# Play/food agressive to the point of hurting hurself and other dogs....Please Help!!



## Goldieloks (Apr 6, 2012)

Goldie is 12 years old. We got her from a breeder when she was 3. They didn't want her anymore because she wold lay on her puppies and suffocate them. She has always been the alpha dog here. She has always guarded resources but not suprising considering where she came from. In the past she only guarded her food but over the past few months she has begun to attack my other dogs for their food or if they get to close to her bowl or even their own 30 minutes after they are empty. She initiates the fight but she is always the one hurt most because she is old. I have tried seperating them and taking their bowls up afterwards but it doesn't work. A few weeks ago she growled at me for trying to redirect her back to her own bowl. She was 10 feet from the food she was trying to steal so its not like I pulled her head out of the bowl. My other dogs are a 3 year old Lab and a 6 year old (huge)Malamute. They love to play all the time and Goldie used to play with them but now she gets between them and attacks the Lab. Once she has stopped their playing she will stalk the lab for a couple of hours to keep her from playing. If she get the Lab in the dog house she will sit in front of the door and stare her down for an hour or more. (I don't condone this behavior but I needed to see how far she would go and hoped after seeing it all play out I would understand why she is acting this way.) She goes after the neighbors like she is going to eat them. Even the ones she has known for 9 years! One day I came out to find a new neighbor crouched on the hood of my car and her acting like an attack dog. Once I come out and call her name she is done and ready to smother them with kisses. She has never bitten a human...all bark no bite but it sure scares them and we are afraid she might at some point. I don't know what to do about her issues. I've done all I know to do. I can't sperate the dogs all the time. I wouldn't even know where to begin with the neighbor problem! My husband insists we find her a new home with no other pets (so she can live out the last years of her life in peace and so my other dogs and neighbors can have peace as well) but I love her, we all do, and I'm afraid that would be hard on her. Please, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!
Thanks so much!


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## Finn's Fan (Dec 22, 2007)

Have you had Goldie to the vet to see if she has any medical issues that might cause her behavior, including a full thyroid panel? Hypothyroidism is very common in goldens and often can affect disposition. Before I did anything else, especially rehoming her, I would be sure that you're not dealing with a fixable medical situation.


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## Goldieloks (Apr 6, 2012)

Thank you so much for suggestion that! I will get her an appointment soon! I hadn't even thought of taking her to the vet for it because she is so healthy and I thought it was just behavioral. She is our first senior pet so we are learning as we go. Obviously I need to do more research on how to care for a senior Golden! Do you have any suggestions for reading or websites? How do the treat a thyroid problem?


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## Selli-Belle (Jan 28, 2009)

Yep a vet visit is the first step. Old dogs can also have cognitive issues, much like a human getting dementia, there is a drug that can help some of these cognitive issues. There is also the possibility that her vision is going which can exacerbate aggression issues since they feel the need to guard their stuff but can't see the other dog so they act out more offensively.

As to the neighbors, I would keep her contained and away from any possible interactions with other people. You really don't know what she will do so it is better safe than sorry.


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## Finn's Fan (Dec 22, 2007)

Treatment for hypothyroidism is an inexpensive pill. It may take a bit to figure out the appropriate dosage. There are often clinical signs, like a dry coat or a thinning coat, weight gain without adding food, but often, there really aren't any signs at all. In goldens, a "low normal" on the T4 result often requires supplementation to bring the dog back into a good normal range. Thyroid affects so many of the animal's systems that it is the first thing I think of when an older dog starts acting out of character!


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