Puppy is guarding his food
Discussion
Mrs Grumpy said:
tenex said:
Minel said:
He doesn't do this to me at all. It's up to her step up and get him to understand that he's not more important than her.
Spot on. 
If it were dominance issues, it would have been there all along, not something the dog has just started doing - some blokes seem to watch a tv show & think they know it all, making them unprepared to listen to a female that does actually know what she is talking about
Edited by ali_kat on Monday 18th July 19:30
Lippitt said:
So in one reply you say training and psychology are very different things, then in the next you say to continue training without looking at the psychology behind it? No wonder your dog is confused, I'm struggling to understand you myself!
So, you keep using your outdated, ineffective, occasionally downright dangerous training methods and I'll stick to mine.
(Oh, and if I may be so bold, I'm not the one with the growling dog here, so you'll forgive me if I completely ignore your advice!)
maybe too subtle a sarcasm for you then hey... nevermind So, you keep using your outdated, ineffective, occasionally downright dangerous training methods and I'll stick to mine.
(Oh, and if I may be so bold, I'm not the one with the growling dog here, so you'll forgive me if I completely ignore your advice!)
Edited by Lippitt on Monday 18th July 19:03
Mrs. Grumpy. With due respect,I've always adopted a more commonsense,practical approach. Mind you I am dealing with working dogs but the principles of basic training are similar.
If the dog has an inherent problem eg a timid rescue case or a KC inbred idiot, granted a more subtle approach has to be taken or it will end in tears. But I would say more problems lie at the feet of the owners. Minel summed it up. Dog works for him but ignores Mrs. Minel.
A new pup given "the firmer approach", (not a hardline old-fashioned dominating type ) works beautifully and is relatively easy to carry out.
I don't wish to go into a long convoluted discussion. Suffice to say if you are ever up this way I'll take you out on a shoot where you will meet approx 40 dogs. None of which (to my knowledge)have been trained using trendy methods.
You will find they are all well balanced, very obedient and complete saps. All will take the Michael if they think they can get away with it. You will have to change your bunkum theory.
The only problem you might encounter is when the guns appear with their dogs. Mind you they are usually fighting amongst themselves. They are seldom any good and are more of a fashion accessory.
As far as Rasputin is concerned,pups hoovering is perfectly normal. They usually tuck their tails in to increase the suction. I've never heard of a lab with bloat(please correct me if wrong) Shouldn't be a problem. I always take their food away as part of the training. If they growl ignore it. Be confident. They will soon realise it's only temporary.
Be firm,fair and most importantly consistant.
Good luck with your pup.(Seen the pics in Random Photos)and Mrs Grumpy, keep up your good work with the rescues.
If the dog has an inherent problem eg a timid rescue case or a KC inbred idiot, granted a more subtle approach has to be taken or it will end in tears. But I would say more problems lie at the feet of the owners. Minel summed it up. Dog works for him but ignores Mrs. Minel.
A new pup given "the firmer approach", (not a hardline old-fashioned dominating type ) works beautifully and is relatively easy to carry out.
I don't wish to go into a long convoluted discussion. Suffice to say if you are ever up this way I'll take you out on a shoot where you will meet approx 40 dogs. None of which (to my knowledge)have been trained using trendy methods.
You will find they are all well balanced, very obedient and complete saps. All will take the Michael if they think they can get away with it. You will have to change your bunkum theory.
The only problem you might encounter is when the guns appear with their dogs. Mind you they are usually fighting amongst themselves. They are seldom any good and are more of a fashion accessory.
As far as Rasputin is concerned,pups hoovering is perfectly normal. They usually tuck their tails in to increase the suction. I've never heard of a lab with bloat(please correct me if wrong) Shouldn't be a problem. I always take their food away as part of the training. If they growl ignore it. Be confident. They will soon realise it's only temporary.
Be firm,fair and most importantly consistant.
Good luck with your pup.(Seen the pics in Random Photos)and Mrs Grumpy, keep up your good work with the rescues.
ali_kat said:
Jeeze, there is some utter crap being spouted on this thread
If it were dominance issues, it would have been there all along, not something the dog has just started doing - some blokes seem to watch a tv show & think they know it all, making them unprepared to listen to a female that does actually know what she is talking about
So... you're saying a dog's character and behaviour is exactly the same from puppy to adult? You sure know a lot about dogs indeed...If it were dominance issues, it would have been there all along, not something the dog has just started doing - some blokes seem to watch a tv show & think they know it all, making them unprepared to listen to a female that does actually know what she is talking about
Edited by ali_kat on Monday 18th July 19:30
ever heard about hormones, teenage behaviour etc?
