[pyrnet] Question

[Rhonda Collins <rhonda@castlepublishing.com>]

Newman about did me in last night. Don't know what got into him, but he was 
full of beans. Spicy ones. I needed to brush and comb him, since I hadn't 
all week, and he'd rolled in the mud 2-3 times and been squirted off each 
time. He was looking pretty sorry (and frankly, so is my COUCH, where he 
jumped up on it to look out the window!). As usual, every time I tried to 
brush him, he would "grab" the brush with his mouth, then when that didn't 
work, he started on my hands and arms. Not biting...just "holding". I have 
an impromptu "muzzle" I put together from a strip of double-sided velcro 
that I wrap around his muzzle when he does that, and generally the instant 
I put it on, he knows I'm NOT playing, and he stops and stands still. Not 
this time! He also knows that all he really has to do is wipe his nose on 
the carpet and it'll pull off, so that's what he did, and he was back in 
business!  ALSO usually, if I put him on a long "down", he'll settle 
down...again, not last night! He just got wilder and wilder and wouldn't 
mind at ALL!  Wouldn't stay down, even when I tried to HOLD him there 
(ALSO, very unusual, as he generally goes down and will stay quite nicely). 
I now have scratches all up and down my arms, on my legs...and several 
other places I'd rather not mention!  Finally, I gave up and told him to go 
to the kennel.  Naturally, instead of heading for the kennel, he ran for 
the bathroom. I went into the bathroom (where he was sitting in the tub) 
and pointed out and said, "Kennel, Newman!" He ran for the back door where 
the doggie door is (which, luckily, I had blocked because of the mud 
outside!). When he saw that the door was blocked, he finally slinked into 
the kennel.

Boy was I pissed!  He has NEVER been that bad with me. Except of course 
when it's time to do his nails. (Why do =I= get to do all the things to him 
that he doesn't like? Huh? Sheesh!)

Anyway, I am NOT a happy camper with my Pyr Pup right now. I KNOW that in 
actuality, he's just a big, fuzzy little boy...not even an adolescent yet. 
Ye Gods...what AM I going to do with him when he gets to be an angry 
teenager?!!!

PLEASE tell me this was a fluke. I am NOT a big person, and I worry about 
being able to handle him if he continues with this behavior. Up until last 
night, he usually would test me SOME, but then settle down. He never once 
growled at me, even though I was pretty rough with him trying to keep him 
DOWN when I told him "Down" and he wouldn't go down or stay down. I really 
need to get him to obedience classes, and we've meant to go, but as I said, 
up until now, it hasn't been an issue, and everyone always comments on how 
remarkably well-mannered and well-trained he is for his age. <rhonda, 
worried in Texas>