 Resource Guarding, HELP?
I'm almost embarrassed to write this post, but I think it's time to admit that Franklin has a problem. I got him as a college student and while he has had a healthy, happy life, I wasn't as diligent about training him as I should have been. We all know that little dogs tend to get away with more things because, well, they're cute and little. I know I am EXTREMELY guilty of that. Well, fast forward 5 years later, it's not so cute anymore.
Franklin has always been a little possessive of toys and food. It was never really a problem because Maggie is very calm and shy and not at all interested in his toys or food. He would growl at her now and then when he was on my lap and she came near, but we always just gave him a stern "no" brushed it off. He gets VERY aggressive with high value items like bully sticks and rawhides. So much so that I kind of just stopped giving them to him. About a month ago, we were visiting some friends and Franklin found a rawhide. When I went to take it from him, he growled at me. I reached into his mouth to take it (as I've done his entire life), and he bit me so hard that my nail cracked in half and all the skin off the tip of my finger was ripped off. He has NEVER bitten me before.
Now that we have a new Golden Retriever puppy, the problem has become much more evident. Franklin suddenly has an interest in toys he never cared about before. He drags around bones and toys the size of his body because he doesn't want Tucker to have them. It's gotten so bad that we can't even play with Tucker because Franklin runs in and snatches any ball or toy we throw. They then proceed to chase each other around and "wrestle." Luckily Tucker is still very young and while he is around 40 lbs, he just thinks Franklin is playing. Franklin, however, is NOT playing and is very upset with his teeth bared and all. We all know that an well-exercised puppy is a well-behaved puppy, so not playing with Tucker is not an option. However, I feel like putting Franklin in another room or leaving him inside is only going to make his jealousy worse.
Tucker is doing very well with his training and I don't want him to pick up any of these bad habits. Nor do I think Franklin's behavior is acceptable. I understand there is likely a deeper issue of fear and anxiety attached to this, but I'm feeling very overwhelmed. Is this an issue that can be corrected with at home training, or should we immediately be seeking professional help? I love all of my dogs and want them to coexist peacefully, if not happily. |