Help for resource guarding, lunging and snapping :(

Hello,

Our little guy, Eli is 13 weeks old. When he wants attention he often lunges and snaps. He often will not *give* on a give command...although I will only give the *give* command with a higher value trade item, which most often works, but sometimes it will not.

He had a very serious resource guarding episode in puppy class (which is where I first realized I needed to pay closer attention to this at home).

He was very aggressive (with a chicken jerky treat he had never had before) when working on the give command he guarded with trying to bite...hard, snapping and growling.

The trainer had me do something I wish I HAD NOT! It was a physical hold down until he *released*. I HATED it and have regretted it since. He was just SO aggressive and a danger to any hand that came close and the treat WAS the highest value item which left nothing to trade up for.

I want him to FORGET that it ever happened. I NEVER speak in anger or impatience, I ONLY use trade up for the *give* and I treat or give a new toy for *leave it*.

He really does do well with those commands most often.

The biggest problem is the biting and lunging for attention. We just up and walk away for a bit.

We realized that when he is in this *manic* phase that the *puppy yelp* for snapping/biting just makes him more wild. We now just up and go into another room for a bit.

What do we do? I so, so wanted a sweet little guy (he sometimes is of course!:) and have never had an aggressive dog before.

I now use only positive training and we do not do fast rough type play.

Oh, he has never had a problem with us petting him etc. while eating or playing with toys, but now I see he does do mild guarding such as laying his paws completely on the toy or even his entire body. Not all the time, but most. I can move the toy out from under him or his paws just fine but often he will then take the toy a couple feet away etc.

I always give a treat and praise for giving it or leaving it etc.
Thank you!
Sherri

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Nov 12, 2013
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Puppyhood NEW
by: Vicky & Jonah

I am going to suggest u stick w/obedience classes. Most places hve a girl like Phoenix (thats where I live) Field & Obedience sub ur town or city name or find another class.

Next repetition when u teach drop it or any other trick is a lifetime action. Right now practice it 10 Times a day. Their is nothing wrong w/using another toy or treat as a reward for the drop action.

It sounds like u r New to dogs. He is a baby & u must b firm w/ voice. Sherrys CORRECT a sharp AH AH to get attn & control back. U can slip a slip leash around their neck to get control for them to sit & drop it or sternly correct aggressive behavior by having then lay in stay for 5-10 min starting out to calm down.

I do agree thou about the hand action the trainer had u do. U do not need to bully. Firm strong voice put them in a sit stay take a breath.

Good luck.

Nov 03, 2013
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guarding puppy NEW
by: sherry cotton candie

Congrats on your new puppy and it is great that you have him in puppy class. He is very young yet and will try and see what all he can get by with like any young kid.

When you say biting is he actually clamping down with his teeth or just putting your hand in his mouth? My little girl who is now 3 yrs old starting doing the mouthing thing around 8-9 months. It was disturbing for awhile and I had lots of advice on how to break her of it. However- she still will do it at times, never actually bites down just a finger or two in her mouth-when she is excited or knows that I am leaving her.

She also lays on her toys to keep her rescued sister away from them. I do not pay any attention to that, we think its cute and they always work it out.

I can tell it bothers you when you held him down in class but if its necessary do not worry about it. we buy butcher bones for our girls to chew on and when they get down to where i feel they could swallow them we take them away, there have been times they did not want to give them up and I have had to hold their jaw and take them away. They never try to bite me though.

A firm "NO" or "Ah" should get his attention when doing some of this, they do like to please their humans and thrive on positive attention. I will however let mine know when not to do something. It's a learning experience for him and the class should help work out your problems.

I do not know if you are aware of it but chicken jerky has been recalled so many times. all kinds of it, along with so many other treats. you can go on the internet and check out all the recalls.
most of them are from china and totally not safe. I have read about so many dogs becoming sick or dying that I am now paranoid about what I give mine.

Good luck with him and let us all know how things are going for you. Do not mean to tell you what to feed him just worry about all this bad stuff out there for our animals.

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