my chiuhuahua puppy is afraid of my husband

Question
QUESTION: I just got a 4 month old chiuhua puppy when I went 2 pick her up she
extreamly afraid she was barking and growling and I couldn't go anywhere
near her. She was one of two puppy left and the woman selling them was
desperate to get rid of them.I felt horrible for there living environment so I
took one on a trial basis.I have 3 days to see if she is comfortably with my
family.right after leaving the previous home she bonded with me imediatly
then when she meet my daughter she was fine with her too. However she is
extreamly afraid of my husband I really want a family dog that we can all
enjoy. She doesn't really bark at him she just shakes and trys to run away
and hide by me. Is it to late to try and break this habbit?

ANSWER: Your puppy came from a HORRIBLE situation.  Anyone can breed dogs, all it takes is two of the opposite sex!  She has not been socialized at ALL and there were most likely no men in the household; or her exposure to a man was very negative.  You're seeing the results of extreme lack of socialization and fear.

The situation with your husband WILL improve, over time, providing he is calm, soft spoken, and does not attempt to force this puppy to interact with him.  She will adjust to his presence and learn to trust him.  YOUR JOB is to SOCIALIZE THIS PUPPY EVERY DAY for the next YEAR.  She must be taken OUT (very SLOWLY) and introduced to everything and everyone, a little at a time.  DO NOT REWARD FEAR by petting or trying to console her; if she seems fearful, IGNORE it but do not force her further.  Learn how much she can take of new situations as you go out with her.  Reward with praise any show of friendliness or calm demeanor.  Introduce her to babies, toddlers, children of all ages, other dogs (VERY CAREFULLY, only dogs owners say are OK and only dogs on leash), car trips, street/traffic noise, etc.  Take her into a Walmart shopping mall and introduce her to people after she has shown tolerance for new people.  Let people talk to her, pet her, give her small treats (that you carry with you).  If you do NOT DO THIS you will end up with a fearful dog for its lifetime, possibly a fear biter.

You can't possibly return this puppy.  YOU ARE HER LAST HOPE.  If you need more elaborate instructions as you go, repost. I'll be glad to stick with you on this problem.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I am still having a issue with my puppy and my husband now when he enters
the house instead of her running away she growls and barks at him and if he
tries to pick her up she will either try hard to squirm away or it seems like she
wants to bite him( but of course he doesn't let it get to that point). He trys so
hard to get her to like him. The strange thing is if I'm snuggled up to my
husband she will be nice to him even give him kisses but if he approaches
her on his own she flipps out. Even if he leaves the room and comes back
she will bark at him when he comes back to the room. I have tryed to
remove her from my lap and put her on the floor when she growls and barks
because I heard that works but she will just continue on. Also I have Been
doing my best to socialize her she goes to pet stores with me and to the kids
football feild and preaty much everywhere I can bring her and she seems to
be doing much better it's just she has issues with men...oh and small
children. But any how is there anythin else I can do to work with my pup?

Answer
I believe in my original answer I instructed that your husband does NOT attempt to force interaction with this dog.  PICKING HER UP is absolutely NOT ok.  All he is doing is accelerating her fear aggression and one day SHE WILL BITE HIM.  He must IGNORE all her negative behavior at all times, as if she is not there.  JUST IGNORE IT.  The fact that she demonstrates this fear when he is on foot approaching her, but seems to tolerate him at other times, is a strong indication that something about his approach is making it worse.  You are doing the correct thing by putting her off your lap when she demonstrates any behavior toward him that is negative (barking, growling, etc.)  This is a clear signal to her and you should keep that up.  IF your husband does NOT continue to aggravate the situation, it should resolve, but it will take a lot longer now since the dog has learned far more about using aggression to attempt to control the situation.  Ignoring the dog's fear aggression for however long it takes is what WILL work.  Once the dog has given up attempting to control the situation for a considerable time (at least two weeks without any further demonstration), your husband can use positive reinforcement (when he is seated) to build a trusting relationship with her.  Repost at that time for instructions.

Regarding small children, young children are erratic in behavior, they are loud and squeaky, and they have no pheromones.  Many dogs are fearful of very young children.  Observe your dog carefully when she is around young children, and reward her LACK OF FEAR (read her body signals.)  Do NOT allow anyone's children to interact with this dog, as it will only worsen the situation.  Instead, consistently reward her lack of fear and, once she seems calmer about seeing young children, take her places where she will see quite a few and food reward her tolerance.  But remember, this dog is not someone else's child's plaything.  All it will take is one negative occurrence for her to obtain a strong fear response.