My dog would bite and snap at people. Also when he would hide under the bed, for I guess he got spooked, I would try to get him out and he would bite me. When I got him at the pound he was 8 weeks old and didn't do the behavior test. Any ideas? thanks
My dog is now 4 years old and has bitten 10 people and not have been reported. He is a male Chihuahua/Dausande mix.

The type of aggression that you describe will not pass. The fact that he bit 10 different people suggests that the dog, although small, is still not under control. It is obvious that he has severe fear issues coupled with weak nerves. This type of dog is dangerous at best because you simply do not know what will set him off. I know you may not like this answer, but, putting him to sleep is the only option available now, before he bites a little kid and does real damage. Think about it.
Another reason to never get dogs from the pound. And another reason why good breeders charge so much for their dogs. Good luck and thanks in advance for any thumbs down I get. The truth is not always pretty.

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Of all the dog breeds one of the fluffiest and cutest is the American Eskimo puppy. It is from the Spitz family and considered a Nordic breed. When brought to America its name was changed to the American Eskimo dog. It was originally related to the white German Spitz. They originally changed the name because after World War I there were widespread anti-German sentiments. They are now considered to be two separate breeds but the two a very closely related.

Evidence shows that the “White Spitz” was also brought to America by German immigrants. The studbook was closed by the North American Eskimo dog Association in 1969. To gain acceptance into the AKC, The American Eskimo Dog Club of America was formed in 1985.

On July 1, 1995 the American Eskimo dog was accepted in to the AKC in the Non-Sporting Group. There are three sizes of the breed, the standard, miniature, and of course, the toy. The standard size will reach a height of 15 to 19 inches, and will weigh between 18 and 35 pounds. A miniature will be 12-15 inches tall and weigh 10-20 pounds. A toy dog will be 9-12 inches high and weigh six to ten pounds.

Being a small to medium size dog the American Eskimo dog is a well-balanced, compact Nordic type dog. When it walks or run you will see a smooth gait. The dog is also very alert. There are very distinctive black points on the dogs face. They are around the eye rims, lips and on the nose. The ears also have the black points and are triangular shaped and stand erect.

The coat is two fold. The under coat consist of short dense hair. The outer coat grows through the undercoat with long guard hair. This gives the dog a double coat. The hair should lay flat with no waves or curls. Around the neck and chest the coat is much thicker and forms a ruff similar to a loins. This trait is more pronounced on a male than on the females. The breech look, which is characteristic of the breed, is formed around the back legs to the hocks and is covered in very thick hair also. The tail is loosely carried on its back and is very plum. The color of the American Eskimo dog should be pure white, though white and biscuit cream is also allowed.

As a puppy the American Eskimo is a little on the conservative side but is generally friendly. They are very intelligent and highly alert. If being shown they can be penalized for either aggressive behavior or being overly shy. If you want a watchdog this is a good breed, due to its alertness they will bark when someone is approaching. They do not general threaten to bite or attack people, but they are protective of their area and family. It is quick and eager to learn new tricks.

Though this breed is generally healthy there are a few things it is susceptible to. Owners should pay close attention to any changes in the tear ducts or eyes. Progressive retinal astrophy and hip displaysia also run in this breed. To avoid dermatitis keep the coat free of fleas and clean.

This dog is very active and is best suited for living in an area with a yard where it can run and play. It can become overweight very easily so regular exercise is a must. It would be okay in an apartment as long as you had a place to exercise them. You should brush the dog at least twice a week. Remember it has a thick coat so you will need a comb or brush with bristles that are firm. The breed is not really a heavy shedder, but when it does shed its coat increase the brushing frequency to daily. Wash only when needed.

I have a four-month-old miniature schnauzer. While behaving and training splendidly in the home environment, he is acting aggressively toward other people and animals in public.

We are using the 'nothing in life is free' approach, and are also working with a personal trainer to resolve these issues. I am confident we will be able to.

My question is … what could be the source of this aggression? I have had him since he was 7 weeks, and made sure to take him out in public with several people around. No one harrassed him in any way. Over the weeks, he began to become more and more surly until now (when he is snapping, growling, and barking). He has all his shots, eats quality dog food, is loved amply. He is potty trained and knows sit and stay (we're working on come). He will be neutered on the 21st of this month.

I am just looking for some opinions on where this behavior can be coming from. Thank you for your time.
I understand he is a male and as I stated above, he will be neutered soon.

But my family has raised several male dogs over the years and never had this type of problem prior to neutering, which is why I posted the question.
For his parents: His mom was hyper but not aggressive. His dad was LOVELY. Best temperament anyone could ask for. The breeder works closely with my veterinarian, which is why I went with her … he recommended her highly.

