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05-06-2009, 09:45 PM | #1 |
Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: PaaMul, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Posts: 59
| resource guarding but only from one family member Our 5mo Yorkie, Kilo, has always had a bit of a problem recognizing our 7yo (we have me, my husband, the 14, 13, 9 and 7yo kids) as higher than him. It only comes out when he has a particularly special toy (rawhide bone - we've gotten rid of all rawhide today though). She can take food out of his mouth, she can remove his food bowl while he is eating, she can make him sit and he will not start to eat until she releases him, she can play fetch with other toys and he gives them up or plays tug-of-war but if he has his special bone he'll aggressively growl (don't know how to describe it but you know he's not playing) at her and won't let her have it. Whenever this has happened I will alpha roll and get very very angry at him and yell at him saying, "no bite" and "no growl" and basically yelling at him not to even think about growling at her again and of course, "bad dog". I do this on the advice of a friend who has a Dobie and 2 Mexican street dogs. But since I keep having to do this, I'm starting to think that it isn't working (I'm not normally this slow ). Does my daughter (the 7yo) have to do the correction or will it "work" (eventually?) coming from me (the acknowledged alpha)? Is there something else we should be doing? |
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05-06-2009, 10:39 PM | #2 |
Thor's Human Donating Member | That's interesting. Resource guarding is not necessarily about dominance, so your dog may consider your child a higher-ranking pack member. In wolf packs, even baby wolves will aggressively protect their food. The most basic way to prevent this is simply not to give your dog the valued object. A lot of people avoid bad behavior this way. The other thing you can try is Take It / Leave It. Your child should practice this with you, though of course, you should always be safe and make sure no one gets bitten. Start with a lower-value object, maybe a toy. Have your dog "trade" the toy for something better like a treat. Tell the dog to "Take It" and "Leave It" as you switch him on and off the toy. When you are confident, try it with high value objects and see if your dog can exercise impulse control. Good luck!
__________________ If you love something, set it free. Unless it's an angry tiger. |
05-08-2009, 06:56 AM | #3 |
YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Miami, FL,USA
Posts: 1,005
| Since the child is the youngest of the group I wouldnt be surprised if there wasnt some sort of hierarchy issue going on but what you need to do is stop intercedeing and make your 7 year old be the one to Say NO! What I would do is have her say NO! and then you rush in and take it away unceremoniously
__________________ Mike and Zach's Dadd |
05-08-2009, 07:26 AM | #4 |
No Longer A Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: NEW YORK
Posts: 16,218
| Buddy started this guarding around the same age. He's 5 now and he will still take a toy or bone under a chair in the living room and guard it. I have done extensive training with him and still do. He shares most of his toys but you never know when this behavior will appear. IMO it never completely goes away if they are like this. Just the other night going to bed, I always look under the bed for a toy because he will guard it during the night at times so no toys in the bedroom while we sleep ever. Sure enough I picked up the bedskirt and got a very aggressive growl. I ordered him to come out, which he did and made him leave the room, closed the door and took the toy out. Opened the door and he was back to his crazy self without a thought to that toy! I know my dog and this guarding is part of his makeup IMO. Trading does not work so I do not give him things that I no he will guard. Only at night does he get this way, never during the day which is only more confusing to me. Don't give up continue training and stay away from the things that can off set this behavior. |
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