# Behavioural problem - Bichon Frise & protection of owners with other dogs



## HarrietMeissner (Jun 13, 2009)

Hello,

We recently re=homed a 3 yr old Bichon Frise and to start with he has been completely perfect around all people and other dogs, however lately now he has settled in a bit he has started to growl and attack other dogs when they come near me or my partner.....! Please can anyone help and advise what to do?

Thank you.

Harriet


----------



## bichonsrus (May 16, 2009)

well i think he probably likes you two alot and wants to protect you. My bichons are very protective of me too although it sounds as though he is a little over protective by what he is doing. A bit of training is needed, i know its difficult if you dont know his previous history, introducing him to people (find a willing victim who would be happy to help lol) and the same with people with other dogs to introduce him to other dogs etc. Take it slowly and im sure he will get over this with a little training.


----------



## catz4m8z (Aug 27, 2008)

Im not an expert but Id probably make sure he knows his place in the pack. Sometimes aggression and guarding can be coz the dog thinks it is responsible for its pack. Do a little bit of NILIF, even just demanding a sit before being given a treat or toy can help. (oh, I mean the dog not you....)


----------



## goodvic2 (Nov 23, 2008)

Hi, welcome to the forum and congratulations for taking on this dog.

There are a couple of reasons why your dog is behaving like this.
1) Nervous aggression - he is fearful of other dogs and is protecting himself and you.
2) He believes he is the pack leader and is protecting you.

The only reason a dog protects the owner is because the owner is not protecting the dog (in their eyes).

You need to realign your pack, with the humans at the top and the dog at the bottom. Nip this in the bud early, before the bad behaviour becomes the norm. Once a dog is used to behaving a certain way, it becomes much harder to get them to stop.

Could it be possible that your dog is nervous of other dogs and is trying to protect himself as well? If it is a case of nervous aggression then you need to treat it different.

I always recommend practicing being a pack leader, as by being the boss, this can only help.

Maybe try taking him to socialisation classes.

If you haven't already, read up on dog behaviours. I recommend Cesar Milan and Jan Fennell. They are interesting reads and give a big insight into their psychology.

Without stating the obvious, dogs do not speak our language and unless we learn to communicate in a way they understand, how can we deal with their problems? When they misbehave they are doing it for a reason, we must ensure we know why.

Best of luck x


----------



## HarrietMeissner (Jun 13, 2009)

Thanks for all your advice. 

I think we need to incorporate some more training in regards to whose leader and the socialisation classes sound like a great idea to start this off. Unfortunately it's just going to be a little more hard work being that we do not know his history but I'm sure after a while he will sort himself out.

Many thanks
Harriet


----------



## goodvic2 (Nov 23, 2008)

Just bare in mind that training classes do what they say on the tin, "train". When you have a dog who has behavioural problems, training classes alone will not solve them. By all means give them a go as you may learn something, but they may not help to solve your particular problem x


----------

