# Resource guarding



## BoyOhBoy!! (Apr 30, 2015)

Hi all,

My pup, now 8 months, has gradually become food aggressive. I'm wondering where I went wrong and what I can do going forward. 

A little background -- We follow NILIF so for Remi to receive food, he must sit, look at me and wait for the release command in order to eat his food or get a bone/toy. This is second nature to him and he does it well. 

He has a good understanding of the drop it/leave it command. We play games where I put him in a down/stay and I toss treats all around him. He is at the point where I can gesture to the treat I want him to get, release him, he grabs it and then goes back into a down to wait for me to gesture to another treat. Sometimes I switch it up and hand him the food instead. We can give him a toy and have him drop it and he'll do that without issue. 

Very recently, he has started growling if we got near him when he had a frozen beef bone. This was literally the 1st time I've heard him growl. We weren't even reaching for the bone, just walking near him. I kind of chalked that up to the fact that beef bones are a high value treat and we'll just leave him be or put him in his crate, no biggie.

But yesterday he started growling when we got within feet of him at his food bowl. He is released to eat and typically, I'll give him a soft pat on his side and walk away. I did just that and he growled at me. My husband couldn't believe it when I went and told him so walked up to him and patted his side and again, he growled and then bared his teeth. 

This progression is something I wasn't prepared for. I have worked in rescue with dogs that are aggressive over food, but typically those dogs are starving or have had to forage and fight for food as strays. That sort of resource guarding makes sense. But Remi has never gone without food nor has he had to fight/defend himself to keep his food. I'm totally fine with letting Remi eat without being disturbed, but it's the progression from high value treat to everyday food that is concerning me. 

Your thoughts on this/experiences with this are appreciated.

Mom to Remi


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## Steve Strom (Oct 26, 2013)

By making him work for it, you've made every bit of food high value. In some ways, it could have also created a little insecurity over it. If it was me, I'd just feed him his meals and leave him alone. I'd keep training separate.


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## Lobo dog (Sep 19, 2014)

We did and still are going through the same thing. About 2 weeks after I started this thread http://www.germanshepherds.com/foru.../549225-high-value-agression-what-method.html (great comments and links for you to read) he literally overnight went from guarding high value items to just his plain everyday kibble. The first time he growled over his kibble we had just come back from a dog picnic where he went swimming, and practiced Rally, and just played. We figured that he must have just been super hungry but he did the same growling and bearing his teeth with every meal after, that was 5 months ago. What was odd to me was that he went so primal (wild eyes) when he was eating but as soon as the food bowl was removed he just went back to his sweet self. It’s almost like he can’t control it, it’s just a gut reaction. 

What we did was we hand fed him every meal for 2 months, after we stopped he did great for about 2 weeks then started guarding again, so every few meals we still feed by hand. He never ever, ever growls when we are holding the bowl, he can be eating from the bowl but if our hands are touching the bowl in any place he doesn’t react, it’s only if we let go that it becomes an issue. What has worked really well for us is after our NILIF food routine we let him go and eat for about 50 seconds then (with something extra special and high value to him in our hand, like hot dog or a spoon of coconut oil) we call him to us about 5 feet from the food bowl, he usually comes first call. We have him sit, give him most of the treat then send him back to his bowl and then usually repeat that one more time. We also will sometimes only give him half the cup of food, then when he is done eating that he automatically will sit (he knows this routine well) before we walk over and give him the other half cup. I give him some meals outside or even inside and just leave him be, so that he can eat undisturbed. Somedays he is fine and some times he still guards but we have noticed a great improvement using these methods; unfortunately though for aggression to develop so quickly takes a long time to get rid of.


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## Lobo dog (Sep 19, 2014)

Steve Strom said:


> By making him work for it, you've made every bit of food high value. In some ways, it could have also created a little insecurity over it. If it was me, I'd just feed him his meals and leave him alone. I'd keep training separate.


Wow thats a great point! never even crossed my mind


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## HOBY (Aug 12, 2013)

Put the bowl down, no waiting, offer your release to eat immediately and go and sit down a few feet away and don't bother him. When offering a bone hold it in your hand as he chews on it. NILIF is fine, but timing is very important. Can you at any time put your finger in the bowl or take away the other items he likes to chew on as if nothing happened? If not, work on offering a trade. Replace the treats with toys in your training. Tennis type balls and scented balls work real good.


