What should I do about my newly aggressive dog?

About a year ago in October of '07 My wife and i got a dog, A Toy Fox-Terrier, from the pet store. he was born in the march of that year which makes him about 1 and a half.When we got him it took him a few days to get used to being around us, he was unsure at first and compared to other dogs was older already. but we wanted to take him in because we knew older dogs had a hard time finding homes compared to little puppies.Things were good for a long while he'd expanded his comfort zone and things that used to terrify him now excite him. he can be jumpy to random noises and such but overall he was a good dog.However a few months ago, probably around June/July, when we'd punish him for pooping and peeing in the wrong parts of the house he starteed to growl at us. It was sudden and it really came out of nowhere. However we still tapped him on the behind (i mean tap not hit, hard enough to know it was wrong but never hard enough cause injury no harder than a flick of the finger kind of thing). but as times gone by it's only gotten worse. And now it's escalated to where he starts to growl at us with his hair on ends even when he's laying at the end of the bed and doesn't want to be moved. Basically when we want him to do something or he doesn't want to do something he reacts with a growl, a sturn "no" and a strong demeanor usually quiets him down after a minute or so and he wants to be friends, but he's getting more and more aggressive. I understand that after being an older dog in a pet store he's used to being dominant, but I was sure that after living with us for over a year that had gone away.He hasn't bit either of us yet, but he has snapped. But it's only a matter of time before he gets one of us. My wife was scared of the look of him when he's in this state and even though she's the one that wanted him she thinks he's gone beyond the point of coming back to being a behaving dog. Now i'm trying to convince her not to give him away because I'm attached to him too, and he's our dog. he's in a loving home and we give him rawhide to chew on and he's usually a well behaved dog, play with him just about every day aswell so he's excercised. But these last few months have been a rollercoaster of ups and downs.And just tonight, I came into the room we feed him in, and before i could even see him he was growling at me like I've never seen. He had gotten into his food supply as it was way past his feeding time (as he was already fed) and was eating the food. I ended up giving it to him in order to calm him down, not something i usually do but i coudn't take it any more.Tonight was the first time I felt i agreed with my wife, that i want to give him away. Can someone please give me advice as to what we can do to stop this behaviour from him, I don't know too much about dogs and Whatever i did know i'm out of ideas and my wife is too scared of him to try anything. thank you to anyone who can help us.We can't afford a behavourist, we dont Have very much money. If we had that kind of money to throw around we would have done it by then. But we don't, he needs to eat and we need to eat, and bills need to be payed. And as far as spanking him is concerned We have never hit him to the point of abuse, either of us. But he starts when he knows he does something wrong most of the time. But it's been less about that lately and more about growling whe he wants something his way. Like I caught him peeing tonight and I didn't do anything I just looked at him, he acted sheepish and I cleaned it up. but when got into his food (something he's never done before mind you) he acted up like i'd never seen. When he does good we congratulte we hardly ever even spanked him and even when we did it was never out of anger.Oh and it's hard for us to house train him we work messed up hours, and we dont want to wake our landlord up when we take him out at night. But that's the thing he CAN "eliminate" inside the kitchen. we've promoted that, and he's stuck to it mostly, but like I said he's been reacting more to thngs that he doesn't want to do more so than things he shouln't do, for the most part he's a well behaved dog. And we never HIT him like I said more like warning tap. I don't believe in hitting either. And rather than criticise me as a person, why not offer constructive criticism as to how i SHOULD discipline him?I'm a firm believer in Caesar Milan's Rehibilitating dogs and training owners, and I do WANT to have a good and healthy realtionship with the dog. Giving him away is the LAST thing i want to do, and me giving him away is an admittance of failure to be a good owner on my part, not his failure of being a good dog.I WANT this to work. I will do som readings and research to and any advice that can lad me in the right direction towards success in our freindships will get Best Answer. Again not that,WE CANNOT AFFORD A Professional. otherwise i wouldn't have a problem. I love this dog and i would do anything for him.

