Tayl

So since I got Rowan at 6 months he has always let other dogs take stuff right out of his mouth and all he would do is whine and cry at them or come to me to get it for him... this usually happened with my parents puggle terrier mix who is a 1/4 his size. Recently he has started growling and snarling at other dogs when they get to close when he has something and I don't know if it is because he is maturing (he's will be 1 next month) or if he learned it from Bonnie who would always try to rip his face off if he got too close to what she had. I don't mind him being a little bit protective and giving a warning if he leaves it at that but he's big and could do damage which I do not want. But on 2 occasions he has become a completely different dog where he is growling and snarling and lunges at the other dogs and refuses to give up the toy which is different each time and not his (I don't bring toys since I think it is usually asking for trouble) so I have to pry it out of his mouth and hold him because he will go after the dog who gets the toy next and is apparently deaf to everything I say to him or even that I am there holding on to him. As soon as I get the toy out of his mouth he is on time out and we leave if we're out and he gets separated from the other dog in the house if we're at home.
I always time my visits to parks when it is off hours so there are usually no other dogs and as soon as he acts stupid we leave. I am trying to get him into lessons for February since we both need it. My question is does it sound like he is developing a new behaviour due to maturing and might be able to grow/train out of it or will it be something I will have to deal with his whole life?

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Patches Mom

Depends on if both dogs are male. Male Doberman's can have aggression issues with other male dogs does not matter if the are neutered or not it is hard wired in their brains cannot be trained out. Obedience classes are a must with a Doberman.

Tayl

No I think one time was a female the other was male, so it might not be that hopefully more obedience will help


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MeadowCat

He's resource guarding, and you need to work with him to fix it. I highly recommend Jean Donaldson's book, "Mine! A Practical Guide to Resource Guarding in Dogs."

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Tayl

I'll look into it thanks. It's just weird because it isn't nearly close to every time and it is just starting to develop


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Adara

I would not take him to dog parks until it is resolved. When he's with other dog friends he knows, NO toys until it's resolved.

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Tayl

Ya we've stopped now and I am taking the toys and bones away if they are around him


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sophia_dave101

I truly appreciate your idea about this topic. Keep it up guys!

mmctaq

I'm a little confused by why you would be prying his mouth open to take the toy he has to give to another dog... how long have you been doing this, and under what circumstances? Dogs don't care who pays for stuff... simple possession is ownership... when it is in his mouth, it belongs to HIM.

I tend to reward drop/give fairly heavily. Being obedient should not be punished, and if obedience results in losing the good stuff you have and then having nothing... that's kind of a lousy deal.

I think your no toys with other dogs around plan is a good one. It should probably have been instituted a while ago.

Tayl

As soon as the toy is gone he calms down, but I only pry it out when he gets really possessive. We work on give and drop it and it's always with rewards and he gets the toy back after he gives so I always try to make it positive, but on the rare occasion he gets super possessive he completely ignores me and the only way to get him out of the situation is to get the toy away from him and then leave. The whole thing freaks me out because he's always been the dog that lets others just take stuff from him and he won't do anything but cry.


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