Accepted Answer

Okay...it actually sounds to me like you have two things going on. Resource guarding (the growling over his food) and fear based anxiety. I'm going to tackle them one at a time....

 

First, the food:

 

Your little guy doesn't hold the deed to your house or the title to your car, but he does know the concept of ownership. From his viewpoint, the treats and the food bowl - empty or full - are his most prized possessions and, even if they show no interest in it, he must ensure that the people he shares a house with don't attempt to steal his possessions. This common type of resource guarding harks back to his 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.

 

At just 5 months old, your dog is also beginning to feel more like a grown up and like all young adults, he is testing the limits of authority. He wants to know if he can chase you away from his bowl and to see if you will yield to his threats. From your description, your boy's turf defending is growing in intensity and range. Unchecked, this behavior can become dangerous, with him escalating from growls to snapping, even to biting. As natural as it may seem, do not yell at your dog or physically punish him for guarding his stuff. You risk making the problem worse. He will feel a greater need to protect his treats and bowl since it will appear to him that you are 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 dinnertime protocol You and your family must call the shots at meals. Your goal is to teach him that positive experiences occur when people approach his treats or food bowl and that you reign as the Keeper of Great Chow, worthy of his respect.

 

Do not let your dog be a free feeder who nibbles all day. Take his bowl away between meals and store it out of sight. During your retraining period, bring out not one but two food bowls - one empty and one containing food. Call the dog to a new feeding place that isn't a high-traffic area in your home. Moving the bowl into different locations in your home will reduce his territorial tendencies.

 

Place the bowls on a counter or shelf out of his reach. Ask him to sit and stay and then put down the empty bowl (watch the surprised look on his face!). Then drop a piece of food into the empty bowl on the ground. Do not bend over. Wait until he eats that peice before dropping another. If he shows no protectiveness, try putting a few pieces of food in your hand and invite him to take them.

 

Alternate between dropping food in the bowl and hand-feeding him. When he starts to eat from the bowl, drop more pieces into it. Once in a while, drop in a 'jackpot treat' like a piece of chicken or steak, something much tastier than his regular dog food. It may take several meals before he accepts this new method of dining.

 

Once he shows no signs of tension, you're ready for the next phase. Partially fill one bowl with his food and place it on the floor. Call him into the room and again have him sit and stay before you give the 'okay' sign to approach the bowl. The goal is to make him work for his food. As he starts to eat, place a second bowl with some premium food about 10 feet away. Call him over to this bowl. As he starts to eat from the second bowl, go back to the first bowl and add special treats to up its food value before you call him over. Continue switching between bowls until he has finished the meal, then take them away and hide them.

 

Over a few weeks, gradually move the two bowls closer together as you feed him. You need to watch his reactions to determine how quickly you can merge the two bowls. He should be displaying relaxed body posture. This dual bowl tactic is designed to build positive associations and increase his trust that you, or other people, make feeding time fun and exciting, not tense and upsetting. You are using positive reinforcement rather than threats or physical force to show him that food time (as well as treat time) is not a time to fight. He is learning that by giving up resource, he is rewarded with something even better. Eventually, you will be able to present him with a single bowl, though he should always be expected to sit and wait for your signal before eating.

 

I've followed these steps with several of the pitbulls I do rescue work with, and within a couple of weeks, their guarding behavior either disappeared completely or was drastically reduced. We turned mealtime into a fun game of doggy dining etiquette. They would happily leap into the 'sit' position, watch me put down the bowl, heed my 'wait' cue and my 'watch me' cue before approaching the bowl. Once I gave the 'okay' signal, I was eventually able to pet them as they ate, praising them. It worked for me and my most difficult cases, and it can work for you and your dog.

 

If you don't feel that you can stop your dog on your own, however, I urge you to seek help from a professional behaviorist. This is a serious behavior problem that can eventually threaten the safety of you, your family, and your visitors.

 

As for neutering...yes, this will help a bit because he won't have that testosterone rush to help him think that he's king of the world. Enrolling him in basic obedience classes will also help.

 

As for the fear anxiety:

 

It sounds to me as if you have a fearful/unsocialized dog who bites when he is faced with new situations that he doesn't know how to deal with. Unfortunately, this is one of the toughest behavioral problems to work out, but with a great deal of patience and understanding, and most importantly consistency, you can get her to break these bad habits.

 

Carin Terriers are loving, playful, fun dogs. They are lively and courageous. They are very strong willed, and can be stubborn making training them a challenge from time to time.

Your dog is still relatively young, and I feel she needs a lot more socialization or you may end up with a dog that is a problem to visitors and may end up a problem for you if he decides to bite someone. While a quick fix isn't available, until you can resocialize him, you can let your boy trail a leash and give him a quick correction (a tug at the leash quickly and hard) and firm "NO" if he shows aggression toward any person who may or may not be on your property.

They are quick learners so hopefully he'll learn quickly that this behavior is not acceptable.

I also think you will need to enroll him in an obedience class not only for training but also for the socialization that occurs at classes. You may also take him to pet stores that allow doggie visitors and to other public places so he gets used to as many different kinds of people as possible and will not see them as a threat.

You will also want to have more visitors to you home so he knows that visitors that you let in are OK. When you invite people over, instruct them to not make eye contact, speak to or pet your dog until he is calm and not behaving in an aggressive fashion. Once he has calmed down, they can give treats, but only if he comes to them and sits for it. It can be hard work to socialize a dog, but the rewards are worth it as is avoiding the potential problems associated with an unsocialized dog.

 

You may also want to look into using a product geared specifically towards dogs with anxiety issues.

 

A couple things you could try would be:

 

Melantonin is an over-the-counter drug that can be used to treat some anxiety issues in dogs. The dose you would give would be up to 3 mg given orally whenever necessary up to every 8 hours. More information can be found here: http://www.petplace.com/drug-library/melatonin-melatonex/page1.aspx , which includes risks, warning signs to watch out for and other bits of useful information.

 

Try a DAP collar. These are collars that are impregnated with a man-made version of the dog appeasing pheromone, which is a pheromone that nursing bitches give off to their pups to help them feel calm and secure. It's something that humans can't smell, but it has an amazing effect on dogs with anxiety and other issues. Although you can find them at your vet's office..you can also find them online at places like Amazon.com and Ebay for much cheaper. Just make sure they're DAP brand, as they seem to work better than some other versions.

 

I'd start with the collar and then add in the Melatonin if needed.

 

I hope this helps.

Expert:	CVT_in_MN
Pos. Feedback:	99.0 %
Accepts:
Answered:	9/21/2009

Certified Veterinary Technician

Associates Degree in Veterinary Technology. State and Nationally certified.