First of all, my sister has a dog of this exact breed. Much of the behavior you describe sounds just like Titan. He greets me with aggression and jumping, jumping, jumping but then wants me to hold and snuggle him. Titan, now 3 years old, is *much* better than he used to be but these dogs can be a hand full. The 'Dog Whisperer' featured this breed in one of his segments.

Read up on his breed, if you haven't already and keep working with him, just as your sister did. *Stay calm*. Animals react to energy. If you get nervous, he will sense it.

Yesterday, I went to our wonderful county fair. There was an animal whisperer doing a demonstration with a mule in the arena .

He advised us not to 'talk sternly' to animals as they absorb energy. Direct with your body language. Quietly with complete authority. He said animals don't like to be stared at in the face. You should look at the part of them you want to move.

Always maintain your space. When he is jumping, stick your hand out and walk toward him. (Darn, I wish you were there. He was great, even better than the Dog whisperer at explaining how and whys of working with any animal.) Animals react to energy. He kept saying that we need to be calm and not raise our voices with animals. We need to be the leader with our energy and body language.

He used a mule for demonstrating and that mule was amazing. Apparently he did a demonstration with a dog before the mule but I missed that part.

This breed is a challenging breed, I can attest to that! Good luck. Use your body to give him directions, not your voice. Always be calm. That is what I learned yesterday.

At least you are lucky he gets along with your other dogs. I have a different problem- a puppy that gets along well with humans, but is aggressive with my cats and other dog.

Is Chico neutered?

Another poster here, Oceanna, told me about belly bands for dogs. They are made of washable material which attach around a dog's waist with velcro. They are for male dogs that mark or aren't housetrained, and they would help your clean up problems when Chico pees. When the dog pees, you just change the belly band and wash the one that is soiled. I remember too that one source said if you leave the wet band on a bit, the dog hates it, and may learn to stop peeing in the house. But the problem with Chico it sounds like is not being house trained, but rather a submissive peeing, and I don't know if leaving a wet belly band on in that instance would be good.Hopefully, Oceanna will see this post and chime in.

I don't know much about using meds in dogs for psychiatric reasons, but if all else fails, I don't see what you, or Chico, would have to lose.

He's too cute. I just want to scoop him up and love him! I've always enjoyed working with high-strung animals. Calm and quiet works for me, and moving slowly. Though they need to have fun and joy mixed in, at a level they can handle without getting overstimulated. Trust (and love) is always the biggest thing with animals. And you need to be trusting of them, too, though alert. Changes can be slow and gradual, so patience is a huge factor. Respond positively and reassuringly, in some way, to even miniscule movements in the direction you need, to let them know you are pleased or they are safe. Positive reinforcement is what gets their attention and understanding. Just a little love will do, don't make it food all the time. They are eager pleasers, imo, and love to be 'good.'

With a lot of exposure, repetition, and time, hopefully he'll grow up into a more manageable pup who can just enjoy time with his family.

I know a kitty who is having some issues at a rescue. They put her on Xanax in order to teach her better habits. She's doing much better, though it's sad to see her sedated. I hope she won't be on them forever. She's also gained a lot of weight!

I guess you've tried obedience school on him, where he might learn better manners in a structured environment?

I work at a university with a veterinary school/hospital on campus. Some of their professors are joint with our department. One of these professors had a bit of trouble with a rescue dog she got for her young child. Nothing major, barking issues mainly, if I recall. However, her child was a bit scared of the dog and she enlisted the help of a animal behavior specialist. This doctor, although not employed at the vet school, worked with/for them. Her prices were quite reasonable. She first had the family fill out an extensive questionaire about the dog and the family members, their lifestyle, etc. The first visit she came to their home and met with all family members, the dog, etc. It only took a few visits and she mainly worked with the dog and the child after that first visit as the parents wanted the child to help in taking care of the dog, etc. It was to actually be *his* dog. They really had great results. I would check to see if there is someone like this in your area. At the very least, you could do a consultation, etc. and see what the doctor thought/suggested.

It's so great that both you and your sister have tried to help this doggie - I hope eventually you will be able to bond with him. He is a cutie!

tina

Chico is indeed a cute little fella.

Love, patience, calmness - these are all good things. When I first met my Gracie (a chihuahua), she was a little ball of fear wrapped in anger covered with a layer of aggression - much like Chico, I suspect. It took me hours and hours of just sitting and holding her and just being quiet and calm before she would even think of relaxing. But I knew her heart and I knew it was worth it.

