Male chow mix snapping

[lischelle]

I really need some help with my male chow mix. We got him about a year and a half ago when he was abandoned with his litter. He was only a week old and we bottle-fed him. He's always been a big baby (he's about 75-80 pounds), but has a lot of the stereotypical chow behavior problems. He hates strangers and will get up in any visitor's face and bark. Once he gets to know you, though, he's a complete teddy bear.

That alone wouldn't be too much of a problem, except he's starting to snap when he's punished. He's been crate trained since he was little. He will go into it without any complaints when we're going out and even will put himself up if he knows what he did was wrong. But more and more often he'll instigate a standoff. He'll bark and growl. If I back off, he'll usually cool off and let me put him up (less so with my husband). But if we stand our ground, or push it, he'll get snappy and aggressive.

I'm not sure whether we should continue to stand our ground despite his behavior or back down. I'm afraid backing down makes him feel he has the upperhand and respects our authority less. I don't think he would ever bite us, but I can't take that chance. We have a 6-month-old baby whom he adores and is nothing but gentle with, though clumsy. But he has yet to warm up to my husband's kids and barks endlessly at them. We can't take any chance with the kids so we can't just let him loose to bark and threaten like he does adults.

Sorry about such a long post. But we really need to get him in check or we'll have to get rid of him. He's my baby, but the family safety comes first.

Any advice?

[NoDogNow]

You can't let him get away with anything.  He's acting the alpha role in your house.  If you let him get away with this, he WILL bite--you and everyone else. This is dangerous behavior for everyone.

He's at that stage where he's testing all the boundaries.  You need to put him on a NILF plan and insist that he obey the rules of the house. 

Don't let him bark at strangers at the door, either. Put him in a sit-stay, and make him learn good door manners.  Growling at strangers is acceptable, but jumping on people is NOT.

[cosmosmama]

I think that every time you back down from him he gets more and more confident with his poor behavior.   
I have a Husky X that gets her nose out of joint every so often.  I find that if I do things that put her in check she is a nicer dog.  Keeping in mind though, she has never snapped at me. 
One thing I do is take away and give back her food randomly so she is sure that I am the food source.  I also put her in a submissive position (on her side) when she starts biting the other dogs while they are playing.  I also point her to her bed when she does owly growly stuff towards the kids or other dogs.  If she doesn't go I wait her out. 
I think some dogs do more things out of fear than we realize.  My parents Chow Chow would run and hide when strangers came over. 
As far as your husband's kids.....  have them HAND feed your dog.  Whenever they are at your house only feed him this way until the barking stops.
Hope it helps.  It is really scary and sad when growling and snapping start.  You may also want to take him to the vet and make sure there are no medical issues.
Good luck,
Krista

[Gypsy Jazmine]

Hi & welcome to BPO!...I am sorry you had to seek us out because of the problems you are having with your dog but lets try to work through them & then you can enjoy your time here!
You mnetioned that your dog is your baby & though I can certainly understand feeling that way (believe me I can!...it is very easy to spoil & let me 3 fluff butts get away with things they shouldn't! )your dog still needs to be treated like a dog & know his place in the pack (your family)or he will just follow his natural instincts regarding heirarchy...Th is is the best article I've found regarding these types of problems you are having & I believe it covers everything...R ead it completely & follow the advise there & you should see pretty quick results...You must be consistant though!...It may not be easy but it also may be the difference in keeping your fur friend in your family & having to rehome him or worst if he does "go over" the possibility of eventual euthanisation. ..This is important to me personally as in June we had to have our dear Rosie put to sleep after 6 & 1/2 months of trying to help her overcome aggression issues...She was a rescue with unknown background & was already too damaged by the time we got her to save her...She ended up attacking my 6 yr. old niece who received 4 stitches in her head due to the attack...She most likely had mental problems too but it was evident (as per our behaivorist & my own observations) that she had been badly mistreated & unsocialized.. .Nobody probably ever told her where her place was & gave her that security & sadly she did not overcome this.
Anyway, here is the link to the article...Plea se let us know if there is anything else we can do to help...Good luck & I will send a prayer for you that you get your furry friend straightened out!
http://www.chowwelfare.com/cciw/alpha.htm
Also, I am adding a pic of Rosie...We miss her so much.

[sc.trojans]

This is behavior bigger than a simple short answer list like this.  You definitely need a good behaviorist to work with you.  Try Pat Miller's Yahoo discussion group - Peaceable Paws - she is an excellent certified behaviorist and has a ton of trainers on her group.  Pat can help you work with your dog without increasing his defensiveness.  It is critical not to "stand your ground" or do any aversive moves that heightens his tension, vulnerability or reasons to feel defensive - this is after all why a dog growls and serves as a warning.

I also recommend Patricia McConnell's books, she has several including Feisty Fido, The Other End of the Leash, and a brand new one coming out this month and they address a lot of communication, relationship, and dominance issues.

Turid Rugaas has an excellent book dealing with calming signals and the behaviors of dogs - a must have for anyone to truly understand how they communicate and their body language.  This may also help.