URGENT ADVICE PLEASE-puppy tried to bite/attack me last night, off to vets in few hours

[shinky]

Hi,sorry,will try to make this brief, just desperate for some quick advice on how to approach this with my vets in a couple of hours. Puppy is 7 months old,and is chihuahua x griffon and has been displaying worrying behaviour issues for a while now but last night,just before bed he was lying on the sofa. I went to pick him off to let him out before he went in his crate and he went to attack me. Wasn't a quick snap/growl either but a prolonged savage type attack where he had his mouth clamped around my hand and was writhing around attacking my hand on the 3 occasions i attempted to move him.
He didnt actually sink his teeth in,just left my skin grazed. Obviously very upset about this and off to vets for all health checks etc as a starting point,as to where to go from here, but what checks should i be insisting on? I know they will take temperature and all this stuff, but would i be considered extreme to demand blood tests/thyroid tests etc. Would be very greatful to any advice received as to what i should be making sure is checked by the vets when i take him? Thanks in advance

GOBBLERS, you dont have to clear off:) Im probably not coming across that great either. The only reason i have brought up repeatedly that it wasnt a little snap, that the warning(it was only that,cause he didnt sink his teeth) was a lot more nasty than that is only cause i just wanted reassurance that this was also common, certainly not so i can label him. I have kids and am just worried sick about the potential of it becoming worse with him,thats all as we love him to bits.
Just dont understand how i managed to come across to you as not being keen on training. I am very much open to training,and any advice that might improve how i can train/communicate with him better. I am aware that i am doing something wrong for this to have happened. Thanks for posting with your advice though

Don't worry shinky. You're doing exactly the right thing by taking action. I would be worried too - nobody wants their beloved dog to be a stroppy biter in a family situation. I'm pretty sure there's a lot that can be done to resolve this and a behaviourist will have lots of ideas.

Mine used to do this. It got to the point where it used to take two of us to get to him into bed on a night. One to physically force him into bed and the other to try and make sure he wasn't attacking the first. It was stressful for both us and the dog

There are easier ways.

Houseline. Keep one on your dog all the time he is in the house. When it comes to bed time hold the end of the houseline and lead him there, gently. He gets a treat for getting off the sofa. He gets a treat on his way to bed. He gets a treat once he's in bed.

Treats don't have to be food. My secret weapon is the tug rope. The tug rope is the single most exciting thing in the world. My terrier would follow me off of the end of the earth for the promise of a game of a tug.

Try tug ropes, squeaky toys, balls, raw or cooked mince (mine prefer raw), sardines, sardine cake, liver cake, dried liver, raw liver, cheese (the smellier the better), hotdogs, chicken wings (but as a treat instead of a meal, you don't want a fat puppy)

Just as an aside and not to upset you, the other posters are right. This was a warning, not a full on attack. When mine 'attacked' me I had puncture wounds in my hand and severe bruising to my thumb, which I could not move for at least a week. I still had my thumb, I knew my dog did want to or try to remove my thumb. Had he wanted to injure me that badly, he would have done so. Dogs do not try to attack. They either attack or they don't.

It is upsetting when your dog behaves in an unexpected and violent way and it can be very scary, especially when you were least expecting it, but in this case it's not the end of the world. I seriously doubt your pup has any major issues other than loving the comfort of the sofa.

Dominance is a big, fat, dangerous myth. Your dog is not trying to dominate you or anyone else. He just loves the sofa. That is all. He does not want to take over the world.

Thanks LOOKBEHIND,
DOINMECLEANIN, thats reassuring to know. I realize that i probably didnt do myself justice in the way i described what happened. Was just a bit stunned and upset. It was just a warning, i know that as he didnt actually sink his teeth in, was just shocked as to how severe his warning was, and it did appear as though he WANTED to attack me, he just held back(which obviously is a good thing). Worried if there is a next time, he may not hold back,thats all.
But very pleased to know that others on here have experienced it,and that with some expert training it it can be nipped in the bud:)

You poor thing, Shinky. Have you had the dog since he was a pup? It can be such an upward learning curve with a first dog and it sounds as though you are doing all the right things... Training, behaviour, vet check...
There may be different training classes near you. It could be that you've landed in an inappropriate class for your needs. Look into other ones, and find one you like. You don't want to be growled and snapped at. After all, does the dog pay the bills? I hope it is something you will sort out very easily with the right help.

Hi EASYTOEAT, yes have had him since he was a pup. An upward learning curve? Tell me about it!! I do feel out of my depth a bit with him at the moment. Took him to the vets yesterday,nothing wrong with him in terms of illness they dont think, but he turned on her as well and had to be muzzled. She said that if he were her dog,she would not keep him:( Was hoping that she'd be a bit more reassuring than that, but i suppose for her its a case of if they've shown aggression,then they can do again?
I have a behaviourist coming early next week,who has a fantastic reputation, she says she is reasonably confident that he can be sorted though, with him being so young. He used to be quite snappy towards strangers/dogs when we first had him,she thinks theres a good chance that we just didnt deal with that 100% effectively at the time, so it may just be a case of bad habits re-surfacing that he may think are acceptable iykwim Feeling more positive than yesterday now though after talking to her

Is he neutered yet? No idea whether that makes a difference as we've always had bitches, but it might be worth looking into.

For what it's worth I would change vets , what a terrible attitude when someone has bothered to pay for an opinion and advise.

I've just read that bit about the vet after Flora pointed it out.

What an awful thing for a vet to say. She really should think about a new career if that is the attitude she has to pet ownership

You are doing the right thing, Shinky, in seeking behavioural help and I am sure this will be something you can overcome with a little bit of work.

Snapping at a vet is fairly common fear behaviour. Most dogs go through a stage where they are unsure of strangers. Most vets are happy to help you deal with this behaviour by allowing short visits where the dog is simply worshipped as every dog should be and fed treats by the vet/vet nurses so that they start to associate the veterinary surgery as a good place. Some other vets ought to have no customers.

FROSTY, not neutered yet, booked in for next week on the advice from same vet, but behaviourist wants to see him before then as she isnt sure its the right thing to do with him being so young. She thinks it could make him worse if he is insecure
Not impressed with vet,no. He is a chihuahua fgs, not some monster sized dog. Hardly capable of ripping my hand off. I think the poor little mite is entitled to a bit more understanding than that,and as his owner,am responsible for getting him that help,especially as i can now clearly see areas of his training where we have lacked the knowledge in how best to handle his earlier snapping
Bloody vets

Jesus, that is terrible of the vet. Totally agree with the behaviourist, neutering might be a really bad idea, unbook for next week and give it some thought.

Can you change practice? The vet sounds awful.

Will change vets most likely yes, would prefer a more supportive and pro-active vets. Not someone who is so dismissive of him so quick. Thank you again for all the replies. I feel ALOT more confident in dealing with the problem now:)

Please speak to your behaviourist carefully about neutering as often for a dog like yours it can make the kind of behaviour that he is showing at the vets worse. As a vet I would always advocate fixing the behaviour before neutering mainly because this behaviour has nothing to do with testosterone.

I agree with lizcat neutering is not the cure all for dogs. And can make some behaviours worse.

I would change your vet and work on socialising and setting clear boundaries for the dog.

You have been given some fantastic suggestions shinky Good luck.