New Foster- Growls At Other Dogs While In X-Pen Waiting For Meals

[peglywegly]

Hello Grey Talk Peeps,

 

She only growls if she is eating or if i am in the kitchen preparing the food bowls. So she knows food is coming and she growls at my alpha dog just because he walks close to her x-pen.

I have spoken to her and said she is safe in the x-pen, no one will take her food.

i don't want her to not give a warning, but she is in her own space. yes it is new space. But she came from the ranch with the warning that she has food agression.

 

the question is how can i get her over this issue? or should i?

 

she has met her possible future forever dad, and they have no other indoor pets. so he says it won't be an issue. My dogs don't stress over her growling.

she is in lock down in x-pen because of some cervical neck pain that showed up three days after she arrived.

 

thanks for any comments

[Fruitycake]

I wouldn't be terribly worried about her stressing about food if she is securely sequestered from your other dogs and is still learning that she and her food is safe from them. Maybe try to keep your dogs from getting too close to her around food time, but if they are separated and your dogs don't push her and her food is all hers, she will likely learn that her space and food is safe from them. If there are other times where you fear there may be problems (you are fixing your own food, or there are treats, or she discovers that she wants to eat that jar of flour tucked on the back of the counter...), keep her in a muzzle.

 

Monty was defensive of his food when we first got him when we fed him in his kennel and our original cats would walk by, but now we have to protect his dish from our new cat - who will stick her head in his dish with him as he is eating and he just angles his head and eats around her until we scoop her up!

[mansbestfriend]

Hi. This all sounds totally within the range of normal food guarding. Try feed the dog separately on it's own in a place where no one else (including animals) can go, or even walk by or stand near. If no good, increase the distance of separation, or feed behind a closed solid door so your dog can be in peace until it's finished eating. Also advise any forever owner to provide the dog with ample safe space (removed out of eye contact if needed) while eating. Cheers.

[GeorgeofNE]

It's a foster dog. I wouldn't give it another thought. I'd probably growl too if I was penned up surrounded by strange people/dogs and there was food in the offing!

[greysmom]

Resource guarding is a really common habit in most new-into-adoption greyhounds. Remember, they have *never* had to consider the possibility of sharing their food with any other living being, human or animal, until they get into a home situation. Most will get over the behavior as they get used to living in a home with others around them. As long as her adoptive Dad knows about her resource guarding, and can take steps to protect anyone that is in the house, it should be OK.

[peglywegly]

she is growling at the residents while she is being allowed to hang out on the other dog beds. not to sure if we need to put on her muzzle or if the growl is just a test of what can i get away with if i act like a grumpy gus.

 

i have talked with her hopeful forever dad about the possesiveness.

[greysmom]

She's resource guarding, same as with the food. As long as everyone respects the growl - including the humans - she should gradually calm down.

 

If her new home has children they need to be particularly careful with this dog. Kids should never approach a resource guarding dog when they are eating or when they are lieing down on their bed. The dog should always be called over, off the bed and on their feet, for petting and attention, even for adults.

[peglywegly]

so this morning, she was laying close to my husbands feet, and our Remy came in from outside and he ran close to her to get to his room. she lunged at REMY and my husband is really upset and wanted to muzzle her right then. I was in the kitchen making FOOD.

remy had to run psst her because i was in the other path to his room. Well when i put her food down and x-penned the room off. she growled at no one in particular. he wanted to punish her for that as well. i let her finish eating, Pete got a second helping because he ate his 1 c dry. he has been a whole other food issue...

When the foster was done eating i put her turn out muzzle on her. we have been outside for aftermeal potty and she is now relaxing on slumberball sleeping.

i think she is learning, i think she was protecting my husband from Remy being too close. I think she has progressed. she didn't bite him, she did growl as she lunged, he moved faster past her. i told my hubby we both need to read more about food reactive and resource guarding. this is what she is learning -- i have asked her nicely to not growl

at the resident dogs. she is good 90% of the time. and when some dog does get close to her and she dosen't react- i say good dog. thinking that will help her not react.

 

right now she is in her turnout muzzle- the first time she has had to wear it since coming here- except for visit to the e-vet for neck pain. but she is relaxed.

my question- are my dogs in danger- will she always give a warning growl/ will she get over this soon? how can i help her realize that she will always get food? and she doesn't need to be reactive, before and during meals?

 

also suggested reading on this topic, please, and thank you.

[peglywegly]

HELP- now hubby is upset because he feels I rewarded her for her lunging at Remy. by not doing something right after the lunge and attempted bite happened.

 

HELP

[greysmom]

Don't ever correct a growling dog. Don't. Ever. It can make them skip the growling all together and go straight for a more intense reaction - biting, usually.

 

SHE'S NOT BEING BAD. It's not personal. It's not aggressive (yet). At this point, she's just warning in the only way she knows how - by growling. Dogs really have a very limited number of vocal ways to get their point across, and a growl is one of them. A growl is just a growl, despite how ugly it sounds to us humans. If she really wanted to bite, she has had ample opportunity. She does not so she has not.

 

You should be in contact with your adoption group to see what they recommend about her resource guarding. The behavior can get less over time - sometimes weeks, and sometimes months, and sometimes longer than that - but it takes TIME. And patience. She needs to learn to trust that her stuff is hers - her food, her bed, her people. Remember, she's never had to share ANYthing before this.

 

If you don't feel able to deal with this level of behavior (and many people aren't, it's not a negative towards you) then it should be possible to move this dog to a new foster home for a few weeks. I think you said she already has a forever home?? When is she scheduled to go there?

[peglywegly]

she has been chosen to go to a forever home, the dad, BOB is ready, but the wife needs to meet her and approve. they will come to visit next weekend. and hopefully take her home with them then.

i have sent an email to our groups behavorist- hopefully she can visit us both and help with the human response to the foster dog. she is sweet and is only defending things she cares deeply for. i get that. she loves us and her food

 

thank you GREYSMOM