I bet you ladies let your dogs on beds and sofas too? I know already who runs your houses then
ali_kat said:
If it were dominance issues, it would have been there all along,
Not necessarily. As a dog gets more settled into his home and territory such issues can arise. One of our rescues wouldn't bark at the door for a few months, yet once he was settled in he will defend the house the same as the others. In the same way as the dog matures it may change behaviour - for example a puppy won't attack another dog in an aggressive manner when a b
h is in season but once it reaches sexual maturity............ As with all things, it can completely depend upon the dog in question.
classic example just happened... wife shouting at me "come sort Link out, he's not listening to me!"..... LOL wonder why!
Told wife to learn to sort it out herself
ETA: Link is growling the fk at the wife
If I were to stand up and tell him to go to his bed, he'd do it straight away. Wonder why....oh to note no violence or intimidation has ever been used on Link, whatsoever. Just in case someone jumped up and maybe insinuated anything like has already been done about old fashioned and dangerous methods...
Told wife to learn to sort it out herself
ETA: Link is growling the f
k at the wife If I were to stand up and tell him to go to his bed, he'd do it straight away. Wonder why....oh to note no violence or intimidation has ever been used on Link, whatsoever. Just in case someone jumped up and maybe insinuated anything like has already been done about old fashioned and dangerous methods...
Edited by Minel on Monday 18th July 19:53
Edited by Minel on Monday 18th July 19:55
These are not 'trendy' methods that I use. They have been around for years and have been scientifically proven - it's just that some people choose not to believe it. Give me the science behind 'dominance' and 'pack leader' along with some references and I'll be pleased to have a look 
ETA: you'll find that members of organisations such as APDT and APBC use the same methods.
ETA: you'll find that members of organisations such as APDT and APBC use the same methods.
An update to this:
Both good and bad.
Good: Mac will sit and wait for his food as long as needed. While he is eating, he welcomes hands as long as they are holding a biscuit. And if we tell him "leave" while he's eating he'll jump away from his food and sit until told he can continue eating.
If we hold the bowl in our hands, he has no objections and doesn't complain at all about our hands being right at his mouth.
Bad: If we put the bowl on the floor and give him freedom to eat, coming near him gets a growl. Touching his face gets a bark (and he NEVER barks for anything else!). Making a sudden movement near his face gets all of the above plus sometimes a threat of a bite (teeth around hand, but no actual bite). Sometimes he also wets himself.
Once again, even very sudden movements are welcome if your hand has a biscuit in it!
I've tried new food for "giant" breeds where the pieces are massive... He still doesn't chew.
And I'm only feeding him now when he is already very calm (in bed, etc.) so he doesn't associate food with crazy energy.
So what's going on? Why is he still so worked up while eating? Should I just let him have it his way until he's older, and just not go near him while he's eating?
Both good and bad.
Good: Mac will sit and wait for his food as long as needed. While he is eating, he welcomes hands as long as they are holding a biscuit. And if we tell him "leave" while he's eating he'll jump away from his food and sit until told he can continue eating.
If we hold the bowl in our hands, he has no objections and doesn't complain at all about our hands being right at his mouth.
Bad: If we put the bowl on the floor and give him freedom to eat, coming near him gets a growl. Touching his face gets a bark (and he NEVER barks for anything else!). Making a sudden movement near his face gets all of the above plus sometimes a threat of a bite (teeth around hand, but no actual bite). Sometimes he also wets himself.
Once again, even very sudden movements are welcome if your hand has a biscuit in it!
I've tried new food for "giant" breeds where the pieces are massive... He still doesn't chew.
And I'm only feeding him now when he is already very calm (in bed, etc.) so he doesn't associate food with crazy energy.
So what's going on? Why is he still so worked up while eating? Should I just let him have it his way until he's older, and just not go near him while he's eating?
What do you mean by random... Like while he's having a pee?
He eats 4 times a day. It used to be the same times every day and I would let him know by asking if he wants his dinner (made him jump like a flea)
Now I prepare his food but wait until he's completely calm and nearly asleep, then I just plop it in front of him... My theory was that he would be calmer while eating. If he is, it's a very subtle difference!
He eats 4 times a day. It used to be the same times every day and I would let him know by asking if he wants his dinner (made him jump like a flea)
Now I prepare his food but wait until he's completely calm and nearly asleep, then I just plop it in front of him... My theory was that he would be calmer while eating. If he is, it's a very subtle difference!
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