When she was ready, I started teaching her basic obedience, using positive reinforcement *ONLY*. None of that Cesar Milan crap (don't get me started on him...). Nothing major, just a basic "sit" and a basic "come". Never raising my voice and keeping my temper in check. I didn't think of even trying anything else until these were solid. Then I started introducing other fear/aggression triggers (namely Not Mom people) and used "sit" as a way to help her get focused and calm.

She is far from perfect but nowadays (after 4+ years of work) we can have her out in public without major issues. "Come" is a very happy thing and it only took her a month to fully accept her Daddy. He even got her to be trusting enough to roll over for belly rubs and now does so with joy.

I'm not a dog trainer by any stretch of the imagination and I know my kids are a looong way from perfect. But that's OK, they're my kids and I know that nobody is.

Just because, here's my baby with Daddy:
(she's the black one - the other is Miss Lucci)

Consider talking to your vet about it. There are options available. It might help him get past that first layer of fear/anger.

On the non-prescription front, my parents and I (along with others) have had good success with Bach's Rescue Remedy. Just a drop or two of that seems to help "take the edge off". I use it myself to help with my panic attacks and have used it on some of my furkids when the situation seemed to warrant it. My folks have a shih-tzu who has the fireworks fear thing but is fine with the RR. Be aware the original formula has a high alcohol content (though in a drop or two it's not a big deal). There is an "animal" formulation that is alcohol free.

I have a few issues with the Dog Whisperer too. I think Cesar Milan has way too much macho, dominate energy. This is why I liked the guy at the fair.

I felt the mule man was a compassionate and loving leader. No 'shht!'. He used his body to communicate with the mule but he wasn't aggressive or even macho. He combined this with a very calm energy. I felt he demonstrated a mutual respect between man and animal. I kept thinking, "Wow. *This* guy needs a show instead of Cesar Milan."

Our son & dau/law have a dog who had major issues & they sought help from several sources. What has helped him, though, is going to a vet who specializes in behavior problems & she put him on Prozac. It's AMAZING to see the difference...I think he couldn't get calm enough before to learn acceptable behavior, but this has done the trick & they have trained him to be a really nice dog that can be taken out in public. They still muzzle him sometimes, but he's often out w/o the muzzle & it's gone well. Took lots of consistent training from them, as well as the med.

My mother had a mini pin. They are guard dogs in personality trapped in a tiny body! Minnie was very aggressive to other dogs - barked at them like she wanted to kill them.

My Mom would just scoop her up and tuck her under her arm and say Shush Minnie, Shush. I thought this dog was the biggest pain in the rear end, but my Mom loved her to death.

To illustrate how tough this dog breed is - she survived 2 weeks in the Canadian wilderness all by herself. My parents were camping in Ontario and the first day they were there Minnie saw something and escaped off her leash and ran into the woods. They spent the entire 4 days they were planning on camping looking for her.

They went home - over 7 hours away after leaving their contact info with the French speaking locals. Two weeks later they get a call that someone had found Minnie. Their daughter had heard a dog barking and barking for days. Finally the father got into their boat and went across the lake to investigate. Low and behold, there was Minnie on the shore barking up a storm. She lost 4 pounds during her ordeal, but my parents got in the car and drove up and got that dog.

You or your sister needs to accept that this is not a docile breed, the dog needs stability, calmness and love. I do think it pees because it is scared or overly excited. Over time, and after the dog feels more secure this should occur less often.

But, be thankful it's such a tiny dog! I had a German Shepherd who would pee when people came to the door or made too much a fuss over her - now that was a puddle!!

He is so stinking cute! I have worked with animals for close to 10 years now and have never seen a Min Pin that is mellow and go with the flow. All of them have been just as you have described.

Is he neutered- if not I would do that immediately. Also, is his neck shaved in the picture? I normally see this on dogs that wear shock collars. He needs a proper fitting collar without the choke chains on it. You should be able to put your first two fingers flat under his collar and it should be up closer to his ears. Try the gentle lead head halter style- this way if he gets aggressive a gentle tug will prohibit him from turning back.

He is peeing for many reasons but when he does it during a meet and greet, first have him in a sit position- he can't pee if he is sitting- then greet. Belly Bands are another option- it will keep him from happy peeing until you can get it under control.

