I have a huge problem with my Lhasa.

I've had him since he was 7 wks., and when he was younger he had a bad experience and now (all these yrs) if you corner him or try to take him out of somewhere (like under a bed) he attacks. I am not talking nipping, I am talking drawing blood.

He did this to my dh last night and now my dh wants to put him down. He feels he is getting worse, and he is blind and I don't know what to do. Its not like he going after someone aggressively, without reason.

I don't know what to do, he is not sick, just blind and can be nasty.

WWYD?

Re: I have a huge problem with my Lhasa.

I wouldn't put him down -
The poor dog can't see........Is this a regular, everyday thing? Maybe he is sick or in pain? I

s he cowering under the bed for a reason? Does he do this when you have company or a lot of noise/confusion in the house? He may just be looking for a 'safe' place.

1. Do your best to not corner him
2. Try getting him a crate or doggie bed that is put in a remote part of the house as 'his' space ........Somewhere he knows he can go to and be left alone.
3. It's not the most practical solution, but keep the bedroom doors closed so he can't get under the bed.

My Westie used to do this when we were kids, when she knew were leaving the house or she was overwhelmed by a lot of people she'd run upstairs (which she knew she was NOT allowed to do) and hide under someone's bed and like you said, ATTACK if you tried to get her out .......

Re: I have a huge problem with my Lhasa.

IMHO, you need to have the dog further evaluated by the vet to rule out any pain or other physical problems (especially if this is new behavior or becoming much more frequent). If the dog is getting older, it's possible that pain and/or other health issues are making her feel more defensive.

If health is not an issue, then you need to bring a trainer in to learn how to correct the behavior. No matter the cause of the aggression, the behavior must be addressed. I don't think aggressive behavior should be tolerated, regardless of how small a dog is.

The fact that the dog is blind may help explain how the behavior started, but it doesn't justify allowing the dog to continue with aggressive behaviors. Blind dogs can be trained - I had one for several years who did amazingly well.

Good luck. I'm sorry you have to deal with something so difficult.

Re: I have a huge problem with my Lhasa.

If I was blind and I felt someone grab me I might bite too! I would take him to the vet and have him checked and do some research on how to deal with a blind dog. That sounds like he is biting out of fear.

Message edited 10/10/2008 1:29:06 PM.

Re: I have a huge problem with my Lhasa.

I wouldn't corner him and I would take him to the vet to rule out any problems like someone has said. Don't put him down.

I had a Lhasa when I was a child and it got nasty in old age. The only person near it was my mother.

Re: I have a huge problem with my Lhasa.

Lhasa's are very territorial and protective by nature.
I agree that the dog needs to be checked by a vet to make sure he's not protecting any kind of injury.

I would exhaust every option possible before even letting the thought of putting the dog down enter into my mind - there's gotta be a way to fix it.

good luck! I hope everything works out.

Re: I have a huge problem with my Lhasa.