Question:
Ok, I have a problem with my chihuahua. I think it is a dominance problem. I have tried many things to make it clear to him that I am the boss. But no matter what I do, he still gets food aggressive. And its bad!
He is aggressive with his own food and he is even aggressive with my food. Today I was eating some cheese cake, and he was sitting next to me. I went to pet him, and he growled. So, I rolled him over onto his back. He immediately attacked my hand.
He will growl at my other chihuahua if she gets too close when he is eating, but I let him do it, because its natural. Is that wrong?
He also gets aggressive when he is sleeping or if he is in a bad mood.
Answer:
I have tried many things to make it clear to him that I am the boss. But no matter what I do, he still gets food aggressive. And its bad!
Today I was eating some cheese cake, and he was sitting next to me. I went to pet him, and he growled. So, I rolled him over onto his back. He immediately attacked my hand.
His sitting next to you watching you eat your cake was "rude." Subordinates don't beg their leaders. When you patted him, you rewarded him for this intrusive, pushy behavior. Then you "attacked" him (in doggie language) by rolling him over on his back. Rolling a dog on it's back as punishment (I'm not talking about play or belly rubs) is only done by other dogs when they mean to attack and kill. Naturally he became defensive and bit you. So, you were inadvertantly sending him mixed messages there. First you allowed him to beg, rewarded him with a pat for begging and since he thinks he's the leader, he decided he didn't want a pat, but probably wanted your food, he growled to warn you that if you didn't do what he wanted, he might bite. Then you rolled him on his back. What we have here is two alpha wannabees struggling over who is going to lead the pack, where the dog desperately needs a clear leader.
There are things you can do. First, obedience train your dog using positive methods. Kindness, trustworthiness, consistancy and calmness are the mark of a leader. Punishment doesn't teach anything but distrust.
You can teach your dog a down/stay and have him stay 8 or 10 feet away from you whenever you eat. Or as he's learning this, he should stay in a crate. He must not be allowed to beg. It's pushy behavior. A good down/stay is done in gradual increments, rewarded for baby steps. First distance (a foot away from you) then little by little further away, but keep the duration short. Then once he gets the distance part of it down, work on the duration, gradually lengthening the time he must stay. Reward well for small successes.
You can also play the give and take game. Say he has a not so highly valued toy. You trade him for a nice piece of cheese or fresh meat. (small) He gets the toy back after he "gives" it to you. Do this several times a day. Make it a fun and rewarding game. He can learn to retrieve. This way he learns that giving something to you isn't the end of the world, that he'll get it back and that he gets something even better when he "gives."
Other leadership things you can do: Don't react to his every request for attention, affection, play, lap sitting, but instead you be the one to instigate those things. Ignore his pushy behavior. Make him see that he's not all that. You can act aloof at times when he's looking up at you. If he comes over to you and looks at you or if he barks or otherwise asks for attention, don't even look at him. Don't react in any way. A good leader is calm and confident and not overly gushing over the dog, and definitely not when he is asking for something.
Dog to dog food guarding is natural. They're not sure which one of them is "boss" but in my opinion, neither one should think in those terms. They need to see YOU as leader. I'd seperate them however at feeding time and vary who gets their food first. You can also hand feed the one who is having the aggression problems. Aks him to sit and give him a few kibbles. Ask him to come, reward with another small amount. Make him earn his food. Make him see that you, the leader are the provider of good things and that you control whether and when he gets good things. No toys 24/7, but when you decide it's playtime. You decide everything, not him.
Be careful to wake your dog before you get close so as not to startle him. Otherwise, if he's awake and growling, he is again challenging you. I'd remove furniture privileges if this is the case unless he is invited. This will take some training and patience (not anger) to show him what you mean. Obedience training, using positive methods will increase his opinion of you as his leader as well as increase his trust in you, thereby causing him to tend to follow your lead. Any anger, inconsistancy, excitability will undermine this which you are trying to develop. Try to stay calm, matter of fact, firm and reward for wanted behavior.
