[LadyLuckandGemini]

So, I noticed it a bit when we brought them home, with the food. There was a bit of growling, but nothing else, and we started to work on it immediately. While the other two were eating, Lucky was given treats/praise/etc. We did a few more training styles, and have been consistent with them. Sadly, this hasn't worked.

I know that some people won't agree with me, but I find different breeds react better to different training techniques, and since the ones I've always used haven't been working, I was wondering if you guys could help me.

To get our puppies used to sharing a household, and toys with our other two dogs, we put them in a medium sized area, where we could patrol and make sure to keep the peace, and gave them a nice, juicy bone.

Thankfully, none of them have had problems with each other--except Lucky, and it's not with our other two. It's with me.

Like anyone, I wanted to nip Resource Guarding and food aggression in the bud right away, so like I mentioned, I did those techniques, etc. I felt like we were having progress, until tonight.

I bent down, patted Gabby, played with her mouth/bone, moved onto Gemini, did the same thing, and then I moved onto Lucky. It was immediately different. I stepped close, she stopped moving, but was clearly guarding her toy. I bent down, petted her, cooed at her soothingly, and she went back to eating. And then I went down towards her bone/mouth, and got a growl and a small snip.

I pushed her a bit, and she seriously flipped her ****. She went after me quick and hard, flashing teeth and being very vocal. I had to snatch her on her nape to stop the behavior, and even then she continued to try to come after me.

So what have you guys done to stem resource guarding/food aggression in your pups? Maybe something that has only worked on your GSD's before, and not your other dog breeds?

Thanks for the help guys.

 

[LadyLuckandGemini]

Well, it appears that I was wrong on the not against dogs, either front. She just had a growling session with Gemini. However, I just walked over to her and she would get touchy but she wouldn't harass me, and I could pick up the bone, pet it while she's eating, take it away, etc and she had no problem. Down ears, but nothing aggressive, just watchful. It seems that it's only within the first few minutes of getting her bone does she become aggressive to humans, and like I just mentioned, she just had a growling session with Gemini. Any advice would be greatly appreciated it.

 

[LadyLuckandGemini]

Well, nevermind. Bleh. I just had to snatch her back up and crate her because she started to growl and barked, then went after me a couple times.

I've never had this much trouble with a pup before. Normally it's been nipped in the bud, and I haven't had problems after the first three weeks of having a puppy.

I don't want to have to rehome her, or put her in some kind of shelter/rescue, but we do have my seven year old little sister, and her friends around all the time. I'd rather it not come worse case scenario.

And help would be greatly appreciated guys. It seems like she's unpredictable with her aggression.

 

[gsdsar]

How old is she? How long have you had her? Has she always had issues? What kind if training have you done?


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[LadyLuckandGemini]

She's about 12 weeks, and we've had her since six weeks(wasn't our choice; breeder lied about age). We worked with her where every time we stuck our hand down in her food, we had a nice, tasty treat to give her. We've fed her from our hands, and a couple other different games we've done before.

She had issues when we brought her home from the breeder, but both puppies were starved and growling at us to protect their food( it stopped with Gemini right afterwards; haven't had a problem since). We worked with Lucky every time she eats, and I figured that I would test out her boundaries tonight, and also get them used to sharing with the other two around.

I didn't have treats with me this time, and she just flipped.

 

[gsdsar]

First off. Stop messing with her good and treats. This often makes the dog wary if you. If you want to do anything, walk past and drop a treat and keep moving. Make your presence a non issue to the dog.

For now, put her in her crate when giving food and special bones. If she learns she has to fight for her stuff it will get worse. And if she is crated your daughter can also walk past her and drop a treat in the cage and move in without fear if injury. Everyone stats safe.

Find a trainer, now. Develop a trusting relationship where good behavior gets her rewarded. At her age she needs to learn to trust she us safe and secure. Feeling the need to defend her stuff is bad. As you have found out.


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[BowWowMeow]

First off. Stop messing with her good and treats. This often makes the dog wary if you. If you want to do anything, walk past and drop a treat and keep moving. Make your presence a non issue to the dog.

For now, put her in her crate when giving food and special bones. If she learns she has to fight for her stuff it will get worse. And if she is crated your daughter can also walk past her and drop a treat in the cage and move in without fear if injury. Everyone stats safe.

Find a trainer, now. Develop a trusting relationship where good behavior gets her rewarded. At her age she needs to learn to trust she us safe and secure. Feeling the need to defend her stuff is bad. As you have found out.


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This! You can make the problem MUCH worse by taking the bone away and bothering her while she is eating. Basically you're confirming her fear that you will take her food/toy, etc. away.

Also, take it much more slowly. She's just a puppy and you don't want to overwhelm her, especially considering the circumstances she came from.

 

[LadyLuckandGemini]

First off. Stop messing with her good and treats. This often makes the dog wary if you. If you want to do anything, walk past and drop a treat and keep moving. Make your presence a non issue to the dog.

For now, put her in her crate when giving food and special bones. If she learns she has to fight for her stuff it will get worse. And if she is crated your daughter can also walk past her and drop a treat in the cage and move in without fear if injury. Everyone stats safe.

Find a trainer, now. Develop a trusting relationship where good behavior gets her rewarded. At her age she needs to learn to trust she us safe and secure. Feeling the need to defend her stuff is bad. As you have found out.


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That's exactly what we were doing with her, her first six/seven weeks with us. The first two were crated, and each time we walked past or said something, she got a treat, etc. Once we were more comfortable with her being around food, she got to come out of the crate, but in a more isolated room, and every time we would walk past, she got a treat, and we didn't handle her any way.

We've kept up on that for quite a bit, and it was only tonight that I wanted to see how far she had come. It was just a test, to see if we would need to recrate her in the presence of our other two dogs, or not.

I was expecting the warning growl, in all reality, but I wasn't even near her head/mouth/bone when she snapped and went after me a couple times.

I told her firmly no the first time, and applied a treat. Walked away, walked back, and treated her a couple times. The second time she went after me, I applied the "give" command, traded with steak, and then crated her.

I'm not sure if it's just this type of bone that triggers her-- she can share her bone with the other dogs, and with me. I can hold it without any problems, I can even 'eat' out of the same bowl with her. I removed the bone that caused the attack after trading it out with some great, yummy steak(my go to during relapses) and gave her a slightly lower level bone, and she had no problem sharing with me or the other two dogs.

 

[LadyLuckandGemini]

I will admit that I probably pushed her too much, too soon. That is a fault on my behalf, and I shouldn't have been surprised with her response. I guess my next question would be if I should just remove this type of bone. I have no problem with her dog food/any other toy, just this one.

This is new to me, as I haven't had this problem with any of my other dogs before, and just wanted to consult some of you guys for help.

 

[boomer11]

if the pup is going after you aka snapping at you trying to bite you then you are wayyyy past the dogs comfort zone. you should stop coming towards the dog the moment the dog growls, looks away, eats faster, gets stiff, etc. resource guarding does take a lot of time and patience. hopefully you get it fixed because a grown german shepherd with resource guarding issues is incredibily dangerous and scary.

 

[Blanketback]

you should stop coming towards the dog the moment the dog growls, looks away, eats faster, gets stiff, etc.

IMO, if you stop at that exact moment then you're training the dog to react in that manner. I'm definitely not suggesting pushing the confrontation, but I don't believe allowing the dog to force you into retreat with that sort of behavior is a good idea.