My dog is very bad... please give advice!?

I have a 4 and a half year old male yorkie/ lhasa apso mix named Kodi. I got him when he was only 5 and a half weeks old, and i love him to death. But, Kodi is not well behaved. He barks at nothing, he usually doesn't let people, including me, pick him up or pet him. He also can only get groomed at one place because he bites everyone else. I can't brush him without him snapping at me. You would swear he was abused before or something. I haven't ever done anything bad to him other that tell him he is a bad dog. He isn't abused or neglected, and he has been like this his whole life. I am wondering if there may be something wrong with him, if something may be bothering him, or if this is just his personality. Please help!My dog is very bad... please give advice!?
No, something is not bothering your dog. While medical problems and pain can certainly cause aggression and the kinds of behaviors you describe here they are only a symptom of a problem if the dog does not normally behave that way. Since your dog has been like this his whole life, it is not caused by pain or a medical condition. There are probably several things ';wrong'; with your dog.


1) You got him when he was less than 6 weeks old, at least 2 1/2 weeks too early for him to have left his mom and littermates. Studies have proven that puppies removed from their mom and littermates before 8 weeks of age grow up to have a lot more behavioral problems than puppies who stay at least 8 weeks. They learn a lot of manners from their mother in those 3 weeks. Every decent breeder knows this and no reputable breeder would ever let a puppy so young go to a new home, even if the mother had died. Which brings us to the next problem.


2) Your dog came from a bad breeder. Bad breeders breed for profit or for looks. They pay no attention to health or temperament. Therefor, puppies from a bad breeder are more likely to have a genetically poor temperament and more likely to have behavioral problems.


3) You failed to train and socialize him well enough. Good dogs aren't born, they're trained. A dog that is not well behaved is not a ';bad'; dog, he is an untrained or poorly trained dog.





If you really want help, you're going to have to hire a trainer. And not someone who works at Petsmart or Petco either, a REAL trainer who has experience dealing with dogs that have the same kinds of problems that yours has.My dog is very bad... please give advice!?
I hate to tell you this but you might be spoiling him. That's usually the result of bad behavior! First off you need to exercise him 45 minutes a day at least! He may have a lot of pent up energy that he needs to get out. When he starts snapping at some one tell him no touch him firmly and quickly (like a poke, not hurting him) and stand your ground. Don't let him win!
It sounds as if Kodi thinks he is the boss. You would be best to take him to obedience classes and learn to change some of the ways you handle him.





You need to let him know that you are the boss, and he has to do what you want and not the other way around.





There are heaps of books out on this subject, and it would pay you to get a couple and start reading up on it.





Also, any professional can help you.





Good luck.
Yes, he is a poorly trained and poorly socialized dog that was taken from it's mother at too young of an age. You got this dog from a BYB, which means poor breeding and genetics. Behavior can be inherited. Poor socialization as a pup sealed it.





TIme to bring in a behaviorist to evaluate the dog. They will be able to tell you more in terms of the dog's behavior and wether or not it can be worked with.
Actually this is a learned behavior he got as he grew up. Are you at all afraid of him?


Do you jump back when he snaps? Have you held him a lot since you got him? If you answered yes to any of these questions then he thinks he is in control and as long as you are doing these ways he will continue to demonstrate the behaviors. There are other things that could of also attributed to this behavior.
hum, You could get him a muzzle! and you can buy a certain collar that with spray a type of liquid ( dont worry its made of natural herbs and extracts) what i do when I would brush my cat is put a towel over his head so he can't bite at you . I recomened a muzzle so he can't bite you or anyone else!
What did the vet say when you took your dog in for a checkup? A change in attitude always requires a visit to the vet.





SARAH, you have NO business giving advice when you don't even know that OREGON is on the WEST coast.
Dogs can get this way when they feel like they are going to get stepped on when you are walking around! its a sign that they just want to have a more protected life and be handled better! so do your best and hope kodi grows out! :) best of my luck!!
trash bag and a river. Need I say more.