[sjoestroem]

Hello,

I am in a desperate need of help, I love my new adopted friend and wouldn't dream about giving him back to a shelter again. I promised him a home for life and I'm sticking to my promise. Yet he is driving me nuts and I don't know what to do. I'm googling his behavior constantly and I try to follow the tips and tricks it gives me, but it doesn't work, and it worries me that either it is a hopeless case that I'm just gonna have to stick through... Or I'm making it worse! I will appreciate anyone who can give me a few words on this situation of mine.

To do it the best way I decided to share the story as detailed as possible. I'm sorry if it is a lot to read...

OUR LOVE STORY:

In July this year (2014), I went on Facebook one morning as always and I found a picture of the cutest little Puggle I have ever seen and he needed a new home! Two seconds later I'm texting my fiancé telling him that I found a dog and I want to adopt him, we've been looking to adopt a dog for a long time and we finally found our match. He was 8 years old, never been to a shelter, the woman who had owned him died of age and the guy who took care of him for the past year since the owner died couldn't keep him anymore. So now he tried finding him a worthy home where he could stay for the rest of his life. Yay, perfect we thought - he is already trained, he seems to have had a happy life??!! and we can just focus on giving him a good home.

Just two weeks later I'm picking him up and bringing him home.

PS - Note that I always try to be gentle in my voice, unless it is for punishment or to make a "No" clear.

THE BEHAVIORS - GROWLING (FOOD):

It didn't take long before we noticed how this little doggy of ours wasn't just overweight, but very aggressive when it comes to food. If we would drop something on the floor he would snap it up and run and hide under our bed. And if we tried taking it away from him, he would growl.

So we did our best not dropping things on the floor, and especially making sure that he isn't around us when we handle food. It works pretty well most of the time, but there are still times when we will sit on the sofa and watch a movie, maybe eat popcorn and he will lay and snuggle on our knees as always (and of course we don't always think twice) so suddenly we drop a popcorn in our knee and thank god our fingers isn't as fast as the dog because then we would probably don't have any left.

The reactions I know hasn't been right, it always seems to come like a chock to us. We think he's sleeping in our knee or just laying there, sleeping next to us - and suddenly in a time-span of less than a second - he almost chopped our fingers off because we dropped something or came to close to his face with anything that looks and smells like food. Same when we drop things on the floor, you think he is in the other room, yet he snaps that piece of bacon or whatever up in a mili-second and run away. So we say "NO!! BAD DOG!! GO TO YOUR BED!!" and he starts growling and won't move, so you stand up to make yourself bigger than him since he clearly thinks he is the boss, and say the same thing again "GO TO YOUR BED!!" and he growls and barks at you as he walks to his bed...

GROWLING (IN GENERAL):

It isn't just when it comes to food he is growling, any time you tell him what to do, for example "GO LAY DOWN" when you are cooking and don't want him around you. He will get mad and start growling.

If he lays in your knee in the sofa while you are watching a movie, and suddenly you have to get up to go to the bathroom and you tell him "MOVE OVER" or you just push him gently aside, he will start growling.

If he is in the bed, which we were stupid enough to allow him in the beginning, and that we eventually limited to a "only if we are there thing" and you suddenly tell him "OK BUDDY, TIME TO GO TO BED" for example when it's night night time. And you tell him to go to his own bed (Which is under our bed). He will start growling....

And like today when I was sitting on my office chair, trying to do some work on the computer and wanted to come sit in my knee, I gently lifted him up and suddenly as he is sitting there, he starts growling...

He growls for pretty much everything, these are just a few examples!

And I read online that you're not supposed to punish your dog for growling, so instead I try to change the situation but that usually just makes him more angry, so I try to leave him alone or I say "GO TO BED" since that seem to be the only thing that calms him down.

THE BEHAVIOR - BARKING:

This I always found funny, the only time this dog ever opens his mouth is when other people, not me, leave the house or walk to the bathroom. Not so much the bathroom anymore, and mostly just when you leave the house. He barks, he go crazy, he bark and bark and bark, as he jump and jump and jump, and every time in-between the jump and the bark he runs in a circle in the area of the door. I thought maybe he gets anxious when you leave? And of course we've been telling him "NO" when he does this, but I don't think that is the right way to go? And once again, the only way to calm him down is if you have him go lay down in his bed.

