Intermittent Resource Guarding - How To Correct?

[greytpups]

You may want to read some articles in the meantime as well. Here's one to start with by Turid Rugaas, and she has many many more.

 

http://en.turid-rugaas.no/calming-signals---the-art-of-survival.html

 

And try and keep calm too so he doesn't pick up on your anxiousness which you mentioned in your last post.

Edited February 13, 2014 by greytpups

[Sambuca]

As a dog walker myself, sometimes walking a dog 5 times isn't enough for the dog to be totally comfortable with me. It's someone they don't know well coming into their home and taking them away. Granted, starting to growl on the fifth visit isn't usual. We all have bad days though. I agree that a behaviorist would be a fantastic idea. If the dog walker needs to come before that, have her use lots of treats and a happy voice.

[Guest BiggiesOwner]

Hi All,

 

It's been about a month since my last post so I figured I was due for an update. I was able to get in touch with a great trainer/behaviorist in the area to discuss Biggie's growling. The trainer uses only positive training methods and has worked with retired racers before.

 

We had a very long phone call where I talked to her about all of Biggie's growling incidents. After I'd finished talking to her she told me that everything I'd been describing was super common for a new rescue dog and she didn't want to waste my money by having Biggie start individual training sessions. Needless to say I felt 100% better after talking to her (and grateful she just didn't try to sign me up for expensive behavioral sessions). She recommended an immediate halt to the dog walker - she said obviously something made Biggie fearful of her and forcing them to interact more would be counter productive. Her theory was that he didn't like having a stranger force him to leave the house/his crate when he didn't really need to. The trainer did recommend signing Biggie up for some basic group obedience classes to work on building up his confidence.

 

It's been a few weeks since that conversation and we stopped having the dog walker come immediately. Biggie has growled at her once since then when she is over the house for social reasons. She was coming down the stairs and Biggie was waiting for her at the bottom to say hi tail wagging. She reached down to pet him and he growled. In all other situations he's been good with her. Biggie hasn't growled at anyone else in this time period and seems to be fine without having someone to walk him the two days a week he is crated. (I also try to walk him more those days as well). I don't know if I'm avoiding the issue by just taking out the factor of the dog walker - but things seem to be going more smoothly with him. He and my Dad are getting along pretty well too (Dad is training him to come to a whistle).

 

I don't know if we've really "fixed" anything per se - but the trainer said Biggie probably just needs more time to feel secure with us (and by extension other people). We start obedience classes at the end of this month - I'm just crossing my fingers that time helps Biggie get more settled with me and new people. He is so friendly when meeting new people and when I have guests in the house - I'm starting to think Biggie doesn't have an aggression problem - just that he is still fearful of some things.

 

I'm going to keep using positive reinforcement methods with him and will try the trainer's advice on re-directing Biggie when he growls (give him a sit command or something along those lines). I haven't really had an opportunity to use this yet - but interested to see how it works.

[Guest Lillypad]

Thanks for updating. Sorry to learn you are encountering obstacles. It is wonderful that you are working to improve the situation. You could look at it this way, you are gaining valuable dog behavior skills. I think it is the challenges that inevitably teach us the most. Keep your chin up, things will improve.