[colonelsmom]

I was wondering if agression in bassets is common. I have a one year old basset named Colonel. I love him so much and hes usually a good boy. Sometimes he'll be stubborn and run away from me when im trying to get him inside :lol: regular basset behaviors.

Though sometimes he'll randomly attack me and my friends. It used to be a a playful attack but lately it's been getting awfully aggressive. But it seems he only does it at random. Me and my friends try and get him to play with us but he won't. He'll only attack at random. Does anyone else's basset do this?

 

[Mikey T]

Me and my friends try and get him to play with us but he won't.

Doesn't sound like aggression at all but appropriate behavior on his part in regard to rude behavior on yours

see He Just Wants To Say "Hi!"
Aggression or appropriate response to rudeness? Far too many dogs suffer because handlers & trainers don't know the difference between the two.


Dog Behavior Q and A with Dr. Lore Haug,

Are there situations where it is appropriate for a dog to growl/show its teeth?
Yes. Aggression is a normal communicative behavior. Growling in a dog is similar to firm talking or shouting in a human. Dogs do have the right to “tell” people or other dogs that they are feeling uncomfortable or threatened by certain interactions. They also have the right to try to maintain resources. So some expressions of aggression are normal.​

Would this behavior be seen differently if it were directed toward a human versus a dog?​

From a communication perspective, no. However, aggression toward humans is less tolerated because dogs must learn to live by human rules and safety is an issue. So while aggression in many cases is normal, you must look at the context of the situation, the target, the intensity of the response, etc. Appropriateness is based not only on the circumstance but also the intensity of the dog’s response. Is the level of aggression appropriate for the level of *actual* transgression? (This ties in to reactive dogs whose responses are inappropriately intense for the situation.)​

Also, keep in mind that we do some extremely rude things to our dogs. On top of this, the average person, even long time dog owners, are extremely unskilled at reading and appropriately interpreting the signals that the dog is sending. When these "polite" communications are ignored, then the dog is forced to escalate the​

intensity of the message.

one also must consider his age, he is an adolescent and with athe the behavioral bagage that goes with that life stage

Puppy Adolscence - or Demon Spawn

Every puppy of every breed -- and every adolescent of every species that raises its young -- goes through the same thing at adolescence. Adolescence is an important, necessary transition period between childhood and adulthood. As infants, these creatures were completely helpless, completely dependent upon their mothers for everything -- food, comfort, safety. In childhood, the creatures begin practicing the skills they'll need later. However, they do it right there with mom in sight, so mom can protect or help as necessary. They instinctively know they aren't able to take care of themselves, so they stick close. The eventual goal is, of course, adulthood. Complete independence. Mom won't be there to make decisions -- or to alleviate them of responsibility for their mistakes. The real world will be applying consequences, and those can be harsh (even fatal). The animal will, perhaps, become a parent herself, and must have all the knowledge and skills to raise the next generation. Adolescence is the transition between the safe practice of childhood and the
independent, butt-on-the-line reality of adulthood. Adolescence is the time when "Because I said so" simply isn't good enough anymore -- Nature *demands* that they test boundaries and consequences and decide for themselves what decisions they want to make. It's not dominance or rebellion. It's growing up.

Yes, even pet dogs *have* to go through this period. "But he won't be making decisions -- I will," you protest. Actually, I doubt it. Unless you're planning to be there, directing his every move 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, you need your dog to know how to make decisions. More importantly, you want him to make the decision *you* want. And you want him to make this decision even when you're not there to back up the decision.