It is obvious the dog has gone from a horrible situation to a much needed loving and caring home. However, I feel that not all dogs are good matches for some people. If you keep working with him and he improves and you all bond that is fantastic but if the situation doesn't get better despite your best efforts it might be time to seek a Min Pin rescue organization. They can help place him in a loving home that is conducive to his behavior and breed traits.

Hmmm...he sounds like he needs the pack to calm down. Does he have to go with you to the coffee shop, or can he stay with the rest of the pack?

Have you tried crating him when he's to be seperated from the others?

My rescue dog Max had submissive peeing when we got him, and he was TERRIFIED of men in baseball caps. Now he's quit the peeing thing, and is only now scared initially around strange men with caps, but is getting better. It's taken a lot of love and stability to get him to be the fat lover boy I knew he'd be.

Poor guy you've got has been through a lot. He sounds like he needs to feel safe so he won't be so aggressive. I've known other min-pins who are very assertive and snappy, but when they're with their humans, or their chums (dog pack) they are much nicer.

You're such a good person to take this little guy in.

I want to echo some of the comments of groomingal and golddust.

As a patient owner of a Minpin for over 8 years now, it has been quite an experience. Minpins are definitely for people with lots of dog experience. They are a unique breed and require a different set of rules and criteria. They are NOT for everyone! We got ours from a family that couldn't handle him at 8 months old. Drugs are not the answer, they will just mask the issue.

This dog sounds very fearful and it likely has a confidence issue. I think it sounds like he was hit by a previous owner. These dogs are extremely intelligent and are on Plan B by the time us people have Plan A figured out. He needs a strong leader to guide him as dogs are pack animals. It sounds like you are taking lots of good steps to try and work with him.

The aggressiveness is a trait that mine has too. It might also be a protective and/or possessive thing. These dogs need alot of structure and discipline. They will try and rule the house if you let them. It's deceptive as they seem so small and cute, but don't be fooled. They aren't called the "king of toys" for nothing. They will rule with an iron paw. Keep working with him and train him to do things that will burn some of his energy. They are very trainable and can be lots of fun to work with. Part of doing this is that you and he will form a bond and some trust. Some of the issues he has will fade as this happens. You need to be calm and firm in your dealings with him to let him know that you are in charge and this is how it is. He will respond to that. Just try it and see, using firm commands and body language. He will catch on quite fast as he is very smart. Use some treats in the beginning as they are very food motivated and then gradually the treats won't be needed.

The peeing thing is a tougher one. With more training and discipline, this should decrease. As you gain more control over him, his confidence will increase and you will be able to control his excitedness to some degree. We were lucky and didn't have too many issues with ours, but the potential was always there. He needs to be taught what is acceptable behavior and what is not. Just like it isn't ok to jump up on other people or to snarl or bite.

Keep at it.

PS get a blanket for him to snuggle under. They love to do that.

I second the blanket idea! My Mom's dog would bury himself inside an afghan lying on a heap on the couch. I would always have to check to see if Minnie was inside before I sat down or tried to cover up with the afghan.

This cute little guy deserves your love and home. I feel so bad when they have a tough start in life.

You might consider the Prison Training Programs. They actually take in your dog and keep it for 4 -6 weeks. Train, love and return your fellow with all the abilities one hoped for. They will also train you in his behavior and what has been learned by him.

Most states have this program and is open to anyone.

Oh, that sounds like a great program emagineer!

I feel your pain--I have a minpin as well. She is 13 years old now so I don't have any problems with her except for the guard dog barking at every noise she can hear. She doesn't have a mean bone in her body but she will bark at anyone that comes in the house.

The first probably 5 years were a living hell with her. She was hard-headed, stubborn, destructive, you name it! No submissive peeing though--thank God. I don't think she ever knew what submissive was. We have two labs now plus her and she rules the house. She will not back down from any other dog--even when the lab is growling and snarling at her over food issues.

The good thing about minpins is that they are VERY food oriented so it is possible to train them. Unfortunately, mine quickly "forgets" her training if I don't stay on top of her. Since she is such a small dog I don't even bother any more. I'm very lucky in that my toddler has done just about everything to her and she has never once complained or snapped at him (or anyone). I love that about her--she's not the usual nippy little dog.