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

He never has to fight/defend himself to keep his food.

Think about that for a minute and ask yourself if you've made too much fuss over who possesses the food.It's possible that he's becoming anxious about being able to finish his meal or bone because it's very frequently taken away,creating the same state of mind as the feral dog that must protect his food.

You could try lightening up somewhat,look at it from his point of view.Let him eat undisturbed.If he growls when he's chewing a bone,go a little closer and then ignore him until he relaxes,then walk away.


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## BoyOhBoy!! (Apr 30, 2015)

Thanks for all the responses, I definitely have a lot to mull over.

@Steve Strom, I never really looked at it that way (although it makes complete sense, sort of a "duh" moment on my part). 

@Lobo dog, thanks for the link to that thread, there is good info there. I hand fed him often when we first got him so I can go back to doing that on occasion now.

@Hoby, To answer your question, no, we are no longer able to do that with his food or beef bones. Everything else, yes. And the issue with food or beef bones is new. I think a trade is a good idea, we'll have to see.

@dogma13, I'll put your advice to practice at his evening meal. 

To all, I suppose my concern is not so much about his resource guarding food and bones. I guess I'm concerned that this is a stepping stone to other aggressive behaviors and I'm worried about how fast he went from totally laid back to growling. 

I'll be painfully honest as to the reason for my fears: We did not get this dog from what I now consider a good breeder. I learned that shortly after my husband chose him. Yes, the breeder offers a great health guarantee, and everything looks good on paper but for all intensive purposes, it's a byb. To top it off, Remi's dad was put down for aggression shortly after we got our puppy. His mom was bred 4 months after having the litter. It's just irresponsible in so many ways (irresponsible of us AND irresponsible breeding). Knowing this, I have been trying so hard to look at all the positives rather than dwelling on the negatives. We beat ourselves up every day for not doing our due diligence ahead of time, but we keep hoping for the best going forward... but this knowledge is in the back of my mind every day. I don't want him to end up like his dad, I have young children to think about.

Mom to Remi


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## Gwenhwyfair (Jul 27, 2010)

I'm with Steve, a big believer of putting the food down and leaving the dog alone to eat. The only time I mess with their food is if they aren't eating, then I pick the bowl up quietly with no fuss and they have to wait until the next meal time to eat. So far...no aggression and no picky eaters. High value treats for training only.

Good advice above but since there may be a genetic component to this and you have little ones I would suggest getting a trainer in. 

Try to find a trainer experienced with aggression, I'd stay away from "positive only", and look for a 'balanced' trainer willing to use the various tools available. Best trainers (as a general rule) for GSDs are ones who compete in bite sports like Schutzhund./IPO They tend to know how to read dogs better and aren't easily intimidated by aggression issues.

In the mean time, you may want to consider feeding your dog in a crate if the kid's safety is a concern. Sometimes managing the behavior is better then incorrectly trying to 'fix' it thereby making it worse.


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## Gwenhwyfair (Jul 27, 2010)

I see you're in NC, if you don't mind sharing what part of NC you live in you probably can get some trainer recommendations from members here.


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## Steve Strom (Oct 26, 2013)

> I have young children to think about.


Don't beat yourself up over where he came from. Temperament issues can come up with dogs from anywhere. The two biggest things I think of that lead to problems with small kids and dogs are letting any kind of competition come up over things, food, furniture, attention from you. Anything like that, and chasing. I don't let my dogs that show any amount of prey drive run with my kids. 

We've had dogs that are respectful of the kids from day 1 and we've had dogs that seemed to live for just having contact with them. We've had a couple that had to be taught they're going to behave, period. You just need to match training and living with him to what he is. Guidelines you may read about can work for one dog and cause nothing but problems with another. 

Just remember temperament is hardwired and live with him accordingly. Not creating problems is a skill and 99% of us cause or create something unintended with something.


