Here we go again! Ozzy is completely nuts!

[Carolina Girl 2]

Okay, Ozzy was having behavioral issues. He was barking, growling, and lunging at people when they came over or when we had him out on leash. We hired a fantastic trainer, paid gobs of money toward training, and thought we had the problem solved. He has been trained to go to his "place" when the bell rings or someone knocks. He stays there until the person comes in and then is allowed over to sniff and get to know them. This has been working out fantastic. Well, 2 weeks ago a neighbor came over and rang the bell. Ozzy was told "place", he went there just fine. He4 was told "stay", he did this fine as well. After my friend came in, Ozzy was released and was allowed to smell the person. After he seemed to relax, she was then "allowed" to pet him. This has been done many times over the past few months and has always worked. Ozzy let her pet him and was fine with it. She talked to him and he just looked at her. He was totally relaxed. When she went to pet him again, he snapped! Completely out of the blue. No warning at all! We thought that this was just a fluke. Someone else came by this past weekend. Same thing.....fine going to place, fine staying, fine sniffing around, fine with petting...at first......then he snapped. He completely goes into this "zone". He is not our sweet boy....He is like a different dog. All you can do is grab him and get him away from the person. You absolutely can not snap him out of it. Well, we have talked to the vet and the trainer. Our vet says that he can never be trusted around anyone, including our children and that he should be taken back to the animal shelter we got him from or put down. Our trainer says that he is certain that Ozzy would never bite anyone in our family. He says that the problem is that whoever had him first did not socialize him at all. He says that Ozzy should not be labeled "aggressive" but "territorial" instead. Our trainer says that when someone comes to the door, Ozzy should be taken to another room but not as a punishment. We should have peanut butter or yogurt filled kongs on hand and that he should be given this in the other room. He says that it is not just for the person's protection, but for Ozzy's as well. (since dogs in my county are allowed 3 bites, and then deemed aggressive and have to be put down) He also says that Ozzy is just not comfortable in front of people and he may actually prefer staying in another room when people are over....

My question is: Is there anybody that has to put one of their dogs away when people come over? Is this a "mean" thing to do? I feel so bad putting him away when people come over........I don't want this to lead to more issues.....Taking him back to the shelter or putting him to sleep is not an option......I just want him to be happy and comfortable.

[tzuhouse 4]

Personally, I feel putting him "away" is FAR BETTER than putting him "down".....so it this is what is best for Ozzy AND other people, then I would do that. Has he EVER done this with a family member? If not, I would agree with your trainer. Good luck, this must be so difficult.

[Carolina Girl 2]

He has never done this with anyone living here. I completely trust him. (maybe I shouldn't though)

[Seastar 44]

How old is he?

I would never trust him around children. I also believe that being put away when visitors come is just fine. But if you have small kids, well, I wouldn't have a biter. It especially concerns me that you feel he goes into a "zone". If you keep him, I'd ask all visitors/strangers to totally ignore him--no eye contact and no petting.

I assume he is neutered if you got him from a shelter.

[Carolina Girl 2]

Yes. He is neutered. He is my very first dog ever. I feel that I have failed him. We have poured major money and time into him trying to help him. I now know the reason why he was dumped in the city shelter. I have tried everything possible to help him. I'm at a loss at this point......I can't bear to let him go..... The shelter said at the time that they had no reason to believe that he would be aggressive. He was fine at first when I brought him home. The trainer says that's because it was not his territory yet. This is such a difficult thing. He has now bitten twice for absolutely no reason at all....It is not just a single bite either. Like I say, he gets in a "zone" and doesn't stop. He has to be pulled away. I just don't know what else to do. I'm just thinking of when my kids have friends spend the night, does he spend all that time locked away? I just feel overwhelmed my the whole thing.....

[xr4man 7]

hunter had similar issues when i got him too. he would bite the snot out of me for what seemed like no reason. it took me a while to get him to stop it. i used the alpha roll method, although it may not have been the best way. but it seems to have worked.

there was an episode of "it's me or the dog" where victoria had put in a lead attached to the wall and the dog was hooked up to that when people came in. that way the dogs couldn't get to the [people but where still in the same room. basically, when the dogs got rowdy, the owner would have everyone leave the room until the dogs calmed down and then they came back in and sat and visited. after a while the dogs would just lay there nice and quiet when friends were over. maybe something like that is an option.

[mr.coffee 364]

There's the occasional person Harley just doesn't like, while he's not really aggressive, he'll bark and growl and rumble & grumble the entire time, so we'll just crate him or move him to the bedroom. I don't consider it unfair or unkind. I wonder, in Ozzy's case, if maybe something like Ian suggested would help - that is, being crated or leashed in the area where people are. Perhaps on some level, he may begin to reason that folks are going to be around whether he likes it or not, and he might as well get with the program.

-m

[Carolina Girl 2]

There's the occasional person Harley just doesn't like, while he's not really aggressive, he'll bark and growl and rumble & grumble the entire time, so we'll just crate him or move him to the bedroom. I don't consider it unfair or unkind. I wonder, in Ozzy's case, if maybe something like Ian suggested would help - that is, being crated or leashed in the area where people are. Perhaps on some level, he may begin to reason that folks are going to be around whether he likes it or not, and he might as well get with the program.

-m

Being on a leash or behind any barrier sends him into a "zone". If he is leashed or behind a gate and people are nearby, he growls, jumps and lunges. He actually will choke himself. Ozzy can never be on a leash around people. (I know, weird...) At his classes on Saturdays, everyone knows that when we are working on leash, stay away from Ozzy. But usually when we get to the part where we go into a fence and all the leashes come off, he does fine around people and the other dogs. Last night, someone stopped by and we put him into the laundry room. I gave him his treat and shut the door. He clawed, cried, bark, gagged and choked for about 25 minutes. When the person left, I let him out. He had not even touched his treat. He had chewed up part of the door and tore up the wall all the way through a couple layers of sheetrock. Ugh.......I'm at a loss here. I guess what would have been nice is if a nice shih tzu rescue had gotten from the shelter, someone with experience......I feel like I'm screwing up here......In all of this, I have never regretted getting him......But I'm close to that point.......It is getting worse instead of better.....I'm thinking that if people came in and ignored him, he might be okay. But they would have to know not to look at him, pet him, or talk to him. But how do you tell children not to look at a dog or pet it? I just can't see that being a success.....And with 3 kids, we have neighborhood kids coming in and out all the time. If we put him away everytime someone comes over, he'll be away a lot....I wish it were just a thing about him not liking men or not liking other dogs......But he doesn't like anyone but his "family"......