Aggresively protective

[STEPHANIE WENNING]

My daughter bought this coarse for both of us, we live together and I'm 80 and she is 62. The dog is a Choc. Lab mixed with some Pit Bull. He was dumped on us a year and a half ago as a puppy by a granddaughter supposidly temporary. We love "Tucker" very much . The bjg problem we have is he is very aggresively protective of a few of the grand kids that come around and spend weekends. If my daughter tries to turn them in the bed or cover them he has charged at her. He is very aggresive when someone comes to the house. When anyone comes I have to put him up in my room. I''ve had shepherds and other big dogs all my life and never dealt with this. We  can't afford a trainer, but we are really worried about this. I can take food or treats out of his mouth with no problem.

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Hi there,

Welcome to the forums, this behavior sounds concerning and safety is important in these cases.

How old is Tucker?

Has he ever bitten anyone?

Has he only acted protective when your daughter turns the kids in bed or covers them or also in other circumstances?

How is he with kids?

How old are the kids? Which ones is he acting protective of?

Is this behavior new or has he always been this way? 

When did this behavior start?

When you mention he is aggressive towards visitors in the house, what behaviors does he engage in exactly?

Any other signs of aggression in other contexts?

What is his "normal' day like? Is he taken on walks? Have you been doing training? Is he fearful of anything/stressed out by noises?

Any medical conditions? 

As I wait for your reply, please make safety top priority keeping Tucker away from situations that trigger the aggressive responses. 

Thanks

 

[STEPHANIE WENNING]

First of all thank you for answering me. Tucker is about 22 months old. When he was brought here he was about 6 months old and we already had 3 dogs, 2 of which were eleven years old. There was a few dog fights between one of my dogs and Tucker around food which my dog was pretty much the starter. I had to put two of my original dogs down this year. The Springer Spaniel had a tumor and the shephard mix had other problems. We now have Tucker and a 3yr old Boston Terrier/Pug mix, Remmie, and 7 cats, (5 of which were also brought here by Grandkids). My daughter, Stephanie lives with me because I have tremors and can't cook, but she has health problems also so we can't walk Tucker. We have a large fenced in yard where he runs around, He chases the cats. but doesn't try to hurt them. No health problems. About the kids: A 7 year old, Melia, is here most weekends. She can do anything to him, he follows her around and sleeps with her in my daughters bed. We first noticed a problem maybe 5 or 6 months ago; my daughter started to turn Melia around in the bed and cover her and Tucker jumped up and jumped at Steph. Then there is Bella, 11 started coming around and once he was used to her she is his fav and he has snapped at her 7yo sister a few times. We  try to watch very close and Bella corrects Tucker by saying no sternly and he quits. When someone comes to the house he barks  like 'you don't belong here' constantly so I just don't give him the chance, I put him outside or take him to my room cause the barking is irritating. He ha never bitten anyone. He and the pug rough house and play. We can take treats, food, toys, anything out of his mouth. We don't really have a lot of visitors, but it worries me. His days are spent going out and in, out and in, chasing the cats, playing with Remmie, laying around and barking along with Remmie at everything outside. When he does something wrong like what I've mentioned I say Tucker no, bad and hold my hand out like stop or stay he just stops, sits and looks at me. I hope I've explained clearly. I've never had a dog I couldn't handle and I truly want this to work. He doesn't show his teeth or act vicious, it's just behavior I've never dealt with before.

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Hello, thanks for all the details, they are very helpful.

 

I am sincerely worried about Tucker's behavior because there are several challenges here at play. He is a large dog (more capable of potential harm), in the social maturity stage (past puppyhood things become more difficult to tackle), his behaviors have been rehearsed for quite some time (allowing them to become more established) there are children involved, and he is likely not getting enough exercise, mental stimulation and training, which is not unexpected being that you have other pets, grandkids to take care of and health issues on top of all that, -I can't imagine how challenging it may be to tackle all these things!

 

Although he hasn't bitten anyone, we need to consider that he is a large dog, and most cases of aggressive behavior tend to worsen rather than getting better if left untreated and not tackled in the correct way. Also, we need to tread with extreme caution being that there are young children visiting. 

 

I find it concerning that he has also snapped at your 7-year old grandchild. If this was because he was acting protective of your 11-year old grandkid, consider that this can escalate. Here's the thing: "protective behaviors" are reinforcing. Any time he engages in protective behaviors, from his perspective his behaviors are "working" meaning that the snapping has successfully prevented your 7-year old from approaching your 11- year old. This causes the dog to feel relief (which is reinforcing) and a sense of "accomplishment" considering that he has found a "job," something to keep him busy. 

