Real Life Dog Help Please!

[Silivren]

So my youngest dog just turned 2 this month. When we got her over a year ago she was highly intimidated by male figures. My boyfriend who I've been with since before we got her was there the first night we brought her home. And she growled at him AND my Dad for quite a while but she warmed up to them both and adored them both.

However starting Monday shes been growling at my boyfriend and she did again last night. Granted he did cut his hair but not drastically and he was wearing a new cologne Monday and last night. Hes going to try not wearing it when he comes over tomorrow as we think she may be confused at his scent. Shes more scent oriented than my other two dogs who were perfectly fine with him... My parents say she may be jealous of him and my attention towards him but she still gets the same amount of attention as she always has when hes here and when he isnt.

Please help! Any ideas/thoughts/suggestions would be amazing. Hes very sad actually and it upset him she would suddenly turn strange towards him as hes done absolutely nothing. I dont want her growling at him and I dont want my boyfriend seeming so sad about it. I really dont know what to do if the cologne trick doesnt work I've no idea what her issue truly is.

(Hes never ever smacked her either to discipline her, if she does something bad we discipline her so I know it isnt because hes touched her wrong.)

[Dewclaw]

That's a tough situation. Try the scent thing first and see if that helps. Barring that, I came across this info (i don't know what your reaction is to growling, but thought this was a handy tip):

Many dog owners get understandably upset when a dog growls. Their first reaction is often to suppress the growling by scolding or punishing the dog. This is never a good idea. By teaching your dog that growling is not an acceptable behavior, you are taking away his ability to warn you that he may bite. Often we hear stories of dogs who bite with no warning. In many cases, this is because the owners trained the dog not to give a warning growl first."

You're going to need to get to the root of the issue. Until you can determine the exact cause, you won't be able to correct it. Until then, reinforce good behavior with lots of affection.

[GormanGhaste]

Dogs have a much keener sense of smell than humans, so what seems like a subtle amount of perfume to us could be overwhelming to a dog.

[Siliverin]

i have the same issue with my dog, i have had him for over a year and he still growls at my dad and my dad has never layed a hand on him, scolded him anything, did it since the day i got him.

i really wish i knew what to tell you but i know the feeling i am going though the same thing.

Did he change anything else that you can think of, style of clothes, cologne(sp?), its not unheard of but maybe his new hair style resembles something from the dogs past ( prior to you getting him) and it reminds your dog of it. i wish the best of luck and keep us updated. i would almost say it really sounds like the haircut might have done it even though to you it might not be a drastic cut to your dog it might

[Silivren]

i have the same issue with my dog, i have had him for over a year and he still growls at my dad and my dad has never layed a hand on him, scolded him anything, did it since the day i got him.

i really wish i knew what to tell you but i know the feeling i am going though the same thing.

Did he change anything else that you can think of, style of clothes, cologne(sp?), its not unheard of but maybe his new hair style resembles something from the dogs past ( prior to you getting him) and it reminds your dog of it. i wish the best of luck and keep us updated. i would almost say it really sounds like the haircut might have done it even though to you it might not be a drastic cut to your dog it might

He is wearing a brand new cologne which he just started wearing(for the first part time since I met him) on Monday. Im thinking thats it because its a brand new scent and probably masked his scent.

[Siliverin]

ahhh it could be. I know what people usually suggest when like introducing a new baby into the house and it might help with this, if he doesnt have any old shirts, have him use like a small towel you can give your dog, and have him use it a few times, then have him spray his cologne on it and maybe it will help your dog get used to his smell with the new cologne, so its not just she smells it when he is at your house, she will be smelling it more through out the day. not sure if it will help but always worth a shot.

i def would like to be kept updated hope it works out and she stops

[Silivren]

Good news everyone! Sorry had to Anyways the cologne trick worked! He didnt wear it, came in let her sniff him and she went her normal -OMG HI HOW ARE YOU, I HAVENT SEEN YOU IN AGES EVEN THOUGH I JUST SAW YOU LIKE YESTERDAY AND OMG I LOVE YOU SO MUCH - self

[Dewclaw]

That's good to hear.

Siliverin's suggestion of having a shirt of his (so the smells mingle and the dog makes the connection) with that cologne on it in the house so the dog gets used to the smell is a good idea too.

[Silivren]

Yeah his leather jacket still smells like the cologne so she was sniffing it very carefully last time he was over. In other bad news my other dog bit my friend last night -_- For no reason.. add another headache when my normally NOT viscous dog bites.

[TygerDarkstorm]

No offense to your friend, but when a dog who doesn't normally bite at all suddenly bites someone, it typically means they were provoked in some way. They could have been feeling uncomfortable and irritable, maybe something internally was bugging them, or maybe your friend played with a toy in the wrong way, or even from playing a little roughly. Hard to say without knowing what happened. Also hard to say with knowing whether it was just a nip or an actual bite.

[Silivren]

Well it drew blood sadly, my friend had just sat down.. We cant tell what provoked it, my dogs all know this friend and she came in. Sat down and the dog who bit WAS being gently petted by her and when my friend went and sat down.. She followed her and bit her leg. It didnt require stitches but it did hurt her and was oddly unprovoked. She can get nippy wanting petted because shes very needy but this was beyond odd, I've never seen her go aggressive mode at all.

