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This is an article regarding possession aggression in dogs. This is specific to the family represented. Each dog and each situation is different, this is just a guideline… If you are having possession or aggression issues with your dog, please contact Moon Dog Training for more information on private lessons.
Maggie is a 3 year old Golden Retriever that is showing mild signs of possession aggression toward the family’s young daughter. There are two different management programs to work on for two different situations. One situation is where the dog can physically take her valued resource and move it; the other is where it is stationary.
Toys, Bones – Objects that can be moved. Right now when Maggie has a favorite object that she is chewing on, playing with, etc. one of her behaviors when the child comes near her may be to growl. Dogs learn quickly that if they growl, the person (other dog, person outside, mailman, etc.) goes away. This is a warning sign from the dog – Don’t come closer! Dogs that take the moment to let you know what they are thinking are wonderful! It’s the dogs that do not growl, do not freeze, and do not give you a “whale-eye” stare that are the ones to really worry about. These are dogs that go straight to the bite. If Maggie is giving a warning sign this is the best place to start. Well, the best place to start is right before the warning sign.
Right now Maggie does not want the child to come near her when she is chewing on a bone. So, she growls. What you want to do is modify her behavior in this circumstance. Don’t teach her that growling is bad (because you don’t want her to learn to go right to the bite – Oh, my growl didn’t work so my only other option is to bite), but teach her that a different behavior is what you are looking for. Getting up and moving if she thinks the child is too close!
Start practicing when the child is at the other end of the room. Give the dog a lot of space to work with. When you start teaching her to move, you will have to pick up her bone for her and encourage her to move over, even if it is just a few inches. I would put a command to “moving”. Something like “Move Over”, or “Here she comes!” Once she moves completely (moves and lies down again) throw a party! Tell her how smart she is, give her 4-5 treats right in a row (this is called a Jackpot!), and let her chew on her bone again for a few minutes. Then try again, this time moving a few more inches. If you have a safe place for her, like a crate in the family room (or somewhere that the child cannot reach her), you can also teach her to go to her area for safety. When my children were toddlers I would give my dogs time outs each day. This was a time when they would be in a room or area (still visible) in the house where the children could not physically reach them. The dogs had a couple hours to relax in peace, whether it was chewing on a bone, or simply taking a nap. Their lives change dramatically when a baby comes home, and allowing them to take a little break each day seemed to help a great deal.
Once your dog understands that she is supposed to move, start helping her learn when she is supposed to move. If you catch her looking at the child, ask her to move. If you see the child crawling closer to her, ask her to move. The first few times you will probably have to help her, but still praise her each step of the way. If you catch her moving on her own (without you having to ask her first) that is when you really let her know how special she is!
Food bowl – Objects that cannot be moved. I suppose you could teach her to pick up her food bowl and move it over, but that might take a while! This is another situation where you want to modify her behavior. She does not want the child coming up to her when she is eating because – Most likely because she does not want the child to take her food. So, if you are going to change her mind set about someone approaching her while she is eating, the goal would be for her to want you to approach her… What do dogs like more than their food? Better food!
Poor food in her bowl. Allow her to take a few bites. Once she is eating, walk up to her (not too close!) and drop one or two pieces of hot dogs (or cheese, or chicken or steak!) in her bowl. Then walk away and allow her to continue her meal. Do this each time she eats. What you will increase each time is gradually becoming closer and closer to her. Since she is already pretty good with you, you are going to want to practice this with your daughter. This is going to be done at your discretion. I would start with someone holding your daughter a few feet away. Gradually become closer and closer. As you feel comfortable, you can even try having the person that is dropping the treats also be the person that is holding your child. I stress however – Dogs are unpredictable animals. Even the most trustworthy dog still has good days and bad days. And, you can’t forget about the sharp teeth they carry in their mouths.
Personally, I have 3 young children, 4 dogs (and a menagerie of other pets!). We had a few challenges when the children were born and then again when they started crawling and walking. When you have a household with dogs and children together every day is used for growing and changing. New situations arrive all the time. You have to manage them and see problems before they happen. Not every dog is right for every home, but from what you have explained to me, Maggie’s behaviors sound mild and treatable. Not to say that things cannot take a turn for the worse, but I also believe this is a risk that you can take with any dog…
Related Articles: Anxiety Remedies, Red Light - Green Light, Creating a Solid Base for Training
Giene Keyes
Giene Keyes is the owner of Moon Dog Training, LLC, providing positive in-home training, behavior consultations and group classes. After receiving “Best of Madison'' multiple years in a row, Giene sold her dog daycare to focus on her dog behavior work. Giene has been working with pets and their owners for over 30 years. She is a professional animal trainer and behavior specialist in Southern Wisconsin. Giene divides her time between teaching group classes and private lessons – Specializing in manners and aggression cases. Giene works with vets, rescue groups and shelters, evaluating dogs for adoption, developing Canine Aggression Management Programs, and educating staff on dog language and behaviors. She consults for dog daycares and training companies by educating staff on dog body language, cues, managing a pack, difficult dogs and much more. She provides behavior consultations for service dog organizations and rescue groups in the Midwest. She has been an Instructor with the American Red Cross in Pet CPR and First Aid, a Certified Canine Good Citizen Evaluator with the American Kennel Club, and a Licensed Judge with the WI Dept of Ag, Trade & Consumer Protection. Giene is a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer. She routinely presents seminars on dog behavior and training, as well as chicken training seminars to promote team building. Giene has been a regular guest on popular Madison radio shows and evening newscasts. Giene has also been featured in numerous local magazines, including the cover for Wisconsin Woman. Giene is a published author (see her Chicken Training Book!) and loves demonstrating to people how clever dogs, chickens and pigs can be.
