Aggressive dog behavior

Question
My husband and I have a two year old wire haired fox terrier. He growls, snarls, and bares his teeth at my husband. There does not seem to be a pattern or reason for this behavior. Like today, we were sitting in the livingroom watching tv and my husband walked by the dog and the dog began to growl. When my husband confronts him and tells him to stop it only makes the dog more aggressive. This does not happen all the time. Sometimes weeks go by with no incidents. Then out of the blue, the dog becomes aggressive again. We have trying telling him to stop, have slapped his rear, my husband has pinned him down and tried to force the dog to submit, we have tried putting him in his kennel for a few minutes. Sometimes one of these solutions will work. Other times, we just put him to bed early. My husband is gone over night a lot with his job. I try to keep a routine with the dog while my husband is out of town. We went to see a local animal behaviorist, but it was costly and his ideas did not work. He suggested rattling a can with a few coins in it to startle the dog. The dog just looked at us like we were crazy. The behaviorist is the one who suggested "time out" in the kennel. Is there any chance the dog could have mental or physical problems? Sometimes his eyes seem to glaze over and he seems almost unable to stop growling. Maybe he is just plain stubborn and determined to be dominant. Any suggestions or past experiences you could share would be most appreciated.
Thank you,

Stacey and Stephen Martin

Answer
Hi Stacey;
Well, I get flack everytime I say anything about animal behaviorists being legitimate, so I will not say that.
There is NO qualified school to teach people to become animal behaviorists.
there are schools, but most Veterinarians ( the ones who are for real.LOL)don't recommend behaviorists.
My Veterinarian's take on it when I asked him how legitimate they are said, "Well, they have to justify their making a living at it, someway. LOL
He says I am an animal behaviorist, because I have been around animals so much, and seem to be on a communication level with them.
I will tell you what it sounds likr to me.
You have a little tyrant in the making.
There are some big clues to this.
When you said, "When my husband tries to comfort him". Tell your husband to snatch him up, look him in the eyes and chew hios little butt out and put him in time-out.
My friend has a Yorkie, and he was ruling her life.
she is a no,no,honey type of disciplinarian.
He yhas her number and he knew it.
He came to visit at our house, and got along great with our dogs. He was only 4 months old then.
They came for a couple of weeks a couple of times a year, and he and my little Lhasa are bosom buddies from the start. They are just 2 weeks apart, and they are lifelong buddies.
When Mighty Mite was about 4 years old, they came, and we had a new dog, a sheltie.
He was NOT going to tollerate this interloper, so he would fly into Laddie and attack him.
the second visit when he started this, the attacks got more fierce, and he brought blood.
No longer to let Barb correct her little tyrant with the shamey shamey tone, I jerked him up, chewed his butt out and told him that was no longer tollerated, and put him in time-out for half an hour.
When I let him out, he flew into Laddie, so we went there again, only this time I left him in there for an hour.
Every since then, all I have to do is the same as I do with mine.
When they start to misbehave, I say, (their name, Do you want to go to time-out?"
And they straighten up.
Time-out here is the hall bathroom.
There is only a 5X5 space for them when they door is closed, and all they can do is lie on the bathmat and here all the stuff going on they are missing out on.
I have heard of the rattling a can with coins in it before.
I think that is hilarious, and shows the person doesn't know diddly about what makes dogs behave, how.
They are NOT dumb animals !!!
That is the biggest mistake anybody can make, to think they are.
They can manipulate, put a guilt trip better than a Jewish mother, and work you like a puppet on a string, if you let them.
Raising dogs is not that different than raising children.
they are little con-artists, and if they can rule the roost, they will.
If your dog sleeps in a crate, then putting him in there fr punishment will just create problems at bedtime.
Like putting a child to be for punishment will create bedtime problems.
Going to bed to rest should be associated with pleasant things.
Max, our Lhasa likes to sleep in the hall bathroom in the summer. they floor is very cool in there, but he doesn't like to be put in there and closed up for punishment.
He has had the door closed on him when he was asleep in there, and he didn't freak out, he just barked when he got ready to come out, but he didn't get a good butt chewing before the door was closed, so he knew he was not being punished.
The butt chewing is a MUST!!!
I nag a lot!!
For instance, with your dog.
I would snatch him up, holding him by the scruff of the neck, so I could turn his head to look at me, and he could not bite, bracing his bottom on the other hand, and say
" NO!!! You don't do that!!! Who do you think you are growling at? SHAME on you!!!That will not be tollerated. You get your little butt in time-out till you can learn to behave!!!"
they get an incredulous look on their face like "Dang!!! I plowed up a snake!!"
They don't know what to think of that.
They are going to think twice about making you madder than that. LOL
Leave him in time-out for at least 30 minutes.
When he comes out, act like everything is ok. Just go back to normal, pet him, play with him.
By this, you show him, you are not going to take any guff from him, and he must behave well, or he will get into trouble, but you will still love him.
It make take a few times, but depending on his stubborness level, it will eventually work, if you are consistent with it.
Pinning him down and trying to force him to submit will only make him fear, and give him more reason to try to defend himself.
Dogs are pack animals, like humans are.
They need the family structure.
Dogs do not get along well if they are alone.
They develope mental problems just like people do if they do not have other humans around them.
In the pack they have an alpha and a beta.
There is usually and alpha male and an alpha female, and a beta male and female.
The pack minds in order of aurtority.
the alpha's are the mom and dad, and the betes are the big sisters and brothers, aunts and uncles, grandparents, etc.
Just like in a human family.
Eacjh animal would like to be the alpha( boss), and will try for that slot.
In children, when the disclipline is too weak, and mom and dad do not assert their position, you get spoiled little shin-kicking brats.
Same with pets.
Yopu either teach them who is the mom and dad, or they will rule the family, and if you allow it, be ready to mind them.LOL
His eyes seem to glaze over, I suspect, because that makes him look meaner, and scare the daylights out of you.
Dogs CAN develope mental problems.
They will show this is exagerated fears of thunderstorms, people etc.
this is what is usually what is going on when a dog is very aggressive, and has not been taught to be.
They will attack other dogs, everything that moves.
Massage to calm, and help ease these fears works wonders.
I have used the Tellington-Touch method of animal massage for years.
This could possibly be the case with your dog, if he shows this aggression to other dogs and people.
If it is just toward your husband, he knows who is dad, but he is going to try to take over that position himself.
The next time he shows aggression to your husband, YOU snatch him up, and do the chewing out and putting in time out. He obviously recognizes you as the alpha.
He should se that you do not condone his behavior.
then subsequent times, whichever is closest to him should handle the punishment.
Bet pretty soon, all you will have to do is threaten time-out to get him to act like a little gentleman.
Let me know how this comes out.
If it doesn't seem to work, or if it makes him more aggressive, we may need to go a different route, but I am betting this will work.
Mighty Mite has been here since before Thanksgiving( she needed a place to recover from surgery).
He doesn't mind Barb worth a darn, but he minds aunt Charlotte.LOL
He is not afraid of me. He adores me.
My dogs adore me too, but they know better then to act ugly, cause mom doesn't stand for it.
Charlotte