suprising agression

[Zumie05]

Originally Posted by KameronRenzo

she knows im the boss trust me, she listens to every snap....we are just having this one problem with the high valued items....do you guys think the trade it actions is the way to go?...

Definately. From the first day I brought my pup home I have been playing that trade game for high value items. In addition to getting some yummy treats when he was chewing on a bone after I took it away, he also got the bone back! Gary now likes to chew on things and "share" them with me. I bet he is hoping that I'll give him some extra goodies.

As far as his food dish goes, I do not pet him or lift up his dish when he is eating. I just go by and tell him what a good boy he is and drop some treats into his bowl. I definately think he would have no problem with me petting him (okay he doesn't, I have tried it before but I don't do it all the time ) and I can even tell him to sit while he is eating. Usually he just eagerly looks at me, because I might be adding extras to his food!

I think those things I have been doing have prevented my dog from even learning how to guard/protect anything lol.

[Nishasmom]

Shelby427: Nisha knows wait, I will try teaching it to her while she is eating (as you do w/ your dog). Thanks for the tips!

[ArmaniMink]

I'm glad this is the new topic. I have a sudden aggression story that's quite different but inda funny.
Saturday I had my cable installed in the house and while my 4 month old puppy seemed very social with everyone who comes over to our house. She does seem to have these random aggressive moments out of no where. Since i usually socialize her with my visitors while she is young, I never felt the ned to put her in the kennel wen people come over. This day i thought otherwise because I wanted to be able to show the tech around without leavind Mani unattended. I put her in the kennel just as the guy was walking up the stairs to the bedrooms, well as soon as I motioned for her to go in her kennel when she got inside and turned to see the guy comming up the stairs, she went hawire she started barking loud and growling and teaaring at the walls of the kennel lunging towards it in whatever direction around the bedroom the guy moved. He was shocked because I had just said when I heard her barking when he entered the house, oh she's just a puppy.. LOL,LOL I know he was thinking WOW!!! and you say she's just a puppy. So he said after several moments of him moving around the room and her jumping at the cage wall barking," That dog is really trying to get a piece of me huh" and said I dunno what's bothering her she hasn't done this before" He was shocked and I'm sure didn't believe me because of how she was acting. So after several attempts of me saying "NO" to her she would stop when I said it but as soon as he made a move around the upstairs where she could see him, she went crazy again. So I decided to take her out of the kennel and sit her down on the bed beside me. Ya know the funny thing is she sat up on the bed the entire time and never barked once. She just followed him with her head and eyes,until he was finished, but not a peep. So his next comment was, I guess she just wanted to get out to see what was going on" I found that to be the strangest thing I ever saw from her this far. I wonder what made her, She's the same dog that once I took her out to go potty and a big dump truck drove by and blew it's horn at a turning vehicle and even though I would say it was rather loud. She stopped in the mist of taking a poop and tried to haul a** across to the house. I had her by the leash so I nicely pulled her back to the area she was pooping in for her to finish... yeesshhhh!!!!

[jlaack]

she knows im the boss trust me, she listens to every snap

No she doesn't. If she did she wouldn't be growling when you tried to take away the rawhide. If she really saw you as the boss, when you approached her as she was eating her bone she would not agress. Does she know the command drop it or leave it? If not teach her these commands with less valuable items and then up the value gradually of course giving her something better to make it worth it to her to drop the other item.

You should also enroll in obedience classes (you and your girlfriend). You mentioned in your initial post that the aggression existed (even if milder) before and is now escalating. The behavior probably wasn't addressed correctly before (if at all) and will likely worsen if not handled correctly. If in doubt about how to proceed enlist the help of a trainer or behaviorist to work on what is likely possession agression.

I agree with another poster to a point; I also usually leave my dogs alone while they are chewing on a bone or eating their dinner. That said they need to wait for both until I have given permission and if at any point I need to interrupt I will command them to drop or wait. I don't let my dogs eat their bones in one sitting and after giving them such a high value item I expect them to relinquish it politely when I decide they have had enough.

There are other questions I have: is the issue only with rawhides? What about other toys? What about food? Treats?

[Mantobellio]

I don’t believe in crating dogs to curb their behavior. None of mine have ever been crated. When I bring a dog home for the first time, I first see what bad habits it has. If any have any issues with guarding of any sort, I immediately tackle it.

I would never tolerate any of my dogs growling at me because I get too close to them while eating or because I have to take an item away for some reason that could be harmful to them.

