7 year old Pomeranian becoming grumpy and somewhat mean

In My Humble Opinion
1

Hello Everyone,
We are having a dog problem again, so back here for some advice. We have had our Pom for 7 years and lately he has turned very very grumpy and somewhat “mean”. If we can’t find a solution to the problem he is going to find himself either in the pound or put down. I guess the problem started when we got our Great Dane puppy. The Pom seem obsessed with the Dane, won’t leave him alone and is generally very annoying to the Dane.

Now, his demeanor seems to be changing. When we kennel him for the evening he barks constantly. He will bark for hours straight, driving everyone in the house out of their mind. He is not new to kenneling, having been all his life. When you go to the kennel and tell him to “be quite” (he used to respond to that command) he starts a low growl. He has not become aggressive or anything, but the growl is unusual for him.

So, is this just mid life little dog crisis or is there something wrong with him? As I said before, his attitude has changed dramatically and he is no longer the cute and cuddly lap dog he once was. I (and the rest of the family) cannot live with a dog that is going to bark constantly through the night and is generally grumpy all the time. FWIW, we have done our best to give him extra attention since the Dane arrived, so he isn’t being ignored.

Oh and for any of you that might remember my last dog post about our aggressive chow/shepherd mix, he was fixed and the aggressiveness has abated. He is calmer that we have ever seen him, so very happy that fixing him seemed to do the trick.

2

Maybe the little dog feels threatened by the large dog. I have a friend who had some aggressiveness issues
with her 5 year old male Pom. She had started to treat him with a doggie prozac type med (as suggested by her vet), and she seemed to think that it was helping the problem.

3

You should certainly take him to the vet. Any number of issues could be making him “grumpy.”

If something is causing him pain, this could change his mood. Arthritis, urinary tract infection, and any number of things could be causing him pain.

If he’s been a good friend to you for seven years, I think you should spend some time to try to help him. I understand that you’re frustrated, but it sounds like he really needs your help.

4

Why is it necessary to kennel him overnight? Does the other dog get kenneled overnight, as well?

We had a Pom when I was a kid, and if he’s anything like ours was, he’s a watchdog and wants to be able to roam and investigate every sound he hears.

Are you leaving out any other unacceptable behaviors besides barking and growling only when he’s in the kennel?

5

Ditto the request for details on his negative behavior beside the kennelling.

My experience is that dogs who turn aggressive after their personality is established do so because of pain or fear. He may very well be threatened by the puppy (who’s what, 10 times his size?) or he may be in pain.

6

I suspect the problem stems from the new puppy, but my first step would be a vet visit. You didn’t mention if he is fixed. If he wasn’t my guess is that since it worked so well with the other dog, you wouldn’t have waited for us here to suggest it.

I am surprised the Pom is seeking out the attention of the puppy. Usually it is just the opposite, you are teaching the puppy to give the older dog a break.

I hate to cop out, but you may have to have a private trainer or behaviorist come and see what is really happening. Some dog behavior is quite subtle and hard to tell what is happening. I do have to admit that my dog skills are much stronger for getting a puppy off to a good start than fixing problems later. They are very different skill sets.

7

Without knowing how his “grumpiness” manifests, it’s hard to make any suggestions.

Some thoughts though, which I guess are going to be random shots in the dark:

-vet visit to rule out pain, and discuss doggy prozac
-look into getting a DAP (Dog Appeasing Pheromone) product, they can really help.
-Consult a trainer or behaviorist to come to the house for one on one sessions, in combination w/ the above.

For the barking in his crate issue, you may have to start from the beginning and treat him like he’s a tiny puppy again. Make the crate a happy, safe place to be, NEVER as punishment. Feed him in it, play fetch games (if he likes toys) by tossing them in, lock him in for a minute at a time, and ONLY open the door if he’s quiet, even if it’s for two seconds.

Once he’s in for the night (does he still need to be?) and he barks you have to be rock solid about ignoring him, no matter how much you want to throttle him. He needs to get zero reinforcement for barking, and even an angry NO from the other room is a reward, of sorts. When he’s quiet, get up and give him a goodie and/or a few minutes of attention. It takes enormous will power but you have to ignore the unwanted stuff and praise the bejeezus out of the good behavior.

It sounds like he’s jealous of the new dog, and so you also have to turn the puppy into A Good Thing. As well as making sure he gets attention, find some treat that he would kill for, stinky liverwurst or something, and give him some only when he and the puppy are together.

How obedience trained is he? You might be able to refocus him when he gets grumpy by giving him “jobs” to do, like tricks, or puppy push-ups, or something he’s good at so he can be praised.

Try to avoid situations where he has the opportunity to grump. Set him up for success, rather that trying to regain control of an aggressive situation. It may mean keeping them separate until he’s back on an even keel.

