sudden shiba behavior change

heem_infinite

my male shiba is 16 weeks old. he has been fine so far outside of normal puppy badness. today he has totally flipped. my yorkipoo is walking down the hall and i saw him just starring at her and all of a sudden he just snapped and jumped at her. then one minute later after i seperated them he follows her and snaps again and jumps all over her and they get into a big fight. during the break up my wife and i were bitten. i couldn't pick him up because he was trying to bite me more but i got him into his crate for a time out. now when i go near him he tries to bite me. he has never tried to bite us with so much anger before. i don't know where this is from but there a couple of possiblities. we were getting our roof replaced this weekend and there has been a lot of pounding and strangers around the house and everytime i took him outside he would get real scared and try to go back inside as fast as possible. Another possible reason is that he got his 3rd set of shots this morning and the vet clipped his nails for the first time. the last possibility is that i bought him some new bowls today and he's has been starring at them and won't drink or eat from them. all of these things took place before his sudden loss of his mind. has anyone else experienced anything like this? my wife thinks we can't have kids around him if he's going to be like this and i don't want to have to give him up. thanks

tobyshiba

Ah yes, the little rebel stage. A lot of Shiba puppies go through a stage around 3-4 months where they flip out and bite and break skin and are overall nasty. I remember that stage crystal clear. His stress level could've potentially been intensified by the pounding and strangers working in your house.

I wouldn't worry about it too much. But, one of the things you shouldn't do is to put him in time out in his crate. He might associate bad things with the crate, and in turn, it could end up being something he doesn't enjoy. Instead either redirect his attention with a noise and treat him, or put him on a leash and restrict him. One of the best things I did for Toby as a younger puppy was when he had a tantrum, i'd put him on leash, and then force him into a down position for 5 minutes or more. Once he calmed down, i'd release and praise him. This has worked out really well for me, now I put him into a down position when he acts up, and it really helps him to calm down when i'm around.

heem_infinite

i tried to take him out of his crate but whenever i come near it he barks and tries to bite. how long will it last? i don't think redirecting him will work. he seems really intent on biting someone.

Romi

If possible - would you be able to get this on video and post the video? It's really hard to explain behavior and interpret it by words. It could just be fiesty shiba mouthing or it could be more serious. I would hate for you to get the wrong information and go about this the wrong way. If you are really concerned - I would look for a behaviorist in your area and have them do an in-home consult. You can never go wrong by hiring a professional. 16 weeks is still very young....so you have plenty of time to shape and train him into a model citizen. I don't think you'll have to give him up...as long as you're consistent and patient.

Hope all goes well.

JessicaRabbit

I agree with Romi, it could be misunderstood puppy play (shiba make a lot of growling teethy gestures when playing) or it could be something more serious. I wouldn't dismiss it, or jump to any severe conclusions just yet.

I DEFINITELY would NOT force him into any positions as you could make the situation MUCH worse. Please either video tape it so it can be observed or even better, contact a behaviorist to assess the situation.

dlroberts

Like Romi said, it is very difficult to get a reasonable picture of what is going on using the internet. But, from what you've said I would have to disagree with Steph. I don't think what you described is typical of Shiba behavior at all. Shibas are known for being reactive, but it sounds like he is being proactive in chasing your yorkipoo down. Further, if you and your wife were bitten to the point of broken skin, you have to take it very seriously. I have no doubt it wasn't his intention to hurt you or your wife and you were probably bitten due to the circumstances of breaking up a fight between him and your other dog; however, the fact that he didn't learn the first time he mistakenly bit one of you and continued on past the point of biting the other one is what is concerning. You should be able to distract and redirect a reactive dog with a loud noise (i.e. clapping your hands).

Also, I think the crate is the perfect place for him to be while in that state of mind. If it is fear induced due to all the people around your house, he's in his safe place and can hopefully clam down. If its not fear induced and he's actually just being aggressive, then his crate will keep him, you, your wife, and your yorkipoo safe.

None of us on the forum are behavior experts. Most of us know enough to get ourselves into trouble when it comes to diagnosing and treating behavior problems. If this behavior happens again, your first action after breaking up the fight should be to call a reputable behaviorist. There is no substitute for hiring a competent professional that can see with their own eyes exactly what is going on.

If things truly are as comes across in your post, then I would not trust him around kids until you've seen a behaviorist either; however, "giving him up" should not even cross your mind at this point (if ever). There are lots of books to read and lots of trainers/behaviorists to work with before you should even think that he can't be trusted around kids.

Also, are you in contact with his breeder? Most reputable breeders know their puppies like the back of their hand and can tell you if their behavior is inconsistent with their sibling's.

heem_infinite

i've tried to get video of him in his crazy state but he has been acting normal since he woke me up this morning. when i took them both out he even let the yorkipoo lick his face and smell his rear. he still won't stop trying to eat her food though. when i took him to the vet yesterday he was acting scared and the vet gave me a card for a behavoirist. the vet i saw gives his dogs science diet so i don't trust him much. one thing i noticed when he went into pyscho mode was that his tail was weird looking. it was straight for the most part and curled at the end, not its usual fully curved. i called the breeder also and left a message. hopefully she'll call me back tonight. i know he needs more socialization with other dogs and people. he always gets scared of new people and dogs. when i take him for walks and people want to get a closer look at the handsome guy he runs back to my side. he's getting his rabbies shot in two weeks so i'm going to get him in a class right after that.

tobyshiba

Did the strangers leave your house? I seriously think strangers + getting nails clipped + getting new food bowls might've made him more reactive and stressed in his own home.

If someone clipped my nails, gave me shots, changed my bowls, and strangers entered my home, i'd be in an anxious/upset mood and be more willing to snap, as well. :X

Romi

I think the tail being straight and curled at the end is an unsure/uncomfortable thing. Ninja's tail goes down and like that when people come in the house or when we go to daycare. Usually, if I get his attention and praise him for doing something, it gets curled again. I think your best bet is to watch his behavior and stop it before it escalates.

But really - other than that...since he is acting normal today - I think it might have just been a little spat between the two. Just make sure that they are only together while supervised.

About being fearful of strangers and new dogs - don't coddle him or pay any attention to that behavior - again - the redirection traning is really going to pay off if he has fear issues.

Good luck with everything and keep us updated.

StaticNfuzz

16 weeks is one of the first primary fear period for pups. I am skimming quickly....are you taking your pup to socialization training? It would help you out greatly. There you can speak one on one with instructors that can assist with assessing the situation directly.

Good luck
Snf