[Erick Aguilar]

Hey peeps.

I got a question here.
Lately, apollo has started to be a bit possessive over the stuff we give to him, some toys, rawhide bone, and food.

When he was a little pup i sat beside him while he was eating and pet him to get him used at people touching (bumping) him instead of growling and snapping.

BUT, lately, when we touch him while he is chewing a toy, bone o eating food, he gets VERY stiff, head down, and does this fast jump to get away from us, and rarely, he growls at us.

This could be the begining of an aggressive behaviour.. how could i start correcting that??

 

[drea]

I would definitely not let this behavior continue (she says sheepishly). I let Tucker get away with all kinds of snarky behviors when he was younger and smaller, and now he's 90+ pounds and I'm having to do some re-training, for both of us.

Have you trained Leave It and Take It? I make Tucker sit before each meal, and wait until I say Take It (usually this is preceded with eye contact).

 

[cshellenberger]

Definately sounds like the start of resource gaurding.

NILIF, and trading are usually the best answers to train them out of RG, and the sooner you get started the better.

I also HIGHLY reccomend you get this book, it will explain far better tha I can how to nip this problem in the bud!!

Mine!

 

[Erick Aguilar]

Yes drea, Apollo knows that command already, he will sit and wait until i say ''eat'' then he will eat his meal.

However, i don't know if i will be able to train the leave it command on a such food driven dog,

 

[cshellenberger]

My dog is VERY food driven, if I can train her to "leave it" not only with food, but with the cat (whom she LOVES to chase) you can train yours. Use the Doggy Zen method at the top of the forum, it WORKS. You just have to be PATIENT and SILENT. Once he has it down with food, you can advance it to include ANYTHING including toys and rawhides.

 

[drea]

Someone else posted this link in another thread; it might help you, too.
Object Guarding

 

[Westhighlander]

Yes drea, Apollo knows that command already, he will sit and wait until i say ''eat'' then he will eat his meal.

However, i don't know if i will be able to train the leave it command on a such food driven dog,

Erick, NILIF is more than just about a sit before a meal. It is really conditioning a dog to understand that everything is yours and not his. Bones, toys, the ability to go outside for a walk, his bed are all resources that you control. So before he gets anything, he always has to do something for it or he won't get it. Want more water, well he has to do a down. Want to go outside, he has to do a sit and then a down. Want to lie down on the bed, he has to do something you've taught him first before he gets that resource.

 

[Elana55]

I have not a lot to add, but I would do this when he eats. Put the food in a bowl and then skit down with the bowl in your lap then hand every last morsel to him, BUT berfore you hand him ANYTHING ask for a behavior (sit, lie down, stand, wait etc.). He does not get to eat out of the bowl.

NILIF for coming in the house, going out of the house, getting petted, playing.. everything HE wants to do you ask him to do something for you FIRST.

Food driven dogs can be taught "Leave it" but it takes patience. Heck.. I have taught my cats to "leave it" (cat command is "get out of there/that"). BTW the cats respond quicker than the dog does!

I have also taught all my animals to either give up willingly what they have or drop what they have when I say, "What have you GOT?" Usually this question is the result of the animal picking up something they have "found" be it on the side of the road (usually very yukky.. but dogs will be dogs.. or something like an ear ring.. (cats will steal earings and other jewelry.. or mine will.. but they give it to me if I ask, "what have you got?")

 

[Erick Aguilar]

After reading the replies.. i get a bit confused..
Because i actually do all the things you've mentioned, he actually does what i tell him to do before he gets something he wants..
Hmm, maybe there is something more behind his behaviour, while i do believe it's the start of resource guarding, i do not know why it could have started.

 

[cshellenberger]

Eric,
Get a copy of "Mine" by Jean Donaldson. Mine!

 

[Erick Aguilar]

Eric,
Get a copy of "Mine" by Jean Donaldson. Mine!

Wish i could, shipping is very expensive to have it sent to mexico, i hate buying online for that reason..


Today while i was walking Apollo i decided to apply both NILIF and doggy zen while we were practicing ''Heel'', reinforcing Sit,Stay,Down, look at me and leave it.

Everything went fine, we even had a good chance to practice leave it when apollo picked up something nasty from the floor.. so i did a trade and told him leave it when he droped the object, he didn't try to guard it as fiercely as he was guarding his rawhide donnut yesterday. (This happened after i used Elanas advice, i started to feed him on my lap, and applied doggy zen in that moment.

So far, he did great today, and will repeat the same rutine tomorrow.. gotta get him ready for an upcomming dog show this November...

 

[drea]

What is doggy zen?

Never mind...found it!

 

[Elana55]

drea: go to the top of the forum when you open the dog training forum and there is a permanent "sticky" there that tells you the Doggy Zen game. Lots of good stuff up there on many things!

Erick.. I bet it is cheaper to send something from the US to Mexico that it is for someone in Mexico to have something shipped. I have seen that sometimes...

I am glad you are noticing improvement with Apollo. This is something that is often easy to fix when you first notice it.. not so easy after it has developed. A lot of dogs that end up in shelters do this and it is a frequent reason for PTS.

 

[drea]

Thanks for the nudge on Doggy Zen! Another great thing to work on with Tucker! He's actually pretty good at self-control in our bedroom (the place he stays the most); now I'll work with him with distractions.