Pug/Chihuahua Mix

[pedrolover]

I have a 6 month old Pug/Chihuahua cross and although he is an absolute sweetheart he has become aggressive towards men recently. When we're out walking he will pass women and children not even paying them any mind but if a man is even close to us he starts barking and growling and will not listen to me. I'm trying to work on the aggression with positive reinforcement at home but does anyone have any other suggestions for me that might be specific to the Chihuahua breed? He looks like a little Pug but he definitely has the Chihuahua attitude!!

Any help would be appreciated!!
Laurie

[Colin Pederson]

Hi Pedrolover,
Do you have any male friends, or relatives, who might be willing to act as a "treat machine" until your Pug/Chihuahua gets used to males? Sometimes dogs do take a dislike to either gender, particularly if it's the opposite gender to their owners (for example, a lot of dogs "act up" around men, if their owner is female). A good idea here is to desensitize your Pug to men. Take a walk along a planned route, and arrange to encounter male friends or acquaintances of yours along the way. Make sure these males have several tasty treats that they can give your dog as you approach.
When you approach these males, he'll probably start playing up - you'll need to redirect his attention by getting him to sit, and stay. Then the male friend should approach and give the dog the treat - only then can you release him. Every time you do this, your dog should lose a little bit of his tenseness around males until it's completely gone.
Good luck Laurie!