Teddy is a brat and bit me..
 

So, I was making popcorn and a kernel fell on the floor. So, of course Teddy does a rush over to the kernel and confiscates it for his own. I chase him down and command him to "give" which he normally does BUT today he chewed faster on the kernel. I didn't want him to choke so I took it from his mouth, like I sometimes have to do, and he bit me like a freakin' Tasmanian devil and growled at me and looked proud of it!!!!


I scolded him and took the kernel away and then put a popped corn next to him and told him to LEAVE IT and when he did for five minutes I released him so he could eat it for listening. This was just to show him that I was in control of what he has or doesn't have and that making him wait for something doesn't mean he won't ever get it..


His bite didn't hurt, it made me laugh but I'm not sure I did the right thing. I know he bit me cuz he was stuffed in between two dining chairs which he always uses as a den and I reached in. I'm not overly concerned as there is no exposure to children in my house and he never 'guards' his food bowl against anyone in the house, including the cat, we are all okay to just reach in as he eats and he backs up and waits until we go to resume eating. PLUS, it was kinda my fault since I normally make him wait outside of the kitchen to avoid things like this but I was a bit lax and let him in so, like any opportunist, he took advantage of the situation!


It was just.....hmmm....did I scold correctly or enough or what?


Assuming a one off, like maybe he is still made at me cuz of the belly band..haha...not really but whatever! He is not allowed to sit with me on the couch, today. I think he forgot who was the boss around here!

Youre lucky you escaped alive! My barney would've had you in the ER. Teaching the drop command will help. Leave it is fun for them because it works on their instinctive hunting instinct (a trainer told me that). Drop is much much harder because in dog language whoever has it in their mouth owns it. You're asking him to give up what is HIS resources. Drop and wait have no impact on each other just as "come" and stay do not. Far easier to teach stay than come. I do think resource guarding like this should be taken as a serious problem and addressed immediately. Ive never cured barney of it completely, but he at least now guards only from the other dogs and my trainer says that's ok.

Yeah, it's the possessiveness that concerns me. I think he sort of got brave or felt threatened (or both?) because he was in his hidey-hole and reacted. He never does this if he's out in the open or if I'm trying to take his food from his bowl, etc. He does, however, do this if he's in his crate. I'll keep working on him!!!! Thanks for the tips, though. I need them!

I think you did the right thing.

Thank you!


Sometimes, I feel like I'm just 'winging it', you know? It's like Parenthood 101 all over again!

I seem to remember reading a letter from Teddy to you not too long ago... I believe he said and I quote:

"You can't take a hint regarding when I'm hungry"

Maybe biting you was one of the hints?... LOL!!!!

Now i don't feel so bad that Cody growled at me when I gave him his very first ever bully stick. I assume he never had any chew treat with his prev, owner and this was his first chew treat since I have him (14 months). Of course I let him have it, FIRM voice no growl at the momma, I figured I didn't raise him from a baby, who knows what the prev. owner did when he ate. He felt I was going to take the chew away from him, he growled every time I pet him while he was chewing. You raised Teddy from a baby, he felt threatened and growled. All my girls I raised from 8 weeks old, I could and DID take tings out of their mouths, never a growl.