I highly recommend the book, Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson. It's very, very good and has explicit "how to" information. She really understands dogs for what they are. People often forget that they're animals and think that they should be thinking or relating to things the way we do. They do not. They aren't as complicated. They're very straight forward. They're wonderful the way they are and we don't need to make them into something like us in order to appreciate them. They are social animals and live by a heirarchy and must know clearly where they fit into that heirarchy in order to function and be happy. What makes a good leader is often misunderstood. Many people think dominating a dog makes them a good leader. This is not so. Setting rules and boundaries, teaching manners and skills makes a good leader, but only when done kindly, patiently, calmly and effectively.
You can learn how. Read that wonderful book. Good luck.
Answer:
I highly recommend implementing NILIF (http://k9deb.com/nilif.htm) (Nothing in Life is Free). Make him work for every little thing.
And NEVER 'alpha roll' a dog. It's a good way to get bit. You're very lucky it was a chi and not a larger dog. Why someone would want to stick their face close to a dog that's got issues, is beyond me.
Answer:
His sitting next to you watching you eat your cake was "rude." Subordinates don't beg their leaders. When you patted him, you rewarded him for this intrusive, pushy behavior. Then you "attacked" him (in doggie language) by rolling him over on his back. Rolling a dog on it's back as punishment (I'm not talking about play or belly rubs) is only done by other dogs when they mean to attack and kill. Naturally he became defensive and bit you. So, you were inadvertantly sending him mixed messages there. First you allowed him to beg, rewarded him with a pat for begging and since he thinks he's the leader, he decided he didn't want a pat, but probably wanted your food, he growled to warn you that if you didn't do what he wanted, he might bite. Then you rolled him on his back. What we have here is two alpha wannabees struggling over who is going to lead the pack, where the dog desperately needs a clear leader.
There are things you can do. First, obedience train your dog using positive methods. Kindness, trustworthiness, consistancy and calmness are the mark of a leader. Punishment doesn't teach anything but distrust.
You can teach your dog a down/stay and have him stay 8 or 10 feet away from you whenever you eat. Or as he's learning this, he should stay in a crate. He must not be allowed to beg. It's pushy behavior. A good down/stay is done in gradual increments, rewarded for baby steps. First distance (a foot away from you) then little by little further away, but keep the duration short. Then once he gets the distance part of it down, work on the duration, gradually lengthening the time he must stay. Reward well for small successes.
You can also play the give and take game. Say he has a not so highly valued toy. You trade him for a nice piece of cheese or fresh meat. (small) He gets the toy back after he "gives" it to you. Do this several times a day. Make it a fun and rewarding game. He can learn to retrieve. This way he learns that giving something to you isn't the end of the world, that he'll get it back and that he gets something even better when he "gives."
Other leadership things you can do: Don't react to his every request for attention, affection, play, lap sitting, but instead you be the one to instigate those things. Ignore his pushy behavior. Make him see that he's not all that. You can act aloof at times when he's looking up at you. If he comes over to you and looks at you or if he barks or otherwise asks for attention, don't even look at him. Don't react in any way. A good leader is calm and confident and not overly gushing over the dog, and definitely not when he is asking for something.
Dog to dog food guarding is natural. They're not sure which one of them is "boss" but in my opinion, neither one should think in those terms. They need to see YOU as leader. I'd seperate them however at feeding time and vary who gets their food first. You can also hand feed the one who is having the aggression problems. Aks him to sit and give him a few kibbles. Ask him to come, reward with another small amount. Make him earn his food. Make him see that you, the leader are the provider of good things and that you control whether and when he gets good things. No toys 24/7, but when you decide it's playtime. You decide everything, not him.
Be careful to wake your dog before you get close so as not to startle him. Otherwise, if he's awake and growling, he is again challenging you. I'd remove furniture privileges if this is the case unless he is invited. This will take some training and patience (not anger) to show him what you mean. Obedience training, using positive methods will increase his opinion of you as his leader as well as increase his trust in you, thereby causing him to tend to follow your lead. Any anger, inconsistancy, excitability will undermine this which you are trying to develop. Try to stay calm, matter of fact, firm and reward for wanted behavior.
