About

Odie is an adorable Maltese - Shih Tzu mix and most of the time is sweet, but shows aggressive tendencies. He jumps up and barks at visitors and takes a while to settle down before he ceases that behavior. He is possession aggressive and has bitten when one has tried to remove objects from him. He shows signs of being able to be trained by the right person - from what I am reading a different type of training is needed for this breed - the type of which I am unfamiliar. He will sit and stay and give paw for a treat, he will sit and stay as his food is being prepared and will not touch it when it is put down until he has been given the command. He will sit and stay if I put a treat down on the floor in front of him and will not go near it until given the command. As I've said, he does show signs of being able to be trained but I lack the knowledge and skill required. I have had Odie from when he was 8 weeks old and came close to returning him to the breeder shortly after I took him home because I was uncomfortable and unfamiliar with his aggressive tendencies, but when it came down to it I just didn't feel right about surrendering him. After trying everything I could for 3 1/2 years, I don't feel we are moving ahead to a healthy dog/owner relationship. He is very dominant over me and the last straw was last week when he bit my son in law for trying to remove his harness. My son in law is a dog lover and was about as gentle as a person could be when trying to remove the harness - now my son in law is very upset and untrusting of Odie and will not come into my home because of it. So now I must try to find the right person to take him in and train him as he should be and deserves to be trained. I am heartbroken and I love him so much, but I refuse to surrender him to a shelter as this will not resolve anything for him. The only other option is euthanasia which horrifies me to even think of. I pray the right person is out there somewhere, who will take Odie and love and care for him properly. He is current with all of his vaccinations and gets along well with other dogs of his size. I never have had him mix with larger breeds so I cannot vouch for how he interacts with them. Please consider adopting Odie if you are the right person with the right knowledge for training this breed. I am crying as I type this but I must face reality and find a good, loving person to take him in.

New Haven County
Meriden, Connecticut 06451