Ankle biting, Growling & barking getting worse!

I've posted here before about this but the problem just seems to be getting worse & with her puppy classes not starting until mid June, I would really appreciate some help!

When I first got molly (18 month old Minpin x) she was a really lovely dog. She had some issues which we have largely sorted out but other than that, I thought she was the perfect dog. She barely barked (Except at the ice cream man!) she was polite, didn't cry/whine, was well behaved on walks and was really affectionate. However, we have now had her for 5 weeks & her behaviour really seems to be deteriorating. She has become difficult to walk and inside the house she has started barking & growling more frequently, especially at me. If I come into the living room, she will put herself in front of me, crouch down & start growling & barking. I have tried to ignore her when she does this (I thought that would be the best way to tackle this) but if I try to walk past her she goes for my ankles & over the past week, she has also started to jump up & go for my hands! She doesn't do this with my mum, just me I have noticed she wags her tail when she does this but I can't decide whether she is playing or not.

I do not think anything has changed with her routine since we got her home, not significantly at least. She is still being walked twice a day, she is still forced to sleep downstairs (Although she is allowed upstairs during the day & will come up to bed for snuggles after we have been for our morning walk) and she is still being fed twice a day at specific times. Admittedly I have had less time to spend with her recently because I am in the middle of exam season but I still spend most evenings with her & I always come home at lunch to play with her & let her out. It's not even like she is left alone for long periods of time as my mum is retired & is at home with her all day, not to mention the amount of toys she has & the training I do to keep her entertained & 'engaged'.

If anyone could help me out, I'd really appreciate it!

Sorry to hear things are getting worse. Isn't she due to be spayed soon? I remember you thought she could be pregnant but had that ruled out by the vets or are there any other signs that it could be a phantom pregnancy?
I'm no expert other than my own experience with Tilly's feet biting & can only really say that the more I worried about it & made a big deal of it - the worse it got. Are you acting nervous or subconsciously beginning to be wary around her - like you are expecting her to do it? I know I was & Tilly picked up on it I'm sure which made her worse!!
Try folding your arms & turning your back on her,no eye contact & don't speak to her or shout at her - just completely ignore her,then she may realise if she's not getting a reaction then it's not worth doing. As I said, I'm no expert & only telling you the things I've tried & seem to have been successful.

[QUOTE=Magpyex;1946750] she will put herself in front of me, crouch down & start growling & barking.

Is this not an invitation to play?

I have tried to ignore her when she does this (I thought that would be the best way to tackle this) but if I try to walk past her she goes for my ankles & over the past week,

If are moving, you are not ignoring her. She is stepping up the invite to play because you are beginning a chase game.
Either play with her (throw a toy) or stand still. By moving you are sending mixed messages.

Admittedly I have had less time to spend with her recently because I am in the middle of exam season but I still spend most evenings with her & I always come home at lunch to play with her & let her out.

Your dog is still very young to be left all day. Maybe you could give her a good walk before you leave in the morning

It's not even like she is left alone for long periods of time as my mum is retired & is at home with her all day,

could your mum help by interacting with her?

Hi Tillymint & ClaireAndDaisy, thank you for the replies!

Tillymint, she is due to be spayed on Wednesday this week so I am wondering if that may change her behaviour slightly? I'm not entirely sure but I know my friends have experienced behavioral changes in their cats who have been spayed. I definitely think there's something to your suggestion that I am getting more nervous of her & she's picking up on that! I definitely feel like things have got worse since she escaped from her harness the other week so perhaps I am still a bit shaken from that & I am being a bit of a pushover with her. Thank you for the suggestion of standing still & turning my back on her, I will start doing that ASAP and get my mum to do it as well. Hopefully things will improve!

