Hi, I recently got a new puppy. I also have a 3 year old dog that I have raised since 8 weeks old. He has always growled at children, and as he got older at puppies and some strangers, but it is very random. He wears a reminder muzzle when we will be around people he doesn't know. Since I have had the new puppy, I have noticed my 3 yr. old is very possessive with his food and toys (other than this, he is surprisingly good with the puppy). We are working on this, and I have found some things that seem to work. Since he has shown this possessive behavior, I have been reading about it and there are other signs that I thought were just playing but now realize are possessive. Anyway, my question is this:

Do you think his growling at children, puppies and strangers could also be because he is possessive? I always thought he had dominance issues. When he growls, it seems very random, although I notice he growls more at people who move quickly.

Also, since he now lives with a puppy and is learning how to play with her, I was wondering if it might make him less growly around kids and other puppies? Of course, I will never go out to see stranger without the reminder muzzle, but was just wondering.

Thanks for your help ~ m

Hi,
Is your older dog 'growly' in these situations: 1/ people he DOES know (including children), very well. 2/ kids he doesnt know 3/ adults he doesnt know 4/ any difference between men and women, in the way he reacts.
Heres the biggy. Is he growling/'aggressive' when on the lead, either with you, or without you (ie someone else has taken him out for a walk?)
Did you socialise him when he was a baby? By this i mean, did he get to experience children, puppies, cats dogs men and women etc? If so, was there any particular nasty experience associated with any of the 'trigger' things?
Likewise, WHY is he possesive over food/toys. Are these resources TOO valuble to him, has he had to fight for them? Does he not get to play with toys as much as he would like?

In my opinion, firstly, I would reduce his possesive behaviour. Give him millions of toys, to reduce the value of them. If he has toys he really loves, dont let him have it at all, or at least, never in a situation where he feels his possession of the item is threatened.
Next do the same for food. Break down his meals into two or better, three a day (unless you feel this will make him very fussy about his meals). If he is less hungry, he has less incentive to protect his meals. If he is possesive around food towards YOU, then, hand feed him (better if you feed dry for this!!!!!), then progress to holding the bowl and dropping food into it. Do not under any circumstances take away his food bowl, even if it is to put more food in it, he doesnt know that is what you are doing, he cant count bits of kibble!

As regards his 'growling' around other people or children/puppies, I get the impression that he is either protecting you, or more likely he is in fact anxious about something. If when he has come across something that he doesnt understand, he has been pulled away from it, or he is frightened that when near you (ie on a lead) he cannot run, or defend himself from what ever it is!

I made great progress with my own dog, who used to go insane when he was on a lead, when ever anyone came near us with a dog.
I tied him up to a post, in the park, and stood next to him. Then i got a friend to walk past with a dog that he didnt know. As soon as Rocky went ballistic, i ran the opposite way. The 'stooge dog' would stay in his sight, and i would only return when Rocky was quiet! He very rapidly learnt, that screaming blue murder at other dogs was not helpful, and i would not reasure him or reward him for this behaviour. I also used John Fishers training discs as negative reinforcement, at times when running away wasnt an option.
I have also got Rocky very orientated on his ball, so that when he meets a dog that he doesnt like, i can distract him, preventing any nastiness.
I would advise you to sort out your older dogs behaviour as quickly as you can, or the chances are that your pup will pick up this behaviour as well.

Good luck, Emma

Well, he doesn't growl at people he knows, he is even fine with the kids he knows (people that know him and have never seen him behave that way don't really seem to believe me until they happen to see it). As far as men vs. women, he has growled at some men who came into the house but never at women. On the street I think he also growls more at men and children. In fact the only time he growled at women was if we were stopped and they came up to us. Also, he went to puppy kindergarten, and then later when the problem with kids showed up, I took him back to the trainer who had her daughter work with us. He showed no aggressive or growling behaivor toward the daughter, but he seemed to know it was a staged situation, or that something 'different' was going on.

