PDA

View Full Version : She "growls" at me



jenfer
03-24-2006, 09:27 PM
Lately Gi becomes very protective with her flossie. I don't know whether I did something wrong. Few weeks ago while she was eating her flossie, I took it away from her while she is eating. I did that because I want to make sure it's ok for me to take food from her and I did give it back to her. I think I did it twice that time. And now she sort of growls at me when I pet her head when she was eating flossie. I was just "testing" it out just now, she actually barks at me, I can tell she was *alarmed*. But I keep telling her it's ok softly and keep petting her head, touching her mouth and touching the flossie. I am worried that she will bite me one day. She is never a mean dog, but she is super food motivated. Food is EVERYTHING. Ideas??? Thoughts?

Otto'sMom
03-24-2006, 09:42 PM
By touching her in a soothing way while she's misbehaving, you're telling her it's OK to continue that behavior.
A good way I've seen to deal with food possessiveness is to hand feed the dog for a while, make sure she knows that you control the food and she has to be nice to get it from you. Otto once thought it'd be a good idea to growl at me when I tried to take his rawhide, so I got an attitude with him "Oh yeah, *yoink* No Rawhide for you tonight, I'm KING, not YOU, and YOU DON'T GROWL AT ME!" in my most sternest voice and most b**chy energy I could throw out and he didn't get it back until he took it nicely. Keep in mind, I'm prone to be a smart alec with the dogs too and tease him by taking the rawhide, but he's never growled about food with me again.

Mama S.
03-25-2006, 07:46 PM
I have had growling issues with Hershey and Sam. I did exactly what ANdrea mentioned. Took their food and let them know I'm the DA** boss I BUY DA CHiCKEN. They know Mama means biznis.
Sandi

lotsadox
03-25-2006, 09:15 PM
I had some problems with Bogart growling at me when he was younger and I also did the attitude and let him know that I was not tolerating that kind of behaviour. :shocked:

jenfer
03-26-2006, 01:34 AM
Yes, I have been on and off practicing the "alpha-status" exercise. What book is that again? I forgot, but one of the thing is you pretend you are eating from their bowl, when the alpha is done, then it's their turn. I haven't done it for quite some time and re-started it a few weeks back. You should hear how sad Gigi is. Looks like she thinks I am REALLY eating her food. She cries, barks and jumping on me. lol. It was pretty funny trying not to laugh. Anyway, I just have to remind myself to tell her I am the boss. There are a few things I want to try as well.

lotsadox
03-26-2006, 11:03 AM
You should probably not let her do that while you are "gesture eating". Make her sit and wait quietly. She needs to know that you are in complete control of the food and she must wait patiently for you to finish.

I have trouble with Bogart being mouthly about food and sometimes growling at me and that's what I have done with him. I make him sit and wait while his food is on the floor until I tell him that he can have it. Having complete control of the food and toys makes a huge impression on dogs. :banana:

Jen
03-26-2006, 12:06 PM
We control food and toys with Tasha but still have flossie issues too. She does not want to give it up and will NOT drop it. You have to physically wedge it out of her jaws. No advice, we just take it away when necessary....

jenfer
03-26-2006, 12:24 PM
She sits and waits when I put the food bowl on the floor (made her "down"...put bowl down... we all wait a few seconds... then the "ok"). That part was ok, just the gesture eating (yesterday, no crying, barking nor jumping) she was afraid i was eating her food :rolleyes: . Oh and the recent growling when she is eating flossie. I have to find a way to cut the dang flossie into 1/2 and be more firm who is da boss in the house. She is all about food, you can take away her toys and stuff, but when it's food, she can be crazy. :p

Kerie
04-09-2006, 01:23 AM
Oscar is the same way. I've posted about it a lot. I don't know yet what is really working but we are working with a trainer and he seems to be inproving. Our trainer constantly reminds us that this is not our fault, so I hope that helps you.

Patt
04-09-2006, 03:14 AM
Yes, I have been on and off practicing the "alpha-status" exercise. What book is that again? Jenifer, are these the books you are thinking of?

The Other End of The Leash and a booklet How to be the Leader of the Pack and Have Your Dog Love You for it! Both by Patricia B. McConnell.

Anatresia
04-09-2006, 10:11 AM
I can take food out of Butters' mouth using MY mouth (not that I'd want to) but Rigby will growl if I come within a foot of her. She doesn't bite. If I get in really close, she just keeps a low growl, but I've been saying "Noooooo" and she calms down after a bit.

jenfer
04-09-2006, 01:33 PM
I can take food out of Butters' mouth using MY mouth

Have you really done that??? :rotfl:

Michelle
04-11-2006, 12:46 PM
I can take food out of Butters' mouth using MY mouth .

I can do that too with Heidi and Princess, I can take away anything from them even their raw food and raw bones, not with my mouth though,, but I have gone up to them face to face with their chewys and taken it from them with my mouth, just to test them out.

When they were wee little pups and we gave them their first chewy, Princess tried to get aggressive with Rachel when she came by her and we let her know real quick who is boss and since that time, we practice all the time with this issue, cause I knew I would always have kids over at my house, we routinely go up to both Heidi and Princess and take away their chewys while they are eating. Sometimes all I have to say to Heidi is "drop it" and she will listen, other times I just go right up to her and just take it out of her mouth and she lets go.

I think since we got them as little baby pups it was easier for us to do this, but if you got gigi as an adult then she might not have been trained by the former owners, but you can still work on her with it, I think it is something that can be done slowly over time, just keep on practicing taking things away from her and she will quickly learn that you are DA Boss!!, and she should be fine after a while.

We were just very paranoid about this issue because of Rachel and the multitude of kids that we have come to our house, so that is why we started it so early when we saw the first sign of agression with the bones,,