Claire&Daisy, I hadn't realised that she would see us walking past as playing so I will stop that ASAP & start standing still or throwing a toy for her instead. She is my first dog so I suppose I'm not as good with dog body language yet as most of you are who have had dogs before so I am still finding it difficult knowing what I am saying to her & what she is saying to me. I still walk her in the mornings before I go to college although it does tend to be only about half an hour or 40 minutes so maybe I will try walking her further. My mum is at home with her all day so she is never alone for more than an hour or two at the time. However, my mum isn't much of a 'dog' person (Although she likes Molly) so her interaction goes about as far as throwing a toy around the garden a couple of times. I'm trying to get her more active in Molly's life by teaching her some commands to do with Molly & getting her to come for walks with us but so far she just refuses. I'm hoping that she will get more involved when the training classes start up.
Thankfully I finish college in a week so I will have more time to spend with Molly & I can start taking her to agility classes which I am hoping will give her something more to focus on.

Again, thank you for the replies! I probably seem absolutely useless from the posts I make but I do feel like I'm getting there with Molly, I just need a little bit of guidance now & again!

Magpyex,

You are not useless. You are a new owner trying to do the best for her new dog, and asking question's to help you on the way... that to me show's an owner that is willing to put in the work, ... Nothing useless in that at all

After having her for 5 weeks, Molly has probally found her feet with you now, so she feel's confident enough to want to play with you, and to challenge you on things, where-as when you first got her, she would have been on her guard with you, getting to know you, getting to know what she get's away with and what's not allowed etc. It's all a learning curve for you and for her.

Is there any chance you could perhaps hold off on the speying for another week? I'm just thinking that in a week you said you finish college. So then you could be with her as she's recovering from her spey?
She's going to be very sorry for herself when she get speyed, and all the extra time and attention you can spend with her getting through the aftermath of the spey will strengthen her bond with you no end.

Tilly is my first dog too & believe me I didn't have a clue about anything having only ever had cats! & even though we've had her from pup, we've had some challenging behaviour issues which we have overcome & I'm sure you will too! I feel like like I can read every facial expression Tilly makes now - All the dogsey peeps have given me loads of advice & I'd be lost without them
I think like Bugsey says you may be better putting off her being speyed if your mum doesn't really bother with her until you finish college & you can be there to give her the extra TLC whilst she's recovering.

Bugzy & Tillymint, thank you very much again for the replies! I think the comments about me seeming useless were because we had just come back from a difficult walk & I was on a bit of a downer! I have changed her lead around (She was on a double ended lead after her little escape routine the other week & she was not a fan of it at all) and sorted out a different mechanism to stop her escaping & she was much better behaved on our evening walk so I'm really hoping that at least her behaviour on walks will be sorted out now.

I think I will take both of your advice and call up on Monday to rearrange her speying for the week after, it seems like a much better idea than having it this week when I won't be able to be with her as much. I hadn't thought about how it would help us to bond but it does make a lot of sense!

Tillymint, I'm glad to hear that you've been through all this too but have come out the other side! I've had cats all my life too, they're so very different compared to dogs! I think I'd be lost without this forum too, everyone is so helpful & understanding

Magpyex, as others have already said - you are most definitely not a useless owner! If you were you would not bother with all the endless things that you are doing to get things right, including talking things over on here. I actually think you are a natural with dogs, and have the most basic essential which is common sense!!

Tillymint, to my mind, is absolutely right - turn away from the unwanted behaviour without any reaction whatsoever. If during normal playtime she gets a little out of hand or does something that you don't like, stop play immediately and turn your back on her. She sounds gorgeous.

Good luck with the operation, and sometimes young dogs sail through it with absolutely no down days or feeling sorry for themselves. It does all depend on the dog.

Thank you for the reply & the very kind words Bitkin, it means a lot I feel a bit better after tonight's walk but I suppose I was just a little upset because I didn't understand that she was playing and not being agressive

I'll definitely try the turn away thing, I've tried it already today & she definitely didn't bark as long as when I used to try & walk past her (although she did steal my shoes out of my hand!) so fingers crossed it will help to curb her ankle biting urges!

Thanks for the luck for her opp fingers crossed she is one of the dogs who sail through it & doesn't have too many down days.