How To Deal With A Dog That Is Posessive Of Bones Rop

[adudle00]

So we tried bones when we first got Mover and he was very possessive of them and would growl and bark if you got too close. This was almost a year ago, so I decided to try again today. He doesn't have the greatest teeth and I feel like he really would benefit from chewing on something. He just has horrible breath and he always has, but the vet said everything is okay. So I got him some of those CET dental chews and gave him one this morning. I was walking past him and everything was fine. But then I noticed there was blood all over the chew and I was concerned so I went by him to look at his teeth and he let me. But then when I got up to move he did a very small low growl. I was so shocked/pissed that I just snatched up the chew immediately and yelled at him to go lay down and there were no further issues. Maybe not the right thing to do, but even when he did growl before it was never at me. How would you advise me to handle this? I really do feel like he would benefit from chewing on something and I know people have recommended turkey necks (I think?) but I wouldn't want to give him one of those everyday. He is totally fine with everything else (brushing, messing with his mouth, etc). It's only when bones are involved. He also gets greenies and I've never had a problem with him growling from one of those. I feel like I'm at a loss right now. I just want his breath to not smell so bad (he is going in for a dental again soon).

[GeorgeofNE]

I think you're over reacting. You gave him something he obviously found delicious. All the growl is is a warning he doesn't want you to take it away. I know there are some who believe they should be able to do anything at any time with a dog, but the truth is until you have the kind of relationship where that's possible, you have to understand "dog talk." He didn't do anything wrong. He told you to leave him alone.

 

Look into "trading up." If you want to take something away from him, have something else in your other hand--such as a dog biscuit. Hold out the biscuit, and while he's interested in that, take the bone away.

 

Works like a charm.

 

I was pretty surprised when my Greyhound nearly took my arm off the first time I took a bone away from him, but then I remembered: he wasn't my previous dog that I got at 16 weeks who knew me so well. He was new to me, new to bones, and it was MY FAULT.

[adudle00]

I think you're over reacting. You gave him something he obviously found delicious. All the growl is is a warning he doesn't want you to take it away. I know there are some who believe they should be able to do anything at any time with a dog, but the truth is until you have the kind of relationship where that's possible, you have to understand "dog talk." He didn't do anything wrong. He told you to leave him alone.

 

Look into "trading up." If you want to take something away from him, have something else in your other hand--such as a dog biscuit. Hold out the biscuit, and while he's interested in that, take the bone away.

 

Works like a charm.

 

I was pretty surprised when my Greyhound nearly took my arm off the first time I took a bone away from him, but then I remembered: he wasn't my previous dog that I got at 16 weeks who knew me so well. He was new to me, new to bones, and it was MY FAULT.

Thank you, I will try the trading up idea. I'm just unsure of how to go about doing this. It makes me a little fearful of my dog when he growls. Should I just give him the bone again for a few minutes, and then 'trade up'? Should I say his name and then approach him and show him what I have or do I just take the bone and then give him the treat? I'm sorry if I sound stupid, but if you could explain to me exactly how to do this, I would greatly appreciate it!

[Acadianarose]

If you search "trade up" in this forum, you will find tons of posts. I was going to post a couple of links here, but there are so many, you will get the most information if you read them.

 

I think you're over reacting. You gave him something he obviously found delicious. All the growl is is a warning he doesn't want you to take it away. I know there are some who believe they should be able to do anything at any time with a dog, but the truth is until you have the kind of relationship where that's possible, you have to understand "dog talk." He didn't do anything wrong. He told you to leave him alone.

 

Look into "trading up." If you want to take something away from him, have something else in your other hand--such as a dog biscuit. Hold out the biscuit, and while he's interested in that, take the bone away.

 

Works like a charm.

 

I was pretty surprised when my Greyhound nearly took my arm off the first time I took a bone away from him, but then I remembered: he wasn't my previous dog that I got at 16 weeks who knew me so well. He was new to me, new to bones, and it was MY FAULT.

 

Totally agree! Although, being growled at is very scary for us and pretty effective for the dog. I think that is the hardest thing for most of us average dog owners is that we are used to having dogs we have had since they were puppies. They rarely growl at us!

[adudle00]

If you search "trade up" in this forum, you will find tons of posts. I was going to post a couple of links here, but there are so many, you will get the most information if you read them.

 

 

Totally agree! Although, being growled at is very scary for us and pretty effective for the dog. I think that is the hardest thing for most of us average dog owners is that we are used to having dogs we have had since they were puppies. They rarely growl at us!

 

Yeah, I think you're totally right. I was used to my parents dog who weighs 20lbs. Having a 90lb dog growl at me was just startling. I know I did overreact, I'm going to try to work on this better.

[Guest k9soul]

Definitely agree with making it all a positive experience, so that having something taken away becomes associated as a happy thing and not something he feels an increasing need to protect. It's more peaceful for both you and the dog. Rudy used to growl at first when I gave him a bone and then walked by him, but with some trading up and desensitization he now will actually pick his bone up and follow me to another room and lie down close to me to chew on it. It's nice that he feels so secure with me.

