# aggression question



## LissG (Jun 18, 2011)

wolf is 14months old and a working line dog. we do basic obedience classes alot and he does very well. he's the best dog ever lol, he's real sweet, loves everyone, and he's a total social butterfly. buuuuut lately he's had some aggressive issues. i'm just asking for some opinions on here as to wether this is normal or not. i see the trainer saturday and i'm going to ask him, but i'm really concerned. this IS my first GSD and i'm trying so so so so sooo hard to do everything right...i could just be over reacting but i just want to know if this is normal for this age....one example is last night i was in bed and wolf hopped up with his blanket. he curled up by my feet. i went to pet him and he started growling. as i was petting him he was getting more and more aggressive. he had his prong collar on, so i gave him a correction. he got worse and did a NASTY growl/bark i've never even heard before. he scared the poo out of me so much i left the room. i really thought he was going to bite me and i've never ever ever thought that of him before. he's never really done anything like that before. his blanket is HIS blanket he brings it from room to room and lays on it. sooo think it's normal testing boundary behavior? or think it might be an issue we have to really work on? i'll keep you all up to date when i talk to the trainer.


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## Gharrissc (May 19, 2012)

You are right about talking with your trainer,but I will tell you that it *sounds* like a resource guarding issue. You didn't mention anything about any medical issues so I am assuming that it wasn't a medical issue?? 

For future reference don't ever get up and leave the room. You sent a clear message to him when you did that,and it wasn't a good one.I would also take away the priviledge for him to get on the bed too. Furniture time is not a right.


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## LissG (Jun 18, 2011)

no he doesn't have any medical issues, he's totally healthy. but if it happens again between now and saturday, what should i do?


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## Gharrissc (May 19, 2012)

I would suggest you take his blanket away since that's what I you said he was guarding.I also would take away the furniture privledges. These suggestions though are purely based on what you posted. Contacting your trainer over the phone is also a good thing. He should be willing to give you some advice until you can get together with him, especially if you are fearful of your dog now. If you are afraid,then it won't matter what you do because he will be able to pick up on it.

If this is resource guarding you need to get on top of it right away because it can spread to other areas that he considers 'his'. 

Other members of the board will be able to give you better advice as well.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

How much of the day does he have the prong collar on for?


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

You can't let him win a session by him growling and you leaving the room.

So you need a better plan for the next time. Running and getting him a treat (so he's rewarded with the treat when he leaves the blanket and goes to you). Replacing his blanket with a favorite toy, then blanket then toy......

General dog classes are a huge help to gain the leadership role.

MUCH OF THE TIME addressing aggression (the growling) with force (the prong collar) does not work. Not the smartest way to train when we can figure out a better way to regain the calm and stable leadership role in the house.

PREVENTING the situation is best.


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## Lakl (Jul 23, 2011)

This is an honest question, because I've never dealt with a dog that resource guards or has growled at me. Well, except for my yorkie, but at 8lbs, she couldnt scare me if she tried. But giving them a high value treat or a better toy, isn't that sort of rewarding the behavior? At 14 months, how do you establish strong leadership if you are rewarding him for negative behavior? My natural reaction would've been to use a strong tone and "ah!" the growling as soon as it began, and give an "off" for the bed. I would not have backed down and would not have rewarded. I would have removed the blanket entirely, and reinforced the strong, negative tone towards the behavior. I have a littermate to Wolf from a more recent litter, and this is not something I would ever tolerate. From there I would work on the giving and taking process with the blanket, and praise or reward for NOT growling only?


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## iloveshepherds (Jul 10, 2012)

yikes. if my dogs ever tried that crap with me, they would be in a whole lot of trouble. LOL...but with my dogs, they know Im the boss. and that will never happen in my house...or there is going to be a wrestlemania in my house! LOL. just kidding all joking aside...
is your dog neutered? if not, maybe that will help alittle. 
dont let him on your bed, or have things that he is protective of. and next time he growls at you when he is on YOUR bed, kick his little butt off. 
show him who is boss in your house...
dont be afraid of your dog, cuz he is going to sense that and think he is the king.
good luck with the trainer! i hope you get this issue under control


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## huntergreen (Jun 28, 2012)

i have no problem with pronged collars, but why was it on when he was done with training? i am not an expert, but it sounds like you need some help with training, possibly a different trainer. what ever you are doing isn't working if you need the prongs 24/7. as i said though, i am not an expert.


