Aggression

[king tyson]

Hello eveyone, I'm new to this site but I've done a lot of reading about huskies...the problem I have with my 9 months old husky is that everytime he gets something in his mouth that's he's not supposed to have or I don't want him to have like a sock he will never let go, he just growls if I try to take it out, he's never really tried to bite, he had however snapped at me once when I took a sock from

Him..I've tried simple drills with him like placing a treat infront of him and telling him to leave it and he can do it with no problem but it's like he forgets all of this whenever it's something he really wants, so my question is what would you guys advise me to do for this? I've heard about shock collars and their effectiveness and I'm really considering this just because it seems to work really well when training dogs, thanks

[Stranger]

Morning, and welcome to the forum.

I am by no means NOT an expert, however this is my personnel opinion.

Shock collars are a no no with me, i dont like them and will never use them.

Sounds like either 1 of 2 things, 1, being he is just playing, and wants tug of war with you. or 2, he has a bit of possessiveness. is he aggressive with other things, like food?

It maybe worth carrying out some training, (i know your already doing this, but dont give up yet) find something he loves a treat that he will do almost anything for. ask him to leave or drop it, and as soon as he does give him a treat. may be worth also doing some further training with "come" sit on your sofa or somewhere away from him, but still in view, and try and get him to come to you, treat him, and try and remove his attention from the item he wont give you.

Obviously, you dont want this to escalate, and seaking advice from a trainer may be better, but there are some guys on here who know alot more than me.

good luck, and photo please x

[Hyshqa]

Freya has exactly the same issue. She's very possessive of things she gets hold of if it's something she likes and she thinks you're going to take it from her, but she's an eater and will swallow socks whole so I literally can't let her keep them. The thing I have found most effective at stopping her from growling, stiffening up and running away with it is to try my hardest to not act as though I'm angry at her and about to take the object, I try to act happy and pleased that he has it and then offer lots of tasty treats. A lot of aspects of the dog's behaviour in situations like this is down to the attitude you have towards the dog during these scenarios, so when I see she has a sock I'll get up and start calling her in a really happy, chirpy voice as I'm heading for my room where I keep the treats. She'll usually start to get excited and come to me, still with the sock in her mouth, and as I offer her the treat she'll drop the sock. I take the opportunity while she's eating the treats to discretely take the sock, and when she looks down and notices it's gone I offer more treats, then play with her with a toy. She still hasn't learned 'leave' and 'drop', but she's gotten good enough at this routine that I know I can get objects off of her now Just stay relaxed, don't act as though you're trying to take the object from your dog, and make sure you use a treat your dog absolutely loves

[king tyson]

Thanks for replying..he does growl when he's eating and i pet him but after a few minutes he forgets about it..I have tried methods of telling him

To leave things such as toys and treats however he's really smart so he will do the tricks but he forgets all of it once he gets a hold

Of something that I'm not paying attention to..I talked to trainers and they have told me he has possession problems, good thing is not that bad cos he won't bite however it's embarrassing when I take him to the park and he takes another dogs ball and won't let go and I have to chase him..so do you guys have any other ideas? And what are your opinions on shock collars with diferent functions such as vibrate and tone only features? I ask because I've talked to people that have huskies and this collar works Amaizing..thanks for reading

[siberian_wolf]

Hello welcome to the pack

As said above I'm not an expert but I don't like the use of shock collars either. There are many other methods which can be used, they just take time and constancy and hard work. Although I have heard of people having success with these collars, I still dislike the fact that your dog get electrocuted every time they do something you don't want, when you can use another method which will make the dog feel good about themselves and actually want to leave things alone.

I know it is not possible all the time but I would look at trying to prevent your pup from taking things he shouldn't and working one to one with him teaching him a simple "leave it" command so when these moments in the park happen, you can prevent him from taking another dogs ball by using the command. I would also be tempted to teach a "drop it" command too. These command can be taught easily using command, praise and reward and time and consistency.

