[stefoni82]

The little Chi we have now had for four days is still baffling me. Yesterday he was a little angel. No barking or growl at the other dogs at all. He even refused to sleep in his own bed and snuggled with the boxers in theirs. Today he was a little grump, barking and snapping at the other dogs and he bit me when I cleaned his ears. Then I gave him this little bone treat while he was napping in his crate while I went to the store. When I got back and opened his cage, he wanted to stay in there, so I just let him. He came out an hour later and seemed in a better mood after his nap. Then he went and retrieved his treat from his cage and put it up on the arm chair with him and went to take a nap again. My boxer pup was sticking her head in his crate smelling and he got so mad at her. He came off the chair barking and growling and got between her and his crate. She would walk off and he would get back in the chair and she would come back and they went on and on until I closed the crate so she couldn't put her head in and he seemed pleased with that. Well, then Zoe was just looking up at him and his treat and he would get mad again and chase her off. He finally ate the treat and there was no more fighting until it was play time. We were playing rope tug and he got upset and ran over to snap at the other dogs. So I got the small rope toy and played tug with him until he had enough and then the other dogs got to play with me without being hassled by him. Anyway, I think he is a very funny dog, but I can't quite figure out his personality yet because it seems to change with the day. I am think he has muliple ones! :lol:

Anyway I finally came up with a name for him. It's Sharky. My husband says it is a good name because he has a ridge of hair sticking up on top of his head that looks like a sharks fin, but I say it is because he acts like a shark (always snapping and biting at everyone) :lol: .

 

[Ms_P]

It's not hard to figure out.
He's the new guy on the block and on top of that the smallest.
He's just protecting what he considers his, saying "this is mine and if you try to take it I'll fight you for it".
As far as him biting you when you were cleaning his ears, 4 days is not enough time to build up his trust. He still doesn't know that you are not going to hurt him.
It will probably take several weeks before he feels like he is a part of the family.

 

[SC]

I agree with Ms P. Plus treats seem to bring out the worst in a lot of dogs when there are other dogs around. I use to have to the sweetest chi except when I gave her a treat. OMG! She turned into a terror! She would take it under the bed and leave it there for days!!! Anytime we went near the bed :shock: . We finally learned to block off all the rooms and make sure she ate her treat right away. :roll:

Be patient and you all will get the hang of eachother. :wave: I like the name Sharky.

 

[KB]

Yeah he needs more time....and his crate is his area that is why he got so upset. It will take time and patience. Ususally you keep the dogs fairly separated until a week or so has gone by unless you can watch them 24/7
Good luck..... :wave:

 

[Tinker]

I agree completely. Give him time to learn that this really is home and that you love him and would never hurt him and he'll settle down soon. About the crate and the treats, many Chi's are very territorial about what is theirs and don't ever learn to share well. He may or may not be one of them. Right now he is just because he's the new kid.

 

[latenight423]

It's a long message ....

My Dobbie is a "rescue" Chi from the Houston SPCA who came to live with me on June 1, 2004. His original owners supposedly turned him in because they had a new baby. I say "supposedly" because he was SO AFRAID of men when I first got him that I believe he was abused by a man.

He was only at the SPCA about 6-8 days but he was very untrusting at first. They have a 3 day evaluation period, then they put pups out for adoption. Dobbie immediately started throwing up from nerves, so they put him back for another 3 day eval period. At the time, my daughter worked at the SPCA and kept bugging me to come see this dog she called "perfect for me". I knew that if I went in, I would end up with a dog and wasn't sure that I wanted one. However, when he was due to go back out for adoption, she called me and said, "If you really want a Chi, this is the one for you. You've got to see him." My relationship with my daughter is important to me so I decided that I had to "at least" go and see the dog. When Lee (my daughter) brought him in to me, he was so scared that he ran up my shoulder, standing there just shaking. That did it. HE WAS MY DOG!

His behavior was always good, but he would shy away from being picked up, reached for, etc. Any sudden moves on my part and he would skitter away fast. But then when I was sitting still, he would come and crawl up alongside of me. We would go for our walks and if a man approached, he would cower and get behind me. Inside my apartment, he would prance around and play with me as long as he didn't feel threatened. The moment I made any sudden moves, he was GONE. The carpet under my dining room table got a lot of use because he would lay under there and watch me... just watch.

Gradually, he lost his fear of me and he is my best buddy. I come home and he meets me at the door bouncing about three feet straight up into the air. He sleeps beside me, under the covers. Stands beside me when I eat; and if I am eating at the coffee table, he stands beside me with his front feet on my knee and b-e-g-s with those big eyes... How do you resist that.

And kids? He LOVES kids. Dobbie and I sometimes keep a co-workers boys and he belives they are the best thing ever. And of course, they love Dobbie! The oldest boy told his mom that he "had a dog," and "it's Dobbie!" I even trim Dobbie's nails myself, holding him in the bend of my arm and using my hands to hold his little paw. He sits so still and sweet.

I am so glad I went to the SPCA that day.

 

[stefoni82]

This is just all so new to me as I own boxers and they have such different personalities than this guy. I guess maybe when you are so small you have to be cautious of everything bigger than you and we know nothing of his background, so who knows what he was treated like before. I know he needs more time to adjust, I guess I just got over excited when he acted so good the other day. I do keep the dogs separated if I am not there in the room with them, and when I am there he is up on the couch sleeping on me (no big dogs allowed up there) :lol:. He is a really sweet dog and I can tell he is really trying to learn how he should act to fit in around here. His snapping and growling isn't actually scaring any of us around here, I just can't wait until he starts to trust everyone and have fun with all of us! I will just have to try and take it slower with him.