we bought our westie tommy when he was 8months old he is15 mnths  now we love him so much  but he can get very agressive with people,even my mum  he doesnt like.he doesnt usually like it if i am cuddleing my children  he has even gone to snap at me,but he does know if he has been naughty by the way his  head ,ears & eyes go down and his tail wags. the family we bought him from didnt really look after him(we think) he is good most of the time it`s just im  concerned he  might hurt someone. please dont think he`s like it all the time he love me and my hubbie and family  he is so loving most of the time.

Hi Ally

The reason for your Westie's problem probably lies in his early experiences.  You see, the period up to 18 weeks old is very important for a dog - anything which the dog is exposed to during this period, he usually accepts and is unafraid of when an adult.  What happens with dogs which are not socialised during this period is that they often grow up to be afraid of "different" things - different people, different places, different dogs and so on forever.  And a major cause of aggression is fear.

The other thing I would say is when you say: "he does know if he has been naughty by the way his  head ,ears & eyes go down and his tail wags" -

I can assure you that your dog does NOT know he has been naughty and does not know what he has done wrong.  Dogs just don't think like that.  All they know is that you are not happy with them.  They can tell you are angry.  So they behave in a way which will turn off your anger and appease you.  But they don't know WHY you are angry, or WHAT they've done wrong.

Lastly - it does sound like his aggression problem is quite generalised.  It's not just one person he's snapping at, but it's your mum, you, and your children.  This makes it quite a cause for concern and not something we can really help you with over the internet.

The thing to do is to go to your vet, get your vet to check him out physically - because often there can be a physical reason for aggression (such as a pain in one part of his body).  If the vet can't find anything, ask for a referral to a behaviourist.  Make sure the behaviourist is accredited by the APBC, because there are lots of cowboys out there with rough methods which will just make things worse.  A behaviourist will come into your house and observe your dog and your family and then draw up a plan of treatment and help you to carry it out.  It will be tailored for you and your dog.

thank you for youre comments,but im sorry to say i disagree with you on some of the things you have put.one of those is that tommy wont know he`s done wrong,he understands what"walkies" means.and i made the point of saying that tommy did`nt snap all the time.i got an impression you were concerned that he was very aggressive and i should seek help this is not the case.thank you anyway.
ally

So why did you ask for advice?:rolleyes:

On the basis of what you have told us, I would concur with what has been suggested.   Dogs do not have the concept of "right or wrong" as humans do.

I too would suggest a behavourist who can see at first hand what the problems are, and who can work with you and your family and Tommy.   Good luck!

Margot

The other posters are right Dogs have no conception of right & wrong in human terms

They read body languages & the tone of verbal communications.

If you use any word using the same tone of voice & body language as "walkies" & you will get the same reaction.  If dogs understand human language, why does my 8-month-old puppy do a recall to command other than "come"?  Why does he retrieve to the command I use instead of "fetch"? Because he has learnt that when I use a word in a certain tone of voice he will be rewarded if he carries out certain behaviour

When your dog does something you do not want it to do you will unconsciously have a body posture that your dog will read along with your verbal tone & will assume the appeasing body posture of ears back & tail wagging etc the same way that he would behave towards an adult dog that has disciplined him.

I used to show pupils at our dog club that the actual words mean nothing by working my dog in different exercises using just one word for them all "rhubarb". They did heelwork, recalls, retrieve etc all on the command "rhubarb" I also showed them that body language can illicit the appeasing response even when the dog has done nothing

If you think Tommy knows when he's done wrong, try tearing up a piece of paper and dropping it on the floor infront of him.  Then leave the room.  On your return act cross and say 'who did that>' or whatever you would normally say, and watch Tommy.  I'll predict he will act 'as if he *knows* he's done wrong', when in fact you know he hasn't.

Dogs read our body language so well, they realise we are annoyed, and so offer doggie appeasement behaviours, which are often mistaken for the dog knowing they have done wrong......

If you had a larger breed, say a Rottweiler or a GSD, would you still be so cavalier about the potential for disaster with a dog behaving like this?  Under the DDA, somebody only has to be in fear of your dog to start a prosecution, so I'd strongly suggest you make an appointment with your vet to rule out physical or medical reasons, and then ask for a referral, this is NOT something I'd suggest a 'DIY' fix for, as it needs careful handling depending on the dogs reasons for behaving in this manner.

It's very easy to let small dogs get away with behaviour that wouldn't be tolerated for a moment in a larger breed and sadly, I've seen far too many terriers who are actually terrorists because their aggression hasn't been dealt with. Worse, it gets excused because the dog is "nice" at other times.  Having had an iffy puppyhood, your dog almost certainly has "issues" that developed before you had him and unless you are totally confident in dealing with his aggression I would also recommend an early visit to your vet to discuss referring him to a behaviourist.

Did you get your westie from a reputable breeder? was he kenneled as a young puppy, or was he reared in the house, it sounds as though the breeder, or, previous owner has not done much in socialising him. i.e. taking him to training classes, being firm when he "play bites" the play biting can turn nasty if not checked whist young, and you really have to be very firm with a westie.  Have you had him at training classes yourself? I always recommend my puppy buyers to go to classes whether they arenot  going to show or do obedience, as this is good for the puppy. What are you saying to him when he turns and snaps, are you telling him off, or just not saying anything to him.  Please do not say he knows when he has done something wrong, all dogs, not just terriers behave this way if you use a certain tone of voice.  I do know what I am talking about as I have westies and know too well how they can behave if "let away with everything whilst young".  I would also take him to the vet for a check up, just in case he is sore and if you touch a sore bit he will turn his head as if to snap. If you wish you can pm me for more advice.

since i last wrote on here (yes i know the date)  i am glad to say  we had tommy castrated, and had him at training courses which i can say have worked we have had no more problems at all.  we ve taken him on holiday and he was  great.

That's great to hear :)

It's really good that you stuck with it & didn't give up on him, far to many dogs are stuffed in shelters for being 'naughty' (in fact, I'm sure that's why we found our lab x in one, he was very naughty castration helped him too!!). you should be proud of your self for sorting im out :)

>If you use any word using the same tone of voice & body language as "walkies" & you will get the same reaction.

I have to disagree with this.My dogs fully understand different words and react differently to them.For example when i'm talking to my mum on the phone and i ask about her dog using the dogs name,one of my dogs(they're best friends) goes running to the front door and window expecting to see her.So i now have to either spell her name or just quietly use the first letter.
I use the word 'ta-ta' for walkies,if i use some other word with the same tone of voice i do not get the same reaction as i do when i actually say ta-ta.
My kids and i have tried this on many occasions and have come to the conclusion that hey do understand different words.
I do however agree that dogs have no concept of right and wrong.I hate hearing of dogs peeing in the house when owners are gone and then get told off "because they look guilty"

> and had him at training courses which i can say have worked we have had no more problems at all.

Well done.  Training takes time and it the way to go with behaviour problems once any health issues are ruled out.  It not only shows the dog what it is to do rather than not do but builds a relationship of trust and respect with the person training the dog.

Castration is likely to only have helped where aggression is sexually based, usually directed at other male dogs.