Hi...I've been reading a lot of the posts on this forumn, and I know most of you have large dogs. We have a 10 lb Maltepoo who will sometimes, without warning, go "psycho". It used to only happen with kids, tho yesterday he did it to me when i was trying to reprimand him for snapping at my son. If someone gets their face close to his, he might bite them. It is very fast and again, comes without warnings. We took him to a dog obedience class and he actually bit the female assistant on the nose very badly when she was trying to get him into a "down" position. He sleeps in our bed and loves to cuddle up on my lap, all things that i WANT in a canine companion, but I'm afraid in letting him feel so comfortable with us, it has given him a dominant position in the household. Can we change his behavior without losing the cuddling aspect of things, or should we get rid of him altogether...I am deathly afraid he will really hurt someone! Please, I don't feel as though we have been bad pet owners, when he bites we isolate him IMMEDIATELY...I'm not sure what else to do.

Level 10 correction.

Those little dogs are allowed to get away with far too much. He needs to learn and remember his lowly status in the family structure.

Read Ed's article on dealing with dominant dogs. It's on the main site at http://www.leerburg.com. Get his tape on dealing with dominant and aggressive dogs. The same principles apply regardless of the dog's size.

The old adage that nothing in life is free. if this happened in my home..dog would be earing every thing.Dog would return to crate to sleeep..would practice obedience everyday..would not be allowed on any furniture. would have to sit and wait for food or down and wait for food..these are just the very first steps to be taken..i have not seen mr.frawley's tapes for this,but I have a few others that are excellent.The dog needs to learn his/her place in the pack..
I let them earn priveledges back, but only when i feel they are ready..goodluck,there are some very knowledgable trainers here. Get the tapes,take advice from those that have proven track records..I am simply a pet owner and foster home..horse trainer..which means i do not have the strong knowledge taht many of the trainers here...so...take it for what it is worth
nicole

That little brat needs a BIG attitude adjustment & right now, before he disfigures your child's face for life, so read the GW article immediately & then do everything it says!

You didn't mention how old the dog is or how long you've had him, but regardless of that. . .

The main problem here is you are not the owner/pack leader, the dog is. It's not a matter of choosing between being a cuddly lap dog vs. getting rid of him. He needs to learn his place in the family/pack,which is after everyone else. Once he learns that and he shows respect to family members, then he's earning the affection you want to give him. Right now, he's doing whatever he wants, some of which is agreeable to both of you, but if he doesn't like it, he'll strike out. And just removing him from the situation - isolation - will not stop that behavior. The dog in not making the connection between his striking out and being put somewhere else as being discipline. He doesn't think like we do. He has to learn specifically what's acceptable and what isn't. If he's a "little brat," it's because you allow him to be.

Before you merely hammer him with level 10 corrections, you need to start with some badly needed foundation work and basic training. Read some of Ed's articles here and you'll benefit more than just reading posts. First, read Ed's article on groundwork - http://www.leerburg.com/groundwork.htm - to understand the relationship you should be trying to build. Also read his other articles that discuss dominant dogs and types of aggression. Your dog may only (only?) be showing agression toward kids and your correction, but it can get much worse without training. And even one that's only 10lb. can do serious damage to kids or even your face.

For some addtional perspective on training and pack mentality, watch some episodes of Cesar Millan, "The Dog Whisperer", on the National Geographic channel - "check your local lisings" - it''s usually on Fridays. He does a lot of work with family pet situations.

What you need to do is not that difficult, it just requires a consistent and on-going commitment to discipline.

You have a dangerous dog and children at risk.
The safest course of action to protect your loved ones is to euthanize the dog.

The risk isn't worth considering any other course of action.

If you decide to disregard Will's advice (don't) and try and put this dog up for adoption, It's your total responsability to inform any person or agency EVERYTHING about this dog.

No reputable rescue organization would place any dog with a bite history like this one -- Having said that, I used to be quick to euthanize a human-aggro dog too, however:

After studying Ed's DVD on Dominant & Aggressive Dogs, I'm coming around to the position that many of them can be salvaged through rigorous Ground Work & Aggro-Avoidance Training -- Nonetheless, that takes dog-savvy, strict management, committment to longterm obedience work & meantime guaranteeing the safety of all involved (which is much more than a lot of casual pet owners are ready, willing OR able to provide)...

No amount of training will make this dog safe to be around children. The type of family pet it sounds like you are looking for will not be found in this dog.

just a question, but when the dog was in obedience class, why was the trainer in a position to have her face bit while teaching "down"!?