Her training did require some one on one sessions with the trainer because it was just too distracting for her to learn in a full class. She was my first dog as an adult and she has been a real challenge. I love her to pieces but it was a real challenge to get through the puppy years with her.

Good luck--there are minpin rescue organizations that your sis may want to check into if she decides this little one is not for her. For me the pros outweighed the cons when I can hold my 8 pounder on her back and coo at her like a baby and she tucks her head under my chin to give me hugs. You couldn't ask for a more loving dog.

I read through the posts very quickly as I thought you got wonderful suggestions from each one w/ very knowledgeable posters.

How long has your sister had him? How long was he in each home?

Having worked extensivley w/ unwanted, scared, lost and/ or abused dogs as my full time job for 8yrs is that when people mention that it will take time, I'm talking serious time. Not a few days, weeks or months. And it's almost like attachment parenting. Then once they are used to you you have to take them out into the world and start again.

It can be very time consuming (that prison program sounds like exactly the type of daily time that is needed in that all the prisoners do is work w/ the animal constantly and sort of describes the time and commitment that I'm speaking of) but if you or your sister can do it and stick w/ it, the rewards are sooooooooo amazingly worth it! And in the end chances are he will still have some issues but they should be easily controlled or adapted.

What a cutie pie! Good luck!

Titan loves blankets and big stuffed animals. I agree totally that Min Pins are on Plan B by the time you have drafted Plan A. Titan is an escape artist and if he slips out the gate, good luck getting him back. He has his own ideas and he will not listen. I swear, these dogs think/know they are the master and they are quick. (I accidently let him out once. Oy.)

My sister has a maze to keep him from escaping. There are two gates, one right after the other. If Titan is outside when I get there, it depends on where he is when determining what gate I need to use.

I've never met another dog like him. He bit me once when I was arriving at my sisters house but I deserved it. I was the yahoo who thought he knew me well enough to pet him while he was in an aggressive state in my sister's arms.

I defended him because I knew better than to do what I did. That said, if I ignore him when I arrive and let him come to me, he is the biggest baby ever. He'd let me hold him the entire time I am there and I do as much as possible.
But even if I showed up the next day, after snuggling for an hour the day before, I'd better not stick my hand out to greet him.

Min Pin's are bipolar guard dogs. LOL! Good luck with Chico. Though I'd never have a Min Pin, I like Titan.

My sister has lots of grandkids around, almost on a daily basis. (Remember the twins?) He has not once bitten them or demonstrated aggression. He may rip off a stuffed animal though!

WOW, you guys, thank you so much for your responses. I feel better already just reading them, I absolutely do.

goldust, I would have loved to see your animal whisperer. Some people seem to just radiate that quiet energy that animals respect. I have been thinking hard about what you are saying about confidence. I am always worried about what Chico might do, therefore my energy that I'm projecting is surely not one of confidence and quiet authority. This reflection has led me to realize that if I want to project these characteristics, it must begin with me feeling perfectly OK about telling people they cannot come so close to Chico while he is learning to behave.

Those people that insist on coming up to him always stress both of us. I know they just want to pet a cutie pie, but he is much closer to Cujo than Lassie; why won't they listen to me??? I need to project authority to them first! We must get me trained first, no?

Can you post a pic of Titan???

barb5, chico is indeed neutered (about 7 months ago when my sister first got him).

What kind of dog is your puppy? Is he aggressive towards the other critters in an "I play too rough" kind of way, or as in "There can be only one"?

When I go out today I will stop by the pet store and see about these belly bands. What a great idea! Even if it doesn't actually help his problem, it will make my life easier while we are both learning :-)

squirrelheaven, you are so right, Chico needs unconditional love and committment so badly! I could very eaily fall madly in love with him myself, but I already have three big dogs, and I am apprehensive about taking on a fourth. The other dogs are rescue dogs, too, but I haven't ever taken on a dog that needed rehab so badly, and I am just not experienced in this area. At the same time I worry about him getting yet another home, and if that person ultimately can't work with him, who knows where he could end up...poor little Chico!

I myself haven't tried obedience school for Chico, although my sister has, as well as working with private trainers. My other sister thinks that Chico is behaving better since he has been with me. This may be due to what goldust was saying about the energy, perhaps my sister is doing everything right but is projecting anxiety or resentment or frustration, and I certainly have less of that than she does concerning Chico. First, I have only had him 5 days now, LOL, and also, I have a house and a yard, whereas she lives in a converted warehouse building on the third floor, so she has to walk Chico through stairwells and hallways - containing other people and dogs sometimes- to get outside before he pees.

