[Dog5]

Our new rescue Finn has a couple of issues that I have never had to "train out" of a dog before:

1. He's a champion counter surfer, and of course he usually does it when no one is in the kitchen with him.

2. He gets agressive when he "finds" something. I hope I explain this well...he doesn't seem to be food agressive per se, but if he "finds" something on the floor, or on the counter, or, it doesn't even have to be food - tonite it was a blanket he pulled out of Barney's bed - he starts growling and snapping.

Please help - I'm not sure what to do with these two problems.

[briteday]

Counter surfing...never leave anything out. I used to put stuff in the cold oven if I needed to get out of the kitchen quickly. If the dog isn't rewarded by finding food he eventually ceases to look for it. Or you just re-train yourself to not ever leave it out.

The resource thing...I don't have any good answers for that. If my dogs growl on occasion when I take something away then I take things away more often so they understand I control the resources. I'll wait until they have a favorite toy or chew stick, then take it away. However, I'm not sure if this is a good method. I'm sure others with more training experience will be more helpful.

[rosemaryninja]

I've found that with resource-guarding dogs, taking away the object tends to make them even worse because they feel a stronger need to defend what they find. That's just my own experience though, which briteday far surpasses me in. If I were you, instead of trying to make him comfortable with you taking things away, I would work on a really good "Give it" command. That way, the dog GIVES you the object, as opposed to you going and taking it away from him.

As for the counter-surfing... honestly, I would just manage the environment. It's a very self-rewarding behaviour for the dog, which means he learns it very quickly. Try not to leave food out when you can't supervise him.

[gills]

For me, resource-guarding is one circumstance where alpha-rolling IS appropriate. This is a dominance issue, and everything a dog owns, touches, plays with in this house is MINE. They need to learn this.

My rescue tried it ONCE -- she nipped my husband when he patted her while she had a bone. He didn't know the signs, and I wasn't in the room to catch it. He promptly backed off and stayed away from her, so she got the message that behaving that way actually works. I went over to her, put my hand on her back gently, and asked her to "give". She curled her lips at me and lowered her head over the bone, and boink, I had her on her back for a stern and loud (VERY stern) lecture and a stare down in a flash. Believe me, she got the message never to try that with me again, and she lost her bone. I ignored her for the rest of the evening, and told my husband to do the same. Yes, it upset her. But the next day we tried again. She gave me the bone and no attitude. That earned her tons and tons and tons of praise and she promptly got her bone back. My husband (very reluctantly) tried the same. Success, and more lavish praise and treats.

Now it's important to know that my dog is a small-to-medium sized dog; I would NEVER try this with a big strong dog for safety reasons. That's why it's critical to establish the pecking order with big dogs while they are young, BEFORE they become too large to man-handle on the very rare occasion that it might be necessary.

[RBark]

You would threaten a dog with death over that?

Must have been a really important piece of paper! Or rock! Or whatever it is he found.

[borzoimom]

Resource guarding is a hard subject. I would like to make sure you will not get bitten. Getting a behaviorist or a trainer would help. As far as how I would handle it is to wait until the dog has something. " Give" becomes equal to " I have something better for you". ie- wait until the dog has something- you have a treat or a better toy, say " give" and offer the other object- ie like I will trade you for what you have with what I have.. However- I am not sure how aggressive this is being without seeing it for myself.
Counter surfing- oh yea Borzois are notorious for this. Beside prevention by controlling the environment, I set mine up. I do not want them to think they can take anything. After all many things can be poisonist.
I set my dogs up. LIke a wiping my hands with smell of meat on a kitchen towel, hide a soda can taped up with pennies inside, hide it in the towel. Pulls the towel and CRASH - instant busted.. As far as food, I set Galina up by taking a piece of meat and spraying the tar out of it with bitter apple.. - problem solved. .. lol. Another idea is to put a " scat mat" on the floor just close enough to the counters that the dogs paws would hit it if they tried to get up or too close to the counters.

[Dog5]

Thanks everyone, there are some great suggestions here. I didn't mention in this post that Finn is deaf, so I can't try the noise ideas (but I will file them away for another dog!) but he does feel vibrations and knows hand signs, so most of these are very doable. He may even be able to feel the vibration of a can of pennies, so that is still worth a try.

Borzoimom, I was looking at the Scat Mats last night and I think I may order the "strips" for the counter.

Thanks!!!

[borzoimom]

I am sorry.. I did not know he was deaf. A taped can wont work as he would not be able to hear the crash, but a scat mat would work as its by vibration.

[Dog5]

Originally Posted by borzoimom

I am sorry.. I did not know he was deaf. A taped can wont work as he would not be able to hear the crash, but a scat mat would work as its by vibration.

Oh that's okay...I should have put it in my post. I am going to try the scat mats, but the can may still work from vibrations, who knows. Some of the deaf dogs websites suggest stomping your foot, and he does feel that, he also feels a magazine slap on the table or counter, so...everything is worth a try. Thanks!

[borzoimom]

Well seeing the movement of the can falling might help. Just give it a try.