Crazydog

Thanks guys. Here is the girl of the moment.....Gidget, with her favourite toy.

About 3 weeks ago i posted asking for help regarding my new little female pom, who was very possessive about me, and would not let my husband within cooee of me or herself. I would like to thank all who took the interest to reply with some sensible advice. Mostly i would like to say a big thanks to Pinnacle dts who took the time to really help me work out what the problem actually was (fear aggression) and has helped me over the last few weeks with training advice. Two nights ago, my little pom approached my husband and "asked" to be lifted onto his lap, which he happily did. 3 weeks ago the same dog growled and barked at my husband if he so much as stepped in her direction. We still have a lot of training to do before she will be completely confident around him, but at this point we are so happy with what she has achieved. I am very appreciative of this forum for the opportunity to find some excellent advice and am so very grateful to Pinnacle, for her genuine concern, which is going to result in me having a very happy and contented little dog. (and a happier husband too ) Cheers all.

Thats good to hear Poodle Wrangler. I think things will turn out ok for us as long as i keep up with the training etc.

Yes, once she starts behaving in an acceptable manner i dont think it would be a problem, but at this point i was worried it might confuse the issue as she is not allowed on my lap at the moment. If i could sit her between us it would be good. I would have to tie her there. We have started learning how to sit for a reward today.

Hi Pinnacle dts, She was wary of my husband from day one but did not bark at him till we had had her about a week. She also would not let either of our parents touch her. She would sniff their hands but pull back and growl if they tried to pat. It can happen at any time of day but less likely if we are eating as she expects a treat. (we are not treating anymore unless she does something to earn it....i will try teaching her to sit) My husband did step back onto her foot one time when he was at the fridge and she was behind him (can you see a pattern here regarding food ) This did happen AFTER she had started to bark at him and i have also stepped back on her once without any repercussions. She has 4 soft toys in the house that she plays with often and my husband has played with them with her from day one....in hindsight, this may not have been a good thing. I had more interaction with her mainly because she is "my" dog, i think. I probably shouldnt have called her crate a crate....it is actually a small playpen with an igloo type bed inside. Currently it is behind the lounge and she is in it at night and if we are away for a long period of time. She will go into it of her own free will thru out the day. I started penning her at night as she started to chew a few things (theres another clue for you!) and i was worried about the electrical cords. It also helps with her housetraining, which is going quite well. Where it is situated behing the lounge she cannot see us if we are in the room but i can shift it if it would be better where she can be penned and see us at the same time. The ute has a bench seat with a cutaway section where the gear stick is. It would be big enough for her to sit between us but not big enough for her carry case. She was used for showing by her breeders and was used to being approached by the judge. She was always crated for travel. Her breeders were a man and a woman but the woman was the dog person....still the dog had no problems with the fellow. She was kept with maybe 10 other dogs, strictly outside and penned separately at night. So she has had quite a change and i have really spoilt her and she has lapped it all up in a big way. I hope it can be turned around as i would like other people to be able to enjoy her as much as i do.

I have a question about transporting her if anyone is still reading. Now normally, she would have her harness on and sit on my lap. (No wonder she thinks she is Queen...cant believe i didnt see it happening myself! ) 90% of the time we travel in a ute so i have no option but to have her in the front. At this time of year the heater is going so the floor would get too hot to put her there. I have a carry case for her...would it be acceptable to put her in that and then put it on my lap or would that still send the wrong message? We are farmers and i would usually take her around the farm with us as i did my last pom. I wont be doing this anymore until she has learnt respect for us, but i would like to be able to take her to my parents or parents-in-law homes. If we use the car its no problem, she can go in the back in her case, but the ute is a bit of a problem. She cant go in the tray as the working dogs are usually there. What do you think?

Hi Roxie, You hit the nail on the head! The face gets me every time. I didnt have this problem with my last pom but i raised her from a tiny puppy. When she died a few months ago i was devastated and pined badly for her so when little Gidget came along i put everything into loving her and, consequently, have caused these problems myself. I need to remember she is a dog, after all, and treat her as such. And yes, i will get hubby to do the training as well. He is happy to help. She loves being outside but we have to be careful as there are birds of prey here that may take a tiny dog. We may have to build a sturdy but portable playpen for her. Thanks, hope your babes are going well.

Hi SAS, After re-thinking it over, i think you are right...she is boss at the moment. I think because they are small dogs you tend to overlook the little things. Thanks for the wake-up. I havent had leadership problems with dogs before, so its all new to me.

Hi Kavik, The triangle of temptation article looks great. Will give it a go. She definately has leadership problems. She has come from a breeder where she was housed outside with 10 or so other dogs and now she is an only dog living inside. We are also crating her at night now and only let her out when i am ready the next morning and not when she wants out. When i first let her out i basically ignore her until i get her outside as she gets excited otherwise and wets the floor. Its working very well so i just need to ignore her in other ways too, i guess. Thanks for your help guys. I think it will just take some time and persistance.

Hi Kavik, Yes, she gets carried alot as most tiny dogs do. She is barking at my husband, though, even when not being carried or on my lap. Sometimes just when he enters a room i am in.

Hi SAS. Yes, i understand the alpha dog principles. We have actually already started some of the remedies you suggested such as ignoring her on entering rooms etc. She cannot jump onto the lounge herself which is good. She does ask to be put on the lounge but i have started to ignore this and only put her on my lap at my request and not hers. I think you are right and i should not let her up at all till she is behaving better. I think i may be the alpha dog but she considers others to be lower in the pack. She respects my reprimands but not my husbands. I dont consider this is a big drama mainly because i would not put her in the position of being able to snap at strangers in the first place. I would like to get it sorted though. Thanks for your help.

I have a new pomeranian girl who is now 9 months old and have had her for about a month now. She has bonded to me very strongly, which i love, but she has also become protective/possessive of me. She will bark, growl and even snap at my husband should he touch me or try to touch her, particularly if she is on my lap, but at other times as well. She is all of 1.4kgs in size and although its quite amusing to see, its not something i want to encourage. It happens with all people, not just my husband. I have tried reprimanding her sharply but am worried she will associate the reprimand with my husband being near, and become frightened of him, so i dont want to go that way. At the moment, i have asked my husband to be the one who feeds her everyday. He has tried giving her treats and she will take the treat and eat it and then proceed to bark at him again! Cheeky little bugger! When she barks at him now, i pick her up and pass her straight to him to hold for a while, which she accepts begrudgingly. Or i place her directly on the ground. (but she still barks at him from there so i think it better she go to him). If anyone can offer any advice it would be appreciated. I understand poms can be one person dogs, but my last pom girl would never have dreamed of snapping at someone, even though she was a one person dog too. I love this little girl to bits, and its really not a huge drama, but it would be nice if we were a family unit rather than just us and him!