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## Ares0311 (Apr 26, 2012)

LssG - You need to establish the human / dog role in your home. There is a great website that gives a breakdown of how to shrink the dogs world down to you. So Wolf turns to you for what he wants. Mind Games is all over this site and it really does work.

Mind Games (version 1.0) by M. Shirley Chong

As others have mentioned, don't ever walk out if he growls at you. You gave him the reward he was looking for (you backing down). If it happens again (which it shouldn't because he won't be on the bed) You need to lay back and wait for an opportunity to calmly take the blanket away and stash it somewhere he can't get it.


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## LissG (Jun 18, 2011)

wolf only has his prong collar on when we're home with him. we're constantly in/out when we're home and we use every chance we can to train him but it comes off when we leave or go to sleep. he's a working line czech/german and not neutered. we don't want to neuter him. he has never displayed any type of aggressive behavior before towards anyone or anything even with high value items, except for these past couple weeks with this probable resource guarding.


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## LissG (Jun 18, 2011)

Ares-thanks for the website!!! 

and thanks everyone for the advice. i won't leave the room next time and i've taken away all his high value stuff. he looks like a sad puppy now lol


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

Every dog is different, and I don't suggest anyone do what I do because I know my dog and not yours

Here goes, I have an aussie who is a resource guarder, he's been the bain of my existence He's now 11 years old. I"ve always prided myself on being a pretty good trainer with my dogs , they aren't 'perfect' but no dog is, but I've never had a dog who could be as stubborn or as resource guardy as him..It's NEVER changed.

He gets on furniture and starts his growly behavior,,he is OFF that furniture..He'll come into my bedroom lay on the floor and go into a growling frenzy at a cat that walks in, one of the other dogs that walk in,,He is LEAVING that room. He will resource guard a toy (chewies are only allowed when he's in a crate),,I take that toy away from him..

As soon as he 'shuts up', he is praised..Now this dog has never once tried to bite me, for me, it's a big bluff that he will not follow thru on with ME, he does have no problem getting snarky with the dogs, they know it, the cats know it, and stay out of his 'space'.. The majority of the time, the growling frenzy also has him wagging his butt..

Anyhow, more goes into it, but suffice it to say that's how I handle him, and again, don't advocate others to do the same , I know this dog not yours.

But yes, I would not allow him on furniture and all high value things are earned or used as a reward for good behaviors..

ok done rambling


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## LissG (Jun 18, 2011)

So Wednesday Wolf decided to be aggressive towards me again. I gave him a good correction and it got much worse. I can't even touch him without him growling, I can't walk him, i can't be near him, i can't do anything. I'm ready to throw in the towel. I did everything right with this dog-EVERYTHING. i interviewed 8 trainers before picking one-and yes he has over 25 years experience training working line GSDs, he trains police/military dogs, and is VERY familiar with this particular blood line. i love my dog more then anything and if i have to give him up i will be broken, completely devastated. i give up stuff for myself so this dog can have the best. i'm sooo sooo frustrated. i don't beat my dog, i don't abuse him or neglect him he is my world and i can't even pet him. but the drug dealer down the street who has his dog tied up to a tree 24/7 and doesn't care can pet his dog. my husband can pet/cuddle with my dog. what the heck!? we have a meeting with the trainer tomorrow. i'm sorry i'm just venting. it's sooo frustrating to put soooo much time and effort and energy into a dog and have him hate you. it hurts soooo much.


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## Jag (Jul 27, 2012)

Maybe I'm wrong... but maybe you've given him *too* much. It could be him still on his 'win' from the other day, too. I hope your trainer has some good advice for you. I know it's frustrating to have this happen. My shepherds never did this to my wife, but she never rocked their boat, either. I'm sure if she did, they'd have pulled this with her because they had very little respect for her. (She fawned all over them, and they ran her over, LOL!) Hang in there... see what happens tomorrow.


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## e.rigby (May 28, 2011)

Heh, I'll take him 

Actually, I think the way you're handling your dogs issues are making them worse. Punishment via a prong collar when a dog is showing aggression can amplify the aggressive response (which you are seeing). You're putting yourself (and technically your dog) in danger by trying to exert his kind of control over him when he is in the state he's in. 

I would have him on a flat collar (no prong) when in the house. Have a leash attached to him. If he tries to guard an area, simply grab the other end of the leash and calmly remove him. If you punish him with the prong you can further overstimulate him and the next time might end up with you getting bitten.

Also, if you're not already, you should implement a NILF policy.

Also also.. if you have a high energy czech GSD... up your exercise. Seriously. So whatever you're doing... do more!


