Chloe's snapping at the kids

[Ritz459]

Not all of the time, but in certain situations that occur semi-frequently. She's also tried to nip at my dad and my mom.
I pretty sure it is a "dominance" thing, because everything that the kids do around her I can do and she has never once tried to bite me.

Chloe doesn't listen to anyone in the family but me. I'm assuming this is because I'm the only one who has ever worked with her, but no one else in the family WANTS to work with her. Chloe almost constantly tests my authority to see what she can get away with, and she works me to my limits.
Now I can get Chloe to pretty much behave around me, but with everyone else, as I stated earlier, she's started to get snarfy.

For example: Chloe was chewing on my mom's camera bag strap. My mom went to move it away from her and Chloe growled (it wasn't a deep, belly chest growl....I've been on the receiving end of a few of those and trust me, that isn't what she does. It is more like a growl to test and see what will become of it) and snapped at my mom. She didn't make contact with my mom's skin, but she was definitally testing the waters.

This is versus me who can walk up to Chloe who is chewing on a forbidden object and Chloe drops it and lays down giving me a look like, "What? See, I'm a little angel."

Last night someone forgot to close the laundry room door, so Chloe ran back into the room and started to eat Pheobe's kitten food. I was in the kitchen so my sister JeanAnne went back to shoo Chloe out. JeanAnne went to reach for Chloe and Chloe snarled and snapped at JeanAnne. She made contact, but didn't so much as leave a mark. As soon as I heard Chloe snarl I hopped over the gate we have blocking off of the kitchen and, for lack of better word, screamed at Chloe. (Basically yelled at the top of my lungs in my meanest voice and said, "What the heck are you doing dog? You do NOT do that!") I was not going to tolorate her going after my sister. Chloe stopped what she was doing immeadiatly and went into submissive mode (ears down, tail down, not confident in her posture at all). As soon as she did that I sternly told her to get out, and she trotted out of the laundry room into the living room and laid down.

Then later that evening, someone forgot to put the gate up at the bottom of the stairs and Chloe ran upstairs and started eating Rush's cat food in my mom's bathroom. Again, JeanAnne went to go get her out before I could say it was a bad idea. I'm not intirely sure what happened as I wasn't in the room, but I heard my mom yell, "Andrea, Chloe's biting JeanAnne!" so I went running in there, grabbed Chloe with no problem, brought her back downstairs, leashed her, and made her lay down and go to bed. Chloe hadn't broken JeanAnne's skin and again didn't leave a mark.

A couple of weeks ago when we had family over, Chloe was eating Cherrios off of the ground outside and Taylor (he's six?) came over and leaned over her to pet her. She growled and snapped at him. I corrected her with a little leash pop and moved her away from the Cherrios. After they had left, I walked her over by the Cherrios again and let her eat them. I leaned over her, pet her, hugged her....nothing.
If Chloe gets into the cat food or occassionally the trash or food left on the table, I can pull her away (or even tell her to get away) and she'll do so without a problem. Before the stupid cat just erased everything else I wrote about this: She's been through basic obedience (granted it was at Petsmart), but I've been working with her at home and out in town ever since then. She knows: sit, down, stay, off, shake, "don't pull", leave it, take it, "out" (as in, get out of the room you are in), "outside", "upstairs", "go lay down", "Chloe" (she looks at me), come here, and we are working on drop it and roll over. When with me, she follows those commands about 98% of the time.

A couple of time she has gotten possessive over a toy when the kids were around or nippy with them if they sit down on the floor, but I was quick to correct her and she would settle down. I didn't think too much of it. I guess I should have.

The only thing that comes to my mind to get Chloe to behave around everybody else in the family is to get them all involved with training Chloe. I can think of two problems with this plan: 1.) they have no motivation to do it, nor do they have the time, and 2.) with as much as Chloe is testing me to the limits, I know for a fact my two younger sisters wouldn't be capable of handling her mentally.
She is already on a NILIF schedule (although like I mentioned earlier, I'm the main enforcer), and goes on a 45min walk each afternoon when I get home from school. That exercise schedule has been working well with her and has been tiring her out nicely.

Aside from some of the scenarios mentioned above, Chloe is very good with the kids. She loves them to death.
I'm also scared that she'll snap and/or bite at a guest if they do something that she doesn't like.

In 2 years or so this wouldn't be a problem because I'm going to be moving out of the house. But as it isn't 2 years from now, this is an issue. If she ever bites the kids in a non-playful manner and breaks skin, I am almost 100% sure she will not be allowed in the house ever again.

I need to nip this in the bud before it gets worse. Anyone have any ideas?

*** I've tried to search for a trainer in my area, but I can't find anyone. I don't think I'd be able to afford one either, but I may as well look.