I highly recommend the book, Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson. It's very, very good and has explicit "how to" information. She really understands dogs for what they are. People often forget that they're animals and think that they should be thinking or relating to things the way we do. They do not. They aren't as complicated. They're very straight forward. They're wonderful the way they are and we don't need to make them into something like us in order to appreciate them. They are social animals and live by a heirarchy and must know clearly where they fit into that heirarchy in order to function and be happy. What makes a good leader is often misunderstood. Many people think dominating a dog makes them a good leader. This is not so. Setting rules and boundaries, teaching manners and skills makes a good leader, but only when done kindly, patiently, calmly and effectively.
You can learn how. Read that wonderful book. Good luck.
Very good post!
Answer:
His sitting next to you watching you eat your cake was "rude." Subordinates don't beg their leaders. When you patted him, you rewarded him for this intrusive, pushy behavior. Then you "attacked" him (in doggie language) by rolling him over on his back. Rolling a dog on it's back as punishment (I'm not talking about play or belly rubs) is only done by other dogs when they mean to attack and kill. Naturally he became defensive and bit you. So, you were inadvertantly sending him mixed messages there. First you allowed him to beg, rewarded him with a pat for begging and since he thinks he's the leader, he decided he didn't want a pat, but probably wanted your food, he growled to warn you that if you didn't do what he wanted, he might bite. Then you rolled him on his back. What we have here is two alpha wannabees struggling over who is going to lead the pack, where the dog desperately needs a clear leader.
There are things you can do. First, obedience train your dog using positive methods. Kindness, trustworthiness, consistancy and calmness are the mark of a leader. Punishment doesn't teach anything but distrust.
You can teach your dog a down/stay and have him stay 8 or 10 feet away from you whenever you eat. Or as he's learning this, he should stay in a crate. He must not be allowed to beg. It's pushy behavior. A good down/stay is done in gradual increments, rewarded for baby steps. First distance (a foot away from you) then little by little further away, but keep the duration short. Then once he gets the distance part of it down, work on the duration, gradually lengthening the time he must stay. Reward well for small successes.
You can also play the give and take game. Say he has a not so highly valued toy. You trade him for a nice piece of cheese or fresh meat. (small) He gets the toy back after he "gives" it to you. Do this several times a day. Make it a fun and rewarding game. He can learn to retrieve. This way he learns that giving something to you isn't the end of the world, that he'll get it back and that he gets something even better when he "gives."
Other leadership things you can do: Don't react to his every request for attention, affection, play, lap sitting, but instead you be the one to instigate those things. Ignore his pushy behavior. Make him see that he's not all that. You can act aloof at times when he's looking up at you. If he comes over to you and looks at you or if he barks or otherwise asks for attention, don't even look at him. Don't react in any way. A good leader is calm and confident and not overly gushing over the dog, and definitely not when he is asking for something.
Dog to dog food guarding is natural. They're not sure which one of them is "boss" but in my opinion, neither one should think in those terms. They need to see YOU as leader. I'd seperate them however at feeding time and vary who gets their food first. You can also hand feed the one who is having the aggression problems. Aks him to sit and give him a few kibbles. Ask him to come, reward with another small amount. Make him earn his food. Make him see that you, the leader are the provider of good things and that you control whether and when he gets good things. No toys 24/7, but when you decide it's playtime. You decide everything, not him.
Be careful to wake your dog before you get close so as not to startle him. Otherwise, if he's awake and growling, he is again challenging you. I'd remove furniture privileges if this is the case unless he is invited. This will take some training and patience (not anger) to show him what you mean. Obedience training, using positive methods will increase his opinion of you as his leader as well as increase his trust in you, thereby causing him to tend to follow your lead. Any anger, inconsistancy, excitability will undermine this which you are trying to develop. Try to stay calm, matter of fact, firm and reward for wanted behavior.
I highly recommend the book, Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson. It's very, very good and has explicit "how to" information. She really understands dogs for what they are. People often forget that they're animals and think that they should be thinking or relating to things the way we do. They do not. They aren't as complicated. They're very straight forward. They're wonderful the way they are and we don't need to make them into something like us in order to appreciate them. They are social animals and live by a heirarchy and must know clearly where they fit into that heirarchy in order to function and be happy. What makes a good leader is often misunderstood. Many people think dominating a dog makes them a good leader. This is not so. Setting rules and boundaries, teaching manners and skills makes a good leader, but only when done kindly, patiently, calmly and effectively.
You can learn how. Read that wonderful book. Good luck.
