aggressive dog

Question
everytime someone is leaving the house even family members or leaving in the car any kind of goodbye, my yorkie/maltese barks very mean and aggressive could possibly bite otherwise a very good dog

Answer
Hi Theresa,

It sounds like your dog has territorial aggression towards people. My guess is he's a bossy little dog that's very used to getting his way, which is why he freely gets aggressive towards friends and family members. You're just lucky that he hasn't yet bitten anyone.

Your first step in getting your dog under control would be to have him examined by a veterinarian, and testing your dog for medical conditions that might be contributing to increased anxiety, especially hypothyroidism. Borderline-low levels of the principal thyroid hormone may be associated with increased anxiety, and thus aggression.

Unlike humans, dogs have little sense of equality and most will aspire toward the highest possible rank within their social group, if they're allowed to. When dealing with a territorially aggressive dogs, it is essential that you establish in the leadership role in order to safely manage your dog's territorial tendencies. In a nutshell, your dog doesn't see you or your family as the ones who are in charge, and so he's taking the lead role. A non-confrontational approach to leadership is the best way to accomplish this important task of placing you and your family into the leadership role. One easy method is called Nothing In Life Is Free. You can read more about this here:

http://k9deb.com/nilif.htm

You and your entire family must practice the behavior methods discussed at the Nothing In Life Is Free website. This requires your dog to work for anything he needs or desires (food, toys, attention, access to the outdoors etc.). In effect he must "earn" all valued resources by first obeying a command, such as SIT or DOWN. The objective is to have the dog follow your directives as and when issued. If you and your family are consistent with this approach, your dog will learn that he must look to them to obtain anything he needs or wants, such as food, freedom, play, and social interaction. If the dog learns to respect you in this way, he will be more likely to turn to you for direction when he's feeling challenged or fearful, and will be more likely to listen to your directions.

You should also be sure your dog is receiving enough regular daily exercise. He should be having 20 to 30 minutes of aerobic exercise daily as a minimum. This will help your dog remain calmer.

You and your family should be working with your dog, and giving him in regular daily obedience training sessions to sharpen his response to one-word voice commands and to increase owner leadership. One to two 5-minute sessions per day are usually sufficient. Any commands can be taught, such as sit, stay, down, etc.

Lastly, if this has been going on long enough, you might have real trouble gaining control over your dog. If this is the case, reading about how to fix your dog's behavior isn't going to help. You should contact a professional dog trainer, who can evaluate you and your dog, and offer suggestions as to how to help re-train your dog. Ask your veterinarian or local boarding kennel for a referral, or look for obedience training in your yellow pages.

Best of luck,
Patti