He does growl on or off a leash with me but I went on vacation and my sister house sat and she had no experience with him being aggressive. I think as a puppy he was socialized, but not enough with kids. He did growl at a baby when he was about 10 months old, but at the time (he was my first dog) I just thought he was surprised by the baby (now i regret this very much cause i'm sure if i knew at that time, i could have worked this out of him).

As for the toys & food, I have no idea why he is possessive. He has always had enough toys, and even plays with older dogs and has no problem with them and toys or bones. But now, with the puppy, he does. My trick now is that if he growls I take all the toys (or, whatever he was growling over) and put them away for about 5 minutes. When I give them back, he seems more willing to share them. Also, when I feed them, I sit with them until they are done (also, I can put my hand in his food, or near his mouth, he doesn't growl at me).

Anyway, thanks for your help. I think the most mysterious thing is that it is so random. Why is one person ok and the next not??? For example, I recently had cable put in, two guys put it in. He was fine with one of them, but growled at the other.?!?!?!? Neither of them looked familiar, at least not to me. ~~

Hi,
I suspect that your dog is very similar in someways to my boy Rocky.
Do you feel in any way LESS comfortable with the people that your dog growls at, than the ones he doesnt? (not just because he is growling obviously) i know my dog does like some people better than others, in much the same way that we do.My dog is less trusting of people that i dont like very much, and this may be the same with your dog, ie, if you feel threatend by them, so will he. The fact that he seems to have not displayed this behaviour with other people, would suggest that at least part of the problem is coming from you, and that other people react in a different way.

When my dog is with people he doesnt feel comfortable with he is very nervy, and looks to be misbehaving, in fact it is because he is just not happy with them.
He doesnt growl at people, but when i first got Dill (who is now 13 weeks old) at 6 wks, Rocky was definately not interested in being anywhere near him, or in sharing any of his toys or food. Now 7 weeks on, he is far more relaxed, doesnt leap as if he is electrocuted when Dill comes near him!

Training Discs....
These are little cymbal shaped discs, on a ring, basically they create a sound when dropped or thrown on the ground, or clinked together in the hand. You could also use a bottle or can filled with pebbles, its just that the discs are much easier to carry around on walks.
I got mine over the net, cant remember where though. If you associate a negative experience with the sound of the discs, then you can recreate that feeling of 'non-reward' for the dog when ever he is carryingout, or about to carry out a certain behaviour that you dont want.
It is a powerfull tool to have, but, as with all these methods, you should always be totally sure of WHY the dog is doing somehting, before you treat it.
If you treat a barking/growling/aggressive dog as being 'dominant' when in fact he is 'fear aggressive' then obviously you will have probs!
Good luck,
Emma
I would suggest that you re-socialise him with men and children, if you can find some that you know, and trust but your dog doesnt know. Give them treats to feed him (through a muzzle for safety). You can also use the training discs if u want to. IT is best to get someone to help you withthem. Then, if he behaves nicely, reward, and if not, use the discs.

It is also possible, that some men/women/children may be frightend of the dog (when i was using a muzzle on Rocky, he definatly behaved worse towards people who were scared, adn the reason they were scared was because he had a muzzle on!)
I think as far as toys and food are concerend, is it possible that he is just not all that pleased at having a cheeky little monster nicking all the stuff taht he never had to share before. I mean, sharing with a friend you see occasionally is one thing, having someone movein, no matter how much you like them, is entirely another!

Hi
Could you please tell me what and where I could get John Fishers training discs has I have problems with my Golden retriver and other dogs so these sound like they might help also I will try with Jake what you have suggested.
Thank You
Nina

Nina, You can get the training discs from any of the good pet shops. If they don't have them in, they should be able to order them for you. Follow the instructions to 'condition' your dog initially to the discs.
They work great for my 'give 'im an inch and he'll take a mile' male GSD ;)