At the moment, however, he is still her dog for whom I am caring to give her a break, so I don't have to make a decision about long term right now, thankfully. But I am going to try and work with him anyway, and maybe that will include obedience school. You hit the nail on the head about staying "alert", he can go from so-cute-sleeping to ready-to-put-you-in-concrete-shoes in about .9 seconds!

tinam61, how wonderful that the professor had such great results! I love hearing success stories about problem animals and good outcomes.

It is really hard about Chico, because my sister and I have both always been "we adopt for life" type of people; I have never, ever given away a pet I adopted and neither has she. But we also have never had a "Chico". I think she feels bad that she doesn't love him the way she loves her other dog, but she is so frustrated and I totally get that. I have, in the past, suggested to her myself that perhaps she find a new owner for him, but her guilt on contemplating that was obvious. And I, who adore dogs, am absolutely not a dog collector/hoarder, and the three dogs I already have are one too many for my city code, LOL. It is true that my oldest dog, a black lab, is already 15, but she is so healthy that I tell everyone she will probably outlive us all. Well, we'll see what happens. I have definately bonded with Chico, but I wish my sister would too. It sure didn't help that he peed so enthusiastically when he saw her.

pbrisjar, both Gracie and Miss Lucci are adorable. What little sweeties! How do they act to strangers wanting to get close out in public? No doubt everyone wants to pet those two furballs.

I think while I have Chico, I will take him to my vet and talk to her about meds, just so I can tell my sister the options that are available, since she is still the real owner. It would be a last resort, of course, and I have gotten so many ideas and hope from reading everyone's posts that today, I actually feel more...confident.

Right now, I called him and let him jump onto my lap while I am typing, and he is just sitting so calmly and happily and everyone now and then looks up at me with such a cute expression, that I think, "hey, I can work with him, I can make him better"...ha! He is soooo lucky he is such a looker.

lizzie_grow, do you know if the dog on Prozac is still on it, or did he only need to take it for awhile till he learned the proper behavior? I am very glad that it worked for your family!

caroleoh, I can completely understand why your mother loved her min pin so much, because in private, they can be the most darling, snuggly things, as I am finding out. That is an amazing story about Minnie surviving in the wild, where you just know that she was escaping coyotes and wolves and other dogs...wow! If only she could tell her tale...

I know what you are saying about us accepting that Chico may never be a docile dog...it's hard because he has just kind of "landed" in our laps (first hers, now mine) after having had two prior homes, and while I don't feel very qualified to rehab him, I worry about what will happen to him if one of us doesn't keep him. I would never have bought a min pin, but yet here he is anyway...I want to step up, and maybe I really can, I have more hope after reading all these responses...and I certainly have bonded with him. Que mono perrito!

Oh my, you are so right about the peeing from a little dog being much more tolerable. At Chico's worst, it is a fraction of what my springer-mixed-with-rottie would do. When I first got him, he would noncholantly lift his legs and pee on my curtains. Or a cardboard box. Or the food bag. Or any paper grocery bag that was on the floor. What a mess. Luckily, he is over that behavior. A German shep would leave an even bigger puddle than that, no doubt!

groominggal, my sister and I both think that in his previous homes he may have had a shock collar on, because you are right, there is no hair there. The choke collar he is wearing is due to one of my sister's dog trainers telling her she needed to use a choke collar. I hate it, personally. It doesn't stop him from pulling or lunging, and I am terrified that he will strangle himself. I don't agree at all with her choice, and maybe while he is with me, I should put a diff collar on him. My sister had told me previously that she tried the Gentle Leader, and that she said he would fling himself down and paw at it and would not get used to it. I have never used them myself, so I have no experience with it.

Part of me really, really thinks that Chico should be given to a rescue organization, as you mention. I think both me and my sister have such mixed feelings about the whole thing. Probably, if she knew with certainty that he would get a good loving forever home where he would be happy, she would have less guilt about giving him away (he was pretty much forced on her in the first place). And as I said, I already have three dogs, and don't feel the most qualified to care for a problem child. But maybe this will work out. Last night, he seemed so happy chasing the dog who was chasing the ball, and all the dogs got involved, and it was happy chaos with Chico herding all of them who were ball-interested...it was truly hilarious.

