Hi XXXXXXX~
Your dog doesn't hold the deed to your house or the title to your car, but she does know the concept of ownership. From her viewpoint, you are her most prized possessions and, even if they show no interest in it, she must ensure that your boyfriend doesn't attempt to steal her possessions. This common type of resource guarding harks back to her ancestors' need to protect food and other resources in order to survive. Snapping and growling at other members of the pack was a way for dogs to tell them to back off and leave their food alone. Despite being domesticated, some modern day dogs extend this territorial thinking to favorite toys, bedding and even a certain location in the house, like a sunny spot near the window and even people!
At just over two years old, your girl is also beginning to feel more like a grown up and like all young adults, she is testing the limits of authority. She wants to know if she can chase your boyfriend away from 'her' person and if you both will yield to her threats. From your description, your pup's turf defending is growing in intensity and range. Unchecked, this behavior can become dangerous, with her escalating from growls to snapping, even to biting. As natural as it may seem, do not yell at your dog or physically punish her for guarding her person. You risk making the problem worse. She will feel a greater need to protect you, since it will appear to her that your boyfriend is angry enough to fight for it.
This problem did not surface overnight, and it won't go away in one day. Stopping resource guarding takes time. The first step is to establish a new house protocol.
My favorite suggestion in cases like this is to suggest you enroll her in a obedience class. It will give her a chance to become better socialized, will give you and she the chance to bond through working together, and will teach her the basic rules on how to get along with other people and animals.
As a mom to a rescue Malti-poo who came to me with some 'issues', I can completely understand your concern. My little guy came from a bad home and whenever I'd try to get him to do something he didn't want to do, I'd be faced with my own pint sized Cujo. What I ended up doing was this:
First I took him to some puppy and basic obedience classes. It helped with his socialization (which increased his self confidence) and gave us an opportunity to bond outside of our normal daily interactions. The fact that I was instructing him to do something and the fact I was very clear on what I wanted strengthened the trust between us.
Secondly, I got him on a super tight schedule. Familiarity produces calmness in these actively dominant dogs, and his knowing that food was going to be served at a specific time and the walk was going to happen at a specific time seemed to help him as well.
Next, I limited his access to anything that was 'mine'. This includes the couch (his sitting on it makes him think that he's at an equal rank in the pack as I am, which is wrong. alpha dogs (me) sit wherever they want...submissive dogs (him) are only allowed on the floor) and the bed.
Finally, after one afternoon early on when he proceeded to literally draw blood from my legs attacking them, I put on my best Cesar Millan face, gave him a stern "NO", and when he didn't back off, I used my best alpha pack leader behavior made him sit and stay until I decided he was allowed to get up. We had to repeat that only twice before he learned that "NO" meant 'back off'.
All dogs, regardless of whether they're 7 pound Maltipoos or 70 pound labs respond very well to following an alpha pack leader. If you're not sure that you're the alpha dog, there is a site that offers a quiz: http://www.bcrescue.org/dominancetest.html Remember, if you're not alpha, your dog will step in and fill that position for you (or your boyfriend!).
It's hard work to get a dog to break these bad habits...but I have no doubt that with some readjusting of the pack hierarchy and some patience, you guys will all be living in perfect harmony again.
I hope this helps!!
Hi again~
I'm sorry that you feel like this was a cut-and-pasted answer...as it was absolutely not. I told you what I feel is going on with your dog...she's being dominant and is claiming you and your boyfriend as beta members of the pack. The best way to stop this behavior is to take away her alpha status...you eat before she does, you go out doors before she does, you do everything first, and you don't allow her the 'privlege' of being places she (as a beta member) shoudln't be: couches, bed, ect.
I've been doing rescue work for 15+ years, and I specialize in 'problem' dogs (usually bully breeds with aggression issues)...I told you exactly what I would tell my in-person clients.
Hi Zaftig,
CVT has given advice for alpha behavior but I am not sure this is what you are dealing with and we don't want you to go away an unhappy customer:) I have been an evaluator of therapy dogs for the last five or six years and have had several therapy dogs, two are active.
I understand your concern and I would like to help you but would need to ask you some questions.
Can you tell me please how does the dog do with residents you visit? ( that is if the dog is active in therapy.)
How does she do with the other therapy dogs?
Are you a TDI member or other therapy dog club member?
Can you tell me what role your boyfriend plays in the training and care of the dog. Does training continue on a daily basis? What type of training did you use clicker or choke chain?
Can you tell me when she is possessive of you is she growling at your boyfriend or is she just putting her paw on you? Are you seeing any aggression?
Have you ever tried keeping her in the room with you but tethering her to an area she can call her own with her bed and water dish?
Is she spayed?
thank you -
We are still in training as a therapy dog. She will be working primarily with toddlers and young children. When she approaches them her ears are back and she is a bit lower to the ground - very submissive. When she gets to them she sits, tail wagging furiously, ears back. The kids then approach and kiss her/hug her/ pet her/ play with her ears, etc... We have never seen any kind of aggressiveness at all. She is more than happy to lay on the ground and have her belly scratched. She also loves to be chased by them - never jumps up... She loves other dogs. She is submissive and tries to initiate a game of chase. At dog park she will sometimes sit on the side and watch if play gets too rowdy.
My boyfriend works at home. He is her primary caregiver. He takes her out for bathroom breaks, feeds her, fills her water bowl, etc... He also walks her several times a day. She growled at him once when he was trying to trim her nails - we gave her a break and continued later without incident.
She does wrestle with him - jumping on him, putting her mouth on him, nibbling him. She does not do this with me - with me she is incredibly gentle. No mouthing, no jumping --- alot of leaning...
We adopted her through the Homeward Bound Dog Rescue as a 9 month old. She had just been spayed and had surgery for cherry eye. She still had her stitches in when we adopted her. We've had her for almost 2 years.
We have not tried tethering her yet - we actually found a rawhide that she really likes and have given her one of those and it's seems to distract her enough to give us some time alone. She stays in the room but completely ignores us. We just discovered this over the weekend so who knows if it will continue to work...
I'm open to suggestions - she's slept at the foot of our bed since the night we adopted her and is well behaved otherwise. I'd just like to be able to kiss my boyfriend without her giving him the 'hairy eyeball'.
Thank you for that information. You are doing part of what I would recommend. It does seem like she may be either feeling a bit possessive of you or she may be having some separation issues since you say that what she does is keep her paw on you , so you are the object of desire in her eyes even though your boyfriend does a lot of the care taking. She respects you enough not to do any mouthing and I encourage your boyfriend to stop this as well, she may not always differentiate this play with kids and if you want her to be a therapy dog then it is better he play fetch with her or teach her tricks.
Since being up high gives a dog status I would suggest that you keep her on the floor and this is not cruel, she can still be in your bedroom, but keep her on her own bed on the floor. Give her the special treat at this time , be wary of raw hides as they can cause obstruction of the bowel. Kongs stuffed with cream cheese and frozen work well to keep the dogs attention (as do nylabone flavored bones) . Tethering her near her bed at the time you give this to her will help ensure she stays in that spot and will help her to learn that when on her bed she gets something very special. IF she whines ignore it, or she will learn it gets her free.
I am worried that allowing her on furniture gives her some status and dogs will often take that level and use it around children especially small children . I know with TDI Therapy group they do not want you to bring the dog to toddlers because of the status reason, as well as the children being unpredictable. When you take her on visits it is important to teach the children how to touch a dog properly other wise if they can pull your dog's ears even though she may be okay with it , another dog may not like that.
dog training consultant
24 years training & behavior,pet first aide, Therapy dog eval., PA Animal Response Team