OKAY PET PEOPLE

Here is where I am at with this boston terrier,he is very smart,learns quickly.
I don't think he is as old as I first thought,he is way playful

Here is what is happening,he is a really good boy,until I leave the fenced in area,
when I come back in through the gate he snarls,snaps and bites. Any ideas?
He also bites if you are carrying out the trash,something about the bags make him nutty

I have never been owned by a boston and not sure how to correct these problems

Right now sometimes I can make him sit and wait while I come through the gate but not always

Hmmm not sure about the fence issue but Panzer likes to attack anything I'm carrying as well,including my son sometimes

Does he do it in play? This little guy means it

I'm not sure Yorkie, I've never had that problem. The only thing here is Quincy likes to attack the vacuum and LuLu seems to think that is pretty neat too.

I don't understand it at all,he is so gentle other times,I can leave him in the house go outside and come back in and he is fine.

Something about the fence and I have yet to figure it out,but I am tired already of having teeth marks in my leg.

Even taking the trash out he bites,yet if I bring grocery bags in he has no issue with it

Maybe he was abused by garbage bags... or left in one when he was abandoned.

Panzer does it in play but I agree with Bullet, maybe he was abused and something about the fence and bags freak him out

When I open up all of the kennels in the morning (of whoever slept in a kennel that night)
Chandler barks like one of those yappy little dogs and tries to bite all of us as we make our way to the door.
I think he does it because he is over stimulated by the "commotion." He is beside himself with excitement and it comes out in nipping at us.

It seems like your dog is super stimulated and excited when you come back into the yard and bites at you like Chandler does in a hyper little frenzy.
Not sure about the garbage bags except that it goes with you leaving the yard.

I was thinking about one time when Kane wouldn't stop barking at me and I was drying the dishes.
I shook the dry cloth at him and told him to shutty-lol
He hated kitchen towels ever since I did that.
Maybe your dog tried to bite at his previous people when they went to take out the trash and the people smacked him with the garbage bags?
I can see me shoving the bags in the way of me and the biting dog.
Just a thought.
I only did it once with the dry cloth and Kane never forgot it and would always growl when I had one in my hand.
(Thank goodness I finally got a dish washer)

The neighbours,the mayor and one of my kids can come through the gate and he doesn't give a crap,if my other kid or me come through the gate he bites

He wasn't abandoned in a garbage bag that much I know. I am not ready to give up on him yet,just need some tips on how to stop this behaviour

Have you taken him to the Vet's yet Yorkie? I'm thinking you're probably finding out why the dog was dumped in the first place. Either that or somebody swiped him and learned to really regret it.

Or... he could just be "settling in" and pushing his boundaries a bit.

No he hasn't been to the vet yet,I was hoping to give him time to settle in and get a fair chance at having a home before I did that.
You may be right,that might be exactly why he was dumped UM and if that is the case I can't have him here biting me or my daughter.

I find it odd though that people can come through the front or back door,no problem,just the gates seem to be an issue for my daughter and I

He broke the skin on my leg the second time he bit me,which makes me a bit leery of him at this point

Well, it looks like you've got to decide if you're willing to put in the time and effort it'll take to train this dog or turn him in to a rescue. From everything you've said, he sounds like a smart little thing so training wouldn't be too bad. On the flipside it's a serious behavioural issue, you simply can't trust him around your kids.

I am going to try and work on it for a bit and see if I can get it shut down

THe reallly stupid thing with him is the child he bites(15) is the one that he takes commands from.He will sit,stay and lay down for her on command,yet bite her when she comes in the gate

Maybe he is fighting the two of you for dominance. Is the gated part where he does his business? If so, maybe he is claiming stake against the alphas for his property.

As a matter of act Bullet that is where he does his doggy business,I have decided this is a battle I am going to try to win, I really like this little guy.

His personality is soooooooooooo good other than this little quirk he has.

Sounds like a territory issue to me... I could be wrong.

Still waiting on pictures dammit.

I haven't taken pics until I am sure I can work with him and we all have a safe enviroment

Wish I had some advice for you.

Wish you did too Boston. The last couple of times I have worked with him he has been a bit better,but have not got it shut down yet

Yorkie, I haven't forgotten about you. I posted something the other day and out of exhaustion from a crazy schedule, forgot to hit the send button. Without being there to see him action acting like a little fool at the gate, it's hard to say for sure why he's doing it.

I would start by revoking any priviledges he has. Don't allow him on any of the furniture, but give him his own little doggy bed / blanket on the floor that he can lie down on. I wouldn't put his food (breakfast and dinner) down, until he's had a 10 minute training session (sits, downs, comes, stays, etc..), using his dog kibble for treats, and at least a 45 minute daily walk. Then he can have the remainder of his dog food in a bowl placed on the floor.

The gate issue is just the beginning of him pushing his boundaries to see what he can get away with. When you walk through the front door into the house, ignore him for the first 5 minutes, don't make eye contact or talk to him. Your daughter will have to do the same. For the gate issue, have some tasty higher value treats on hand (the dog kibble is not going to the trick). Things like the string cheese you pack in kids lunches, or tiny pieces of chicken hot dog, or salmon roll over that you might be able to find at your local pet supply stores. I like to use the chicken hot dog as you can buy a package for cheap and it will last you longer than the other two higher value treats.

If you have rain boots with the high legs on them, you may want to wear them to protect your legs and ankles. With the gate door closed and the dog on the other side, approach the gate. Have a ziplock back of small cut up pieces of treat on hand. Don't make eye contact with the dog and approach the gate standing sideways so that you're not facing the dog directly. Stand still, when he's growling and snarling ignore him. When he stops and looks relaxed, praise and toss a treat over the gate. Walk away from the gate and repeat 5 to 7 more times. Next open the gate and stand inside with the gate door closed behind you. Repeat the same thing, 5 to 7 more times. Only treating and praising when he's not growling and snarling, and appears to be settled / relaxed. You may not make it to that opening and standing in the gate part on days one and two. Don't rush it. When you're not training him for this exercise, and need access to the gate, keep him crated indoors or away from the gate door. Each time he's allowed to do this, it's reinforcing his behaviour even though you are trying to prevent it.

It's not a quick and easy fix. It may take a few weeks to correct or even a few months. It's mostly like a behaviour he learned at his previous home and has now become habit.

If your plans are not to keep him. I would seriously look into giving him to a rescue. They have access to lower cost and sometimes free dog training. They have the access and resources to a dog behaviourist that can temperament test him. He would be placed with a family experienced in territorial dog issues and the rescue can check up on his training to see how he's doing.

Just something to think about. If you don't plan on keeping him and this issue gets resolved at your home. When you rehome him, he might try to repeat that behaviour with the new owners. Someone gets seriously bitten needing stitches (even though he's a small dog) and it might become a liability that's placed on you.

Great advice BBE!!!