Wow! Can't do that anymore!!

[Blanketback]

It's interesting that even a puppy so young can display guarding behaviors, but they do. My neighbor's Lab (at the same age) wouldn't share a water dish with my puppy. It was a big rectangle, and when both pups were drinking, she continuously used her head to push his head into the corner and out of the water. She wasn't mean about it, but she succeeded in getting him out of it, every time. He got frustrated and ended up sticking his paw in the dish, tipping it over, lol. But I know that I won't be letting them share a water bowl next summer, because I don't think she'll react very well and I don't want to deal with anything happening.

[Jag]

Originally Posted by gaia_bear

Just a completely innocent question based on most that I've read on here but isn't a four month old too young to be guarding and protective? Most people are told that its fear based and to step up the training/socialization before you have a bigger problem on your hands.

Is it Grims pedigree that makes it different? I know this is what type of dog you were looking for and what your breeder gave you but just curious.

Btw he's growing into a very handsome pup since you brought him home.


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I thought so, yes. Apparently, his pedigree says otherwise. His breeder doesn't think it's abnormal, nor do some other respected folks on here that have raised and trained Czech dogs. I didn't expect this big of a difference, but there it is.
Grim doesn't guard food, water, toys, or anything else. My Pug does, though. We've been working on that with her, and she's over the food thing now, and getting better about the toys. She doesn't get nasty with toys, she just takes a toy right out of Grim's mouth and runs off with it. He's starting to take it back now if it's something he really wants. Otherwise, he just gets something else. Neither get nasty about it at all. I've seen him drink out of the same bowl as Layla and the old lady mutt. They butt into his water bowl, too. He doesn't care. Most things just roll off his back.

[msvette2u]

Newborn puppies on the nipple will "resource guard". It's about survival.

I do not see your puppy's behavior as protection but rather resource guarding/attempting to control, neither of which are behaviors you'd want to encourage.

[Jag]

Originally Posted by msvette2u

Newborn puppies on the nipple will "resource guard". It's about survival.

I do not see your puppy's behavior as protection but rather resource guarding/attempting to control, neither of which are behaviors you'd want to encourage.

See it however you want. Obviously, there's no changing your mind. I know resource guarding. My Pug does it. Grim does not. I can pet her, play with her, etc. and he doesn't care. Apparently, he doesn't appreciate the growling at me. Again, how many dominant Czech pups have you had? This behavior, and protecting the handler at his age isn't unexpected according to my breeder, nor is it unexpected according to others that have bred and trained and raised Czech dogs. Nothing I've ever seen before, but apparently it can be perfectly normal for them. Of course, the worry there is that they don't have the experience to recognize a 'true threat' at that age. That's what training is for.

[msvette2u]

Of course, the worry there is that they don't have the experience to recognize a 'true threat' at that age. That's what training is for.

That's essentially what I've been saying.
Whether it's actual "brave" guarding or resource guarding, it must be stopped.

You need to take control of this puppy, stop him from making such decisions and take over making decisions for him.

As I mentioned, it'll extend to humans soon enough this way. Not good at all.
When I see people bragging about how their puppy guards...it's always a red flag, sorry.

[Jag]

Originally Posted by msvette2u

That's essentially what I've been saying.
Whether it's actual "brave" guarding or resource guarding, it must be stopped.

You need to take control of this puppy, stop him from making such decisions and take over making decisions for him.

As I mentioned, it'll extend to humans soon enough this way. Not good at all.
When I see people bragging about how their puppy guards...it's always a red flag, sorry.

What makes you think I'm not?? Let me in on your secret for reading dogs' minds. Please.

Who is bragging? I was surprised, and caught off guard. I have LOTS of things to brag about with Grim. His "I'm in charge" stuff is not something I brag about. I find it frustrating. It's not all the time. If he's in the mood to go along I guess he does? Who knows? When he's an adult, trained, and I *know* he can make proper decisions, THEN I will brag about his protection. As far as a puppy being handler protective being a red flag, I'll let you argue that point with my breeder.

[msvette2u]

if any dog comes at me, Grim will try to take them out.

Okay then, I must have misinterpreted this.

Let me in on your secret for reading dogs' minds. Please.

You don't have to be mean about it. Dogs are opportunists, plain and simple. That's not hard to understand.

MIND GAMES helps you understand that and get it under control, which is why I put the link there. If you read it, it might help your understanding, and also there's some books I've found extremely helpful if you are interested.

You messaged me in the past about how helpful my posts have been to you, so at some point you must have found something useful

[DunRingill]

Originally Posted by msvette2u

Newborn puppies on the nipple will "resource guard". It's about survival.

I do not see your puppy's behavior as protection but rather resource guarding/attempting to control, neither of which are behaviors you'd want to encourage.

I would have to agree with this.

Monster Mike started this sort of behavior right around 4 months, and we initially brushed it off since he was just a baby. THAT was a mistake, and if I ever see a dog starting that crap again it will be quashed immediately and I won't care what age the dog is.

[Jag]

I HAVE found a lot of your posts helpful! This is why I'm both surprised and a bit frustrated with your responses here. On my sentence there, there is a shocked face... not a smiley face. If I was bragging, I'd have a smiley. I'm shocked. Period. I'm not trying to be mean, I'm just frustrated. I KNOW Grim wants to be in control. I've been trying to get on top of it. Most of the time, he goes with the flow. Sometimes, he does something that floors me (like this). I am very happy to be going to this trainer, because I knew I may well need help with him. Until I actually got him, though, I didn't realize how different he was from my previous shepherds. I appreciate the link. I feel, though, that you're misjudging me as someone who will let a dog do whatever they want and I'm cheering them on. I'm also not one of these people who thinks having an out of control aggressive dog is cool. If you recall, I had a bitch like this. She broke my heart. It's NOT what I want in a dog. Grim isn't out of control. He's just a dominant dog that needs more going on. He'll get that right after we move. I don't think I'm going to change his genetics (nor do I want to) but I want him to be OBEDIENT and to realize I am in control, not him.

He's still fine with strangers coming in, as my daughter just walked in the door (she's away at college) and he never barked or anything. Let her right in, didn't react at all when I hugged her. His tail was wagging and he waited for pets from her.

[Jag]

Originally Posted by DunRingill

I would have to agree with this.

Monster Mike started this sort of behavior right around 4 months, and we initially brushed it off since he was just a baby. THAT was a mistake, and if I ever see a dog starting that crap again it will be quashed immediately and I won't care what age the dog is.

Well, there's the difference. I'm not brushing it off. I don't know what you mean by "quashed" but it sounds like you're talking about getting physical with the dog. I hope I'm wrong. Starting a fight with a dog that likes to fight isn't a good idea, IMO. I'm not about to go there.