**** And yet another example of how she behaves around me but not anyone else: As I'm sitting her typing this, she came up to me and sat down waiting for petting. If anyone else had been sitting down and she wanted attention, she would have jumped up into their lap and licked them in the face bugging them until they pet her. With me she knows she isn't supposed to, so she comes over and sits. She was actually sitting there for a couple of minutes before I realized she was waiting for me to pet her. Not once did she try to jump up on me, she just sat their patiently. She also doesn't jump up on me in greeting so much anymore, but she still jumps 20ft in the air to greet other people.

[IceyBlueSibes]

Well, I think you're obviously already aware of the problem. No one in your family is willing to work with Chloe, so to her, they have no boundaries set. When she gets in trouble, you are the one called to "correct" her. When she's doing something she shouldn't, you're always in the picture making sure she stops.

Honestly, I think the only solution to this would be to have your family get involved. They don't have to all come and do a training session, but just get involved when you're doing it.

Like you said, it isn't at all appropriate for her to snap at anyone. But I think your biggest problem is talking to your family and having them all participate with her training. Explain to them the only way to really fix these things is to get them involved so she sees them as ones with resources.

However, things are the same at my house. I'm always the one called out of my room when one of the dogs has something that they shouldn't, or if they're starting to get snarky over a bone. I've always been the one to train the dogs, but all of mine have never really had a problem minding someone else.

I really don't have any other suggestions. I'd sit down with your family and ask them for a little help.

[dogs4life]

It's hard being the only one taking responsibility for the dog.

One suggestions is, until the behavior stops don't let her have free reign over the house, keep her on leash so she doesn't have the opportunity to get into trouble.

[Sophie45]

I STRONGLY recommend getting the book "Click to Calm: Healing the Aggressive Dog" by Emma Parsons. I'm in the middle of reading it right now, and think it's fantastic!

I feel it's somewhat mistitled, because this is a great book for learning canine body language and cues, and positive reinforcement. Sophie has never shown signs of overt aggression, but definitely signs of dominance, rude doggie behavior towards small dogs and that might lead to aggression which I obviously do not want to see happen!!!

I feel this is what you are going through with Chloe...? How old is she? I'm thinking I remember she is still a puppy, right?

I feel with young dogs it is IMPERATIVE to nip any signs of inappropriate dominance in the bud because once they hit adolescence/adulthood as they gain confidence is when it can become dangerous, and I think with patience, consistency and diligence it can be avoided, especially started BEFORE the major problem starts. Plus, as a pup they are testing their boundaries, sort of thinking, "hmmmm....now what can I get away with? Who's really in charge, here?" I'm not someone who thinks everything comes down to Alpha and pack status, and domesticated dogs are very different than the wild and wolves, but remember even in the wild where pack status is much much more rigid, the Alpha is constantly challenged by younger dogs, which is to ensure the most capable leader is in place, and to prepare these dogs for possible Alpha status when they mature.

Although I agree with negative reinforcement TO AN EXTENT, I don't think this is appropriate in this setting (leash pops, prongs, chokes, remote collars, etc.) because this can exacerbate the problem. Think about it this way: If your dog is angry/territorial/annoyed/cranky for whatever reason (like someone coming near her food bowl), is negative reinforcement going to make them feel better? After all, you want to change the emotion, and therefore the behavior, right? You want them to feel ok when others approach her toys or food, rather than just not reacting because of fear of a punishment.


So, for example you might try....

1) Have Chloe go into a sit/stay. Have someone approach her with her EMPTY food bowl. If she does not react, have them click/treat her and praise her like mad.

2) After a few days, have this person (or better yet rotate everyone!)
fill up her dog bowl while she sits/stays about 5 feet away. Click/treat and praise her for simply watching this without reacting.

3) Once you feel more comfortable, have Chloe APPROACH them, then click/treat and praise effusely for walking to them and the food bowl, and have her eat while they stand NEAR her (not looming over her-who wants that?! But just near-maybe 1-2 feet away) and have them praise her tremendously while eating, and whenever she's done (maybe start off with a very small meal for this training session) click/treat and praise like mad again! She will soon learn that it is MUCH MORE worth it to act nicely than growl and act like a crank. Make sure to get as many as people to do this with her, so she learns she doesn't need to be possessive only with particular people, but rather nobody is a threat to her food!





Anyways, baby steps chock full of positive reinforcement FROM EVERYBODY in the family is IMPERATIVE. This particular task might take a few weeks, or maybe a few days.

One tip to add while reading "Click to Calm"....make sure that your dog is hungry when clicker training (I usually feed Sophie later in the evening), and you use super special yummy treats she normally doesn't get (like freeze dried liver, bits of chicken or cheese, etc.) and make sure the treats are very small (about the size of a pea-enough to associate the behavior with a lovely taste, but not enough to have them chewing for a while, because then they are focused on chewing, not on the association)

Good luck and keep us posted!!!!

