Pomeranian barking and growling problem?
Posted by peticulous | Under Dogs Tuesday Feb 24, 2009
William W asked:
Hello
Hello
I have a 1-1/2 YO male Pom whom I love dearly. Recently I've moved in with my girlfriend and her 6 year old daughter. Things were fine for the first several weeks. However now my dog goes into a frantic [FRANTIC] backing episode when new people come over and he's begun to snap and growl and the young girl. All of these behaviors are new. I'm very patient with my dog and am considering non-shock untrasonic anti-barking collar to help with the backing. The snapping and growling are another issue entirely. The dog is well cared for, never struck or teased by the young girl [or anyone else] yet he's showing aggression towards her. This could be a deal breaker.
Thanks
B
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This may be an issue, but i understand what you mean, we got a Pomeranian mix and he’s getting close to a year now. What your talking about is that your dog may have ego issues and be getting very jealous of the little girl because she’s getting so much attention from you two compared to how much he used to get from you before you two moved in together. (My mom’s Pomeranian goes BALLISTIC if anyone gets near her or comes over that he doesn’t know and if you go in her room or near the fridge he’s start growling.) but you might consider a trainer for your dog or try little things like they do on that one show ‘It’s me or the dog’
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A dog barks because it wants attention. So, when your Pom starts the frantic barking, say “NO” firmly, then ignore him until he stops. It’s often helpful to put them in a room by themselves until they stop. As soon as he stops, immediately give him lots of praise and say “Good Quiet!” a few times. Soon he will be able to associtate the work “Quiet” with him stopping his barking. As for the growling and snapping, it sounds like he has an “alpha” issue. As you probably know, dogs have a hierarchy, every single one, and they run their lives by it. You have always been the alpha, and the dog has been your follower, so things have been fine. Now you’ve added two new people to the picture, especially the little girl, so his hierarchy has been thrown out of wack. Dogs frequently don’t respect kids as being in the “alpha” position. If this is the case with your dog, it’s relatively easy to correct. If he isn’t on scheduled feeding yet, start it. It prevents obesity, and is a key factor in establishing alpha role. Let the little girl be the one to put the food bowl down for him(in the wild, food comes from the pack leader). Get her to make him obey a simple command first, usually “sit”. This must be done every time. If she is ever walking him, or walking with you and him, make sure the dog is beside or behind both of you. If he is in front, he’s leading you guys, which makes him superior in his eyes. Also, always make sure you and the child go through all doors first. This is another thing that is trivial to us, but very significant to him. Finally, make sure she doesn’t get down on the floor when he’s around, especially when playing. Levels are important to dogs, so if she’s at his level, well, you see where that’s going. For this same reason, don’t let him get up on the furniture until the problem is corrected. Later, you can teach him that he can come up ONLY with your permission (if that’s what you want). Otherwise, no furniture at all. Oh, and no tug of war games! This promotes dominance. Whoever loses(often the human) is inferior, so it’s a BAD idea. I hope all of this helps you! If there is ANY threat of someone getting bitten, especially the little girl, than seek a professional, and fast! Good luck to you!