Author Topic: HELP! showing agressive behavior  (Read 4691 times)

Offline cuttles/sadieMay

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HELP! showing agressive behavior
« on: February 19, 2006, 03:04:51 pm »
So far Kayzer has been really good ,not showing any signs of agression. BUT the other day Kayzer snapped at my 3 year old niece when she went to take a piecs of kleenex away from him! :'( Then last night he was eating a rawhide bone and when I patted his head he growled at me so I kept petting him and slowly moved my hand down his face while talking to him, then the little bugger snapped at me! >:(
I really do not want this to be a problem and would like to do whatever I can now before he gets to big!!! He is almost 18 weeks old now. The weird thing is that you can play with him while he eats and you can stick your hand right in his dish while he is eating and he couldnt care less, because I did this right from day one. It just seems to be something new that he has decided to do.
Any advice will be greatly appreciated!
Thanks
Carole

Offline Kermit

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Re: HELP! showing agressive behavior
« Reply #1 on: February 19, 2006, 05:59:23 pm »
Aw dang!!! >:( Don't you hate it when your sweet little furkid does something stupid!!?!!
I really feel for you. I think it's something you can work with though. I am trying to think of all the good stuff I have read about this kind of thing. The main thing is I think you are going to have to start making him earn his treats and toys and food by doing something for you first (like sit or lay down). That's so he knows that all good things in life come from you, and without you, he can't have them. So he needs to be polite and respectful of you always.
There is the ol' alpha boot camp website which has good info (link, anyone??) and I have recently found this great website with all kinds of insight on behavioral issues. Let's see...
it's veterinarypart ner.com
and go to the behavior section.
(I guess you can just type it in cause my link won't work :()

That's it.
I am sure you will be able to work through this with him since he is so young. I know one thing, and that is you have to try not to get angry back at him when he does stuff like that or he might think that you want to fight with him. Er, something like that.  ??? I think you just have to have a very calm, firm, disciplinarian approach when he acts a fool like that.

I am really wishing you good luck with this!!! Please keep us posted about any progress/updates! This is something we all need to help educate one another about!!! :-[
« Last Edit: February 19, 2006, 09:11:27 pm by doghealer »

Offline Kermit

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Re: HELP! showing agressive behavior
« Reply #2 on: February 19, 2006, 06:05:03 pm »
Ok found alpha boot camp website:
http://www.sonic.net/~cdlcruz/GPCC/library/alpha.htm

I hope this helps!!

Offline cuttles/sadieMay

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Re: HELP! showing agressive behavior
« Reply #3 on: February 19, 2006, 07:12:51 pm »
Thanks I was wondering how I should react to him! I automatically kind of paniced when he did this to my neice because she is so sweet with him and she has never done anything to hurt him! But when he did it with me also I realised it was just a behavior, but not her. Thank goodness! I will check out the link you gave me right away!
Any other advice is also welcome!
My main concern here is that I dont do anything to make it worse! I would really like him to grow up to be a prfect gentleman with everyone!
Thanks again
Carole

Offline Senghe

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Re: HELP! showing agressive behavior
« Reply #4 on: February 19, 2006, 07:35:55 pm »
Sounds quite normal - he's just trying it on to see where he stands in the pecking order. I'd do lots more practise at taking stuff off him that he REALLY wants. Good on you for practising with his food, but a lot of people don't think to do this too with treats and toys until they notice an 'issue'.

I've been very lucky with Flynn and practised this since day one and he'll let me take anything off him. From his toys to his favourite big juicy raw marrow bone. He's an angel, really.

But one of my shar-pei was a little b***ard due to her upbringing before I got her (I had her mommy too, but she was perfect). Anyway, the trick I always employed with her was distracting her with an even more enticing and tasty treat, then praising her lots while surrepticiousl y removing the offending article. With Flynn it was just a matter of taking his treats from him, then giving them back so he's learned to trust me. Same with his toys - we play tug of war but I always practise getting him to let go when I ask a few times a game and I decide when to end the game. A combination of the distraction technique and then returning his toy or treat might work well for your boy, but always stay calm and non-confrontational, practise lots and always end on a positive note even if it's distracting him and doing something completely different like getting him to sit for a treat.

Offline cuttles/sadieMay

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Re: HELP! showing agressive behavior
« Reply #5 on: February 19, 2006, 07:53:54 pm »
Wow Alphs Boot Camp is awsome! I just learned alot from that Thank you so much!
The sad thing is that this behavior is probably my fault! :'( I kind of spoil him a little bit LOL
I guess Im gonna have to stop that! :(
Carole

Offline cuttles/sadieMay

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Re: HELP! showing agressive behavior
« Reply #6 on: February 20, 2006, 12:16:06 am »
Wow Alphs Boot Camp is awsome! I just learned alot from that Thank you so much!
The sad thing is that this behavior is probably my fault! :'( I kind of spoil him a little bit LOL
I guess Im gonna have to stop that! :(
Carole

I mean ALPHA BOOT CAMP LOL

Offline ZooCrew

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Re: HELP! showing agressive behavior
« Reply #7 on: February 20, 2006, 12:24:28 am »
You've been given some pretty good advice.  One thing I probably wouldn't do is keep petting him after he has just growled or snapped at you since this is reinforcing the behavior.