As I mentioned in the question, he is getting neutered this month on the 21st. He might simply be going through puberty as he behaved very nicely on vacation only two weeks ago (let people pet him, though he did growl).

It's good that you are working with a trainer. It could be a number of things that your dog is reacting to. It's great that you are taking him out and getting him socialized but how often are you taking him out? How many people/animals is he around? If he's around the same people and animals all of the time, of course, he's going to be used to them. If it's only the strangers that he is snipping at, then he is protecting himself or you. Socializing animals is very important and it's even more important to do it when they are very young. Start taking your dog to a park where there are other animals and go for walks. When you are walking and he over reacts to other people or dogs, stop him very abuptly and make him sit, tap him on the nose lightly and say no very sternly. Make him stay in a sitting position until he is calm and not reacting to his environment around him and then begin to walk again as though nothing happened. If he reacts again, repeat the exercise again. I broke my 2 yr old adopted ridgeback mix of the same problem this way. It also helps if you carry some treats in your pocket to reward them when they don't react when a person or another animal goes by and they don't react at all. Good Luck!

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It never ceases to amaze me how many people I see being pulled along by their dog while out “walking”. What amazes me more is that most of these people blame their dog for this behavior. If they only realized that the problem is on the other end of the leash.

If your dog pulls on the leash, you’re kidding yourself if you think you’re the “master”. Dogs are smart, and they will take advantage of a situation if you allow them to.

The worst part of this situation is that it only takes a short period of time to teach your dog to heel. Since walking with your dog is something that you’ll be doing every day, from the very beginning, it only makes sense that the “heel” command be among the first that your dog learns.

When your dog obeys the “heel” command, not only does it make it easy on your arms while out on walks, it also helps ensure that Fido is safe and behaved while out in public. It also lets him know that you’re the boss, which is imperative in the human-canine relationship. And in those instances when a cat or other small animal runs out in front of you, it allows you to retain control when your dog wants to follow its instincts to chase the other animal.

For those unfamiliar with basic dog training, the function of the “heel” command is to have your canine companion walk alongside you, rather than in front of you. When a dog heels correctly, the leash remains slack, and Fido matches your pace, not vice-versa.

At this point, you’re probably saying to yourself “That sounds great. But I bet it’s a hard thing to teach.” Actually, it’s pretty straightforward, and like most dog training, it usually is taught by combining strong positive reinforcement and short but firm corrections.

Start out by putting your dog on a short leash, and have some small treats available. With the dog by your side, facing in the same direction, hold a treat in your hand. Issue the “heel” command using a firm, yet gentle voice. Proceed to walk forward. If the dog responds by walking along with you, praise him with an enthusiastic “Good Boy” (or Girl), and reward him by giving him the treat. If he doesn’t heel, don’t try to coax him with the treat. Consistency is important, and Fido needs to realize that he’ll get his treat when he displays the correct behavior. Remember to always reward him when the desired action is carried out. If you’re lucky, a few repetitions of this series of actions will be all that’s needed to teach your dog to heel.

With a little patience, this method will work well for many dogs, and will also help you to form a close bond with your pet. However, some dogs are a little difficult, and may be a little harder to train. This does not mean you’ve got a bad dog. It just means you’ll need to work a little harder to get the desired response. In this case, you’ll need to utilize some additional, corrective techniques.

As before, call the animal to your side and position him next to you, again facing the same direction. As you did earlier, voice the “heel” command, and walk forward. The dog will probably not walk with you. Instead, he will likely try to go off on his own. To correct this behavior, apply a firm but short correction on the leash. Never, never, pull your dog. Let the collar return to a slack condition.

Repeat the exercise, and if your dog obeys this time, praise him enthusiatically and reward him with a treat. Fido will quickly learn that to disobey the “heel” command results in a period of discomfort, but walking alongside at your pace gets him a tasty treat and a lot of vocal praise. It may take a few days, but if you are consistent in your training methodology, and reward him accordingly, Fido will soon be responding eagerly to your “heel” commands, and corrections will no longer be required.

Everyone loves their dogs, but dog ownership brings with it many responsibilities. Foremost among these responsibilities is ensuring that your pet is not a danger to people or other pets and animals. Other responsibilities include proper care and obedience training.

Over millions of years dogs have developed the instinct for a hierarchical social order in which each member has a certain rank. A dog will challenge those dogs higher in the social order to secure his position. While such a social order is fine for dogs and wolves in the wild, such behavior is not acceptable in the human social order. Training your dog is the key to having a happy, pleasant, and obedient canine companion.

However, finding a trainer that can teach obedience properly can be a challenge. Here are some tips to help you find the best trainer for your dog and you!

1. Just as you wouldn’t put your child in a school you knew nothing about, you shouldn’t simply hand your dog over to someone who claims to be a dog trainer. There’s no licensing required for dog trainers, so anyone can claim to be one. Get references. Talk to friends who have used the trainer. Observe dogs that have been trained by this trainer.