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

I don't have any first hand experience with this but these guys do. :


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWyAA-7hedo&ab_channel=SolidK9Training

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7eb-BRRzrM&ab_channel=TheGoodDogTraining


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Steve Strom said:


> Not creating problems is a skill and 99% of us cause or create something unintended with something.


Absolutely! Even the best intentions can come with unintended consequences - sometimes good, sometimes bad. I do like to be as proactive as possible because a problem avoided is one that I won't have to deal with later. A lot of my foundation stuff is aimed at preventing potential issues since I don't know which dog might end up with what problem somewhere down the road. But nobody is perfect, and the unforeseen still happens.


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## Apexk9 (Sep 13, 2015)

If you're not scared of being bit I would give him a bone then just take it from him but once he lets go you praise and give it back. That's what I did with my dog.

8 Months bite wouldn't be too bad.


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## Saphire (Apr 1, 2005)

Apexk9 said:


> If you're not scared of being bit I would give him a bone then just take it from him but once he lets go you praise and give it back. That's what I did with my dog.
> 
> 8 Months bite wouldn't be too bad.


To take away what they are guarding reinforces their need to guard, your telling the dog he cannot trust you around his food.

I believe dogs either care about their food or don't. Those that don't, won't ever care if you take their food, bones etc. leaving many to believe they trained the dog to not care where I essence the dog never did care. 
Those that do care about their food may become food aggressive as a result of you touching, playing or removing food while they are eating.

I believe in feeding the dog and leaving them alone to eat in peace.


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## Steve Strom (Oct 26, 2013)

Apexk9 said:


> If you're not scared of being bit I would give him a bone then just take it from him but once he lets go you praise and give it back. That's what I did with my dog.
> 
> 8 Months bite wouldn't be too bad.


At 8mos a bite could be really bad Apex. Teaching them to out a toy is one thing, but I wouldn't advise anyone to try that with a bone. It worked for you, that's good, but I'd really worry about telling someone who's already having a problem to maybe pick a fight like that.


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## Gwenhwyfair (Jul 27, 2010)

This. 

..and.. get a trainer. Just get a trainer. A good trainer will help you resolve (or at least manage properly depending on the problem) this issue exponentially faster then experimenting with advice given on a forum.





Steve Strom said:


> At 8mos a bite could be really bad Apex. Teaching them to out a toy is one thing, but I wouldn't advise anyone to try that with a bone. It worked for you, that's good, but *I'd really worry about telling someone who's already having a problem to maybe pick a fight like that*.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

I wouldn't do it with a bone either. I do something similar, but with one very important difference. Rather than _giving_ the dog a bone, I hold onto it while the dog chews it. I still possess the bone - it's mine, not the dog's. I do this with a lower value object, like a Nylabone, I wouldn't do it with something high value like a meaty bone. 

I'll offer a treat, the dog lets go long enough to eat the treat, happy praise, the dog chews the bone some more. We might do that a couple of times, and then I let the dog take the bone and go lay down to chew in peace.

I do this with toys too - tug with me, let go for a treat, tug some more. With toys, I phase out the treat once the dog will out on cue (which I add later) and continuation of play becomes the reward for letting go. Give me the ball for a treat, and I throw the ball again. I phase out the food, and throwing the ball becomes the reward.

As I've mentioned on several threads in the past, Halo turned the bone thing into a game, and will still seek me out to give me a bone or ball to take away from her just so I can give it back again. And when I was in another room last weekend and realized I'd left my empty yogurt container on my desk, which she has stolen and chewed several times before, I simply called out "Halo, what are you doing?" and she walked into the room with the container, partially chewed, in her mouth and let me take it away from her. She was happy the whole time, her tail gently wagging.

When I give her something, it's hers. Because she trusts me, she feels no need to guard from me.


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## BoyOhBoy!! (Apr 30, 2015)

Ok, thanks again for all the suggestions. We live in central NC. We go to group classes, but I will look into a private trainer. 

@Cassidy's mom, I like your suggestion to hold the toy or Nylabone (no beef bones any time soon). We do this when we tug so it won't be much different.

