What should I do?

Gibbzilla · 06-08-2007, 02:00 PM

I have a 6-year old Labrador/Chow mix, and he's a really sweet and caring dog, but he has a "crazy look" in his eyes. Once in a while, he'll get really tense and put his head down, and if I approach him he'll do the most intimidating growl I've ever heard. Along with the growl is a quick jerk or snap. I don't think he really tries to bite me, I just think he tries to get me to back off. This happens the most when he gets something in his mouth that could harm him and I'm trying to take it away. Some people in my family are wanting to send him to someone in the country, since he's a pretty large dog, but I think he has plenty of room in my back yard. What should I do? I don't really think it's necessary to put him down, but if he is dangerous I guess it might have to be done. He doesn't pal around with my other two dogs, who are very close, and he's extremely stubborn. I think the stubborn attitude is because he's got chow in him. I really love this dog, so I'd like to end this mean-streak.

Thanks,
Gibbzilla.

peace36 · 06-08-2007, 03:23 PM

The only thing I can think of is call a trainer or hopefully someone her on the forum can give you some training exercises on how to stop this. I am sure there is some thing you can do to get him to understand you will not tolerate that behaviour.

Good luck. There are some quite knowledgeble on this forum hopefully they read your post and can tell you what to do. Hiring a trainer is sometimes pretty expensive.

ezieck · 06-08-2007, 03:42 PM

Have you had the dog for all 6 years? Was the dog always like this? Is the dog very protective of their food bowl? Does he fight with the other dogs?

I have a 1year old german shephard/collie mix that play bites a bit too much. We a training this out of him because a lot of these behavoirs can develop into aggression later on which lead to a great deal of problems.

I would seek professional help immediately.

Good luck

DogAdvocat · 06-08-2007, 06:37 PM

I'm not a chow expert, but I've been told by chow rescue that chows don't have good peripheral vision, and they startle easily if they don't see you coming. A startle response can end in a snap. I think the first thing I'd do, before I call a behaviorist or trainer, would be to get a vet check, concentrating on the dog's eyes and ears.

Beyond that, I'd be interested in your answers to the prior posts, but also what does your family (not just you) do when they want to take something away from your dog? Do they ever trade one thing for another? Do you exchange a cookie, for instance, for the thing you don't want your dog to have? If so, what does he do? By the way, is he neutered?

Chloef_2799 · 06-08-2007, 07:33 PM

Sounds like dominance issues and resource guarding. Does he get upset when people or dogs approach him as he is eating? Does he pull on his leash when you walk him? If so then I would call a trainer right away or a behaviourist because that can develop into an extremely dangerous habit. Don't send him out to a farm if he is like that because then he may only attack people or animals out there as well.

Gibbzilla · 06-09-2007, 12:08 AM

I've owned him since he was 3.5 pounds. He's always (but rarely) behaved this way, and he is indeed very protective while he eats. This would be less of a problem for me if it was either of my other two dogs, since one is small and the other is about average-sized, but this guy is BIG, and he's capable of hurting a full-grown adult. He's like a really big labrador that's really fuzzy. I can tell some times he doesn't have very good vision, considering he has chow in him. He's neutered as well. He doesn't fight with the other dogs, but if they run up to him while he's eating he'll take their neck in his mouth and pin them to the ground as he growls. I just thought that was normal behavior.

Curbside Prophet · 06-09-2007, 01:08 AM

Resource guarding is a common behavior in dogs, but one that should be discouraged. I would suggest that you seek the help of a professional, since you may be inadvertently causing the behavior, and a professional would be able to observe the behavior in your home, and tailor a plan specifically suited for you and your dog.

jenmarisa77 · 06-09-2007, 08:40 PM

I'm having similar problems with my chow/rott mix but more extreme and in odd situations, not over food or toys. At any rate, I know how you feel.

I would suggest buying one of those fake hands and poking/prodding while he's eating or chewing on something. He can't hurt the hand (or stick or whatever you use) so it's a safe way to test how far he'll go. Scold him when he growls or attacks but most importantly, praise him and give treats when he doesn't growl. If he's only protective of things in his mouth then it shouldn't be too difficult to fix.

One of my four dogs who I rescued when she was already a year-ish old was very protective of things like that. I just worked with her gently until she learned it was okay to relinquish those objects. It took a good month before she was really turned around. All of the other three I've had since they were pups and I regularly stuck my hand in their food and took things away since day one so they don't have any problems in that regard.

Good luck!

scotty,hmk · 06-09-2007, 09:16 PM

It's deffinately a dominance issue. The chow does have some affect, but mostly just the dog itself. A trainer wouldn't be able to help, but a behavior specialist would. If you want to try to fix the problem yourself, then yes you could use something like the fake hand jenmarisa77 was talkign about to protect yourself. You will have to teach him that you are in charge of him and he can't control you. Don't let him go in front of you on walks, that means that he is the leader. Don't let him eat without your permission. Have him sit with you in front of the food and have a release word, with my dog I use, "ok." The same with any toys he has. Practice taking them away and putting them on the floor, and blocking and saying no or whatever word you use when he tries to go after it. just don't try to take the toy from his mouth right away. You should eventually be able to take the toy from his mouth without resistance, mess with it a little, put it down in-between you two, walk away, wait a few seconds, and have him not move to pick it up until you allow, with an ok. It takes practice, but dogs are fast learners and if you are constistant with not letting him do anything without your permission first, like even jumping on the couch(if he's an indoor dog), or leaving the kennel(if an outdoor dog), without your permission, then he should stop expressing these dominant behaviors. Remember to never be fearful when doing so, dogs sense that as a weekness. Believe you are in charge.If it doesn't work, then you may need a professional. Sorry for writing so much.

Good luck with your sweet dog!