Aggression part 2

Ok, a few more questions regarding aggresion.

Are bull breads inherently pre disposed to being aggressive over bones etc? Or is it just genetics/luck of th draw?

Eddie and Rosie had their first bones ever today however they were quickly taken from them after Eddie lost the plot and tried to bite Rosie again.

I don't know anything about his background so I don't know if it's environmental or just his breed.

Please let me know your thoughts.

Some dogs are naturally more possessive. Our Nola (the lab x) was a bit iffy when we first got her and a friend is having a terrible time with her rescue cockerpoo. The dogs we get in at Danaher that have possession problems are of all breeds, but cockers do have a bit of a reputation. Staffies don't.

Again, in the short term at least it is going to be a question of avoiding high value items. What is high value can vary from dog to dog (my friend's cockerpoo sees anything on the floor as 'his', whereas Nola was only ever possessive of food). You need your dogs to settle and gel well together, then you might be able to look at some sort of controlled training. What you really don't need, though, is for there to be any growing feeling of competition between them, so just stick to the ordinary and boring for now.

I have a slight issue with this Oscar when he has a high value bone will take it outside on his own and like to be left to himself.  i don't have another dog or children so i am always going to give him his space when eating them.  It still gets to me though as he can growl at me if i get too close and i'm not a big fan of that.

I am in the process (i don't know if you want to try too) if feeding him and adding to his bowl while he is eating and also using lesser value boles (he doesn't seem so possessive over rawhide)

i guess its a tough one to deal with because its a slight animal instinct to protect and survive.

I don't accept that any dog of mine growls at me for any reason. I don't believe in dominance so I'm not saying I want to be 'alpha', but I want my dogs to respect me and do what I ask. I make sure that my requests are reasonable, understood and polite, and especially when training they always get huge praise and treats, but within that framework I need them to know that when I ask I would like them to comply.

This is how I did Nola's growling over food. I gave her something lowish value, then immediately took it away. If she did nothing, she got it back. If she even thought about a growl it stayed away, for a good few minutes until there was a break in her mind. Repeat, repeat, repeat, until she knows that if she's ok with it she will get it back. Then increase the value of the item, right up to a gory bone.

If you think that your dog will actually follow through - a growl is a precursor to a bite - then use something like a litter picker, wear good gloves and a thick coat.

I also teach all my dogs 'leave it', again with copious rewards. I want them to be able to drop anything at all that they have, including real prey.

Nola will still challenge my husband with something super high value (e.g. a real kill), but she knows that I mean it and I won't let her have it, and that she'll get her reward. The other day she caught a baby bunny in the garden. She was outside, I was inside behind a closed window. I asked her to leave it, she looked at me, I asked again, she thought about it, I used me 'I mean it' voice, and she dropped the rabbit, walked away and came in for a treat.

It is important. If your dog has something he really, really shouldn't have, you need to be able to get it off him. For example, say you're walking past a bin and he pulls something out and you have no idea what it is. It might be harmless but it might not. You need to be able to ask him to give it to you, to be safe.

great advice from Liz!

I agree that the "Leave it" command is as important as recall. Whether it be during a scrap or as Liz says, a small furry, you don't want to be chasing them to make them let go.

I had a slight problem with this in that my Flo is deaf but she's now got the idea through sign language and impressively, she learnt this at 9 years of age. It's not perfect but she knows the command

Hi Dave, I had two bullbreed bitches for 8 years together and I tried to give them bones and it was always a disaster, the bulldog used to stick her back up and be out for a fight as soon as she got it. She would go for my staff for ages afterwards as well so I just gave up giving them bones it wasn't worth it.

I think this can apply to any breed of dog, my vet had two labs and wouldn't give them bones for the same reason. If you do then separate them in different rooms, but there could still be conflict afterwards.

I think you need to think is it really worth it.