Inappropriate Resource Guarding Between Dogs

[a_daerr]

I could use a little bit of help from the experienced trainers out there. We brought Truman home at 16-weeks-old. At that time, Henry, our retired racer was almost 4-years-old. Henry naturally took the role of alpha as he was older and had already been the resident dog for several years. For a long time, Truman deferred to him in almost every way. We accepted Henry's role and did all the standard things to keep pack order (feeding Henry first, showing him attention first, allowing him first choice at toys, treats, and beds). Now, both Henry and Truman are very bonded to one another, and they live harmoniously for the most part.

 

But this is where the problem comes in. Truman, now almost 16-months-old, is now quite a bit larger than Henry and has started to challenge him more. It's almost as if he is trying to switch up the pack order. Either that, or he is sick of Henry getting first choice at everything and is trying hard to guard his resources. For example, both dogs are fed in our kitchen but on separate sides of the room. This worked fine for almost a year, but now if Henry even looks in Truman's direction while he's eating, Truman will start barking and snarling. The same thing happens when I give bones or rawhide rolls. If Truman is working on a bone and Henry tries to walk by, Truman tries to guard. I'm also finding that this has evolved to other things, like beds and toys. Keep in mind, Henry isn't bullying Truman into giving up his things. It's Truman has taken to immediately going on the defense without much provocation.

 

I am hesitant to interfere because (1) I don't want to interfere with pack dynamics, and (2) I feel like a lot of Truman's behavior is very theatrical (i.e. he barks and makes a big fuss, but he still defers to Henry as alpha). Also, if I do interfere, I don't know what way would be appropriate for the situation. Should I give him a verbal correction for barking and snarling, or should I reward him for tolerating another dog near his resources? What are your thoughts on the root of the behavior and how I can remedy it?

 

P.S. I would prefer some actual training methods as opposed to just separating them. I could separate them, but I don't think that's going to solve the underlying problem.

[Guest cwholsin]

If it doesn't upset Henry, you could try giving Tru his food/treats/things first (after making him do some obedience commands for you) and see if that reduces his new aggressive behavior. If it does, then he's doing it to establish his place, and you recognizing the new order may make him feel more secure and less inclined to posture.

 

I would also correct anything other than a warning growl and reward for tolerating the other dog. In our house, a warning growl is allowed (if warranted, anyway) but any escalation is corrected by seperation and a verbal reprimand. We want our guys to know that not only is escalating into snarling/barking/lunging not tolerated, but it's not necessary since we'll take care of it.

 

This is just how we would do it If Henry's not fighting Truman for top dog spot, I don't see a problem with allowing him to take it as long as he calms down about how he's asserting it (if that is in fact what he's doing)

 

That's our two cents!

Edited December 26, 2012 by cwholsin

[greysmom]

I don't have a lot of methods, but since Truman and Lilly are about the same age, and we're experiencing *some* of the same issues, I'll tell you what we're doing.

 

Lilly and Whiskey are in the same configuration as Truman and Henry - Whiskey is about 4 1/2 years older than Lilly, who came home at 12 weeks. They have been bonded like glue since the moment they met. Whiskey has become her unofficial nanny and I am sooooooooo grateful she had him to play with for the months of puppyhood!

 

But, she's nearly an adult now, and to compound the problem, she's a good 10-15 lbs heavier than Whiskey, and 6 inches taller than all three of my other greyhounds. She's just a big girl. And she seems to be going through the "terrible two's" portion of her maturing. She's become randomly destructive, barks and whines incessantly, is constantly challenging her boundaries with everyone - in short, she's become a hooligan seemingly overnight. Also, we lost our alpha dog in October and so the pack has been doing some reshuffling anyway.

 

I do correct her when she is aggressive towards the other dogs (a verbal "EH!" and a snap of the fingers or clap of the hands). Mostly because I feel she IS just testing and not actually being aggressive. She gets plenty of positive reinforcement at other times for being a good dog around the others, so I don't worry too much about this aspect. She has a big personality to go along with her physical size, and I do think she is probably going to become the "alpha" in our house. However, I do not want her to become a dog bully (I already have one of those ) especially given she's going to be able to push them (and me) around physically. If I felt she was being aggressive, I would escalate the correction to removing the object she's guarding immediately, and separating them.

 

I closely monitor all feeding with mine. It only takes about four minutes anyway. So I'm right there to make sure nothing happens. If Henry is getting done before Truman and wanting to move around and walk toward/by Truman, it might help to switch their places. You could also see if standing in between them makes any difference. For various reasons, I can't make too much of a fuss about corrections during feeding times, but Truman should get the message that his behavior isn't acceptable at this time too.