But it seems he only does it at random

"Seems" is the important word it is extremely rare that dogs are random, If you start keeping a diary of incidents which include a complete discription of where, what how and when a pattern will emerge. Heck it can as obtuse of he only act agressively when you were green shoe but there is going to be predicability to it. Also it is likely you are missing or unaware if signal the dog is doing prior to acting out that would predict his behavior as we. body lanquage, calming signals, vocalizations etc,

as for the answer of the original question is aggression common. Well it actual depend on how you define aggression. There are people that will tell you growing should not be tollerated in a dog, yet in doggie communication it is the same as yelling for a human, is yelling never apporpriate, is it even realistic tha a person never yells, yet to expect that from a dog? So rather than focus on "aggression IMHO it is better to focus instead is the behavior appropriate. So the same behavior may be appropriate in one circumstance but not in another. But in general for all breeds when defining aggression as an inapproriate threatening response than aggression is not normal but it is far from being rare. Actual most aggression in dogs stems from fear. This fear may or may not be rational on the part of the dog but it is the emotional basis of the dogs reaction. This fear is very often the result of inadequite early socialization 9a dog not exposed to men early on ~ 16 weeks of age is much more likely to be fearful of men and much more difficult to impossible to teach the dog to trust men) but one can not discount genetic factors also come into play as well.

 

[colonelsmom]

I didn't know throwing a ball to get him to play = rude behavior.

Also when I try to get him to play by throwing a ball, he doesn't attack at that moment. It could be a day or a week from then. Bassets hold grudges against ball throwing?

It always happens when I'm sitting or laying down. I'm not even petting him and he gets on the bed or couch and lunges at me. I wasn't aware not bothering your dog was rude.

I don't push him or like put his ears in his mouth to make him play. I don't try to irritate him. I must be doing something unknowingly.

Thanks for your reply.

 

[Mikey T]

try to get him to play by throwing a ball

it is a very rare basset indeed that will fetch, chase maybe fetch not so much.

But it seems he only does it at random

It always happens when I'm sitting or laying down

not so random after all.

I wasn't aware not bothering your dog was rude

can be if what the dog wants is your attention and you are avoiding the dog.

lunges at me

describe a lunge, i.e. does he make contact with skin, cause injury etc. Is it accompanied by any other behavior either proceeding or following the lunge, such as but not limited to vocalizations,.a bow front down hind end up. What action/reaction do you take when it happens.

I must be doing something unknowingly.

that is generally the case. If you looked at the other links provided you would discover dogs his age test boundries. For example if the lunging is occuring when you are not paying attention to him, he could easily learn that by lunging he can get your attention. If you interact with him even if it what you percieve to be punishment it could actual be rewarding for the dog, because for many dogs any attention is better than no attention. So yes, you can be unkowingly be doing something wrong. If a behavior is getting worse over time it is because the behavior is being rewared. This can be inadvertently as the example above but some behavior are self rewarding. Say for example if the luging is motivated by fear, ie a small movement on your part is percieved by the dog as you are going to get up and move him to another spot. (doesn't matter what you were actual doing only what the dog percieves) then by lungeing he stops you from moving him, the lunging behavior is self rewarding because it prevent what the dog did not want to happen from happening.

What it takes is some careful analysis of the situation in which the behavior occurs and find the commonality between them This will give you a big clue on the triggers for the behavior, By carefully observing the dog you can obtain the emotional state of the dog at the time as well. With this information u can then craft a behavioral modification program to change the behavior successfully.

If you come into the process with the preconcievednotion that the behavior is random, the cause is genetic then you might as well give up, because there is no way to change such a behavior. But as can been seen when you provide some detail that the behavior is not really random at all there are at least some parameters for it to occur.

Thanks for your reply

your welcome. When some one asks for help but scant detail is provided anyone seeking to help is going to have to connect some dots. Unfortunately those dot are not numbers so often the dot are not connected properly. It is why I always recommend anyone experience a behavior issue with a dog to seek out outside council that can observe the dogs inappropriate behavior in the context it is occuring. Those that are intimately involved in that context of the are natural going to be biased observers. They often miss or neglect relevant information that is critcal. So the caveate of any online advice is it is only as good as the information about the behavior provided. This is why even the best dog trainer in the world general have coach or at the very least video tape training session etc. Because things occut they miss because they are so immeresed in the other activites important to the context they can not devote there full atttention to actual observing what is going on like an outside pair of eye or a video camera lens can.

 

[SophieB]

I can't believe a topic for Basset Hounds could contain the word 'aggression' with this most docile breed!! We've rehomed many Bassets and had several pups over two generations of my family and never ever have we seen any aggression in any of our dogs!!!

