You clearly know nothing about what makes a good guard dog.
Really not so unusual for the breed
I’ve known of numerous Llasas who are “dominant” for lack of a better word. They are pretty quick to pick up on the fact that they can make rules for humans. It probably started with “nipping” and is now turning into biting. I agree that NILIF and puppy bootcamp is necessary. I would also get some blood work and a vet exam to be sure that something physical isn’t going wrong. Good luck.
[QUOTE=Phaxxton;5571338]
You clearly know nothing about what makes a good guard dog.[/QUOTE]
“Clearly” and honestly if that’s all you had to post, was a sentence stating what you think I know, without having a rebuttle to my post, then “clearly” you don’t know much about a forum. Come back with some evidence next time- “so much cooler online”
I feel like 90% of dog problems are owner problems (not you personally, but the people he is interacting with when he does these things).
Someone else already said this but just to reiterate, don’t get in a dogs face! They aren’t toddlers and when your leaning in saying the things that are usually associated with ‘give me a kiss’ you are feeding energy into the dog and he probably was getting anxious and excited and didn’t know what else to do. When he does that correct his behavior until he is calm again (not fearful/more anxious/hiding in the corner). If its a situation that he will be put in a lot (like he nips/bites on the couch) than represent the situation and correct him until he knows how to act (don’t let him run off on a bad note). And only praise him when he actually does things right!
As for you sister, if you ask for it then you deserve what you get. My brother walked around with our JRT puppy on his shoulder and would do things to get her riled up, one day she bit his ear and thats just what had to happen for him to learn he shouldn’t have been doing that in the first place. It sounds like he isn’t comfortable with her and got nervous without you (who he probably DOES view as a pack leader) around. Human problem.
Dogs are just that - DOGS, they aren’t people, and they can’t be trained to respond the way people respond.
Any sudden change in behavior in an adult dog should be checked by a vet first.
This dog sounds like a fear-biter, so I’m not really sure how NILIF is supposed to fix that.
The idea that dogs constantly try to become “dominant” over their owners was discredited years ago.
When it comes to a dog who has bitten hard enough to draw blood twice I think you need to consult an expert behaviorist, not internet advice.
[QUOTE=wendy;5723055]
This dog sounds like a fear-biter, so I’m not really sure how NILIF is supposed to fix that.
.[/QUOTE]
NILF actually works well with fearful/anxious dogs. It lets them know what the expectations are and shapes their behavior, so they feel more confident and less fearful of the “unknown”.
I don’t think they need a behaviorist to figure out why the dog is biting people’s faces…The OP already stated the sister torments the dog, and apparently was putting her face in his (which many dogs feal threatened by/dislike), and that her dad was putting HIS face at the dog trying to get a kiss.
Accept that this dog doesn’t want kisses/faces shoved at him, and stop tormenting him.
Small dogs are frequently fear-aggressive - it takes a lot of chutzpah to be confident when you are all of 10 pounds and you’re surrounded by 150-lb. humans who don’t speak your language and have high expectations of you. Imagine yourself in that situation - living with and dependent on giants who do not know your language (or care to learn it) but have all sorts of demands that you likely do not understand. You would be confused, and scared, right?
This is one reason why “NILIF” works so well - you’re not “putting the dog in its place,” but you’re establishing a language through which you can communicate to the dog. You’re letting the dog know what you want, and showing that when there is a cause and effect relationship such that when the dog does what you want, the dog gets rewarded. The world becomes a lot less scary when the dog knows what to expect, and knows the “rules.” NILIF establishes predictability in human behavior, which allows the dog to trust and be less scared. And if the dog doesn’t feel threatened, the dog won’t bite.
This is a GREAT website with reference on dog body language: http://www.aspcabehavior.org/articles/50/Canine-Body-Language.aspx
I highly highly highly recommend learning about dog “fear signals” so you know when your dog may be feeling threatened and what you may be inadvertently doing that your dog finds frightening.
