As we've moved from an agrarian society to an urban one, the average pet owner has little experience with animals or animal behaviors. (I'm a product of the 60's --beef, pork, and chicken come in Saran wrapped, Styrofoam containers, vegetables grow frozen in square boxes, etc.) The dog only rides in a car to go to the veterinarian or the groomer and the owner wonders why the dog is nervous in the car. The dog only sees other dogs on walks and when the dog gets close, the dog is dragged away on a leash, and then the owner wonders why the dog gets nervous and barks at other dogs. Many pets are confined to a room away from the family and the owners wonder why the dog barks incessantly for attention. The average pet owner expects a 7-month old adolescent dog to understand English and lie in front of the fireplace for hours on end.
These treatments and expectations will affect the behavior of any dog, regardless of his temperament. We talk about dominant aggression and territorial aggression. Add to that list leash and barrier anxieties. Some rotten behaviors may be genetic, but some rotten behaviors can be traced to the ignorance and/or stupidity of the pet dog's owners.
A few weeks ago Cathy Marley posted a letter from a Lhasa owner whose 2-year-old male had begun to growl at her and bite when she tried to remove him from the sofa. That may be from a temperament problem or it may be from an owner who has let the dog's behavior escalate to that point. I've seen that behavior in many dogs, not just Lhasa Apsos -- it's one of the more common behavioral problems I've observed while volunteering at St. Hubert's Dog Training School. And I've seen owners successfully rehabilitate the dogs into good pets.
Often THIS problem (and I've seen this in Lhasas and ALL other breeds, pure and mixed) develops in a good dog because of owner/handler ignorance. I know, because I've made some of the same mistakes. The typical pet owner sees this VERY cute, tiny puppy, and lets it chew on his/her hands and bite his/her clothes, and laughs when the puppy guards its bowl, etc. The puppy growls when they touch his feet or bowl and the owner backs off, saying, "Don't do that -- the puppy doesn't like it." The puppy, seeing that it has no pack leader, becomes the pack leader. Between six months and three years later, the owners take the dog to a shelter and ask, "What do I do?"
I was fortunate that, four years ago, one of my coworkers recommended a good Kindergarten Puppy Training class for my youngest Lhasa, Molly. The KPT class provided a fun, safe, socialization experience for the puppy, but it provided a wealth of information for me, a pet owner with multiple Lhasas (all female). I learned a lot about puppy and adolescent behavior in the class, and I came to know behaviorists who could help with future problems. They taught ME gentle methods for teaching a command, shaping desired behaviors, and eliminating undesired ones. Then I could teach my dogs.
At the same time I enrolled Muffit in their Basic Obedience class. Muffit was classified as "dominant" from my questionnaire answers; she was also shy around other dogs because I hadn't provided enough early socialization. We went through their "dominance therapy" program to establish MY position as pack leader. At first Muffit didn't like most of the changes, where I ate first, where she slept on the floor on a pillow next to my bed, where I walked through the doors first, where she had to work to get treats or attention. She protested by refusing to go to the bathroom outside, by hiding under chairs and sofas when I called her to come, by struggling to get onto the bed even when her leash wouldn't allow it.
Four years later Muffit is happy, more confident, and less fearful. Obedience training didn't break her spirit -- it enhanced her spirit. She's even begun to run and play with other dogs. She comes when called, she waits at doorways, and I'm starting to trust her off leash. (OK, I still have the under-the-bed boxes blocking the space under chairs and sofas but that's to keep Molly from storing food there.) Understand, we did nothing harsh during dominance therapy. Muffit was simply told, "No, that is mine. You can't have it." Freedom had to be earned. Muffit's problems really weren't severe, but we made it possible for her to succeed with each exercise.
So many folks who talk to me on the phone about Lhasa behavior problems have been told by their vets (or their groomer) that their dog is exhibiting dominance aggression. The answer is always to "take control" or "be firm" and they try but the problem behavior only gets worse. Is this extreme dominance or are they treating the wrong aggression? We know that Lhasas do not necessarily change their behavior if you get into a head-to-head confrontation with them. And they really do resent physical punishment and harsh corrections.
Violence teaches violence. Have you ever heard Ian Dunbar's commentary on the "Dominant Down"? I've noticed that St. Hubert's trainers NEVER use a prong collar on an aggressive dog because that usually escalates the aggression. They use a Gentle Leader head harness for aggressive dogs, and I've seen first-hand how much more effective it is while assisting in their classes. They even teach owners to play tug of war with the dog, but the owner decides when the game ends and the game ALWAYS ends if teeth contact skin or clothing. (It's amazing how quickly the dogs learn to watch their mouths once they learn that the game will end.)
My dogs wear buckle collars -- they know that if they pull on a leash to get somewhere I'll probably go in the opposite direction and they'll never get there. My dogs sit quietly while waiting in the veterinarian's office -- we've spent a lot of time practicing sitting in that waiting room, first during slow times, and later during busy periods. My dogs accept grooming and veterinary treatments -- it's familiar and we've done that on a regular basis. My dogs have good temperaments -- but I was well on the way to ruining Muffit.
I'd encourage all breeders to recommend a KPT class for any puppies going to pet homes. Pet owners have to learn that the dog is not a child and shouldn't be treated as such. Pet owners need to learn the rudiments of dog and pack behavior to lead their own pack. Biting is the normal method of pack discipline. As the large sign in every ring at St. Hubert's Dog Training School says, "If you treat your dog like a human, he will treat you like a dog." .