PS: Quite the opposite is true as we have found them (of all ages) to be extremely gentle, laid-back dogs, but then so are we as a family! Are you sure that somebody... maybe children... has not been tormenting and annoying your Basset?!

 

[Lightning&Stomps]

My Stomps was a fear-aggressive dog who would take out his fear and stress on Lightning. They had some nasty fights before I figured out how to prevent them. From what I've encountered and gleaned from this site and others is that when bassets are aggressive, it is either fear-based or territorial. Certainly not aggressive like when you think of pit bulls (disclaimer: I only use pit bulls as an example because they are stereotyped as aggressive; I love pit bulls). But almost any adolescent will test his boundaries to see what he can get away with. Do you think your dog could be stressed when he gets aggressive? Or are you in "his" place and he's trying to keep you out or away from something (or someone) he thinks is "his"? Aggression can seem very complicated, but once you figure out what triggers it, you can try to avoid those situations.

 

[Mom2Flash]

When Flash wants to play, he head butts. Actually head butted me a couple of times, but he's since learned not to. My husband loves to rough house and wrestle with him and this is how Flash gets his attention. He'll head butt him while he's sitting down and then jump right down and bark and wag his tail. This signals that he is ready for the "fight". I, however, do not want to wrestle with the dog. Whenever Flash has gotten up in my face, I simply got up and walked away and ignored him for awhile. He's now learned that I do not play that way and I haven't been head butted in months. My husband is now the only person Flash will head butt. Sounds to me like your basset is just trying to get your attention for something.

 

[colonelsmom]

it is a very rare basset indeed that will fetch, chase maybe fetch not so much.

Colonel loves fetch. So I guess he's an exception.

not so random after all.

That's not what I meant. I meant nothing provokes it, he just does it.

Thanks everyone for their replies. I believe it's an attention problem. He wants my attention at all times. lol

 

[Mikey T]

Me and my friends try and get him to play with us but he won't.

Colonel loves fetch. So I guess he's an exception.

I believe it's an attention problem

That's not what I meant. I meant nothing provokes it, he just does it

Not unprovoked, lack of attention is the provocation (cause) of the behavior. If you are interested is solving attention seeking behavioral problems I suggest Silvia's Kent's The Harmony Programme It is quite good if you overlook the new age psychobabble on "love energy" i.e. "
"Love was some kind of energy form that existed naturally between an owner and an animal and that was a major driver for otherwise completely inexplicable behavior."


The most common pro-offered advice on Atention seeking behaviors is to ignore them, because any behavior that is not rewarded will eventually become extinct. In theory it is good advise but from a practical standpoint it is not.

1. The attention seeking behavior is used by the dog in the first place because the owner can't ignore it.

2. When ingnoring a behavior to create extinct causes a phenonenom know as an Extinction Burst, in which the behavior actual gets worse much worse before it gets better. Considering that the behavior was hard enough to ignore to start with, it is impossible to ignore when it is 10 times worse.

3. It does not address the basic needs of the dog. The dog still has a need for attention. If the current behavior is eradicated the dog will come up with another even more obnoxious behavior to replace it.


4. The best way to overcome this is to teach a more appropriate behavior for the dog to use to get the attention it wants like sitting quitely in front of you. In order for this to work though You must consistently reward this new behavior with the attention the dog seeks otherwise the dog is going to try and find a more effective behavior on its own. see Stopping Negative Behavior Positively

 

[Welshtyke]

My husband loves to rough house and wrestle with him.

I would like a bit more rough house with Beau. If I do it in a controlled manner, that it stops when I want it to stop, is it OK, or will I be storing up problems.

 

[Mikey T]

I would like a bit more rough house with Beau.

Tug of War

​

No topic engenders such a wide range of conflicting advice than whether or not it is advisable to play physical-contact games with dogs, e.g., play-fighting, tag and tug o' war. Some breeders and trainers are vehemently opposed to these games, feeling they make the dog uncontrollable and more aggressive. Other breeders and trainers, however, feel frequent games make for a better companion. Certainly, there are pros and cons of doing almost anything with a dog and this includes roughhousing. Without a doubt, misguided and/or inadequately informed owners can very quickly turn a good dog bad by allowing contact games to get out of control. On the other hand, a thinking owner can derive so many benefits from properly playing doggy games.