I don't have this problem with Gunther (at least not with humans, he will be possessive around other dogs), but Keiko has gotten worse as she's gotten older, so we've had to work on some reconditioning with her.  As with you, she could care less about her food, but her vice is bones since she rarely gets them.  I have gotten back to the point where she is not bothered if I go in and move it around or pick it up.

What I did was very simple.  I went in, reached slowly for the bone and watched her at the same time.  At any sign of aggression, I would grab her by the collar (for a puppy I would scruff), tell her firmly "NO" and pick up the bone.  I would then hand it back to her and wait a few more minutes and repeat.  If there is any lip curling or growling again, another scruffing and a time out with the bone being put away until the next day.  I would then repeat each day until I could take it away no problems.  In fact, by the second day she was much better and really sucking up when I put the bone down and needed alot of lovin' before she would go chew on it. (I like to think she knew she had misbehaved the day before and that was why her bone was taken away)

With Gunther, as I said he's not human aggressive/possessive, but he is with other dogs at the park (only with dogs he doesn't know well).  He has learned he must walk away if I tell him to leave it.  I am even surprised at how well he listens (although it has taken almost a year to get him to this point).  Even if there is a group of dogs playing with a toy, or wanting the toy he has, if I tell him to leave it, he will actually walk away from the group of dogs and come over to me.  Sometimes I will have to tell him leave it again if he heads over to it a second or third time (if it is a really good toy........lol), but many times he won't go back to it at all for the rest of the time we are at the park.

There are many methods you can use, and I'm sure the website referenced gives several ways to help.  You have to find what works for you.  I agree that since he is a puppy still, you should be able to curb this fairly quickly, but no more coddling or he will walk all over you.   ;)

Offline cuttles/sadieMay

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Re: HELP! showing agressive behavior
« Reply #8 on: February 20, 2006, 12:34:36 am »
[There are many methods you can use, and I'm sure the website referenced gives several ways to help.  You have to find what works for you.  I agree that since he is a puppy still, you should be able to curb this fairly quickly, but no more coddling or he will walk all over you.   ;)
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Thank you for the advice, So far this evening I have been treating him more like a dog and less like a people by not letting him on the furniture, and making him sit to get treats and pats, and he has learned just in a matter of hours to look over at me before he even attempts to get up on the couch.  This is some advice given on the Alpha boot camp site, about breaking them of their Alpha statis and it seems to be sinking in very quickly, We will see if he remembers tomorrow. I also plan to call and find out about Obedience classes tomorrow.
Thanks again for all your help everyone!
Carole

Offline coonie1970

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Re: HELP! showing agressive behavior
« Reply #9 on: February 20, 2006, 01:09:08 am »
Kayzer has a real good Mommy!! Judge doesnt want you to try this boot camp on him though. He LOVES his couch. LOL  ;)
Coonie
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Offline cuttles/sadieMay

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Re: HELP! showing agressive behavior
« Reply #10 on: February 24, 2006, 10:33:07 am »
Just an update on the progress of Alpha boot camp! Kayzer is doing really well and he has learned really fast what he can and cant do! I do notice a difference in the way he is listening to me! He seems to take me more seriously since I started with this. I recommend it to anyone, even if your dog isnt aggresive,it is great advice. I havnt seen any more signs with agression with myself or my niece but he did show some food agression yesterday when our friends were over with their female Dane Gracie. She is 8 mths old and they get along great but when he had his face in the bowl he wouldnt let her near it??? He shares with Queenie and Judge all the time and they never have a problem??? Hes a control freak with Gracie. I made him sit and be a gentlman and let her eat first and then refilled the bowl and then let him eat??? Is that the right thing to do?
I HATE AGRESSION its so confusing and so stressing me out LOL.
I hope I can look back on it and laugh someday!
Carole

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Re: HELP! showing agressive behavior
« Reply #11 on: February 24, 2006, 10:51:39 am »
My dobermans all ate out of the same bowl and we never had a problem. Now Merlin will not allow anyone to eat out of his bowl, so I feed them all in different corners of the kitchen, and I like it better that way. I know who is off their feed that way, and if someone is having stomach issues I can change their diet and not change the others. It also works great for medication or suppliments.
Any human can walk up to those bowls and take them, or push on any one of the dogs with no problem, but no one eats out of the other's bowl. They are trained to leave each other alone at mealtime.
Stella