I've just given Jasper 3 month old GR his first lamb breast and he was eating it by the back door, but there were flies annoying him, so a wafted them away - walked into the kitchen and Jasper went berserk at me growling and snarling - I had to pick up the kitchen chair and stand behind it - I'm shaking at the moment he really frightened me!    What do I do now?  He's always been OK when I've given him bones and he's never minded when I take them from him and rinse them.  I didn't even go near it this time!
Maria

Hi there he is only 2 month old, dont let him do this, as if he starts now it will carry on, put him in another room till you calm down, time has passed now and he wont know what he has done if you do anything now.  if it happens again take it off him with out showing him you are scared, and tell him NO NO NO in a angry voice. you are the boss not him. i hope this helps you.

RJ

Also remember we do get grumpy due to the heat, this could of been one of the reasons why he did this. there could be many reasons, but it must not happen again, can i ask pls what breed he is

Sounds good advice, but he was jumping up me growling and snarling, I know he is only 3 months old but he really unnerved me!
He's run under the hedge with it now!

I know he scared you, if i was you i would take it off him, he is obviously showing not good signs regarding the meat, take it off him let him calm down and then i would cut it up and feed him it off your hands, i am staying on the computer if you need any more help.

That's very kind of you but there is no way I dare go and take if from him!  He's never been like this with food before, I've fed him chicken wings from my hands and he is quite gently taking food from me normally!
I'll go and have a look to see how he looks and be back soon!
Maria

Hi Maria,

resource guarding, particularly of the most valuable and highly prized resource i.e. FOOD is natural and common although has to be trained out for everyone's safety.   Your puppy was enjoying a particularly highly prized resource - probably more than any other he has had before - and simply felt threatened that you wanted to take it away.  

Pups have to learn that their food is given to them to enjoy and finish and we do this by adding to their food bowls when eating, NEVER removing food from them and employing a "swap" technique when we do train them to leave food or an object.

Personally as it sounds as though he's currently very happy with his lamb breast and he's in an inaccessible place (or is it?) I'd leave the pup to get on with it and chalk this down to experience - yours ;)

If you do a search on here you'll find this topic has been discussed many times and several exceptionally good links provided on how best to overcome this fairly common problem when training a youngster :)   In the meantime I'd suggest that when you next want to give him something of high value - a bone for example - that you have another just like it or better still and practice the swap technique.  You want your puppy to trust that you are not going to steal from him and so it is important that you prove to him you won't!

HTH, Teri :)

Thanks Teri- I'll do a search and try the swap technique; although it has never happened with food before when I take bones from him. It must be what you say about him enjoying it more than anything he's had before!

Definitely never take food away, swapping is ok, but he might not be ready for that yet  

I also wouldn't say NO, because again, as with all aggression, you are not changing the way the dog feels, you are just suppressing an aggressive response.  Perhaps your dog will stop growling if you say NO, but if you go closer to him, he will just skip the warning growl and snap or bite.

Read the advice on this link instead:

http://www.ahimsadogtraining.com/handouts/resource-guarding.html

Definitely never take food away, swapping is ok, but he might not be ready for that yet  

I've only taken bones from him that were dirty and needed a rinse, he's never minded before, just sits and watches and waits!
What should I say if I don't say no?
I'm going to the link now!
Maria

The first thing is to associate your approach towards him when he has the bone, with something positive - which means you have to be giving something to him, not taking it away.  Perhaps give him another bone, some very tasty meat - make no attempt to take the bone.  Rehearse that over and over again and drill it until he associates your approach with something positive (getting something even tastier) not having something taken away.

I wouldn't say anything to him. 

which means you have to be giving something to him, not taking it away.

Yes I do understand that but I wasn't taking anything from him, just wafting flies away from him then walked back into the kitchen, it was then that he ran in and growled, snarled, barked and jumped up - hence the chair.

I can see that I did wrong protecting myself with the chair, but it all happened so quicky and I was really taken off guard.  Had I been taking anything from him at least I would have been prepared!  (I think)!

I've been reading the link and it seems like common sense, so will be putting it into practice, so thanks for that!
Maria
 

Hi again
Well, I called him and he came over to me leaving the bone (almost demolished) and he came into the house for a drink and was calm and then went back under the hedge again.

I can only think he loved the taste so much he thought it was being taken from him.  That said he shouldn't do it and I'll have to be prepared if I decide to give him another, and as you suggested I could chop it up and feed pieces out of my hand!

