I have an 11 month old black lab mix...We got her from the Humane Society about 3 months ago. We haven't had too many problems with her (besides the begging at the table, eating out of the garbage, she's pooped on the floor numerous times within minutes of coming in the house after 15-45 minutes walks...) All that out of the way, now we have a new problem.she has been awesome when it comes to her food up until this past week. She just got out of her first heat and now she's a different dog it seems. We don't know what she is mixed with but it is starting to make us nervous. We have 3 boys and it seems that all of a sudden she's barking and growling at the kids if they walk by her when she's got her chew bones or rawhide chews...she's even tried nipping at my youngest (4 yr old). What is going on with her? Is her personality changing completely or is this just a stage? We can't have her biting one of the kids...know what I mean? I'm starting to get nervous...
Answers:
I would spay her right away if you plan to keep her. That would help a little to calm her. And you have to stop this problem at all costs. It is a territorial dominance issue. She owns the food, she owns the toy, etc, so she is telling the less dominant members of her pack to stay away. It's dangerous.
Temperament is a genetic trait. Because she is reaching maturity, her temperament is showing, and it is dominant. Some people try to train it out by making the children dominant members of the pack, letting them go through doors first, have them eat in front of her and feed her, and even by pushing the dog to the ground, rolling it over and growling at it. But training will never change the personality only control it. Your dog will always be prone to this behavior, but might possibly be trained to control it.
Lots of people with pits swear they are sweet until they turn 3 or so and start showing their adult temperament. It's just a genetic issue. It can't be changed only trained.
All that said, if it were my dog, I would get rid of it. You have to put the child first. If you do keep the dog then spay it. That might help a little. And get it trained. That might help a little too. But whatever you do, it will always have that instinct in the back of it's genes. So be aware of that to keep your children protected.
I've heard of animal therapy...first take her to the vet.
I dearly LOVE my dogs and my children are grown and out of the house, but NEVER NEVER NEVER would I take a chance with a child against a dog. The dog would have to have a new home for the most obvious reason!
Resource guarding is the term for what you are describing and it is a serious behavioral problem and you are right to be concerned. First, get her spayed. I'm surprised the humane society released her to you without having this done. It does help with temperament and it prevents many reproductive diseases, let alone accidental pregnancies. Then start working hard on training - with a professional trainer, not just an obedience class. Call the humane society or your vet and get a recommendation. Also - do not reward any begging and don't give her any human food. Make her work for anything you give her. Before you give her her food, make her sit first. Before you give her affection, make her sit. Until the problem is solved, supervise her closely when around the boys and make sure none of the boys are present during feeding time. If she does not respond quickly, I would take her back to the humane society and choose another dog better suited to your family.
How did you get an intact female from the Humane Society?? Did you not agree to have her spayed? Have her spayed.. Correct the behaviour.. She is 11 mos old, it's likely a stage, especially after being in season.. Training classes and spay her.
This is typical of dogs that have been deprived of food and is normally an indicator that they were neglected. Most likely she will not hurt anyone but you have to let her know this is not acceptable behavior. When you give her a bone put the leash on her first and start by sitting next to her while she chews the bone. If she growls tug up on the leash and take the bone away. Once she is calm give it back. If she begins to chew it calmly praise her. Next step pet her while she is chewing and follow the same steps. Finally, you should be able to take her toy away and give it back to her. This shows the dog that the toy will not be taken away permanantly. This is a good time to teach the dog the "out" command. When it comes to feeding do not feed a hyper dog. Calmly hold the food out of the dogs reach until the dog is calm and then feed. The "sit" command comes in very handy here. "stay" works extra well. This training teaches the dog that growling behavior is not tolorable, that you are the dominant member and not the dog, and alleviates the fear that another toy or meal will not come. The Humane Society should have spayed her but if not it wouldn't hurt to get her spayed.
how you got a dog from the humane society with out her being fixed is new to me, but if she is just coming out of heat she is just like the rest of us women when we PMS, but you really need to take her to obedience school and get her trained. I have a pit bull when she was pup she started on the growling and biting stage I would pop her on her nose and say no bites kisses, she now kisses and shares all her toys and food with anyone who wants to play with her. I would advise taking her and having her fixed, when you do that it should mellow her out some. But a major issue is try the training also. Your local petsmart have wonderful training sessions that the whole family can get involved with. You don't want her thinking that biting the kids is okay. You want to lets say bite that in the butt quick. Any dog bite from any size dog can turn dangerous. Please don't just give up on her try to find a solution to it be the vet or a training course. She will thank you in the end and dogs make the most wonderful friends no matter the breed. So i wouldn't worry about what she is mixed with and work on your issue of trying to fix the problem.
Some things that helped with my dog are,
obedience classes,
have her spayed.
One thing that really helped was feed her her kibble by hand. This might take a while but with every meal hand feed her for a while, and after she is good with you have your boys do the same. Also don't leave her food out all the time just have set meal times then remove what she has not ate. This way she gets to know you are the provider of the food and hence you are the top dog - not to be bitten.
If she does snap or bite you or anyone quickly tap her nose, hard enough that she don't like it. Don't beat her or slap her else where. This is how the alpha wolf teaches the lower wolf not to snap at him.
Other people will probably have some more ideas but this is what worked with my dog who used to snap a lot. Now he is well behaved and calm. Also mine was abused before I got him so I would never slap him anywhere except tap his nose. It worked and now he trusts me.
have her fixed the take her to doggy school or call a behaviorist and see whats going on since she just came out of her first heat her personality might change so like i stated before get her fixed and working with her (witch ever way you choose) you could get to the point where your kids can give her bones good luck
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