# Feisty fluffs?



## Mini Pearls Mom (Mar 4, 2011)

Pearl is just the feistiest little pooch I've ever seen and I'm wondering if anyone can say the same about their little ones?

When she's in her "high energy" mode she can be bordering on nasty. The way she's taught herself to communicate (she was a rescue a year ago) is kinda snarly, growly, grumbly. Sometimes I think it's playing but the more I play the worse she becomes, even snappy. Not to be well tolerated. It appears to me that she does NOT like being little; she does NOT like being picked up if she doesn't know where she's going.

I also have to say that exercising her a LOT (she does well with over a mile verrry fast walk) helps, of course.


I'm considering bringing in a dog trainer I've heard about in my area. But...I'm wondering if it's her personality (which, certainly, has been formed by her past). If I admonish her for "an accident" off her pads she will not only yell back at me (I'm not necessarily yelling) but get really anxious, which I KNOW comes from her past home where they gave her up to rescue because they couldn't housebreak her.

Please share your feistiness experiences with your Malts and how you handle it? Thanks.


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## Furbabies mom (Jul 25, 2011)

Laurel's middle name is FIESTY!!! She'll growl when you put her down, if you take something from her, she unties my shoelaces, barks at the other two if they're on my lap,has pulled poor Violet's coat (that is velcros) right off her. She was not a rescue and she is also the most loving of all my pups. She has never bitten, but she does get the last word in . I've never had a fluff like Laurel ever, but I love her so much and I think she has a feisty personality, and it's OK with me.


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## Summergirl73 (Sep 18, 2011)

Yep, I teasingly say Bella is a Diva, but it really may be more than "the puppy stage". While she is incredibly sweet, she can also be very bossy and nippy. We are working on both of those little traits  .


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## zooeysmom (Aug 1, 2011)

Zooey can be feisty as a cobra with people she doesn't like. If they're loud and overbearing (usually men, but also a particular woman in my condo building) or small children, she'll go after them. She has also been known to chase/bark at motorcycles and large buses (on leash) LOL One time she was chewing a salmon skin bone and I was taking it from her and she growled at me--the first time she's ever shown aggression to me. I nipped that in the bud by showing no fear and saying "no!" in a firm tone while taking the bone. She's never done it again, and now I make sure to warn her I'm taking it beforehand. Besides all of these issues, she is sweet and loving as an angel to me and those she knows. 

I think a trainer is a great idea, Sheil. Our rescued dogs inevitably have baggage, and sometiems it's helpful to get an outside professional opinion on how we can help them.


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## socalyte (Nov 15, 2010)

Oh my yes Cozette is feisty! She has a very strong personality and size does not enter into her thoughts at all! Pippa on the other hand is very easy-going. 

Some pups are just more sensitive than others too. If we admonish Pippa she gets upset--and it made her hide when she had to go, so we often wouldn't find her "mistakes" til later. However, once I started ONLY praising and treating every single time for going on her pad or outside, we stopped having issues with that completely. I watched her carefully so that when she would start to "disappear" I would take her to the pad or outside and make a big happy deal of going where she was supposed to. She hasn't had an accident in a long time!

As far as playtime, maybe Pearl would do better with a different type of play. I don't think I'd play tug of war with a dog such as Pearl, maybe just chase the ball or use bubbles so there is nothing that she needs to return or that would need to be taken away from her. I saw that on "Me or the Dog".


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## Mini Pearls Mom (Mar 4, 2011)

Thank you all!

I need to add here that Pearl IS a Pearl and I adore her!:wub:She's as spoiled as I can make her!:wub:

Oh, and yes, Jackie - she's been known to not only HIDE those occasional "accidents' but also - "clean them up" by herself:wacko1:. _Ewwwww_. I also have to track her down if she's wandered out of sight and even have begun to close off rooms lately which is working.

HOWEVER, if I'm holding any kind of food/treat for her, Pearl becomes Ms. Perfect Pearl and obeys ANY command she hears (we've been through obedience training).

She is oh so sweet and loving BUT I just don't think she likes being small at all! Definite dominant femaleB)


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## Furbabies mom (Jul 25, 2011)

I think Little Miss Pearl is a very smart fluff. She knows when to obey you to get a treat and is trying to let you know what she wants and doesn't want!!


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## Mini Pearls Mom (Mar 4, 2011)

Furbabies mom said:


> I think Little Miss Pearl is a very smart fluff. She knows when to obey you to get a treat and is trying to let you know what she wants and doesn't want!!


Totally agreed, Deborah!!!


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## allheart (Oct 3, 2008)

Oh bless your heart. Oh yes. Our very first Malt, my dear Flakey (RIP), we had him for 15 years. Definetly a puppy mill baby . Who knows what happened to him prior to us getting him. 

He had HUGE fear anxiety, but also was the most loving baby in the world. Undearneath all the tramua they experienced, is a loving baby.

Just like your baby, oh heaven forbid, we would pick him up, aside from thunderstorms, then he wanted to pick him up. 

And heaven forbid he went under the bed. Forget about trying to get him. 

We gave him so much love, and then did learn his trigger points. However, back then, if we knew about loving dog behavorilst, we would have taken him there in a heartbeat, to hopefully undo all the tramua he more than likely experienced.

He was the best big brother in the world. He loved other fur-babies same size or smaller. 

It would break me and my husbands heart after an "eposide", becuase when he "came back" to his loving self, it really did upset him, he didn't mean it at all .

I highly encourage you to see a dog behavorilist, as it does sound like fear anxiety, from your babies past.

None of my babies since then have had this issue, but I do understand where you are coming from.

I truly beleive it has nothing to do with being spoiled, or his size, just whatever he experienced before you got him . 

I am sure they will teach him, to trust loving hands and hearts, and dull the bad memories.

I wish you all the best.


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