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Post by robmac on Jan 7, 2014 7:34:02 GMT
When we were in Caerphilly, I bought Ruby a big Beef bone type chew to bring back as a present. I discovered it yesterday in her treats box and gave it to her. Well, at first she just chewed on it for a while, but ever since she has been guarding it and getting quite vicious if you go near her.
I know this is quite common, and she has often displayed this behaviour with some of her treats, but never to this extent. She sits and stares at it all day and the only way to get it from her is to reward her. But even then she just sits staring at the cupboard constantly waiting for it back.
I think the only way to stop her is with the reward and take away treatment. But then do you give it her back?
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Post by edina on Jan 7, 2014 9:31:08 GMT
One of our Springers was a bit like that. From when he was a pup we would take his food/ bones/ chews away before he had finished and then give it back to him and he accepted this and never got nasty. However if we were out walking and he found anything, that was a very different matter; he would claim it as his and gawd help anyone who tried to get it off him.
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Post by Pollik on Jan 7, 2014 9:55:16 GMT
If you want to get rid of the guarding (I would if she was mine)...next time, give her the treat. After about five to ten seconds, tell her to "Give" at the same time as taking it from her. Reward here with nice words, cuddles and smiley faces. Do this for a few times until she gets the idea. Give her the treat to keep.
Growls should be receive the firm response "No! Bad girl!" (or summat like that...whatever language you prefer)
Rinse and repeat.
The key is persistence and, importantly, consistency.
My dogs, when I had them, would walk over to give me their bones, if I asked.
You are the boss...not her.
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Post by robmac on Jan 7, 2014 10:28:36 GMT
If you want to get rid of the guarding (I would if she was mine)...next time, give her the treat. After about five to ten seconds, tell her to "Give" at the same time as taking it from her. Reward here with nice words, cuddles and smiley faces. Do this for a few times until she gets the idea. Give her the treat to keep. Growls should be receive the firm response "No! Bad girl!" (or summat like that...whatever language you prefer) Rinse and repeat. The key is persistence and, importantly, consistency. My dogs, when I had them, would walk over to give me their bones, if I asked. You are the boss...not her. Yes I think Julie is on top of it now, and pretty much doing the same as you advise. She's a stubborn little bitch though! (Ruby not Julie........).
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Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2014 12:14:08 GMT
What Pollik says.
When I got Diesel, he was so underweight and lacking in any kind of respect for people and other dogs, that I was very worried about his reactions if approached by people or other dogs when eating, so from Day 2, I took his food away whilst eating (somewhat anxiously as I didn't know him at all at that point, and wasn't sure if he'd turn on me) and made him sit and wait before giving it back to him.
I did the same when he was playing with toys etc although to do this I had to teach him the "Give" command, which was done with treats and by copying the other dog (having a well trained older dog to set an example is really helpful, so do you know anyone with such a dog who you could do some "copy" training with, with Ruby?).
Being a staffie, I discovered that it's very difficult to get something out of his mouth by force - it's possible for me to do it as he does now respect me but no-one else would probably dare, so the "Give" command was really important and it had to be practiced in all sorts of different situations with all sorts of objects eg I would deliberately drop a sock on the floor in front of him and then tell him to give when he tried to run off with it; when chopping veg I would deliberately drop a piece of carrot on the floor (he will eat anything) and then tell him to "Leave" and if he ignored "leave" (which was another important command to teach him in the first couple of weeks) then the "give" command. He got the carrot as reward for giving.
I'm now getting other people to give him the commands and explaining to them why it's important not to let him get away with not doing what he's told. He's getting really good now, because it's something we do little but often, making a game out of it, and he will now give his rawhide chew (which he goes bonkers over) on command, although somewhat reluctantly if another dog is around, and I'm still not quite 100% sure that he wouldn't go for another dog if the other dog made a move towards his chew. So still work to do, but we've come a long way.
I'm rambling.... the other thing I find too, is that with Diesel, you never ask him to do something, you have to tell him, and in a voice which says "I mean it, and there will be consequences if you don't do it". That way he tends to do it first time, and so there is no need to keep repeating the command which is not a good thing. Once he's good at doing it, the tone of voice can be relaxed slightly.
[wvw sighs and wonders whether she was right in thinking that dogs were easier than kids]
And finally, one thing occurs to me, is Ruby spayed? This could be hormonal so might be worth keeping a note of behaviours and triggers etc to discuss with vet at some point. If spayed, might be worth watching out for phantom pregnancy. If not spayed, she may be coming into season. I've always had male dogs apart from 2 years with a little collie bitch, so I don't know much about female dog behaviour but it's just a thought.
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Post by robmac on Jan 7, 2014 12:37:10 GMT
Yes she's spayed Jess. She has always had this guarding behaviour to some extent, but always controllable, and with this particular item is was much more obvious and pronounced. Could be a phantom pregnancy.
As I say, Julie is on top of it now and the bone is nearly no more!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2014 12:55:55 GMT
Lol, Julie must be able to demolish a bone faster than Diesel if it's nearly no more! Glad it's sorted. Would Julie like to Diesel-sit some time?