THE BEHAVIOR - STEALING:

He steals from our garbage cans like it is his full-time job. He will steal anything that has been in contact with food and eat the wrap paper and all... He also steals if he find something he can reach - for example I had chewing gum on my desk - he jumped up on my bed one day when I wasn't home, climbed up on my desk which is right next to the bed, and stole the whole chewing gum box - ate it all. He steal finished toothpaste tubes, lip balm holders, anything really. And it scares me cause I'm just waiting for him to drop dead cause he ate something bad!!

This is a few of his behaviors in general that I just don't know how to handle or what to do! Never have I in my 24 years of existence had a dog (and I had 3 dogs previously) with these many problems. The growling clearly is an aggressive reaction, the stealing I thought is a compulsive behavior cause he is bored, and the barking seems to be of anxious origin... But is it? And what do I do? Can I do anything? He is after all 8 years old and honestly I don't know if I should spend all that money on a dog trainer if it won't even help?!

HELP ME PLEASE!!!

Jen

 

[cookieface]

Welcome to Dog Forum! What a wonderful thing you did in giving this pup a new home. You'll get lots of great advice here - the folks here are super knowledgeable and helpful.

Has he been to a vet since you've had him? If so, have you mentioned these issues? There could be a medical reason for some of his behavior.

How have you been training him? What methods are you using to teach him things like "go to your bed" and "move over"?

In general and barring a medical issue, your dog sounds very insecure. The first thing I'd suggest is stop with the yelling, intimidation, and thinking he's trying to be the boss - I can assure you, he's not trying to take over. He's likely not aggressive, either. He really needs to be treated gently. He's been through a great deal with losing his previous two owners and now moving to a new home.

Next, check out the Training and Behavior Stickies section, especially these
Growling...
Impulse Control and Calmness
Biting, Mouthing, and Nipping
Calming Signals
Resource Guarding, causes, prevention and modification

For the growling when you move him, teach him cues so that he moves himself so that you don't need to handle him. You can also counter-condition to handling (google Sophia Yin counter-conditioning for the basic process). Until he knows some cues, you can keep him on a leash so that you can guide him without having to touch him.

The barking when people leave might be a form of anxiety or stress. He may be uncomfortable around them, but feels confident enough to bark when they leave. Counter-conditioning can help if that's the case.

For stealing and eating things, it could be boredom. How much and what type of physical and mental exercise is he getting? It could also be just what he does. The solution is to crate him or keep him in a dog-proofed room when you leave; alternatively, you can keep your stuff out of his reach.

There are excellent resources in these threads, too
Web Resources
Helpful Training Videos and Articles
Comprehensive Book List

Also, taking a positive reinforcement-based training class or hiring a private with him would be good for him. Helpful information: Finding a Trainer, Behavior Consultant, or Behaviorist

Good luck with him!

 

[kelly528]

So, in a nutshell, it sounds like most if your issues surround resource guarding, specifically:

a) Resource-guarding of food or anything he deems to be food.
b) Resource-guarding of beds (and chairs, laps, couches, what have you).

Often-times, this issue is something that gets exacerbated by human attempts at training. There are a lot of methods floating around there, both on the internet and in our culture, our beliefs and our human tendency to project irrelevant thoughts and feelings onto our dogs (i.e., anthropomorphism) that can be very counter-productive to solving this behaviour. In all honesty, finding the effective solution to resource-guarding can be like finding a needle in a haystack for one not versed in animal behaviour, psychology and research skills!

A lot of erroneous methods run up into one big common pitfall: making a tense situation even more tense for the dog. What you need is a dog that realizes that even though you are near his discovered treasures, the world isn't going to end. All too often the first response of inexperience humans (and, scarily, even some professional trainers) is to come in guns blazing, their tough voice at the tip of their tongue. And so the showdown begins. The dog has their fears confirmed that yes, you will try to take his rightfully found treasure, and yes, you will result to intimidation, threat and even force if necessary! Put in a perspective like this, it's not difficult to understand why a particularly motivated and stubborn dog will go down fighting.

