Is it possible to train a dog not to bite people?A dog who has bit 5 times?
I have a intact 6 year old male Maltese poodle named Rab.I adopted him when he was a year old and I was told that he would not benefit (temper wise) from getting fixed...Anyway he bit my Twin Sister deeply on the hand today and in the past year &1/2 he bit my uncle, father, and fiancee twice.The trigger for biting was that he get upset if you tell him what to do in a rude tone of voice (ridiculous I know).I am the only one who can use a stern/rude tone of voice with him.How do I stop his biting behavior?
I have had a Doberman in the past and never had this problem.
But how do you discipline a 7 lbs dog without feeling like a monster...?

And would Rab benefit temper wise if i fix him at his age?


Thanks:Nicole

Wow, Nicole. Just... wow.

I'm NOT going to comment on the "Maltese poodle" thing. You asked for help about training him not to bite.

This dog needs solid, constant pack leadership from YOU. There are many articles on this site that will help with developing pack structure.

I have a Maltese as well. You had asked, "How do you discipline a 7lb dog without feeling like a monster?" Simple; remember YOU are the pack leader. When the dog does something that is out of line with your expectations on good canine behaviour, he gets a correction.

Start keeping a drag line on him (simple leash with no handle to get snagged on). This dog no longer has the run of the house. This dog no longer has toys of it's own. This dog no longer has ANYTHING unless and until YOU say so. It plays when you say; it eats when you say; it goes outside when you say. It's a harsh adjustment, but it's one that is absolutely needed. A Maltese, or any toy breed, can easily end up running the house. This is why he feels free to bite whenever.

Start keeping this dog in a crate for the bulk of the day. Take it outside for potty breaks, and about 5-10 minutes four or so times a day for training with you. Simple obedience. Then, when the session is over, back in the crate. This is not cruel, this is not in-humane, this is good dog training and something that the dog needs; a space of it's own to chill in.

There is hope! There ARE things you can do. Keep us posted.

Luck!
-Jim

I have to second Jim's "wow", but you're here for help so that's good, anyway. When I was grooming, it never ceased to amaze me how ill-mannered most of the smaller dogs were when compared to the bigger ones. Having observed how the owners interacted with them, it made more sense. The owners of the larger dogs tended to regard them as dogs, whereas the owners of the small dogs almost invariably treated them like delicate little children; allowing them in their laps all the time and commenting on how cute their worst behaviours were. I'm not saying that this is what you're doing, it's just what I've observed. And on the inside, both are dogs needing the same rules and discipline. You can't be afraid to put your foot down with this dog, I don't care small he is. Neutering may take some of the edge off his temperament, but he's already learned to be a bully and that still needs to be addressed. I agree with what Jim said, and would like to add that you may want to consider purchasing a micro-prong collar as well for the retraining. No furniture, no beds, and zero-tolerance for any aggressive behaviour needs to be the policy here. Remember, he is a DOG and needs your leadership and a clear set of rules to live by, with real consequences for breaking them. His intolerance of being spoken to in a stern manner speaks to a dominance problem, and is unacceptible. I would purchase the basic obedience, and dominance DVD's available on this site and follow them to the letter. I would also read everything you can about how to live with your dog (also on this site) so that positive changes can begin now before anyone else gets bit. It's good that you're here and asking questions. I'm sure things can work out well for you with the proper steps taken. I'm terrible at finding/adding links, so hopefully someone (Connie? ) will do that for you, though the information is fairly easy to find. It may sound harsh, but remember that dogs tend to be much happier when they know what's expected of them. Good luck.

Nicole,

Read this:
http://www.leerburg.com/groundwork.htm

Read the training articles here:
http://leerburg.com/dominantdogs.htm

And the catagories here:
http://leerburg.com/qadominantdog.htm

Hope this helps

I agree with everyone else's posts completely. To add, since this question hasn't been addressed. It may or may not help with his behavior, certainly not as much as the ground work, but I'd get him neutered. He's at a proper age for that.