Help for a
Resource Guarding Puppy
Dear WOOF:
Have a 6-month-old Bernese Mountain Dog puppy. Recently, a
friend gave him a rawhide bone (we were going to supervise as we
do not like these). My 10-year-old daughter went to pet him - as
she frequently
does when he is chewing a toy. He growled very aggressively and
jerked away. We have never experienced this behavior with
anything else he has been occupied with. We pull away his food,
etc and have had no problems at all. He also sit-stays in order
to be fed. We have since tried to work with a "drop it"
replacing the rawhide with a treat and he is better but still
gives a low growl before we take it. We also have left it in
front on him and used the leave it with success.
Our concern: what if there is something else that creates this
territorialism and we will not know? Does this desensitizing
translate to other things? It is very unusual for a BMD to be
aggressive (this is our 5th) but he will remain intact, so we
just want to do best by this little guy.
Thanks!
Hello:
To start with, I must caution you to ensure everyone's safety
(especially your daughter's) by advising that you not continue
to give him rawhides, or any new chew bones, etc. until you have
consulted with a qualified professional for a complete
evaluation and guidance. While in most cases this is a highly
treatable problem, if not done correctly it can be very
dangerous.
You write that you are seeing some improvement in his behavior
using a "drop it" cue and replacing the rawhide with treats -
BUT you also write that he is emitting a "low growl" before you
take it, which tells me that he is definitely NOT happy about
what is happening. It's very possible that continuing these
exercises may actually be making the problem worse. He is
starting to learn that mere growling is not enough to make you
back off, so the risk that he could use more overt behavior
(possibly a snap or worse) is getting higher. In addition to
that, the fact that he is, and will remain intact, may further
complicate things.
Since every dog and every situation is unique, there is no
"quick fix" or "recipe" for treatment. In order to successfully
modify his behavior and make sure everyone stays safe during the
process, you need the guidance of a professional who will
thoroughly investigate his behavior, and outline a specific plan
for you to follow.
With that said, let's look at where this behavior comes from,
and why it is so common. Dogs are genetically predisposed to use
aggressive behavior and will naturally do so under a multitude
of circumstances;
to keep control of a valued possession is right at the top of
the list. In this case, he really liked the rawhide (valuable)
AND it was something new to him, which increased its value even
more, making his instinct to "guard" it that much more
heightened. Even though your daughter may not have made any
moves to take it from him, he still perceived her actions as a
threat. Dogs respond to threats, whether real or perceived.
This is a very common problem in dogs, and it is important to
understand that ALL dogs, regardless of breed or age, are at
risk to develop it unless active measures are taken (preferably
in early puppyhood) to prevent it. Good puppy classes cover this
topic thoroughly, and provide prevention-training exercises. In
addition, early intervention is critical when you discover that
your dog has a problem, because the longer it goes on, the more
"practice" the dog gets, and the harder it becomes to treat.
In your situation there is some good news. First, he did not
inflict a bite to your daughter - VERY good news indeed.
Secondly, it is the first time you've seen him act this way, and
he is young. So up to
this point he's not had lots of guarding "practice", which may
make treating the problem a little easier, than say a dog who's
been exhibiting this kind of behavior with multiple objects for
a long period of time.
Next, I'd like to answer a couple of questions that you ask in
your email.
You wrote: Our concern: what if there is something else that
creates this territorialism and we will not know?
I believe that you are asking how to know if he will have a
problem with other objects. If I have interpreted this
correctly, the answer is twofold:
-
There is no
way to "predict" what he will have an issue with -
but at this point, it's clear that rawhides (or any
rawhide-like
chews) are going to be an issue. For now, you must stay on the
side
of caution, and assume that anything new that you introduce to
him
may trigger a guarding episode.
-
A qualified
Behavioral Consultant will be sure to cover all the
bases with you for training him to be ok, no matter what he
has.
You wrote: Does this desensitizing translate to other things?
I assume that you mean to ask whether or not treatment will
generalize to other things. For example, if he learns to be ok
with a rawhide, will he also be ok with a pig ear? If I have
interpreted your question correctly, the answer is "No", that
will not happen automatically. Helping your dog to feel
comfortable no matter what
he has, especially "new" things will take extra work.
Without having done a full assessment, it is not safe for me to
outline a specific treatment plan for you at this point. While
the ultimate goal is for you to teach your dog to want people to
approach and take valued objects from him, where to start can be
very tricky and will make the difference between success and
failure.
Please contact me directly at 248.588.3222 so that we can talk
more in-depth. If you live outside the Metro Detroit area, I
will be happy to refer you to a qualified professional in your
area.
Good for you that you are seeking help right away!
Thanks for writing. I hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
Lisa Patrona, Dip. CBST, CPDT-KA, ACDBC, AABP-CDT
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