[dogs4life]

I think what Sophie45 says is great, but your family members have to agree to spend at least 15minutes helping you correct this behavior.

When you request help from your family, you can frame the question so it sounds better to them and are more likely to agree to helping out. Maybe say, "mom, I'm really worried about chloe's relationship with you and it makes me sad when I hear she snaps at you. I'd like to help but I need 15 minutes of your time. Can you help me, or can we schedule a time."

There are lots of moms and heads of household here on this forum that have helped their families co-exist in harmony with their pets. You also might need a new thread to ask for help on motivating family memebers to help out.

[Ritz459]

I think what I need to do is set up a list of rules that EVERYONE in the house has to follow when it comes to Chloe. No matter how many times I tell them, "Don't pet Chloe when she jumps on you, make her sit first. And if she jumps back up turn your back on her and have her sit before being pet," I always catch them petting her when she jumps on them. Any good ideas about what laws I should lay down?

I'll have to look into that book Sophie.

Chloe's 6-7 months old and was spayed about a month ago.

I agree with you about the negative reinforcment. In all of the times I've used it with her in the situations where she's gotten snappy, it basically is enough to devert her attention. I'm not so much as trying to punish her as get her attention off of what she was doing. I did the same thing when Blackie acted out around other dogs. If he started posturing and acting like an idiot, he'd get a small little pop and that was enough to give him a little wake up call like, "Oh, right, I'm supposed to be doing this instead..."


She is fine with everyone around her food bowl. Granted I'm the only one who's ever stuck their hand in her food and stirred it around while she was eating, but everyone can be around her and standing right by her and she doesn't care.

[Sophie45]

I think time outs might help, instead of a leash correction. If she growls, IMMEDIATELY snap a leash on her (or keep one on her at all times!) and whisk her abruptly into an empty room or bathroom, shutting the door sharply (slamming is unnecessary, IMO) This lets her know that you are mad at her rude behavior, and she now has to be alone in a room listening to the rest of the family happily interact because she had bad manners. A 3-5 minute time out should be sufficient.

When you bring her into time out, say a sharp "No!" immediately after the offense as you lead her to the other room quickly, but other than that, IGNORE HER ENTIRELY. When you let her out of time out, continue to ignore her entirely until she does something worthy of attention-even if it is just going and laying down calmly, picking up a toy, or focusing on you. You are teaching her what is good behavior, which entitles her to praise and attention as well as what behavior is not tolerated.

[dogs4life]

Originally Posted by Ritz459

I think what I need to do is set up a list of rules that EVERYONE in the house has to follow when it comes to Chloe. No matter how many times I tell them, "Don't pet Chloe when she jumps on you, make her sit first. And if she jumps back up turn your back on her and have her sit before being pet," I always catch them petting her when she jumps on them. Any good ideas about what laws I should lay down?

Are your family member's understanding what they are doing is inappropriate? If not, they might not agree with your "idea" of what Chloe is supposed to act like. With that I say, I know it sounds harsh, but they should not be allowed to be with her without you supervising the situtaion. In your family member's mind, they do not "visualize" the same dog you do and will never conform to your thinking unless they have an understanding like you do or have an experience that will change their mind. Setting rules is a good start, but if your family members do not adhere to the "rules" you cannot trust them together unsupervised until you trust Chloe.

You have time to figure this out since she is still a young pup, it would be different if you were dealing with an adult dog.

This is my set of rules in the house and around the kids. Really it's a set of manners for dogs and humans.

1. Dog cannot demand attention from humans.
2. Dogs are not to take things (anything) from humans.
3. Dogs do not chase humans
4. Humans do not chase dog.
5. Dogs are not allowed on lap unless invited.
6. Dog is not allowed to play with human unless invited.
7. Dog is not allowed to mouth human.
8. Humans give love, treats and play only when dog is calm and being "good" following the rules.

Hope this helps

[StephanieandTeddy]

I would also not allow your dog up on furniture, or the bed, or in the kitchen.
The children also need to learn not to pet her when she is eating. (they need training too! )
I agree that the whole family needs to be on board with the training, or you will fail your dog and it will bite again....(hopefully, not taking out a child's eye in the process.)

Best of luck!

[dogs4life]

Originally Posted by StephanieandTeddy

I would also not allow your dog up on furniture, or the bed, or in the kitchen.

Great point! Very important for all dogs indoor or outdoor. We allow dogs in kitchen but I can see if the dog gets onto the counters this area might need to be restricted until you see improvement on you families participation. Food stealing is never allowed in my house, doesn't matter if it's out of someones hand or off the unattended counter. That's a No No.