2. Ask to attend a training session (without your dog) to observe how the trainer works with a dog. Class size should be small for individual attention. Are dogs separated by age? Puppies have different training needs from adult dogs. Does the trainer require proof of up-to-date vaccinations? Are the animals and their owners having a good time?

3. Is the trainer certified through the Certification Council for Pet Dog Trainers (CCPDT) or some other recognized certifying authority?

4. The trainer should use positive reinforcement to encourage correct behavior, not punishment for bad behavior.

5. Avoid trainers who insist that you use a choke chain during training.

6. There is some debate about whether or not food should be used as positive reinforcement during training. While many dogs have been successfully trained using food as reinforcement, the detractors claim that once food is withheld, the dog may not obey or may become aggressive. In your dog trainer research, you will need to examine both approaches, and determine which is best for you and your dog.

7. Make sure you know exactly what the trainer is going to do with your dog before the class. Don’t be afraid to question – or even stop – the training if you are not comfortable about what the trainer is doing.

8. Avoid a trainer who advertises a guarantee.

9. Your training class should allow all members of your family to participate in the training. Keep in mind that you are being trained to communicate with the dog, so the dog needs to learn to respond to and socialize with each member of the family.

10. Finally, if you believe your dog – or any dog – has been mistreated, document the situation and get names of witnesses. Report the incident to your Animal Control office or the Humane Society.

While a good dog trainer may be expensive, getting a good one the first time around is much less expensive than paying to correct the damage done by an incompetent trainer, not to mention the additional stress on your pet.

I have a puppy that my dad doesnt understand.
He gets offended by her "behavior" when she is doing nothing wrong, and will yell at her for things that puppies just do
For example, when he's holding her, sometimes she will put her paw up on his face or arm, and he will say that she is "pushing him away", get really offended, and put her back on the floor
Or when she did something bad (like tear up a magazine) days ago, he will greet her in the morning by yelling at her saying that she's been bad even though she has done nothing wrong that day
What can I do to get my dad to understand that my dog is not trying to offend him and not to take it so personally?
My dog is trained…
Not sure where that's coming from

Personally if your dad does not understand dog behavior he shouldn't have any contact with the puppy at all. His yelling at the dog for nothing is only going to confuse the dog. When he yells the dog is going to think that what it is doing at that exact moment in time is what he's mad at, so in order to not incur the wrath your dog will stop doing that behavior, and all he could be doing is laying down and being quiet. See how he could potentially turn a nice dog into one that will be a problem in the future? If your dad was in a foreign country and the natives kept yelling at him a day after he did something wrong your dad is not going to know what he did, he won't understand the language so he will think what he's doing at that moment is wrong. Welcome to your puppy's world.

He needs to be shown what he's doing right he needs to know what pleases you in order to learn, that's why positive reinforcement works so well.

Buy your dad a book on dog behavior, one with big words and large pictures so it's easy for your dad to understand and a quick read, not one of those books that is long and in depth because I'm sure he won't read it.

Or you need to read it and instruct your dad on the proper ways to handle the puppy and how to understand your puppy, your entire family needs to train the exact same way so he's not getting mixed signals and getting confused. Too many mixed signals will make your puppy that much harder to train

Sign up for a puppy training class at PetSmart and have your dad attend, that way you can ask questions of the trainer and get professional help and it will help with your dads understanding.

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What would a dog’s behavior be like, if infact he had a brain tumor, or something of the sort? Would he act differently speratically? Would he be a certain way all of the time or just sometimes?

Brain tumors can cause seizures, aggressive behavior, loss of balance, forgetfulness and the list goes on. If you suspect your dog may have a tumor, get medical care immediately.

Here is a link for additional reading.
http://www.jojoreader.com/reader/symp.html

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Teaching your dog obedience is of utmost importance while training your pet. Though reward and reinforcement techniques work very well with dogs, training them with the leash and collar is the most ideal method of training.

This training can start only when the dog is about 8 weeks old, not before. This is the time when your pet recognizes your call to him. At this age, he will be able to go for short walks and can pay more attention to what you are saying.

Before leash training begins, it is important for you to develop a close bond with your pet. The dog must know that he cannot dominate you. One more thing you should pay attention to, is that the leash is only a means to teach a dog to be obedient – it cannot be the essence of training itself.

Dogs love the outdoors, so it is possible that he will go totally berserk and does a constant jig near the door! He must first be trained to obey ’sit’ and ’stay’ commands before starting off for walks. So you first have to train him to sit patiently till you put the collar on him. It is always better to start with a show collar and not a choker.

