Hi all. I haven't posted in a while, so "hi" again and I hope everyone (two and four legs) is happy and healthy. On to business, I am keen for your advice, experience and expertise please. (I'm sticking this in Labrador behaviour but obviously Monty is no Lab!) The (possibly relevant) facts: Working Springer Gun dog training in process. 15 months Intact We moved house in November Recently (one month ago) decorated – it was just removed and replaced with his “daytime” bed which he used already House shared with three cats – all friendly I work at home and he is very much my dog Extremely affectionate One pet hate – having his ears cleaned which is required fairly regularly Issue 1 - Insecurity Lately, we have noticed that Monty seems very insecure, almost entirely in the evenings. This seems to have crept up over the past couple of months. He will be sleeping on his bed or floor and if I enter the room, even to just pass by, his eyes will open and he will be watching me like a hawk. If I approach him, he will slink away, still watching me. If I continue he may go into a different room and hide behind a table, or on occasion his heckles have gone up and he’s growled. It is not only with me, but also my wife. This is almost solely in the evenings. Initially I thought he thought I was going to come and try to clean his ears, but I don’t do that in the evenings. Issue 2 – possessiveness I’m not sure issue 1 above is possessiveness, but maybe you can prove me wrong? He has however recently become very possessive over food. Similar to above, when eating (very, very fast) he is watching my wife and I and his heckles are up. I read somewhere about giving him his meal in very small bits and in a different bowl, which I have been doing. (I think it was Victoria Stillwell). I actually attempted to move his bowl this morning and he completely flipped and actually went for me (a snarl and bite, but luckily very gentle). I have NEVER seen him like that. Fear/anger? Luckily my wife was there and reminded me to keep calm otherwise I may have escalated it which is, I think, a fairly normal human reaction. I stayed calm. And the situation diffused. I’ve searched through this forum and spotted Pippa’s advice on growling over food. I have printed it off and will read it shortly. I don’t know however if the two issues are linked. Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks and regards James
Hi James and Monty, lovely to see you back even if it's because if problems . I think my best advice would be to consult a canine behaviourist as both behaviours ate new. I suspect that the behaviours seem tied to the recent house move, I know our move from France to the UK caused a few problems quickly dealt with. In the mean time read Pippa's article on guarding food and try not to worry, your Monty is still there, just needs a little help to re-emerge
Hi James , I agree with Rosemary , I also moved from France back to the UK in 2006, my dogs were all over the place for a while .
Goodness you must be a bit worried! But it could be lots of things, particularly the move. Have you had a vet check-up done?
Hello there, it's lovely to see you again. Sorry to hear about the problems, it must be worrying. I'm afraid this sounds like one for the pros - do look careful for someone appropriately qualified, and ideally get a recommendation from someone trustworthy.
Hi and nice to hear from you again. I do agree that the move can be a big factor here. For now give him his space when he is eating so he doesn't need to be reinforced in his fear that someone will take away his food. Good idea to consult with an expert who can actually see Monty and his behaviour in person. Definitely read the resource guarding article, you will get some good tips there. Good luck and keep us posted!