 

I'll be watching this thread to see what others have to say.

[Guest cwholsin]

Good luck to you! We'll be there with our borzoi pup in 12 months

[a_daerr]

I don't have a lot of methods, but since Truman and Lilly are about the same age, and we're experiencing *some* of the same issues, I'll tell you what we're doing.

 

Well this is reassuring. It's like Truman has hit some adolescent phase where his behavior is presenting new challenges (the resource guarding, stealing things, persistently annoying the cats, being reactive on leash at certain times). I'm freaking out a little bit because I don't want these issues to evolve into bigger problems. They all seem to stem from boredom or insecurity... so I am wondering how much of this I can chalk up to the "teenager phase" and just manage until he matures a little more.

 

P.S. It sounds like Truman and Lilly are cut from the same cloth. Since September, he gained 9 pounds (EEK!) but is no less filled out in the middle. It seems that he went through another growth spurt and managed to get even taller and longer. He may be 100 pounds when everything's said and done.

[Sambuca]

He has hit his teenage rebellion stage. Done behavior will be temporary, but if not handled it could become permanent. I would take him to obedience. Bu does this. He is 6. If it's over a toy, I make the toy disappear. I scold him if it's over a dog bed. I kick him off the human furniture if thats the cause. Meals are my biggest problem because hes a slow easter and Sailor it's a fast eater. I just stand between them and Sailor leaves him alone.

[Scooby172]

I cannot remember, is Truman neutered?

Linda, Jack and Keeva

[a_daerr]

I cannot remember, is Truman neutered?

Linda, Jack and Keeva

 

Yep, he was neutered when he turned 1.

I also wanted to add that I supervise meal times, but he doesn't care whether or not I'm standing there. He still snarls and barks.

[greysmom]

Yep, he was neutered when he turned 1.

I also wanted to add that I supervise meal times, but he doesn't care whether or not I'm standing there. He still snarls and barks.

 

 

Maybe a squirt bottle? Sort of ninja, but effective around here. The squirt bottle is the only thing Lilly really pays any attention to. It does feel like this is just a phase. I'm really hoping it passes quickly!

 

Somebody asked me if she was part Great Dane the other day.

[Guest Giselle]

Forgive me for a brief response. My laptop died and I'm on my tablet so I can't write much. Here is my understanding of dog behavior and what I think our roles are as creative sentient human beings:

First, I think we ought to temper our expectations of these creatures with a bit of objectivity. Before we label their behaviors as "inappropriate" or "dominant" or "submissive", we have to remember that these are all highly artificial and/or misunderstood concepts. Dominance is a social tool that is meant to minimize aggression and is marked by the deference of the subordinate dog. It is usually marked by withdrawal, not aggression. So, in most cases with adolescent dogs, I hesitate to call their behaviors as indicating "dominance" but rather plain and simple pushyness.

That said, what we also need to remember is that dogs have evolved alongside human beings for tens of thousands of years. Many dogs actually far prefer human company over the company of other dogs. This is an extremely powerful tool! This means that YOU can and should have very precise control over everything in your house. The dogs will learn not to tussle over resources if you control it all with clear and precise leadership. For example, during feeding time, the dogs should all wait for the verbal release "okay!" before they can eat and they have to stay in their spots (giving you eye contact) before they can be released from their place. I have posted videos of my ideal feeding time routine on this forum before so I'm afraid you'll have to search for it because I've no idea how to use my tablet wisely. The same principle goes for toys, treats, exiting doors, entering rooms, etc. You control when and exactly how they get their resources by asking for explicit behaviors, like Sit or Down or Wait. When it becomes clear that all resources begin and end with you, there is no need for the dogs to steal and tussle with each other. So, I would recommend designating one bed per dog and giving time outs when the rules aren't followed. I recommend that the dogs have to earn their toys so it means that toys can't lie around all day long. The dogs earn it and the toys get removed when you think playtime is over. Etc. Etc. I would also recommend rewarding them for displaying calm and pro social behaviors around each other, and you can set up brief training situations to explicitly practice these good habits. For example, with animals in the zoo, I remember we would reward animals for staying calm as they watched us feed their buddies. You can replicate this by rewarding both dogs for giving you eye contact while they both lay down in front of you. Hope this gives some useful info and let me know if I need to clarify anything!

[MaryJane]

Truman is a seizure dog right?

 

Seizure dogs can sometimes become more "nervous" about their food or their position (meeting/interacting new dogs) because it seems (IMO) that they know that they can become defenseless. Is he on meds and if so, what kind? Sometimes meds make them very hungry.

