Dog Owner Chat V. 5

[squamigera]

I am not a dog owener

thx for letting us know

[SinisterShovel]

No problem, broski! B)

[Stumpy.]

I've had my dog, Snookie, for a few years. We believe she's a chihuahua/red min pin mix, but we're not sure.

She was abandoned as a puppy, and has latched onto my sister like a tick. Usually, she's the sweetest little dog, and really only wants to sit in laps and be pet.

But recently, she's become scarily food agressive, mostly towards our cat, Edd. Yesterday, I gave her and Gizzy some meat for a little snack, and Edd came up and simply sniffed Snookie's side. He didn't get anywhere near the food, but then Snookie freaked out, screaming and trying to bite him. (Edd got away quickly, thank goodness. That in itself is worrying, though, since Edd has enough bravado to chase a dog 5 times his size.)

For extra context, Edd has always been a bit of a brat, and can be a bit mean to the other animals. (Though he won't let anything else bother them, ironically.)

[Imzadi83]

I've had my dog, Snookie, for a few years. We believe she's a chihuahua/red min pin mix, but we're not sure.

She was abandoned as a puppy, and has latched onto my sister like a tick. Usually, she's the sweetest little dog, and really only wants to sit in laps and be pet.

But recently, she's become scarily food agressive, mostly towards our cat, Edd. Yesterday, I gave her and Gizzy some meat for a little snack, and Edd came up and simply sniffed Snookie's side. He didn't get anywhere near the food, but then Snookie freaked out, screaming and trying to bite him. (Edd got away quickly, thank goodness. That in itself is worrying, though, since Edd has enough bravado to chase a dog 5 times his size.)

For extra context, Edd has always been a bit of a brat, and can be a bit mean to the other animals. (Though he won't let anything else bother them, ironically.)

I'm not a dog trainer, I've worked with dogs for 4 years and am working up to that point but anything I say has been out of stuff I've done. I always suggest contacting a trainer in your area, as they will actually be able to come out and get more information.

That being said, I have two dogs that guard food, toys and space from each other. Over the years we had them, it was really bad at the beginning but has been pretty non-existant for the most part. We feed them separately and make sure they eat it all, so the other can't come back and eat it. As far as giving treats, we give each one the same amount, so the other doesn't feel left out. You should also watch your dog's behavior and if they get stiff, their lips start twitching or a low growl, then remove the food and step in between them or call one away. Try giving the treats straight to them instead of tossing them on the floor. Also making them sit or do a trick before you give them one will help them focus on you than on the food and other dog.

If it's been super recent, you may think about bringing Snookie to the vet, they could be in pain and that's how they're showing it, especially if they're old, just as a precaution.

^ This, especially the vet visit since you say this is a new development.

Also since you seem to be saying (correct me if I'm wrong) that is was a single incident that happened there is the possibility that this wasn't about resource guarding food at all. It could be that the Edd simply startled Snookie. If that's the case I'd recommend putting a bell on Edd's collar so Snookie can hear him coming. Also if you're in that situation again you could draw attention to the cat so he can't sneak up (even accidentally) on Snookie or toss him his own treat further away so he doesn't approach. You could also put Edd in another room when you're working with Snookie with food.

[Stumpy.]

Thank you for all the advice! The outbursts have only happened a few times, but it's still more than once. It's only been with non-kibble food, like bits of deboned chicken or other meat. She really doesn't show much agression beforehand, either. She's completely calm one second, then the next it's screaming.

Edit: I don't think he startled her, either, because he's jumped out from behind chairs to startle her before, and it didn't elicit such a violent response. He'd been sniffing her for a good few seconds before she had her outburst, too.

It might be related, but I was checking her for ticks yesterday, and my sister kept saying "treat" over and over, and that started to get her riled up, too. She bit me(not enough to bleed or hurt, more like her wanting me to let her go.), but that could've also been from me checking in between her toes, since she hates having her claws clipped.

[shadow~wolf]

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[G a G a]

That's interesting! My dog has been going on more walks and I think he's tired of us all being home. We live in a neighborhood and stay within 6ft of others when on our walks. He's definitely finding it hard to take his naps during the day though! We've found that he's isolating himself in my room at times because it's his usual nap time.

We are a little nervous that he may develop some sort of separation anxiety once we all get back on track with our usual routine. Hopefully this all lifts during summer when my sister and I are still home from school and can slowly wean him back into things since we'll be home more often.

[Blue_Aussie]

I’m homeschooled and live in a non-busy area so my Aussies life is the same as usual, if not more walks than normal c:

I am working a lot more on off-leash training. She’s one year and I only take her out with a leash or with turkey in hand because she won’t leave if I have turkey lol

So if anyone has off-leash tips, I’d love to hear them!!

[Imzadi83]

how's everyone changing their dog's routines to fit this quarantine? are you guys at a point where you can still continue your normal walks? i have a compromised immune system so i've been very careful about all of this. most days i've been playing with the dogs in the yard and training lucky daily. when i do walk him or bike, we stay off the sidewalk and on the road. i've been rinsing his paws thoroughly when we get back just to be safe. puzzle toys and obstacle courses have been working for us as well!

Due to my disability I'm stuck at home normally so there's been no big change for Chloe. One day though Mom had to go to the store so we all went with her and I walked Chloe around the grassy area nearby. I expected her to just walk a little, leave some p-mail and head back to the car but she saw a hill and decided to play queen of the mountain. She had a ball, I was shocked and very happy she had a good time. After that we stopped at a grocery store so I could run in and look for TP. She stayed in the car with Mom and Dad and I was hoping the long walk would've tired her out enough to keep her calm but no, she cried the whole time and went back and forth from one to the other. *sigh*

[Stumpy.]

My dogs are definitely confused about why their nap time has been moved, but I've been getting to walk them and play with them more frequently.