I'm not quite as shakey now but thanks ever so much for staying by your PC it is appreciated!
Maria

Hi Rosco Jane
He is a Golden Retriever!
Maria

Hi there glad you are clamer, give him another go with the same meat one evening when it is cooler and see what happens, but dont let him be the boss, if he growls take it straight off him and tell him NO. hope this helps you as it is not nice, a lady that has one of my pups phoned me when the pup was about 12 wks and said she had snarled when eating i went to see her and the pup snarled at me when i took the bone off her, i took the bone off her and said a firm No she didnt do it again. at such a young age pups do try it on.

good luck

Hi  Well, he's been in the house for a drink and we've had a play, I went outside (shut Jasper inside) and picked up the small amount he left and put it away!

I'll do what you suggest and try him when the weather is a little cooler and I'll be prepared, feeding him small amounts!
Thanks everyone for your help!
Maria

> if he growls take it straight off him and tell him NO

As the jist of most of the replies on this thread suggest, taking something away from him - especially when he's growling - is a VERY BAD IDEA.  All it will teach pup is that you are going to do what he's growling to stop you doing, which will in all likelihood cause him to growl more - and potentially bite.  This is the situation I live in with my brother's dog at the moment - she cannot have bones or more than a short-lasting meaty treat, as she gets very growly.  If she had a meaty bone, and I were to try and take it away from her without restraining her first, she would DEFINITELY bite me.  She has actually tried to bite my dad before - he reached his arm past her once when she had a bone (no attempt to actually take it).  This is down to poor early management - her previous owner did exactly what you suggest.  It made her ten times worse.

Maria, as others have suggested, I would get on and train - positively - your pup to behave better around food and treats now while he's still young and impressionable :D

Hi MariaC,

As Teri has suggested there are plenty of posts on resorce guarding. I know you weren't taking the food, but your pup obviously felt so. I'm actually more worried by your behaviour and reaction to your 3 month pup. That you felt so threatened you grabbed a chair to protect yourself, for goodness sake never, ever show fear to your pup, I can't imagine being afraid of a 3 month pup as much as it growled and told you off.

You are the master, if you allow a pup to push you around, as an adult you won't stand a chance. Learn to use your eye contact and your voice with your pup, any dog should be able to look at it's owners face or hear the voice to know it is out of line.  As soon as the pup began to sound off at you you should have been firm, said NO and made firm eye contact.

I also agree with Teri completely, never take food off your pup, you swap or add, it's the wrong advice to take food away.

Please don't react like this again, you will send out all the wrong signals, please don't show fear, even if you feel it.

Well, I see I've done everything wrong, I'll try and take everyones advice on this one, just off out to by myself an armour plate!!!

:-D :-D  That's the spirit, go girl.;-)

It may also be that the "wafting" spooked him and he was unsettled by your hand gestures as much as by the thought that this truly delectable treat was about to disappear!

As others have said, follow the links about resource guarding but also don't let yourself be scared of a bumptious pup

Thanks Roz, I've thought about the wafting since and think it is probably the reason - and I know I over reacted, but I won't let it happen again!  (fingers, toes and everything else crossed)!
Maria

Hi M, I think its a bit strange he left his bone to chase you so the thing with the paper must have had something to do with it

But as others say, he`s a puppy still, your the boss & it will be very easy for you to sort out any probs he maybe starting to have now :)

One thing I would do tho is feed him where you can have access to him, he can`t go off & hide from you :)

Hi there,
I had this problem with my pup last year, and only recently found a solution which solves this problem for us:

It is to feed your dog a long, chewy treat, but YOU keep hold of one end of it, so it is still technically YOURS (hence the pup has no right to feel possessive about it). Let the dog have a good chew on it, then say, Give" or "Leave" and gently remove it. Then ask for a sit or a down, and give the dog one end to chew again, and repeat. If the treat has not been eaten by the end of say, ten minutes, You take it, and put it into the fridge until YOU decide it comes out again. Then over a period of weeks, you can start doing the same with bones.
Also, be sure to lean over him when he is eating his meals, and ADD tasty titbits, or more dogfood, so he welcomes your approach to his bowl.
HTH
PS I truly understand that you were frightened! The first time my pup did it, I was really shaken - she was like a rabid demon-possessed creature!

I wanted to let you all know that Jasper's 'table' manners have greatly improved.

He really doesn't mind swapping his lamb bones for other food and vice versa.  We started to give him his bones in the kitchen with the door closed rather than open, that way he couldn't run away from us; I think this and holding the bones initially and taking them from him if he got a little rough, only giving it back when he calmed down has helped solve the problem.  No longer like a rabid demon-possessed creature!!

Thanks for all your advice.
Maria