Disadvantages
It is highly unlikely dogs become more aggressive by playing games with their owners. Quite the contrary, in fact; customarily, game playing builds confidence and handleability and promotes friendliness. Perhaps the so-called increase in aggressiveness would be better termed excessive rambunctiousness - play-chasing, play-growling, play-mouthing and play-fighting, i.e., the dog is over-friendly. Nonetheless, regardless of how friendly the dog's intentions, unsolicited rambunctious roughhousing; is often annoying and can be potentially dangerous. Human games and sports offer a good analogy, especially when the participants have been poorly; coached and/or the game is badly refereed. It is not the games - tennis, football, or ice hockey, which are at fault, rather potential problems come down to a matter of control. And so it is with canine games.
It is highly unlikely certain games have an intrinsic property to render dogs uncontrollable. Instead it is the manner in which the owner allows the dog to play the game, which influences the dog's subsequent tractability and willingness to comply. For example, many trainers incorporate game playing and the necessary teaching of a multitude of game rules to reinforce their control over the dog. Alternatively, allowing a dog to play willy-nilly, without instruction or guidance would no doubt make him more difficult to control. Control-problems are threefold:
1. the owner allows the intensity of play to increase to the point where it may be physically dangerous
2. the owner can no longer stop the dog form playing and
3. the owner allows the dog to initiate unsolicited play sessions. The owner barely knew which end of the whistle to blow.​

So, why not just stop playing these games altogether? Well, a good class instructor quickly learns to anticipate a lot about dog behavior and a whole lot

more about human nature. Firstly that dogs, especially adolescent dogs, are going to attempt to play this way with people anyway. In fact, much of a dog's waking existence and certainly most of his playtime focus on mouthing (and/or biting) objects both inert and alive. Consequently, it makes sense to take time to teach the critter rules. And secondly, that many owners, especially men and children and extra-especially boys (ranging in age from two to fifty-two years old), are going to play these games with dogs anyway. And so, it similarly make sense to teach owners how to be better canine coaches, so they may correctly referee Rover and reap the many benefits these games have to offer.
Advantages​

Firstly, games are good exercise for dogs and owners – good physical exercise and good mental exercise. Also, games are fun for dogs and owners. As soon as the dog learns the two of them can have fun together, he begins to focus his attention on the owner, rather than always looking to other dogs for enjoyment and amusement. Similarly, the owners learn they can actually have fun with their dog (a sad realization, believe it or not but many owners have to be taught how to have fun with their dogs. In fact, someone has even written an entire book on this topic). Suggesting and describing games is one of the best ways to motivate owners to train their dogs - games, and of course, which have been intricately integrated with basic obedience skills.

...

The above advantages are really no more than attractive fringe benefits, however, when compared with the primary reasons for playing tag and tug o' war and roughhousing with dogs. When played according to the rules, these games:
1. increase the level of control owners have over their dogs, specifically proofing control at times when the dogs are excited and worked-up and
2. motivate, build confidence and make the dog less aggressive, specifically improving and maintaining his bite inhibition. ​

​

 

[Mom2Flash]

I have no advice on rough housing other than you just really need to know your dog and what he/she responds to. When my husband is ready to stop playing before Flash he just gets ahold of him and massages both ears. Flash loves this and he just melts into the floor and relaxes. This calms him down and he knows the game is over. On the other hand when Flash is done playing he rolls over and offers up his belly for a good rub.
I've never seen Flash show any aggression or negative behavior from playing like this.

 

[BigBloo]

I have no advice on rough housing other than you just really need to know your dog and what he/she responds to. When my husband is ready to stop playing before Flash he just gets ahold of him and massages both ears. Flash loves this and he just melts into the floor and relaxes. This calms him down and he knows the game is over. On the other hand when Flash is done playing he rolls over and offers up his belly for a good rub.
I've never seen Flash show any aggression or negative behavior from playing like this.

