Food/toy aggression

[pipsie71]

Hi. After everything we've been hrough with the separation anxiety, we've now been told by the trainer at our puppy training class that Tilly is food/toy possessive/aggressive with other dogs! We saw an example of this at class last night where she sort of snarled at another puppy over a food filled kong. We've solialised her really well with other dogs at the park but this doesn't involve food or toys. Does anyone have any advice please? Many thanks, Pip

[Husky06]

When I get a little more time I'll try to shoot you a private message about your problem.

[pipsie71]

Thanks Husky that'd be great, Pip

[Kkye]

Husky, I'd be interested in hearing what you have to say, if that's okay?

[Jazza]

I had a problem that is sort of the same my dog would growl and try to bite if we got near her with a bone or something.. i found growling back at her works odd method but she stopped growling at us when she had a bone

[Husky06]

Kkye and Pipsie I'll try to shoot you a PM later today. I just got home from being out at work and then a few other places. I've been fairly busy and Anubis and I will be leaving for Indiana for a week pretty soon so I'll try to send a message sometime later today....after I get some sleep lol, it''s 132 in the morning here. I'll be going up there partially to work with a dog who has behavior problems, and also to go to a gospel meeting.

[pipsie71]

That would be fantastic, I really appreciate you taking the time, Pip

[Macawpower58]

Is your pup like this at home? Is this a new (perhaps learned at class) behavior?

I'm kind of surprised a puppy training class would even allow a scenario like this to develop. Do they toss food and toys to dogs that are next to each other? If so, I think they're crazy. You never offer two or more dogs a toy and/or food next to each other. Especially dogs that aren't a pack. Even with a pack it's risky. It's asking for exactly what you're now seeing.

Most trainers/breeders I know would never allow this to start in the first place. Why start a possessiveness in class, that may have never developed if not pushed. It's easier to avoid escalating behavior such as this, than trying to retrain it once it begins.

If it was me, I'd have a serious talk with your trainer. Food and toys come from you when training, and another dog shouldn't be involved, ever!

If this has been an ongoing problem at home with a child, or other pet, it's a little different, and how I'd handle it would be decided by the home dynamics.

[pipsie71]

Hi Becky, no it doesn't happen at home. We have two cats also but no problems there and me and Ryan can both take food or toys off Tilly without any problems too. At classes, the trainer throws toys and food kongs into the middle and we have to say 'go play'. On the first she had a toy in her mouth, he said she froze and raised one paw, he said 'ooh that looks like the beginning of aggression' the next time, she had a toy in her mouth, so he threw some food on the ground next to her to distract her and when another puppy went for the food at the same time she snarled at it. The other pup retaliated but he said 'she started it!' meaning Tilly! [I] felt like the parent with the naughtiest child in class! We have no problems in the park, infact a couple of dogs have gone for her and she's submitted, one who had a ball, the other a dish of water that Tilly went near. She also played nicely with my friend's two dogs the other day. It just worried me that's all, I don't want her to be aggressive. Are a lot of dogs like this with food etc? What would you do? Thanks for your time, Pip

[Macawpower58]

lol, Me? I'd slap the trainer!

I've never heard of such a thing. Especially with new, untrained pups. Of course they're going to fight over toys and food. Even pups want to rank themselves. One is always more dominant than the others. If you have several dominant pups, you're going to have fights.

I'd not allow my pup to enter any free-for-alls anymore. I'd only allow such interacting with careful supervision, one other pup at a time. If I saw any possessive behavior, I'd stop it plain and simple, remove the toy/food. Playing like a bunch of sweet angels is a dream come true. In a real dog world, it simply doesn't happen like that very often.

One golden rule with dog training is: Always set your pup up to win. This was not a win/win situation. Too much chance of failure, which you saw. Now you're pup's learned something that may cause you trouble down the road.

[pipsie71]

I wish I'd known that before! It kinda didn't seem right to me either but you tend to trust a 'professional' dog trainer. To be honest it didn't seem that unreasonable for Tilly to behave like this considering. We've got class tonight so I'll have a word with him then but I really appreciate your advice. Other than what you've said about what we shouldn't allow her to do in class, is there anything else we can do to make sure this doesn't escalate? Cheers, Pip

[Macawpower58]

I doubt this has yet become a real problem. I'd just keep doing, what you've been doing at home. If you've seen no possessiveness, you've been doing something right. Don't think it's going to happen at home now either, believe in your dog. If it does happen, handle it then with calmness, fairness, and firmness.

Do not think your trainer is going to say "oh my, your right!". For every good trainer, is 100 bad and mediocre ones. Good, bad, or mediocre, no trainer likes to be questioned. Remain firm in your decision to keep your pup out of the food/toy toss game.

Another training rule. If you don't like what you see a trainer doing, don't do it. You pay them to work for you, they are not gods (though many get this complex) and make as many mistakes as the rest of us.

[pipsie71]

Thanks again. He has now told us to teach her that the act of playing is what should be valued rather than the actual toy itself. He's told us when she has a toy at home to throw a few pieces of tasty food down, then retrieve the toy and repeat. I'm glad I asked for advice on here when I did though. As a new puppy owner I wouldn't have questioned him myself even though it seemed a bit odd. Maybe I need to work on my assertiveness techniques! Pip

[alcoth]

Good advice MP58, helped me with a question of mine too - thanks for asking, Pipsie =p. I hope things at training class go well.