The children also need to learn not to pet her when she is eating. (they need training too! )

I agree, children need guidance and training too but they also learn by example. So if the kids see others treating Chloe "incorrectly" they will mimic, but if they watch someone in control of the situation interact with Chloe, they will start to understand and mimic good manners and behavior around your dog. We have taught our daughter AND the dogs that our daughter owns everything in the house too, so she can take things away from the dogs, including food, treats, toys. It's hard though with raw food, so we let our daughter sit on the picnic table and watch but she cannot touch (she's 3 now and obeys the rule), hygiene reasons there.


Also add one more.

Everything is owned by Humans, dogs do not possess anything. Nothing, they do not have pockets, there for, they have no need to collect possessions Toys, treats, food, furniture, car, bed, dog dish, leash, they are all human possessions that we allow our dogs to use. JMO

[Ritz459]

Thank you all so much for the suggestions.

1. Dog cannot demand attention from humans.
2. Dogs are not to take things (anything) from humans.
3. Dogs do not chase humans
4. Humans do not chase dog.
5. Dogs are not allowed on lap unless invited.
6. Dog is not allowed to play with human unless invited.
7. Dog is not allowed to mouth human.
8. Humans give love, treats and play only when dog is calm and being "good" following the rules.

These are all rules that I follow, I just didn't know how to put them into words!

Chloe has never been allowed on the furniture since the day we got her. That's just something that we all agreed to and we all stick by. And guess what...the only time Chloe's ever tried to jump onto the furniture is when she is super hyper and is running around like a spastic idiot.

We've figured out a way to gate off the kitchen, because she loves to scrounge for food and it was getting very stressful and annoying that I'd have to stop everything I was doing every three seconds to get her off of the counter. If given the opportunity she still counter surfs. I don't know how to train her out of that one. Everything I've tried hasn't worked.

I've also not had any luck teaching her the "drop it" command. She will give up anything for a small training treat, but making the jump from treats to no treats isn't working at all.

The family all wants the same dog, they just don't want to work to get it, they want me to work to get it. I think if I sit down with them and explain what they need to do and why they will, but at the moment they just don't care.

Also, sometimes when we give her a command, she thinks we are playing with her and she'll start barking and horsing around.
For example: Chloe was jumping up onto the table (just her front feet) and browsing around for anything to eat. While the table is cluttered at the moment, there wasn't any food. My dad told her to get off and she did, but then she proceeded to bark and run around him until I went in and clipped a leash on her. Now she is tied to my chair and is laying down behaving quite well.

Is there a reason you guys can think of why she does this and what do I do to stop it?

[StephanieandTeddy]

Originally Posted by Ritz459

Also, sometimes when we give her a command, she thinks we are playing with her and she'll start barking and horsing around.
For example: Chloe was jumping up onto the table (just her front feet) and browsing around for anything to eat. While the table is cluttered at the moment, there wasn't any food. My dad told her to get off and she did, but then she proceeded to bark and run around him until I went in and clipped a leash on her. Now she is tied to my chair and is laying down behaving quite well.

Is there a reason you guys can think of why she does this and what do I do to stop it?

Sounds like she a bored little brat looking for attention and is just blowing you guys off! Sounds like a smart dog!
I'm not a dog trainer...I can only go by what I've learned along the way with my job...but if a dog has the nerve to "demand bark" at me I will ignore it completely...even going as far as getting up and going into another room and shutting the door without saying a word. I never reward a dog for barking at me...not even with my voice!

Jumping up on the table is unacceptable and that would get a swift correction she would remember. If she did it again, the correction wasn't good enough, IMO!

I'm assuming the dog gets walked at least a couple hours per day with obedience and leash training included?? If not, that's a good place to start and a good way to involve your family! (group walks!)

[dogs4life]

Originally Posted by Ritz459

These are all rules that I follow, I just didn't know how to put them into words!

You are very welcome, and no problem, I say these things almost everyday to my daughter and hubbie They are fresh and ready to fly.

The family all wants the same dog, they just don't want to work to get it, they want me to work to get it. I think if I sit down with them and explain what they need to do and why they will, but at the moment they just don't care.

You might need a trainer to come to the house when everyone is there if they do not listen to you and follow through. I know having a 3rd party helps. Also try this ladies videos on youtube to demonstrate methods of bonding for you family. http://www.youtube.com/user/carolyn0

I really like this one about learning to walk on leash. Note: I do not recommend tying leash around your waist for obvious reasons.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nc8DP2MW1bY (sorry could not embed permission was denied )

My dad told her to get off and she did, but then she proceeded to bark and run around him until I went in and clipped a leash on her. Now she is tied to my chair and is laying down behaving quite well.

Sounds like dad needs to wear her on the leash in the house and have her sit quite with him. It might just be the relationship your dad has with Chloe...he sounds like a playmate. I made the same mistake with a friends dog in college, I was the playmate in the dogs eyes. So let's just say when I was dog sitting, it was a nightmare.