Its alittle four year old pom.
Hes a rescue and he has had his share of problems, Im not sure exactly how he was raised but im positive it was NOT right.
He very very sweet and very loving, he loves to be petted and if he could get his way he would sit in your lap and be petted by you all day long.
Butttt he has guarding problems with it comes to certain parts on his body, number one he does not really like his paws touched.
Earlier he had a accident in his crate and I went to wash of his front paws (I knew by putting his paws under a direct water stream he would get freaked out so I wetted a paper towl and tried to clean them like that) and he bit me, but he didnt just bite me and let go he more off bit my figure and munched on it while growling 0_0 (yea he broke the skin).
I dont know how to get him to understand that by me touching his paws or his belly im NOT going to hurt him.
I guess I should have slowlllly introduced him to the paper towl and what I was going to do with it but still.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com
Ill do anything it takes (other then take him to a pro trainer I cant afford that), anything at all to make him understand I wont hurt him, that he doesnt need to bite me, does anyone know how any tips to help me and him get to that point?=[
EDIT: NO WHERE AM I ADVOCATING SLAPPING BEATING OR HITTING YOUR DOG.
You don `t gain trust with brutality.
I `ve had 2 rescues now - the last was a 4 year old doberman male. Like you, I felt sorry for him - and ignored some transgressions (not exactly like yours - but similiar). My stupidity culiminated in him nailing me good in the thigh - twice, during a training exercise. It hurt enough that I finally woke up and did something (he had warned me before on various occassions. Noting, it was in situations where I said `no `` you cannot bark at that dog , or growl at that cat, - emphasizing he was a wonderful dog and great to be around as long as everything in life was done his way)
So, accepting your dog is much smaller - short answer - STOP MAKING EXCUSES FOR HIM. Yes, I bolded it because you are thinking like a human and not like a dog.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com Dogs do not sit back and say, `` oh, thank you kind owner, I really appreicate how you took me in, and dragged me out of the gutter and made me the dog I am today, so, to reciprocate, even though I have always bitten any human who tries to wipe my paws, I will not bite you anymore `....( smile)
What they DO think: is through an upbringing of ambiguity where the owner did not establish clear boundaries and leadership, they succeeded in dominating their owner - it started from day one (this is a dominant dogs nature) and culiminated over years, little things - like the owner wanting to wipe the dirty paws off, and the dog growled - and the owner backed off (rationalizing no doubt the same as you have - something YOU did was to blame for this little dogs reaction).
This `backing off` is a signal to the dog - he has succeeded. As a dog, a growl is the first threat - next time the owner tries to wipe the paws - he bites! Halejuhah ... the owner NEVER does that again .
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com Dog moves one step higher in the hierarchy - and exerts his dominance in other areas (food - refusing to let people in the door, or growling if he is told to get off the bed or the couch - keep in mind, to a dog, POSITION is power - WHERE he sleeps, WHO eats first, WHO gets to touch him - these are all coveted as rights of the alpha)
Long way of saying, there is no in between - your dog MUST let you wipe his paws (for example).
You need a reality check - wiping paws is not cruel, it doesn `t hurt him, and thinking you need to introduce the blanket more slowly is silly.
Years ago I worked in a vet hospital and was often given the wonderful task of removing a cat hissing from the back of his cage (to bring him into the vet for treatment)
One thing I did then and still do now that works on small dogs, puppies (my dobermans are often rebel rousers) (and cats) is put the dog on lead - throw a large thick blanket over him - position the dog between your knees - (you have to be sitting down on your haunches - if you get my drift) - and sit back on your heels so that the dog cannot wiggle out behind you - or wiggle out from under you.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com
Have your knees and legs firmly planted on all corners of the blanket - so that the blanket pins the dog down - not hurting him - just not letting him wriggle out to bite you.
And then take one paw at a time from under the blanket - ignoring his growling and hissing and wipe them off. Be calm - and DO NOT GIVE IN.
If necessary, buy a muzzle and muzzle him, if you feel more secure and then do it.
BE DECISIVE. Don `t drag this whole thing out-don` t premeditate the blanket. Get the dog on a leash, tell him down stay and thrown the blanket over him. Then begin examinging his paws.
