Snapping?

[leli]

Sometimes Max "snaps" at me....specifically, he'll turn towards me and close his jaws once near to me, but doesn't actually seem to have any intention of biting me. He does it when I'm doing something to him that he doesn't like ie cleaning him off after a particularly muddy walk. I tell him "no, you don't do that" and he stops....really, he'd stop on his own. It's sort of his last ditch effort to convince me to leave him be before he gives up and accepts the cleaning (or whatever it is I'm doing that bugs him). He's also done it once to the cat (Lola)....he came up for a smell and she hissed and swung at him (a miss) and he snapped the air about 6" to her side. Again, there seems to be no intention to actually bite....more like "look how scary I am, you shouldn't mess with me". Even Lola didn't respond to it as though threatened and she would know better than me, right? Animal instincts and whatnot?
Does anyone else have a dog that does this? Is it something I should be worried about?

 

[KitEKats4Eva!]

This needs to be nipped in the bud straight away. It is not necessarily going to lead to him biting you, but Max should NOT be snapping at you for anything, ever, under any circumstances.

If I remember rightly, Max is a rescue, yes? That usually means that he comes with some undesirable behaviours that you will have to correct, and this looks like the first one. Happily it should be relatively straight forward to fix.

Punishment and negative reinforcement don't work well with dogs in any case, and particularly will not in this case. You need to establish yourself as the alpha dog here, as at the moment he views himself as alpha dog. This is a behaviour that shows that he considers himself the boss of you. You correct him - and he corrects you back, which is what the snap is.

Tell me, does he display any other behaviours such as pulling on the leash, jumping up to greet you, going through doors before you and so on?

 

[hissy]

Is he neutered?

Does he have tons of toys, a couch to sleep on, and all your affection? Confiscate his toys, do not premit him on the couch and bed, and withdraw your lavish attention. Keep a leash on him while in the house and if he gets on the furniture, pick up the leash and pull him off. He is telling you that the house runs on his terms and you need to regain control. He needs structure, and boundaries as well as limits. When he is obedient then reward him with one toy and some play time, or a treat.

 

[KitEKats4Eva!]

Originally Posted by hissy

Is he neutered?

Does he have tons of toys, a couch to sleep on, and all your affection? Confiscate his toys, do not premit him on the couch and bed, and withdraw your lavish attention. Keep a leash on him while in the house and if he gets on the furniture, pick up the leash and pull him off. He is telling you that the house runs on his terms and you need to regain control. He needs structure, and boundaries as well as limits. When he is obedient then reward him with one toy and some play time, or a treat.

If he does have tons of toys etc, it can make him think that everything belongs to him. If you give him cuddles on the lounge he'll think he can get up there any old time.

He needs three toys maximum at any one time, and these need to be rotated with three different toys on a regular basis so he doesn't get bored and start looking for other things to chew on. You need to come down to his level for cuddles etc, and not let him up on the furniture until he can distinguish between being invited up and getting up on his own.

NILIF - Nothing in life is free. `Sit' for everything - meals, toys, plays, walks etc. Everything he wants he has to work for. This will also establish you as his boss. A good game to establish your dominance is `fetch'. You control the ball, when he has it, when he gives it back, and bringing it to you and handing it over without argument is very good for his obedience. It teaches him quite a few good behaviours all in the one game, and he's having fun while doing it.

 

[leli]

Originally Posted by KitEKats4Eva!

This needs to be nipped in the bud straight away. It is not necessarily going to lead to him biting you, but Max should NOT be snapping at you for anything, ever, under any circumstances.

If I remember rightly, Max is a rescue, yes? That usually means that he comes with some undesirable behaviours that you will have to correct, and this looks like the first one. Happily it should be relatively straight forward to fix.

Punishment and negative reinforcement don't work well with dogs in any case, and particularly will not in this case. You need to establish yourself as the alpha dog here, as at the moment he views himself as alpha dog. This is a behaviour that shows that he considers himself the boss of you. You correct him - and he corrects you back, which is what the snap is.

Tell me, does he display any other behaviours such as pulling on the leash, jumping up to greet you, going through doors before you and so on?

To respond to your question.....he NEVER jumps up.....he pulls on the leash big time, but this is something we're already working on (we have a special lead now and correct him when he pulls, reward him when he "walks nicely") and he IS improving. The SPCA said he wasn't really walked in his last home, so the leash thing was a known issue. He does go through doors before me when on the leash....should I be going through first? In the house, he waits till I'm in a room then follows.

 

[tuxedokitties]

Here's a detailed explanation of the "nothing in life is free" method:

Nothing in Life is Free

if you don't have Acrobat reader, try this link:
Nothing in Life is Free

 

[leli]

We're already doing the NILIF and didn't even know it! We have him sit for treats, before walks (have to, to get the lead on anyway) and for his meals.....we'll just have to incorporate it into the other aspects of his life. Thanks for the tips, we'll implement the changes straight away. I'll keep you posted!

 

[KitEKats4Eva!]

Originally Posted by Leli

To respond to your question.....he NEVER jumps up.....he pulls on the leash big time, but this is something we're already working on (we have a special lead now and correct him when he pulls, reward him when he "walks nicely") and he IS improving. The SPCA said he wasn't really walked in his last home, so the leash thing was a known issue. He does go through doors before me when on the leash....should I be going through first? In the house, he waits till I'm in a room then follows.

I would HIGHLY recommend a book called `The Dog Listener' by Jan Fennell. It explains these dominance behaviours such as leash pulling and going through a door first and so on. Max clearly thinks he is the alpha dog in your house. Most dogs do think this - they assume the alpha role and because we don't understand what they're doing, they continue on with it. It is very easy to fix, and Max will be a much more responsive, happier, calmer doggy when the problem is addressed. I can't recommend that book highly enough, but if you want some tips to help these things, too, please feel free to pm me!

 

[momofmany]

To add to the NLIF suggestions (great tips btw):

- I make mine sit before I'll open the door to go for walks. Likewise I make them sit before I'll open the door to go back inside. They cannot enter the door until I tell them they can.
- On walks, I'll stop suddenly and make them sit (just to make sure they are paying attention to me).
- No pets until they sit
- Must ask to get on the sofa with me (a gentle paw in my lap)

Jan Fennell has 5 books out:
http://www.janfennellthedoglistener.com/books.htm