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## ebenjamin85 (Apr 13, 2008)

Lolote said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I'm new to this forum. I'm looking for some answers about my puppy because I believe he has got a lot of issues...
> 
> ...


Have you contacted a behaviorist? If not that may be a good bet. I'm certainly no expert but I will do my best to answer your questions.

1. I would stop feeding him wet food for now. Dry food is better for his teeth (unless you're talking about raw) anyways. Prevention may work best for you with regards to his resource guarding.

2. I would try to block and redirect his biting to a toy or bone. When he bites you give him a bone or toy and praise him with pets etc. when he bites the correct thing (i.e toy vs. your hand). Consider spraying things that you don't want chewed/bitten with a bitter apple spray (available from any pet store). 

3. I would supervise him at all times in the yard... consider leashing him when going out for potty breaks. Again, prevention.

4. As far as being an alpha I would remember that goldens are eager to please their people. Give a lot of positive reinforcement (pets, treats, praise, etc.) for the behavior that you want to continue, and redirect the rest. Don't be afraid to put him in his place. I'm by no mean's saying that you should scream at or hit your dog, but you are boss. If he's doing something that you do not approve of do not be afraid to take him by the collar and remove him from the situation. Do your best to keep his mind occupied through training and other stimulating activities. Have you contacted a trainer? If not, that's a great starting point.

Best of luck and please keep us updated. I'm sure you'll get more (and possibly better) advice from some of the resident trainers on the board.


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## TheCrewAndUs (Sep 11, 2011)

Thank you for your answers. Yes he started training 2 weeks ago. It's not really going that well either.. he doesn't listen when other dogs/people are around. He does great at home though. 

3) what would the leash in the yard do against the hackle raising? 

I'm not afraid of him or afraid to remove him from somewhere he is not supposed to be, but that doesn't stop him from going back as soon as my back is turned or biting/barking at me.

thanks again for your help


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## ebenjamin85 (Apr 13, 2008)

I'm thinking that walking him on a leash may prevent him from eating "treats" in the yard and thus acting aggressively. By walking him on a leash you can praise him when behaving appropriately and block unwanted behavior versus having to call him to you when you catch him acting out. 

I might be misunderstanding "raising his hackles." I'm not going to lie... I had to google it as it's not a phrase I'm familiar with. My understanding is that it means his fur is sticking up... as if afraid or aggressive.


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## ebenjamin85 (Apr 13, 2008)

We lived in an apartment and then townhouse when Samantha was young. Being forced to walk her on a leash may have been a blessing in disguise... it allowed/forced me to address any and every issue the second it occurred.


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## TheCrewAndUs (Sep 11, 2011)

I bought some all natural chicken thing treats and when i give him one, he rushes to the backyard to eat it, and if I come close to him, he sticks up his back fur and barks at me until I pet him and talk to him... I'm not sure what that means, that's why I was asking that.

I do walk him on a leash outside everyday.


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## aerolor (May 27, 2011)

I don't think I would be giving him any treats unless you hand feed them to him in small "bite sized" pieces and make him do something for it like sitting, going down (any of the training exercises you are doing with him). Any high value foods/treats he must link with you giving them to him. I also think I would not put a whole meal of food down at once, but would halve it and hand feed him the other half away from his bowl if necessary. You could also drop pieces of food into his bowl as he is eating, so that he will learn that all food comes from you and that you going near his bowl is something good, not something to be worried about. I think I would also feed him indoors and stay around while he eats it. Any food not eaten straight away should be removed until the next meal.


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## dexter0125 (Mar 20, 2011)

My boy is a Dexter too! This isn't aggression, this is resource guarding. You have to remember that he was part of a litter, and he basically had to protect his food or he lost it and was hungry until next time. I agree with the hand feeding. Hand feed him his food and his treats. This builds trust between the two of you. He realizes that YOU are his source of food, and if he growls at you, he doesn't get it.

I hand fed my Dexter from the beginning. So thankfully, I've never had this problem. He just looks at me with big sad eyes and waits for me to give whatever it is back, or give him something different.


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## solinvictus (Oct 23, 2008)

I would suggest looking into a professional help. A behaviorist would be the best. If you cannot find a behaviorist then look into a trainer that that has a background with resource guarding. In the mean time purchase the book "Mine" by Jean Donaldson.

IMO, your dog is not acting as an alpha dog. The dog is acting out of fear of you taking what he covets most at any one time. A behaviorist or a good trainer will give you exercises to work with your pup to change his thought process over time. With the exercises and repetition the pup will learn to associate your actions happily instead of fearfully.
It takes work, committment and time. There are others here that have had to do this also so it can be done.
In the mean time it is important not to let the pup practice the inappropriate behavior. Think where these instances happen and prevent them before it can happen.