My Flash and I roughhouse all the time, and it's pretty much like you describe with your Flash and the hubby. We both love it, and he's never even come close to 'crossing the line'. He clearly understands that it's play, even when I growl back at him; that actually elicits even more tail-wagging, plus the occasional slurp with extra drool.

 

[colonelsmom]

I forgot, bassets always have the energy to play. Colonel loves fetch when he feels like playing.

Mansplaining.

 

[Mikey T]

I forgot, bassets always have the energy to play

A basset puppy or any puppy of this age has two speed. full bore and crash. At full bore the have the energy to play and obviously at the crash stage trying to engage the pupply in play is not going to be effective nor is it a smart ploy. As for the energy level of an adult dog it is what the owner allows it to be. A basset without the opportunity to engage in endurance type activities on a regular basis and is nromal expected to act like a coach potato will adapt to that life style where many other breed won't and simply go stir crazy. If is often assumes that basset are slow and lazy. it is not because they choose to be it is because the are more or less forced to be.

Here is one of mine at 8 years old.

Colonel loves fetch when he feels like playing

Now to the heart of this issue, not sure what it has to do with "agreesiveness" or why it was brought up as they are unrelated. Having the dog initate play or certain play exclusively is potential a dangerious president that if allowed to continue for a prolonged period will be difficult to over come. By dangerious I am not suggesting that by allowing a dog to initate certain types of play that it elevates the dogs position in the hierarchy and as such the dog will become dominate aggressive. This way of thinking is complete B.S. By dangerious I mean it can have a negative consequence on other training. Dogs that intiate play and other behaviors tend to be more impulsive, with all the behavior problems impulsiveness entails. Impulsive dogs are much harder to live with. By giving the dog permission to ignore you in play you are setting the dog up to ignore you during work i,e, obedience, training etc. Also fetching is a great tool for teach other valuable skills like give. Unless you can control when the training can an will take place it is more difficult to utilize this opportunity to the maximium.

see Training Reminders

1. Work=play=work. All play is fun and so all work should be as well. If your dog makes a decision during play (example he grabs his toy without being invited to do so) you are reinforcing his right to make decisions during working with you as well (ahh, maybe I will chase the cat rather then practice A Frames right now!).

You do not want to attempt to engage the pup in a game of fetch unless you are 80% certain or higher the dog will fetch. You also want start ignoring some of the instances of when the dog attempt to initate fetching. There are those that will say you sould not reward any attempt to iniate play by the dog but I thing that can do more harm than good, if the dog shuts down you may never haver the opportunity to use fetch as a training tool. I think it is better to slowly fade the rewarding of dog intiated behavior rather than go cold turkey. How fast you go in that involves a lot of factors and feels.
See Luring

I think those who are posting me are expecting me to give that exact point, hard and fast, to always remove the lure. I keep saying that training is simple, but not easy. The idea of removing the lure early is simple, but exactly when to remove it for greatest efficiency and reliability, is not easy. If training were all that easy, most pet owners would be about as good at training as most professionals, which is probably not the case.

Training is both an art and a science. Beside the simple mechanical skill and the rote theory comes the ability to read doggy body lanquage. It is one reason I recommend classes or private instruction everyone even the best of trainers can improve with the help of objective observation.

Mansplaining

nope Mikeyspaining! after years of experience I have found it rather foolhardy to take anything other than a literal translation. Most assumptions are off base.

With that in mind you have not answered a couple questions.- about the behavior. What actual does the lunging behavior entail, other behaviors that it encorporates growling, snaping, making contact, proceeded or followed by a bowing behavior. Tail. and ear carrage before, during and after the lunging behavior. other body lanquage. By "More aggressive" do you actual mean more threatening or is "more intense" more accurate. All of thes are critical pieces to the puzzle when anaylizing the behavior.

1. Is the dog offer behavior proceeding and after the lunging behavior that is was done as play?

2. If the dog is making actual skin contact (mouth/teeth on skin) while lunging the amount of damage that occurs when this happen is critcal to outcome success. Thus demonstrates bite inhibition, often lacking in puppys but must be taught at this age or dogs never acquire it and as such are much more dangerious. All dogs are capable of biting in a particular situation, what seperates a safe dog from a dangerious one is a safe dog will moderate it bite , bite inhibitionm, a dangerious dog will not. This goes along way to the success of behavior modification training because of the ability to train given the threat level of the dog. You are going to be able to train more aggressively and thourghly a dog with bite inhibtion than one without because of the risks involved.