 

The danger is that this behavior may escalate any time you or your other grandkid approach whenever he is in protective mode. It's a bit like a ticking time bomb. Basically, what risks happening is that he may go from snapping to biting because he feels the situation warrants it. For instance, let's say that your 7 year old grandkid forgets that he's snappy when in company of your 11 year old, and therefore happens to do something as innocent as hugging her sister or approaching her in an excited manner as often kids naturally do. Tucker may perceive this as threatening, and may this time shift to a bite to make his point across, sort of:  "What part of my previous snapping do you not understand? Bella is my possession, stay away!"

 

Of course, dogs don't reason in this exact way, but we know for a fact that when a dog's plan A doesn't work, they'll go to plan B as it happens with dogs who go from barking to pawing a person more and more insistently when the bark doesn't lead to the owner paying attention to him.  

 

Cases like these are not really considered "protective behavior," because there is no *real threat* and the situation  therefore doesn't warrants the dog's intervention. This rather falls more under "possessive behavior," in other words resource guarding, similar to what dogs do when in possession of a bone or food. 

 

There are two main options here: strict management and behavior modification. Let's go into depth on both of them, starting with management.

 

Management, entails preventing the dog from rehearsing the problematic behavior. As mentioned, the more dogs rehearse problematic behaviors, the more these put roots and establish becoming habit-forming. Since your grandkids and visitors don't live with you, but stop by only occasionally it is fairly easy to implement in this case.

 

Management would therefore entail to some extent what you are doing already with then visitors come over, but with some added restrictions as follows:

 

For the issue with the grandkids this would entail keeping Tucker away from them. This would prevent him from forming any dysfunctional attachments/bonding (which can be in some cases exacerbated by sleeping with them/following them around) that evoke possessive behaviors and rehearsing the problematic behaviors. Safety is paramount. A dog bite is a major liability and can turn costly emotionally, physically and financially. Management also helps lower a dog's stress, because when dogs act protective of items, places or people, they are hypervigilant and feel somewhat threatened by anybody coming close.

 

Management is ultimately also a matter of safety: keeping yourself, and other family members/grandkids safe. There are various levels of management that may vary based on the extent/risks of the behavior. For safety, I would stick to the first three options, the further down options are less restrictive, but somewhat riskier approaches. All need supervision and strict adherence. There are always risks management may fail if care is not taken (a door may be forgotten open, a child may sneak into the dog's area, the dog may free himself).  Here are some management options:

 

-Keeping the dog in a separate room. Pros: the dog is prevented from carrying out problematic resource guarding behaviors towards your grandkids. Cons: he may get bored and bark out of frustration (unless he's given something to chew on and keep occupied like a frozen Kong) and may get destructive. You will have to lock the room and remind your grandkids not to open it. 

 

-Keeping the dog in the yard. Pros: the dog is prevented from carrying out problematic resource guarding behaviors towards your grandkids. Cons: he may get bored and bark out of frustration (unless he's given something to chew on and keep occupied like a frozen Kong) and may get destructive, chase cats etc. You will have to lock the door that leads to the yard, remind your grandkids not to open it. You will need to have somebody monitor him while alone in the yard. 

 

-Keeping the dog in a play pen.  Pros: the dog gets to still feel part of the family, he can see and hear. Cons: he may get bored and bark out of frustration (unless he's given something to chew on and keep occupied like a frozen Kong). You will have to remind your grandkids to leave him alone there. Tucker may knock it down, jump over it if not sturdy or the correct size.

-Keeping the dog behind a baby gate. Pros: the dog  gets to still feel part of the family, he can see and hear. Cons: he may get bored and bark out of frustration (unless he's given something to chew on and keep occupied like a frozen Kong). You will have to remind your grandkids to leave him alone there. Tucker may knock it down, jump over it if not sturdy or the correct size.

-Keeping the dog on an indoor tether (leash attached to back ring of a harness and secured to a wall mount/sturdy furniture) Pros: the dog gets to still feel part of the family, he can see and hear the surrounding activity. Cons: he may get bored and bark out of frustration. You will have to remind your grandkids to leave him alone. Equipment failure (leash breaks, Tucker chews it, furniture moves etc).

 

-Keeping the dog on a leash or hands-free leash (basically, a leash attached to your belt). Pros: the dog has more freedom, feels part of the family. Cons: certain dogs  may get frustrated and may redirect their frustration by biting owners. Dogs not used to wearing a leash may struggle. You will have to avoid approaching your grand kids in situations known to trigger the protective behavior. Equipment failure (belt loop breaking, leash breaking) Dog pulling and making you fall. 