It’s always good to start early with the dog, as far as training is concerned. Once the dog learns to stay while putting on the collar, you can take him for a short walk in your own backyard, so that he gets a feel of it.

If he gets out of control, you will have to make him stay till he finally cools down a bit, and then start all over again. Let him wander around for some time if he wishes to. Then call out to him. Praise and treat him once he responds to your command.

If your pet should decide to pull you the opposite way while walking, just stay in your spot till he realizes he can get nowhere with this type of behavior.

Training a dog to be on a leash takes a lot of patience and effort, but dogs are fast learners. Once the pet lets you lead the way, he is ready for longer walks, maybe in the park next time. Slowly and steadily, he learns that you are the master and are in control of him, and not the other way round.

Controlling a dominant dog can be tough. The first thing you have to do is to let him know who the boss is. Teach him basic obedience exercises and then proceed to train him as mentioned above. Some dominant dogs are too aggressive and try to have their own way. What you can do is to tie him up somewhere till he learns obedience the hard way! He might sulk and stop obeying your commands initially, but with time and trouble, he will eventually learn to respond to your commands. Training a dominant dog takes a lot of perseverance, but also pays rich dividends, once you have succeeded in your task.

While trying to train the dog on the leash, it is very important to keep in mind that this is merely a corrective measure and can never help develop a good relationship between the dog and its owner. The rapport between the two can only come by giving the pet a lot of love and treating him with respect.

Learn more about leash training your dog at

Dog biting is the most serious dog behavior problem because of it’s possibility for very serious damage being done to people. Because of this it’s of incredible importance to make sure that your dog does not bite.

It’s important to start early. A dog learns most of it’s habits in it’s first four months of life. In these first four months it must learn how to hold back its biting instinct. Usually, puppies are taken away from their family so most of them are no longer taught by their mother dogs. So you have to be your puppies’ “Mother Dog.”

Depriving your dogs of the potential learning experiences they get from rolling, tumbling and playing with other puppies can be harmful. During play puppies are naturally biting one another anytime and anywhere. Out of that play, dogs can feel the effects of being bitten; henceforth, their biting instinct can gradually be inhibited. Interaction with other puppies must be freely given. Natural inhibition from biting can occur better without human intervention. Biting inhibition is best acquired by dogs out of natural experience.

Socialize your dogs with fellow dogs and other human beings in order for them to outgrow their fear of other animals and people. Take note if your dog is not socialized it is much more restless and distructive in the home.

Lack of socialization is the top reason why dogs bite. If the dogs are not socialized with children then a dog may not know how to react to the way children interact with dogs. Thus, while your pets are still in their puppy stages; introduce them to your kids and have your children befriend them.

Teach your dog to trust and respect you and your household members. Kicking, hitting, slapping the dog will erode the dogs’ trust in you as their masters. Nurture the trust and respect that a dog gives you. Once you are subjecting your dog to a rigid training, never scold or punish them about their mistakes and misconducts because the fault does not lie in them and they do not understand yelling.

Teaching the dog to bite an enemy who has illegally entered your residence can be possible if you give your dog friendly training through treats. Your command must be easily picked up by the dog. Its good conduct must immediately be rewarded.

A well trained dog can be a very effective house guard.

To learn more about how to stop your dog from biting please visit http://www.DogTraining-AtoZ.com where I write free dog training articles on a daily basis.

and get annoyed at your dogs because they play with their dogs, and sometimes one of the dogs cry, or growl, or nip.
I would say 50% of people do get that dogs play rough, and some dogs are just drama queens (one of my dogs is)

but there are other people who just don't get it, and then make a big fuss out of it…. it happens a lot with puppy owners.

What do you say to them?
I usually try to explain that dogs behave like this or that… but sometimes it's not enough.
this is in a dog park. So basically if you go to a dog park, you know your dogs are going to be in contact with other dogs.

Otherwise, I keep my dogs on leash.
And I do doggy playdates in my backyard.
Animal artwork… I had the same issue happened to my dogs with puppies. One of my dog is the sweetest and the most patient dog, but puppies are annoying (they are learning), anyway, they bug her, and she shows them that she does not wnat to play, with a small growl (not big) … anyway I usually tell the owners that my dog does not want to play with that puppy… whatever, the puppy keeps bugging my dog until my dog growls so loud that the puppy cries (it happened 4 times with different puppies) …
my dog warned the puppy so many times… twice the owners were cool saying that the puppy got a lesson, but twice I got scared owners who thought my dog was a monster! (for growling super loud after 30 minutes of being bugged)

That's my issue. people don't get dogs, and if your dog is bigger or louder than theirs, it's your fault or something…
Animal artwork…. I did not like your best answerer's comments" ill trained mutts" why not "ill trained dogs" Mutts can be well trained, like mine are.
anyway just a comment…

Say… Dogs will be Dogs..

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