Bite Inhibition - How to Teach It

and Insights Into Puppy Mouthing

And about the yelping out in pain technique. I hate when people suggest this as if it is the Holy Grail of stopping mouthing. It totally depends on why the dog is nipping, how you yelp and how they respond to the yelping. With some dogs this idea alone can stop nipping and play biting in its tracks. But as you have discovered there are other dogs who are simply more triggered by the response. And you actually escalate the intensity of the behavior.
We can't ever just say if a dog is doing X behavior that a handler should always do Y handling technique. It just never is that black and white.
Its all about probabilities. If a dog does X behavior and the response is Y technique than we can often say there is a high probability of a particular response happening with most dogs. There are some fundamental things that are very high probability that apply to many dogs that do nothing or get a completely opposite response from other dogs.
Run away there is a good chance the average dog will follow or chase. Squat down or make little cooing noises then the probability is high they will come closer. But you must always take into account the dog's personality, relationship, situation, current emotional and mental state, temperament and history.
Run away from another dog and them may take you down with a bite in the butt. Squat down for and make cooing sounds with an abused fear biter and you may loose your nose.
It looks complicated when plotting it out but in general people have a much better feel for what the dog's probabilities for certain things are then they do in applying that knowledge to specific situations.
90% of the time if I clearly define something for owners and ask what their dog will likely do, they have a wonderfully detailed knowledge of what their dog will probably do. But most people don't look at the perimeters objectively or with clarity and worse they fall into a pattern of waiting until the dog has done the thing they don't want that they knew was probably going to happen. They then respond to what the dog did even though they could have predicted the Undesired response a week ahead of time.

 

[fifielcoolio123]

Help aggressive basset!!!!

hi guys.. i have a serious problem with my basset!!!!!!! he is very aggressive sometimes and will bite!!! he used to do it wen he had a bone or when id pet while he's asleep him he'd react badly but he calmed down a bit with that.. no its really just wen he's sittin on the couch n doesn't want to get down or wen he climbs under my moms bed and my mom would get into bed and he'd growl n bark.. the worst is wen he lies flat on my chest or is down at the end of my bed under or on top of the sheets and he'd get angry and jump off.. even sometimes wen i just bring him up to me room n close the door after us he'd get angry and jump under my bed.. he has bitten me and my mom plenty of times but i still love him to bits!!! hes only 2 now so i personally think he could be changed?? my mom would get rid of him pretty easily but she still likes him a lot.. any feedback or relatd problems would be fuckin great as he's in serious trouble at the moment and i could be saying goodbye very shortly.. thanks!!

 

[jaleely]

I think there was a good question asked....is he lunging at you and barking, growling, is his front end down on the ground and back end raised? He may sound meaner than he's actually being. I know bowser is a sweet little whiney vocal mama's boy, but when he gets riled up he is LOUD and DEEP and Growly and snarly and just plain vicious sounding...but he is totally playing and flopping around like a goof.
I would think if it really is unprovoked, then it's true that the inattention IS provoking him...but i'm still leaning towards he just wants to play.

You know, the other option is food agression....i say this because, do you give him bones, or chewies, or rawhides or toys that he may be hiding, and then you are near his hiding spot unknowingly? If he really is getting nasty...that's the only other time i had a dog act like that...and sure enough, each time the little brat (a beagle) had hidden a bone in the general area.

Just a thought!

 

[Mikey T]

guys.. i have a serious problem with my basset!!!!!!! he is very aggressive sometimes and will bite!!! he used to do it wen he had a bone or when id pet while he's asleep him he'd react badly but he calmed down a bit with that.. no its really just wen he's sittin on the couch n doesn't want to get down or wen he climbs under my moms bed and my mom would get into bed and he'd growl n bark

The aggression sounds to originate for a single general issue.That is they are all different faces of the same coin that is called "resource guarding" A resource can be a physical thing like a toy or food but also a preffered spot, comfort, a particular human etc. Most resource guarders also have touch sensitivity issues as well. That means that they do not like to be touch in certain places on their body or under cetain circumstances. Trying to physical remove a resourse guarder from a favorite spot can often time result in snaping or biting incident,

The first step is outline and keeping a diary of all biting incidents, hat everyone including the dog was doing prior to and after the incident Detail the situation as well where the dog was in the house relation to other people and animals etc.

