Is this a normal behavior that my puppy has?

[iio]

I have a 5 month old shih tzu/toy poodle. She is the so cute and smart...the only thing is that she gets really defensive around strangers. She will start barking and growling and when people or children try to pet her she will snap at them. She has all her adult teeth I think, but I know it is much stronger than her baby teeth and Im afraid that someone can get hurt. And when someone tries to hold her she gets soooo scared, she would start squealing and this girl thought my bf and I abused her but we dont! She is so loved by us...his family and mine but when it comes to other people who are trying to be as gentle as they can with her she starts freaking out by squealing or biting. I mean its fifty-fifty she can be nice to a stranger by licking their hands and letting them pet her OR she can be the opposite.

Like one time I took her downtown and this couple thought she was cute and the husband was petting her and she was being nice by licking him and getting all excited...but when his wife came in to pet her she got so scared and tried to bite her. So I dont know its weird!

This girl said that my puppy could be depressed...but I would never think that because she is a happy puppy she plays with all her brother and sisters and plays around with my cat and everyone else she knows but not around strangers....I mean I really want her to be nice around strangers but she isnt. Is this a normal behavior? People say that she is just a puppy and she will get by this behavior...my bf and I try to take her out as much as possible where there's people but sometimes I feel like it can be too much for her?? I dont know really cause this is my first puppy. All her other siblings are fine around strangers they love to play with them except for my pup!

 

[TISH1124]

I had a territorial puppy that was that way....We eventually had to take him for obedience training...Because he was very aggressive around strangers no matter what .... He did not allow any kids to come up to my son...and even snapped when my step daughters would come over and that was a big no no for me...He was about 6-7 months old...after the obedience classes we no longer had the problem...He sometimes now snaps and barks at times but we know the command to use to let him know it is not acceptable and he will stop immediately.

I hope you get it all figured out....

 

[lara]

Rather than consult Dr Internet about your dog, I'd strongly suggest that you call your local vet, discuss your dogs behaviour and see what they suggest in regards to socialising your dog.

A poorly socialised dog is a dangerous dog, end of story.

 

[Kayteuk]

Good on you for trying to do some research before going to the vets . I dont blame you I have always done the same and a lot of people know the answer.
There is a forum dedicated to Maltese dogs (However, everyone posts on there) called spoiledmaltese.com, they have a few vets on there who can always point you in the right direction, and also a lot of experienced dog owners.

Another thing to concider is changing their diet, some dogs can be hyperactive and emotional on grain based diets, I switched my dog to a non grain diet (It costs!) and he is a lot less agressive and has more energy.

You can also seek out a dog behaviour therapist, just check all their qualifications when you see them.

But definitly have a look at the forum

 

[xxManBeaterxx]

Is that normal behavior for a dog? Yes, if poorly trained and under socialized a lot of dogs can have agressive/dominant behavior. Dogs have all sorts of different personalities... I agree with tish about going to obidence training and have professionals teach you the proper way to correct her behavior. You need to punish bad behavior and award good behavior the second she does something, or she wont put two and two together. You dont punish her for peeing on the carpet 2 hours after she does it, she wont know what she did wrong. Like children they need to be taught right and wrong, or her behavior could get worse..

 

[iio]

Thanks girls...I really want my puppy to be friendly around everyone other than the people that she knows. Whenever she snaps at people we say "No" all the time right after she does it. She knows the word and she will stop but that doesnt last long...I will take a look at that maltese forum and see what I can do but if none of the advice works then I might have to take her to a professional.

I feed her beneful healthy radiance dog food...I dont think there are grains in there but I didnt know that grains could be a possible reason for agressiveness. Thats nice to know though.

Thanks for all your help...If any of you have anymore advice please keep em coming!

 

[sayah]

Some puppies and grown up dogs just don't like people. It doesn't mean she's not happy with her family and the people she's gotten to know. I would tell people to ignore her and let her approach people if she wants to without making a fuss. That doesn't mean that she can be bitchy, just exclude her from the group when she misbehaves. Calmly put her in a crate or behind a gate etc and give her a new chance to behave soon again.

Be sure that if you hold her and she sounds like she's beating beaten but she's really fine to not let her go before she's calmed down. It's very common that dogs learn what behaviours are useful. I'm sure she's really cute too, sometimes making it harder to calmly keep up the rules.

Unsure dogs need a calm family and surrounding. Good luck!

 

[iio]

^Thanks...yeah its weird because she will like some strangers and she will NOT like other strangers. Maybe its a scent that she doesnt like...Im not sure. When she smells someone and she likes it she will let them pet her or hold her and if she doesnt like their smell she will back off and start barking and when the person takes another step in trying to pet her again she will bite, bark, and growl...and this is mostly with children.

She's great with most small dogs...she gets really scared around big dogs except for this one boxer dog who is amazingly friendly and kind. I will just have to watch her reaction and warn people to not touch her. But I will try my best in training her to not bite poeple.

 

[sharkbytes]

Best advice-
1- See a vet, just to be safe
2- Look into obedience training. It can be pricey, but I know PetSmart offers a really cheap deal for a weekly course in training that works.
3- Don't allow strangers to pet your dog. There's a lot of people out there that have no idea how to approach a dog, and that can frighten/spook your puppy. Make sure he's always on a leash and tightly held, away from well-meaning people who run up to pet.

 

[kaliraksha]

Small dogs in particular are just really scared of things/people that are bigger than them and they tend to not trust easily. I always pick up my small dog and let her sniff our visitors (if our visitor is open to it) and once they get accustomed to it they are better behaved. Especially because some adults/most children tend to think of small dogs as toys they don't handle them properly and can hurt them.

Definitely socialize your pet... it takes time but it's worth it.

 

[rosasola1]

if you get the runt of the litter... they behave this way... did you?