So it turns out I am not liking my wifes new dog so much

General General Discussion
1

Not too long ago my wife inherited a 1 year old female Shih Tzu dog thing from a customer who was too old to care for it anymore.

The thing is sweet and gentle, I will give it that. But the problem is that she is a emotional basket case.

When I get home from work, she runs up to me, flips upside down and pees up into the air.

If I talk to her in a voice louder than a whisper, she flips upside down and pees into the air.

I have 2 cats, she likes the cats and wants to get to know them. The problem is that the cats are both larger and cooler than her and do not seem to want to hang or be seen with her.

When she gets near them, they either jump her and run away or stand their ground and hiss and swat at her. She reacts to that by going into a anxiety induced humping frenzy.

At first I was like wow this thing has an identity problem. She really should not be humping things.

I did a little research on line and discovered female dogs do this when they are at the bottom of the pack and feel anxious.

But when she starts she humps anything in sight, my Xbox 360, ankles and one particular stuffed rabbit.

You name it she will hump it. Then when tell her to stop she gets scared and flips upside down and pees into the air.

I can’t give the thing back to the old lady and the wife frowns upon the idea of getting rid of it.

I just have to figure out a way to break her of the humping routine and the flipping upside down and peeing into the air habit.

It needs confidence. I just have to figure out how to give it some. I really really do.

2

How about take it to training? My wife’s sheepdog is a pain in the ass, but she is much better about the neurotic behavior since I took her to obedience training.

The dog, I mean.

3

I second the concept for training.

It will be pretty difficult for you to get it to stop, since any instruction from you will result in the specific behavior you’re trying to end.

Either your wife will have to (assuming the dog will listen to her without flipping over and peeing), or you may have to consider an outside trainer.

My sister has a chihuahua like what you’re describing (without the humping bit). Any time the family gathers there, you can bet the chihuahua’s flipping on its back if anyone even gets close to it.

4

Training and lots and lots of socialization with other dogs. Seriously.

God, I hate small dogs.

5

time for some Dog Whisperer. Need to train it.

6

Actually, yes. Great advice on that show. Dogpark time, too.

7

This is good advice and will help immensely. The bad news is that Shih Tzu’s like many other small breeds will still pee once in a while when they get excited. That just seems to be how most small breeds are.

8

Just leave it in the garage …

(kidding … kidding … mostly …)

9

Very few should even be called “dogs”.

They’ve been bred into little,worthless,dog-like…“Things”.

10

Never bother with a housepet you can’t eat in an emergency. :smiley:

11

Someone has to say it…

It, uh, ran away. :wink:

12

We have a shit tsu in the house, and Id have killed it months ago but we’re watching it for my dad while he is overseas.

Nasty little dogs. Their constant eye leakage stinks like shit, too. I can’t wait for my dad to get back so he can take the thing.

13

I have a strong dislike for shitzoos. And other dogs that look like raggedy little mops.

Dogs above 30lbs? I’m A-OK with. Dogs below 30lbs? Don’t really like them (except for weenie dogs…them be cool)

14

Training. then more training.
Not the cheapo petco kind either. (those can lead to feather frustration
in your dog and everyone around it.)

Ask yourself if you can put a price on not only a calm piece of mind
but turn something you loath into something fun that you might actually
fall in love with.

15

Even well behaved, I think I’d hate that dog.
Teach it to retrieve, open, and properly poor a bottle of ale…I’d tolerate it. That is as much as “furry lap dog” can hope to achieve.

I’m a dog guy, but that only applies to breeds with some redeeming qualities (GSD, Dobermans, Jack Russels, Retrievers, etc).

16

I like the medium to smallish dogs. When they get snippy, you can take 'em. Try that with a larger dog like a mastiff. My dog is a miniature schnauzer, twenty five pounds of a seething white-hot ball of canine fury! Especially if you’re a chipmunk! She’s also a hell of a burglar alarm. :wink:

17

I know. I prefer small dogs myself. I grew up with a Shih Tzu who was 27 pounds of high-octane misanthropy, and I thought he was great.

Small dogs don’t tear up your house nearly as much, don’t eat as much, and are fine alarm dogs. All I require out of a dog is that he wake me up if he hears something, and my small dog does that just fine.

It’s okay to like a small dog, tough guys…it doesn’t shrink your dick.

18

No dog should be tearing up your house…NTM a misbehaved small dog can do an amazing ammount of damage.

Dog food is cheap.

I prefer an “alarm” that doesn’t freak out over it’s own shadow(almost every rat dog I’ve ever been arround) and can actually back up its bark if needed.

19

Diaper.

20

No, but one is going to question your sanity if you like a small dog that also, as an individual, happens to be stupid and generally useless. I know way too many little rat dogs (thankfully not mine) that fit that description, between being unobservant, stupid, hyperactive, pissing all over themselves, and eating their own crap. There are good and bad dogs of all sizes.

And a big dog that isn’t stupid/incontinent is going to be a lot easier on your house than a rat dog that pees every time you sneeze.