Aggressive Corgi Puppy
So here's the deal, Pickles is now 11 months old (PWC), and spoiled rotten. When we got him from the breeder he was the biggest in his litter and most definitely the alpha of the group. Knowing this, my girlfriend and I have made it a priority from the beginning to socialize him and use the positive reinforcement techniques in training him. He is a very loving and affectionate dog that is very protective of the house and us (his mommy and daddy). He is alot longer and more muscular than your average Corgi, He has also already been neutered and he is housebroken. He is very inquisitive as well. He has never met a stranger before, and is very very good when we take him on walks downtown or to the dog park, he seems to do really well in a public environment and is usually the center of attention. He started becoming food aggressive around six months and was very protective of his food bowl. After working with him, he is much better with his food bowl and does not challenge me anymore.
Two new problems have risen though:
One) When we try and bathe him now he basically turns into the incredible hulk. He used to not put up a fight @ all and would patiently stand there while we bathed/dried him but the last two times he wanted to rip my hands off!
Two) When he would get tired @ night we used to be able to pick him up and put him in his crate, but now when he is tired, you cannot even think of picking him up or touching him in general, he becomes very aggressive and stubborn, even though once you get him in his crate he is fine, he loves his crate, just not the act of being put in it.
[Ive started to fix this problem, he seems to respond well to being put on his leash @ night and being lead into his crate now]
Any suggestions how to curb his bathing and sleep etiquette? Thanks, Appreciate it!
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Ludi on
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At what point during the bath does he try to bite? Is there a warning growl accompanying it, or is it just nipping? Is there perhaps a sore spot on his skin or muscles or feet that he does not want to be touched? There's a lot of different reasons why a dog could suddenly "turn" and become a handful during a procedure that was normally OK for them.
As for the crate thing, I would suggest you stop leading/carrying him into his crate and instead use this opportunity to ask him to go in on his own accord. Assign a word or phrase to it - for my two dogs, it's "Go crate!" and they will lope inside at night to be tucked in. If he does not like picked up in GENERAL, he could be sore in a spot. But if it's only when he's tired, he could just be grouchy. Some dogs really are aversive to being touched or handled while they are in that half-sleepy state and do react accordingly!
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Permalink Reply by Sean & Mal on
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I'm not aware of a sore spot. In general he does not like to be approached from the rear or near his back seemingly because he cannot reach his butt being as long as he is! ha! He starts fighting us to even go into the bath tub if we insinuate that he is the one getting the bath. Generally he is still 'good' once we get him in the tub, then he turns the crazy back on when we attempt to dry him off. Blow drying is not an option, as the blow dryer is a mortal enemy of his that he is petrified of! ....Its strange because he loves drinking out of the faucet and the tub is like his second home, if I cant find him he is usually just sitting in the bathtub!
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Have you tried just getting into the bath with him? My Ace, for a few weeks, was very hesitant about staying inside the bath tub. He wasn't lashing out, but he was very uncomfortable and quite scared. I ended up just sitting in there with him with some painting clothes on. He sat in my lap while I shampooed him and I think he was very grateful to not be alone in the big, scary porcelain tub. Now he has no problem with the place. Try accompanying him inside the tub, and then not jumping immediately into the bath portion. Let him play, give him some peanut butter to take his mind off of things, etc. while inside?
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Permalink Reply by Beth on
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I agree that I would just give a verbal command to send him to his crate. I'm pretty sure that if I tried to pick Jack up on a regular basis he'd start getting grouchy with me; he hates being picked up. Maddie, on the other hand, can be picked up, held like a baby, spun on her head.... you can do anything to that dog (not that we do!). Mine know "time for bed." When Jack was a pup I started with his pen and would toss a treat in and while he was running in full speed I would say "Get in your pen!" in a happy voice. Within about two days the words "get in your pen!" translated to a puppy running full speed into the x-pen. That easily translated to the crate. Both dogs will happily run into their crates from anywhere in the house if I say "Time for bed." So pick a two- or three-word phrase, toss a treat in his crate and say the phrase while he's running in, then switch to saying the phrase and then tossing the treat, then move to just saying the phrase and rewarding him once he's nicely inside.