7 is a young dog still, I hope you can work through this.

8

Good advice already given: “take him to the vet”. Aside from possible physical problems (roughhousing with the larger dog could have gotten him hurt), I can think of several psychological reasons why he may be acting up. There are many resources available from your local library and on the Internet that can help determine why he has started acting the way he has, and how to rehab the situation.

Here’s a clue: everything was fine in Pom’s life until you brought in a third dog. He’s frustrated and wants to be with you, but is banished to his crate. When he acts out by vocalizing–his voice is the only tool he has (oh, and be glad he’s not shredding the crate, or his paws and mouth by trying to break out of the crate)–you, the one who turned his world inside out, threaten him with banishment or death.

And, now, the IMO part: “If we can’t find a solution to the problem he is going to find himself either in the pound or put down.”

He’s not going to “find himself” in the pound; you would be abrogating your commitment to take care of him during his lifetime by dumping him and his problems on someone else. What’s the likelihood of someone wanting to adopt a middle-aged/senior dog whose owners had him for seven years and now no longer want? Would you adopt a dog like that? If you adopted him from a shelter, have you contacted them about returning him? What about contacting a Pom rescue group? What about contacting his breeder and asking for help in rehoming him? After all, you bought him from an ethical breeder, and not some clueless backyard-breeder who was in it just for the $$$, right?

Your dog is not a wind-up toy that deserves to be junked when he develops a malfunction. He is a living, breathing creature who is completely dependent on the care you choose–or choose not to–provide him.

Why am I going off on you about this? Yesterday, I transported a purebred puppy to a rescue group. She was turned over to rescue for issues similar to the ones for which you are considering getting rid of your Pom. I am fostering an 8-year-old purebred dog who, along with another purebred dog, “found himself at the pound” for issues similar to the ones for which you are considering getting rid of your Pom. And these are just two of many dogs I’ve helped rescue, who found themselves at risk because their owners got rid of them for issues similar to the ones for which you are considering getting rid of your Pom. I don’t have a favorable opinion of people who get rid of their dogs for issues similar to the ones for which you are considering getting rid of your Pom.

Some previous threads about your dogs indicate you haven’t really researched what dog ownership–from puppyhood to senior citizenship–entails. I applaud you for asking for advice and information, but I shake my head in frustration that you didn’t do more research before getting your dogs. Best wishes to you and your Pom for a healthy resolution to this situation. It can be improved, if you work on understanding why your Pom is so unhappy and are willing to work with him to overcome this.

9

While I do appreciate your opinion I certainly don’t appreciate the holier than thou attitude. First of he will find himself in the pound if we cannot get his behavior under control. I don’t know about you, but I can’t sleep when I have a dog yelping and barking constantly through the night. It isn’t going to work for me, nor is it going to work for the rest of the family. We have jobs and school and none of us needs to be a zombie at either because the dog doesn’t want to be kenneled at night. We are not “dumping the dog”. If we were I certainly wouldn’t be on the SD asking for advice to cure the problem, I would have already booted him to the curb. That dog has had a very good life and we have done our best to give him a great home. The fact is, he is “obsessed” with the new puppy. He won’t leave him alone and his barking at night is his attempt to go and irritate the puppy as that is what he does upon release from the kennel. We love our dogs very much, but like any other member of a family one has to fit in and not make everyone else’s life miserable.

When did I ever say that the dog was a throw away item? His personality has changed and hasn’t changed for the better. I am trying to find out why. I suspect that possibly he might have an illness that isn’t obvious, but perhaps small dogs like Poms just get grumpy and cranky in their old age. I would ask you what would you do with a dog who suddenly has changed making life difficult for the entire family? I don’t want to get rid of the dog, but I will not let my and my families life be thrown in turmoil if the situation cannot be corrected.

While I applaud your work with the rescue, you seem to be displaying the stereotypical attitude of those who rescue dogs. There was a thread about this not too long ago. We didn’t get this dog yesterday and change our mind about him. We have cared for this dog for 7 years and want to do everything we can to make him happy within reason. However if the problem cannot be solved, then he must go for we cannot live with a dog that is going to bark constantly. We could go the route of a shock collar, but I prefer not to harm an animal if possible. That is why I am asking for advice on the problem. What I am not asking for is for you to preach to me and judge myself and my family. We have always owned dogs, have rescued a few from deplorable conditions. Our dogs have always been healthy and happy.