To all, it seems what I'm reading between the lines is that somewhere along the way, based on our behavior during feed times or when giving treats or playing games, we've created mistrust. Basically he feels he has to assert himself in order to chew or eat undisturbed. He doesn't behave this way with toys or sticks or pinecones, let's hope he doesn't start to. I have a few more questions:

1. In addition to leaving him be to eat, working on my timing before releasing him to eat, holding bones while he chews, etc, what else can we do to focus on gaining trust in this and other areas? Again, knowing his questionable genetics makes me feel like I've gotten in over my head, I really just want to get this right.

2. It has been suggested to me (by someone not on the forum) that backing away when he growled is only going to make things worse. That I should have stood my ground and continued to pet him calmly while he ate. Frankly, I'm not in a good mindset to stand my ground (it really is a shock) when he growls and I don't want to make a bad situation worse. But I AM a bit confused -- will backing away when he growls encourage dominance in my dog?


Thanks for the continued help and encouragement,

Mom to Remi


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

Steve Strom said:


> At 8mos a bite could be really bad Apex. Teaching them to out a toy is one thing, but* I wouldn't advise anyone to try that with a bone. *It worked for you, that's good, but I'd really worry about telling someone who's already having a problem to maybe pick a fight like that.


Nor would I!

I don't usually quote Ed Frawley but he said "Don't start a fight your not ready to finish " or words to that effect. That is also good advise. 

People don't really need help to create "problems" most of us can do that on our own!


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

BoyOhBoy!! said:


> 2. It has been suggested to me (by someone not on the forum) that backing away when he growled is only going to make things worse. That I should have stood my ground and continued to pet him calmly while he ate. Frankly, I'm not in a good mindset to stand my ground (it really is a shock) when he growls and I don't want to make a bad situation worse. But I AM a bit confused -- will backing away when he growls encourage dominance ?



If he's growling, you already have a trust issue. Continuing to do what causes him to growl is not going to fix that, it will only make it worse. Rather than worrying about dominance I would consider the growling important information. If you know where that line is, you can work under threshold to rebuild trust. The point is that if you do that, he has no need to growl at you, so standing your ground or backing off is no longer a consideration.


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## BoyOhBoy!! (Apr 30, 2015)

Cassidy's Mom said:


> If you know where that line is, you can work under threshold to rebuild trust. The point is that if you do that, he has no need to growl at you, so standing your ground or backing off is no longer a consideration.


Forgive my lack of understanding. What does it look like to "work" under that threshold? Is it what was described earlier which is to work on timing for release, leave him to eat in peace without petting or coming near (or simply feed him in his crate)? Will these actions on my part improve trust? It is definitely doable, we feed him in his crate on occasion already. Are there other things we can do (or not do) to rebuild trust?

Thank you for your help,
Mom to Remi


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

BoyOhBoy!! said:


> 2. It has been suggested to me (by someone not on the forum) that backing away when he growled is only going to make things worse. *That I should have stood my ground and continued to pet him calmly while he ate*.


I was posting quickly from my phone earlier, and wanted to expand on this a bit. Some people think that messing with a dog while they eat will teach the dog to accept being messed with while it eats. And apparently, this has worked for some people with some dogs, so they continue to recommend it to others.

But if you've got a resource guarder, or if you think there's even a remote possibility that your dog might ever become a resource guarder (and how would you know until it's too late and he already is, so better safe than sorry, yes?), it's best to avoid doing it in the first place. It's going to work just fine right up until it doesn't anymore, and your dog growls at you because he thinks you might suddenly snatch away his dinner. 

I do like to train some impulse control around food, so I start when mine are young puppies by making them sit, putting down the food, and releasing them to eat. But I start VERY slowly, so in the beginning, the second I remove my hands from the bowl they're released, and as they mature I make it a bit more challenging. If they break the sit, I pick up the bowl and wait for a sit again. But once I do release them to eat, I don't mess with them, I let them eat in peace. At most, I'll drop something yummy in the bowl, so they anticipate good things with me being near while they eat. I'll also do a bit of hand feeding with a puppy before I put the food bowl down. I _give_, I don't take away. 

