Alpha dog issues.

[Pekingesemommy]

I am owned by an alpha male pekingese i rescued when he was 9 and he is turning 11 in july. prior to my owning him he was taken from a puppy mill and placed in a kill shelter. I got him and have dealt with him since. He has issues with anyone touching his feet or his underside. I am sure you can imagine how he is when grooming time comes around. I can get him to sit on command but no one else can. the vet says there is nothing physically wrong that would cause him to be so mean. he will whip around and snap at you if you touch his no no spots. i don't jerk my hand back when he does this but i have a 4month old daughter and i worry about when she gets bigger what he will do. right now he lays with her and she can pull on him and he is fine. ( i never leave them alone together ever!) i would like to be able to groom him and not worry about him being a butt. any advice is great. i can not afford right now to take him to a professional trainer so i am coming here asking for advice on how i can solve the issue myself.




Thanks a million,
Beverly

 

[Romy]

That doesn't sound like alpha dog issues, it sounds like he was traumatized and is still dealing with the psychological impact of whatever happened to him. Close friends of mine have rescued abuse cases before, and several of those dogs would not under any circumstances let anybody touch their feet. A couple were able to work through the fear with a very gradual desensitization/trust building process. Someone else could explain how to do that safely much better than I though.

The safest thing for the baby is to continue supervising and teach her to be respectful of touching him in ways that he's comfortable with. Which will mean lots of you being right in there and separating them when you can't be, but you already know that.

 

[Pekingesemommy]

thanks. i just thought it was him being alpha. I really hope someone can help me with the feet thing. the vet won't touch him unless he can give him a sedative. and the last time he had that he tore the vets hand open when he came round. he doesn't do well when given that type of meds. i just don't know what to do. if i hold him down that isn't helping him recover from whatever he went thru. i just want him to be happy and healthy and this isn't either.

worried about her baby,
Beverly

 

[Brandyb]

You definately need to consult a behaviourist on this issue, especially since you have a small child. They will be able to evaluate him in person and show you the proper process to take.
A desensitization to touch program would be very beneficial in your case. He sounds like a very fearful dog, who, if from a mill, was obviously mistreated in his prior residence. The process will involve getting him used to kind touch in a positive way, with either treats or toys. The process would be to start at an area that he is comfortable with, and treat, praise and love him up everytime he allows the touch and doesn't show fear/aggression. Eventually (patiently and slowly) you will work your way down to areas that he is less comfortable with, gradually building up the the places and amount that he will tolerate. The idea is for him to think "wow, if I let them touch me here, I get yummy treats", and eventually he will learn to enjoy the touch.
Again, it is VERY advisable that you seek the knowledge of a behaviourist who can evaluate him one on one, and give you proper direction on how to proceed, which can not be done over the net.
Good luck!

 

[Pekingesemommy]

thanks brandyjo i will look to see if i have one near me. and see how much it cost for them to come and check.

 

[otch1]

Hello Pekingesemommy. I understand your dilema. Very kind of you to adopt this dog in the frst place. Because you said you could not afford a trainer or behaviorist at this time, there are a few things you can do to start the desensitization process right now. As he's a Peke, you will need a cage muzzle for your first few sessions. This will guarantee that he does not get a bite in, under any circumstances. Next, reccommend you buy book by Linda Tellington-Jones. She is excellent at addressing this behavior and in doing massage techniques that help teach this dog to accept handling. I've worked with her and she's outstanding. This will cost you 1/3rd the price of a behaviorist, until you've saved the money and found someone! Reccommend being very, very careful about letting your 4 month old have contact with this dog. You'll find with this breed, in a puppy mill, they are often kept in wire cages. Very hard on their feet, often splitting and cracking pads. They also aren't kept clean or groomed regularly, so you'll generally find them covered in urine and feces most of the year. Then, when they do have to be cleaned, they have to be flipped on their backs to completely strip the underside. Much like sheering a sheep. It is often one solid matt when this is done, having dealt with puppy mill dogs before. Also, you're dealing with a dog who was intact and breeding for years. Not to be too graffic, but in order to have a successful tie during breeding they probably had to put him thru this stripping proccess several times per year. Good luck!

 

[Pekingesemommy]

thanks otch1

he is wonderful with my daughter he will come and alert me when she is up and he sits at the very end of her blanket when she is in the floor. but like i said before i would and will never leave him alone with her. i don't know what a cage muzzle is. they put a cat muzzle on him at the vets and he had issues breathing and i took it off while they were messing with him. poor guy was scared. i will start loveing on him and treating him for not being scared. what book should i look for from Linda?

thanks again

Beverly

 

[otch1]

Hello again! I'm glad you took the cat muzzle off, they should never be put on a Peke. You have to be very careful, only a cage muzzle for this breed. Can find on-line, Pet Edge Pet Supplies. The book "The Tellington TTouch": A Breakthrough Technique to Train and Care for Your Favorite Animal. It will address some behavioral issues and give instruction on massage technique. My personal dogs and clients dogs love this! Extremely helpful in relieving anxiety/fear. The book can be found on-line anywhere from 12.95 to 14.95. As for sedating the dog at your vets and him still tearing the vets hand open, reccommend doing a long term remedy verses one time sedation and bringing your cage muzzle with you. Will pm you some info then discuss it with your vet. Good luck!

 

[Pekingesemommy]

I will look this stuff up thanks alot. I hope i can be able to work on him more. I have no clue as to why he doesn't train like my other dogs and foster dogs did. I guess it has to do with the way he lived before me.