Dog Community

Territorial towards stuff he never was before!

Tara

Posted : 3/31/2006 2:42:37 PM

Hello! I'm new to this forum and I was wondering if anyone could help me! My 11 month old Australian Shepherd has been acting VERY weird lately. He's always had a problem with being very protective of his food towards our other 15 year old American Eskimo, but we've taken care of that by feeding him in his crate which is in my room (because he knows how to open it! and I don't want to risk him maybe chewing on another leather boot!). He still will growl if our other dog comes near him when he's eating, but he hasn't tried to attack him lately, that's what he used to do. But now whenever anyone at all other than me walks by or into my room he goes nuts and bolts on over and has to make sure no one is stealing his food (even though he gets fed at two separate times, and after 15 minutes I take it away, and he knows that). And also, he growls at me now when I go near him while he's eating, which he has NEVER done before. The first time he did it I took the food bowl away from him, would that have made it worse? Because now he thinks I'm going to take it away all the time? I'm actually becoming scared of him. Have I somehow let him take my role as "leader of the pack" ?? And also, he has been chewing on all of his nails he can reach and I'm concerned about his back left foot, it seems to be very red and looks sometimes as if it's bleeding. He also growls at me if I try to touch his feet to look at them (which he enver used to do either) so I think it's most likely causing him some sort of pain. Maybe he has obsessive compulsive disorder? He'lljust lay there chewing on his feet while whining at the same time, then when I go to stop him is when he growls. He needs to go to the vet soon for a check-up anyways so I'll ask him about that, I was just wondering if anyone would have any suggestions in the mean-time!
Thanks, Tara

spiritdogs

Posted : 3/31/2006 5:19:44 PM

This gets worse if you don't address it. Get a copy of "Mine! A guide to resource guarding in dogs" by Jean Donaldson, and see if those protocols help. Caution: do NOT "test" your dog by continuing to try to go near, move his bowl, do things that make him growl, etc. You risk a bite. The protocols in the book can help, but you need to proceed with caution.
This problem can be made better, but a guarder may always guard something. This is not a dog that should be sitting by your feet at Thanksgiving dinner when a toddler drops a piece of turkey and someone reaches down to pick it up.

spiritdogs

Posted : 3/31/2006 5:22:47 PM

As to the foot chewing, it's possible that he has some problem with his skin or nails - the vet can rule that out. If you really think he has OCD, ask for a referral to a veterinary behaviorist anyway - which might help with the resource guarding issue as well.
If you are afraid of your own dog, you really need some professional help to get this under control.
Have you been to classes with him? Does he have a "job"? This is a breed that if left to their own devices, can try to become CEO of the household, or at least "activities director"...

Tara

Posted : 3/31/2006 5:59:17 PM

He doesn't growl around anyone else, only me. We have gone to a level 1 obedience class (he came in first place!) and are going on to level 2 as soon as it starts again. We are also currently beginning to learn agility. which is great fun for us both. It's not that I am afraid of him, just afraid that if we don't get this under control and soon that something really bad will happen. I guess I should have fraised that better. Thanks for the help!

sierra2002

Posted : 3/31/2006 6:00:37 PM

spiritdogs gave some good references for the food issue.. but in the meantime, perhaps you could try handfeeding him? Take maybe 5 kibbles in your hand and tell him to sit. Then give him the 5 kibbles. This will reinforce that you are the leader, that the food comes from you, that you don't always take it away. Repeat until he's got his meal.

This is, of course, assuming that he's not aggressive while you give him the food.
This is just what I would do. Hope it helps.

Edit: Is the dog in question the one in your avatar? What a cutie!

Tara

Posted : 3/31/2006 6:28:31 PM

Yes he is my avatar! haha, he doesn't look quite like your ordinary Aussie (his head is too small for his body and has about half the amount of fur a normal aussie would, but I think it makes him look way cuter! plus, it makes him unique in his own way!) I do handfeed him sometimes. But it seems when I don't is when he growls. I'll handfeed his dinner to him tonight and see how that goes.

spiritdogs

Posted : 3/31/2006 8:43:33 PM

Hand feed him for a week. Then put his bowl down *empty* and drop the food in. Do that for a week. In the meantime, order the book :-)

)

Tara

Posted : 3/31/2006 9:51:52 PM

spiritdogs, I will do that and I am putting in my order right now!
Thanks everyone

spiritdogs

Posted : 4/1/2006 7:43:48 PM

Keep us posted on how you make out.

Tara

Posted : 4/2/2006 10:26:35 AM

Things are going well so far. I've been handfeeding him for the past two days, and things seem to be going back to normal. He's not so crazy about the room thing anymore either. Still chewing on that back left foot though! He's been licking it like crazy and it's really red now under his fur and between his toe pads. I think he may have something stuck in between that is causing him pain, because whenever I go to touch it or get near it while petting him he growls, but then whines at me and licks my face afterwards as if he's saying "I'm sorry! it just hurts!" So I'll get the vet to have a look. Hopefully it's nothing too bad!