 

-Keeping the dog free but wearing a bite-proof basket muzzle (like a Jafco muzzle). Pros: the dog is prevented from biting if the muzzle is bite proof and the right size/fitted correctly. Cons: he may still rehearse problematic behaviors when presented. A dog can do harm even without biting. The muzzle is just a crutch-muzzles shouldn't really be used as a stand-alone approach, but should be accompanied by behavior modification. 

 

-Keeping the dog free, but removing him from the situations that may trigger aggression Pros: the dog has lots of freedom. Cons: this may be an accident may be ready to happen. You will have to be proactive and take steps to keeping him out of the room when the kids are tucked-in the bed or other situations known for triggering possessive behaviors. 

 

For the issue with the visitors, again, this would entail keeping Tucker away from them. You mentioned him being "very aggressive" and being very worried. Safety is paramount. A dog bite is a major liability and can turn costly emotionally, physically and financially.

 

Management would prevent him from rehearsing problematic behaviors and being inadvertently reinforced by any responses from visitors and interior acknowledgment that he's doing a good "job" in keeping visitors away from the property. This also helps lower a dog's stress, considering that dogs who are worried about visitors are hypervigilant and feel somewhat threatened by anybody coming close to their perceived turf. 

 

Even here, there are various levels of management that may vary based on the extent/risks of the behavior. For safety, and based on your situation, I would stick to the first three-four, as the further down ones are less restrictive, but somewhat riskier approaches that may be too intense for him. All need supervision. 

 

-Keeping the dog in a separate room. Pros: he is prevented from carrying out problematic territorial behaviors towards your visitors. Cons: he may get bored and bark out of frustration (unless he's given something to chew on and keep occupied like a frozen Kong) and may get destructive. You will have to lock the room and remind yourself and the visitors not to open it. 

 

-Keeping the dog in the yard. Pros: he is prevented from carrying out problematic territorial behaviors towards your visitors. Cons: he may get bored and bark out of frustration (unless he's given something to chew on and keep occupied like a frozen Kong) and may get destructive, chase cats etc. You will have to lock the door that leads to the yard, remind yourself and your visitors not to open it. You will need to have somebody monitor him while alone in the yard. 

 

-Keeping the dog in a play pen. Pros: the dog gets to still feel part of the family, he can see and hear you. Cons: he may get bored and bark out of frustration (unless he's given something to chew on and keep occupied like a frozen Kong). He may still bark and feel over threshold as the visitors talk, move around or gesture animatedly. There are risks he may knock over the playpen/jump over it. 

-Keeping the dog behind a baby gate. Pros: Tucker gets to still feel part of the family, he can see and hear you. Cons: he may get bored and bark out of frustration (unless he's given something to chew on and keep occupied like a frozen Kong). There are risks he may knock over the baby gate/jump over it. 

-Keeping the dog on an indoor tether (leash attached to back ring of a harness and secured to a wall mount/secure furniture) Pros: Tucker gets to still feel part of the family, he can see and hear the surrounding activity. Cons: he may get bored and bark out of frustration. He may bark and feel over threshold as the visitors talk, move around or gesture animatedly. This may be a too much intense exposure for him. You will have to remind your visitors to not approach and to leave him alone. He may free himself from the tether if not secured well, visitors may not be compliant. 

 

-Keeping Tucker on a leash/hands-free leash (basically, a leash attached to your belt) Pros: Tucker has more freedom, feels part of the family. You can feed him treats to help him form positive associations with the guests at a distance. Cons: certain dogs may get frustrated and may redirect their frustration by biting owners. You will have to keep a certain distance and avoid approaching your guests. Dogs not used to wearing a leash may struggle. This may be a too much intense exposure for him. He may pull and make you fall.

 

Next, let's go over behavior modification- I will do so in my next post.

 

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Now, let's tackle behavior modification. I know you mentioned you cannot afford a dog trainer. The issue here is that with behavioral problems involving deep anxiety/aggression, this falls more into a behavior modification issue rather than a training issue. So more than a dog trainer specializing in training dogs to sit, down, come when called and heel etc. in these cases you'll need an animal behavior professional/behaviorist.

 

Sure, many dog trainers also specialize in behavior, but there are professionals who have made of behavior modification their primary area of specialty such as board-certified veterinary behaviorists and certified applied animal behaviorists.  A board-certified veterinary behaviorist offers the advantage of being able to screen for any medical problems that are known to trigger aggression/lower a dog's threshold for aggression and may prescribe drugs to use along with behavior modification to make the process smoother and allow the dog to cognitively function enough for learning to set in.

