my pomeranian is "territorial" over me...?

Question

we have a 5 y/o yorkie (male) and a 1.5 y/o teacup pomeranian (female). I'm at home full-time and my husband and 2 kids are gone every day for most of the day, so i spend a lot of time with the dogs... anyway... my pom is REALLY clingy & jealous of anyone that comes near me. when my husband or kids come to give me a kiss goodnight or bye for the day, she growls at them and occasionally "snaps" at their noses (although she CLEARLY doesn't want to hurt them!). When our yorkie comes to cuddle with me, she jumps up in my lap immediately and pushes in front of him (which he doesn't seem to mind, as i always pet him, too.) I know it's terrible, but I can't help help felling a little "flattered" that she's so protective of me. Everyone here thinks it's really cute & harmless, because she's so tiny... but I worry that it may get out of hand someday. I always tell her "NO" and scold her, but it never helps at all. Do I need to worry about this? If so, any tips on how to "fix" it?Thanx!

Answer 1

She's doing it because she's a dominant personality. The trouble with toys is that people think their bad behaviour is cute and it escalates until the dog bites someone.

You need to make it clear to her each and every time that her behaviour is not acceptable. If telling her no won't stop her it's because she doesn't recognize you as an authority figure and you need to change that. Put her in a sit-stay before she gets to the point of snapping at anyone. If she won't listen, take her to obedience where someone can teach you how to train your dog. You need to make her obey each command you give and correct her for not obeying - consistently.

Answer 2

As cute as these little dogs are, people are the ones that cause these problems. If you don't stop it soon, someone (probably one of your kids) WILL get hurt. These types of dogs are notorious for biting. The dogs are viewing you as "their property", not as their "owner". Do not tolerate ANY aggressive behavior from either one. If the Pom is in your lap and shows ANY aggressive behavior, reprimand her immediately - tell her no very gruffly and PUSH her off of your lap. You are not going to hurt her by doing this. She ONLY gets to be on your lap if she behaves. I would also recommend that your husband (maybe the kids, but it depends on their ages) start showing your dogs who is boss. You may spend more time with the dogs than he does, but he is still the boss, not them. He should be able to take the dog out of your lap and hug you without the dogs making a sound. I would also seriously recommend seeking out a professional dog trainer in your area to help with this. It is not a hard thing to correct, but it does require the owner to change his/her behavior.

Answer 3

The dog is not protecting you - she is telling all that you are her possession and she doesn't want to share you. As far as I am concerned, this is a huge problem, especially because there are children in the house (and I am assuming they have friends over). Unless you like being treated like a rawhide, of course.

Keep in mind that dogs are very adept at reading our emotions. You may be correcting the dog, but if you kind of like what she's doing, she knows it and is not going to take you seriously. Also, if the person she snaps at thinks it's cute and smiles or laughs, she is getting reinforced.

I strongly recommend that you work with a private trainer to learn how to manage her and to change her behavior.

Answer 4

In addition to seeking help from a professional trainer in your area, you need to stop being flattered that your dog considers you an equal, her partner in life. This spot is reserved for your husband. You are right that this behavior will someday get out of hand and someone, probably your kids, will be bitten.

You need to work on alpha training with your girl to remind her that she is a dog, not your equal.

The following is a list of alpha rules and a small explanation as to why they exist. Rules 1 – 7 should always be followed to maintain your alpha status. If your dog has behavior problems, all rules should be enforced fully.

1) Dogs eat after humans. After your meal is done, then feed the dog. If your schedule doesn’t permit this, pretend to eat out of the dog’s dish before putting it down.
* Alphas eat first, subordinates wait until alpha is finished and they get what is left over.
2) Dogs don’t get on furniture unless invited. They don’t sit on the back of the couch/chair with their head higher than the human.
* Alphas get the highest resting spots, the best vantage points.
3) Dogs don’t sleep in beds with humans. If the dog is being particularly difficult, they don’t sleep in the bedroom at all.
* Alphas get the most secure sleeping spots, with underlings sleeping elsewhere.
4) Dogs don’t go out doors/down stairs/down narrow hallways in front of humans. If necessary, attach a short lead to the dog and hold him behind you while teaching this.
* Alpha leads the way, always.
5) Dogs move out of the way if a human is approaching and the dog is in the path. Order the dog to move, gently nudging him if needed.
* Alpha doesn’t have to walk around or step over subordinates…make way for the king!
6) Dogs get petted from the top down. Top of the muzzle, not under the chin. There should especially be no kissy-face to the dog’s chin!
* Alphas show affection from top down…underlings show submission by licking chins.
7) Dogs get obedience training and learn to follow the first command given.
* Alphas tell underlings what to do and don’t repeat themselves
8) Dogs get petted on human terms. For each 3 or 4 times the dog asks to be petted, tell him he has to wait. After two or three minutes, then call him over and pet him. Humans always end the petting session, with a verbal signal, like, ‘OK, enough now’.
* Alphas dole out affection on their terms, not upon the demand of the underlings.
9) No tug-of-war or other power games, especially involving children and dogs. The only time such games should be played is if the human never loses, never even starts to lose, and the human ends the game.
* Alphas don’t play power games. They win contests, but they don’t play if there’s a chance they will lose.
10) Dogs are ordered to lie down and stay for 3 – 5 minutes at least once a day. (This is usually performed with problem dogs)
* Alphas do this to challengers simply to prove they are the ruler

The above rules are not difficult to follow. Once you have begun doing them, they will simply become a part of daily life, and you won’t even realize you are doing them. Your dog will, though. These rules send routine messages to him that you are in charge.

Answer 5

Pomeranians are instictly very loyal to their humans. You have to firm with it to make it see that other people are ok to be with you.

On the otherhand, in the apartment below mine there lives a little bastard pomeranian which always tries to fight my 110 lb german shepherd.

Answer 6

well the best advice i can give you is to watch Dog Whisperer on the National Geographic channel.
sometimes they show episodes on those kind of problems.
what i've learned is when they start to act up, saying no doesnt really help because they dont understand you as much as it seems like they do.