8 month old snapped at my child

[Lialla]

I'm so angry with Grom right now. My kids usually behave crazy with him like the ordinary 8 and 9 year olds would (of course I teach my kids to respect the pup and mind the boundaries) and Grom was very good with them, he just walked away when kids were too much. They play tug with him. Would pet him and hang around him, while he was chewing his bully stick, and he was just fine with it.

He didn't have any bully sticks for some time and to be honest I didn't exercise him enough this week, so he was bored. I brought him a bully stick tonight and he was very eager to have it. He laid down on my command and I let him have it, and when I reached to pet him, he growled. It was an agressive growl with his lip curled, that was the first time he growled like that. He then growled at my kids and when my son came closer, he lunged with a growl at him. I managed to grab him, I don't know if it could be a bite, if I hadn't. Yelled at him and put him in his crate.

I practice NILIF with him, took him to puppy classes and did basic obidience, which we stopped doing lately and started with Schutzhund. He is our very first dog and right now I feel like I cannot trust him anymore.

Sorry, this is long, but I need your input on what to do now. I'll put Sch training on hold for now and will work on obidience with a trainer and involve my kids into that too. Right now I don't feel safe when he is around kids, I don't know what to expect from him and what else can provoke him to behave like that.

[codmaster]

Sounds like he was possesive of his bully stick. Has he ever shown any resentment before when you take stuff away from him? Usually one would see this type of behavior slowly build up and not just show up all of a sudden.

I would definetly get some pro help with this one. Could be just a pup feeling his teenage oats or something more deep seated perhaps.

[GregK]

Some of the sweetest dogs that never show aggression do so when they have what they consider to be a very valuable resource.

Plus at 8 months he's starting to test his boundaries.

I know some people will say take the bully stick away and don't let him have them any more.

I say get 2 more - same size, same kind and practice doing exchanges with him. No pressure, no yelling...make it pleasant experience.

I'd get it to a point where he'd retrieve them for me - come right into a perfect 'front'. I'd reach down and grab both ends; say 'give'. Take it out of his mouth. Look at it. Present it to him while saying 'take it'. Let him take it back and release him.

[BowWowMeow]

It's resource guarding. Not that big of a deal (easy to fix) and certainly not something you should be mad at him about. He's a dog and a bully stick is a big deal. You yourself said he didn't get enough exercise this week.

Until you can work on this issue I would let him have high value things in his crate where he feels safe and you don't have to worry about him growling or lunging. In fact, with kids around, until he gets older and more secure and you get more training in him, I would let him have some peace with his chew or whatever.

[Lialla]

This is the first time he behaved like that. Never saw any agression until today.

I know some people will say take the bully stick away and don't let him have them any more.

I say get 2 more - same size, same kind and practice doing exchanges with him. No pressure, no yelling...make it pleasant experience.

I don't know whether what I did after he first growled at me was right or aggrivated him more. He was in his crated, and I didn't want just let him be after growling or just take the stick away. I got him out of his crate into middle and made him work for it, he growled at first, but then obeyed. Had my daughter did the same, but my son was hesitant, distracted with a video game, so I just sat near Grom petting him while he was chewing the stick, my daughter was nearby, and then my son approached. That's when Grom growled and snapped at him.

I got an order from BestBullySticks coming in tomorrow, will have more material to practice with

[Lialla]

Originally Posted by BowWowMeow

It's resource guarding. Not that big of a deal (easy to fix) and certainly not something you should be mad at him about. He's a dog and a bully stick is a big deal. You yourself said he didn't get enough exercise this week.

Until you can work on this issue I would let him have high value things in his crate where he feels safe and you don't have to worry about him growling or lunging. In fact, with kids around, until he gets older and more secure and you get more training in him, I would let him have some peace with his chew or whatever.

I got mad because he lunged at my child. He was in his crate when he first growled at me, and when kids approached he growled at them too. This is not an acceptible behavior of a dog for me. He is not tormented when he is eating or chewing a bone, just an occasional pat.

[GSD07]

Originally Posted by Lialla

I got him out of his crate into middle and made him work for it, he growled at first, but then obeyed. Had my daughter did the same, but my son was hesitant, distracted with a video game, so I just sat near Grom petting him while he was chewing the stick, my daughter was nearby, and then my son approached. That's when Grom growled and snapped at him.

You took the stick away (better to do the exchange like it was suggested earlier), then forced him to do obedience, no bully stick for that, then your daughter came and he had to do obedience and finally got the stick. Then your son approached and, naturally, your dog thought that the stick will be taken away and he would be forced to do obedience for your son, and so he growled. As always, not the dog's fault but the handler's.

I would give him his sticks in the crate so he can enjoy them in peace. Then teach him that your presence near his valuable sticks is even better because he gets something better in addition. Then practice exchange. Also don't entertain the idea that your dog will look up to your kids and obey them, not gonna happen.

[codmaster]

Exercise or lack of it had nothing to do with the way your dog reacted.he reacted when you went to take a hi value thing from him that he wanted. Can't let him get away with that - no matter how you address it, I feel that you must address it now and teach your dog that he cannot under any circumstances get away with growling and esp never with snapping at any memebr of the family for simply reaching out to take something away from him.

there are many ways to address this - depending on ones philosophy of dog training (and also how brave you are and your relationship with your dog.

For example i once had a 9mo male imported GSD puppy who basically did the same thing to me one day as he was lying on the floor chewing a real bone that I had given to him. Now this was a hard very confident dog (star of his ScH class at the club at 8mo) and he let out a ferocious growl when i reached down to take the bone as we were going out then. Without even thinking, I reached down grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, gave a big shake and yelled "NO" at him. That was the end of it - never even ever peeped again no matter what I took out of his mouth.

BUT - I was young and sort of stupid then and never even considered what could have resulted. So I would never suggest that any regular owner try that unless your dog is securely muzzled!

But if you don't address the threat and growl, then i feel that you are inadvertently teaching your dog that all he has to do is growl and threaten to get you to back down when he doesn't want to do something.

Get help!

[cliffson1]

Why didn't you allow him to have his bully stick in peace?????? I agree that I will not tolerate growling at me, but Sheesh, if you are going to give the dog something to eat....let him have space and time to eat it without people in his face.

[Lialla]

He was having it at peace in his crate, all started when I reached to pet him lightly and he growled at me with his teeth showing. I don't think it's acceptable for a dog to growl and snap at family members at such or any circumstances.

codmaster, thanks for your input! I don't want to just leave it be, but I don't have enough experience to deal with so I'll be contacting a trainer to help us with to prevent it from ever hapenning again.

GSD07, I didn't take the stick away, I asked him to drop it, he growled but dropped it when I repeated the command. I took it and asked him to sit and gave the stick back when he obeyed.