Yay for belly bands! Hopefully that will make the mess aspect of dealing with the pee issue more tolerable. And hopefully he'll wear it without too much fuss.

pesky1, I do have his crate, and I put him in it when I leave. He whines like...I dunno. A kitten mixed with a rooster? Astonishing sounds come from that crate! I give him treats, but after he eats them, he makes a racket. I have not yet tried leaving him out with the other dogs when I leave.. He is so small that he can get into weird spots that my other dogs would never fit, and I haven't done a thorough search-and-clean of the small crevices his little nose could get into. Who knows where a rogue aspirin could be hiding...

I bring him to the coffee shop to try and get him used to public activity. I also am thinking of walking him around the pet shop every day, where he can be around lots of peeps and pets and where I know peeps will be a bit more tolerant of a problem pup.

I am so happy that Max is doing better with his issue! (Is he named after Maxwell Smart?)

klinger, you are so very right about the on-to-plan-b thing. This Chico has lightening fast reflexes! He strikes like a snake. I am not experienced with little dogs, let alone little dogs that are way smarter and faster and more devious than I am...he is keeping me on my toes. Also, at the coffee shop, I have learned to pick a table with an excellent viewpoint to passerby traffic so fewer surprises. Congratulations on surviving 8 years with a min pin, no small feat! I'm only on day 5 :-)

Also, I just discovered last night what you and caroleoh are saying about the blanket. Too funny! He was digging at my throw that was covering me, so I lifted it up, thinking he was after something underneath, and he just crawled in and flopped down to sleep. So that's a breed trait, how interesting! What a lovable characteristic that is. I will make him his own personal tunnel next time I am snuggling with him :-)

emagineer, I have never heard of the prison training program. I will research it. It sounds too good to be true! I give them an unruly Chico, and they return a Chico angel? From your lips to God's ears!

All of you, once again, thank you all so much for your responses. You have given me so much to ponder, as well as already helped me feel more confident that I can help Chico. Whether that means being his forever home, just helping my sister with him, or giving him to a rescue group, I can't say just what that will be, but I do love this little guy and my preference would be to step up and be the owner that this problem child needs to flourish and thrive. Now, whether I can attain that status, I just don't know. But he's here now, and I will do my best to do right by him as long as he's under my care.

Thank you!

Joanna

dktrahan , Chico is indeed very, very food motivated. He loves treats! However, he is so little that I fear giving him too many. I have been breaking off tiny treats into even tinier pieces, one miniature scooby snack becomes 3 for Chico. Ha!

ttodd, my sister has had him for 7 months. He seems to keep having setbacks, which is very frustrating for her. I could tell, when I saw after after having had Chico for a couple of days, that she was not missing him at all. I think she feels trapped. I feel bad for both of them, and I want to truly help, it just remains to be seen how good a job I can really do with my lack of experience in this area.

golddust, bipolar is right! My husband can get up from the couch, where Chico was just snuggling with him, and go to the bathroom, and upon his return Chico will growl and lunge at him in that special Chico-attack mode. He doesn't actually make contact, he just postures and charges, barking and snarling. It would be funny if it weren't such a problem, which is probably how it became such a problem in the first place. I am convinced (based on no factual evidence, just my opinion) that the original owners probably thought it great fun when their tiny puppy charged like a huge guard dog.

See how docile he is here? If only he would be this calm all the time!

You asked if my son's dog is still on Prozac...he is. They talked about taking him off several months ago, but then my dau/law was pregnant & the vet thought it best to keep him on it for now. Baby is now here (two weeks old!), and so far, so good, but of course they're being cautious & very slowly introducing Jake to the baby.

They take him in for check-ups with the behavior vet & it's really worked out well. Otherwise, I don't think they would have been able to work with him enough to allow them to keep him w/o always worrying about the aggression thing. We wonder if he was "mistreated" before they got him at 5 months from a shelter.

Joanna,

For treats, I do use very small pieces--never the whole treat. While training, you can also cut back on regular food amounts to compensate for the extra treat calories. My minpin gets lots of toddler food flung on the floor but she has maintained her 8 lbs her whole life.

