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I have a silky terrorist named Angus and he is quite a character, but he refuses to have another dog in the family. So far, we have been through 3 dogs and had to find homes each time, because Angus could not get along with them. They were different breeds so I am wondering if Angus just likes his own kind even though he has never met one! He doesn't even like the Shih Tzu down the street and that is more his size.
My sister has a Yorkie who is just precious and that is also her name!!! She has 2 cats for her siblings and loves them. They all travel in a motorhome on vacation so Precious has learned how to use the cat's litter box so that makes it really nice when traveling. She only weighs about 5 pounds. Needless to say she is also spoiled rotten. But what else is new? That's what pets are made for. Good luck on finding a companion for Angus!!
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Originally posted by annibale16:
I have a silky terrorist named Angus and he is quite a character, but he refuses to have another dog in the family. So far, we have been through 3 dogs and had to find homes each time, because Angus could not get along with them. They were different breeds so I am wondering if Angus just likes his own kind even though he has never met one! He doesn't even like the Shih Tzu down the street and that is more his size.
Silkies can be very territorial when it comes to other dogs. I think the main reason is that they don't think that they are dogs and the sight of another dog reminds them that there is a possibility that they are not human. They must get the vermin out of their sight in order to restore their general view of the universe, with them at the center, of course!
Silky Terrorists usually get along with other silkies, but your best bet is to get a female of any breed. The males tend to defend their "turf" quite vigorously from other males.
There are a few rules that can be followed to help Angus feel more comfortable with a new dog. Introduce any new dog slowly (over the course of days or weeks if possible) and only give the new dog attention and coddling when the Silky Terrorist is off doing something else. Silkies are also prone to jealousy, as are most lap dogs, and premature acceptance and attention in their presence will exacerbate the problem. Keep the new dog crated when you are not home if Angus is allowed free reign. This will show Angus and the new dog that the new dog is of lower status than he is. Always feed Angus first: make sure the other dog does not eat until Angus is completely finished. He obviosly knows that he is top dog and will take offense to any other dog that tries to eat before or at the same time he does. If Angus sleeps in your bed, do not let the other dog sleep there until Angus lets it. This is a status thing as well and eventually, if he learns to like the other dog, he will allow some leeway to the other dog. Unfortunately you will relegate the new dog to second-class status, but this will be necessary to keep the peace.
Oh, and submission roll Angus every once in a while. If he does not allow any other dog to live in your house, he belives that he is the Alpha dog. By getting rid of the other dog you are telling him that if he misbehaves, he calls the shots and you will bow to his whim. Submission rolling him will clearly show him that you, not he, make the rules. If he fights you, you know that he thinks of you as a subordinate in your family pack! (Just don't roll him in the presence of the other dog until after he accepts the other dog. You can roll the other dog in his presence, however.)
Good luck and I hope it helps!
Thanks to Sophie's Daddy for the advice on Angus. It makes a lot of sense. However, I am not familiar with submissive rolling.
Please explain how to do this.
Thanks!
A submission roll is done as follows:
- Get your dog in your general area so that you can easily reach out and postition him.
- Kneel down and postion your dog so that his side is facing you and he is at your knees.
- Reach your arms around his rear and his chest and grasp the top of his front and rear legs.
- In one smooth motion, pull the dog to your chest while leaning forward to the floor. The dog should end up on his side with your chest holding him down.
- Hold him in this position until he lies still. Do not pet him while he is down, just hold him there and relax him. Repeat a command like "easy" in a calm voice until he calms down. As soon as he stops fighting and lies still, relase him with a release word like "o.k." or "done" followed by an enthusiastic "Good Boy!"
(Do not use a word that you commonly use as your release word. For example, if you say o.k. often in regular conversation, don't use it to release your dog.)- When he automatically lies still when you roll him, sit up while holding him with one hand and roll him completely onto his back. Once again, do not pet him, just hold him there. Keep repeating the calming word. Release him when he holds still, again with your release word and an enthusiastic "Good Boy!" If he tries to get away, lean over and hold him with your chest again until he calms down.
- Once you can roll him on his back and hold him with one hand, start working on holding him for longer periods of time. If you can hold him on his back with one hand for 30 seconds to one minute, he has accepted you as boss. From here on in, he will respect you as the pack leader and you should have no problem just pushing him over and holding him there if he is being a bad boy. It is still good measure to roll him periodically to reinforce your dominance.
You have just learned a little bit of dog language. This behavior is what a dominant wolf or dog would strive for in the wild as a show of dominance over a subservient wolf or dog. They would grasp the other dog or wolf by the neck with their mouth, however, which is even more intimidating as the winner would have the option of killing his or her opponent should he so desire. I don't suggest that you do this as you will get dog hair in your mouth and your dog's neck would get all wet. http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/wink.gif
*note*
Some dogs take offense to even the process of you reaching around or being picked up. Even so, you are the boss, so he has to go through with it. If you relent, he wins and he will perceive you as the underling. You must follow through with the exercise no matter how much he fights!
Sophies daddy,
Thank you for the rolling technique I can't wait to try it. I definitely need to get the upper hand on Angus!
My nieghbor has a Yorky named "Buttons."It's a bit snipy with certain people but it's sweet to me.It has a little red bow on it's head.It's so cute!
My nieghbor has a Yorky named "Buttons."It's a bit snipy with certain people but it's sweet to me.It has a little red bow on it's head.It's so cute!
I know this may soung a little wierd,but try a bigger dog.Often times,bigger dogs our gentler.Our neighbor(an expierianced dog person)has a Jack Russel Terrier and a Golden Retriever.Or maby it's just that you spend soooo much time with him,your just being to good an owner!Also,did you get you puppy from aa breeder?As a puppy,did it have anough proper social interaction? You might want to think this through.
no