As I'm sure a lot of you are aware Rolo has an issue with resource guarding. If he has his food in his bowl or in his kong or even in his buster cube he will growl at some of us, some of the time. If he has a bone he will definitely growl at all of us all of the time. I have stopped giving him anything that can't be gobbled up in minutes. He was having an issue whilst in his crate, if my husband was putting him to bed he would put some kibble in there and go to put the locks across and he would growl, if you spoke to him or went to stroke him through the bars he would growl and raise his top part of his mouth, not baring his teeth but like snarling. He did it to me a few times also so not just my hubby. We know don't talk to him in his crate. I put him in tell him he's a good boy and leave.. The other night he was in his bed and my daughter was sat at the side of him giving him strokes, my son joined them and Rolo let him stroke him (very gently, not aggressively supervised by me) and he proper snapped at him. I told Rolo no and put him in time out. For the next day I insisted my son give Rolo his meals to improve their relationship which seemed to make it better. Tonight my daughter (next to me she is the closest to Rolo, she does a lot of his feeding and training spends a lot of time together) came downstairs from being in her bedroom, Rolo was sat in his usual spot on the kitchen floor no bed or anything and started snarling at her for no apparent reason at all. We are all Walking on egg shells if he gets anything of ours we have to bribe him to get it off him. If he takes it into his crate I am scared to get it off him through fear of being bitten. I have contacted local trainers to come and assess him, my trainer is available but not sure I want a dominant view on his behaviour! Another trainer has quoted £35 for an initial session but expects something like this to take quite a few sessions! I can't afford that amount of money. I am fully aware he needs to be assessed and can say hand on heart if anything were to happen to one of the children my husband would not hesitate in finding an alternative home for Rolo, this makes me feel very sad, this isn't Rolo's fault and I feel I have let him down. He is such a good boy and has settled in with us fantastically. I read Pippas article in how to tell if your dog is happy. I can't say Rolo shows signs of all 10 of these points! I know that people can't advise on Rolo's problem without seeing him so I supose Im just looking to vent my feelings. Thanks for listening. Kris
Re: Is my boy ok? Hi Kris, There's an article here that might be helpful. http://www.thelabradorsite.com/how-to-stop-your-dog-growling-over-food/
Re: Is my boy ok? Oh dear , I am very sorry to read this, it must be a massive worry for you and I`m pleased that you are having Rolo assessed by a professional . Just a thought , sometimes a change in behaviour is linked to a medical problem so maybe have your Vet check him over as well, so that you can rule it out , so sad for you .
Re: Is my boy ok? Fuming! Just spoke to a local dog trainer, when we first brought Rolo home ummed and arghed about wether to do clicker training or command training. Contacted them both got a place with the command trainers first, long waiting list for clicker trainers (should have waited) started with my puppy school and 2 weeks later was offered a place with the clicker trainers. Agreed to go along but before the session called and left a message saying sorry but will be carrying on as we are but thank you. 3 months later: Contacted them over a week ago via emai with our new concerns and saying that we would like to join them when a place became available and how much do they charge for private at home sessions? No answer. On the off chance called them, after 3 seperate attempts got an answer explained my situation the man took it all in and then when I had finshed the man said "well we don't do things for free, you were offered a place and we held it open for you and you never turned up. We have your number but dont expect to hear from us anytime soon!" I know it sounds ridiculous but I just feel like bursting into tears!
