Hi all,
The good news is Sadie has a doggy friend(sort of)!! A close friend of mine adopted a dog the same time I adopted Sadie and they are about the same age. Sadie doesn't enjoy playing too much, but the dog walker does take the two of them on walks together and as long as the other dog (Roxy) does not get too close to Sadie all goes well. I even got picture proof from the dog walker- he got a shot of the two of them standing close together looking happy as larks. Today, my friend and I took both of them out together to see for ourselves...and it did not start out well. Sadie growled and snarled at Roxy, and I was scared enough to pull her back on her lead (I know that can make her more aggressive, but given that she head bitten me before I didn't want to take chances). Then Roxy jumped up on me, and Sadie was NOT happy. She snarled, growled, lunged, snapped...didn't bite, because I had her on her lead and pulled her away. Then Roxy jumped up on me again and Sadie did the same thing. Roxy then took the hint and backed off. After about ten minutes of Sadie growling and snarling, she finally calmed down and we were able to walk for about 45 minutes together, me with Sadie and Roxy with her owner. Luckily my friend understands dogs, so wasn't at all upset at my little bully terrorizing her pup! Is it normal for dogs to act differently when their people are around? I read somewhere that dogs can guard their owners as a resource- could this be an extension of her guarding behavior? She does not care if people are around, I have had friends and relatives hug me in front of her and she is not at all bothered. She did calm down and it did end up to be quite a pleasant walk, so I'm not too worried about it, but should I be?
Guarding person as resource- possible??
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Swanny1790
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Re: Guarding person as resource- possible??
Oh, heck yes. The owner is a dog's ultimate resource. My wife's border collie mix is notorious for guarding her from other dogs and sometimes even the kitties. Of course Shadow also guards "her" toys, "her" food dish, "her'... whatever stuff she happens to claim at the moment.
"Once infected with the mushing virus, there is no cure. There is only trail." - Sven Engholm
Re: Guarding person as resource- possible??
How...flattering? Ha! Is it something that needs to be worked on in training, or managed? Like I said she doesn't care at all if people are around...apparently just dogs!!
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ClareMarsh
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Re: Guarding person as resource- possible??
My dog will get in between me and dogs he doesn't know/have a relationship with and push them away if they come to me for attention. If he knows the dog well and has accepted them they can get in my lap and he won't bat an eye. All I do is ignore other dogs until he has a relationship with them and even then I am mindful if he isn't happy with an interaction between me and another dog to stop it.
He is fine with dogs coming into our home and in general on walks as Bendog can testify
I chose this approach because my relationship with my dog is more important than interacting with other dogs. Perhaps I could have worked with him to teach him me interacting with another dog = rewards for him but I see no reason to
Others may have other suggestions but this works fine for us
He is fine with dogs coming into our home and in general on walks as Bendog can testify
I chose this approach because my relationship with my dog is more important than interacting with other dogs. Perhaps I could have worked with him to teach him me interacting with another dog = rewards for him but I see no reason to
Others may have other suggestions but this works fine for us
Proud owner of Ted and baby Ella
My blog about Ted http://tinkerwolf.com/
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My blog about Ted http://tinkerwolf.com/
Ted's Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/Tinkerwolf
Ted's You Tube Channel http://www.youtube.com/user/TheTedVids
Re: Guarding person as resource- possible??
Yup, if its a resource, it can be guarded!
Not 100% sure thats all thats going on in your situation, I suspect there is also a degree of plain 'i dont know this dog and this dog is too close and I do not like this situation, it needs to stop', which is about her fear and anxiety.
But as I've just been discussing elsewhere, dog behaviour doesn't happen in a vacuum, things do not happen one at a time and its totally possible for several things to be going on at once (in fact, its more likely than not!), so yes its wise to consider that along with fear for other reasons, she also considers you a valuable resource and fears the loss of it.
Not 100% sure thats all thats going on in your situation, I suspect there is also a degree of plain 'i dont know this dog and this dog is too close and I do not like this situation, it needs to stop', which is about her fear and anxiety.
But as I've just been discussing elsewhere, dog behaviour doesn't happen in a vacuum, things do not happen one at a time and its totally possible for several things to be going on at once (in fact, its more likely than not!), so yes its wise to consider that along with fear for other reasons, she also considers you a valuable resource and fears the loss of it.
West Midlands based 1-2-1 Training & Behaviour Canine Consultant
Re: Guarding person as resource- possible??
flattering....maybe. desirable...not at all.jrh258 wrote:How...flattering? Ha! Is it something that needs to be worked on in training, or managed? Like I said she doesn't care at all if people are around...apparently just dogs!!
Re: Guarding person as resource- possible??
Right, so how can I make her more comfortable when other dogs are around? It's not a big issue right now, but next June my job contract in Bangladesh is over, so I will be moving in with my parents for a month or two. They have a very affectionate dog, and I can see there being potential problems! I know it's not for awhile, and right now I can just ignore other dogs when she is around, but I can't guarantee it will always be that way! I'm just thinking ahead to a time when another dog asking for my attention may not be avoidable...I'd like to start some work on it now if I could!
Re: Guarding person as resource- possible??
I would also love to know what to do about this. I know of multiple people who are *guarded* by their dogs. One case is really severe. The dogs owner attempted to have the dog lay a couple meters away from her, when her dog shows aggression. I'm not sure how well this is working.
I own one dog myself who will *guard* me, in certain situations. I have no idea how he can tell the difference of me being *interested* in a random dog we meet on our walks or a dog I plan on taking in for boarding. I seriously try to act the same in both scenarios. But he can tell the difference and will go after the ones I plan on taking in.
I own one dog myself who will *guard* me, in certain situations. I have no idea how he can tell the difference of me being *interested* in a random dog we meet on our walks or a dog I plan on taking in for boarding. I seriously try to act the same in both scenarios. But he can tell the difference and will go after the ones I plan on taking in.