Step two is to avoid those situations in which the dog is likely to act aggressive. If the dog bites while on the bed then don't allow the dog on the bed etc.

Step three work on reducing resource guarding It often helps to get professional help in the form of a behaviorial consultant. another option though not nearly as effective is using reference material. With resource guarding the preminent resource is Jean Donaldson's Mine! - A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO RESOURCE GUARDING IN DOGS

for a fair review of the book Click Here

Donaldson presents resource guarding as a normal, adaptive behavior and rejects notions that resource guarders are not "nice" dogs or are "dominant aggressive". Instead, she focuses on a behaviorist approach to conceptualizing and remediating such behavior.
In a nutshell, this primarily involves classically counter-conditioning a "conditioned emotional response" where an owner's approach is associated with high-value food treats, rather than representing a threat of loss or punishment. Initially this is done in the presence of little provocation, but incremental advances proceed until the dog can happily be approached when in the presence of whatever he formerly guarded most fiercely.

From a practical standpoint it will not be possible to keep the dog off the furniture he has guarded in the past, so it will be very usefull to theach the dog "off" I use "off" not down which to my dogs means lie down. To teach off is really quite simple but with a resuorce guarder with a penchant for biting you will want to use a leash or a training tab while doing so. With a bunch of treat in you hand. Invite the dog up on a bed or other piece of furniture. Before he gets comfortable or even sits down Show him the treat and lure him off the furniture. Repeat in quick successing three times The next time act like you have food but leave your hand empty. If the dog complies good and give a jack pot (multiple treats) It is unlike you will need to continue to use the food lure but always reward with food for compliance, If the dog does not follow repeat with the food lure additional 3 times then try again without the lure. You want to keep training session fast and to about to trials. This whole training should not take more than a couple of minutes. Repeat 3 or more times a day but be sure to vary times and locations. As keep in mind just because the dog response when it has not gotten comfortable that he will once settled in. This is not the case you need to work up to that.


How successful any behavior modification will be is directly linked to the damage he inflicts when he does bite. The more damage the less likely Behavior modification will be effective. This is simply because the risks involved in training preclude some of the testing, trials and training required to be sure the dog is retrained. A dog that bites shouls always be assumed to bite under similar circumstances in the past. So management that prevents those circumstances from happening become that much more important,
If the dog was younger ie under 20 weeks old you would have a chance of teaching it Bite Inhibition, Bite inhibition training on adult dogs is virtually never successful so in that regard he will alway be a danger.

from Bite Inhibition - How to Teach It

FYI, a standard scale has been developed to judge the severity of dog bites, based on damage inflicted. The scale is:
* Level One: Bark, lunge, no teeth on skin.
* Level Two: Teeth touched, no puncture.
* Level Three: 1-4 holes from a single bite. All holes less than half the length of a single canine tooth.
* Level Four: Single bite, deep puncture (up to one and a half times the depth of a single canine tooth), wound goes black within 24 hours.
* Level Five: Multiple bite attack or multiple attack incidents.
* Level Six: Missing large portions of flesh.

Searching this site using "resource guarding" will bring up multiple threads with additional information as well.

 

[jaleely]

ah that's a good one too i didn't think of. Guarding the "bed" or furniture. Good point!

 

[Mikey T]

ah that's a good one too i didn't think of. Guarding the "bed" or furniture. Good point!

not so much guarding the bed or furniture because most will allow you on etc what they are guarding is their comfortableness in that spot, So it is moving the that is the problem or the threat of moving them that they react to.

It is also why I say when practicing off to do so before the dog lies down. When they are still standing that general are in a guarding frame of mind. When they are settled in it is a different story.