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## Jag (Jul 27, 2012)

e.rigby said:


> Heh, I'll take him
> 
> Actually, I think the way you're handling your dogs issues are making them worse. Punishment via a prong collar when a dog is showing aggression can amplify the aggressive response (which you are seeing). You're putting yourself (and technically your dog) in danger by trying to exert his kind of control over him when he is in the state he's in.
> 
> ...


OMG.. another parrot person!! :wild::wild::wild:
Do you also have a Czech dog? I'm getting slightly nervous if this is a Czech dog we're also talking about. Taking in all I can from those that already have them.


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## Muskeg (Jun 15, 2012)

What e. rigby said.

A prong correction can amplify a response, for sure. Also, some working-line dogs tend to 'enjoy' a fight. You bring the fight to them, they'll bring the fight to you. That is not the kind of relationship you want to have with your dog. Calmly attach a leash and remove the dog. Do not be confrontational. Many dogs of any breed will fear-bite or defense-bite if someone looms over them, obviously emotional and upset, and makes a grab for their collar. There is not way out for the dog.

With proper training and leadership this too will pass. Don't get emotional and think about how much you do for this dog and how could he ever do this. He's a dog. He reacts to a situation in a way he sees fit. He's also a teenager.

Another option is to train 'move' or 'off' in a general OB situation using markers or whatever you use for training. Train the dog to jump on something (the deck or a chair or whatever) then tell them off and reward. My dogs love this game and it teaches them housemanners and car manners (also incorporate 'wait' for the car) when they are not amped up and feeling possessive, etc.

You need to realize that this type of behavior is NOT uncommon in certain lines of working dogs. YOU need to be a calm/assertive leader (Cesar Millan has that right) and take control. Nothing is wrong with the dog. It's genetic, to a large extent.

You do not want to fight with the dog. He will be both afraid of you and willing to fight back. Not a good basis for a working relationship. People need to research the good and bad of working lines prior to getting a puppy. The best working dogs often tend to have some resource guarding tendencies and natural aggression. Not to say they can't be good in the house, and social with family and approachable, but training does take some careful thought and a non-emotional approach. You can develop these skills even if they don't come naturally. 

Just my experience, and every dog is different.


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## e.rigby (May 28, 2011)

Jag, my GSD (Virgil) is from Czech lines (Hektor Vom Haus Rentz - German Shepherd Dog) I can't read pedigrees  so I'm going by what I was told  heh

Virgil is an awesome dog. I love him to death. He has so much drive that today he was keyed in on his tug toy that another dog came up and tried to attack him and he didn't even flinch he was so focused. 

All dogs are different though... and high energy GSDs are quite the handful! Even with the best training! 

Haha, and yes, I am a crazy parrot person 

Also, to the OP, Muskeg explained it in more detail! Please try utilizing a leash on a flat collar while in the house!


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## mebully21 (Nov 18, 2011)

where are you in nj? its also possible you need a different trainer. i would remove the prong collar as this is making the situation worse, some dogs react worse with prong collars... sounds like this dog is one of them. at 14 months old he is a teenager and brat stage- and having balls isnt helping the situation. and if you are treating the dog like a child STOp and treat him like a dog.. it sounds like he doesnt respect you and the corrections you are giving are way too harsh and he is reacting.

how much exerccise does he get? what are you training him for?

maybe you should check out John Soares for training if you are close enough:

Professional Dog Trainer servicing the New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia area - obedience, protection, sport, Schutzhund


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## Jo_in_TX (Feb 14, 2012)

This may be a dumb question but can a dog lay down and relax with a prong collar on? Is it possible that leaving this collar on all day is making him...well...grumpy?


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## LissG (Jun 18, 2011)

collar isn't left on all day


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## LissG (Jun 18, 2011)

i'm in south jersey. my trainer is really great and i don't want to switch, but thank you.


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## e.rigby (May 28, 2011)

LissG said:


> i'm in south jersey. my trainer is really great and i don't want to switch, but thank you.


Just a warning then, if this is the trainer advocating you keep a prong on your dog throughout the day when you're NOT training... then perhaps you should question his training philosophy. 

If you're coming to a message board to seek advice ... then perhaps he's not the best trainer for you; because if you're truly working with a good trainer, you shouldn't need to look elsewhere for help.

Your dog is GOING TO GET WORSE if you continue down the path you are. A dog that bites is a very difficult dog to rehome, and quite frankly, if you push this dog to that point, you've technically doomed your dog to an uncertain future. 