This is an article regarding possession aggression in dogs. This is specific to the family represented. Each dog and each situation is different, this is just a guideline… If you are having possession or aggression issues with your dog, please contact Moon Dog Training for more information on private lessons.
Maggie is a 3 year old Golden Retriever that is showing mild signs of possession aggression toward the family’s young daughter. There are two different management programs to work on for two different situations. One situation is where the dog can physically take her valued resource and move it; the other is where it is stationary.
Toys, Bones – Objects that can be moved. Right now when Maggie has a favorite object that she is chewing on, playing with, etc. one of her behaviors when the child comes near her may be to growl. Dogs learn quickly that if they growl, the person (other dog, person outside, mailman, etc.) goes away. This is a warning sign from the dog – Don’t come closer! Dogs that take the moment to let you know what they are thinking are wonderful! It’s the dogs that do not growl, do not freeze, and do not give you a “whale-eye” stare that are the ones to really worry about. These are dogs that go straight to the bite. If Maggie is giving a warning sign this is the best place to start. Well, the best place to start is right before the warning sign.
Right now Maggie does not want the child to come near her when she is chewing on a bone. So, she growls. What you want to do is modify her behavior in this circumstance. Don’t teach her that growling is bad (because you don’t want her to learn to go right to the bite – Oh, my growl didn’t work so my only other option is to bite), but teach her that a different behavior is what you are looking for. Getting up and moving if she thinks the child is too close!
Start practicing when the child is at the other end of the room. Give the dog a lot of space to work with. When you start teaching her to move, you will have to pick up her bone for her and encourage her to move over, even if it is just a few inches. I would put a command to “moving”. Something like “Move Over”, or “Here she comes!” Once she moves completely (moves and lies down again) throw a party! Tell her how smart she is, give her 4-5 treats right in a row (this is called a Jackpot!), and let her chew on her bone again for a few minutes. Then try again, this time moving a few more inches. If you have a safe place for her, like a crate in the family room (or somewhere that the child cannot reach her), you can also teach her to go to her area for safety. When my children were toddlers I would give my dogs time outs each day. This was a time when they would be in a room or area (still visible) in the house where the children could not physically reach them. The dogs had a couple hours to relax in peace, whether it was chewing on a bone, or simply taking a nap. Their lives change dramatically when a baby comes home, and allowing them to take a little break each day seemed to help a great deal.
Once your dog understands that she is supposed to move, start helping her learn when she is supposed to move. If you catch her looking at the child, ask her to move. If you see the child crawling closer to her, ask her to move. The first few times you will probably have to help her, but still praise her each step of the way. If you catch her moving on her own (without you having to ask her first) that is when you really let her know how special she is!
Food bowl – Objects that cannot be moved. I suppose you could teach her to pick up her food bowl and move it over, but that might take a while! This is another situation where you want to modify her behavior. She does not want the child coming up to her when she is eating because – Most likely because she does not want the child to take her food. So, if you are going to change her mind set about someone approaching her while she is eating, the goal would be for her to want you to approach her… What do dogs like more than their food? Better food!
Poor food in her bowl. Allow her to take a few bites. Once she is eating, walk up to her (not too close!) and drop one or two pieces of hot dogs (or cheese, or chicken or steak!) in her bowl. Then walk away and allow her to continue her meal. Do this each time she eats. What you will increase each time is gradually becoming closer and closer to her. Since she is already pretty good with you, you are going to want to practice this with your daughter. This is going to be done at your discretion. I would start with someone holding your daughter a few feet away. Gradually become closer and closer. As you feel comfortable, you can even try having the person that is dropping the treats also be the person that is holding your child. I stress however – Dogs are unpredictable animals. Even the most trustworthy dog still has good days and bad days. And, you can’t forget about the sharp teeth they carry in their mouths.
Personally, I have 3 young children, 4 dogs (and a menagerie of other pets!). We had a few challenges when the children were born and then again when they started crawling and walking. When you have a household with dogs and children together every day is used for growing and changing. New situations arrive all the time. You have to manage them and see problems before they happen. Not every dog is right for every home, but from what you have explained to me, Maggie’s behaviors sound mild and treatable. Not to say that things cannot take a turn for the worse, but I also believe this is a risk that you can take with any dog…
Related Articles: Anxiety Remedies, Red Light - Green Light, Creating a Solid Base for Training
Giene Keyes
Giene Keyes is the owner of Moon Dog Training, LLC, providing positive in-home training, behavior consultations and group classes. After receiving “Best of Madison'' multiple years in a row, Giene sold her dog daycare to focus on her dog behavior work. Giene has been working with pets and their owners for over 30 years. She is a professional animal trainer and behavior specialist in Southern Wisconsin. Giene divides her time between teaching group classes and private lessons – Specializing in manners and aggression cases. Giene works with vets, rescue groups and shelters, evaluating dogs for adoption, developing Canine Aggression Management Programs, and educating staff on dog language and behaviors. She consults for dog daycares and training companies by educating staff on dog body language, cues, managing a pack, difficult dogs and much more. She provides behavior consultations for service dog organizations and rescue groups in the Midwest. She has been an Instructor with the American Red Cross in Pet CPR and First Aid, a Certified Canine Good Citizen Evaluator with the American Kennel Club, and a Licensed Judge with the WI Dept of Ag, Trade & Consumer Protection. Giene is a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer. She routinely presents seminars on dog behavior and training, as well as chicken training seminars to promote team building. Giene has been a regular guest on popular Madison radio shows and evening newscasts. Giene has also been featured in numerous local magazines, including the cover for Wisconsin Woman. Giene is a published author (see her Chicken Training Book!) and loves demonstrating to people how clever dogs, chickens and pigs can be.
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