If for the FIRST time, one of my dogs should growl at me because I was trying to examine an item for some reason, then I would immediately claim that item, food bowl, or what ever it is. I would make it known to them that they could not have it back unless their behavior changes.

Example: Dog growls at me while eating….I immediately (no hesitation) step near the bowl causing dog to back away from it. I pick up the bowl/item and make the dog sit. I would hold the item near them and each time they would make a move for it, I would make a sound telling them to back off. Once they settle, which does not take long at all, then I would give the bowl/item back after commanding them to “take it.” I’ll sit their with them and any time I decide to take the item, I would give the sound/word letting the dog know that I want the item.

I know trying to write and say how one does something to curb behaviors is usually hard to do on here, showing is definitely easier.

Anyway, what it all comes down to is your dog respecting you. Once one has that respect, one can almost do anything to their dog without so much as a whimper from them. Basically, get control of the dog and let them know you have rules and boundaries to abide by.

[Zumie05]

Mantobellio: Be extremely cautios when doing this then, because taking things away from dogs is usually what the dog fears the most, and by taking things away that they are protecting you are confirming their fears. Most of the time this can actually make a dog's guarding behavior get worse.

I understand the need to show the dog that the behavior shown is unacceptable, and I am at least glad to hear that you give the dog his food back.

One day you may find that this method isn't working for a particular dog, and in that case it is best to show him that he doesn't have to fear having food taken away because whenever you are near you actually give out more food!

[poohbearsmom]

Originally Posted by Nishasmom

I have been doing training classes since we got our dog. She is well behaved, and obedient (except for the high-value guarding). Here's the deal...1st day home, I gave my 7 wk old puppy a sausage thing from the pet store. I randomly went to pet her and BAM she tried to attack me!!! A 7 pound attack dog (she was even protective of poo she was eating!). Anyways, my first reaction was to flip her over and hold her like that until she stopped growling. I then (shaking) called my trainer...her advice dont let her have stuff like that anymore . We didn't listen, but instead let her eat stuff out of our hands ect. She has gotten way better.

When I found this site, most recommended letting her be alone in her crate . I did that for a while, but recently spoke with my breeder about it. She said to keep working with her on it. (none of her dogs have it {which I don't believe}). I can pet my dog, walk by her, talk to her, ect. when she is eating. BUT if I spend a lot of time petting her, she gets angry. So...what if she was chewing on something in the yard and my kid (if I had one) went up and laid on her (as kids do)? I want my dog to be "kid proof" is this possible?? Or is there no hope, my dog can never be trusted w/ high value items. I would do anything it takes to break her of this...any advice???

When you take a high value item from a dog who has a strong guarding/possession instinct, you are only going to amplify the situation.
It is one thing to trade an item for another and teach the dog that you are not the taker and keeper of all things good. It is quite another to simply take the item. Think about this from the dog's perspective.

If you lean over your dog while your dog is enjoying a nice treat, and constantly barrage the dog with molestation (petting the head, laying on her, etc...) I do not blame her one bit for getting pissy about it. She has likely warned you before she actually lashed out more aggressively.

If you had a child, your child and dog should be supervised properly! Children should NEVER lie on a dog!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What you need to do to break her of this is to learn more about canine behavior. You need a qualified instructor to teach you appropriate handling of these situations. You can teach her how to "out" a high value item, but this takes time, consistency and RESPECT for the dog for being a DOG. Since what you've been doing is increasing her guarding behavior, please seek help with this!

Yes, I generally recommend putting a dog into it's crate and allowing said dog to enjoy a good bone. A dog should be allowed to be a dog in peace. But for now, your girl should not get ANY high value item until you get a handle on how to deal with this properly. No need to set her (and YOU) up for more failure. You displaying fear to her reactions will only cement her behavior further.

Please get into classes with a qualified instructor (i.e. not Petsmart or big box store trainers, but trainers who are well versed with working breed dogs; contact breed clubs, USA or DVG in your area.)

[Mantobellio]

Actually, the method I use does not create fear in my dogs. It creates boundaries and trust. And NO, it does not create more guarding behavior. The whole point is to break the bad habit, not practice avoidance by putting the dog in a crate and letting him or her have their item (basically letting them have their way). It is not playing the trade game either by swapping one item for the other. It is dealing with the behavior and finding a way that leads to a more positive outcome. My dogs and I have a special bond and that is what every dog owner should strive for. By having rules and boundaries along with trust then those bonds can be accomplished.