Honestly, you ow it more to the dog to listen to what some of the members here are saying... and/or to seek out the advice of a different trainer with a different take on the situation than your current trainer might have.

Not all dogs are accepting of a prong collar for corrections, and you can't just 'correct' the aggression out of your dog without risking injury to yourself.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I am really sorry you are going through this. I am not familiar with working line dogs. 

If this was one of my dogs, I would drop the prong collar and go back to the very beginning, giving the dog no free-time in the house, no access to furniture, would remove the blanket and all chews/toys. I would use a crate. I would put together a regular schedule with plenty of exercise and training.


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## LissG (Jun 18, 2011)

e.rigby said:


> Just a warning then, if this is the trainer advocating you keep a prong on your dog throughout the day when you're NOT training... then perhaps you should question his training philosophy.
> 
> If you're coming to a message board to seek advice ... then perhaps he's not the best trainer for you; because if you're truly working with a good trainer, you shouldn't need to look elsewhere for help.


 if you read what i said earlier, he does not always ahve his prong collar on. if you read what i said you'd see that we were going in/out to train, and he has it on only while we're doing this for a few hours at a time. i was asking if this behavior was normal for this age-as in is it a phase like "land shark" just to get some peace of mind until i saw the trainer.


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## Lakl (Jul 23, 2011)

I'm sorry, but I have spoken to the OP in pm, and have gotten a little more detail than what is displayed in this thread. I honestly don't think the issue is completely with the dog. This is her first GSD, and she loves him dearly, but in the process has given him too much leeway (imo). I don't think it has anything to do with him being Czech or workingline. He is at the teenage stage and he has tested her, and she failed the test. This is an extremely intelligent dog, and because she has shown him fear, he has bumped her down on the hierarchy. I have an 8lb yorkie that displayed the exact same behavior with my kids. She's been with us 10 yrs and grown up with the kids. When they were younger, they would try to pick her up, and she knew that they often would handle her too rough. So one day she growled at one of them, and it scared them and they backed off. That was it. If she didn't want to be bothered by them, she knew what to do. 

This dog KNOWS she's afraid of him, and the respect has been lost. Hopefully, this trainer will be able to work with Wolf AND her to re-establish their relationship, and teach her the proper way to handle this situation.


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## Lakl (Jul 23, 2011)

selzer said:


> I am really sorry you are going through this. I am not familiar with working line dogs.
> 
> If this was one of my dogs, I would drop the prong collar and go back to the very beginning, giving the dog no free-time in the house, no access to furniture, would remove the blanket and all chews/toys. I would use a crate. I would put together a regular schedule with plenty of exercise and training.


:thumbup: This is exactly the advice I gave. She needs to start over from the beginning and rebuild their relationship.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

Lakl, glad you are of help to the poster, and no this is not normal behavior but it can be understandable given what Lakl has said.

I have a 3/4 czech girl, and she has never ever once even thought of growling or trying to bite me. In fact I've never had a dog ever, that tried to bite me intentionally, (even my butthead aussie who is a big time resource guarder, he goes into a big cujo mode and I can still take something away from him without him biting me)..

I hope your trainer who you say you like, and sounds knowledgeable will be able to help you both over come this..


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## Lakl (Jul 23, 2011)

He is also not displaying any of this behavior with her husband. 

My dogs are the same way, but in a different sense. I am, hands down, the leader in my home. With the kids, the house, whatever. The dogs have never shown aggression to my husband, but they have sure as heck IGNORED him. Achilles likes to sit by the fence outside and wait for the neighbor's dog to come out. The DH many times has called him 4 or 5 times and gets no response whatsoever. So I'll come out and say, "Achilles, come!" and instantly he jumps up and runs to me. My husband jokingly curses him, but he knows that when it comes to the dogs, I'm definitely the higher up.

I think the OP just needs to learn how to find her footing in the household again.


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## Blitzkrieg1 (Jul 31, 2012)

Lakl said:


> I'm sorry, but I have spoken to the OP in pm, and have gotten a little more detail than what is displayed in this thread. I honestly don't think the issue is completely with the dog. This is her first GSD, and she loves him dearly, but in the process has given him too much leeway (imo). I don't think it has anything to do with him being Czech or workingline. He is at the teenage stage and he has tested her, and she failed the test. This is an extremely intelligent dog, and because she has shown him fear, he has bumped her down on the hierarchy. I have an 8lb yorkie that displayed the exact same behavior with my kids. She's been with us 10 yrs and grown up with the kids. When they were younger, they would try to pick her up, and she knew that they often would handle her too rough. So one day she growled at one of them, and it scared them and they backed off. That was it. If she didn't want to be bothered by them, she knew what to do.
> 
> This dog KNOWS she's afraid of him, and the respect has been lost. Hopefully, this trainer will be able to work with Wolf AND her to re-establish their relationship, and teach her the proper way to handle this situation.