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Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2014 13:01:18 GMT
Just discovered that whilst I've been on the computer, Diesel has been eating the residue wax out of dead tea light candles - there was a small box of them on the floor in the kitchen, waiting for the dregs of wax to be recycled into home made fire lighters... I'm wondering what effect this is likely to have on his digestive system over the next 24 hours.
And because I didn't catch him in the act, I couldn't tell him off and I swear he's now looking at me with a "Ner, ner, ner, ner, ner" look on his face.
Git of a dog.
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Post by robmac on Jan 7, 2014 13:13:40 GMT
............ waiting for the dregs of wax to be recycled into home made fire lighters............... Sorry, I'm going off topic Jess, I make these with cotton wool balls and petroleum jelly (or sometimes Julie's make-up remover pads). How do you make them with wax? Also strips of old bicycle inner tube are excellent fire lighters! I cut them in sections and carry them wrapped around stuff like elastic bands.
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Post by Firefox on Jan 7, 2014 13:18:48 GMT
Wax? - Diesel will eat anything! Though I seem to remember Rigg eating the lino from a search square task
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Post by robmac on Jan 7, 2014 13:25:42 GMT
Whilst I've been on here, Ruby has emptied a bag of sawdust all over the lounge floor!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2014 13:29:39 GMT
@firefox, they are both greedy gits of dogs. It was carpet not lino that Rigg ate, luckily only about 2" square, but it would cost us 3 points out of 20 in competition! I always thought it was because Rigg has labrador genes in him, but as he is also quarter Staffie, I'm now wondering if it's a Staffie thing. I'm particularly worried with Diesel as his farts are the most stinkiest, vilest thing you've ever smelled already, about every half hour, so I can't imagine what the addition of wax will do but it can only be badn :-0
@rob, I'll do a new thread about my firelighters with some photos. Old tyres cut like you said make excellent strong elastic bands, great for replacing the elastics on tents, or for using with groundsheet eyelets, and bungees when making a shelter. And all sorts of other things. Which reminds me, I really must get dressed, get outside and rummage in the shed for some hook brackets to go on the ladder on my van so that I can carry my bicycle on it. Then I must get my bicycle out, derusted, polished, oiled, tyres pumped etc. Diesel needs to be bicycle trained - I need to order some knee and elbow pads off ebay first though. And I need to look on the map and find a nice flat patch of boggy grass area so that it doesn't hurt too much whilst he is learning to run next to the bike on the lead. Oh joy.
Admin / mods - Can we please have a new Topic - Recycling ideas - perhaps in the Off Grid section, so that we can have a new thread for a new idea, rather than just one thread with loads of different ideas. Ty.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2014 13:31:27 GMT
Whilst I've been on here, Ruby has emptied a bag of sawdust all over the lounge floor! Ha ha ha, I am literally having a real good laugh out loud here, so much so that Diesel has come running in alarm! Oh, the irony of it. Revenge of the dogs on their computer addicted owners. Don't you just love 'em. Ty for the laugh, I enjoyed that :-)
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Post by stonedaddy on Jan 9, 2014 1:52:23 GMT
When I took Kaisers treat off him he just looked at me and wandered off into the kitchen and pinched our chicken. Its no joke having mash and veg with chewy sticks for Sunday dinner. . .... Tom ....
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Post by n brown on Jan 9, 2014 8:26:45 GMT
strange reading this thread as I have exactly the same problem with my wife.i tried to get the last Ferrero rocher off her and she turned quite ferocious,got a nasty nip off her which will probably turn septic. perhaps I should buy my own from now on.is this behaviour special to females as I think a male would have shared it ?
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Post by robmac on Jan 9, 2014 16:00:49 GMT
strange reading this thread as I have exactly the same problem with my wife.i tried to get the last Ferrero rocher off her and she turned quite ferocious,got a nasty nip off her which will probably turn septic. perhaps I should buy my own from now on.is this behaviour special to females as I think a male would have shared it ? I've heard the Goose can get quite possessive over her chocolate. Bear it in mind if you upset her and need to appease.
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Post by Lee & Linda on Jan 9, 2014 16:28:39 GMT
Perhaps Ruby has seen you in your bra and knickers and now your not top dog in here eyes anymore.
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Post by gaz on Jan 9, 2014 16:37:41 GMT
its a dogs life rob...doesnt look like yer gonna live this underwear caper down anytime soon mate ...to restore your masculinity you need to think about the full monty for the next meet...... maybe when the weathers a bit milder tho...have a practice run in the highlands but watch them stags pmsl
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Post by Oldish Hippy on Jan 9, 2014 16:45:17 GMT
Perhaps Ruby has seen you in your bra and knickers and now your not top dog in here eyes anymore. not a pretty sight
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Post by robmac on Jan 9, 2014 16:59:03 GMT
its a dogs life rob...doesnt look like yer gonna live this underwear caper down anytime soon mate ...to restore your masculinity you need to think about the full monty for the next meet...... maybe when the weathers a bit milder tho...have a practice run in the highlands but watch them stags pmsl Did the full monty on my stag night Gaz. Not that I had a choice in the matter. Even got in the nightclub wearing nothing but a football scarf!
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Post by gaz on Jan 9, 2014 17:01:49 GMT
do you still get flash backs when ya dream? lol
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