Leo is very attached to his harness & collar so much so that when we try to remove his harness after walks he growls. Same w/his collar. For instance, when I go to take it off to bathe him or maybe adjust it, he will growl at me. It's almost as though they're to him as a blankie or favorite stuffed animal is to a child. Anyone else ever had or have this problem?
Our dogs get "upset" when their collars are removed, but not growly. Not bothered about their harnesses, which are put on/taken off every day. But I change collars every month or so, and they go funny then.
I think this sounds a bit odd, to be honest. Although I've never heard it before, and possibly it's just a 'thing' I have no experience with. But, my instinct would be to wonder what is causing your dog to growl when your hand approaches his collar or harness in the situation he is in (presumably the house)? Maybe there is a reason for this? Perhaps a family member that has been a little too rough in using a collar to move him or something like that?
Well, dunno. But to me, this seems a really strange thing for a dog to do - to object to the removal of a collar. Even if they are used to having it on, I cannot see any logical reason why they should object to it being removed. No, I do not think a collar becomes like a human 'comfort blanket'. I'd say these dogs are growling at the hand approaching their collar. For a reason you need to work out....
Ours are not phased by the physical touching, or even the act of removal. It's once the collars are off - then they get over-interested in the removed collar. They do calm down to normal after a while, if another one is not replaced straight away. It just seems like they are a bit possessive over them - but I'm probably guilty of anthropomorphism here.
I agree that it's more likely the approaching hand that's the issue, maybe associated with something that has happened involving hand and collar/harness together when the equipment has been removed. I don't think dogs take comfort from their collar or feel any 'ownership' of it or anything like that. We usually take Obi's collar off at home and it gets hung on a chair. Sometimes he'll nick the collar off the chair but that is solely because it gains him our attention.
It's not the way we're approaching him or that he's been handled in a rough manner by anyone. I would think if that were the case, which I assure you it's not, that he would have a problem w/us putting them back on as well as removing them & he does not. His harness is used when we take him for waIks. He loves his walks. I just assumed he associated having the harness removed as it being the end of his walk & him not being quite ready for it to end. As for his collar, that stays on at all times & only gets taken off when he's bathed or if I have to adjust it. I had bought him a bigger collar a month or so ago b/c he'd outgrown his other one. Sometimes, b/c of him pulling when the leash is attached to it, it gets loose & I'll have to readjust it so it doesn't slip off. I know dogs can be possesive over bones, toys, & such so I thought maybe he was just becoming possessive about his harness & leash. He's not bearing teeth or anything like that when he growls. It's just enough to let you know they're his & he doesn't want you to take them off. And the problem is not w/touching him, only w/touching/removing the harness or collar b/c he knows you're going to remove them. JulieT, I would like to believe that it was not your intention to come across as insinuating that I or someone in my family might have handled Leo a little too rough or basically imply he's been mistreated but unfortunately it did come across that way to me. With that being said, I think I'll just bow out of the forums & take my business eleswhere.
I wonder if it somehow hurts him? What kind of a collar is it? I use a Volhard and a straight flat buckle collar. Both have to be tightened a bit to get them undone to take off. The Volhard has to be tightened when it is put on as well. So depending on your collar ..... Oh, you're leaving. Well, I'm sorry. If you happen to read my comment you will see how in my ponderings an approaching hand could be seen as a source of hurt, completely unintentional. I have not been here long myself but I do not believe JulieT meant any slight against you. Oh heck, in the interests of puppy I will continue. Some ideas: There's a kink in his neck that tightening the collar to remove it hurts? Vet then. Some hair gets caught in part of the collar and is pulled when you take it off? Maybe this latter only happened a few times, or once, but made a sensitive pup wary? Ditto some hurt when removing the harness, a leg is twisted funny to get it off? I could sure that with some harnesses I've seen and budding elbow displasia. Vet again. I am now a collar off in the house person, never was before. Thus my dog's collar is put on at least once a day to go for his walk. The collar is definitely a signal to him that good things are about to happen but he doesn't act like they are coming to an end when I take if off. He gets his post walk treat after it comes off though so maybe I have associated good things with it coming off too. Maybe such an association would help this pup? A treat after the collar comes off? The taking off of the collar for bathing might have made an association the pup doesn't like too, especially if, as you say, that's one of the only times it is taken off.
I'm absolutely sure that no-one was implying that anyone has been deliberately rough with your dog. It's just that growling is usually a warning to prevent something happening that the dog sees as really unpleasant (ie usually something painful). Sometimes people can do something accidentally that hurts (like stepping on our dog's feet...something I occasionally do without meaning to). Growling because removal of a collar/harness was associated with the end of fun times is possible I guess but would be really extraordinary. However, going with that theory, I'd be trying to break the association between the removal of the gear and the end of fun times. You could: - leave the harness on much longer (an hour) once you return home, till the walk is long forgotten - pair the harness removal with something really great, like dinner. Prepare the dinner, then remove the harness and instantly (within 2 seconds) put the dinner down. You can also progressively desensitise your dog to hands approaching.
My Tatze's attitude to collars, leads and harnesses is weird indeed (as some of you know) she EATS them! I am very, very careful now where I put them but, in the past, she has eaten two harnesses (including metal bits), a collar and two leads - one she swallowed WHOLE! All came up or through eventually, after some sleepless nights on my part. The swallowed lead came back up ten days later - no odd poos or illness at all, she just kept it in her tum for ten days! So I can understand oddness in regard to dog walking equipment. I would do what others have suggested, make sure the removal is associated with something really positive, like dinner time
Not necessarily. Dogs are really specific in their associations. In a dog's mind, something that is associated with the removal of a collar/harness may not be at all associated with having the same bit of gear put on.
From my understanding, some dogs can develop resource guarding with just about anything they determine is valuable to them. People, toys, chairs, beds, etc. I don't see why a collar or harness would be any different, especially if he has a very good relationship with those items. I think it's certainly worth looking into more.
Collars and harness have no intrinsic value - they are not comfy like chair, do not dish out food like people, and are not played with like a toy (well, not normally). Indeed some people argue they are in themselves aversive. I don't mean to suggest we should get carried away by the thought of a collar as a thing to avoid inflicting on our dogs - that would be ridiculous, but it would be unusual, extraordinary, for a dog to resource guard a collar I think. https://kaylaurence.wordpress.com/2012/05/02/lead-off-good-lead-on-bad/ I think it is highly unlikely the dog is not objecting to the hand approaching his collar. And no, LeapingLeo , I didn't suggest anyone was deliberately mistreating your dog. My own dog hates: harnesses, the steps to my garden, and having his ears cleaned. All of these things represent punishment to him - all completely unintentionally inflicted (or unavoidably inflicted) by myself or my family. Regardless of our intentions though, the impact on the dog is negative.
Funny my Lab is named Leo and he does the exact same thing with his harness or collar. He growls if I try to take his harness or collar off. It is because he really likes having them on, and gives him comfort. I could literally stick my hand in his food bowl and he will never get aggressive. The growling is to let me know he wants his harness on. He feels secure with it on. If I take it off he is excited if I out it back on lol. Some dogs just really bind with certain things