Because I build up a foundation of trust, when I do actually NEED to take something away from them it's not a big deal. Halo is the most food obsessed dog among a group of food obsessed dogs we've ever had, but I did so much work with her from the time she came home at 10 weeks old, it's never been an issue. If any of our dogs had the potential to be a resource guarder or to growl at us, it would have been her. But instead, she's the one that delights in making a game out of bringing us purloined items, lol.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

BoyOhBoy!! said:


> Forgive my lack of understanding. What does it look like to "work" under that threshold? Is it what was described earlier which is to work on timing for release, leave him to eat in peace without petting or coming near (or simply feed him in his crate)?


I need to go back and re-read your original post in detail (sorry, I was in a hurry and skimmed!), but it sounds like this is a new problem that's happening in a very specific situation. Simply put, you'd avoid putting him in that situation so you don't provoke that reaction. What you mention above is a good place to start.


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

I taught max to wait for his food now he does it autimatically. I aways let him eat in peace and if he is eating sometimes i will just throw a piece of food in as he eats. He knows if i come over to his bowl he will be getting more food. If max grabs somthing that is not his such as a sock etc. i make him give it up but give him his toy in return. I have had no issues so far as he is soon turning one. Do not think i will be getting any frozen beef bones. Is there a separate room you can feed him so he will not be disturbed from now on. Let him eat and on occasionally open the door and toss a piece of chicken or meat down on floor near him. Eventually working your way to putting chicken/meat in his bowl on occasion.


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

I've only had one food guarder and we fed him away from the other dogs, let him eat in peace.

We had one male GSD who growled at other dogs if they tried to take a bone or a chewer, but not over food. If I gave him something I knew he would love and not want to share, I made sure all the other dogs were in crates, and he was allowed to be loose with the bone or food.

With food, it's suggested by trainers that you split up a meal into three different bowls in different locations in the room, and then ignore him, let him find the food in each bowl. That way he's not associating one place with food. He can't guard three places at once. With my growler, I would sometimes walk by and say "Chicken" which he understood as a treat, and then drop a small bite of cooked chicken breast in his bowl as I walked by. Eventually he stopped being upset when we walked by and we had no other problems.


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## BoyOhBoy!! (Apr 30, 2015)

I think I have enough to go on until I get a private trainer involved. Thanks for all of the suggestions and advice, it is much appreciated.

Mom to Remi


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Cassidy's Mom said:


> As I've mentioned on several threads in the past, Halo turned the bone thing into a game, and will still seek me out to give me a bone or ball to take away from her just so I can give it back again.


Since a picture is worth 1000 words, and a video is even better, here's Halo's game - this had actually been going on for a bit before I grabbed the camera and started recording:






I do teach "give" (our out command), where the dog _must_ give up what it has, and if need be I can grab either of them and pry their mouths open (had to do that once with a block of cheddar that Halo stole off the counter while I was cutting up training treats - bad dog!), and I've never been growled at once. Because this is a game, one that Halo initiates, she gets to give up the bone voluntarily, when she wants to. It's not about me making her let go.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I am going to suggest finding a good trainer with experience with working dogs and experience with behavioral problems. You may hear things you don't want to hear, and you may have to try things you don't want to try.

In the mean time, this is very important: You have kids to think about? Then you need to manage feeding time 100%. This means, the kids do not feed the dog, ever. The dog does not have bones or treats or his bowl where the kids are. Food is given in the crate or kennel, and the children are ORDERED to leave the dog be while he eats. 

I would cut out the bones for now. 

I would stop all forms of training with regards to meals.

I would stop using any form of food item during training. 

I think I would probably lay off serious training, and do short simple sessions, with just the basic, heel, stay, come, down, etc. And go with what your trainer suggests, get this under control first. I wouldn't use toys either for training as they can be guarded as well. I would go to praise alone. 

Good luck. Nobody talks about it much, the things we expect dogs to do with treats. Putting a treat on the foot or on the nose and expecting the dog to wait for our cue before he eats it. People tell me it builds self-control. I think, BUNK! I think it is teasing the dog. I think it can create problems like laser pointers can -- it doesn't happen with all dogs, but the only way you know you have a dog who does have an issue is to run into it. Work with a trainer. I wouldn't feed by hand until you work with a trainer. If you do not like what they are saying, ask them to explain the theory, and what you should expect your dog to do, etc.