Have you consulted a behaviorist?It seems as though in some time, your dog got some sort of wind that he is the pack leader of the house hold and you go by his rules.

Stop Hitting HIm.You should have stopped way before this. You seen w hat YOUR actions had resuled in, a scared dog that was growling at you. Yet you continued, no offense but that was beyond stupid.You need a professional trainer or behavorialist. I suggest finding one that does Positive reinforcement only. Aggressve dogs only respond to punishment with more aggression. As you've seen.And if you give him away, you can be held responsible if he hurts anyone else. You made him this way, now it's time to own up to it and get a professional that can help your dog.edit:Listen to me, I don't care what excuse or reasoning you have do not hit, tap, etc your dog again. I guarantee that's why he's growling at you and you're right, it's only a matter of time before he actually bites one of you.Take his toys, treats, and food away. He only gets them when he does something for you. That means, get a list of commands going. To get his toy or treat or any play/attention, he needs to do a trick.example:I would play fetch with my JRT who was aggressive as well. He'd sit, I'd throw the ball and "release" him so he could get it, he bring it back I'd say sit, throw the ball, go, repeat. I never threw the ball if he wouldn't sit, the ball would go away. I'd say it twice and if he didn't respond no more play.Same with treats.As for food, give him 20 minutes to start eating it and if he doesn't, take it away and try again in a couple hours. Don't let him have access to it all the time.And tire him out. Terriers have lots of energy, so if that means you have to go on a 2hr run everyday, you better get on your running shoes. My JRT would get horrible if I didn't tire him out every day. A tired dog isn't going to fihgt you. A tired dog is going to listen a lot better and not act out as much.get a muzzle as well. If he bites anyone o utside of the two of you, he can be put down and you will have a lawsuit. When you're out in public, he's wearing a muzzle. People come over? Either crate him or muzzle. Do NOT risk his life because you feel bad about muzzling him. This is your doing and you need to correct it.Absolutly no hitting or tapping though. He doesn't trust you and that's why.edit:I wouldn't watch Cesar's shows to get any idea. It's a lot of editting and a lot of what he does is out dated and wrong.

Let this be a lesson to anyone who thinks it's ok to punish and hit a dog instead of house training it. Because of your actions you have made your dog afraid of you and he doesn't trust you. That's why he is snapping and growling at you.You say he was a good dog when he was 7 months of age. You should now bring in a behaviourist to see if his trust in you can be restored. It's about all that's left for you to do.I don't see a long life or a happy future for this dog.Instead of hitting the dog for eliminating inside, why did you not take him outside every couple of hours and properly house train him.

Any terrier can have a temper. My mom has terrier mix. He snaps at her other dog and well bite anybody that he finds hostile. Be it even look at him a certain way. Its good to remember that you should never hit or tap on dog to make it behave. Use a rolled up newspaper or magazine and swat you hand.To me it sounds like you need to reprogram the dog. Right before you feed the dog. Make him wait until your ready to give him the food. Always stay calm yet assertive. When he gets into one of the moods squirt him with a water bottle. I would suggest you look at Cesar Milan off of National Geographic Channel or Victoria Stilwell off of Animal Planet. They both have good ideas. Its going to take some time to get this issue resolved, but never give up. Both of the above have different ways of handling dogs. Just research them and find what works for you best.I also suggest that you read into Cesar's books. He is pretty good.

Well first don't feel sorry or make excuses for his behavior. His past pet store days are long over. You may want to consult a professional. I say this because it sounds like you need training too, and have someone that can help build your confidence as a handler. Its critical that you and your wife are the alpha or dominating ones. There are several ways to establish this but like I said sometimes its easier to copy what someone else shows you especially when its effective then for me to explain, you try it, not succeed and think it's impossible with your dog. One thing that is basic to try is to get a dog bed or blanket, put it in a spot that is near where you and your wife spend most your time, but out of the way. Make the dog stay on the blanket! Be persistent, and as firm as necessary. If you have to put a leash on him so that you have something easier to grab or to step on the keep him from fleeing. What ever it takes.

