I want to adopt another dog..but I have a problem..

My dog (she's a chihuahua) hates other dogs!! she seriously goes crazy when another dog is nearby. She has even tried to bite..Is there a way to make her more comfortable with other animals (dogs in particular) or train her to not act like this. Keep in mind that my parents have a lhasa apso..and my dog loves her..Its the only dog she loves. So I think there is potential

Message edited 5/11/2009 7:12:51 PM.

Re: I want to adopt another dog..but I have a problem..

we put a muzzle on our dog, when we visit new dogs. he realizes why he has it on and then behaves.

Re: I want to adopt another dog..but I have a problem..

my dog is the same way he goes crazy when he sees other dogs.

Re: I want to adopt another dog..but I have a problem..

IDK if this will work with your dog but, it's worth a try.....our little Shih Tzu would always bark in the face of another "stranger" dog. He's been ok around the other two that we have. It wasn't until we started taking them to the public dog park that he started coming around. At first the other 2 dogs would run off and have a blast and Kasey our baby would stay by our feet but, he would let other dogs sniff him and stuff. I've noticed that since he's been around the dogs at the park he's not so aggressive with other dogs he sees on the street.

Give it a shot!

Re: I want to adopt another dog..but I have a problem..

It might help to expose her to other dogs a LOT to get her used to the interaction. Dog parks, training classes, doggy play dates, going for walks in neighborhoods where there are other dogs and practicing walking right by them without freaking out, etc. And try to train her (either yourself or with a professional) to relax and stop behaving aggressively toward the other dogs. Discipline her when she goes crazy, praise her when she acts nice. I would definitely work very hard on this before deciding to get another dog though, because it wouldn't be good to bring one home and then find out you can't leave them alone together.

Re: I want to adopt another dog..but I have a problem..

thanks girls! but thats the problem! nothing helps! we have taken her to dog parks and she goes nuts..we had to pick her up..and leave at one point it was so bad. We have been trying to socialize to other dogs (and have been for the first 2 years of her life) but nothing changes..I hope this is not a genetic trait that won't go away

Re: I want to adopt another dog..but I have a problem..

I have mixed feelings on bringing another dog in when the other dog hates dogs..I just feel bad for the dog...that being said, you may just have to bite the bullet. My parents dog is such a bully and hates dogs but for some reason, my dog and my sisters dog are allowed in her house. I personally think dogs know when another dog is importnat to you, adn that they have to behave.....

Re: I want to adopt another dog..but I have a problem..

I have good news for you, because we just succeeded in dealing with the SAME problem with our killer chihuahua!

So she is 2 years old, sweetest thing around people, terrible around dogs. She was a nightmare at the dog park, literally caused a fight with a big dog at the dog park Halloween party in her princess costume and we had to run away with her lol. She just snarls and growls like a little demon at stranger dogs and can't go near them, sometimes gets close enough to sniff and then goes nuts.

She gets along with two male dogs, both small, one's a chihuahua also and the other is a maltese... and with both of those dogs, the initial interaction was awful, she did her growl snarl attack, but around the 3rd-4th visit she fell in love with them suddenly and now they can eat out of her food dish and lay with us and everything.

We took a chance but we adopted a puppy on Thursday from North Shore, we got one that was only a little bigger than her, timid and quiet for the most part (of course that lasted about a day), and we took it slow when we got him in here. The first day was terrible, she was miserable and lunged for him constantly. The second day she still went for him, we took him to my parents' house bc they have a big yard and my parents' dog helped to run interference, over the course of about 36 hours they worked out most of their problems and "found their place in the pack" and now she really is fine with him. I'm sure it will take a while longer to get fully adjusted but the progress we've made in like 4 days really is amazing considering her personality and how possessive/attached to us she is.

So, I would make sure you can establish that the dog can become friends with other dogs first and then try to find a dog with very similar traits (ours worked better with opposite sex dogs) and do everything the books say to do about introducing a new dog. I can say we have had a few times where we were like "why did we do this" and worried that we ruined our #1 dog's life but I think in the long run it will be really good for her to have a pal. Hope this helps!!

Re: I want to adopt another dog..but I have a problem..

if your dog is miserable and hates other dog, thats your answer. don't get another one. it's not fair to the first dog to have to live miserably because you want another dog.

Re: I want to adopt another dog..but I have a problem..

I hope I don't get flamed for this, I'm going to post my opinion, and don't mean to ruffle feathers. Just my personal opinion from what I've read and seen here and elsewhere.

I would not get another dog until you have your existing issues worked out. I would educate myself through professional dog training books or hire a trainer to find the cause of your dog's reaction and work on it. It could be a lot of things. But the dog park is not the place to try to work out aggression issues. I know I would not appreciate it if my dog was in a fenced area with a possibly aggressive dog. My dog has already been attacked once.

Lastly, I would not adopt another dog until a secure home environment is established. Dogs need to work out their natural pack standings in the home. But before adoption, the two dogs should meet on neutral territory to see how they get along. There's nothing worse than bringing a new dog into a bad situation and being faced with a charged environment or giving one of the dogs up.

Again, not trying to judge what anyone else has done. I believe strongly that every owner is responsible for their dog's behavior, good and bad, especially around other people, dogs or children. I wish you luck, and hope that all of you find a happy medium.