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## TheCrewAndUs (Sep 11, 2011)

aerolor said:


> I don't think I would be giving him any treats unless you hand feed them to him in small "bite sized" pieces and make him do something for it like sitting, going down (any of the training exercises you are doing with him). Any high value foods/treats he must link with you giving them to him.


Thank you, I will do that from now on.


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## TheCrewAndUs (Sep 11, 2011)

dexter0125 said:


> My boy is a Dexter too! This isn't aggression, this is resource guarding. You have to remember that he was part of a litter, and he basically had to protect his food or he lost it and was hungry until next time. I agree with the hand feeding. Hand feed him his food and his treats. This builds trust between the two of you. He realizes that YOU are his source of food, and if he growls at you, he doesn't get it.
> 
> I hand fed my Dexter from the beginning. So thankfully, I've never had this problem. He just looks at me with big sad eyes and waits for me to give whatever it is back, or give him something different.


Dexter is common in GR lol 
I was told about that, but I didn't like the fact that he doesn't hesitate to bite me HARD.. I will just hand feed him from now own, even treats. Thanks a lot


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## iansgran (May 29, 2010)

Talk to jackie hubert a great member on the forum who lives in Vancover, too. She is a good trainer.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

There is a book titled "Mine" that is a good book for understanding resource guarding.


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## Sally's Mom (Sep 20, 2010)

I am the 3rd person to recommend Mine! I have it on my kindle because I like the author.
Of my 6 goldens only 2 ever exhibit piloerection(hackles). They happen to be mother and son. The mother does it in situations where she wants to intimidate a dog(never does it to people). Her son is more weeny and does it in situations where he is unsure. In either case, I never felt it was borne from aggression. I am now on the 8th litter of pups raised in my house. In only one litter have I ever seen a pup be too possessive of something. It was a sterilized bone stuffed with something yummy. Rather than let him practice growling at his littermates, I took the bone away. No reprimands, just matter of fact. This was in my second litter and I made a mental note to be careful about using treats and food that are just too high value. I have had from 2-7 goldens at one time and am always careful to not let them have things they might be too possessive of. I echo what everyone else has said about the wet food, etc. He doesn't need it and if he is going to be like he is, you should stop it.


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## TheCrewAndUs (Sep 11, 2011)

He has never been aggressive other than the resource guarding. So, i'll stop stuff that are way too yummy.
Thanks for your help


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## SeaMonster (Jul 4, 2011)

Gracie used to growl if we touched her while she was eating. I started by just staying close everytime she was eating. After a few days I started petting her back while she was eating and over time got closer and closer to the bowl. Now I can stick my hand in her mouth as she eats  Also try putting a very tasty treat in the bowl while she eats so she knows youre not there to steal his food. I also make her sit and keep the food from her for a few seconds and sometimes just walk over and take the food away.


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## TheCrewAndUs (Sep 11, 2011)

SeaMonster said:


> Gracie used to growl if we touched her while she was eating. I started by just staying close everytime she was eating. After a few days I started petting her back while she was eating and over time got closer and closer to the bowl. Now I can stick my hand in her mouth as she eats  Also try putting a very tasty treat in the bowl while she eats so she knows youre not there to steal his food. I also make her sit and keep the food from her for a few seconds and sometimes just walk over and take the food away.


He doesn't mind when it is his dry food. only yummy stuff


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## Discoverer (Feb 3, 2011)

Lolote said:


> 1) ... tried to have him eat on his own, and he bit me again.


How can he bite you? Were you putting hand in his bowl when he was eating? It's really bad and as a matter of fact will provoke the resource guarding. Never take anything away, especially something valuable (from the dog point of view), but rather exchange or switch his attention to other thing first and than remove the item. As your vet said hand feeding is really good. He should associate your hands only with "given" and never with "taking away"



Lolote said:


> 2) He is very mouthy and we can barely ever pet him without him trying to bite us. Of course he is not aggressive here but those teeth are sharp! lol is there anything extra I can do to have him stop?


As stupid as it sounds, the best thing is to let him bite you, but teach him a bite inhibition. It is essential to let your puppy know that bites can hurt. A simple loud "Ouch!" is usually sufficient. When the puppy backs off, take a short time-out to "lick your wounds," instruct your pup to come, sit, and lie down to apologize and make up and then, resume playing. If your puppy does not respond to your yelp by easing up or backing off, an effective technique is to call the puppy a "Bully!" and then leave the room and shut the door. Allow the pup a minute or two time-out to reflect on the association between his painful bite and the immediate departure of his favorite human playmate. Then return to make up. It is important to show that you still love your puppy, only that his painful bites are objectionable. Have your pup come and sit and then resume playing once more. 
And here is the best part - the older your pup the less mouthy he'll be, so hang on and he'll get better.