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

BoyOhBoy!! said:


> Are there other things we can do (or not do) to rebuild trust?


Yes "walk your dog!" Your dog does not need you for exercise but they do you to walk! A structured walk is how you build a bond of trust!

I had a very rough road with my guy! He did somethings that caused a lot of resentment between us! 

But to fix it I had to walk him and he changed though I didn't notice it at first!
And then this happened.:

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/4881481-post1.html

That came from walking him! Nothing I taught??? So walks are important!

The next things you can do are these:
Boxer Forum : Boxer Breed Dog Forums - View Single Post - Are people Afraid of you when you walk your Boxer??

And click on the thread link at the top for the follow up Q&A.

None of these are conflict with the advise given just an answer to the above question.

Welcome aboard.


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## Gwenhwyfair (Jul 27, 2010)

Chip. I hear and read that a lot. They 'check out' the most when just loose leash walking and it depends on the dog too. It was Bailiff who said, "just walking them is boring". I thought it was just me, 'cause I thought the same thing, just walking, walking along on a loose leash was boring and didn't seem to help with OB or 'trust'. That's a Cesar Milan'ism, I think. 

My dogs are happiest and most engaged when we are playing, training, moving at a pace faster then a walk, changing directions, climbing a new obstacle and being challenged and rewarded. 

So generally speaking walking doesn't necessarily build 'trust' whereas dog and handler being engaged with each other does.

And...boxers, for the most part, are not GSDs and for the vast majority not even working dogs any longer.


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

Gwenhwyfair said:


> Chip. I hear and read that a lot. They 'check out' the most when just loose leash walking and it depends on the dog too. It was Bailiff who said, "just walking them is boring". I thought it was just me, 'cause I thought the same thing, just walking, walking along on a loose leash was boring and didn't seem to help with OB or 'trust'. That's a Cesar Milan'ism, I think.


 That may well be a "Cesar Milan'ism" but as it happens ...there is "always" that guy! I proved "Cesar's" "theory" to be sound. I had "NO" bond with my GSD. He ticked me off!! And I can carry a "serious freaking grudge for a very long time!" 

"I" walked my dog for "Behaviour Modification" no love lost between us! And then this happened!

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/aggression-good-bad-ugly/399905-what-would-my-dog-do-2.html

So yeah we'er good! And an update ... he once again "saved" me from "stitches!" When while off leash he "failed to stay behind me!!!" When a charging Mastiff/Pit when a charging Mastiff/Pitt mix, came at us form an open garage!!!

I told Rock to "Stay" and I steeped in front! Instead he stepped beside me and smiled in the charging dogs face???? I lost focus on the "target" and the red mist cleared! Because now I was ticked off at Rocky!!!

The charging dog??? He saw "Rocky"" ... stopped ,sat down and wagged his tail!!! I was ready to slam a knee into that dog! "Somebody or Dog was getting hurt! But "Rocky" apparently??? Understood that "sometimes Daddy don't make good decisions!" 

He deescalate the situation not me! He could have just as easily have said "yeah go for it dad and did as he was told!" But he did not, sometimes or dogs are "wiser" than us. 

.


Gwenhwyfair said:


> And...boxers, for the most part, are not GSDs and for the vast majority not even working dogs any longer.


 Yes ... I'm sure many people think that??

You could contact this guy, and let him know "you" think Boxer's aren't working dogs??:
Cliff vom Grand Kevin

If I want a PPD my breeds of choice got my back! I go for "Goofy myself" so 100% all American for me! But if my goals change .. I'm still good with a Boxer!


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Cassidy's Mom said:


> And when I was in another room last weekend and realized I'd left my empty yogurt container on my desk, which she has stolen and chewed several times before, I simply called out "Halo, what are you doing?" and she walked into the room with the container, partially chewed, in her mouth and let me take it away from her. She was happy the whole time, her tail gently wagging.


Apparently I'm a little slow, because this happened again today, lol! 

First she brought me the yogurt container:










And then she brought me the SPOON. :wild:










This is the potential downside of training your dog to bring you things to prevent resource guarding, but I have to admit she is highly entertaining. :laugh:


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

LOL! Nice pictures. Much better than the picture with the dog and the knife. Ah well, it's usually me giving Babsy the yogurt container, and me holding the spoon so she can lick it off.