The name of the game to defusing these situations is to get the 'resource' back by any means except for intimidation or force. You want to get your dog in the habit of giving things up willingly. Of course, if there is an immediate threat to the dog's health (your dog has grabbed a dropped chocolate bar or something toxic) by all means, do whatever you have to in order to wrestle it away. But if you can at all afford to, you need to work on getting the dog to willingly part from the object: you can trade up for something, ask a conflicting behaviour of him (like come, or leave it) or even distract the dog by throwing a toy or ringing the doorbell. Any successful parting of the dog from the object needs to be rewarded heavily with high value rewards. Judging by his tendencies, that would most likely mean food that he loves!

Rather than teaching him that he will ultimately get the short end of the stick or perhaps his prize, plus a few fingertips, this teaches the dog that When I part with my treasure, I get an even better deal than I bargained for! Eventually, as willingly giving up food items and bedspace is something that they will happily do for treats, the resource guarding will improve even without treats involved. Why? Because he has formed a new habit. He has repeatedly practiced something that was initially very hard for him to do, and has the impulse-control and composure needed to give up his amazing finds.

Now, I've just explained the basic premise of counter-conditioning to resource guarding. There are many practical things you can do, such as games and exercise, that enable your dog to practice giving up objects. A book that you might be particularly interested in is Mine! by Jean Donaldson. Although a bit dense and wordy it is a well-loved title among shelter workers, trainers and behaviourists for this topic. My other favourite resource is the ASPCA Virtual Behaviorist, linked in my sig. It's not quite as thorough as Mine! naturally, but they offer nice, concise and informative overviews of many behavioural problems.

Here is another fantastic forum sticky, dedicated to resource guarding: http://www.dogforum.com/training-be...guarding-causes-prevention-modification-7511/

Give these things a read. It might be worthwhile to get a session or two with a trainer certified in positive reinforcement training (not one that just teaches you to try your current tactics, just louder and meaner-sounding). Judging by your situations, I'm assuming no kids, with the dog being small, I would do some research on this site, and the links I included, let everything sink in, and, when you feel like you have a better grasp of the behaviour and the theory behind its solutions, book an hour block with a trainer, just so that they can give you a personal assessment of the dog and offer recommendations on games and exercises for him, as well as give you some coaching on personal conduct and management of the behaviour.

In the meantime, just keep your voice down and try not to intimidate him. Believe me, this problem probably existed long before you got him, and I'm willing to bet that people have been trying to take charge of this dog for the last eight years. It's time to try something new. You've come to the right place!

 

[sjoestroem]

Wow, thank you so much for these answers and for providing me those sources. I am definitely going to give it a read and take advantage of these tips you have provided me.

Since my first post I have tried to not scream, in fact I don't think I have raised my voice at all. I have also tried to ask him of letting go of things that he shouldn't have. Like the chicken bone he stole from the street the other day which he thankfully dropped by accident of course due to being busy growling at me. other things that is easier to eat, like the bread piece that accidentally landed on the floor after a failed try of putting frozen butter on it. Disappeared before I even had a chance to tell him no.

I think I get the main point though, he probably is very insecure and I've only had him for such a short time still that I should give him time to start trusting us. I also read that the stealing could be of a compulsive disorder and thereby I try not to have anything but his toys and bones available to him during the day. I also try to walk him a little bit further and a few extra times a day so he is tired rather than energetic.

Thank you once again for these answers, I'm gonna read through them again and take in as much as I possibly can!

Jen

 

[Grabby]

I'm sure the links and articles that others have posted will be helpful. Just wanted to add that behavior changes brought about through positive reinforcement are going to get you the best results. There aren't any quick fixes or magic tricks. When following advice on behavior modification, keep in mind that it may take many repetitions to see progress in a dog who has been practicing unwanted behavior for a long time.

Good luck.