 
I cant agree more. It really sounds like you took a heavy duty intact working line dog thats just coming into his sexual maturity (watch for behaviour changes at 14-18 months, leerburg article talks extensively about this) and treated him like a labradoodle (Letting him sleep in the bed is a red flag for me). It sounds like your doing training which is good, but its not the training thats the issue its your pack dynamic thats the problem. When it comes to teaching appropriate social behavior especially in the home you dont need to clicker train to get the message across. Make a few simple set in stone rules, no leeway no compromise. Ex: No furniture ever, a specific area in the house the dog does not leave, regimented mealtimes, no jumping etc.. 

The next time he resource guards or growls at you over something I would take a large racket or some similar blocking device and stand over the dog with the blocking device between me and him. When he stops growling or moves an inch back I would step in and take some of his space away (even an inch is significant). Stay there for ten-20 minutes if you have too and remain calm eventually if you dont back down the dog will leave the item. This saves you having to take a nip as they will usually go for the racket or whatever you are using. I have had success with this method when dealing with a biter. 
If you insist on allowing him on furniture I would also keep a cheap slip lead handy and if you need to move him just drop the loop over his head without touching him and get him off the item in question. That being said if you create a living situation were you have total control over his every move through crating and keeping him on a leash this will rarely if ever come up.

Last but not least and it has been already mentioned numerous times, dont EVER back down you clearly have lost his respect but this can be regained if you put your mind to it. Loving your dog is great but your love will never be enough to win respect. 
Good Luck dont give up!


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## cliffson1 (Sep 2, 2006)

Lakl is 100 percent right.....the dog feels that his rank is higher then Liss. In raising the pup I think the corrections were done by husband and Liss tried to stay positive with everything she did with the dog. Their are some behaviors that have to be dealt with immediately and with clarity when it is dealing with pack position. A good trainer, which she has can fix this, but only with Liss's willingness to do what is necessary. The lack of the dog showing this behavior to the husband shows its an issue that has been allowed to develop. Usually issues created can be reversed as long as the behavioral changes take place (by owner) and remain consistent. At this point Liss needs to work with her trainer and remain consistent with what he proposes.


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## Jack's Dad (Jun 7, 2011)

Lakl said:


> I'm sorry, but I have spoken to the OP in pm, and have gotten a little more detail than what is displayed in this thread. I honestly don't think the issue is completely with the dog. This is her first GSD, and she loves him dearly, but in the process has given him too much leeway (imo). I don't think it has anything to do with him being Czech or workingline. He is at the teenage stage and he has tested her, and she failed the test. This is an extremely intelligent dog, and because she has shown him fear, he has bumped her down on the hierarchy. I have an 8lb yorkie that displayed the exact same behavior with my kids. She's been with us 10 yrs and grown up with the kids. When they were younger, they would try to pick her up, and she knew that they often would handle her too rough. So one day she growled at one of them, and it scared them and they backed off. That was it. If she didn't want to be bothered by them, she knew what to do.
> 
> This dog KNOWS she's afraid of him, and the respect has been lost. Hopefully, this trainer will be able to work with Wolf AND her to re-establish their relationship, and teach her the proper way to handle this situation.


_I actually think this_ (owner problem) is the basis for a lot of these aggression threads. People want to blame it on a health issue or prong collars or any number of other issues. 

These dogs are very smart about picking up on weakness and don't mind using that to their advantage.

I think it's wonderful that young people are interested in the breed but I've seen too many threads where they just love, love, love their babies soooo much.
When I see all the things they allow their babies to do, I just think to myself, oh boy! potential aggression thread on the horizon.


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## Anthony8858 (Sep 18, 2011)

I have a question....

If you were to keep a lead on him, and allow him to briefly get on the bed....Then (without sounding threatening), guide him off the bed with the lead, then treat... Would he be receptive? Do it in a calm, yet assertive manner.

Sort of like...
OK, come on, let's go , get off, then just lead him off with the lead.
Then befriend him with a treat.

Have you tried this?


