Aggressive and possessive
Hey guys, I need help with my 10 month old Corgi puppy Ender.
He's neutered and has never had a problem before but recently he's gotten very aggressive toward us. He loves to chew on pillows but when I reprimand him for it or try to take it away, he'll jump up and try to bite me. He also has this habit of jumping up and trying to bite when I tell him not to do anything he's not supposed to. What am I doing wrong or what should I be doing? Also, is yelling "No!" enough? At times when it gets really bad I send him to his gated area for 5 minutes for "time out." Should I start using other methods of discipline?
Thanks!
He's neutered and has never had a problem before but recently he's gotten very aggressive toward us. He loves to chew on pillows but when I reprimand him for it or try to take it away, he'll jump up and try to bite me. He also has this habit of jumping up and trying to bite when I tell him not to do anything he's not supposed to. What am I doing wrong or what should I be doing? Also, is yelling "No!" enough? At times when it gets really bad I send him to his gated area for 5 minutes for "time out." Should I start using other methods of discipline?
Thanks!
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Wendt Worth Corgi's on
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He doesn't respect you and he will get worse. It also seems he maybe bored and needs to get out a bit more and while wearing him down will settle him a bit then some obedience work will be easier. Maybe sign up for an obedience class so an instructor can watch this behavior and see how you handle it and watch the dogs reaction to it. This way they will be able to advise you more appropriately. This is something I don't tolerate and you need to start working on this now. At 10 months of age is unacceptable. Be firm and direct in your command..don't ask..tell but you don't need to yell but get your point across and the first couple of times your really going to have show him whose boss and then he'll get the hint. If your making no progress get some one on one help from an instructor. Offer him some of his own chews if you haven't already. Good luck.
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Permalink Reply by Akshay Anikhindi on
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Thanks for your response!
Can you elaborate on the "show him who's boss"? Do I grab him by the scruff of the neck like some books have instructed? Should I be using squirt bottles? Pinning him down? I have tried not to resort to these methods so far but I'll do anything that is necessary to teach him to behave properly.
Thanks!
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Permalink Reply by Sam on
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You may look into the Nothing in Life is Free method of "living" It is very typical to have a young corgi challenge you as he starts to become mature. Do remember his behavior is exactly how he would react to a fellow dog that is trying to take things away. It is imperative that you redirect this growling/snapping behavior NOW as each time he behaves this way and gets what he wants is reinforcing it. No is absolutely not enough, especially if it doesnt work. I would never suggest pinning a dog down that is showing this behavior. In novice hands it is a good way to get bit. Find yourself an obedience class now and start learning the proper way to redirect this sort of behavior as well as start to teach your dog some rules. Corgis are notoriously possessive and pushy dogs and can quickly learn how to rule a home. As owners of this dominant little breed it is our duty to learn how to control this behavior, provide a proper exercise regiman and give their smart brain an outlet to mentally exercise. Good luck.
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Folks, just seems as if he was a little agitated because of boredom. You see, this problem has only recently started happening and he was never like this before (the breeder even said that he was bottle fed as a baby so he naturally trusts humans). The problem with the last week or so is that bad weather and an extremely busy work schedule has ended up in us spending very little time with him. Usually we're very good about it but we were just caught off guard the last week. He's back to normal now when he has plenty of mental stimulation :)
Thanks for the advice though. He has been to puppy classes and has passed with flying colors. I will try the Nothing is Free method just to make sure that the behavior never returns.
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Permalink Reply by Alla on
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Hi Akshay,
Charlie (Ender's brother) sometimes tries to find out "who is the boss" too.
I'll tell you what helps (you probably already tried some or all of those)
Second run of obedience classes. He took his first class at the Petsmart, and it was pretty bad class to start with. Now we go to a REAL dog school - http://www.dogsenseunlimited.com/
He has never chewed on our stuff - we buy rawhide in Costco, and he totally loves to chew on it. Also he has a job - to shred boxes from stuff. We had an old cardboard box from TV set. He had a blast and shredded it in parts. Now we always have a box for him in a living room, and I do not mind the trash :)
Before giving him his dinner, I
1. Pretend like I am eating from his bowl - Mother is eating First!
2. Sit him in front of a full bowl, and make him Stay for a minute or so, while I am filling his water bowl. Then,
I tell Release, and he can eat.
We never play "tag of war" with toys.
We go for a walk for about an hour almost every day.
It's really good we have stairs in our house. When I cannot go for a walk, or I am late from work,
I throw a toy up the stairs,and make him go up and down until he gets tired and not willing to play this game anymore.
Hope, at least something helps!
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O-ops, the problem is already fixed!
anyway, I just shared my tips, and I will be grateful if you share yours! :)
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Hey, what a pleasant surprise!
Even though it seems like it was a temporary thing - I'll try the obedience school you recommended, however. Hope to see you guys (and Charlie!) at the dog park again!
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We are looking forward to that too!
see my blog post - there are pictures :)
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Actually, you might not be surprised to find out that Ender loves shredding boxes too. I guess it runs in the genes (or could be a Corgi thing, heh). I give him a box once in a while, but I like your suggestion of always having a box there to distract him.
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I only have to add that sometimes it does not work. But sometimes it works!
I like your guess about this shredding thing running in their genes, he-he
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And about that Dogsense school! You might want to check it out first. They welcome visits. I went there with my husband to take a look at their methods before registering. We sat on a bench for, like, 20 minutes, to see if we like how class goes.
So, if you are interested, they have classes on Tuesday (except Today) 7:00-8:30 pm, 8:30-10:00 pm. And a new session starts in the beginning of Feb., on Wednesdays.
good luck!
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Permalink Reply by MagnoliaFly on
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I recommend finding a school that uses positive reinforcement techniques especially if he's showing any signs of aggression or guarding. Using punishment (choke collar, shock or e-collar, hitting, yelling, spray bottles) while he is being aggressive will make it worse and may also create a problem of him redirecting his aggression to someone else.
Telling a puppy "no" doesn't solve the problem because you aren't giving the puppy something else to do. If you ran around telling a human child no all the time what are they supposed to do? Sit around and not ever move? You need to give them something else to do and praise your puppy for doing things you approve of.
If he's chewing on pillows he shouldn't have access to them. I highly recommend you download Ian Dunbar's book:
http://www.dogstardaily.com/files/AFTER%20You%20Get%20Your%20Puppy.pdf
Find a good trainer and begin a program with good positive reinforcement techniques that keep his mind busy. If he isn't getting any mental stimulation along with exercise you're going to have a bored pup on your hands looking for things to do.
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