Yorkie/Maltese cross

[Plant2628]

Hi, I'm looking for other experiences I guess as I've some anxieties about our dog. He's 18 months. We bought him from a first litter of someone's two family pets. A bit about him, he has always slept well at night, never chewed anything and is happy to walk miles or only a short distance. He is about 7kg and lives with my husband and I and two young children. He's always been around children from birth. He is pretty chilled out, great off lead with other dogs and most when on lead. However, we've run into a few issues: - he can snap at other dogs when on a lead if pestered so now we've learnt to read him and keep him moving (his trigger prob being he feels trapped). He is territorial at times, goes mad at the postman which I can deal with but if we are out on a walk and sit down he thinks we've claimed that spot and has been known (now kept on lead) to chase people who dash passed and spook him. My fear being he chases ankles and I'm scared he might one day nip. The biggest worry is he has snapped at my children (and a friend) and caught them. The last incident he was under the table and a 4 year old was trying to get him out and he snapped before we intervened and caught her finger. No broken skin but shocked us. I've been to dog training, it's a minefield all the different views. Now looking for a behaviourist.
On the whole he's very nice natured if not a bit timid (flips on his back and quite submissive with other dogs), loves to be on your knee.
I guess I thought we'd have a bomb proof dog but suspect that's rare. He's been well socialised and we've tried to do everything 'right'.
Just interested in anyone else whose been in this position and what you've done. But for the kids I probably wouldn't be writing this but obviously a few nips has made me really vigilant. Thanks

Ps. about watching the 4 year old under the table, absolutely on our radar. My mind wonders though whether this is him or if we can successfully stop the risk of nipping. We have 2 young kids and give him such a great life, he's rarely alone, camps with us etc but I can't be on edge with him.

Hi, Sorry to hear about the issues you are having and completely understand about how difficult it can be trying to keep an eye on two young kids and a dog at the same time. In the short-term is it possible to keep the dog separate from the kids any time that you can't be keeping a close eye on interactions? If he would cope with it you could give him a puzzle feeder or enrichment toy (can make at home for free) in a different room to keep him busy when you need.

These issues are not ones that can easily be answered on here so my advice was going to be contact a behaviourist, which you are already looking into which is great.
As you say, it's a minefield finding good advice, but you should be looking for someone whose using the latest scientific understanding, not views and opinions. I highly recommend behaviourists with CCAB qualification, they have to have atleast an MSc in clinical animal behaviour and many have PhDs too, on top of that they have to do many years of training to become CCAB certified so it's the most respected amongst the behaviourist community. www.asab.org/ccab-register
Then there's also APBC who are similarly well educated and will offer similar advice www.apbc.org.uk/find-an-apbc-member/

Don't go for the cheapest behaviourist you can find, there's currently no central guidance on who can call themselves a behaviourist, any lay person can set themselves up and give terrible advice which makes matters way worse. Steer well clear of anyone talking about dominance or being pack-leader, the same for anyone suggesting aversive tools such as spray bottles, training discs, shouting at him etc. Their advice will be cheaper but worth less than nothing!

Also on the puzzle feeder front, they can be a great activity for the little kids to get involved with helping make fun things, there's a brilliant facebook group for inspiration of things you can make with stuff you already have at home or in the recycling bin and I'm sure the kids will love making him stuff www.facebook.com/groups/137561280156280

Best of luck with everything!

I suspect he was prob hiding under the table to get some peace from the 4yo so didn't appreciate them trying to get him out? My pup would definitely do similar and I have a 4yo as well. So that incident alone wouldn't concern me too much especially as no blood was drawn etc it was a warning to leave him alone.

I'm no expert but with the postman, is it just the postman or anyone who knocks? As in is it the sound of door knocking or the fact someone is approaching? Does he do the same with visitors you know or if one of you knocks on the door would he still bark? If it's just the sound of door knocking there are desensitiser videos on you tube of door knocking/bell sounds that you could use to train him to sit on his bed when he hears the sound and wait there for a treat? If it's the fact someone is approaching the house, I think that would take more work to resolve and prob you'd need to enlist help of different people you know that are willing to be part of a training exercise to build up his tolerance of people coming to the door.

With the chasing people when you are sitting, again I think it's a case of practicing and rewarding him for sitting or laying down still and being quiet. I don't think these are majorly concerning issues probably just annoying for you.

The issues are people- generally in high vis vests or hats- approaching. If they talk to him, he stops. If the person was to run, and he was able he would chase would be my guess. He chases ankles though.
Is it realistic to expect to have a dog with no concer, no matter what a child did to bother them, of ever snapping or nipping? I'm struggling to gauge how worried we need to be.
The behaviourists in the very helpful first post above (thank you ) are pricey but I suspect you get what you pay for. Are there any in the NW Eng anyone has used?
Thanks

First things first, until you get help from an accredited behaviourist, you must keep him away from the children unless you are right there to supervise, and even then I would be incredibly wary as he has nipped several times now. You really risk him escalating and going from "just" a nip to an actual bite.