For example, primates (like humans and monkeys) greet each other by looking straight in the eyes, perhaps kissing, and maybe throwing arms around each other for a hug. In “dog language,” that is the equivalent of donning brass knuckles and waving your fist in someone’s face.
Some dogs can learn “human language” a bit and start to understand that things like eye contact or “kisses” are not meant as threats. Other dogs, particularly those nervous or fearful by nature, have a hard time learning that humans mean no harm with this “offensive/aggressive” behavior.
[QUOTE=jetsmom;5723168]
NILF actually works well with fearful/anxious dogs. It lets them know what the expectations are and shapes their behavior, so they feel more confident and less fearful of the “unknown”.
I don’t think they need a behaviorist to figure out why the dog is biting people’s faces…The OP already stated the sister torments the dog, and apparently was putting her face in his (which many dogs feal threatened by/dislike), and that her dad was putting HIS face at the dog trying to get a kiss.
Accept that this dog doesn’t want kisses/faces shoved at him, and stop tormenting him.[/QUOTE]
Also agree with this post - why is the sister allowed to torment the dog? If you were living in a house with scary giants that made you nervous with their size and noise alone, how would you feel if one of them got their jollies by picking on you? Sounds like now would be a good time to start teaching Sister how and why to NOT be a bully…
thumbs up to both Jetsmom and Cita.
effective communication is simply not happening with this little dog.
any kind of positive reinforcement training to improve communication between dog and owner is useful- one reason I think so many small dogs are so fearful is that often small-dog-owners totally neglect to train the dog, and instead rely on physical force to control the dog (constantly being grabbed and picked up and moved around or being dragged by a leash is certainly not going to reduce a dog’s anxiety).
but a dog whose response to a fearful situation is to go straight to a non-inhibited bite is a potentially very dangerous dog.
If the dog had growled first, or attempted to get away first, or some other reaction BEFORE turning to the non-inhibited bite I would feel more comfortable that the owner can deal with this without on-the-spot expert help.
[QUOTE=wendy;5724190]
If the dog had growled first, or attempted to get away first, or some other reaction BEFORE turning to the non-inhibited bite I would feel more comfortable that the owner can deal with this without on-the-spot expert help.[/QUOTE]That is a very important point - I’d say step #1 is to get Sister to STOP harassing the dog. Step #2 is to get thee to a qualified animal behaviorist to help you through this. Here is one such locator: http://iaabc.org/consultants
I’d be willing to bet a good bit of money that the dog DID give some sort of reaction, but sometimes those reactions can be hard to read if you don’t know what you’re looking for. (Things like the dog looking away, or even simply freezing and/or stiffening, ear position, etc.)
If you’ve lived your life with only “nice” dogs who are tolerant, not fearful, not aggressive, and easily adapt to life with humans, you may think you know a lot about dogs, but may be missing a ton. Like the difference between riding schoolies and Grand Prix horses 
Ask me how I know - I lived 22 years knowing only temperamentally-sound, pleasant, accommodating dogs - I knew how to housebreak them, train them to do fancy tricks, did some agility, etc. etc. etc. I thought I knew it all! Then I got my current dog, who was then a 3-year-old, 8-lb. bundle of fear neuroses and sharp teeth who would growl and bite but also hide and fear-pee if I even raised my voice around him. THEN I really learned about dogs. 
Reading books, spending time on dog forums, and consulting with a couple of canine behaviorists really helped me turn my little dog around. I’d bet you could have the same success with your little one 
[QUOTE=katrgiddens;5722359]
“Clearly” and honestly if that’s all you had to post, was a sentence stating what you think I know, without having a rebuttle to my post, then “clearly” you don’t know much about a forum. Come back with some evidence next time- “so much cooler online”[/QUOTE]
You make absolutely no sense. Why dredge this back up again, anyway? The last post was over 2 1/2 months ago. Looks like this is the only thread you’re posting to.
Why bring it back up? because i can. . . . is that all you have to post…really people i can post my opinion and if my opinion makes no sense or some don’t like it then stick it!:yes:
