Random possession issues!?
I'm wondering if this is something I need to see a trainer about or buy a book or something.... But I can't decide because it's very random.
Eddy will not tolerate certain dogs interacting with me. With some dogs, he doesn't care if they come up to me and I pet them, and some even lean on me and hang around for a few minutes.. And then there's other dogs, who Eddy barks at and snarls at if they approach me! It's not breed or size-specific.
The dog will go away, looking at Eddy like he's a crazy little corgi. Then, sometimes, if that dog comes back to be petted, Eddy won't snarl at it like he did the first time!!! He will make eye contact and trot away! And sometimes he will snarl at dogs who he initially "allowed" to approach me!
Eddy is not violent and has never bitten another dog, and never guards me against other humans. He also only does this off-leash. Will he grow out of this? Is it not a big deal because it's soooo random (and non-violent)? Is it some sort of dominance/pack thing?
Eddy will not tolerate certain dogs interacting with me. With some dogs, he doesn't care if they come up to me and I pet them, and some even lean on me and hang around for a few minutes.. And then there's other dogs, who Eddy barks at and snarls at if they approach me! It's not breed or size-specific.
The dog will go away, looking at Eddy like he's a crazy little corgi. Then, sometimes, if that dog comes back to be petted, Eddy won't snarl at it like he did the first time!!! He will make eye contact and trot away! And sometimes he will snarl at dogs who he initially "allowed" to approach me!
Eddy is not violent and has never bitten another dog, and never guards me against other humans. He also only does this off-leash. Will he grow out of this? Is it not a big deal because it's soooo random (and non-violent)? Is it some sort of dominance/pack thing?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Linsey & Grissom on
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Snarling is a big deal, random or not.
When he does this, what do you do? How do you react?
Is he on your lap when it happens?
Grissom started to become lap posessive, and I started working with him first by simply pushing him off of my lap the second he'd start acting up. Then, I started to praise him as random dogs would approach, before he's react negatively to them. This did two things. Initially showed him that I will not tolerate the behavior, and made him view other dogs coming around me as a positive thing for him. Other dog approaches, he gets a treat/toy/more attention... great!
It took about a week, but he has not groweled or snarled at any other dogs since then.
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Permalink Reply by Sunni A. on
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I agree on training him out of it, Eddy's learns quickly... It just confuses me so much that he will act differently towards the same dog! Also, there's never been a lap involved. There's really no pattern that I see, either, like particular triggers.
Also - many dogs have completely ignored his tantrum, unflinching, because Eddy just stands a foot away and barks that loud corgi-yarp! a few times, and snort-snarls... then Eddy will give up the argument immediately and wander off. That's why I'm wondering if it's a challenge-thing, pack-order issue I need to address? Because he "loses" the round to a lot of older or more seasoned dogs, and often ends up playing chase with the submissive ones. I react by shooing Eddy away into some other nearby distraction, and continue giving attention to the dog. These incidents don't happen every time we're around dogs/groups.
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Permalink Reply by MagnoliaFly on
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I recommend the following books:
Feisty Fido - Help for the Leash Reactive Dog - Patricia McConnell Ph.D
Control Unleashed - Leslie McDevitt
Mine! A Guide to Resource Guarding - Jean Donaldson
It does sound like your dog is resource guarding something and/or is reactive towards other dogs.
Some herding breeds have issues with other dogs approaching them because herding breeds like their space. Sporting breeds like to play up close and tend to get in the face of other dogs. That is just the doggie dialect sporting breeds speak. Some herding breeds don't appreciate this and find it rude so they might air snap, growl or do subtle signals to the other dog like tongue flick, head turn, body turn, etc. in an effort to have the dog disengage from them (sort of like an I'm not interested in you body language signal).
I do recommend reading the article on dog park etiquette in this newsletter as it gives good tips for prevention of fights at dog parks and a lot of it has to do with what we do when we go and little to do with the dogs. The best tip is to never stand, sit or cluster with other people. Keep moving around and the dogs will keep moving around too. This prevents many, many fights.
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During these occasions, Eddy often pushes dogs around with his butt, away from me! And, as I mentioned above, stands a foot away and snaps his little teeth and snorts. But 99% of the time he's so cute and friendly to everyone, and gets constant praise from strangers on how nice he walks, waits, sits, plays gentler with puppies, is independent, sociable, etc :(
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