Gracie is self-appointed Protector of the Realm, including my other two dogs. She still has problems with strangers but now will mostly just bark at them. She will occasionally chase/lunge at them but hasn't nipped in a while. If she's in my arms/near me or Hubby, she's mostly OK with people petting her.

My Mom and Dad visited for a couple of weeks recently. All the kids have met them before on other visits so they are somewhat OK with them. When we were just hanging out, my Dad would be on one end of the couch, I'd be on the other, the two girls would be in-between us. Gracie would do this low growl at Dad but would let him pet her. She even got comfortable enough to ask for pets and snuggle with him even when I wasn't right there.

So they have all made huge progress but still have a ways to go.

Joanna, I am so glad he is in your hands! He needs someone to love him and it doesn't sound like your sister will be able to provide that. I personally believe it's best for an animal to be where they are loved and adored, for who they are, even if it means a new home. If she doesn't really want him, I don't see how she can invest the time and energy necessary to raise him.

ttodd is so right about the time thing. Keep your short-term expectations low and just keep working with him and loving him. It's very easy to do! and enormously gratifying. Even They are very proud of good behaviors. He deserves a happy little life filled with love. While his basic personality won't change, you can teach him better manners and help him feel safe.

Good luck on your journey with him! Animals always teach us so much.

I meant to say I hope you keep him, lol. You sound perfect for him! and you love him.

If you give him treats to make him stop making that crazy noise (yes, I know that noise), he will think you are rewarding him for it. He'll just keep doing it. LOL!

Tell the yahoos at the coffee store that Chico is in rehab therapy so please ignore him.

I swear, these dogs *are* bipolar.

As for a picture of Titan - if you read my thread, "I'm trying to be polite but...", well, the dog belongs to that sister. She isn't speaking to me right now so a picture will have to wait a few days. LOL!

I forgot to mention the potty issue. You said your sister has to take him out down stairs to potty. I was in the same situation when mine was a puppy and she would do nothing while on the leash. It was very frustrating.

I eventually got her a litter box. I don't know if you can do that with the male dogs. I basically took the bottom of a kennel and lined it with newspaper and let her use that to potty. Since they are so small (and piddle so little) it wasn't a problem to keep up with her that way. Once we moved into a house with a fenced yard and she could easily go outside to potty, she easily converted to her outside potty. We did this when we got the lab--there was no way I wanted a lab peeing in a litter box.

Here's a pic of my little old gray girl--she is actually calm enough (in her old age) to let him pull her around in that wagon.

In regards to the prison training program or any program where you send your pet off to be trained- I would research like there is no tomorrow before I would send them off to one.

Downside- sure the dog is trained but part of the training process is for the owner as well. Also, you are not training and bonding...another important key.

I have seen a small handful of trainers that offer this service that I would even consider. I have been on the other side of the fence treating animals that have gone to these services- some develop severe anxiety, dog attacks from other dogs at the facility, dogs that are neglected, and dogs that return in worse behavioral condition. The ones with the worsened behavior were so severe they were euthanized. Another was sick and neglected and needed to be euthanized.

Upside, if you find a great trainer that can back up their work- then you will have a well trained pet.

Yes ditch the choke collar, it can damage their necks and throats. He is serious need of training give the gentle leader another shot - as you slip it on give him a treat- works like a charm. No treats when he whines in his crate- he'll keep whining in order to get treats- try covering it with a large blanket.

You can also use cherrios or veggies such as carrots and green beans as healthy treats.

I think you are doing a great thing for him by giving him love now- whether it be a stepping stone to a permanent home with you or with someone else.

I think this poor dog needs some stability, consistency and to be a part of a pack-- if even a pack of one. Clearly he has had a rough life and some bad encounters in the past. He was kept outside on a lead and perhaps/potentially abused.

I think a big clue to the need to be a part of a pack is this statement in your first post
"When he is at home with me and my three big dogs, he is such a snuggler and he loves to chase my dog who is chasing his ball, barking and herding my dog who is bigger than 5 of Chicos"

The pack offers a lot to a dog-- guidelines, rules, protection, warmth, love. A pack is a family.

