Jax becomes Cujo at night

Cbrugs · Nov 17, 2014

So we have had some incidents where Jax will be sleeping/laying on the couch and one of the kids will come to grab him to take him out for the night and he goes ballistic and will growl and lunge at them to bite. For instance, on Saturday night Jax was sleeping on my lap on the couch and I woke him up to go potty and Marina (15 years old) came to get him to take him out and he went crazy. I had never seen him act like this. I scooped him up and handed him to her and he was fine. I thought maybe he didn't like to be woken up but if he is just laying there and one of the kids goes to grab him, he does the same. And it is only at night and all I can think of is it's because he does not want to go out but he always pees when he goes out and sometimes he poops. We tell him NO but now I am nervous that he is actually going to bite one of them.

davidh · Nov 17, 2014

They do get a little crazy at night, we call it the bewitching hour, because if they are playing, they play rough and go nuts. The growling and snapping at the kids is something to work on. When he does that you need to quickly grab the side of his neck by his face firmly, and tell him NO!!! Then let him go and make him go outside. He should stop this after several times of you doing this.

Cbrugs · Nov 17, 2014

Thanks [MENTION=4]davidh[/MENTION]! I never thought to do that and will try that out.

Alice Kable · Nov 17, 2014

Great advice from David. Jax is thinking he is a peg above the kids!

Jakeyjake · Nov 17, 2014

Alice Kable said:
Great advice from David. Jax is thinking he is a peg above the kids!

Yep! You're right.

nikki86 · Nov 17, 2014

Zeta plays really rough at night.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1416281780.893779.webp

Squishy Walnuts · Nov 18, 2014

If grabbing his neck with a firm no doesn't help put him on his side until he calms down. He's definitely acting like he's top dog with your kids.

Julie Stevenson · Nov 18, 2014

Agreed.....I sure hope you can nip this in the butt. It's never ok for him to act that way to a human, no matter adult or kiddo. Be firm but not violent with him. (not that you would)

Everyone else that posted is correct. He feels he is above the kids in the pecking order. My recommendation would be to have the kids work with him more. Have them make him sit, take him for walks and make him heal, make him sit. Have them help at feeding times. Have them feed a few pieces of food out of their hands to him so he begins to see them as a provider and protector and that they are above him in the pecking order. That is the only way you will change his behavior. He has to see all humans as alpha over him.

Let us know how it goes.

davidh · Nov 18, 2014

[MENTION=314]Julie Stevenson[/MENTION] gave you some great advice to do also, get the kids involved with his training, excellent idea. :2thumbs:

blushy · Nov 19, 2014

Good luck with getting that behavior out the window! I know you'll do it!

Kris Thomas LaBounty · Nov 19, 2014

Cbrugs said:
So we have had some incidents where Jax will be sleeping/laying on the couch and one of the kids will come to grab him to take him out for the night and he goes ballistic and will growl and lunge at them to bite. For instance, on Saturday night Jax was sleeping on my lap on the couch and I woke him up to go potty and Marina (15 years old) came to get him to take him out and he went crazy. I had never seen him act like this. I scooped him up and handed him to her and he was fine. I thought maybe he didn't like to be woken up but if he is just laying there and one of the kids goes to grab him, he does the same. And it is only at night and all I can think of is it's because he does not want to go out but he always pees when he goes out and sometimes he poops. We tell him NO but now I am nervous that he is actually going to bite one of them.

If he's being woke up from a sound sleep I don't think it's all that unusual. He's not being himself and that's why he comes out of it. My dog is difficult to wake. Some times he'll be in a deep sleep and he jumps up barking and looking around, obvious dreaming about something. He did it 3 times in the middle of the night this week. Sarge doesn't bite or growl when we wake him but he won't get out of bed to go outside we need to tip him out of bed. He looks drugged and I don't know about Jax but the Apoquel and Benadryl combination I give him with his evening meal knocks him out maybe Jax is slightly drugged too from his Apoquel. If he bites I bet he does it before he realizes where he is or what's going on. Try waking him before the kids take him in their arms and see if it stops. Sarge sleeps on Jim's lap too every night and he loves it. Jim wakes him a minute or two before he puts him down and he runs straight for his bed and if he doesn't take him immediately outside he falls back asleep. Jax isn't mean any other time so I truthfully don't think he's himself coming out of a deep sleep. Neither am I, ask my husband, I bite if you wake me up :-D

Cbrugs · Nov 20, 2014

Jax is definitely not an aggressive dog, he is the biggest love bug. He hasn't done it again since the last incident on Sunday night but it might be because I am standing right there ready to pounce! The kids do feed him and give him treats, etc., and he is fine when they take him out during the day, it is just a night thing. So I will keep on watching and waiting and will ready to grab his neck if he does it again.