatella) and I mentioned that I'd like to discuss her behavior issue. I'd like to check to make sure that she's not having a pain response as well. When I got her the breeder's vet and my vet both said she looked pretty perfect, but just in case she's having luxated patella, or is extra sensitive to pain (like when a brush catches a snarl). I'd like to know show I can treat her more delicately about that stuff.

PPS. It feels so good to get this out. For some reason I was almost ashamed to admit that Pixie was having this problem. P&P are my first dogs ever, and my family used to own a biting cat, so I feel like I must be screwing up with my puppies. I'm actually tearing up here at work, because I want P&P to be good dogs, with me and others. And I don't ever want to resent them because they're "bad" because of my lack of ability to bring them up right. Jeez, it is just like they're my kids. :)

[courtnek]

Boosie, just fYI....some dogs are what is called "touch sensitive"..Free is one. There is a test you can try to see. Pick up peanuts foot, and press down slightly and hold. not hard, not to hurt, just pressure. Most non touch-sensitive dogs will last 15 to 30 seconds without complaining, then try to pull away. A touch sensitive dog will try to pull away within 5 to 10 seconds. remember, not hard, no pain, just pressure. If Pixie is touch sensitive, that changes how you handle. this dog will not like to have feet touched, will get frightened by even a minor snag while brushing. You still have to accustom him to being handled, but you have to be MUCH gentler about it. Free doesnt like anyone to touch her head, since I didnt know about touch sensitivity when she was a puppy and I have always rubbed my dogs heads vigorously. She was the first dog that complained. Now I pet her gently on the head and dont handle her feet much unless they're wet. she never needs her nails trimmed, so thats a good thing.....even when her feet are wet, they have to be wiped gently and quickly...