Jack hates a tub. Not sure about Maddie because we never tried it. We use our walk-in shower which, while still despised, is at least tolerated. Do you have the option of a stand-up shower in your home? I think they hate the combination of the slippery floor and the high sides (and the echoes must be awful too). If that is not possible, then maybe one of those dog wash places? There are several near me and I'm not in the most forward thinking part of the country! Basically you pay $10 or so for the use of their dog washing facilities (just don't use a choke collar if they are offered).
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Permalink Reply by Bev Levy on
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Have you looked at Nothing In Life Is Free? Google it and start following it even if some of it doesn't make sense to you. He is still young but you are fast approaching the point when he may cross the line with a real bite. If you can get some professional help that would be great. Corgis were bred for hard work and to be the boss of animals that weigh over one ton. Therefore many have that very strong willed gene that makes them challenge your authority.Very consistent and positive training is so important when you have one of those.The problems you are describing with a dog of this age says to me that if you don't make some changes now things will get much worse.
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I used examples from NILIF to curb his food aggressiveness, that worked pretty well, (@ the time, he didn't have any issues with the other two things) Guess I should dust it off and look through it again! Obedience classes are on the horizon, once I get settled into my new job. Like I said originally he is generally pretty good, just had these 2 issues pop up lately, he is def. a strong willed one!
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Permalink Reply by Snickmom on
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I have just learned about NILIF in the last 2 years, and it seems like an always thing. My dogs have to do sits and downs for EVERY meal and every treat. They are ignored if they beg for attention, they never get to go through a door first, etc. This has really helped with the overall attitude of who is boss and we have to keep it constant or start seeing snotty behavior even though our dogs are older.
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He has to "Sit" and "Stay" until I'm ready for him to eat, once I put his food down, and this helped tremendously. Before, he was very possessive of even his food bowl if it was left on the floor, but not anymore. http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/nothingfree.htm Found the link I used for that, have to brush up on it I guess ....
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Permalink Reply by Holly on
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Again, well said! I do the same thing. I studied dog training tips long before I adopted Sully and I was lucky. The tips I learned were very close to the NILIF tips. I make Sully do certain things before any treats and before eating. I don't let her take her food after I put it down until I say "take it" and I remove it if she doesn't follow whatever command I give. I NEVER use an angry voice or facial expression so it is more of a fun game for her that earns her a reward, but I do calmly withhold the reward until she complies. I was also lucky that Sully is submissive, not dominant, but still, she had some behaviors that had to be modified. The two things people always comment on are how soft her fur is and how well-behaved she is,in any situation. Some of that may be genetic, but again, she never goes through a door ahead of me, begs for food or any other too big for her britches things, and it is really not a hard plan to follow.
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Well said Bev! I was also thinking a muzzle in the tub may help until Pickles learns who is boss. If he gets away with that level of aggression and gets to avoid baths and worse, actually bites, this could turn into a tragic, unsolvable issue. The NILIF way of life makes for a happy dog and family. I hope it helps!
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I have a question: does he try to bite you, or is he just fighting to get away? Jack hates being restrained and will panic and thrash, though he never uses teeth. He'll also sometimes grumble but never growls; he's growled at me twice and both times involved me trying to take a coveted item off him while another dog was standing very close by trying to steal it. Which was stupidity on my part.
It sounds like in both cases you mention, you are trying to forcibly hold him when he does not want to be held. If that is the case I would avoid holding him by force while you gradually work on desensitizing him to more (gentle) pressure for longer periods, starting with light touches that last less than a second and gradually moving to firmer touches for longer periods over a long period of time; your release is the reward, and a quiet "good" while you practice the touching helps him understand that his being quiet is all you want.
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I think its just a "warning" growl showing that he doesn't want to be picked up. When he was smaller he would almost jump in your arms to be held, but now that he's gotten pretty long, he has developed this "I don't want to be picked up" complex, which I assume is natural, he has gotten quite large. I have found that when he is tired and laying next to me, he likes it when I gently rub his ears and belly, so Ill keep doing that but add in a command to reinforce the 'positive' part
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