1. Neuter him if he is not fixed already.2. ASAP - have a trainer come into your home and assess the dog. I don't mean to blame you or your wife -- but too many people think that a small dog does not need any basic obedience training. How UNtrue that is!! Also - your description sounds as if you have pitied him all his life and then indulged him a bit to compensate for that bad beginning. So - get him into obedience training. Also - where does he sleep? Your bed? -- now he's in a crate. If you have trouble getting him into the crate - then put up an x-pen and place a dog-bed inside it. Then you can simply lift him over the fence and into the pen. I like clicker training but it tends to be a slower method and you need some fast results. No more hitting -- that does nothing for a dog except be fearful of you and your hitting hands. I'd warn you off too if you had been hitting me and then got close. How do I know if you will or will not hit me again?? Think from your dog's position. You're huge - he's a toy fox terrier. Who's going to win that battle? - I growl and snap too.So - get a good trainer who deals with aggression. You should not be engaging his triggers (like food). You confronted him. Try to refocus him. Call him to you with a better food source (a little chicken). Or jiggle your car keys - does he love walking? Get him out of the room. Feed the tit-bit of chicken. Close the door (to restrict him) and clean up the food. Get that trainer in there NOW. You can still fix this behavior you just need the tools. Check out some of the videos by Victoria Stilwell (It's Me or the Dog) on Animal planet. She deals with a lot of small dogs that have these confused dominance issues. GOOD LUCK!!

Your dog is frighteningly dominant is my guess. He might have some fear aggression however. Just because you haven't been hitting him hard or hitting out of anger, he still might be viewing you as a threat (hackles are a sign of a dog that feels threatened). Also the fact that you're disciplining him for growling/snapping doesn't solve the fact that he's wanting to behave that way for a reason. He's going to learn that growling/snapping are "bad", but all you're doing is taking away his warning system. He's growling as a warning. As for the snapping, if he wanted to bite you he would... but you're right about it being only a matter of time.So, he's warning you for a reason... if we go with the "he's dominant" theory, chances are there are a lot of other behaviors he's exhibiting that you haven't identified yet. Google "dominance towards people in dogs", and read up on the signs.How are his leash manners? Is he territorial over food or toys? Does he refuse to yield to you when you're approaching him in a hallway? Does he insist you step over him instead of moving? Does he walk all ontop of furniture and you without waiting to be invited? All of these things can be dominance signals... and honestly you sound like you might be a bit out of your league here. I realize you don't want to throw money away on a trainer, however it sounds like a matter of time before your dog bites you, or someone else. The last thing you want is for the dog to get loose and bite a child. ADD: If you dont' want to find a trainer and don't want to give him up, then your options are to let his aggression run its course, or try to fix it.My only advice is, become the boss of your dog. This doesn't include hitting. Look up "Nothing In Life Is Free". It's a great non confrontational way to work with aggressive dogs (and other dogs too). Your dog must work for everything he ever gets, from mobility, to food, to attention, etc. Every single thing in his life he must earn. It may help you regain his respect as the boss of the house. You must involve your wife in this as well, your dog must learn to respect all humans.

Wow, I'm going to pass on the opportunity to get on a soap box and just try and give you some advice. To me it doesn't sound like your dog is angry about being punished, it sounds like he is convinced he is in charge. I could go into a deep discussion about how to address it but I think it would be best if you could see it for youyrself. For this reason a behaviorist would be best, but if you really want to keep this dog (and I think you kind of owe it to him) and you are willing to do some work try to find videos or at least watch a few episodes of the Dog Whiperer. He addresses problems like yours every episode and seeing how to take charge of you dog is worth a thousand words. Also check out his website. Things like plenty of exercise and learning what you are actually saying to your dog through your actions make an amazing difference. If you can do that I see a long and happy life for this dog!

get a spray bottle and spray him every time he snaps or put him in the backyard till he calms down... i dont think this will help very much but best of luck...

