I recently joined and unfortunetly I have a VERY DIfficult dog!!! He is almost 2 years old Chihuahua mix dog who was very abused before we got him. We have had him a little over a year and we are not getting anywhere. Smokey (the dog) is very anxious (he must be with me always) he can not handle shut doors; he will potty, bark, whine, etc... If strangers come over he gets very aggressive; he will not bite but he will not stop barking (even if it is for hours), he does not understand he neds to go outside to poop, he potties in the house also just not as many times as he poops. He pulls on his leash on a walk so he needs to be on a teether or he chokes himself, he is afraid of everything, strangers, broom, vacuum, anything that is a threat. I have tried keeping him on a leash to train him, and he still had accidents, I tried dog obedience school and he was not allowed in due to his aggressive behavior (he sounds viscous), I have had him nuetered and honestly I am out of options. I am currently 7 months pregnant and need to get him better ASAP or I am going to have to get him a new home and that would break my heart and my family (especially my son) I do not know where to start with his training so any advice would be lovely!!!!
This is a very tricky situation and I'm not sure if I can come up with a quick fix scenario. Your dog sounds like a very worried and stressed out little pup and I think it could possibly benefit from some anti-anxiety medication , especially if you're just about to have a baby. This is not to be used alone, it is in conjunction with behaviour changing therapy but hopefully can help. The most important thing is that your dog needs to learn respect for you. You need to teach your dog the "NO" command and everytime he obeys you need to praise him lots with pats and attention and treats. I think you need to start spending a lot of time with your dog and keep reassuring him that they are ok, everytime he starts to get wound up or aggressive, you need to say "NO" and praise immediately if he behaves, if he doesnt he needs to be shut in a room away from people and completely ignored. It is very important not to go in and keep yelling as this may only reinforce the behaviour. I know its hard to ignore a barking dog but it needs to be done. The separation anxiety is a problem we can fix further down the track, I think just focus on the aggression first.
I don't know if these steps or any in future will fix all your dogs problems, if he has had a very traumatic upbringing until now then there may be some things that we cannot fix and you need to decide if he is going to be a safe pet for your family.