 

A note of caution - it's very important to make sure that you muzzle both dogs (and maybe put in separate rooms) when you are not there to supervise. If Truman has a seizure, the other dog could attack anyway but it will now be more likely since there seems to be some underlying "friction". Also, be aware that Truman could also attack the other dog either during or after a seizure.

[a_daerr]

Truman is a seizure dog right?

 

Henry is the seizure dog.

[a_daerr]

For example, during feeding time, the dogs should all wait for the verbal release "okay!" before they can eat and they have to stay in their spots (giving you eye contact) before they can be released from their place.

 

Thank you for the info. I have trained them both to sit politely next to their bowls before meals. They wait to be released before they can eat. Then, I will stand between them (usually fixing my own lunch before work) for the duration of their meals. I think one of the issues is that Truman gets more food because his dietary needs are different (i.e. more food, the longer it takes for him to finish). So when Henry finishes and goes to walk away, that's when Truman gets nervous tries to guard the rest of his food. I'm going to try a few different exercises and see what happens.

[Guest Giselle]

It's good that they are verbally released to eat, but I would also recommend that they be verbally released from their place. I'm back on my laptop, and this is an example of my ideal feeding time:

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v474/LSophie/Videos/?action=view¤t=FeedingTime.mp4

It's very strict, but it's what adolescent dogs need. Note that, after eating, the dogs should be giving you default eye contact. This is the same type of rigid protocol that I would recommend unruly adolescent dogs follow for all resources: toys, treats, play time, affection, etc. Let me know if anything needs clarification!

[a_daerr]

Looks good! We're starting a new training class January 7, so these are also things I'm going to ask to work on in class.

[Guest Giselle]

Good luck! Adolescent dogs simply need to be taught explicitly that everything begins and ends with you, so there is absolutely nothing to gain from bullying other dogs (or people). It gets easier eventually

[a_daerr]

It gets easier eventually

 

I really hope so... It does help to know that most of this is typical of adolescent behavior, and as I go back through my Truman posts, a lot of it makes sense. He's having lapses in several different areas- housetraining, hyperactivity, mouthiness, security issues with other dogs (resource guarding and on-leash behavior). So I hope with consistency and some more advanced obedience work, he'll grow out of it. I'm thinking of enrolling him in dog daycare one or two days a week for the exercise and socialization with other dogs. Any thoughts on that?

[Guest Giselle]

For some dogs and breeds, it's a lifelong challenge (a FUN challenge, though!)

 

Greys are generally such mellow creatures, though, so I wouldn't worry about it. Regarding doggy day cares... In my opinion, dogs who are easily excitable with impulse control problems don't belong in doggy day care or dog park settings. Unfortunately, due to a lot of extraneous factors (unscrupulous breeding, inadequate socialization, lack of impulse control training, lack of owner education, etc.) many dogs fall into this category. However, if you know your dogs have a very innate "Off" switch and they do it naturally, I think it's a good idea as long as the staff of the day care is extremely knowledgeable about dog behavior and supervises all interactions. It'd be even better if they have a webcam to let you peek in! I personally think it would be best to meet up with a friend or two with a nice dog and let them play for 30 minutes - 1 hour in a private setting. Then again, if your dog can handle it and you're confident in his "Off" switch abilities, I think extra productive socialization is always a good thing. Life has no easy answers, huh

[a_daerr]

For some dogs and breeds, it's a lifelong challenge (a FUN challenge, though!)

 

Greys are generally such mellow creatures, though, so I wouldn't worry about it. Regarding doggy day cares... In my opinion, dogs who are easily excitable with impulse control problems don't belong in doggy day care or dog park settings. Unfortunately, due to a lot of extraneous factors (unscrupulous breeding, inadequate socialization, lack of impulse control training, lack of owner education, etc.) many dogs fall into this category. However, if you know your dogs have a very innate "Off" switch and they do it naturally, I think it's a good idea as long as the staff of the day care is extremely knowledgeable about dog behavior and supervises all interactions. It'd be even better if they have a webcam to let you peek in! I personally think it would be best to meet up with a friend or two with a nice dog and let them play for 30 minutes - 1 hour in a private setting. Then again, if your dog can handle it and you're confident in his "Off" switch abilities, I think extra productive socialization is always a good thing. Life has no easy answers, huh

 

That's the truth... I'm at a disadvantage right now because of my work schedule and the PA winter season. My commute is over an hour each way (five days a week), so it's always pitch-black dark when I get home. We have some light from the street lamps, so that allows us to play in the backyard for awhile. But it's not the same as letting him run off-leash with other dogs. He's actually very good when it comes to other dogs- the problems right now are only with his housemate (go figure). I know a few other local people and we do meet up on the weekends. He has so much fun with them. I might try the doggie daycare once a week and see how he does.