Dominance? Aggression?

[Just Midol]

I just took a bone off Gizmo as he sat on my bed with it and he has been trained that my bed = no bones (and he generally sits on his bed to eat them) so I went over to remove the bone.

He was growling at me! I still took it as I didn't think he'd bite and he didn't but what should I do in the future if he does this? This is the second time he has done it since he came to me around a month - two months ago.

Is it safe to remove a bone if he is growling? How can I discourage this behaviour? So far the only training I've been doing is that Triangle of Temptation stuff with his dinner and he is going very well with that.

What other methods can I use to curb this behavior. I can't leave Gizmo with my mum to go away for the weekend or so with him acting like this as it will scare her.

ETA: I do intend to see a trainer local to me (I forgot her name, Steve recommended her to Huski and Huski recommended her to me) but can't afford it just yet (maybe a month and a half away.)

Edited January 6, 2008 by Lord Midol

[DeltaCharlie]

I cant remember exactly what I did with Delta but basically it meant if she wouldn't share she didn't get it at all. Any aggressive behaviour when I went near her bone and it was taken away for 5 mins. If she still growled/ snapped when I returned it then it went in the freezer and didn't come out until the next night. After a few days she let me take it and I returned it straight away. She soon realised that I would either give it back, move it to another place for her to chew it, or trade up for something even better.

[DeltaCharlie]

Come to think of it I probably took it much slower than that. I think it started with being able to pat her bum without her growling, then progress to patting her head, then lightly brushing the bone while patting her head, then touching the bone, etc.

Mind you she was only about 4mnths old so it is a completely different situation to tempting things with an adult sibe.

[Tonymc]

Midol firstly what sort of a Bed does the Dog have?

I would be checking your boundarys and leadership with this Dog,as the top dog always claims the best place to camp.

Resource or Food guarding is a natural thing to a Dog and is part of survival.A pack will drive others off their kill and a pack member will at times guard their food from another pack member.Its all to ensure survival.

One option Midol is this.Start by finding a treat or something the Dog values highly.Give the Dog a Bone.Approach the Dog with the treat and use a Word like Give or out.As soon as the Dog has released the Bone reward with the treat.after he has finished the treat,give him the Bone back.Leave a minute ot two and repeat the exercise again.

Initially when offering the treat watch the Dogs Jaw.Immeditately that he releases the Bone give your command, Give or whatever word your using.This teaches him by association,that whatever word your using means release the Bone. Tony

[Erny]

I would be checking your boundarys and leadership with this Dog ...

I agree with Tony. Do this as your first step. Will your dog get off the bed on your command? Will he get off the bed on your command in these circumstances?

If not - step no 1 will be to work on this aspect, even if that means to begin with that you teach your dog that your bed is out of limits regardless.

High resource guarding - especially over food - is an issue I don't normally advise on over the internet, simply because it can lead to that 'bite' (not safe for the owner, and the dog learns yet another unwanted behaviour), but following as Tony has suggested (ie training your dog to relinquish its bone by exchanging for an alternative treat - which should NOT involve you putting your hand on the bone while it is still in your dog's mouth) is a basic step towards being able to do this safely.

If not this, then wait until you get to see your behaviourist/trainer. But you can begin working on the "on the bed" issue easily and if necessary this can begin by denying access to it.

[Just Midol]

Heya,

I think that my leadership does need work - I've been a bit soft on him so he is starting to get a bit pushy.

He will get off the bed if I tell him to, well, all I have to do is look at him when he is off it and he'll scuttle off onto his bed. His bed is one of those metal frame with material over it things though he doesn't really sleep on it, its main use seems to be for his bones. He will also get on it if I invite him, but up untill now he has been allowed on it whenever which I think I need to change so that he is ONLY allowed on it invited.

I'd do some of the basic leadership training that I've read on (things like walking through the door first) and perhaps try what Tony suggested if he seems to be improving, if not, I'll wait till I see the trainer.

Ohhh, what methods can I implement to limit separation anxiety? He doesn't have it but Axle did and I can see the same behaviour brewing in Gizmo so I guess it was entirely my fault in Axle so want to avoid it in Gizmo. Right now I just ignore him when I leave and come home but is there anything else I should be doing?

Thanks!

Edited January 7, 2008 by Lord Midol

[Erny]

Ohhh, what methods can I implement to limit separation anxiety? He doesn't have it but ... I can see the ... behaviour brewing in Gizmo ...

LM - I've got to rush out so no time for a thoughtful "cover all contingencies" response.

BUT (and of course, saying this without knowing the dog or your relationship with him), as the behaviour is only just at "onset" I would suggest "Leadership" will have good results. That, and knowing what to do to avoid inadvertent reinforcement for the behaviour.

SA is actually very complex and frequently over diagnosed, IMO. So without asking a whole stack of questions and without benefit of observation, I can neither affirm or negate your diagnosis of this condition. If it is true SA, then apart from your Leadership, there would be other remedial steps to undertake as well.

I have had clients who have reported behaviours which to the sound of it, seemed as though it might be SA. Leadership fixed it (and it wasn't necessarily SA anyway). But by itself, that isn't necessarily always going to be THAT easy. But it's the best start you can make. Your behaviourist/trainer will be able to go into it further and bettter than I, because of the benefits of visual assessment coupled with more thorough investigative questioning.

Edited January 7, 2008 by Erny

[Just Midol]

Ahhhk,

I just ran into some money so might be able to get into see the trainer a lot sooner than expected so that should help! I am not entirely sure Giz behavior is SA, I know Axles definitely was (vet diagnosis) but Giz is nowhere near as bad as Axle was so I hope leadership fixes it.

[Erny]

Ahhhk,

I just ran into some money ...

Can you tell me where? I'd like to go there and bump into some too

Good luck LM ..... hope the issues you speak of are fairly benign and remedy is swift.

[Dee_al]

i taught kane from a young age that no matter what he has, im allowed to take it. i taught him that because at the time my youngest sister was quite young and we often had young kids around and i didnt want him to bite any of them.