very aggressive when awoken

Pixels Mommy · 01-10-2007, 12:05 AM

whenever my pom/yorkie mix is sleeping and we try to pick him up or sometimes even get near him and wake him up, on accident, he gets REALLY aggressive, he will growl and nip at us and its just horrible, hes very loving other wise, when we try to tell him "NO BAD DOG" or something along those lines, he just gets worse, its to the point where i have to get a towel or something to pick him up so i dont get bitten. once he is picked up, he goes back to normal in less than 10 seconds... any clue to what i can do to make him stop?

DogAdvocat · 01-10-2007, 01:11 AM

Either go by the old adage of "let sleeping dogs lie," or consult a behaviorist.

cshellenberger · 01-10-2007, 01:17 AM

Give him an area he can rest undisturbed (like a crate or dog bed) and let him sleep.

skelaki · 01-10-2007, 02:52 AM

Are you sure his hearing is ok? If it is, when you have to disturb his rest, try calling him to you and then rewarding him.

britishbandit · 01-10-2007, 03:56 AM

I get pretty grumpy when I get woken up as well....LOL. And if someone tried to pick me up from a dead sleep, I'd likely freak as well. Is there some reason why you try to pick up the dog while it's sleeping? If he's constantly being woken up (accident or not), there's no wonder he's a bit goofy about it.

Silverpawz · 01-10-2007, 04:09 AM

If your dog is trying to bite you then your best bet is to hire a qualified trainer to work with you in person. This IS serious. Sure, he might be upset that you woke him, but that doesn't give him an excuse to show aggression.

Unless you can be absolutly sure that your dog will NEVER sleep anywhere but his crate, then this is something worthwile to work on. Dogs tend to nap through out the day, I can't imagine checking on my dogs all the time to see if they're getting sleepy and then ushering them into crates for fear of getting biten should I accidentally wake them.

In the mean time, while you're waiting for a trainer to come out, I'd suggest keeping a leash on him in the house, This way you can easily move him if you need to and should you wake him by accident you'll be able to pick up the lead and keep him at arms length.

I'd also suggest starting him on an NILIF program. A dog that snarks at his owner speaks to lack of respect on the dog's part. You can build that respect up by controlling the resources and making him work for what he wants.

Working for a dog is doing commands. So teach him how to sit if he can't already and then start asking for it anytime you feed him, before you pet him, before you go outside and so on. Every interaction is a training opprotunity.

Good luck, I know this can't be an easy thing to live with and I hope you're able to find a trainer that will work with you.

RobDar · 01-10-2007, 08:26 AM

This behavior is somewhat common in the Coonhound. We have seen it several times.
This is how our behavioralist explained it to us...
Each dog in a pack has a function or a role to play. Alpha, Beta, Omega, yadda yadda...Each major role comes with associated minor behaviors. The Alpha asserts the rules and takes command as an example. The behaviors are further altered by a dogs personality. The Alpha dog in a pack can be very assertive and "attack" the other pack mates to make its point or can be somewhat more passive and prefer less confromtational ways of asserting itself...like cutting off other dogs, stare downs, barking, nudging and pushing.

What you have is a dog who is "sleeping in gaurd mode". While most people attribute this behavior to an Alpha dog who is just being cranky at being pestered, they are usually wrong. Each pack has a dog who is kind of the gaurdian as it were. Not the Alpha, but another dog who is always watching out for the pups, watching out for danger, yadda yadda. This is usually the Omega but not always. Insecure members of other positions will also be "watchful".
This is a natural thing but needs to be handled correctly.
First and easiest is not to startle the dog while it is sleeping. ALWAYS announce yourself and make enough racket to be sure the dog is awake before moving or handling the dog. We had a coonhound who slept so soundly it took a few minutes to wake him...be patient.
When the dog is startled and misbehaves...just grab the dog under the chin...stare him right in the eye and yell him "NO" in a smooth even voice. ( do this only if you are comfortable he will not reach out and bite you on the nose...if the dog is willing to escalate the aggression like that, then you have a more serious problem on your hands) No need to yell or make a big production of it...do not do enough repremand to make the dog feel threatened. If the dog feels threatened it will make the guard mode sleeping worse. Just a simple no and firm unmistakable eye contact is enough. Then consider it over and done and go back to normal. Alot of people over punish the dog and make a big production of things and make the problem worse.

I would as well do whatever work you can to build the dogs confidence and comfort levels.

Raggs · 01-10-2007, 11:53 AM

Don't wake him. Let sleeping dogs lie. That expression came about for good reasons. Waking a dog by picking him up is like jumping out from behind something and scaring a child. It startles them and they interpret fear with aggression. Poms can be nasty on their own and with you keep doing this, no matter the corrections, it's just encouraging this to keep happening. It's not your dogs fault and he doesn't need to be trained out of it. You just need to stop waking him. If you see that that is the only time it happens, common sense should be enough to say, Oh let him sleep.

Pixels Mommy · 01-10-2007, 04:11 PM

thanks for all the replies, whenever i do wake him, its so i can go to bed, or he needs to go in his crate because we are leaving the house or something he likes to lay with us while we watch tv. and he usually falls asleep. i always say his name or something so wake him up before i pick him up, its just strange, its almost like he has split personalities.

sheltieluver · 01-10-2007, 04:28 PM

After going through dog training school, this sounds like a leadership problem. A dog that does not let you touch him when trying to wake him or even pick him up. He is basically telling you he is in charge. You need to work on leadership roles with your dog.

Silverpawz had some great suggestions for you.

skelaki · 01-11-2007, 03:03 AM

Definitely put him on a strict nilif and obedience training regimine. Nilif stands for nothing in life is free. Make him earn everything by obeying a command. For now, he should not be allowed up on any beds or furniture. Those places belong to the Alpha (this should be you, not him). Also, make sure you go through doors first, eat first, go up and down any stairs first. Work daily on basic obedience along with the nilif.