I have never in my life met an animal I didn’t like. As soon as I met this dog, she growled at me and humped me. That set us off on a rocky foundation. Every time I move, this dog growls at me. If I talk, she growls; if I sneeze or cough, she growls. I ended up getting a pup, and when we moved in together, I had 2 cats. So it’s now the dog, my dog, and two cats. The humans in the house are me, the roommate, and my partner. The dog is constantly snapping at my dog and cats, chasing them and growling, eating the cat food and my dog’s food while being super aggressive about her own food, and she’s just snappy to everyone. If I stand up to grab something, she takes my spot on the couch, and if I try to get her to move by nudging her, she snaps and tries to bite me. She’s tried to bite me 5 times since we’ve moved in together. She doesn’t listen at all. I’m the only person in the house that doesn’t work, so when my roommate is at work for 9 hours, I’m here with the dog. She runs out the door anytime it’s opened and doesn’t listen to me; she eats anything she wants and doesn’t listen, she growls at every little thing. Anytime I bring it up with my roommate, they just defend the dog by saying she was abandoned and that’s why he has her, that she listens to him, to just move her out of the way and she will get over it, but she doesn’t do any of this stuff with him. He doesn’t understand that if I ‘just moved her,’ I would likely get bit? She’s an older dog, probably around 7 or 8, and she’s so grouchy and irritable. I’m so frustrated with this dog.
That sounds really tough. It must be exhausting dealing with a dog that aggressive. Have you thought about talking to a trainer?
I feel for you. It’s hard when the owner doesn’t see the issues. Maybe try setting boundaries with the dog when your roommate is around?
Sounds like both you and the dog need some space. Maybe a baby gate could help separate her from you when you’re home alone?
It’s frustrating when people don’t understand. You shouldn’t have to risk getting bitten just to move the dog. Have you tried discussing this with your roommate again?
I had a similar situation. Sometimes older dogs can be set in their ways, but it sounds like she needs more training and boundaries.