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## Lakl (Jul 23, 2011)

Not to belittle your idea, but I think this is the problem. Why should she negotiate HER bed and HER bedroom with the dog? There needs to be some clear boundaries and leadership established, and with the behavior already shown, I would not allow him back into the room AT ALL. I think NILIF is the route she needs to take. He needs to earn privileges through her guidance, not the other way around.


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## Anthony8858 (Sep 18, 2011)

Lakl said:


> Not to belittle your idea, but I think this is the problem. Why should she negotiate HER bed and HER bedroom with the dog? There needs to be some clear boundaries and leadership established, and with the behavior already shown, I would not allow him back into the room AT ALL. I think NILIF is the route she needs to take. He needs to earn privileges through her guidance, not the other way around.


You're not belittling my idea at all. 

You're right, I'm not 

I was thinking that maybe she needed to develop some form of trust with each other.


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## Blitzkrieg1 (Jul 31, 2012)

I think trust developes in conjunction with respect. For there to be respect you must be firm, fair and clear about boundaries. This creates stability and predictability for the dog, who is then able to relax and feel safe and secure. Being firm about the house rules such as no jumping or going on furniture has never made any dogs I own or have owned hate me. There is no compromise, I only give treats during training, and also when reconditioning my somewhat dog reactive dog. 
House rules are what they are as many here have said I pay the bills the dog does as I say period. I will praise when my commands are obeyed but that is the extent of it.


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## LissG (Jun 18, 2011)

my trainer is definitely THE best, he has loads of experience, and is nothing short of a miracle worker for many many people and troubled dogs. we visited him today and wolf is just being a typical teenager and i have to change what I'M doing. it's not really wolf, it's me. he thinks he's king cause i spoiled him rotten. we spent alot of time with our trainer today and i've been shown what to do, what not to do and hopefully we'll see an improvement soon. i'm not expecting it to be better over night, but i'm relieved that it's fixable. the dog is my world:wub:


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## Iannotti (May 17, 2009)

One of my dogs (the male) growls at my wife when she trys to take away something he took from her .. Ie; bra, slipper.

Only does it with her stuff, never any of his toys..

He doesn't pull this with me, only her.. Guess he assumes he is 2nd in command in the house, and she is 3rd? lol


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## Ares0311 (Apr 26, 2012)

LissG - Glad to hear that you had a good visit with your trainer. Just remember that patience is key with training. That and don't get frustrated with the "one step forward two steps back" that you may see with Wolf. I've had my rescue GSD for 5 months now and I'm just starting to see less reactivity on a more regular basis.

Plus I swear that GSD's can smell frustration! Mine does, and gets less likely to listen as I get irritated. So I had to teach myself to change things up and stay positive.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

Simple. 
DOG OWNS NOTHING. If they guard it they lose it. 
I own everything in the house. Food - it's mine, I share it. Blankets?? Dear God. Nobody better guard those. 
If they guard space - even from other dogs (another dog can't lay by it for instance) then they are removed from that spot and placed elsewhere. 

We aren't mean or anything, we don't fling them around but we simply remove them from that situation. If we have a dog that may nip in response to being moved, we leave a leash ON the dog at all times. Even a .99 cent store leash. Something we can remove the dog.

Once you control all the resources - food, space, items such as toys or beds, blankets, etc. THEN you are the leader.

Mind Games (version 1.0) by M. Shirley Chong



> I have an 8lb yorkie that displayed the exact same behavior with my kids.


When my own angel Dachshund (hah, I joke) came to live with us, he had a back injury. Poor guy, I thought. I will let him sit here on the corner of the couch. 
Well my daughter, then 13, came to sit by him, he growled at her!
Oops! Big mistake in my house. I went over, got him and moved him to the other end of the couch.
Later, the same thing happened again! I went over, moved him, and he was fine then. 
We've learned since, he growls a lot when you move him (like pick him up to take him outside) and has even nipped a bit at my son for removing him from the warm bed to take him out in the AMs. He's never bitten us - but he's a very vocal dog, for starters.
But to "heed" his warning growl, would have meant this 11lb. dog would have ruled our roost. I am positive that his first 2yrs. of life, he got away with this type behavior.
None of us listen to him and we just go on about life, and if he growls, OH WELL. So sad, little guy, it's our home. And he, like everyone else, owns nothing in it, not even his space.


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## LissG (Jun 18, 2011)

i'm trying! i really do appreciate all the guidance from everyone here, it definitely helps...about what age do these "phases" stop and they're just normal hahaha


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