[adudle00]

A couple more questions: So I decided to give the bone back to Mover and he just laid down next to me and was chewing on it. I was going to leave him with it for a few minutes and then try to 'trade up'. But he swallowed the whole thing! Is that supposed to happen? I panicked and called the vet and she said he should be fine if it was fully chewed and to watch him over the next few days. Ugh, dealing with my dog and bones is so stressful! Has this happened to anyone else? Am I supposed to take it away when it starts getting soft? Are there other chewing options I should try instead?

[Guest Giselle]

First, do not react with anger. Do not react with stress. Whenever you feel anger or frustration, YOU will be the one behaving badly and irrationally - not the dog. Take a deep breath. Think about the situation. We humans have brains. We need to use them creatively.

 

Second, asking a dog to trade up a high value treat is like asking a 5-year-old to perform calculus. Ain't gonna happen. You didn't prep the dog/child well enough. A child cannot skip from basic arithmetic to advanced calculus in one day. Likewise, a dog cannot be expected to "trade up" when you never even taught the behavior to begin with. If you do a search on this forum for "Trade Up", you'll notice that all of the posts recommend practicing with low-value treats first. Example: Give the dog a low-value stuffed toy or even try a carrot stick. As soon as the dog grabs it, say "Give!" and shove a high value treat (piece of hot dog/Natural Balance food roll) into the dog's mouth as the dog releases its grip on the low-value stuffy. After several repetitions, the dog will anticipate receiving the treat after you say "Give!" and he'll automatically start dropping the toy on command. ONLY at this point can you start to increase the time interval from the moment you say "Give" to the moment you give the treat. Once you reach this point, you can start to practice with higher value treats.

 

Yes, some dogs swallow bones/chews whole. No, it's not ideal. I would recommend a larger object and only allowing the dog to chew on it at small intervals of time (supervised, of course). Or just don't give them at all. With routine dentals and brushing, your dog will be just fine. They also sell "breath fresheners" that are meant to be eaten as smaller treats and not prolonged chews. The efficacy of those products is debatable, but it's your choice.

[adudle00]

First, do not react with anger. Do not react with stress. Whenever you feel anger or frustration, YOU will be the one behaving badly and irrationally - not the dog. Take a deep breath. Think about the situation. We humans have brains. We need to use them creatively.

 

Second, asking a dog to trade up a high value treat is like asking a 5-year-old to perform calculus. Ain't gonna happen. You didn't prep the dog/child well enough. A child cannot skip from basic arithmetic to advanced calculus in one day. Likewise, a dog cannot be expected to "trade up" when you never even taught the behavior to begin with. If you do a search on this forum for "Trade Up", you'll notice that all of the posts recommend practicing with low-value treats first. Example: Give the dog a low-value stuffed toy or even try a carrot stick. As soon as the dog grabs it, say "Give!" and shove a high value treat (piece of hot dog/Natural Balance food roll) into the dog's mouth as the dog releases its grip on the low-value stuffy. After several repetitions, the dog will anticipate receiving the treat after you say "Give!" and he'll automatically start dropping the toy on command. ONLY at this point can you start to increase the time interval from the moment you say "Give" to the moment you give the treat. Once you reach this point, you can start to practice with higher value treats.

 

Yes, some dogs swallow bones/chews whole. No, it's not ideal. I would recommend a larger object and only allowing the dog to chew on it at small intervals of time (supervised, of course). Or just don't give them at all. With routine dentals and brushing, your dog will be just fine. They also sell "breath fresheners" that are meant to be eaten as smaller treats and not prolonged chews. The efficacy of those products is debatable, but it's your choice.

 

Okay, I will start working on 'trading up' with some of his toys first, Thank you.

[Batmom]

I usually start with something I know the dog doesn't want at all, such as an old washcloth (altho I did have a dog who thought those were fun to play with). I set it in front of the dog, wait a beat or two, give my word signal ("drop it!"), pick it up + "Good dog!" + treat. Then I give it back and we repeat it a bunch. As Giselle notes, you want the dog to drop the item and look at you @ as soon as you open your mouth to give your word signal / command. That's your sign that the dog is conditioned to expect really great results, and you can gradually move along to more desirable things.

[GeorgeofNE]

See, George is SO food motivated that to him, anything edible works!

 

When he lunged at me when he was new, I just thougth to myself "Holy 4H!T!) and walked away quietly. Got a Milk-Bone. Said, "Hey George, want a cookie"? and showed it to him. He dropped the bone, stood up, took the biscuit, and I bent over and took the bone and put it away. No drama whatsoever.

 

Next time I gave him a bone, I made sure we had enough time so I wasn't going to have to take it away before he'd finished (by the way, I don't give rawhides or pig ears or anything else they're going to actually eat up and swallow, having picked up way to many disgusting gelatinious poops when my prior dog swallowed them). As time goes by, and trust develops, it's not even an issue for us. He knows he's going to get another bone some time. It's not the holy grail of dog noms that he'll never see again.

 

It really depends on the dog.

 

Don't feel that you have to give him bones at all if this is too stressful for you!