[intuition]

as you guys know i have that foster chi lol. and he's a handful and we are trying to rehabilitate him over his fear of strangers and resource guarding. we're actually making decent strides on both counts.

But the question i pose, is do any of you have a pain in the butt chi? Duke has some serious attitude sometimes. And where as salem is generally attitude free except for the " you want me to come to you? pfffftttt *wanders away*".Duke on the other hand. is a warner. He growls and tells you that he doesn't like something. although he picks random things to not like at any given time. I don't mind warning growls, in fact i prefer them to just eating me lol. but i just wanted to know if anyone else had a chi that was just a cranky butt. I'm kinda trying to see if this is tied in with his other "issues" or if there are just some chi's out there that are a pain lol.

an example, sometimes i can grab him, and flip him on his back like a baby for cuddles and scritches, most of the time, he's dandy he loves it and falls asleep, or tucks his head under my chin. Once in awhile he growls at me, no teeth just a note to me that he dun like this. I'm perfectly capable of realizing that maybe he just doesn't wnat that right now, its just hard to gauge mr grumpy pants. Sometimes i go to put him off my lap and he'll growl, but he wanted down anyway, just didn't want to be put down ( yea my bad let the dog get off onhis own lol ) and sometimes when we go to go outside, i pick him up ( so kira doesn't run him over), he growls. also randomly while petting. he doesn't like kira, but i think thats a size thing, so i don't know how much is brought on by his anxiety about her.

i dunno i rambled as i am known to do ?

 

[chideb]

Just a thought, and I know I am not answering your question..lol but, it seems all of his growls are at times he is being picked up/handled?

sometimes i can grab him, and flip him on his back like a baby ~ Sometimes i go to put him off my lap and he'll growl ~ and sometimes when we go to go outside, i pick him up ~ also randomly while petting

Is it possible he has tender spot or some type of physical discomfort at the time he is growling?

 

[Zippy]

Most of the time I love when my wife comes up behind me and puts her arms around me. Sometimes, though, I'm not feeling all that well or am a bit grumpy about something or other and I don't appreciate it at that moment. Sometimes I even growl in my own way. I wouldn't expect a dog to be much different.

I've been surprised to learn through Zippy how much dogs really can communicate their needs through various actions and sounds. The random growl here or there seems like a communication tool that says, "Not right now, thank you". It gets the point across without being overly aggressive. It is certainly much, much better than a nip. Personally, I wouldn't be too concerned unless it escalates.

 

[intuition]

Yea i'm not overly concerned, as unless i mistake teh warning growl for play growl, no teeth are ever involved. I was mostly just wondering if anyone else had a "vocal" dog, i guess which would have been a better explanation i suppose then attitude. most of his "no not now" growls are directly attributed to his mood. when he doesn't sleep well at night ( one night an open window banged open the door like 10 times in a few hours setting him and everyone else off) he gets worse. I'm starting to think, after reflecting, that he isn't much outta the puppy stage, and this may be the equivalent of the terrible twos lol. lack of sleep cranky baby. he is one, but i'm getting a sense of a lot of kennel time in his life, and where as he doesn't mind the kennel, he def. doesn't look to be enclosed by anything blankets or anything.

It could just be the great two days we've had, as far as his attitude, but i'm less negative now lol, so i have a different view ( attitude vs vocal) its been extremely stressful for me lately and i'm just trying to do right by him and wanted to pick peoples brains thanks!

 

[intuition]

Just a thought, and I know I am not answering your question..lol but, it seems all of his growls are at times he is being picked up/handled?

sometimes i can grab him, and flip him on his back like a baby ~ Sometimes i go to put him off my lap and he'll growl ~ and sometimes when we go to go outside, i pick him up ~ also randomly while petting

Is it possible he has tender spot or some type of physical discomfort at the time he is growling?

I've done all over rubs, and manipulated as best i could in that moment. he tends to tense up his legs when he's cranky. I do know he thinks he's a cat, and climbs and jumps EVERYTHING. so where as i am sure he has no continual ailment or hurt, the possibility that at that time he may have tweaked a leg, or ran into a chair or something equally as silly is pretty probable LOL. he's a puppy and a clutz, and have caught him trying to do Border collie tricks with tennis balls on linoleum ( mind you he does that himself, he throws his own ball -_- ) but never to the point where i've found an actual sore spot. but like i said thats a pretty good point.