 

These experts will assess your dog, possibly in your home and will conduct an in-depth functional assessment (taking a thorough history, observing your dog interacting naturally-if potentially aggressive, safety measures will be in place) so to find the exact function of the behavior, it's exact maintaining consequences (what the dog gets out from it) and then based on findings will provide a custom-tailored, individualized behavior modification plan.

 

Plans will vary based from one case and another and therefore there is no cookie-cutter approach. Factors that make one plan unlike another include things such as the main concerning problem, the contexts in which it occurs, the dog's age, size, breed, how long the problem has been present, the level of the dog's bite inhibition (if known), whether there are children in the home, age, skill and commitment of dog owners, level of dog's training, etc. 

 

Behavior modification aims to tackle the issue at various levels, it often encompasses the following (please note that these are just some examples-links are reading material for simply getting more accustomed to what a possible plan may involve).

 

-Management for when behavior modification isn't implemented. This is to prevent rehearsal of the the problematic behavior and circulation of stress hormones. Management levels as mentioned will vary based on several factors. In general, the higher the risks, the more restrictive these management options will be. 

 

-Conditioning the dog to wear a muzzle. This takes some time and will need to be worked on in advance. 

 

-Keeping the dog under threshold as much as possible. Always monitoring dogs' body language and watching for signs of stress. 

 

-Strategically exposing the dog to less intense versions of triggers, while creating positive associations with them up to obtaining what is known as a positive conditioned emotional responses. 

 

This means using desensitization and counterconditioning. 

 

For example, in a dog who barks at visitors, presenting visitors in a less intense way, such as watching them from a window and feeding treats upon noticing them as explained in the Look at that exercise. 

 

Here is an example of a case study I worked on: dog barking when people enter the home

 

Or in a dog who reacts when say a person touches a child, one adult handler keeps the dog muzzled and on leash at a distance where he is under threshold and feeds the dog treats contingent upon seeing the person touch the child. After several reps, the dog starts associating the child being touched with treats, from dreading it, to looking forward to it-something known as a conditioned emotional response.

 

Once obtained a reliable response, the same exercise can be done closer (always with extra safety precautions in place) until the dog doesn't appear bothered by the person touching the child anymore and waits in anticipation of treats. 

 

As simple as this exercises may seem, there are many levels of complexities that require important judgement calls that a professional needs to make. For example, when is the dog ready for the next level? What to do in case of setback? Are there back up plans in place? What further similar behaviors other than touching the child may prompt an aggressive response and may need to be worked on? For instance, the dog may react as well when somebody just approaches the child or moves in a certain way. These basis need to be covered as well. What may be causing setbacks and what can be done to avoid future occurrences?

 

Incorrect or sloppy implementation can wreck havoc on the best plans. If treats are repeatedly presented when undesirable behaviors take place or in the wrong order they can cause the opposite effect of what we want and pose risks. 

 

Not to mention, all the work done will need to be strictly protected, because it may take just a little setback at times for things to go back to square one. Maintenance sessions are important to keep things fluent. 

 

-Training alternate behaviors: this entails giving the dog an alternate behavior to engage in to substitute the problematic behavior. These behaviors are generally taught after the dog's emotional responses have changed for the best and the dog is less worried about the triggers. 

 

For example, in a dog who barks at visitors, once he has learned that visitors are not a threat, but bringers of great things (every time visitors come over, I get chicken! visitors are great!), they are ready for learning to engage in new behaviors. So rather than barking and feeling alarmed, relaxing on a mat/quietly holding a down stay in a specific confined area, at a distance from the visitors (long-lasting edibles may be provided if the dog doesn't resource guard food). 

 

Or in the case of a dog who reacts when a certain person is touched, *once he has learned that approaching people are not a threat but bringers of good things* (every time the child is touched, I get treats, people touching my favorite child are good!) the dog can be trained to go hunt for treats being scattered contingent upon the child being touched to the point where the child being touched becomes a cue for looking for tasty treats or the dog can be trained to respond to hold a sit/stay on a mat at a distance and receive treats there while the task is done (e.g. covering/turning the child) and then reinforcing for observing the task waiting patiently. A "leave it" cue rewarded generously can also be trained to control his movements/ behaviors. 

