[jmm]

my basset is a rescue and is 9 months old. during her first 4 months she had no training and no discipline.

recently, she is stiealing things off of the counter and then growls when you try and take them away. she is growling when i try and take a look at a bone that she is chewing. she doessnt care if i pick up her food bowl or toys.

during a walk last week something triggered her to attack the leash i had on her...she was acting like a possessed dog. jumping and growling and trying to bite the leash. my arms were up high trying to keep leash up and i received a nice bite on my arm.....after that she was calm and i returned her to her crate because i had no idea what happened...

i just had her checked at the vets and tomorrow i have a trainer coming over to try and figure things out....

has anyone experienced this? i dont want to be afraid of my basset....

 

[Barbara Winters]

It's always a good idea for everyone to do a Search before posting a question because chances are it has been talked about numerous times before. Just go up to top of page and click on Search and enter what you are looking for. Always a good idea to search using different terms.

I searched "resource guarding" and came up with a topic Dog Aggression? Also if you search "Growling" you'll come up with this same topic.

Hope this will give you a start. i think it's best to also involve a trainer when dealing with aggression. You might consider training classes also. Feel free to post additional questions.

 

[jmm]

i apologize if i violated protocol on posting a topic.....i was hoping to find some support on the topic of growling.
thanks

 

[dogcrazy]

i am no expert but when ryobi was little and grabed something and grawled and or ran i would trade him for a treat, and soon he was eager to give up what he had in his mouth (but now he often goes around the house looking for something to bring me for a trade) Aslo i would not put up with that behavior and told him NO in a very firm voice and take the object away. when he was chewing on a bone i would purposely take it away from him then give it back just so he got use to it. As far as the walk and leash seems to me if you just stopped the walk and ignored the dog until stops the behavior then continue the walk. but like i said before i am not an expert and the trainer will have better ideas i am sure, but these things did work for my dog.

 

[Jasmine's Mum]

We've experienced similiar problems with Jasmine. Hers all started at about 9 months, after her first season (and before I get blasted for letting her have a season, that's what is recommended hear in England and she's being fixed next month ).

For us it was occassional problems with treats, but her main issue was with being removed from the couch. After a long and frantic call back to our breeder, she assured us that Jasmine was just trying to exert her authority, and we needed to remind her of her place. I had to learn not to fear her, and go back to basics with her training and discipline (heel work, work for treats, etc.). Things have been much better ever since.

I also love the idea of giving then taking back treats before giving them back to the dog, so that you can safely get treats back if necessary.

I hope everything works out for you!

 

[ec]

Simon had similar issues, and the trainer helped a great deal trading for an appropriate item worked he bit me once before i learned that when i tried to get my sock back!!! good luck I have found it really takes time for a rescue to settle in just hang in there i have read alot of articles suggested on this board that were helpful, but nothing like a one on one trainer in my opinion

 

[Mikey T]

Resource Guarding Prevention Exercises

Resource Guarding

RESOURCE GUARDING

Why Classical Conditioning Changes Food Bowl Guarding & Growling


Book

MINE! A GUIDE TO RESOURCE GUARDING IN DOGS

a fair review of the book

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.  

Anal retentive to a fault (and I mean that as a compliment in this context), Donaldson does an excellent job of breaking down forms of resource guarding behavior into detailed, progressive increments. In order to teach a dog to accept having its mouth opened, for example, she lists 60 separate steps - beginning with touching the dog's rump for a single second. It takes 27 steps before one even touches the dog's head.

 

[Mikey T]

given the attack on the leash because of an unknow cause you may also want to check out

AGGRESSION: A Case History with Harry T.

HANDLING ON LEASH AGGRESSION


Book
FIDO: HELP FOR THE LEASH AGGRESSIVE DOG