Re: Is my boy ok? Hugs Kris.... I agree with Katie, a vet trip might be a place to start too...pain and aggression are often linked. I think you are right in getting a training assessment, and maybe then you can make some decisions. Obviously most of us are opposed to traditional/dominant/punitive training measures, and support the positive approach...with a focus on your safety and resolving the issues you have. No dog is perfect in all respects, they all take training, patience and persistence. Hopefully while Rolo is still young, you can work to train through these issues - but please realize....your body language and nerves and actions will be an unspoken cue to him. While it's hard not to be nervous when you know he is likely to be reactive....he will sense your nervous energy and respond to it. And while you have put a lot of time and energy into him already....it might be in your best interest as a family - and his - to re-home him. Your vet and a trainer will help you make the best decision... and in the mean time.....vent away!!!! {{{{{HUGS!!!!}}}}
Re: Is my boy ok? Oh dear, I'm so sorry to read your post about the troubles you are having. I know this might not be what you want to hear but is it a good idea to have your daughter do the training? I know you want her to bond with Rolo but she is very young, and has no experience of dog training...it might be the case that something is going on in the way Rolo is handled or the way the family interacts with him that is causing him to behave like this. It does sound like you need professional help, which can be expensive. Can you find a dog club rather than a commercial training organisation? That might be a cheaper way to get help, although perhaps not a home visit which is what you really need. I can fully appreciate that it is both difficult to find the money, and just as difficult to find a trainer that you trust. I do think asking your vet for recommendations (and a check up is a good idea too) might be wise. In the meantime, I'd take a good look at how everyone is interacting with Rolo and try to see it from his point of view, are there things he doesn't like or appears to find stressful? That might sound silly, but just try to observe him in his interactions with the family, it can't harm.
Re: Is my boy ok? Thank you so much for your replies. I have just spoken to another training club who do a lot of gundog training ans told her of my problems. I tested the dominance stance and she passed with flying colours! She has offered for me to come along to her next session free of charge so she can meet Rolo. She mentioned with his background and genetics it may just be something very small that is making him behave the way he is. She was surprised when I mentioned just how much humping he does! I feel better having spoken to her. She has degrees in dog behavior and sounds like she knows what she is talking about. Julie T - I have suspended Freya from training Rolo for now and see how we get on. The training is this Wednesday night.
Re: Is my boy ok? Second what Kate said. Lots of support from me. Just to cheer you up a bit - I was horrified a week or so ago when my perfect dog Poppy, aka unofficial Head Girl of the Labrador Forum, barked growled and jumped at me when I came too close to her and her bone!!! Luckily, thanks to this forum, OH and I didn't try to intimidate her in retaliation, but just stayed calm and agreed in future to keep more distance when she is eating a bone... :
Re: Is my boy ok? Big hugs, Kris. Rolo is such a dear little chap, I'm sure that with the right help you'll be able to get to the bottom of this issue and end up with the perfect family pet
Re: Is my boy ok? Just to put my two penny worth in....... Classes and clubs are fine. They give puppies chance to learn and socialise, BUT they are quite specific in their syllabus (for want of a better word). I had a couple of private 1 to 1s with a trainer. She was at my home and on the field where I train Molly for 1 and a half hours and it was all focused on what we in particular wanted. She charged £35 pounds, which I know sounds a lot, but I don't think it is for their expertise. And when you consider what you have already spent on Rolo, it could be classed as an investment in your future together. He is approaching adolescence which doesn't help. You must all be under a great deal of stress as you obviously love him and want to get this sorted out.
Re: Is my boy ok? I really feel for you, I know how difficult it is to have your pet growl and snap at you, and frightening where there are children involved. Have you done any of the clicker training with him to desensitize him to people approaching him when he has food or other things he might be guarding? I did this with Simba and I found it worked very well. You start off when he has something low-value, like a piece of cardboard or a less exciting toy, and put your hand far enough away that he doesn't react, and click and treat. Try again from the same distance, a couple times more, then next time out your hand closer, by just a small increment. No reaction, click and treat. If he shows reaction (hunching over the item, putting a paw down on it, growling, etc), then try again from a further distance. The idea is to slowly, over a period of time, get to the point where you can out your hand on the object and all you get is the dog either ignoring you or better yet, eagerly looking for a treat. And of course each member of the family should do this with him, but start with you and don't introduce someone else until he's completely comfortable with you doing this. You then move on to slightly more important items, etc. Simba is much, much better with resource guarding now. I still wouldn't trust him completely with strangers swooping opinion to take something from him, and I am cautious myself when I do it, but I haven't had a reaction from him in quite a long time. However, I do need to remind myself to keep repeating this exercise with him, just to keep it fresh in his mind as well. I hope you are able to get some help with this, I know it is a big worry! :-\
Re: Is my boy ok? Lisa - thank you so much for your reply. I haven't as yet come across anyone who has been or is in the same position as me. Just knowing I am not on my own is a big deal. Thank you.
Re: Is my boy ok? Definitely not on your own! I hope you will be able to get this sorted out, keep us posted!
