Lhasa Apso - Aggressive Behaviour

[NICKEEZ]

Hello, This is my first time on this site and I hoping to get some advise. We have a two year old male Lhasa Apso named Mickey. We bought Mickey from a breeder when he was 3 months and he was fixed when he was 10 months old. He has always been a well behaved dog with an excellent temperament especially around children. He is completely house trained and has never had any health problems at all. This past weekend however, my 2 year old nephew was visiting. My nephew is afraid of all dogs and was very timid around Mickey. After spending the entire day avoiding the dog, my nephew was starting to warm up to Mickey and decided he wanted to pet Mickey. We were sitting on the couch, with Mickey on my lap. My nephew was gently petting Mickey from the side. All of a sudden, Mickey growled and bit my nephew on the check. I grabbed Mickey and tossed him in the backyard, after yelling NO quite loudly. My nephew was terrified and luckily, was left with a tiny scratch on his face. I felt so bad for what Mickey did. He has never shown any signs of aggression before and my husband and I are quite concern he might do it again. We don't have any children of our own but will be starting a family in the near future. I don't want this be a repeat occurence, especially with a new born baby. My husband and I are both very disappointed with Mickey's behavior. Any advise as to what we should do would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Nicole

[BMDLuver]

The first mistake was having the dog on your lap. He was then alpha to the your little nephew. The second mistake was that your little nephew is nervous of dogs so your dog knows that instinctively. Your dog needs alpha boot camp.. the problem with small dogs is that everyone babies them and lets them get away with sitting on a lap, sitting on the sofa, sleeping in bed, etc... Shihtzu's are difficult dogs as they mature and not always good candidates for children of any age. I would suggest never again allowing him around your nephew or any small child as the next time the child might not be so lucky. Go back to the basics with your dog and read this article:

http://www.sonic.net/~cdlcruz/GPCC/library/alpha.htm

[rainbow]

I totally agree with BMDLuver. The dog was on "HIS" mom`s lap and could sense that your nephew was nervous therefore making him feel intimidated and he retaliated.

[dogbyte40]

Hi Nicole
Sounds to me like normal dominant male behavior, Mickey saw your nephew as a Nickle outsider and was guarding your lap. If his punishment was harsh enough then he may not do it again; however I suspect Mickey does other small dominant behaviors that are not as easily noticed. It is very common behavior for his breed. Be aware of any Pushy type behavior in the future and now, be aware he could bite again.
As far as your own children, even dominant dogs respect newcomers to their "pack".

[NICKEEZ]

Thanks for the advise. Is it too late for Mickey to learn who the real boss is? He is two years old. My husband and I do tend to baby him....me more than him. Would obedience school be an option or is it too late? Yes...he does sleep in the bed with us.

[BMDLuver]

Definitely not too late. Remove the priveledges and make him earn each little thing. No more on the sofa, no more mommy's lap and no more sleeping in bed. Everyone who walks through the door is now alpha to him. It will take time and patience but you'll get there with him.

[LavenderRott]

It is never too late for obedience school. If you plan on having children, then I would definately get your dog enrolled right away. You will probably be surprised at what you learn.

Oh, and I wouldn't let him sleep on the bed anymore for a while. Wait until you have graduated from a class or two and re-established who the boss is in your house.

[dogbyte40]

Good advice Sandy