Hi there. I read the entries tagged resource guarding, and found some advice related to what my dog's recent behavior, but I need this advice reiterated, I think
( Read more... )
#1 - Don't ever punish your dog for growling. You need this warning sign and you don't want to ever make it go away. Dogs that are punished for growling go from zero to bite without giving warning signs and become more dangerous. The fact that she has a warning system in place is a good thing.
#2 - If she is guarding sticks I would work on this guarding behavior at home prior to allowing her to be around other dogs where her bad behavior will be reinforced. (Her behavior is reinforced when another dog goes to take the stick or you go to take the stick from her).
The fact that you pulled her away while another dog grabbed "her" stick just reinforced in her mind that next time, she needs to be way more aggressive about guarding because she was right! Someone was gonna come take her stick! This is dangerous. If you ever need to take an object away from your dog that it is guarding you need to trade her for something of equal or better value and then remove it.
Thank you for this advice. I read it out loud to my roommates and they loved point #1. I guess I should bring some back-up treats to the park in case she prefers guarding to playing?
Treats can create a whole different set of issues when brought into a dog park environment which is why you'll see on the rules "no food allowed". Dogs will fight over food, even if they aren't resource guarders
( ... )
I guess one of my major issues is that she definitely has always enjoyed the dog park. I'm not forcing it on her. She usually is the most popular girl there, leading dogs to run and jump in puddles and loves to playfully wrestle. That's why I'm so surprised when she gets grouchy and wants to just sit down with her stick.
But yeah, even though I got upset, this time I made her leave soon after she started guarding. But I wonder if I just need to chance it and let her growl and have her alone time until she's rested and wants to play again? Or should I always just leave immediately?
You need to work on a solid "Drop it" via objec-trading. This means that whenever you ask her to drop one thing you give her something of equal or higher value.
Start with a boring toy. Get her playing with it and then ask her to "drop it" showing her a more exciting toy. She should let go of the first toy, reward her by giving her the second.
Work your way through a hierachy of toys and treats, sometimes rewarding with something else, sometimes rewarding by giving the original object back again. Soon she'll be happy to drop anything as it means you've got something better for her.
Heyy, my dog was like this aswell, The protectiveness may be just the nature of her breed, but it could also be from playing a lot of tug-of-war with her. You can't really make her "foreget" about her stick and go back to frollicking around. It's also a matter of who's the boss when it comes to her and other dogs. One piece of advice, unless it is absolutely neccessary, dont get between both dogs if they are wrestling over a toy of some sort. Though Dixie knows you and wouldn't bite you, you can't say the same for the other dog. Accidents can happen. And one last thing, Growling doesn't always mean viciousness, it could also be like talking, sending you a message.
I'm not saying it's the main sorce, just that, depending on the breed of the dog, it could be a contributing factor. You can't really know for sure whether it's a sufficient reason or not.
In addition to her issues with resource guarding, know that as some dogs mature (usually around two years or less), they can become less likely to enjoy the company of lots of strange dogs. When frankie was younger, he LOVED the dog park and couldn't get enough of running/chasing/playing with the dogs. He was an awesome dog park dog. It was an easy way to get his much needed exercise and he always had a ton of fun. However, when he got closer to a year old, he developed... Let's say, a shorter "temper" with dogs. He'd snap at a moments notice if one dog was in his face, even playfully, and then just be over everything. Nothing in our routine ever changed and he didn't have a bad experience - he just matured into more of an adult dog and his personality is that he can't handle all kinds of dogs like he could as a pup
( ... )
Comments 29
#2 - If she is guarding sticks I would work on this guarding behavior at home prior to allowing her to be around other dogs where her bad behavior will be reinforced. (Her behavior is reinforced when another dog goes to take the stick or you go to take the stick from her).
The fact that you pulled her away while another dog grabbed "her" stick just reinforced in her mind that next time, she needs to be way more aggressive about guarding because she was right! Someone was gonna come take her stick! This is dangerous. If you ever need to take an object away from your dog that it is guarding you need to trade her for something of equal or better value and then remove it.
#3 - You need to read the book called Mine! A Guide to Resource ( ... )
Reply
Reply
Reply
But yeah, even though I got upset, this time I made her leave soon after she started guarding. But I wonder if I just need to chance it and let her growl and have her alone time until she's rested and wants to play again? Or should I always just leave immediately?
Reply
Start with a boring toy. Get her playing with it and then ask her to "drop it" showing her a more exciting toy. She should let go of the first toy, reward her by giving her the second.
Work your way through a hierachy of toys and treats, sometimes rewarding with something else, sometimes rewarding by giving the original object back again. Soon she'll be happy to drop anything as it means you've got something better for her.
Reply
The protectiveness may be just the nature of her breed, but it could also be from playing a lot of tug-of-war with her. You can't really make her "foreget" about her stick and go back to frollicking around. It's also a matter of who's the boss when it comes to her and other dogs. One piece of advice, unless it is absolutely neccessary, dont get between both dogs if they are wrestling over a toy of some sort. Though Dixie knows you and wouldn't bite you, you can't say the same for the other dog. Accidents can happen. And one last thing, Growling doesn't always mean viciousness, it could also be like talking, sending you a message.
Reply
Playing tug does not make a dog become a resource guarder. But dogs who resource guard are not always good candidates for the game.
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
Leave a comment