Thanks for the advice. Everything you are saying makes sense!!
Answer:
I highly recommend implementing NILIF (http://k9deb.com/nilif.htm) (Nothing in Life is Free). Make him work for every little thing.
And NEVER 'alpha roll' a dog. It's a good way to get bit. You're very lucky it was a chi and not a larger dog. Why someone would want to stick their face close to a dog that's got issues, is beyond me.
I have heard that it was a good way to let your dog know whos boss. I would have never tried it with bigger dog!
Answer:
I have heard that it was a good way to let your dog know whos boss. I would have never tried it with bigger dog!
There are some old, outdated trainers who subscribe to this. This was something based on old, unscientifically carried out studies on wolves in captivity. More recent, scientifically done studies have since shown that alpha wolves do not throw another wolf down, but rather, a submissive wolf will on it's own accord, roll over or lie down to show appeasement. Wolves are generally very calm and non violent. The alphas will not be allowed to stay in that leading position if they mistreat other wolves. The other wolves instinctively know they won't survive without a good, strong, fair leader who knows how to take care of them. In other words, a crummy alpha can be impeached. LOL. So, many old traditional training methods have been shown to be invalid and poor ways to handle a dog. Alpha rolling a dog, is a dangerous thing to do because it puts a dog on the defensive. You never want to put a dog in that position where he has no choice but to defend himself. And it causes distrust and fear in his leader.
If you show a dog what you want and reward for wanted behavior, that behavior will tend to be repeated. If you distract from unwanted behavior and give an alternative for the dog where he can be rewarded, this speeds up training. If you give an alternative which is incompatable with what he's doing, that also helps. For instance, if the dog jumps up on you and you don't want this, if you ask for a sit before he's about to jump and reward, he'll tend to repeat that next time, especially if he gets no reinforcement (attention) for jumping up. Soon, he'll be sitting in front of you in order to get attention and not jumping up.
Let us know how things go for you.
Answer:
There are some old, outdated trainers who subscribe to this. This was something based on old, unscientifically carried out studies on wolves in captivity. More recent, scientifically done studies have since shown that alpha wolves do not throw another wolf down, but rather, a submissive wolf will on it's own accord, roll over or lie down to show appeasement. Wolves are generally very calm and non violent. The alphas will not be allowed to stay in that leading position if they mistreat other wolves. The other wolves instinctively know they won't survive without a good, strong, fair leader who knows how to take care of them. In other words, a crummy alpha can be impeached. LOL. So, many old traditional training methods have been shown to be invalid and poor ways to handle a dog. Alpha rolling a dog, is a dangerous thing to do because it puts a dog on the defensive. You never want to put a dog in that position where he has no choice but to defend himself. And it causes distrust and fear in his leader.
If you show a dog what you want and reward for wanted behavior, that behavior will tend to be repeated. If you distract from unwanted behavior and give an alternative for the dog where he can be rewarded, this speeds up training. If you give an alternative which is incompatable with what he's doing, that also helps. For instance, if the dog jumps up on you and you don't want this, if you ask for a sit before he's about to jump and reward, he'll tend to repeat that next time, especially if he gets no reinforcement (attention) for jumping up. Soon, he'll be sitting in front of you in order to get attention and not jumping up.
Let us know how things go for you.
Well that also makes sense. I wont be rolling him again. Never knew that is was such a bad idea.
I will definately try your techniques.
Answer:
It's hard sometimes for us to have to always be thinking. It seems like we have to start out thinking every single time we interact with our dogs. What if I do this? What will that mean to the dog? What should I do if he does that? But you really sort of have to. But the more you do and the longer you have dogs, the more it becomes second nature. It's like every interaction has the potential for a learning opportunity for the dog and an opportunity to increase the bond we have with our pooches. The more we learn about how dogs think and learn, the better things become for us and our dogs. I think lots of reading of good books and stuff online is good and deciding what makes the best sense for us and our particular personality and our dogs'. But nothing outweighs the experience of working with dogs for a long time and learning to "read" them. But anyone can learn training techniques and the best way to handle dogs and get so much more out of them.
I do hope your little guy will get turned around. He'll be happier and you will too. Let us know how things go and if you have more trouble.