New behavior
Hi! Charlie is 4 months and his teeth have begun to fall out so he is teething. It was yesterday when he started to act differently. As he was asleep I came and sat next to him and started to pet him softly on body then on his head. He started growling at me and showing me teeth! And again this morning when he was asleep. Maybe its my wrong doing because I'm bugging him but any other dog that I've known didn't care. Could this be because his teeth hurt?
Also he does growl a little bit when he's eating his food but I'm trying to work on that by making him do commands before he eats and giving him alone time so I'm not constantly hovering him.
On a side note, he is in puppy classes right now so maybe that might help.
I just want Charlie to be comfortable.
*UPDATE*: Thank you everyone for the input I really appreciate it. As I was petting Charlie today and took Joanna advice by making sure was awake but as I was petting him he BIT me! What can I do now??
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Joanna Kimball on
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I really doubt it's because his teeth hurt. I think he's just being a sod. It's never a bad idea to tell a dog that you're on the way - it isn't fair to wake them by touching them. So say "Hi, buddy!" before you pet him. If you're sure he's awake, that kind of display should get a firm response.
Instead of asking him to do commands before feeding (which I don't think reduces resource guarding at all), just hand-feed him. It takes three minutes to feed him out of your hand instead of in a bowl and then he's got nothing he feels he needs to guard. You should also be playing the trade game every day to teach him that you are the source of all good things and not a threat to what he has.
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Permalink Reply by Alexsandra Papoban on
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Thanks so much! I have been working on the trade game especially if he picks up something that I don't want him too, but sometimes I feel its hard because what happens if you're outside and Charlie decides to pick up a screw!! I guess I'll have to carry treats with me all the time!
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Permalink Reply by Rachael & Waffle on
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Teach him "Leave it" and "drop it" for these occasions.
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Permalink Reply by Becky Ivey on
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You should be able to take anything out of your dog's mouth at anytime without having to trade for it. That's a safety issue. You are the alpha, you control all things. Praise him when gives it up without being ugly & punish him when he is ugly but he has to learn who is boss.
This is a lot of work but you are building the foundation for the rest of your life with this dog. As I'm sure you know, well-behaved dogs are a huge blessing in life but a dog that isn't well-behaved is a huge burden.
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Permalink Reply by Bev Levy on
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Puppy classes will help you figure out where to draw the line hopefully. I agree with Joanna that he is just being a stinker. This is a good time to put a stop to it in a positive way. Sparty had some feeding issues as a youngster and a really good trainer recommended that I bring him half his food in my hands, put it in his bowl and as soon as he started to chow down come with the other half in my hands. If he growled or made any guarding move I did not give him the other half. He stopped after one half feeding and is 12 and anyone (children or adults) can join him at his food dish with no problem. The trainer I used rescued Shepherds and Pit Bulls and said she never had even the worst case go more than 3 days. Talk to your puppy class trainer about the growling while petting. Just do not hit or do the Alpha Roll. Corgis are very sensitive in spite of their tough attitude. Charlie is just testing his abilities right now and needs you to show him you are his wonderful leader!
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That sounds like a good idea to half hand feed him, but I feel bad to take his food away when he growls cause I think he'll be hungry!
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Ha ha, yes, that is the point. He needs to learn that human by his food means food and human not by food means very little food. It is a minor inconvenience for him that will train him to understand what behavior is acceptable. missing a little of a meal or two will not hurt him but guarding his food can turn into a huge problem.
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ok! hopefully he'll be a fast learner like Sparty but I don't think Charlie likes his food. He doesn't go crazy for it every time I out it down. The only time he does is when he's really hungry.
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Not being always interested in his food can be due to teething or just having more fun things to do than eat. You can soften his food with a little water. I always left the food down two or three times a day (depending on age) for about 20 minutes and then pick it up. Otherwise you can end up with a finicky eater. As long as he continues to grow and be energetic it is fine at this age to skip a meal or eat varying amounts. Their hunger level fluctuates with growth spurts.
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Permalink Reply by Karen Dadisman on
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He won't starve!!! He needs to realize you are the boss and he can't behave that way with people. He's just being a pill. Pups are good at that!! He consistent and he will get over it.
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Corgis can be very head strong dogs & take an assertive hand. He has to know you are the boss, not him. Address the situation with a stern, deep voice. When he growls at you over food (or anything else), it needs to be removed. He needs to be clear that you are top dog & he isn't running anything.
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I tried doing that when I gave him a nylabone bacon favored chew toy when he was was showing me teeth but no matter how many times I've done it he still shows teeth. It came to a point where I just stopped giving it to him.
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