Big Paws Only Dog Forums

Hi my name is Melanie, and my Akita name is Shoda. I also own a chiwawa pomeranian name Russell. Russell is almost three years old and Shoda is a year and four months, and he is a stud. I got him when he was four months.

The reason I think I am a bad owner is because:

1. I don't think he respects me. He doesn't exactly listen, he growls at me if i try to move him out of the way and sometimes over random things. He even shows his teeth and does the bark growl

2. I need help on disciplining. I try to speak loudly and stern to show i'm serious and this is when he says i don't care and growls at me. I'm not going to lie at first I use to slap him on his butt but i don't do that anymore.

3. Also, sometimes I feel he isn't completely comfortable with me. Sometimes if I walk by and he was naughty he makes sure to keep me in view.

4. I think he just needs to be fixed to take care of the aggression but I feel like there is more to it. When my roommates pet him sometimes he sits and allows it but growls at them. He use to attack as in bark and snarl at them when I wasn't home. I took him to petsmart training when i first got him and he passed with an extra award so i know he can be trained. I can't afford to take him to more training classes for aggression and more obedience training but I don't want to have to give him up. I use to take him to the park ever so often when he was about six months but after a fight begun by a doberman, he always fights when at the park so I've stopped taking him.

As to his temperament, he likes to meet other dogs but once off leash in an open area a fight is waiting to happen. He doesn't have a problem with Russell but doesn't allow other dogs to come in his food and water area. I have recently begun crate training him because I'm tired of him destroying all my pillows. Why does he do that? I tried getting a bone and stuff bears to persuade him that the pillow isn't as fun but he still does it no matter what toy he has available. He does this when I am not home only. He likes my cat but my cat doesn't like him, they don't live together though.

Help needed. Thanks