Hi,
I'm new here and this forum looks great, with a lot of positive information!!
I have a strange problem and don't know how to handle it. I foster Lhasa Apsos/similar mixes, and adopted one of them last June. Willie is a Shih Tzu mix, young but unknown age (est 1.5 - 2.5 yrs), picked up off the streets. He was labeled as a biter and was going to be put down but at the last minute, on the euthanasia table, he licked the tech's hand and she couldn't do it, calling rescue instead. (he kisses me to death!)
He's truly a very happy, bouncy little guy and I could see that the minute I saw him; my Lhasa & he are inseparable. He was very hyperactive & needy when I got him, though - had food aggression, no dog or human social etiquette, and many, many fear aggression triggers. Because of that, he went thru 4 or 5 overloaded foster homes in 3 weeks, until I got him.
He bit me pretty badly just once shortly after I got him. He's so bad at the vet's that they have to sedate him in order to do anything, but it's a wonderful vet office and they've been super with everything; they even sedate him to shave him down for me every few months until I can get him fully groomable at home. (I think it helps that my Lhasa is such a sweetheart that she loves them no matter what they do, so they know I know how to handle dogs) I finally realized he responds very well to "play game" training and we've conquered 90% of his problems, but we're still working on housetraining, and he's just learning to let me bathe him this week (with the assistance of a little plastic pool outside that we're learning to "play" in).
The one problem I can't seem to figure out how to handle is so strange.....
He's absolutely phobic about anything going over his head and refuses to let anyone take his harness off or put it back on; he starts growling, snarling, and *will* bite - I can't even get a muzzle on him because of this. I want to switch him to a collar now, but can't get his harness off.
Anyone have any ideas on how I can get him comfortable with this (in a fairly short time) without freaking him out? I don't want any of our progress to revert, and I don't want to get bitten again.
Thank you!!
I'm new here and this forum looks great, with a lot of positive information!!
I have a strange problem and don't know how to handle it. I foster Lhasa Apsos/similar mixes, and adopted one of them last June. Willie is a Shih Tzu mix, young but unknown age (est 1.5 - 2.5 yrs), picked up off the streets. He was labeled as a biter and was going to be put down but at the last minute, on the euthanasia table, he licked the tech's hand and she couldn't do it, calling rescue instead. (he kisses me to death!)
He's truly a very happy, bouncy little guy and I could see that the minute I saw him; my Lhasa & he are inseparable. He was very hyperactive & needy when I got him, though - had food aggression, no dog or human social etiquette, and many, many fear aggression triggers. Because of that, he went thru 4 or 5 overloaded foster homes in 3 weeks, until I got him.
He bit me pretty badly just once shortly after I got him. He's so bad at the vet's that they have to sedate him in order to do anything, but it's a wonderful vet office and they've been super with everything; they even sedate him to shave him down for me every few months until I can get him fully groomable at home. (I think it helps that my Lhasa is such a sweetheart that she loves them no matter what they do, so they know I know how to handle dogs) I finally realized he responds very well to "play game" training and we've conquered 90% of his problems, but we're still working on housetraining, and he's just learning to let me bathe him this week (with the assistance of a little plastic pool outside that we're learning to "play" in).
The one problem I can't seem to figure out how to handle is so strange.....
He's absolutely phobic about anything going over his head and refuses to let anyone take his harness off or put it back on; he starts growling, snarling, and *will* bite - I can't even get a muzzle on him because of this. I want to switch him to a collar now, but can't get his harness off.
Anyone have any ideas on how I can get him comfortable with this (in a fairly short time) without freaking him out? I don't want any of our progress to revert, and I don't want to get bitten again.
Thank you!!
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