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## BoyOhBoy!! (Apr 30, 2015)

LOL @Cassidy's Mom, yes the downside seems quite adorable!

Remi is going to be evaluated outside of his normal environment by a trainer familiar with GSD's on Monday. I'll have an update after that. 

Mom to Remi


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## Gwenhwyfair (Jul 27, 2010)

Geeze... Two words Chip...just two words.

Focus and engagement.

That is all. 

As for the rest....what ever.

(btw, I said the "vast majority not even working dogs any longer", not non-existent. Another way to translate that, working boxers are super rare. I don't see any working in the military or Law enforcement, they are pretty rare in bite sports too. So I don't need to call your boxer buddy....  )




Chip18 said:


> That may well be a "Cesar Milan'ism" but as it happens ...there is "always" that guy! I proved "Cesar's" "theory" to be sound. I had "NO" bond with my GSD. He ticked me off!! And I can carry a "serious freaking grudge for a very long time!"
> 
> "I" walked my dog for "Behaviour Modification" no love lost between us! And then this happened!
> 
> ...


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## Gwenhwyfair (Jul 27, 2010)

Apologies for the side track.

Good luck with the trainer! :thumbup:



BoyOhBoy!! said:


> <snipped>
> Remi is going to be evaluated outside of his normal environment by a trainer familiar with GSD's on Monday. I'll have an update after that.
> 
> Mom to Remi


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## BoyOhBoy!! (Apr 30, 2015)

Just wanted to update.

We have taken to feeding him in his crate at this time. He has not had anymore episodes of resource guarding (of course we haven't given him any beef bones either). 

I am grateful to a member of this forum who PM'd me with the website of another forum member who is a trainer near Raleigh. I emailed him and he immediately responded, answering many questions and explaining what services he felt I could benefit from. I watched videos on youtube on his classes and am very impressed. While I had some sticker shock and the cost of in board training, I realized later the price is generally the same and I think in terms of training a GSD, you get what you pay for. However, I have decided to go with another facility. It is the same cost for board and train, but it is much closer to us.

I'm very hopeful and excited. The trainer from this facility called me shortly after I submitted an email for more information. She has 3 mals and shared many of her achievements in training, and really helped ease my mind about any potential negatives based on Remi's genetics. We ended up talking for almost an hour. She is going to board and train for 6 weeks, with an additional week for training of myself and our family. We talked about "picking our battles" and determined that a well behaved pup in public (we really enjoy taking our dogs all over town with us) is a big priority. Where and how he eats, whether or not he gets a beef bone is lower on the totem pole simply because there are other options than feeding Remi from a bowl in his crate. We talked about those options and my kids are old enough to learn to respect his space, so my concern over resource guarding isn't the focus. The price of training includes all the training tools used during training (i.e. flat collar, 30 ft lead, raised bed for teaching "place", and an e collar for off leash training). She offered a lot of reassurance on our abilities to keep a WL dog and really gave me more confidence. She also gave me tips and pointers on how to work on creating a mutual respect between Remi and us. We will be getting DVD's showing Remi's training throughout the process, with the trainer demonstrating how she provides commands and what he should do in response. We have free follow ups for life and 1 wk of free boarding every year for refreshers and advanced OB.

So that is my update for now!!

Thanks,

Mom to Remi


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## eddie1976E (Nov 7, 2010)

BoyOhBoy!! said:


> Just wanted to update.
> 
> We have taken to feeding him in his crate at this time. He has not had anymore episodes of resource guarding (of course we haven't given him any beef bones either).
> 
> ...


This sounds great. Hopefully you can share a success story when he is done at reform school. Can you PM the name of the place you are taking him to? I'm always looking to see what is out there. Thanks


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## kshadow (Oct 25, 2015)

Cassidy's Mom said:


> Apparently I'm a little slow, because this happened again today, lol!
> 
> First she brought me the yogurt container:
> 
> ...


Very very entertaining :laugh: Amazing how they can make us laugh:laugh:
That's why I love these dogs!


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