Dog Community

Scout grumbled at me last night!!!!!

Posted : 3/10/2006 11:09:34 AM

Ok, so yesterday Scout went to daycare and ran his butt off. It was
a nice day, so I imagine he really ran hard. He was SO tired last
night. More than normal. My husband went to bed about an hour before
me. Scout likes to curl up on our bed if one of us is there, but we
have him go in his crate when the other person comes to bed. Well,
last night he got up when I was turning off the lights. I let him
out to go potty and then I turned the rest of lights of. He quickly
ran back to the bedroom and hopped up on the bed(he is ever
hopeful we'll let him stay). So I get in the bedroom and tell him, all right Scout go
to your crate. He didn't budge. So I put my hand behind his neck
(it is completely dark) and add a little pressure to get him to move
and he grumbled at me. I was so shocked. He's never done this
before. My husband seem to think it was because he was just overly
tired and grumpy. I gave him a firm No, and then more firmly told
him to go to his crate. He sighed and got off the bed and went right
to his crate. I have decided that he's not allowed on the bed for
awhile. And if we do decide to let him back on he will not be
allowed on until invited. I've also started NILIF this morning. So
I know these things can help.

And speaking of growling. If I give him a new marrow bone, he gets
grumbly/growly if I touch him. I can still take it away from him,
he's never bitten. But I obviously would prefer he wasn't like this.
I wondered if it was just the way he was and dogs shouldn't be
bothered when they have a bone. Or should he not be like this??? I
will note that he doesn't do this once the meat if off the outside
of the bone. I wish you could see the look he gets in his eye when I come near
him. Its like jeckel and hyde. He stops chewing his bone and gets
so still and his eyes get big and he just freezes, eyes glued to my
every move. It is completely not normal at all. If I do not look at
him, he doesn't growl, if I look at him right in the eye and
approach him and crouch down he does growl a bit(never with teeth
bared). He also shakes(like all his muscles are quivering). Whenever he's done this, I take the bone away for a few minutes. He has done this since the first time I gave him a marrow bone.

He is 22 months old, neutered. And he recently has taken more to
marking his territory. I wondered if he was going through a faze of
challenging my position? Advice, suggestions? Am I over-reacting?

Thanks!
Emily

cakana

Posted : 3/10/2006 11:38:31 AM

Emily - I tend to agree with your husband about the being extra tired, but I also agree that it's probably a matter of testing the limits. As you said, Scout would reallllyyyy love to just stay and sleep on the bed, so he was trying to let you know that. Inappropriately, and you were fortunate to be able to follow through. I think that not allowing him on the bed, at least for awhile, is very wise. My lab does the same thing with the marrow bones. If I sit down, she'll lay at my feet and eat it now but before, she wanted to be far away and would watch my every move. Still, if I come towards her like I'm going to take it away, she gets VERY still and watchful. If I say "hey, knock that off" she'll loosen up and wag her tail though. I've traded up for her marrow bone several times now and I think she knows that if I take it away, something better will be coming. I'm not sure how she'd react if I just took it and didn't offer something. She'd probably be fine the first or second time, but after that, she might figure "no way I'm giving this up for nothing". I know a lot of people think "well they should just give it up without grumbling cause I said so". I couldn't agree more in theory, but with a resource guarder, you have to consider the mentality and "cause I said so" doesn't always fly or if it does this time, it might not the next.

ewin0210

Posted : 3/10/2006 11:44:22 AM

Thanks so much for your response. I kind of feel the same way, but you know how these things can quickly get out of hand. I would rather nip it in the bud. The funny thing is he doesn't resource guard anything else. And like I said, once the outside is clean he'll bring it to me and chew it in my lap. I tried telling him that I don't like raw meat, but he just doesn't want to listen ;o)
Thanks again.

cakana

Posted : 3/10/2006 12:09:22 PM

Yep, mine doesn't do it with anything other than the RMB either. I can take anything else away from her, but looking at it from a dog's viewpoint, I can't imagine anything more valuable than a RMB. Especially one with some meat on it [

]

By the way Emily - I think your artwork is amazing and I'm so envious of you being talented at something that must be so enjoyable. I keep saying I'm going to take an art class (water colors) and looking at your site makes me want to sign-up today.

ewin0210

Posted : 3/10/2006 12:41:34 PM

Aw, Thanks Cathy! I appreciate the compliment! You should definitely try it! Its so much fun!

ashland

Posted : 3/10/2006 3:31:17 PM

Ash does the same thing. You described it perfectly. She will freeze and watch my every move. When I try and take it from her, she will growl. The first time she did this, I was shocked, but I still took it. She nipped at my hand and growled louder as I got closer and she realized I was gonna take it. I was a little nervous, but I knew backing down and letting her see that she was getting to me was not going to help anything. So I said VERY firmly, "Ash, drop it." She wouldn't and I looked her right in the eye and said it again and pulled on it and she released it. She hasn't done this since. She will freeze every time and watch me, give a slight grumble, but drops it right as I put my hand on it.

ashland

Posted : 3/10/2006 3:32:04 PM

And I forgot to add that it's only with the RMB

ewin0210

Posted : 3/10/2006 4:30:31 PM

I'm glad I'm not alone in this. The weimar board I chat on says that he's at the perfect age developmentally to be exhibiting this kind of behavior. Tempermental teenagers! Makes me not want to have any real children(lol)!

spiritdogs

Posted : 3/10/2006 6:40:04 PM

If you have a guardy dog, maybe you shouldn't have any real children. [sm=uhoh.gif]
If you plan a family, time to get a copy of Jean Donaldson's book, "Mine! A Guide to Resource Guarding in Dogs". It has a whole protocol for reversing this kind of behavior.
Many dogs only guard objects they feel are "special", like RMB's. So, that isn't at all unusual. But, what happens when you have a kid around and they drop a chicken wing on the floor and reflexively go to pick it up at the same time Phydeaux is sitting under the table???

sillysally

Posted : 3/10/2006 7:42:08 PM

My friend's 4 year old terrier mix started growling at her husband when we went to get in bed (he always comes into bed after her). He would tell him to get off and he would growl. She started doing NILIF and it really helped, he does not do it at all now.

ewin0210

Posted : 3/10/2006 8:36:29 PM

Anne,
I know. If we weren't going to have children I wouldn't worry so much about. We don't plan on having any for a few years. But we do plan on it.
And the ONLY time he does this is when chewing on a new bone. Once the meat is cleaned off he often brings it to my lap and chews on it. I might check out that book. Thanks!
Emily

Suzi

Posted : 3/12/2006 3:01:19 PM

JJ does the same thing when I give her the bone for the first time. If my hands goes near her while she's chewing. JJ would stop, and does exactly what you mentioned above. I had took the bone away from her a few times, make sure she calms down before giving it back. She is still a little aggressive but would calm down.

spiritdogs

Posted : 3/12/2006 9:31:31 PM

If you do get the book, do the protocol step by step. It really helps lessen the chance that a dog will guard stuff from humans.
Also, if you plan a family, Pia Silvani's book "Raising Kids and Puppies Together" is excellent with a capital "E". Grab that one, too!

ewin0210

Posted : 3/12/2006 10:09:25 PM

Thanks Anne. It will be a few years before we probably have any. But he is around friends of ours kids quite a bit. And family too. His favorite spot is underneath the highchair! He is very good with them and we definitely make sure there are no high prize bones around when they do come over(not that the high prize lasts too long). He is doing really well(not that he really ever gives us any trouble). He's more confused about not being allowed up on the chair and the bed, but he is obeying. Thanks again!