angry puggle

[pug3]

hi. i have a 5 year old male puggle. he is  super active, loving, and fun. when it comes time for us to go to bed, he gets very angry. he sleeps in bed with me but when i go to get him off of the couch, he growls and snarls at me. has anyone ever had this problem? anyone have any advice to stop him from being so angry? thanks.

[misstheoldher]

gilly good to know.. thanks for sharing.. i have a 2 year old puggle and she never acts that way.. if anything she is ready for bed before i am =)

[Margot49]

Ghilly is right and that is not acceptable behavior.
Look up NILF (nothing in life is free).  I would start that training asap.

[Ghilly]

Your dog is reacting as though he is the leader of the pack and he needs to be put into place.  

The first rule (and you're not going to like this one but it's imperative if he is to get to realize that he's NOT the king of the castle) he cannot sleep in your bed.  You can put a bed for him on the floor next to your own bed, but he must sleep in that and not in your bed.

To further drive home the idea that you are the boss, when you feed him his dinner, before you put the bowl down, pretend to eat from the bowl yourself, and make sure he watches you do this.  In pack dynamics, the leader of the pack eats first and the subordinates get the leftovers, so by you "eating" first, you are letting him know that he is your underling.  

You can Google "wolf pack dynamics" to get some more ideas on how to mimic pack dynamics in your own home.  By adaptingthese things and incorporating them into your own daily routine you can let him know in a language he understands that his behavior is unacceptable and that he needs to change it.

We have several regular posters here who are excellent when it comes to behavioral issues, I am sure they will weigh in sometime in the near future with some more suggestions for you.  

Ghilly

[specialmom]

My dog did this type of thing early on when we got her.  I looked at it like she was feeling a bit 'entitled'.  I have young kids, so in our house, doggie needs to feel loved but not be the boss.  I don't want her nipping one of the kids in a territorial kind of way.  

So, when my dog did this type of thing, I would tell her no and use my 'shaming' voice.  Then we would give her the 'cold shoulder'.   No one would look at or talk to her.  Oh, how she hates this.  Very effective tool with dogs.  

I read many years ago that dogs by instinctual nature are 'pack animals'.  There is always a pack leader and dogs will follow or if they feel there is no leader, they try to take on the job.  So, as it sounds weird, I try to be my dog's pack leader.  I go in and out of doors before her, have her sit and watch as I get her food, make it clear that I'm the boss.  

I will say ---  could this not be bipassed by calling your dog off the couch in a friendly way, "time for bed!"?  I am careful about jostling a sleeping dog.  Some will react badly to this----  I think Marth Stewart was bit in the face by her own beloved dogs by surprising them in their sleep.  

Another option is to just go to bed.  Dogs usually just get up and follow eventually.  

I love my dog like she is one of my kids.  I'm sure you feel the same.  good luck