Will you be keeping Chico? If so, the first thing I would do it read about and initiate a NILF program-- nothing in life is free. It begins setting the rules-- and establishes you as the alpha/rule maker/rewarder. This has been very effective in use with rescue dogs. I used a modified version of the program when I adopted my rottweiler as she had NO self control and had never been a house dog. I didnt have too many issues with aggression towards people but I did have issues with an insane food drive, possessive behavior (she thought she "owned" anything she found), pushy behavior especially around being the first to and out the door.. and well you get the picture. She was unruly. I was able to very quickly position myself as the alpha and quickly regain some order to the house. One of the "rules" I implemented remains a loving part of our pattern. I required that she sit still before being given her food dish-- initially, it was a "butt down" and once she was successful with that, I increased the time that she was required to sit before she got a food bowl. Eventually, as I established my role as alpha, she had to sit and wait for a kiss on the nose and the words "bon appetit" before eating. Even today, three years later, she will not eat if I do not kiss her nose and say bon appetit. One day I was soooooooo frustrated with her and I just brushed her nose and walked away (I know, very immature of me) and she sat there just looking at me until I said bon appetit LOL.

This is just one example-- she had to learn the rules for going outside, for getting on the chair or sofa, for getting pets ands attention. The program starts requiring the dog to earn freedom to be loose in the house (I did not start here). It is so effective in not only establishing the rules, and you as rule maker-- but it builds TRUST. I think it is clear that Chico has no trust. When he trusts you-- to guide him, love him and protect him, he will then follow your lead in how to deal with strangers or unusual situations. Right now is an overly cautious, reluctant self protector-- take that load of responsibility off of him.

There are lots of sites on the internet dealing with NILF. The best ones will focus on the bonding as well as establishing the rules. You may think it sounds extreme to start-- requiring the dog to be leashed to you in the home, for instance-- but it is really just so effective in establishing the trust and bond. People think giving the dog love and attention is what is important-- but that often brings about confusing and inconsistent messages (like unintentionally rewarding barks). Structure is every bit as important as love.

You are a kind soul-- I wish you and chico many successes and a much happier home.

You guys, thank you so much for all your support. Everyone's kind words are much appreciated! I love Chico more every day. I am getting better at telling people to stay back (nicely but firmly), and Chico is getting better at eating a tiny Scooby snack instead of snarling at passerbys :-)

I really felt better that some of you explained the breed to me. It helps to know that some of it is just in his genetic makeup.

I just love him more and more. But I already have three dogs!!!!! I am NOT an animal hoarder, I take very good care of my animals (and I have the enormous vet bills to prove it, LOL). I feed them Canine Caviar brand dogfood, the older two get Rimadyl (sp?) and Phycox, and they all get professionally groomed once a month, but I am really sensitive about the issue for some reason. When I tell peeps I have three big dogs sometimes they look at me like I have three heads. Plus my city code only allows two dogs (not that that is enforced, obviously).

Can I do this? Well, I've been doing it already I guess. I'll just keep taking one day at a time here.

Thanks a million, all of you. Your thoughts and advice were greatly needed and much appreciated.

Joanna

Thanks for checking in! I've been wondering how things were going. Are you practicing keeping your energy calm? Is it working at all? (I know these little guys have a mind of their own).

I think you can do it if you are committed. Heck, I raised a son who acted much like Chico when he came. (He was a rescue too). I raised him. LOL!

Chico doesn't eat much and he doesn't need groomed. He's small enough where you can bathe him yourself. Titan was very attached to his dog pack. They were very old when Titan came and he's now an only dog but he *loved* his pack.

As for how other people respond, I can't help you with that because I don't give a rat's a** about what other people think. Can *you* cope with him?
These dogs aren't for wimps!

I've been away for a few days and just checking in. We took both our dogs with us, and the people we visited with had 2. This pack thing is very interesting.

Tradewind, I have a pug puppy. I have never had a problem with any dog until I got this one! ( I had actually thought my prior dogs were so great because of my dog parenting skills- this one has taught me I don't know a thing!) Anyway, our pug still wanted to romp and climb all over the other dogs, but a pecking order was quickly established. At one point, one of the older dogs was chasing our pug out of the room, and our pug would run out, and then come back and peek around the door as if asking permission to reenter. And our Shih Tzu, who has been really freaked out by the pug, has learned how to put the pug in his place.

That evening, our pug was lying calmly at my feet with all the other dogs in the room. I thought it was a miracle. Since we have come back, I have let him have more and more free rein in the house. He is still a handful, but I see hope.

Maybe your pack of 3 dogs is exactly what Chico needs at this point.