From reading a lot of the posts on here, I believe several owners are afraid of their dogs and the first thing they want to do is put doggie to sleep or find a new home for the dog. But if some of the owners take a hard look at how their dogs got to be hard-to-handle, I bet, if they are honest with themselves, they would admit that they (the owner) created some of those habits.

[jlaack]

I believe several owners are afraid of their dogs and the first thing they want to do is put doggie to sleep or find a new home for the dog. But if some of the owners take a hard look at how their dogs got to be hard-to-handle, I bet, if they are honest with themselves, they would admit that they (the owner) created some of those habits.

I agree with this to a point. That a lot of people are not willing to invest the time, energy, money and inconvenience (regarding management) in order to correct issues, often aggression, with their dogs. However, I would rather have someone who is not willing to do these things PTS than to have their dog become a statistic. Most behaviors can be managed through training and precautions but some owners don't want to be bothered or aren't going to put forth the effort; we see it a lot on this forum. Usually at this point the owner is posting about a bite, long after the aggression was a problem. This is why the PTS option is suggested often. As Rottweiler owners and individuals passionate about the breed and facing BSL constantly, I think many on the forum would rather err on the side of caution.

[Mantobellio]

Originally Posted by jlaack

I agree with this to a point. That a lot of people are not willing to invest the time, energy, money and inconvenience (regarding management) in order to correct issues, often aggression, with their dogs. However, I would rather have someone who is not willing to do these things PTS than to have their dog become a statistic. Most behaviors can be managed through training and precautions but some owners don't want to be bothered or aren't going to put forth the effort; we see it a lot on this forum. Usually at this point the owner is posting about a bite, long after the aggression was a problem. This is why the PTS option is suggested often. As Rottweiler owners and individuals passionate about the breed and facing BSL constantly, I think many on the forum would rather err on the side of caution.

Hey, am I reading the above sentence (the one in bold) correctly? You want to put the owner to sleep in order save the dog from being another statistic? If that is the case, I whole hardily agree! Put the owner to sleep and save the dog! Whooo Hoooo!!!!

[jlaack]

Hey, am I reading the above sentence (the one in bold) correctly? You want to put the owner to sleep in order save the dog from being another statistic? If that is the case, I whole hardily agree! Put the owner to sleep and save the dog! Whooo Hoooo!!!!

You said it, not me! But I obviously was refering to the dog.

[poohbearsmom]

Originally Posted by jlaack

I agree with this to a point. That a lot of people are not willing to invest the time, energy, money and inconvenience (regarding management) in order to correct issues, often aggression, with their dogs. However, I would rather have someone who is not willing to do these things PTS than to have their dog become a statistic. Most behaviors can be managed through training and precautions but some owners don't want to be bothered or aren't going to put forth the effort; we see it a lot on this forum. Usually at this point the owner is posting about a bite, long after the aggression was a problem. This is why the PTS option is suggested often. As Rottweiler owners and individuals passionate about the breed and facing BSL constantly, I think many on the forum would rather err on the side of caution.

LOL. True, so true!

Problems like this resource aggression issue escalate because they are allowed to.

[Porscha]

When I first got my girl I was very afraid of her becoming agressive over posessions such as food or treats.

What I learned is that you have to make her realize that the hand does not take food or treats but gives. We started her young by feeding her by hand, litterally hand fulls of food. We would make her eat an entire meal out of our hands. When we feed her out of her bowl we will often stick our hands in there and touch her toung or lips while she is eating; I wouldn't do this if she showed agression though. We hold her favorite bone while she eats it, take it away, make her sit and shake paws, then give it back.

Hope that helps.

[ZB Realzibozinovin]

Originally Posted by jlaack

However, I would rather have someone who is not willing to do these things PTS than to have their dog become a statistic.

Oh, funny! I agree, put those owners to sleep!

[wamack]

While we're on the topic, Shiva has never resource guarded against myself or my husband. In fact tonight she ripped a hole in one of her favorite dolls and was de-stuffing it. When I asked her for it so I can repair it, she willingly surrendered her toy and found a new one to play with. However she does resource guard high value items against our other dog. She will typically growl and if he doesn't back off she takes her toy/treat to her crate to be alone with it. There aren't fights, just some growling. Is this something I should be concerned with? I don't ever leave them alone together, they are crated if no one is in the house with them. Otherwise they get along fine, even play together.