 

[Kwenami]

Above are great answers. As someone who has a dog that RGs food as well (normally high value chews, etc) I can say that it DOES get better. When you use food as a reward, even just different food, for being comfortable with you around when he has something good it goes quickly because you know he already values that highly, so you can figure out what is motivating a lot faster

It does get better. You do need to be respectful of his warnings, but you can get to the point where both of you feel comfortable with a bit of management and training

You might also want to check out the sticky on calming signals, so you're better able to see when he's mildly stressed even if it's not a big deal with growling and teeth.

 

[amaryllis]

I also read that the stealing could be of a compulsive disorder and thereby I try not to have anything but his toys and bones available to him during the day. I also try to walk him a little bit further and a few extra times a day so he is tired rather than energetic.

Management is a really overlooked part of positive training, and I congratulate you for taking that step. My dog will steal food if he can reach it. So I just never leave food where he can reach it and we don't have a problem. You'd be surprised how many people reject that simple idea and then complain about how bad the dog is. :eyeroll:

 

[kelly528]

Wow, thank you so much for these answers and for providing me those sources. I am definitely going to give it a read and take advantage of these tips you have provided me.

Since my first post I have tried to not scream, in fact I don't think I have raised my voice at all. I have also tried to ask him of letting go of things that he shouldn't have. Like the chicken bone he stole from the street the other day which he thankfully dropped by accident of course due to being busy growling at me. other things that is easier to eat, like the bread piece that accidentally landed on the floor after a failed try of putting frozen butter on it. Disappeared before I even had a chance to tell him no.

I think I get the main point though, he probably is very insecure and I've only had him for such a short time still that I should give him time to start trusting us. I also read that the stealing could be of a compulsive disorder and thereby I try not to have anything but his toys and bones available to him during the day. I also try to walk him a little bit further and a few extra times a day so he is tired rather than energetic.

Thank you once again for these answers, I'm gonna read through them again and take in as much as I possibly can!

Jen

I think that dogs can get into this mode of "Finders Keepers" resource guarding and I have seen it many times in my own dog (although he has come a long way since we started working on it). The logic is:

P1: If I find it, I am not supposed to have it.
P2: If I am not supposed to have it, it will be taken from me.
C: I need to snarf it down as fast as possible before someone notices it!

It is a very easy cycle to fall into-- How often does it happen that something not expressly given to a dog by a human is something that a dog is supposed to be having?! I can give a toy, chew, or dog treats to my dog and get it back without a hitch but when it is contraband goods, he used to turn into a different creature!

In order to work with my dog on this I had to frame him so that I could control the situation safely, planting tidbits for him to find like dirty plates and (his kryptonite) frozen entree trays. My aim was to simulate our 'problem area' as closely as possible. From there I followed the protocols that I recommended, because it's not a danger to my dog if he ultimately succeeds in having a T.V. dinner tray. It's not a cooked chicken bone.

Interestingly, my mom has been working the very same issue with him using the knowledge that she researched ten years ago, when we first got him. Her method involved making a huge show of power to intimidate the dog into giving up the object, and then praising lavishly when they do so. In spite of the fact that she was using rewards, I think the punishment and the showdown that preceded that might be what made things so bad in the first place. Now we have a dog that guards against one person and one method, but not the other person and their more effective method!

 

[Grabby]

Most dogs are opportunistic feeders. If food is left where a dog can get it, they consider it free for the taking. Resource guarding is normal behavior that ties in to this, as far as dogs are concerned. That's why you rarely see a dog leave a particularly yummy food item if there are other dogs nearby. Even dogs who don't resource guard understand the basic rule of food and dogs. "You abandon that food, then you must not want it so I will eat it."

I know someone who has a dog who is a counter surfer. This dog has eaten so many dangerous things off the counter tops and still the owners leave food out that this dog gets off the counter. The last incident was ghastly and bloody and the dog will never fully recover.

It's so easy to manage, as amaryllis says, but some people just don't seem to get that simple solution.

 

[cookieface]

Management is a really overlooked part of positive training, and I congratulate you for taking that step. My dog will steal food if he can reach it. So I just never leave food where he can reach it and we don't have a problem. You'd be surprised how many people reject that simple idea and then complain about how bad the dog is. :eyeroll:

You've met my husband, then. :eyeroll: