Question:
I really need some feedback here. My almost 8 year old shiatzu,Munchkin, has become more and more aggressive as she gets older to the point where she now has people nervous of her and I am buying a muzzle before she seriously hurts someone. My problem is this - I am 66 yrs old and can't bend down and when she doesn't like something she hides under my bed where I can no longer reach her because of my now limited mobility. If she really objects to the muzzle, I am worried that she'll run and hide. If this happens, then I am in trouble because of her aggressiveness.
Does anyone know if in this situation a vet would consider taking out her teeth as I am scared the only other option is that she'll have to be put down and that would break my heart.

I hope to get some positive feedback so that I can set my mind at ease.

Thanks, Junie

Answer:
Originally Posted by junie
Does anyone know if in this situation a vet would consider taking out her teeth as I am scared the only other option is that she'll have to be put down and that would break my heart.

oh my. no, I don't know of ANY vet who would remove an animals teeth, unless it was an extreme dental procedure, with medical reasons. how on earth would the animal eat? defend itself?

before you go muzzling your dog, or eeegads... considering having teeth removed... I strongly suggest you consult a trainer or behaviorist about your dog's aggression.

Answer:
Has your dog been to the vet recently? Things like brain tumors or even concussions can cause animals to become aggressive as they get older.

I hope there is no vet in the world who will remove the teeth, but even if there is, I hope you don't consider it. I think most dogs would rather be dead than to have healthy teeth pulled and have to suck on mush for the rest of their lives....

Answer:
hello & welcome to the forum... 8 years is not old for a small dog.. does it have any medical conditions? do you go for walks together, and if yes, is the aggression only in the house or everywhere? is the dog getting enough exercise, socialisation, behavior training?... if a vet rules out medical conditions (side-effects of medications are also to be considered) then i would hire a behaviorist to evaluate the dog and see what kind of training needs to be put in place by you, the Alpha of the house... good luck & please keep us posted!

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I agree with the others....please do not ask a vet to remove her teeth. I really hope there isn't a vet that would even consider doing it.

When was the last time you took her to the vet. At 8 yr. old she should be having a complete blood test done as there are many things that could cause aggressiveness in an older dog.

Please make an appointment with your vet and let us know the results.

Answer:
Originally Posted by jessi76
oh my. no, I don't know of ANY vet who would remove an animals teeth, unless it was an extreme dental procedure, with medical reasons. how on earth would the animal eat? defend itself?

before you go muzzling your dog, or eeegads... considering having teeth removed... I strongly suggest you consult a trainer or behaviorist about your dog's aggression.


Just to clear things up a little, I really thought that having her teeth removed would be preferable to having her put down as it is possible to chew soft canned food without teeth. However, judging by the replies I have rec'd. I can see that this is not the answer. As far as her behaviour, she has been like this since a puppy and the vet thinks it's because she was taken away from her mother way too young. The breeder weened her at 4 wks old and a half week later we got her and put her on special formula from the vet.

I have seen my vet about her aggressiveness and his advice was to bring her to a doggie psychologist. I am on a fixed income and cannot afford to bring her to any kind of behavioral specialist so I guess I'll just cross my fingers and hope that she will tolerate the muzzle.

Thanks for the feedback. It was very appreciated and definitely helped me make up my mind as to what I had to do.

Thanks again,
June

Answer:
I just wanted to add that I know how frustrating it is to live on a fixed income, and to have to hear lots of suggestions that you probably can't afford to try However I suspect you can get some really good doggy psychology ideas by researching more on the internet or at the library. If you try some different ideas and ask for feedback people here will probably even be able to help you out. I can't see how a muzzle will do much, I imagine it would only make her more upset Good luck

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I see that you live in Montreal. There are trainers that may be able to help you out. I know when I was having aggression problems with one of my dogs a trainer helped me recognize what I was doing wrong to correct the situation. The trainer was not that expensive and would probably accept installment payments. You can e-mail me privately for more information if you are interested.

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I'm sorry to hear about the trouble your having with your Shih Tzu. I've never heard of a shih tzu with that kind of agression (i've seen them fight of her a girl in heat though. lol!). Shih Tzu's are such lovable dogs I"m sure that it breaks your heart that your having so much trouble with her.

I completely agree with your vet that she has some of her toruble because she was removed from the litter too early. No breeder should EVER let a pup go before 8weeks at the earliest. Smaller dogs tend to do better from prolonged exposure 10 - 12 weeks. I know my breeder wont let a pup go until 8 or 9 weeks, and depending on the home it's going to, will keep the pup up to 12 weeks for proper socialization.

I know from experience with my own dogs litter that 4 1/2 weeks is far to young to let go of a shih tzu. For shih tzu's their teeth only just start coming in during the end of the fourth week. The pups really don't start playing with each other until week 5. It's in week 5 - 8 that the pups learn most of it's behavioral skills (ie/ bitting hurts, who's the boss etc). I mean you can't even put them on a grid for potty training until week5, because they are still unsteady on their feet. Your dog needs to learn these skills.


Did you ever take her for obedience training? This was the BEST thing I EVER did for my dog. Shih Tzu's are people pleasers and respond quite well to training. I would check your local area and see if you can find a reasonablly priced trainer. I recently found one here that does an 8 week training course for $80.00 and they will give you extra help and attention if needed for no extra cost. Your dog never learned about the pack order and needs to learn that you are the boss, not her.

There are a couple of things that I have found helpful when training Roxie that might help you as well.

1. You said that if your dog doesn't like something she will hind under things. This is entirely a Shih Tzu trait! My dog loves to be under things; under the bed, the chair, the desk, the table. So I definatly understand your fustration and having to dig her out, and I don't have age hindering me lol! There are a couple of things that I did that help change this behavior (at least made it managable). The first thing I did was limit the area's that she had access to. For you I would recommend closing the door to bedrooms, putting little gates of boards across doorways so that is limited to areas where you can easily get at her. (ie hinding under the dinning room table is easier to get at her then under the bed). The second thing would be to get a fairly long leash (I go one from the dollar store) and secure it around your waist and her to the other end. Make her go everywhere you go. When she's attached to the leash two things will happen, she will know that your the boss because she's ALWAYS following YOU (your not going after her). Also if she tries to hide you can easily reel her out!

2. Another thing that helps teach a dog whos boss (which helps reduce agression) is changing the way you feed her. The only thing your dog should have access to at all times is water. Make sure not to leave dog food out for easy access. Then start feeding her twice a day. For the first little while HAND feed her. She needs food to live with you providing it directly (from your hand to her mouth) she understands that you control the food and for 99% of shih tzu's, whoever controls the food controls the dog. It will also be a great time to work on things like sit and down, come and wait, these are the most important commands, especially for a shih tzu owner. At first I would just hand feed her, but after a day or to, make her DO something to be feed. This really shows her that your boss, you control the food, you control what she has to do to get the food.

Once you have this mastered, when someone comes over or your out on a walk and she starts acting out, you can reel her back to you and make her sit (if you worked at it at dinner she will be great at). This will remind her that you are in control and she will feel less threatened.

These are only ideas and things that I found to work for me. I hope they help you too. Obviously a behaviour specialist is the best route, but may not be feeisable in your situation. YOu can always email me privately if you have any questions. I work with a Shih Tzu breeder and have 9 in the family, so while I may not know the answer, I'm sure I know someone who does.

ALl the best

Sarah

Answer:
Wow - Bethaliz/Sarah has some really great suggestions in there that sound like they would work for you and not cost you anything. I really think the long lead would help you alot for a starter. But a common thread on this forum is the NILF - nothing in life is free. Sarah's advice to assert your dominance is spot on. Good luck!

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Hi Junie, If you are still following, please let us know if you tried some of the suggestions and how it's going!!! Thanks.

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I think I'd get your dog to the Vets asap. Aggressive behavior can be a sign of physical problems. If your dog doesn't feel well, she's going to be short tempered, JUST LIKE HUMANS! If she's in pain, she may snap and bite.

It may NOT be a behavioral problem--just a sick dog. Trying to train a dog in misery won't do much good. Relieving her pain might.



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