Growling Over Bone
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Staffordshire bull terrier :: Staffordshire Bull Terrier Forums :: Staffordshire Bull Terrier Training and Behaviour
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Growling Over Bone
I got Loki a bone, and when I went over to stroke him, he growled at me. He doesn't growl at all over his toys or his meals, but when we get him something like a bone, he'll growl if we try to touch him. How do you stop this or work with him to get him to not be possessive over certain things?
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Re: Growling Over Bone
Diesel did this once to me....
She had a raw bone, took it to eat in her bed, I went over to give her a pat on the back as u do as she growled at me ! I was so taken a back and wtf?! So I immediately went into super assertive mode, made her leave the bone. Sit, paw,down, then she got the bone bk.
I thought there's no way a dog of mine is gonna be all possessive over food, so nipped it in the bud straight away.
So now, it's a regular thing with toys/bones/food. I make her leave the bone, then she can have it bk, she works fir treats etc too.
They need to know thst the bone/toy/food belongs to u, start as u mean to go on, make him work for his food etc work on the leave command so u can confidently take a bone or anything away from him.
Perseverance is key x
She had a raw bone, took it to eat in her bed, I went over to give her a pat on the back as u do as she growled at me ! I was so taken a back and wtf?! So I immediately went into super assertive mode, made her leave the bone. Sit, paw,down, then she got the bone bk.
I thought there's no way a dog of mine is gonna be all possessive over food, so nipped it in the bud straight away.
So now, it's a regular thing with toys/bones/food. I make her leave the bone, then she can have it bk, she works fir treats etc too.
They need to know thst the bone/toy/food belongs to u, start as u mean to go on, make him work for his food etc work on the leave command so u can confidently take a bone or anything away from him.
Perseverance is key x
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Re: Growling Over Bone
Just about what I'd do as well.
Right from the first I make sure that I can take anything at all away from a pup. As long as they know they'll either get it back, or get something just as good in return they won't be possessive.
Right from the first I make sure that I can take anything at all away from a pup. As long as they know they'll either get it back, or get something just as good in return they won't be possessive.
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Re: Growling Over Bone
That's why it surprised me so much, because I do make him work for treats or playing. Anyway, I read about dropping treats while they've got the bone so they know you coming up to them is a good thing. I tried it out and seemed to work; Loki let me touch the bone without growling as I put a treat next to it. I think I'll do a combination of that and what you both suggest and see how that goes. I guess he really likes bones lol.
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Re: Growling Over Bone
I have to say that I don't bribe where food is concerned, I reward. So the bone has to be given up before they get praise/treats/bone back. If you use treats to bribe the bone away you risk the dog snatching at the treats & going right back to guarding the bone - you might also find that they'll snap at you as you touch the bone.
I know a lot of people disagree (leave the dog in peace to eat, don't touch it, keep other people out of the room), but I will not put up with food possessivenes/aggression. And I'll be damned if I'll let a dog of mine exclude me or anyone else from a room just because he has a bone!
I know a lot of people disagree (leave the dog in peace to eat, don't touch it, keep other people out of the room), but I will not put up with food possessivenes/aggression. And I'll be damned if I'll let a dog of mine exclude me or anyone else from a room just because he has a bone!
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Re: Growling Over Bone
i were having same problem ,i resolve problem so that he needs to sit before he gets it and wait and than take it when i say so,i start to caressing him around his head and than say him:leave it and than praise him and same process again and thats works for me,never just sit and take a bone and walk away from me
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Re: Growling Over Bone
Caryll wrote:I have to say that I don't bribe where food is concerned, I reward. So the bone has to be given up before they get praise/treats/bone back. If you use treats to bribe the bone away you risk the dog snatching at the treats & going right back to guarding the bone - you might also find that they'll snap at you as you touch the bone.
I know a lot of people disagree (leave the dog in peace to eat, don't touch it, keep other people out of the room), but I will not put up with food possessivenes/aggression. And I'll be damned if I'll let a dog of mine exclude me or anyone else from a room just because he has a bone!
I agree 100% Caryll
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Re: Growling Over Bone
Great advice given here.
I got badly bitten by a GSD as a child because I went near him when he was eating. That memory has stayed with me and I would never put up with food aggression in any dog of mine. We could literally take a raw bone right out of Charlie's mouth and he wouldn't bat an eyelid. It's so important to put a stop to this kind of behaviour as soon as it starts.
Good luck
I got badly bitten by a GSD as a child because I went near him when he was eating. That memory has stayed with me and I would never put up with food aggression in any dog of mine. We could literally take a raw bone right out of Charlie's mouth and he wouldn't bat an eyelid. It's so important to put a stop to this kind of behaviour as soon as it starts.
Good luck
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Re: Growling Over Bone
Yeah, I definitely don't want to let him get away with that behaviour. At the moment it's just over bones, so I want to get rid of that before it gets worse. Making him sit before I give it to him doesn't help though; he always has to sit and stay before I give him anything. So the best advice is to teach him to leave it when he's told to, and take it away from him want, rather than using treats to get him to see me being near him as a good thing?
Thanks for all the advice so far, everyone.
Thanks for all the advice so far, everyone.
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