Poodle Snapping

Question
I have a 10 yr old maltese and a 5 yr old miniature poodle.  
They have gotten along great over the years, until recently.  
My poodle has begun to snap at the maltese when she walks by
or gets close to him.  I have tried making him become
submissive afterwards and it works for a couple days, but
then he does it again.  I'm afraid he might really hurt the
maltese.  Is he doing this to be the alpha dog and how do I
get him to stop?

Answer
Hello Cherrelle,
Yes, it sounds like your Poodle is trying to let the maltese know that he is the boss over her.  You need to keep getting on to him when he goes after your female until you get it through his head that you don't want him doing that anymore.  Before long, he Will get it and should at least slow the attacks down some.  
Try using something that will startle your male and make him listen to you, such as a Soda bottle with a few rocks in it or a soda can with pennies taped inside.  When he snaps at your female, hit the ground with the shaker item and tell him NO! in a loud voice.  You can continue holding him down on the ground in the submissive position if you want (it will help).  
If the shaker can doesn't work, try a squirt bottle with water.  

When you pet the dogs, give each of them equal attention and you might seperate them and give one attention, then the other, for some one-on-one attention.  
Also, if you give them treats or special toys, only play with their special toys when you are playing with them during their one-on-one time.  This way, they won't think they have to protect their special toy or treat from the other dog.

Give this a try and see how they are doing in a week or so.  If you have other questions for me about this, or other questions in general, please feel free to ask me.

Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim