Maddie my 8 month labrador cross, has recently became very strong willed, i dont really want to say dominant. anyway she has always been treated with kindness,but recently seems to just want to get her own way, and to get it shows her teeth and growls. i only have to raise my voice and she starts growling. and generally does not want to obey any commands unless you have a treat, and even then it seems to be on her terms.she has always been strong willed it has become worse recently. she has not yet had her first season, but im not sure if this is any good as a reason anyway?

That could well be the reason. Teenagers of all species become more bolshy and independent, and bitches seem to get a touch of PMT!

Do you go to training? You need to be very firm.I don't know the answer as I am having trouble with my GSD. At 6 months she started showing agression to other dogs and was very head strong in all other areas. She has progressively deteriated. She is now 16 months old and has now started to become agressive towards some people. We are seeing a behaviourist in July, I wish I had done it sooner. We just thought she would grow out of it. All I can advise would be to go training and see a behavourist as soon as possible, they don't grow out of it, only get worse.  

Dogs very rarely "grow out" of things, they do however tend to "grow into" things............ :rolleyes:

Clearly she's a very bright girl who has worked out how to get things to go the way she wants them to! (That cross isn't with a border collie, is it?)

No matter what the reason (teenage troubles, hormones), this is something that I would seek face to face help with rather than leaving to chance - a trained observer might be able to work out ways to change the way you live with her, perhaps only temporarily until these teenage times pass.

In the meantime, I would avoid direct confrontation over things which could escalate the problem in a way that you don't want - don't be tempted to "take her on" or "teach her a lesson" etc.  As you have observed, raising your voice does not make things better.

Good luck!

You need to know how to get her to do what you want without using the treat as a lure - it needs to be used as a reward for her doing something instead, and that will also put you back in charge a bit ;)

If you shout, there may be some inconsistencies - for example, do you shout if she doesn't do as you ask? She may be growling a little in defence, has realised it works and is now practising it. I would tend to suggest hands on help here, both to get help on using food correctly and to assess why she is growling :)

Try www.apdt.co.uk for someone near you.

Lindsay
x

yeah the border collie definitely makes her clever. i think she has just learnt that when i shout im angry, and maybe she only turns to aggression as last result, i was just a bit panicked yesterday.she went to dog training last night and was really well behaved although the trainer said i need to be a bit firmer! Kat

Sometimes it's fine to be firmer, esp. when dogs are adolescent; however, it can also be counter productive. My dog will only respond to a pleasant voice for instance - and to be fair she does respond well - but, if i tried to use a harsh voice she would be either defensive or upset or stubborn depending on what was going on. I've got total faith that dogs need training rather than telling off - most dogs who are told off are simply undertrained :D :)

Not being funny, but if you are shouting at her and she is getting defensive, I'm not sure why the trainer thinks you need to be firmer? As most people take being firmer to use a harder voice. A good trainer will help you overcome the problems without being harsh to either you or the dog. If he/she can't, I would go elsewhere to be honest.

Lindsay
X

A good trainer will help you overcome the problems without being harsh to either you or the dog. If he/she can't, I would go elsewhere to be honest.

Absolutely agree :)

Can you try and explain how you handle her at training and be a little more indepth about your reaction to her when she starts to get aggressive?

well i think at dog training i am probably more soft on her as she is the youngest in her class, so just generally need to speak more sternly.when she does something wrong at dog training i think she wants me to change the tone of my voice so she knows she has done it wrong.
at home there are certain situations where she becomes stubborn, and i would raise my voice louder, she would growl and i would get more angry. in the last few days i have found that by staying calmer, she is more responsive. i just dont like the the fact she seems to want her own way and turns to growling etc.

Just a thought.

Why has the dog "done it wrong"?

IME dogs "get it wrong" generally because they are confused and the do not understand what is required.  Might this be the root of her behaviour?  Not stubborness but confusion?

She may be feeling frustrated and confused because you are not making it clear to her exactly what is required hence the growling........?

>i just dont like the the fact she seems to want her own way and turns to growling etc.<

I bet if dogs had their own forum they'd say the same thing about us!

When you say "she seems to want her own way" - what sort of things do you mean?

Kat, in my view you need to relax and enjoy your training more and concentrate on the relationship rather than on whether your dog has something wrong or right :)
It's easy to get tense and the dog will start to get tense too and what with the shouting you have a vicious circle. I do understand, but i also do feel that you need to find another training school which is more emjoyable for you and your dog :)

I  think it's excellent that you are seeing results now that you are being calmer. IME the more an owner gets upset and angry, the more the dog will be upset/resentful/stressed and defensive, and its in those situations dogs will start to "fight back" which is understandable. I would do the same <g>

Often dogs seem disobedient when they are simply undertrained and the motivation is lacking. Also, dogs can show displacement behaviours.

Example - a lady near me does obedience with her BSD. It's my chosen breed and the first thing that struck me was how depressed the dog seemed. It did well but was almost lethargic. Later I saw her making the dog do a Sit Stay in the hot sun. The dog scratched and she yanked it up by the collar. I went over and asked her why she did that, and she said the dog often did this and it lost her a place. She didn't understand that the scratching is a sure sign of stress and the dog was  in fact unsure and unhappy. To her eyes the dog was being disobedient.

One other thing is that it's practically impossible for a dog to learn if it is under stress, because the chemicals in the brain are giving it messages related to that.

Good luck
Lindsay
X

at dog training id agree that it is confusion, which is why the trainer says to make commands firmer, ie more clear. but at home she knows she is not allowed on the sofa, so if she gets on and we say down she knows what she is supposed to do, but then she may just look at me, and if i get her down she tries to snap because she wants to stay up. or at bedtime she goes in the kitchen as it is enclosed and she has her bed in there but may prefer to say in living room and would give a growl before reluctantly going into bed

Kat, are you sure that Maddie "knows" she's not allowed on the sofa, are you sure that she "knows" what she is supposed to do when you say down (I take it that you use another word when you want her to lie down in that case.)   How did you train her that she is not allowed on the sofa and to get off it in the first place?

Are you sure that she snaps "because she wants to stay up" - could it instead be because at this point you are growling (or so she might think), staring down at her and possibly touching her in the 'kill zone' ie on her neck when she is already a bit defensive?

I still think an outside opinion from (dare I say it!) a behaviourist/behavioural trainer might help - they would have the objective view of your relationship with her and maybe with their help you could work out how to take all the confrontation out of your relationship with Maddie and bring the pleasure back.

Best wishes

I understand now about the trainer meaning "clearer" rather than "firmer".

Re the sofa thing, I agree she may not know the rules...are you ever cross as you ask her to get down? I agree with Lillith, don't use Down for getting dogs off sofas, it is much better to use a word such as Off (as the dog, after all IS lying down on the sofa, it can be confusing).

Dogs sometimes learn they can get on sofas while the owner is not around, but thats not really being disobedient, more linking the presence of the owner with what they can and can't do. I would tend to retrain these problems using tasty food treats as thrown to get her to where you want her, and a long line if necessary. After a time, obedience will become habit, and if you intermittently reward the dog the good obedience will stay with her. That would be my suggestionon the face of it.

Lindsay
X

Snap, Lindsay! :D

:D JG!

Lindsay
X

How do you tell her to get off the sofa - I mean, what word do you use? If it's the same word as you use to tell her to lie down, and she is lying down, she's going to be very confused.
:)

we use 'lie down' to to get her to, but we have used down to stop her jumping up, so i will try using off in future. she does get on the sofas when we,re not in room but i have found distraction usually works best for getting her down, as in game with ball etc

Kat - just a suggestion, but rather than just using commands, what about making the sofa uncomfortable for her until she gets the message.  If you take some bits of cardboard and stick strips of parcel tape (sticky side up) on it, put them on the sofa - most dogs hate putting their paws on sticky tape, and you should find it becomes a less attractive place for her.

http://www.sspca.org/Dogs_TANSTAAFL.html

I highly recommend you read that.

Please seek professional help from a behaviourist - this problem may be worse because of hormeones etc but if she feels she has the right to growl and snap at you now at 8 months it will only get worse.  You don;t want to say dominant but it sounds as if she is.  How does she behave when you groom her, restirct her on lead or take her food bowl away??  Are you able to touch her all over??  Will she let you take things from her mouth?? Can you sit in her bed??  so many things could be pointing to a dominance issue that you need to seek professional help before it gets too bad.

Have you told your trainer at the club you attend about your problems??

http://www.dog-dominance.co.uk/

Agree Lilith, let us not go down the antiquated JF route re this overused phrase.  Barry Eaton's book is excellent.