Our first dog (6 month old Australian Shepherd/Lab mix) is getting aggressive only around cardboard.
It started a while ago slowly when we would give her toilet paper rolls when we were done with them for her to chew on for a minute or two. Then we'd take it away from her so she wouldn't eat much or any of it.
When we'd take it away shed sometimes growl a little bit.
Now we have her doing the same thing to any cardboard in the house. Today my wife brought inside a package from Amazon and the dog went to chewing on it. When my wife would try and get her away from the box, shed growl and really show her teeth! She did the same to me right when I got home. All I'd do is walk up to her with a mean look and yell at her to "leave it". Then if I get closer to her she'd show her teeth and growl.
I don't know how to properly handle this. I've read that grabbing her or being dominate by holding her mouth shut and walking her away is a BAD thing to do, because it teaches her to bite first instead of growling first. But then I feel if I just walk away and let her have the box, she'd think she's above me.
What do I do?
It started a while ago slowly when we would give her toilet paper rolls when we were done with them for her to chew on for a minute or two. Then we'd take it away from her so she wouldn't eat much or any of it.
When we'd take it away shed sometimes growl a little bit.
Now we have her doing the same thing to any cardboard in the house. Today my wife brought inside a package from Amazon and the dog went to chewing on it. When my wife would try and get her away from the box, shed growl and really show her teeth! She did the same to me right when I got home. All I'd do is walk up to her with a mean look and yell at her to "leave it". Then if I get closer to her she'd show her teeth and growl.
I don't know how to properly handle this. I've read that grabbing her or being dominate by holding her mouth shut and walking her away is a BAD thing to do, because it teaches her to bite first instead of growling first. But then I feel if I just walk away and let her have the box, she'd think she's above me.
What do I do?