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Intense Food Guarding


Shakti
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We have a new puppy only 8 weeks old Maremma. He has been home only three days and we already have an issue which seems more intense than usual in such a baby. He was eating yesterday and I put my hand toward his bowl to put in some more kibble and he growled a very deep growl and made a determined snap at my hand. It was decided that he should only be hand fed for a while - is this the solution?? Then today he had a sock and I went to take it from him - major growl and a lightning quick bite that has drawn blood in two places on my hand. Please advise - this seems worryingly intense to me.

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..Did his breeder have any advice ?

Do you know his living conditions before you got him ? Did he need to compete for food, etc ?

it is indeed a worry .

generally, I would be removing all privileges -

food , one bite at a time from my hand after a sit .

Kept restricted , and offered toys with your smell on them - no free ranging for treasures ;)

Not sure about maremmas - perhaps pm steve - she has much experience , AFAIK

Edited by persephone
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We have a new puppy only 8 weeks old Maremma. He has been home only three days and we already have an issue which seems more intense than usual in such a baby. He was eating yesterday and I put my hand toward his bowl to put in some more kibble and he growled a very deep growl and made a determined snap at my hand. It was decided that he should only be hand fed for a while - is this the solution?? Then today he had a sock and I went to take it from him - major growl and a lightning quick bite that has drawn blood in two places on my hand. Please advise - this seems worryingly intense to me.

You bought a breed that is territorial with strong protective instincts and a hard bite and this can be an undesirable consequence. This is not a "pet dog breed" you are dealing with but a livestock guardian. Put your expectations about what is "normal" in a baby puppy to one side and have a hard look at what you've got. It sounds to me like you've got a pup that's scaring you. Not good.

Don't muck about. A bite in the first three days is not how I'd be wanting to start with a pup. Get yourself to an experienced and knowledgeable behaviourist NOW or return the pup. This is going to be a powerful dog and resource guarding doesn't get "cured". I wonder if this is going to work out honestly. Do you have children?

There are experienced Maremma and other LGD people here. Change the title of this post to include the breed and hopefully they can assist.

No offence to my fellow DOLers but if you decide to keep this pup, don't take internet advice about dealing with this behaviour. It can go very badly wrong.

Edited by Haredown Whippets
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Im with Espinay on this one! and agree with all the above posts.

Have you consulted with the breeder? the pup sounds like he was the bottom of the pack and had to fight to get what he got, even then as a 8 week old, I would worry that the temperament has been set and it will be hard work undoing what has already been done.

As a pet dog, I feel that this dog would be a time bomb to have around.

Was he raised as a pet or as a outside guarding/guardian?

Brooke, this is NOT a good start for you.... Temperament-wise this may not be a pup that suits your needs.

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I have to agree with everyone. This kind of aggression at this age is extremely concerning. Regardless of pack position or anything else to escalate to a full hard bite that quickly is not normal for a baby puppy.

I don't know enough about LGDs to know if it is acceptable in dogs that spend their lives in the field working but I think you are setting yourself up for serious ongoing aggression problems if you keep this pup as a companion for humans

:(

By all means get an assessment by a good behaviourist if you are not ready to return the pup, but I would be returning it to the breeder unfortunately.

ETA to give you an idea of the seriousness of the behaviour, young puppies that showed that level of resource guarding (actually biting, with minimal provocation) were few and far between at the shelter I worked at but would be put to sleep without further behavioural work if they showed that behaviour as they were deemed highly unlikely to be made safe with humans :(

Edited by Simply Grand
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I have an Anatolian x Maremma and the most he ever did when we brought him home at 11 weeks was growl when he was given a bone the first couple of times. It stopped very quickly and didn't escalate.

This situation is worrying even for an LGD and if you are intending to keep the dog I would be seeing someone about it asap.

Did you get the dog for working purposes or as a family pet?

Edited by Dame Aussie
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My aunt had Maremma dogs who guarded the sheep and goat herds on our property. As pups they were put with the herds and raised with the herds. We were told never to go near them as they were so fiercely protective of their 'pack' so although this pups behaviour is extreme it does not surprise me at all.

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That cute little 8 week old bundle of fluff with the resource guarding issue is going to grow into a very large dog in virtually no time at all... either return him to the breeder, or invest in a reputable and thorough trainer to help you rectify the situation. There will not be an overnight fix, nor will it be cheap...

T.

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My Border Collie bitch was a fierce resource guarder when I got her at 12 weeks. Though she never bite me she was very aggressive/protective around her food. If I approached her while eating she would charge at me, teeth bared, ears flat to her head & hackles raised high. Growling continually. She mean't business. I did work through this issue with the help of her breeder but it took quite a while. It's the kind of problem that you have to keep your eye on for the life of the dog though. They can have tendencies to guard other things like their toys etc etc. As it turns out she has a multitude of behaviorial issues as well.

I think your pup is a very severe case already having bitten you drawing blood. Being a Maremma. I'm not very breed savvy but they are bred to guard stock & they are a large powerful dog fully grown.

I'm sorry but I see huge red flags with this. I would be thinking very long & hard about you want to do. He is going to be a huge amount of work, not to mention $$$ to bring him around & there is no guarantee's you will succeed. If you decide to keep him. Then I would contact his breeder. Then contact a very experienced behaviorist/trainer. In the meantime by extremely careful around him. Hand feed him. Don't leave anything on the ground ie. food bowls, bones etc no matter how old. My girl will resource guard the garbage tin if I allow her.

Edited by BC Crazy
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Hi everyone - I cannot tell you all how much I appreciate the advice and support of this community. I have consulted with a dog behaviourist and an expert in Maremmas and am now talking to the breeder in the hope that we can find a way forward.

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We have a new puppy only 8 weeks old Maremma. He has been home only three days and we already have an issue which seems more intense than usual in such a baby. He was eating yesterday and I put my hand toward his bowl to put in some more kibble and he growled a very deep growl and made a determined snap at my hand. It was decided that he should only be hand fed for a while - is this the solution?? Then today he had a sock and I went to take it from him - major growl and a lightning quick bite that has drawn blood in two places on my hand. Please advise - this seems worryingly intense to me.

You bought a breed that is territorial with strong protective instincts and a hard bite and this can be an undesirable consequence. This is not a "pet dog breed" you are dealing with but a livestock guardian. Put your expectations about what is "normal" in a baby puppy to one side and have a hard look at what you've got. It sounds to me like you've got a pup that's scaring you. Not good.

Don't muck about. A bite in the first three days is not how I'd be wanting to start with a pup. Get yourself to an experienced and knowledgeable behaviourist NOW or return the pup. This is going to be a powerful dog and resource guarding doesn't get "cured". I wonder if this is going to work out honestly. Do you have children?

There are experienced Maremma and other LGD people here. Change the title of this post to include the breed and hopefully they can assist.

No offence to my fellow DOLers but if you decide to keep this pup, don't take internet advice about dealing with this behaviour. It can go very badly wrong.

All sad but true - thank you for your advice and yes we have consulted people In real life!

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