Do not punish dogs for "accidents". If he is allowed to eliminate inside the house sometimes, and on top of that he spent a good part of his life in a store, he may have never properly learned the concept that there is a place to eat and sleep and a separate place to eliminate. However, in your headstrong dog's case, the "accidents" could also be marking behavior. You should give him a potty-training refresher course, and after that if you still catch him "marking", interrupt him by shaking a can that has been filled with pennies. And if you really can't take him outside after a certain hour, then confine him to the kitchen with a baby gate. The following articles will help with housetraining, and the others will help you learn how to handle your generally bossy pooch.Why are Toy breeds harder to train?Training Small Dogshttp://www.dogbreedinfo.com/toybreedswordsout.htmHousebreakinghttp://www.dogbreedinfo.com/housebreaking.htmIf you show weakness to your dog, the dog instinctually, in his own head, takes over the role of leader whether he wants the role or not, because there must be a strong leader and an order in a dog's pack. Humans often give the dog mixed leadership signals, which throws the dog off balance, confusing his psyche, causing many of the psychological/behavioral problems we see in dogs today. Mental tension and energy build up within the dog, which lead to many of your common canine misbehaviors. Eliminating in the house, obsessive behaviors, neurotic behaviors, chewing himself, over excitability, excessive barking, whining, not tuning into his owners commands, not coming when called, running off, getting into the trash, destroying things in the house, obsessive digging, chewing the furniture, tail chasing, scratching, aggression towards other dogs, aggression towards other animals, aggression towards humans, snapping, biting, growling, and becoming just plain old uncontrollable (just to name a few). You name it-- we can, more likely than not, trace your problem back to the way you treat your dog. In some cases it starts to appear the dog is just nuts, or psycho, and there is nothing one can do about it.http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/articles/humandog.htmThe Toy Fox Terrier may be physically small, but this is a robust little terrier that retains all the passion of its Fox Terrier ancestors. This breed thinks he is big! The breed is tough and bright, and can be stubborn without proper leadership from his owners. Curious and active, the Toy Fox Terrier keeps its young spirit throughout its life. They are intelligent, loving, sensitive and pleasant. It is very alert, inquisitive and quick. This is a companion dog that has not forgotten its ancient terrier instincts, and will therefore fight mice and small animals. This athletic little dog loves the hunt. Affectionate and very loyal. This breed is an exceptionally intelligent, trainable dog...Make sure you are this dog's firm, confident, consistent pack leader to avoid Small Dog Syndrome, human induced behavior problems. Always remember, dogs are canines, not humans. Be sure to meet their natural instincts as animals...It is very active indoors...These are active little dogs, who need a daily walk. Play will take care of a lot of their exercise needs, however, as with all breeds, it will not fulfill their primal instinct to walk. Dogs who do not get to go on daily walks are more likely to display behavior problems. They will also enjoy a good romp in a safe open area off lead, such as a large fenced in yard. http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/toyfoxterrier.htm Small Dog Syndrome - Dog believes he is the pack leader to humanshttp://www.dogbreedinfo.com/articles/smalltoydogs.htmWHO'S IN CHARGE HERE?A lesson in becoming Alphahttp://www.dogbreedinfo.com/articles/alphadogbootcamp.htmEstablishing and Keeping Alpha PositionLetting your dog know you are the boss(Top Dog)http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/topdogrules.htm

I'd look at what you are doing that might be causing this behavior. Hitting a dog is a quick way to teach it to bite you, especially a dog that is a bit timid, even a 'warning tap' can be extremely threatening to a scared dog. Read books by Jean Donaldson, Patricia McConnell, Ian Dunbar, you can find them herewww.fearfuldogs.com/books.html

If you love the dog, it would be better if you change your way of caring about it. http://www.quickebuy.com/html/real-dogs-dont-eat-kibble.htm