Some previous threads about your dogs indicate you haven’t really researched what dog ownership–from puppyhood to senior citizenship–entails. I applaud you for asking for advice and information, but I shake my head in frustration that you didn’t do more research before getting your dogs. Best wishes to you and your Pom for a healthy resolution to this situation. It can be improved, if you work on understanding why your Pom is so unhappy and are willing to work with him to overcome this.
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If you are referring to the thread about our chow mix I hate to tell you that we did quite a bit of research on the breed. We talked to our vet and to the people at the rescue where we got him. We were told that even though he had chow in him that his mix should negate the aggressive streak. He did not display this tendency when he was a puppy, but it became very pronounced as he matured and his testosterone level rose. We took care of the problem and he is just fine now. He is a loved member of our family. It might be worth pointing out that had we not taken him in he would have been destroyed as he was scheduled to be put down the next day. Even knowing that he had chow in him, we thought that his life was worth saving.

Now, if you are talking about the Pom, please tell me what we should have known that we didn’t? Are these dogs known for turning grumpy as they age? Are they known for barking hours and hours on end? I apologize if I seem a bit agitated, but please don’t put a blanket of disgust on someone who has done all he can to rescue dogs and give them a chance that they wouldn’t otherwise have. We are not dog professionals and if scorn and a high brow attitude is what we should expect when asking questions, perhaps it would be better in the future to blindly try to remedy problems without looking for a correct solution.

10

Obbn, you don’t deserve dog.

11

Oh, and to answer why we keep the Pom kenneled. We kennel all our dogs at night. Always have and always will. I don’t particularly like animals having free roam during the evening. Also, it is somewhat of a safety measure. I was always taught to kennel dogs while the family was sleeping, that way if there was ever a fire or some other type of emergency we would know exactly where the dogs are so we can get them out.

All our dogs are kenneled. Their kennels are quite large, of the see thru type and have a floor that has a dog bed for their comfort. All the dogs are provided their favorite toy so they have something to do. The dogs go in the kennel at approx. 12am and are back out at 6:30am. I am home during the day so the dogs are out and with me the whole day.

I can say quite confidently that each of the dogs likes his kennel and can be seen at times throughout the day voluntarily going into their respective kennel to take a nap or have some quite time. Kennels are never used for punishment. That is why I am confused at the Pom’s reaction now to being kenneled at night. I believe that he isn’t mad at being kenneled, but rather upset because he can’t go “cling” to the dane puppy during that time. I find it amazing that he has become so attached to the dane, but quite honestly the dane is getting annoyed at all the attention.

12

You’re right, I deserve three. And somehow I think Gunner the Great Dane who is sitting right next to me as I type this giving me as much love as a dog could give would be the first to disagree with you.

13

Can you elaborate on what type of behavior the Pom subjects the Dane to? Also, how old is the Dane, and what type of reactions does it have to the Pom’s behavior?

14

No, it would be better in future (and in the past, for that matter) to consult TRUE professional in dog training, not ask on a message board. I and others gave you several good suggestions, but if you really care about this dog and the others in hour care, you will find a professional dog trainer who specializes in behavioral issues and listen to what they say.

You should not need a shock collar, you need to learn how to ‘re-program’ your dog by redirecting unwanted behaviors and praising the good behaviors. It takes time, endless patience, and dedication.

You indicate that he’s a member of your family – would you boot your kid to the curb if he/she was suddenly having nightmares and waking you up every night? Yeah yeah, kid not dog, but you called him a member of the family, so…

If you’ve had him since he was a puppy, he’s lived 1/2 his life with you. I hope you can find the cojones to make him happy again - 'cuz he doesn’t sound happy now. Please find a profeesional to help you help him.

15

Obbn, you really should see about getting a dog trainer in. Ask your vet for recommendations or ask at a local agility/obedience trials.** Saje’s** post on training a dog to like a crate is really good, but I think it would help you a lot to have someone show you how to do it and walk you through it.

You sound very angry with the dog for doing what dogs do when they aren’t trained. Dogs do annoying, destructive, unacceptable things. It’s up to the humans to extinguish that behavior. I think you could greatly benefit from having someone who knows how to train dogs show you what you need to do.

I don’t say this because the dog seems like a problem case. Rather, you don’t seem to have any training knowledge or tools for this issue. Barking all night is not acceptable, but it’s not uncommon. A good trainer will have lots to teach you.

And there’s no shame in getting help when you need it. I’d been pretty darned good at training my dogs until I got my youngest and had problems I couldn’t fix. A trainer worked with me and gave me more tools to use that worked wonderfully.

For the record, I haven’t ever heard of poms getting grumpy and mean with old age any more or less than other breeds of dogs. But 7 isn’t old age, and it doesn’t sound like your dog is “mean.” Barking all night is unacceptable, but it’s not mean. He’s not doing it just to irritate you.

16

If your dog’s behavior changed dramatically, something in his environment (or his health) changed dramatically. It is YOUR job to find out what that is and also to figure out how to communicate with your dog so that he knows how to behave in a way pleasing to you. If your dog ends up dead because you can’t communicate with it, whose fault would that be? Can I spell this out any plainer for you?

