Dog vs Dog?

Question

okay, I have a 7 month old mini dachshund. and hes a great royal pain, but my husband and I wish to get bigger dogs. But I am afraid with how my Mini dachshund is, he growls and shows fangs to people and other dogs and is a complete pansy I must say to anything else, he knows I am alpha over him but when I correct him he goes running to my husband whimpering up a storm and my husband being so great that he is, babies him and scolds me for correcting him so harshly infront of him, is this why my dog is the way he is? and is it bad for me to get another dog with having this monster of a rat in my household? * I love my dog just call him names when he ticks me off :)*

my mini goes to our buisness everyday, where dogs and people are welcome, he is a pansy because he will bark and growl at a dog but if it so much as sniffs at him he runs with his tail between his legs yelping to one of us, I dont pick him up and tell him to go socailize my husband does because he is afraid he will get " hurt" and none of the dogs that come in are agressive or anything, there sweet dogs. I only got a small dog to tell the truth because I couldnt get a big one at the time and regret every minute of it, but I refuse to get rid of my dog because I got it from my mother-in-law and would feel horrable if I told her I cant stand him.

another problem is my husband wont let me get rid of him, I told him I cant stand the dog he is ruining us because we fight over him when I say I hate when he does that and tell the dog to go lay down and my husband will freak on me for being so " cruel" to a cute dog. the only reason my husband can stand him is because he is a cute dog in the face and some of the little dog things he does, my mother in law actually treats her dogs like there royalty and I try to treat mine like a dog and part of the family, but I guess thats not enough for my husband. This dog has been to classes and all he did was shove his tail between his legs and growl and show teeth at all the other dogs before having me drag him around on the leash across the floor because he wouldnt walk and I refused to pick him up and let him think that he won on going to classes, I am not waiting I told my husband to get my other dog befor putting that monster into anymore classes because money wise its not worth it.

** I am Waiting

Answer 1

Hey there. Sounds like your Dachsie is in the process of training your husband to be on his team. That's fine if you don't care about the aggression he shows to other people, and dogs - but someday his behavior will blow up into a big problem. Even though he is little, he may cause an expensive vet visit for another dog, or an injury to a child. I'm sure you'd like to avoid this! Lawsuits certainly wouldn't be much fun.
Yes, your dog is being rewarded for avoiding you when you try to show him the consequences of his "bad" behavior. Yes, this is what's making you call him a "monster"! If you and your husband could check in with each other and possibly hire a dog behaviorist to come over to assess the situation, you'll both have a clearer picture of how you'd like your dog to behave. While you're getting in touch with a behaviorist, try a Google search on "Nothing In Life Is Free" - a behavior modification program for dogs that is positive and brings results quickly without need of harsh corrections. When you and your husband take the steps to change your dog's behavior, you will see changes and you won't be so frustrated. It will be great to hear you talk about your "fun and feisty" Doxie someday!

* edit * : if you are truly unhappy with your little dog, can't you find a better home for him? Resenting a dog has never led to training breakthroughs - right?

Answer 2

my fear for you is that if you get a bigger dog, this big dog will start acting the same way your little dachshund is acting. and being a bigger dog, the consequences of growling (which might lead to biting), will be more severe!

also, if you scold your little dog, your husband should support you (it's discipline, i'ts not being mean!), and should not baby him! you and your husband should take your dog to obedience classes, and i'm sure that that will help stop the worst of your problems and help you to enjoy your dog more!

and secondly, i think your dog needs to be socialized more - he should be around big dogs and different people more often to help him see that other dogs and other people are ok! take your dog to the park or downtown or anywhere you can!

but most importantly, get obedience classes for your first dog before you even think about getting a second dog!

Answer 3

Your dog acks like a pansy because your husband . Mine does the same thing. But as far as getting a larger breed go ahead scare the daylights out of him. No I am just kidding don't scare him. Get your larger breed as a puppy and your little guy will get over himself . He is still a puppy himself.