Hello & Help!!

[Desperado]

Hi all,
I apologise as I am new here & nt yet gone into intro section. Am desperate for some advice initially.
Basically we 'inherited' a shih-tzu male (I think a cross & not a thoroughbred as too big) about 3 months ago. He is nearly 2 & as a rule very affectionate. He came to us as he had turned & bitten a family member whilst he had a paw infection. We all put his down as a one off. He was house trained but not much else. We have gradually got him onto dog food, slowly training him & got him into a proper routine.
However a couple of days ago, as a family member was holding him, he suddenly turned again. There were no warning signs & he was very aggressive. Thankfully no serious injuries were sustained. Im in bits over it, he's become our baby & is so loving normally. We're getting mixed advice over what action to now take. I dont want to lose him but dont want to risk this happening to someone else.
He hasn't been neutered & I am wondering will that be enough to stop this.
Please help!!!

[allymack]

neutering will defiitely help, and i suggest booking an appointment as soon a possible! also you should take him to obdience classes, so he will learn to listen to you and see you as his leader, hope this helps

[Frenchy]

Originally Posted by Desperado

as a family member was holding him,

Neutering is the first step , and please , don't hold him. Too many people do this with small dogs , and I don't think it's right. They can get too spoiled and overprotective , or they can just feel trapped.

[luckypenny]

Hello Desperado, welcome to the forum .

I recommend you take your dog to the vet to see if there is not something that may be causing him pain. You do mention that the first time he bit, he was suffering from an infection. Makes me wonder if this behavior is pain related.

Although I don't believe that neutering/spaying changes a relationship between dog and owner, it is still something you should seriously consider to avoid all sorts of other behaviors (mounting, wandering/running away, aggression towards other dogs, and yes, even cancer, to name a few).

May I ask why your dog is being picked up and held?

After neutering, I, too, suggest you attend obedience school or consult with an experienced, qualified behaviorist. You'll be amazed at all you'll learn and have fun at the same time .

[clm]

I agree on not holding the dog. People have a tendancy to tote little dogs around and carry them and hold them all the time. Sounds like this little guy doesn't like it. They probably find it hot and confining, not to mention intimidating considering how small they are.

Cindy

[Desperado]

Hi there. Thank you all for your responses, all advice is much appreciated & will be taken on board. Sorry if I rambled bit, cant think straight at mo. So many people are telling me to just get rid of him & I cant bear to think about that option.

I havent explained the situation very well, he's about the size of a King charles spaniel. She wasnt actually carrying him, they were sitting on couch together.

Do you think that the neutering & then classes will be sufficient? I dont want to lose him but am frightened of it happening again?
Many thanks
Helen

[bendyfoot]

If he's being agressive while on furniture, then that privilege has to go. Don't let him up on the couch, bed, or chairs until you've established a good leader-follower relationship with him. Sounds like he thinks he's boss.

[CearaQC]

I knew a woman once who has a silkie yorkie terrier female that she bought from a family that had her and abused her. She felt sorry for the dog and offered the money and then left with a new pet.

This dog never, ever learned manners because her owner let her get away with EVERYTHING, and all because she was abused, with her thought process that an abused animal shouldn't be given rules. Also since the dog was a small dog and not a big one, it was believed a small dog couldn't cause any harm.

As a result this dog became very unstable. She would run in front of the owner like a medieval herald announcing the human was coming by barking constantly and holding an aggressive body posture. The dog would attack the vacuum cleaner, the broom, or anything with a stick, men wearing hats, and have zero manners when people would knock on the door. She even reacted to the word "hello" because she associated that with being able to bark again because people were visiting.

If you tried to pet the dog, she would cuddle up against her owner and snap/bite at anyone else especially if treats were present and being guarded. The owner would laugh and laugh, thinking it was funny and cute and did nothing to curb the behavior.

Down the road, when people would visit the dog would carry on as usual and interrupt conversations and the owner would become frustrated and yell at the dog which did nothing. I told the owner that her dog was out of control and had no manners, wasn't able to walk on a leash, didn't know any commands or tricks, all because she didn't practice rules/limitations on the dog. Basically I was telling the owner it was her fault and not the dog's. And the owner proceeded to tell me that she liked her dog that way. Not long after, friends would show up again and the dog barked and barked, and the owner just yelled in frustration. So much for approving the behavior. lol On top of all this, the dog was never spayed and coughed all the time, would poo and pee in the house, and get poo stuck on her fur and hide until she got dragged out and washed. No matter what we did to educate the owner and try to make the dog's life better, nothing ever changed.

So the moral of that story is, if you don't take the trouble to check the undesired behavior early on, it will get progressively worse.

The good news is, that these faults are curable. Don't listen to others tell you to have it put to sleep. But be prepared to work hard and stay consistent with the rules.

[Desperado]

Thankyou so much for those replies(especially your story CearaQC) I will do my upmost to change/save him. Dont care how much cost or time is involved. It helps talking to people who understand & realise how important they are to us.
Will keep you posted as to the vet visit,
Helen