Some of it IS kira. where he tolerates her, and there isn't fighting or anything, he really would prefer that the big dog not be here. its random what he decides he needs to watch her for, usually food related. but he just has to watch her and me holding him takes his attention away. but i do it anyway cause its not appropriate to stare down and follow her lol. he's a sizest i think I think some of it she's an aussie and tries to herd them, LOL. don't think he takes that well

 

[kimr]

I have a 'vocal' dog. He's half Chi, half Cairn terrier, and he is a rescue.

He was abused in his former home, so we've really had to work with him alot. We've gotten him out of alot of his behaviour issues, such as biting and barking at everything that moves, but he's always going to be a growler.

If I turn over in bed and disturb him, he growls.

Other than that, I can do pretty much anything I want to with him. He loves his hugs and kisses from Mommy, but my husband gets told off now and then. Pedro will growl if my OH tries to hug him, or pull him towards him. (The good news is that he used to bite him, and doesn't anymore!) My OH kisses him on top of the head now and then - sometimes he will cut his eyes up and growl at him over that.

When he's too pooped for Gracie's antics, he growls at her to tell her it's time to stop.

We've accepted it as his way of communicating. And, Pedro is like your foster, it's random and you never know when he's going to like or dislike something, but we're so thrilled that he no longer bites, we can handle a growl now and then!

My husband has actually jokingly diagnosed him as bipolar.

 

[Zippy]

My husband has actually jokingly diagnosed him as bipolar.

There are Chihuahuas that AREN'T bipolar?!?

 

[svdreamer]

My lot use a low growl to communicate to each other all the time. Don't jump on me when I am under the covers, don't lay with me in this dog bed, etc. Except for Tico, it never gets violent. Sometimes, if I disturb him to suddenly or if he doesn't really want his eye drops in the morning, Tico will give me a brief low growl. Billy has started something, if he is jumping up on my leg to be picked up and another dog will come over to, he will growl at them. Very briefly and sort of under his breath. The other dog will totally ignore him. If it goes on a while, he will reach over and gently take in some skin and kinda tug on it and growl. They still ignore him. lol I know I shouldn't but I think it's kinds cute.

 

[kimr]

There are Chihuahuas that AREN'T bipolar?!?

Good point!

 

[intuition]

I have a 'vocal' dog. He's half Chi, half Cairn terrier, and he is a rescue.

He was abused in his former home, so we've really had to work with him alot. We've gotten him out of alot of his behaviour issues, such as biting and barking at everything that moves, but he's always going to be a growler.

If I turn over in bed and disturb him, he growls.

Other than that, I can do pretty much anything I want to with him. He loves his hugs and kisses from Mommy, but my husband gets told off now and then. Pedro will growl if my OH tries to hug him, or pull him towards him. (The good news is that he used to bite him, and doesn't anymore!) My OH kisses him on top of the head now and then - sometimes he will cut his eyes up and growl at him over that.

When he's too pooped for Gracie's antics, he growls at her to tell her it's time to stop.

We've accepted it as his way of communicating. And, Pedro is like your foster, it's random and you never know when he's going to like or dislike something, but we're so thrilled that he no longer bites, we can handle a growl now and then!

My husband has actually jokingly diagnosed him as bipolar.

haha duke has only bit twice, luckily. one was when i didn't realize how much he was resource guarding, and he got yelled at at a few moments later my husband tried to pet him from behind and it scared the living hell outta Duke and he turned and got some skin lol, I think he was still all tense from the freak out. The resource guarding though is next to nil now with some trading up training. if i have to take away a bully stick he gets some nummy hotdog and its all good. he now brings me his bully stick for "fetch" lol.
the other time was when we were seeing his threshold for strangers, some chi's just need to be put in someones lap and they are better, but its that initial hump of getting there, so i tried it. yea no, he's not one o those chi's LOL.

all the posts help put me at ease, and your's seems the most like duke, minus the initial biting stages. I'm learning to love it, and chocking it up to the bipolar-ness that is chi's i'm hoping my mom will too