A Rescued Dog’s Threatening Behavior

Posted on Oct 04 in Rescued Small Dog, Small Dog Behaviorby Jeff K.Print

A Maltese-Poodle mix (Maltipoo). This is not the dog referenced in this article.

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We have had a rescued maltipoo for about three months. He has his emotional ups and downs – is almost always good with me.

Is jealous of my husband’s affection toward our shepard mix 10 year old dog. Started out being my husband’s dog – and then started snapping at him for no reason. Now he is “my dog” but is either hyperactive one day and then very quiet another day. He evidently was fed table scraps (vet says he’s 1-2 years old and he was not neutered when we got him – matted coat – running at night on a freeway in Phoenix) because feeding him is a problem.

What can my husband do to stop the dog from snapping at him – the dog seems to like my husband, but if dog is sleeping on bed or not facing him will whirl around, snapping, growling and getting in my husband’s face. Any help you can give will be appreciated. He has been vet checked, neutered, shots, etc and was found to be in good health.

My Response

Dear Dee:

First of all. Thank you so much for posting your comment to my website. Here are my thoughts:

Here is one thing we can immediately deduce, your dog does not like to be surprised. This is not unusual for a rescued dog, especially one that has spent time on the street. While on the street, a dog learns to be defensive as a means of survival. When a street dog feels threatened, it has two choices: fight or flee. Usually, when the threat is detected early and still far from the dog, the dog will choose to flee. If the dog is taken by surprise and the threat is too close to run from, the dog may choose to fight. Before fighting, a dog will try to warn the intruder. This is what your dog is doing with your husband.

Taken by Surprise

You said your dog reacts with threatening behavior whenever he is awakened by your husband, or when your husband approaches him from his blind spot to the rear. Essentially, your husband is surprising your dog, which makes your street-wise maltipoo feel threatened. If your dog snaps from his bed when he’s not actually sleeping, then he is simply defending his bed–his territory–when your husband gets too close. That’s one part of the puzzle.

Why Only with the Husband?

The second part of the puzzle is why your dog only feels surprised and threatened by your husband. Your husband’s relationship with your 10-year old shepard mix may be part of the reason. I feel there must be some connection to how your husband behaves around your maltipoo that makes some difference too. I cannot venture a opinion without seeing the interaction between your dog and your husband. However, there are some first steps your husband can take that may help.

1. Be aware of your rescued dog’s street-wise habits and obviously, don’t intentionally do anything to shock or surprise him.
2. When the dog threatens your husband, he should not react at all, (as long as the dog goes no further than the warning behavior you described.) By not reacting, I mean he should not look at the dog, touch the dog, or even speak to the dog. Realize yelling or even talking to a dog on emotional fire only pours fuel on the flame. Completely ignore the bad reaction and the dog as though he is not there.
3. When the dog is calm, I’d recommend that your husband take him for a walk, and do this as often as possible. One 30-45 minute walk per day is good. Two 30-minute or more walks is better. Here’s the key. When your husband walks your dog, he should be alone with the dog. Don’t bring the shepard mix. You can join your husband, but I’d recommend walking on the side of your husband, opposite the dog so you are not part of the interaction between husband and dog. When your husband walks your dog, he should insist that the dog walks alongside or slightly behind, never out in front. The idea is, your husband leads the dog, not the other way around. The strategy is two-fold. First, long walks together will help build a bond of trust between them. Second, when your husband leads your dog on a walk, the dog will learn to accept your husband as a leader. Dogs are wired to not threaten or challenge a confident and able leader.

More on Walking Your Dog

There’s a right way and wrong way to lead a dog on a walk. It should always be done calmly and with confidence. I’m not a big fan of using a choke collar to get a dog to heel. A choke collar, despite what others might say, inflicts a moment of discomfort on the dog when the leash is yanked. The last thing your husband needs right now is to strengthen the link between himself and the dog’s feelings of discomfort. If your maltipoo does not already know how to heel, I strongly recommend using a Haltie harness for training, which is available at most pet stores. The Haltie harness prevents your dog from pulling on a leash by re-directing his head position, just as a halter steers a horse. There are also a lot of good books on the shelf about how to teach your dog to heel. I especially like Let the Dog Decide: The Revolutionary 15-Minute-a-Day Program to Train Your Dog – Gently and Reliably“ by Dale Stavroff. It’s available and inexpensive at Amazon.com.

Conclusion

If your dog resorts to biting, or if you feel what I’ve recommended is beyond your capability, then I’d suggest getting a local dog trainer/behaviorist involved. With the right strategy, and with time and patience, your rescued dog will settle in.

Have Any Additional Thoughts?

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