resource guarding

[Grete123]

Hi!

First let me tell you all, how happy I am that I found this forum!!
I will have a lot of questions.
My husband and I rescued an approximatly 18 month old neutered male Rottie from the local shelter.
Troy is a very friendly and calm dog, eager to please and very loving.
I did a lot of research on what to do and not to do, however there are a lot of different opinions out there.

So- we brought Troy home and the next day we gave him a bone and then my husband reached for it to take it away. So Troy growled (quite impressive), we told him frimly no! and slid the bone away with the foot and then took it. That was that. Next day, same deal with a toy, much milder growl, took the toy. Troy begged to the toy and got it back.

We did this exercise some more and he seems to have accepted the fact that we give things but we can take them too.

Now yesterday I gave him a nice fat raw (another issue I am not sure about) bone and he was thrilled with it. After quite a while I walked over to pet him and he sort of grumbled a little. So far he has not shown any agression when I take things from him at all, seems he had a bigger problem with my husband with that.
Anyway, he grumbles and I tell him in my firm voice (which is pretty firm with a nasty german accent) not to growl at mommy and then took his price away. He didn't even blink, went up to sit and begged for his bone. So I gave is back.

Finally here comes my question: I know that the bone was a really big price for him, how much grumbling, doing the Elvis-lip is okay, if any?

I want to start out on the right foot with him, so that there is no mistaking who is the boss in the family.

We enrolled in obedience class for March and in the long run I would like to do agility with him. But right now it is winter in MN and 30 F below, so we have to wait.

Thank you for your input I really appreciate it.
Gretchen

[TrinityRun]

It's common for people to want to overdo when they first get a dog, especially if they've adopted him from a shelter. They want to pamper him and give him all the toys and bones he can stand in an effort to help him adjust and show their love. While kind at heart, this is really a mistake at this point.

This is a case of having the cart before the horse. Don't be so quick to spoil him.You are giving him high value items too often, too soon and the danger lies in the fact no pack order/respect has been established. The bone may help to relax and occupy him, and if you insist on giving it to him right now, it's best given in a safe place such a crate at this point.

The archives are filled with threads on transition/bringing a new dog into your home so I won't bore you or take up valuable space by repeating it. If you need any help locating the threads, just let us know.

Welcome to you and Troy!

[RottiMomCT]

Originally Posted by Grete123

Finally here comes my question: I know that the bone was a really big price for him, how much grumbling, doing the Elvis-lip is okay, if any?

NONE...nada, zip...

Also, leave him in pace if he's got a yummy bone...crate him or otherwise contain him to keep everyone and everything safe while he enjoys his treat. Make him EARN the treat - 'sit' or some other basic obedience, and then let him be. If you must get him away from the bone, call him to you with another treat or a yummy bribe, instead of approaching him while he's hunkered down and gnawing away on his prize.

He's young - a teenager...he'll push buttons and test limits - the more training you do with him before classes start the better...also socialize him, take him places (PetCo, PetSmart, anywhere that'll allow dogs on leash!) and make those trips fun!

We've got a youngster here - probably about 18 months as well, and he's been pushing ALOT of buttons lately - he's in the NILIF program, and I actually had to sit down with my inlaws and explain WHY the dog is in the 'program'.

Do a search for NILIF or 'boot camp' - basically put, he's gotta EARN everything he gets - from his meals, attention, treats, to car rides, going outside, everything...you set the rules and stick to it.

Dogs like order in their lives, routine...if I sleep late, the dogs lay ON ME to wake me up because their routine has been disrupted. Luckily, I can feed and pottythe dogs and go back to bed..otherwise I'd be one cranky lady on the weekends!!!

Be consistent, fair and let him know who is boss...and have FUN with training!!

[HerculesMomma]

So the dog is also doing this with toys?

Hercules did this with tennis balls and any other high value item when I first adopted him. I tried not to make a big deal out of it at first (like I want to make it a habit of sticking my hands into an unknown male rottweilers mouth while he growls at me - I think not!) and simply told him "no growling" in a firm voice. The growling was never tolerated, but I also did fuss with him too much on trying to take the items away - but I would touch the ball while in his mouth (for goodness sakes dog - I'm just trying to play with you! ) and if it elicited a growl, he would get his reprimand.

We implemented a nothing in life for free program thanks to the forum here. And then we were enrolled in training right away. Within 1 1/2 months the tennis ball growling was gone and within 3 months there was no more growling at all. I suspect between the training and us starting to form a bond, the problem just disappeared.

[jbach]

Firstly, welcome and thanks for getting the boy out of the shelter. A word of caution here......I'm assuming you haven't had this dog very long. If this is the case, he is probably going to change dramatically over the next few months. I reserve high value items for special times and then leave the dogs alone while they enjoy them. Since he is new for you, he probably hasn't earned the privilege of having high value items yet. And trying to take those things away from him could get you missing fingers. I would wait until you get together for some formal training and build a strong bond and mutual respect over the next several months before testing the waters for resource guarding. The same applies to feeding time; put his food down and let him eat in peace. In other words, set him up for success instead of creating avenues for failure and stress. He's still not sure what's expected of him yet, but a natural instinct is to protect what's being taken away. Congrats on your new friend and scheduling training.

[Grete123]

[quote=HerculesMomma]So the dog is also doing this with toys?

Well, it was a Kong with Liverpaste in it.
I can take regular toys from him, but he seems to find retrieving boring after a short while.
He doesn't seem to be too much into toys anyway, wants to play with me or my husband, but I don't think wrestling with him is a good idea.

I will take the "don't spoil him" to heart, and yes he has to earn everything by following a command before getting it.
He always sits, if he is about to get something or wants something.
Now, is that following a command, since I have not even said anything (let alone that I had no intention to give him anything in the first place)?
Maybe I should have him lay down now before getting it?

Thank you all so much for your replies!

Gretchen

[TrinityRun]

The down is one of the most submissive commands for the dog. And no, if he anticipates the command before it's issued, it doesn't count. Are you crating this dog?

[Grete123]

He was already crate trained and housebroken when he came to live with us. We have his crate in the bedroom and he sleeps in it.
While we are at work he is loose in the house. He has not chewed on anything in our absence or done anything bad at all.
He just once gnawed a little on the coffeetable leg with me sitting on the couch. That wasn't one of his best ideas. Never happened again.
I come home for lunch to walk him, so he is not alone for more than 4 to 5 hours.

What else could I have him do to earn things? I like it that he sits so I can put on his leash and he already figured out that he has to wait to go through the door for my ok.

All in all I think he must have had a good home and some training from the previous owners.

[HerculesMomma]

Originally Posted by Grete123

What else could I have him do to earn things? I like it that he sits so I can put on his leash and he already figured out that he has to wait to go through the door for my ok.

Anything you can think of! Of course it will be somewhat dependent on what commands he knows so far. You obviously don't want him to "speak" for his food bowl before he gets it when he does not yet know the command.

I used simple things in the beginning like shake, speak, sit. When we were finally in training and learned down, watch me, stay and eventually he learned roll over, we used all of those. All of these things were employed for anything he got. In fact, in my household there simply is no such thing as a free treat.

Also, make him do this for everything you can think of - even for getting pet. Tell him to sit first, or shake first etc. Every little bit will help.