We’re having issues

[voodoo]

I trained chili with the idea of letting him eat around my hand as a pup for a few weeks. it worked well. havent decided yet on what Im doin with my new pup ziti. right now ziti eats behind a baby gate. and ziti has tried twice now to eat chili's bowl underneath chili...not trying to test this...I intervene quickly. but chili has been tolerant so far.

[Labradorks]

Never was a fan of messing with dogs while they eat. Adding, touching, subtracting...none of it is good. I will trade for a higher end item, but I totally let the dog decide and I keep my distance so it's obviously the dog's decision. That said, I do believe dogs are either pre-disposed to this behavior or they are not. The dogs that let you hug them, mess with them, poke them while they eat are not doing so because it's good training, but because it's in their DNA to act this way. Doesn't mean that dog won't tell you, at some point, he's had enough (and, it will be the dog's fault, of course). And, dogs where we did everything right and it still goes south? That dog, too, has it in their DNA to resource guard. It explains why dog A is perfectly fine with kids riding it and messing with it while it has a bone and dog B bites the kid.

All this to say, those of you who have been doing X for a long time and "it worked", don't think that doing what you did is what made the dog so accepting. And, those of you who have done everything right and are getting growling, it's probably not something you did wrong. There are things that make the behavior worse and things that can make it better, but know these dogs either have it in them, or they don't. Once a dog has shown this behavior, I completely change the interactions. When it goes south, it can be really, really bad.

It's pretty rare for a Lab to be a resource guarder. We see it in Goldens a lot. Personally, I think Goldens have a touch of anxiety most of the time, and that is why, but I could be wrong. So, I'd reach out to the breeder and let her know. It's important when dogs have temperament issues, even if they are little blips, that the breeders are aware. Be careful with hitting, yelling, etc. a dog like this. Growling is a warning. If you punish for the growl, they may stop, but they may also go straight to biting.

I'd see a board certified veterinary behaviorist right away to discuss, diagnose, and work on a training plan. This is not the kind of behavior you want a pet dog trainer helping you with.

[arentspowell]

As an update, my husband has stopped messing with him. We have been feeding Thor in his crate with the door closed or out of treat toy (wobbler) which he does not guard. I let him be unless he gets the toy stuck somewhere and needs my help to get it out of a corner. Lily gets put in another room during this time so she’s not in the way. I feed her in the laundry room with the door closed. Every once in a while she leaves food behind and he gets into it but it’s no big deal, she eats 1/4 cup at a time. We just let him have it, though I’m pretty sure he knows the difference between food that’s meant for him and that he’s allowed to have and food he’s “stolen.”

Sometimes I’ll take some handfuls of what I’ve portioned out for a meal and we’ll run through some commands like sit, down, touch, etc. He’s fine with eating the food out of my hands. In this situation I’m giving it to him open palm like a treat vs out of the bowl.

The water bowl situation has also improved. We’ve added another bowl and he’s learned that water is plentiful. He drinks a lot of water but doesn’t gorge like he once was. Lily stays away while he’s drinking out of the bowl.

There hasn’t been a reoccurrence or any resource guarding behaviors. He gives up things he’s not supposed to have readily. In fact he likes to take things out of the closet and show me that he has it because it leads to the drop/give command which earns him a treat.



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[arentspowell]

I trained chili with the idea of letting him eat around my hand as a pup for a few weeks. it worked well. havent decided yet on what Im doin with my new pup ziti. right now ziti eats behind a baby gate. and ziti has tried twice now to eat chili's bowl underneath chili...not trying to test this...I intervene quickly. but chili has been tolerant so far.

Knowing what I know now, I wouldn’t do this. Just let him be.


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