[TygerDarkstorm]

Is it a herding type dog? I've heard that they tend to get a bit nippy around the legs/heels of people they're trying to herd.

[GormanGhaste]

No offense to your friend, but when a dog who doesn't normally bite at all suddenly bites someone, it typically means they were provoked in some way.

While this is often true and is why pets should be especially supervised around young children and people unfamiliar with that type of animal, there is another side to this fence.

I walk for exercise and encounter unleashed dogs sometimes. Whenever a dog aggressively rushes, nips, or in one case bit my walking partner badly enough to require a trip to the hospital, the universal response I've gotten from their owners is that their pet has Never done anything like that before. The fact is, it requires a certain amount of training to socialize dogs to consistently behave politely to people that aren't part of their pack, and most people don't bother.

It's also a pet peeve of mine when people allow their pets to nip people in play. I've never let my pets do that; that's what toys and furry playmates are for!

[Siliverin]

glad to hear the good new! and sorry about the bad news did your dog show any signs that you can remember? from my knowledge, dogs wont bite for no reason, they have to be "provoked" be it, not backing away, being on their territory and and not leavin, etc. and from all the dogs i have ever had or known they will show signs before they bite, i.e growling, tail between their legs for some, etc. hope you can figure out why she did it

[Galaxy]

That is a TOUGHIE!!!!! It sounds, to me, that the pup is insecure still and needs reassurance the environment is a safe haven, not a dangerous place. I'm not sure of the history, but I did get a pup who had serious small dog syndrome and a nasty habit of hating 7 year oldish girls with long blonde hair.

I put him on a consistent daily routine which included meal times and breaks out doors and joining me in my exercise routine. I also started training him in "silly" tricks. The idea is to show that he doesn't have to be the boss. I am. And I'm an alright alpha so he can relax and enjoy not stressing about leading.

Even after all that, though, he became quite irritable about strangers (...especially if one hugged me. Oy.)

My mom was a particularly bad target, so I had her start giving him treats when she saw him right away. He warmed up after about a week and now they're best friends!

I have NOT, however, been able to break him of his disgust of 7 year oldish girls with long blonde hair. So, I just inform EVERYONE not to touch him; especially when I'm socializing by taking him with me running or to the pet store. Children are HORRIBLE about doing that. @.@ If he sees you about 7 or 8 times, he gets to be your friend. Well, unless you introduce treats into the mix. Then you're an angel in his book.

Maybe try the treat technique? Reward for pleasant behavior with others?

[Silivren]

Shes actually been a lot better. She's a pomeranian/collie(I think) mix. She seems to only get nippy when shes scared and my friend had walked in the house and after that she freaked. I do think shes really insecure because I think shes been beat before too, if you move your hand a certain way she hunkers down and whines.. Breaks my heart

[Wain]

Honestly, I would have suggested your boyfriend change nothing, and let her just get over it / used to him like she did the first time. She clearly would with time. Since the cologne trick worked your bf might try adding just a tiny dab and let her get used to it slowly.

Not all dogs need to be provoked to nip. Some just have nervousness issues, and some breeds manifest it more than others. Some cocker spaniels, for example, can carry a genetic trait for a rage disorder where they just "lose it" and go nuts every now and then. Though that is a more extreme example. You might just be unlucky to have two dogs that are naturally a bit nervy and more likely to growl or nip, i.e. react with fear a bit too quickly.

[SpiritBinder]

One random suggestion, my parents had a rescued dog that was really intimidated by men in general (we had no idea why he was so scared of men as he was a rescue, but it was pretty bad), but we worked out a few triggers.

One of them that was the easiest to control was what you were wearing. I know a lot of people are mentioning the scent thing, (which is a big one) but my parents dog had insecurity issues more so with men in Black clothes and Hats (as they tend to make you look even bigger i guess).

It took a bit of time for him to warm to me, but as a lot of people do, you can associate a call or noise for the dog every time you meet/see it. That was if it's not 100% sure, you can be communicating who you are before your even in visual. Every little bit helps with nervous puppies we found. In the end he was great, and only barked or got nervous if I was in big black puppy jackets or what not and did not introduce myself when I'd come to visit.

Best of luck.

[Wain]

One of them that was the easiest to control was what you were wearing. I know a lot of people are mentioning the scent thing, (which is a big one) but my parents dog had insecurity issues more so with men in Black clothes and Hats (as they tend to make you look even bigger i guess).

Your dog obviously learned the truth about UFOs and JFK and had been visited by US government agents in the past. Even the memory wipes didn't remove all the fears of the men in black.

[cowmuflage]

One of them that was the easiest to control was what you were wearing. I know a lot of people are mentioning the scent thing, (which is a big one) but my parents dog had insecurity issues more so with men in Black clothes and Hats (as they tend to make you look even bigger i guess).

Your dog obviously learned the truth about UFOs and JFK and had been visited by US government agents in the past. Even the memory wipes didn't remove all the fears of the men in black.

Have you checked to see if your dogs not an alien in a dog suit?


Anyway I hope you clear this up! I'm no use as I'm kinda scared of dogs >.>