 

-Tackling underlying forms of anxiety. Many dogs who act aggressive are simply stressed, anxious dogs. It's important to tackle any underlying fears and phobias so to reduce the circulation of stress hormones which lowers a dog's threshold for aggression. 

 

-Adding the right type of exercise and mental stimulation. Most dogs have some history for performing some type of work. Labradors were selectively bred for retrieving downed birds and delivering them to the hunter with a soft mouth. Pit bulls were selectively bred for managing bulls,(later on bull baiting). These dogs therefore need productive ways to keep busy and mentally stimulated. Brain games, food puzzles, nosework, walks ( by an adult friend? neighbor? relative? if the dog is not reactive) is important.  A yard is not a good substitute for exercise, especially if the dog is repeatedly engaging in problematic behaviors (chasing cats, barking at people, no control all day). 

 

-Implementing training. Many training cues come handy in a variety of situations, not to mention, they allow better impulse control and frustration tolerance. They won't solve behavior problems directly, but in the background when positive reinforcement is used they can also play role in behavior modification.  I would also suggest starting these impulse control games.

 

I would also suggest not physically removing flood or toys directly from Tucker's mouth, this may encourage resource guarding and defensive behaviors. I suggest training him the leave it and drop it cues, and teaching him the art of fair trading to prevent future issues. 

 

As seen, behavior modification entails several steps and for safety and correct execution should be implemented in the presence of a behavior expert. If finances are an issue, you can sometimes see if some shelters offer some low cost/ free programs at least to get you started on some basics. Make sure they use force-free behavior modification techniques. 

 

I hope this helps! Please stay safe and happy training!

 

Best,

Adrienne

 

Disclaimer: behavior modification comes with risks. If your puppy or dog shows signs of potential aggression (lunging, barking, growling, snapping, biting) for safety, please consult with a dog behavior professional who uses force-free behavior modification techniques (no shock, prongs, or physical corrections) for direct in-person guidance. Articles, videos and general info found in the forums or course (or any online source) are not meant to replace in-person training/instruction. By using this course and forum, you are waiving any liability claims or other type of claims related to any dogs' behavior against you or others.

 

 

[STEPHANIE WENNING]

I truly appreciate you're kindness in trying to help. You are the only one that I've reached out to that has even acknowledged me. I'm beginning to think that we have no choice except to have Tucker put down. It breaks my heart to even think about it, but I don't know what else to do. If I took him to a shelter they would just put him in a cage and than put him to sleep. These so called young adults get these animals and then find out they take some work so they bring them here and they are free and we are left with all the work and the heartache. We need to get rid of these cats also and that's harder on my daughter cause she loves them all. Again, Thank you so very much for your help.

Blessings.

Stephanie's mother Rosemary

[Adrienne Farricelli]

You are very welcome. Putting him down may be a bit on the extreme being that he has never bitten anybody and appears to be giving warnings when he's put into specific situations where he doesn't feel comfortable. 

The issue is that we want to keep your family/grandchildren and visitors as safe as possible considering that he has snapped at your grandchildren, has charged at your mom and you are describing him as being very aggressive when visitors are around. Left untreated, these things tend to escalate and the safety of your family comes first. 

If management seems difficult to implement along with the behavior modification/training, there are alternative options to behavior euthanasia. 

Rehoming may be an option, however, with the behavior issues being disclosed, he would need to be in a home with no children and ideally somebody with the time/experience for working on the issues.

There may be chances that in a family with no children, and ideally, no other pets, and with owners/fosterers who have the time to train, walk him and provide the exercise, guidance and mental enrichment these young dogs need, the problem behaviors may not even surface or may surface at a more manageable level.

I have seen this happen on a few occasions, where once possible sources of stress/insecurity are removed, this paves the path for learning and these dogs can actually respond well to even just plain training. With no kids in the home, they would be left with mostly tackling the behavior towards visitors, which being in a new home with no previous rehearsal history, it may be easier to prevent the behavior from putting roots by nipping it in the bud (like after some decompression time (with no visitors), starting with the Look at That exercises with people walking by a window and then progressing to seeing them at a distance where he's under threshold and progressing in small baby steps always watching his body language and not exposing to levels he's not ready for). 

Some shelters/rescues/ organizations may therefore have options for rehoming dogs who need rehabilitation, although not all are fortunate enough to have the right skilled foster home/trainers for that.

Other options maybe looking for low-cost programs in your area or behavior professionals who offer online pro-bono/low cost consults (like using Skype or Zoom meetings), but these may be generalized and therefore requiring adaptations and skills to tailor it and implement on your own, versus the more individualized, more expensive options that go into depth.