I actually think many dogs would nip in the situation with your DC's friend that you describe - I mean, imagine being cornered and grabbed at by a strange person/thing that's several times your size - it would be really scary. Your dog can't shout a warning so his defence is his teeth. A nip that didn't break the skin was his way warning the child to get away from him - if he'd wanted to, he would have drawn blood.

He also seems to be lead reactive which is fairly common (my dog is too!) but it can be impossible to deal with in public unless you have eyes in the back of your head! However, as he's nipped several times and you're worried about him nipping at ankles, I would look at getting him muzzle trained before he does bite and you get reported for having a dangerous dog.

Look for an accredited behaviourist that's registered with either IMDT or APBC. As a PP said, anyone can technically call themselves a behaviourist but to be registered with either of those organisations, you have to go through certain tests, prove your knowledge and agree to only use force-free, positive training. It won't be cheap but you get what you pay for and you may be able to claim through your insurance too.

Good luck!

Ah just to clarify- he's never actually nipped on a walk. Just chased. Thanks.

He's so tiny... no one seems fearful but obviously I'm mindful of doing what is right.

@Plant2628

Ah just to clarify- he's never actually nipped on a walk. Just chased. Thanks.

Yeah, I do understand that :)

But he has nipped you before in the home and has also nipped a visiting child. The last thing you want is for this behaviour to escalate into a bite - either in or out of the house.

Like you say, size is irrelevant, really - yes, he can do less damage than a bigger dog but he could still break the skin and hurt someone, especially a child, and if he's reported as dangerous, you may end up with no choice but to muzzle and leash him in public for the rest of his life.

I would be doing everything in my power to prevent that, which would include voluntarily muzzling him in public so that he is no longer a bite-risk.

I don't think the incident under the table is a thing at all. He was under the table and a child went under and tried to grab him. I think your best bet is to protect him from children manhandling him.

Yes because his nature is so sweet and soft, these very few nips such as the table incident have caught me off guard.

When I was growing up we had a Maltese who did similar and would snap at children who tried to pull her around.

But she would take herself off somewhere quiet to be out of their way, and if they went in after her she was known to snap.

Thing is,and I know it’s not PC to say it on here, there are far too many people who think that a dog should be completely tolerant at all times, that the children should be allowed to pull it around/grab it/poke at it and if it snaps it’s dangerous and it’s a slippery slope to a mauling. Personally i think that children should be made to respect animals, and if the dog doesn’t react, the parents should. and that if a dog has taken itself off then they leave it alone,and if they don’t then they face the consequences.

In terms of barking at the door, just how much does she do this. I.e. is it a yap when someone comes to the door or does she let forth and yap yap yap constantly. The former is IMO normal, the latter is irritating. I have a lab who barks at the door, and tbh I don’t stop him. I’m quite happy for people coming to the door to think that I might have a big dog in here. He’s a guide dog and his obedience is 1000% including his recall, so I have no issue with the odd bark. But in truth I also know that bigger dogs barking are less irritating than the yap yap yap of a lapdog.

My dog can be distracted by other dogs. He doesn’t want to go for them, he wants to play with them. If we see a dog then I make him sit, praise him for sitting, put a treat in my hand, and then when the dog has passed and he’s completely relaxed again he gets the treat and the praise. It works perfectly. I do stop when a dog approaches because I know that my dog is under control, whereas I don’t know whether the other dog is. So even if he’s working I will stop him to let the other dog go past.

So sit and praise and treat might be the way to go re wanting to chase things….

Thank you- really helpful. Yaps and taps when someone (delivery person generally) comes to the door, shuts up when meets them. I will keep him on a lead unless a safe space. When he reacts at other people come near us (as I say this is only when we've sat for a longer period) what would you do to calm the barking/growling? The moment the person acknowledges him, he shuts up and is all sweet. It's like protective/territorial behaviour.
On the nipping I have eyes on him around the kids. They say no dog should be alone with kids- realistically how is that always always manageable for life. That's when I think about re-homing but I've parked that thought for now.

They say no dog should be alone with kids- realistically how is that always always manageable for life.

Unfortunately it IS hard, and it's one of the reasons people discourage dog ownership when there are small children in the house - because absolutely they must* be supervised at all times. If you can't be in the room with them, you either take the children or the dog with you. It's a pain in the arse but it's part of owning animals when you have young children in the house.

You can't expect young children to behave around dogs - they're spontaneous, impulsive and forgetful, and unfortunately, no matter how many times you tell them to behave, you know they can't be trusted

You say your dog has a lovely soft, sweet nature but you also say he's nipped multiple people, is leash reactive and that you're worried about him nipping ankles if he was off lead in that scenario.

I really think you need to get the help of a behaviourist ASAP before this dog is pushed over his threshold and bites someone.

Not sure what happened to the bolding on that post

Thank you. Will seek the behaviourists input as a first step