Dog aggresion

[Trixie]

Help my 3 year old shi- tzu is SUPER aggresive, dominant, and just does not listen.

One time while she was eating, i walked by and she growled, snapped, barked, and bit, and wont let me pass.

HELP?

[KOPsRobyn]

Hi Trixie

It sounds like your dog has taken over being the dominant one in the pack. To stop this aggression problem getting any worse. There are several ways that you can reassert yourself as the alpha dog. These include insisting that you walk through doorways before her and controlling her movement around the house. If she is lying in a doorway, tell her to move away so that you can pass freely. She should obey you immediately, if not, then without speaking to her or making eye contact, take her to the 'time-out zone' and leave her there for 10-15 minutes. After this, make her 'sit-stay' before you allow her to leave that area. When you come home don't greet her straight away, instead, say hello to the rest of the household first. Tell her to 'sit-stay' and then greet her. If she comes to you for attention before you are ready, turn around and ignore her until she is sitting calmly. When out on the leash, she should not be pulling, instead allowing you to lead the way. When playing games with her, make sure you are the one to select the toy and initiate it, as well as being the one to decide when to end the game, taking the toy with you when you are finished.
Keep up the obedience training with her, even if it is just for 5 to 10 minutes a day, as this will strengthen your place as leader as well as improving her obedience levels. All this will help her realize that she is no longer the alpha dog and therefore there she does not need to assume the role of protector of the pack any more. It will take some time for her to realize that she is no longer top of the hierarchy, but be patient and your efforts will be rewarded!

I hope this helps and all the best with the training!

[kjd]

Hi Trixie,

While you are in the house with her, you might want to attach a short rope or lead to her collar. That way, you can move her without getting your hand near her teeth! Do not leave the rope/lead on if you aren't around to supervise. She could get it caught on something and injure herself.

Do let us know how things go,
kjd