New behaviour-resource guarding
 She has started resource guarding food. At first it was with my cat (an unworthy creature, fit only for chasing) but this last week she's tried it on with our Dalmatian, Rastus. They have always been fed together in the same room just a few feet apart and so far she still respects the individual bowls. I can take food off her whenever I want, no problems. They are both made to wait on their beds while I get their meals prepared and then have to wait for my command before they can eat. I have trained the wait command and can sit treats on either of their noses and they wont eat them until I give the OK.  But just in the past few weeks with the cat and the past week with Rastus she's started doing this silly kind of gasp crossed with a roar with a lunge at any animal who comes near her while she's lying eating a treat. She doesnt bark, growl or snap just seems to take a big breath in and then makes the funny "rah" noise as she lunges at them, but it does scare them into backing off.  She gets in BIG trouble from me when she does it!!! I take her treat off her and send her to her bed. Then no attention for at least 15 minutes. Doesnt seem to have helped though and the whole thing seems to be escalating. Last night Rastus growled at her and I cant really blame him. And tonight she made me really cross by deciding to guard MY dinner. I was eating on my lap on the sofa and she was being a good girl and lying on the rug beside me. She wasnt begging, as she's been trained not to. But when Rastus walked past me, yes he was eying off my plate but was still a foot away, she lunged and did the "rah" sound again. I went nuts at her and sent her to bed. I am not happy with the previous behaviour but there is NO way I am putting up with her guarding my dinner for me. We, no, I(not DH) do all the pack leader stuff with them both so I'm wondering if anyone can give me any ideas about what's going on here and what to do about it. The weird thing is DH lets her get away with murder and she hasnt done it around him, yet. |
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| Interesting, Mim! Perhaps DHs laissez faire approach supports her belief that being the only fourlegged thing with estrogen, it is her natural right to rule?    Mine will some times snark at each other. Usually it's the female sibs. There's some kind of rank thing going on, low level, with them all of the time. Nothing ever comes of it and I'll give them BOTH a brief "knock it off" growl, mainly because I don't want to hear about it. If they ever did any resource guarding with me, they'd be at the bridge now. Won't tolerate it. No one's ever tried, so that's a good thing for all of us. But with other dogs, I'm not so worried. Here's my suggestion, color me nuts: make DH your research project and study his interaction with the crew and try to note what seems to be different when you're part of the picture. Maybe she's not guarding your dinner so much as you...DH, sorry hon, not so valuable in the resource department?  Too there are probably other things going on. Watching him with them may really help shed some light on what's happening. Interesting situation, really. OK, not so much for you or the rah rah girl But dogs being dogs...it would be interesting to hear what kind of observations you come up with.  Hard for us to say much without actually being there. I notice with my own I can be there and still miss things because I'm not actively observing. Whereas the critters have nothing better to do, let's face it, so probably write "bizarre human behavior" dissertations on a regular basis to report back to the rest of the canine community KB |
| Maybe some insight for me...Guinness started resource guarding ME!!!! He started it after his first surgery and I felt bad for my boy. Now that I am crippled he is horrible !! Especially with my one big ol ga boy foster. I am quite insulted as I am not a ham bone!!! He barks and barks at the other dogs and slams himself across my lap when others approach. While I am recooperating I cannot rock his world (and I know he is not getting the exercise he needs) and he has had a long recovery too. Sorry to hijack thread but he is a pain. (sorry mim I hope you find an answer) |
| Nah, I don't think you're hi-jacking, Cindy. I think there are similar underlying issues there when it happens at a somewhat older age. Something changed... KB |
| Also be sure to watch the behavior of the other dog(s)/pets. I thought at one point that some "resource guarding" behavior of Bert's was completely out of the blue...until my trainer pointed out that Abby's body language and eye-contact was actually the main problem. She was throwing out the message: "I AM going to take that bone from you", and when Bert objected (with a growl or a bark) I would (conveniently for Abby ) step in and correct him. Now...the bone (or whatever) goes away, and they BOTH get a cooling off period on their dog beds! |
| Well you're all right! And I think that the thing that is different is............get this, the weather. It's suddenly become quite cold here (for a sookie Aussie that is) and for a sookie dalmatian, this is a BAD thing. Rastus has started cuddling up to keep warm. Tiggy is NOT terribly impressed!! I sit on the couch with my laptop to check email and the forum. Rastus has started sitting on me to keep warm. The polar fleece coat is not enough in his opinion. This morning I looked up and caught Tiggy first staring at him, not too unusual she stares when she wants him to play but this must have been a different stare, as she then lifted her lip ever so slightly.   Rastus just looked away. Tiggy got sent to her bed to watch me scratch Rastus's tummy and make a big fuss of him. Rastus was very chuffed, Tiggy more in the line of totally gobsmacked. She is lying politely at my feet now while I am being squashed by a cold dalmatian and siamese cat. I need to get a bigger lap. I also want the hand book on "deciphering dog stares" the advanced version with the chapter on "dogs with hair in their eyes". Will keep you updated on how things go with the food dept. I'm thinking we'll just go back to the good 'ol days of "everyone has to lie on their beds or the upright dont get to eat" for a while. It drives DH nuts but too bad for him. And Kristine, you're comment on studying DH reminded me, he sits sideways on the couch with his plate on the low back of the couch and hunches his body and shoulders around his plate if the dogs come over and bother him. True resource guarding without the snarls. Its too much effort to tell them off or heaven forbid get up. Obviously both dogs get the message and I guess he is using body language brilliantly but I'm just not interested in eating that way. Hence they can go an stay in their beds. |
Mim wrote: And Kristine, you're comment on studying DH reminded me, he sits sideways on the couch with his plate on the low back of the couch and hunches his body and shoulders around his plate if the dogs come over and bother him. True resource guarding without the snarls. Its too much effort to tell them off or heaven forbid get up. Obviously both dogs get the message and I guess he is using body language brilliantly but I'm just not interested in eating that way. Hence they can go an stay in their beds. ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!! Thanks for that image of resource-guarding DH, Mim. That's hilarious. KB  |
| I found my answer The foster I have had for 9 mos is having an overnight at a friends so I can go to philly. Guinness is his old self But zeke will return monday. I need to find a home for this guy. |
| Maybe Zeke will stay at his babysitters house since I am sure they will fall in love! Good Luck Mim...we are going through this with a foster... |
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