Tip: punitive behavior on your part does not communicate anything except “Your owner is a scary unpredictable being”. Dogs are incapable of abstract thoughts like “guess I shouldn’t bark because then my owner might abandon me in a terrifying place where I will ultimately die.” They bark because something causes them to bark, and because they don’t have a reward for stopping. Barking is a self-rewarding activity, so generally a habitual barker needs something MORE rewarding, that they get when they aren’t barking. Or to be in an environment that doesn’t trigger the barking. Or another solution.

Dogs growl for a number of reasons, but it means they are upset about something. The next thing on a dog’s list to do if whatever is making them growl doesn’t resolve, is bite. It is all they can do, you know. They can’t say, “you’ll hear from my lawyer.”

Like other people who work with dogs a lot, I always find it upsetting to watch people blame their pets for things that are their fault, and then – often – banish or kill their pets, still blaming the wrong party. The vast majority of dog behavior problems are actually people behavior problems (this would be you). The small remainder would be dogs that have a wire loose or are sick in some other way. Probabilities here lie with the former.

17

Thanks for the advice. To make the record stand correct, I stated that I did not want to use a shock collar, even though this was the suggestion of the local trainer at one of the chain pet stores.

The reason I asked the board is generally you will find some people who are quite knowledgeable here, and like everything else you have to weed out the bad advice from the good. My thought is perhaps there is a common condition among Poms that would cause them to have a personality change such as the one ours is experiencing. I do know that some dogs, especially small lap dogs tend to get cranky as they get older. Perhaps there is a condition that is common among this breed that someone might be aware of. If it is brought to my attention, then during our next vet visit I can discuss it with her. Something is obviously wrong with the Pom, but if it is pain, it isn’t anything obvious. Some of the post upthread have mentioned doggie prozac. I didn’t even know there was such a medication, so I found out something new. However, it doesn’t seem that it is a common thing for Poms to need that, so perhaps that isn’t the answer.

What I will not tolerate however is some holier than thou person telling me that I am not worthy of dog ownership. We treat our dogs with love and kindness and they are happy and well taken care of. We have rescued several dogs over the years that instead would have been put to death. Shame on us, I can see how we are bad people for that. With that said however, I will not let a dog, cat or turtle run our lives. I will do what I can to solve a problem to the best of my ability, but if a problem is unsolvable there isn’t many solutions. The reason I said the pound could be an option is that the Pom is growling now. I have zero tolerance for a dog that is growling because of a personality trait. If the dog is growling because it is hurt, different story I will get it the medical attention that it needs. But if a dog is growling because it is aging and it is COMMON for that breed to turn grumpy and cranky the options are limited. How long before growling turns into something more aggressive? He certainly isn’t grumpy because of the way that the humans in our home are treating him. Next to giving him fresh steak every night I can’t really tell you what could be done to give him a better life.

Bottom line is I appreciate all comments. But if you don’t have anything constructive to say, what’s the point. If you want to come on over and take the Pom home for a few days and figure it out, be my guest. But something tells me that very few of you here would tolerate a dog barking constantly during sleeping hours. And if you would you must not have a job or school, because either one is hard to maintain if you aren’t getting any sleep.

18

Oh yeah, just remembered something I was going to suggest trying earlier:

Since you seem to be adamant about night-kenneling, have you tried maybe moving the location of the Pom’s kennel? (Is he currently near/next to the Dane, and barking at it, or just barking in general?)

ETA: Or, come to think of it, a better idea might be to move the location of the Dane’s kennel, for starters.

19

Thanks for the advice. To make it clear once more however, I have not and don’t plan on taking any “punitive” measures with the dog. Outside of saying “be quite” there has been nothing done to punish the dog.

Also, I am not blaming the Pom for anything. What I am trying to do is find out possible reasons for the new behavior. Which sounds like a pretty reasonable thing for someone to do. It also seems much more prudent to ask around a bit before doing things like consulting a trainer …etc… Last I looked trainers don’t work for free, so if I can determine the problem by asking around I will do so.

And I won’t totally rule out that his behavior problems are my fault. However, I am at a loss as to what I might be doing that is causing this. If feeding, housing and loving a dog will cause them to have a problem, then I guess I am guilty. That dog has been shown nothing but love from day one.

Once again, thanks for taking the time to respond.

20

Good suggestion and have already done so. Their kennels are apart now. However it didn’t seem to help the situation. I get the feeling that if I kenneled the Pom with the Dane that would solve the problem. However it wouldn’t be in any way fair to the Dane as the Pom won’t leave him be for even a minute. I would suspect that if I tried that the Dane would go out of his mind.