I need some advice...
Rowdy is now a little over 2 years old. He is amazing and full of every stubborn little corgi quirk which I find endearing and lovable. The last couple months, however, he has been exhibiting some very aggressive behavior towards our other dog, our cat, and my boyfriend, whom he has known his whole life.
When there is food out, he is not to be trifled with and everyone needs to be locked up or he goes on a rampage trying to fight everyone. Sometimes the other pets and him sit still for a few minutes and then all hell breaks loose and I have to break them up. I feel so bad that something might actually be wrong with him because his face changes. He won't focus on the sound of my voice and gets very confused and then when he snaps out of it, he's very apologetic and his face goes back to his normal self and is very sweet and playful again. It's very scary to me because I don't know why it started happening. He gets out plenty, we take them all to the dog park regularly where they play nice with other dogs. He also shows no aggression to me or to children/strangers (thank god). He's actually very friendly and sits on their feet.
If anyone could give me some advice on what I should be doing differently or any thoughts on how I can get him some help, I would appreciate it more than you would know.
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Bogart the Cardigan on
-
I would suggest a visit to the vet, to rule out any illness that might be causing these "seizure like" episodes. Sorry you are having to go through this, it is certainly very upsetting for everyone.
-
Permalink Reply by Ludi on
-
Sounds like pretty bog-standard food aggression. Ace started off fine in this department, then it felt like overnight he developed this side to him. Please read up on the issue and tell us if it sounds like what you're experiencing with Rowdy. If it is, then management and training can help a great deal. But in the beginning, the name of the game will be managing the surroundings so that he is never in contact with other animals nor your BF when food is out. It's a very slow, gradual process to show a dog that he doesn't need to guard his food.
-
Permalink Reply by Bev Levy on
-
He is at the age where he is becoming a mature dog. That being said he obviously feels he is in charge of things, you need to lift this burden from him. Behaviors that are cute in a pup are not in an adult. With food, bring half his food in your/or boyfriends hands and put it in his bowl. When he starts to eat bring the other half...if he stiffens or growls turn away and try again at his next meal. Most dogs will only go on half rations for a brief time. Meanwhile leash him at meals so he can't attack the other animals or feed him privately. In time he will understand that people by his food means he gets more but he may never be good about the other animals in the house. Also, check out Nothing in Life is Free for ways that you can gain better control.
-
Permalink Reply by Anna Morelli on
-
Does this behavior ONLY happen around food? Your post seems to say that, in which case I would rule out any seizure type thing going on. Is he neutered, and if yes, how long ago was that done? In the short run, I would have him on leash when food is out, whether you hold the leash, or tie him to something that will not move, so that, if he starts acting up you can discipline him immediately.
-
Permalink Reply by Jennifer Markley on
-
First: is he neutered?
Second: See the vet, as he is exhibiting some seizure like behavior.
-
Permalink Reply by Kayla Rae and Rowdy on
-
He is neutered, and I got him neutered at about 4 months. I fear I may have done it too early. I have met some people with different breeds that were told to wait to neuter until they've grown a little more so their testosterone develops. (My friends with a great dane, for example, were advised to wait until their boy was 1-2 years old).
We do currently feed them all separately, but sometimes it is after we've come back inside from a walk/potty break. Sometimes they'll share the water feeder and be perfectly fine sharing, sometimes it's like all hell breaks loose. We never know what kind of day it will be. I'm going to try and take him into the vet as soon as I am able, I really appreciate the responses!
-
-
Neutering him at 4 months has not caused you problems. I think you have a very dominant dog who has become dominant aggressive because of lack of training. I am not faulting you, these things can creep up when people do not read the early signs and are not well versed in assessing dog behavior. With dominant aggressive dogs you need to follow two approaches, one is prevention/containment ( for the safety of all involved ), the other is training ( so you can have voice control of the dog under all circumstances of your daily life ).. When aggression manifests towards humans, such as you mention towards your boyfriend, it is no longer a do it yourself issue. Seek a competent professional trainer who can advise you individually through a few private lessons and get you ready for obedience classes as soon as you have the home front secured. Don't underestimate the potential for injury. A trainer and classes may seem expensive, but these expenses are nothing compared to potential medical and vet bills, really easy to incur while trying to break up fights.
-
-
Think seriously about investing in a trainer that uses positive methods. This can be corrected at his age usually, but changes have to be made.
-
Permalink Reply by Chris West on
-
Have you considered obedience classes? They are a great way to not only learn how to deal with this issue, but also build your relationship, teach him you are the boss, teach you how to be the boss, and deal with any number of other issue you may be having that you don't realize may be causing some of your current problems. A lot of places offer fairly inexpensive classes. In my area, the local community college offers classes every semester (spring, summer, fall & winter) for only $65 for 8 weeks. Many vet offices can direct you to classes in your area. You can shop around for a trainer who's methods are in line with how you prefer to train your dog. My last class' instructor did not believe in ever telling your dog "no", you had to politely ask your dog to do everything, but her methods still worked. I have taken Frosty to basic obedience three times now. Not because he needs it, but because it is a great way for him to get some socialization. Really, I highly, highly recommend you look into some classes, they are great for you both!
Rescue Store
Stay Connected
FDA Recall
Canadian Food Inspection Agency Recall
Groups
We support...
Badge
© 2024 Created by Sam Tsang.
Powered by
