[Whimsical]

Hi there.

I have a young Pekingese dog. He is a little over a year old and we are having difficulty training him. He's not been fixed yet, and we are hoping that if he IS fixed, it will help some of these problems.

First off, he runs off constantly. We have looked in books, online, talked to people at pet shops. We cannot simply let him out. In fact, we can't even open the door without having to make sure he's not beneath our feet and ready to run out. Not only that, but he deliberately runs away from us when we try to go catch him and bring him back. He will run as far as out of the neighborhood to avoid us.

Second, he bites sometimes. I understand that all dogs will sometimes get irritated, but he seems more like a spoiled brat about things. If he doesn't want to do something, he growls at us. At first we thought it was just a growl to tell us to back off, and if we try to push him further he will snap. He has bitten everyone in the household at least once in this way. (Examples would be him sitting on the couch, and if we tell him to jump down, he growls. If we try to nudge him off, he bites. Or if he picked something small up like a pen, we would tell him to drop it and he growls. If we move to grab it anyway, he bites.)

Any tips? We're about at the end of our rope here on what to do. I could never give him away, but I am very unhappy with this. Other than these two main problems, he is a sweet dog who loves to play and is very smart.

 

[Cracker]

See a vet. Get him neutered and when they do the preop bloodwork ask them to do a full thyroid panel as well (resource guarding and aggression can be hypothyroid based behaviours). Check out the level of protein in his diet, some dogs don't do well with high protein diets and have higher energy levels and a higher incidence of aggression while on them.

Speak to a behaviourist, someone who can come in and assess whether you are dealing with resource guarding or true handler aggression. Look for someone who is CERTIFIED as a behaviourist..not simply a trainer. A veterinary behaviourist is ideal (one who is also a DVM).
For the time being, take a look at the NILIF sticky and start implementing the program. Get a leash without a hand loop and use it when the door is open, when you want him off the furniture or when you have to move him and he growls. If he has something you need to TRADE up for it. This is management until you get someone in to assess his behaviour properly and give you a plan to work on it.
Don't wait. These things do not get better on their own, and putting yourself in the position to get bitten is just going to make things worse.
Good luck.

 

[rosemaryninja]

First off, he runs off constantly. We have looked in books, online, talked to people at pet shops. We cannot simply let him out. In fact, we can't even open the door without having to make sure he's not beneath our feet and ready to run out. Not only that, but he deliberately runs away from us when we try to go catch him and bring him back. He will run as far as out of the neighborhood to avoid us.

Why does this surprise you? Inside = the same four walls, same people, same toys. Outside = new smells, sights, sounds, people, dogs. AND when he goes outside, you start playing chase with him, which is every dog's favourite game. It makes complete sense for him to run outside.

Leashes are your friend right now. He HAS to be on a leash at all times in an unfenced area until you have trained him with a reliable recall.

Make sure he's not in the room before you leave the house. If this means crating him or putting him in an X-pen when the door is opened, so be it. You won't have to do this forever, but it is a stop gap measure. He can't be escaping every time the door is opened... eventually he will get hurt or lost.

Second, he bites sometimes. I understand that all dogs will sometimes get irritated, but he seems more like a spoiled brat about things. If he doesn't want to do something, he growls at us. At first we thought it was just a growl to tell us to back off, and if we try to push him further he will snap. He has bitten everyone in the household at least once in this way. (Examples would be him sitting on the couch, and if we tell him to jump down, he growls. If we try to nudge him off, he bites. Or if he picked something small up like a pen, we would tell him to drop it and he growls. If we move to grab it anyway, he bites.)

You need to seek professional help about this. Like Cracker said, it's not just going to go away. Read about NILIF here: http://k9deb.com/nilif.htm and practice it religiously and consistently. Everyone in the household needs to be in on it. Contact a behaviorist about the aggression.