Lolote said:


> 3) Tonight he was eating a treat in the backyard and I went outside to check on him (cause he likes to go to the neighbors yard ...) and he barked at me and raising his hackles. When I call him over he comes and I pet him and everything goes back to normal, but then I went back inside waited a couple seconds and went back outside, and he did the same thing. was is that? Is this some sort of aggression again?


Same things here - he expects you are about to take the treat away and trying to protect it. Call him, pet, give another treat and let him finish his business.



Lolote said:


> 4) What are the signs of dominance? Like him wanting to be the alpha?


Dogs rarely display the dominance overnight. There are usually signs leading up to it over time, that's why the puppies rarely display the highest level of dominance due to their young age. Below are some alpha signs you'll have to watch for:

Stubbornness
Pushiness
Sitting in high places looking down on everything.
Barking at humans.
Jumping or putting their paws on humans 
Persistence about being on a particular piece of furniture when you ask them to stay off 
Persistence about being on top, be it a lap or stepping on your foot.
Annoyance if disturbed while sleeping.

There is some other signs too.

It looks the biggest issue your pup has is resource guarding and if it's not dealt properly it can lead to more serious behavior problems. There is lots of discussion on this forum to the subj, read all,create an action plan and start follow it. And remember - NEVER EVER put your hands in his bowl when he's eating and NEVER take away high valuable treats (e.g rawhide) and better yet - DON'T GIVE him such treats. 
Good luck!


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## Sally's Mom (Sep 20, 2010)

I was watching my 7 week old pups play at lunch. Two were sharing a nylabone(not high value) the boy decided he didn't want to share any more and picked up the bone and ran away from his littermate. So I got to thinking, this is how it starts....


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## Discoverer (Feb 3, 2011)

SeaMonster said:


> .... Now I can stick my hand in her mouth as she eats


How would YOU feel if somebody stick a finger in your mouth when you eating? If it was me, you'll probably loose your finger ...



SeaMonster said:


> I also make her sit and keep the food from her for a few seconds and sometimes just walk over and take the food away.


Let her sit in front of the bowl before eating is good to control the puppy impulse, but taking the food away - IS BAD, BAD, BAD! Once again, imagine you are really hungry, finally got your favorite meal and when enjoying it the most somebody takes the food away. That's a recipe for a resource guarding!


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## Sally's Mom (Sep 20, 2010)

I do not want to start an internet spitting contest, but I have issues with labeling dogs "dominant." Part of the reason I have goldens is their eagerness to please. But I can say from first hand experience they are not all born that way. I can only speak to my experience as a dog owner, veterinarian, obedience competitor, and student of animal behavior. Here is my Laney's story, got her at 7 1/2 weeks, had one other adult 5 yo golden(and 2 boys one 2 years 9 months and the other 9 months). My first golden easily got her CD and CDX, so when I went looking for golden #2, I went to stronger working lines. Laney was already temperament tested and labelled dominant by her breeder. She was, I believe, the first person to get an OTCH in the state of Maine. She instructed me to put Laney on her side and hold her until she submitted. I did that very very briefly once and realized she was more tenacious than I was. I surmised if I continued to do that, I would create a worse behavior(fear aggression?). So I just continued to handle her and train her for show ring obedience. She was a working machine and the confidence(not dominance) she displayed as a puppy carried over into the show ring. She was alpha to no one dogs or people... she got a long with every one and everything. She adored my kids and she was Mandell Marlenes Celebration UD RA CGC. I have no doubt in my mind I could've turned her into something awful.

Most behaviorists say a truly dominant dog displays none of those behaviors, because it just doesn't have to.

And my Emmie sleeps on top of me, sits on my lap, gets on the furniture(gets off when I tell her to), will put her paw on me(just like her Grandma), sometimes stands over me on a chair and there is nothing dominant about her... She has been shown in conformation, enjoys grooming and and nail trimming. Adores small children, I trust her implicitly(although I do believe all dogs bite, it's a question of when). She is also in charge of no one human or dog in this house.


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## SeaMonster (Jul 4, 2011)

Lolote said:


> He doesn't mind when it is his dry food. only yummy stuff


Same with Gracie. First time we gave her a bully stick, we met a whole new Gracie :bowl:


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## iansgran (May 29, 2010)

Several folks have recommend a book called "Mine" for this issue.


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## TheCrewAndUs (Sep 11, 2011)

Ian'sgran said:


> Several folks have recommend a book called "Mine" for this issue.


Just bought it.


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## crazy daisy (Jul 3, 2011)

Lolote said:


> I bought some all natural chicken thing treats and when i give him one, he rushes to the backyard to eat it, and if I come close to him, he sticks up his back fur and barks at me until I pet him and talk to him... I'm not sure what that means, that's why I was asking that.
> 
> I do walk him on a leash outside everyday.


what you're doing here is actually encouraging the behavior by the petting and talking to him whole he's in that state


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