[Removed #1]

I don't have an issue with the use of shock collars so long as they're used appropriately as a training tool, and not a substituion for training (I'm like that with most training tools). A human perspective on the use of shock treatment however: In Oregon they followed alot of he adult mental health patients after the institutions were shut down. They found that in something like 85% of cases that those whose behavior modification therapy included negative punishment such as shock therapy reverted to the previously undesireable behavior within a year of it no longer being a presence in their lives.

Drop it is a must to teach...if your pup isn't inticed by your offered treats...change them while teaching. Buy a cheap steak, or a roast and cut it into small 1/4" sized chunks, or soak some kibble in bacon fat and store it in the fridge.

Get a variety of things you know your furbaby is going to pick up. Make sure you're using a small area where he can't run off with said item...drop it on the ground and give a command. Can be as simple as "Pick up" (he's gunna do it anyway might as well start the conditioning for a command). When he has it pop out one of your tasty treats...say "Drop It" and as soon as he drops it for your very inticing treat...give it to him, repeat the command and praise. It'll take a bit of work, but eventually he'll get that that particular command means he gets things he likes....gradually phase out the treats.

With the growling over food, stop that now...Either feed him his meals entirely by hand or remove the bowl all together and feed him in his crate...use a measureing cup, and scatter it around. It will slow down eating and reduce the association of the bowl=mine=guard. Good luck

Edited June 20, 2012 by Fox Tink & Eponine

[LittleLuka]

Luka sprints off to go under the bed when he has something he's not supposed to, like a sock. I bribe him with treats. lol he now knows as soon as i get the bag if he trades with me he gets a tasty snack. works like a charm everytime.

[Austinville]

There are a couple of things I recommend teaching - First is 'leave it'. I taught this by keeping Ryn on lead and giving the command and gently pulling her away from whatever it is she is after. Soon, the lead wasn't needed and she obeyed. The second is of course 'drop it'. I found that 'drop it' was more difficult to teach with Ryn, so I make every attempt to observe her behaviour and catch it at the 'leave it' stage.

My first husky was very possessive about his food bowl. I simply sat his bowl down, picked it back up, gave it back, took it again and so on until he realized that the food was mine. I never got biten - I suppose I was lucky, but I started the training as soon as he began exhibiting this behaviour. I carried this training through to toys and anything else he became obsessive with. It takes time, but it can be done.

As I have no experience with shock collars, I can't recommend them.

[Bec]

Hello welcome to the pack

As said above I'm not an expert but I don't like the use of shock collars either. There are many other methods which can be used, they just take time and constancy and hard work. Although I have heard of people having success with these collars, I still dislike the fact that your dog get electrocuted every time they do something you don't want, when you can use another method which will make the dog feel good about themselves and actually want to leave things alone.

LOL what? E-collars don't electrocute dogs. They use static electricity. I'm not sure you understand how the collars actually work SW.

OP I don't think resource guarding is something you need an e-collar to solve. When I'm on the computer later today I'll write a bigger reply.

[jmscott]

The way we handle this is the trading up method. Our friends with 100lb+ CAS use this to train all their puppies to be happy and willing to give up everything from dinner to lint on the floor.

This is a snippet from Best Friends rescue:

Dogs who guard food may also guard other objects, such as a toy or bone. You can train

your dog not to guard these objects by getting him to “trade up” for something better. If

you practice with many levels of trades, your dog will always expect something better in

return for what he’s giving up, and will gladly relinquish the guarded object. Here’s how it

works:

First, do not have high-value items (things the dog values highly) lying around while

you’re training. Start with something that your dog has very little interest in. Give him the

object and say “take it.” Then, say “give it” and take the object back. Reward him with

a treat from your pocket. Practice this routine five times, then walk away. Repeat three

times the first day.

On the second day, move to a slightly more valuable item. As on day one, do five trades

(accompanied by “take it” and “give it” cues) three times throughout the day.

On the third day, put a more valuable item on the floor and bring the dog’s attention to

it. After he settles in for a chew, ask him to trade (“give it”) for a higher-value item. If he

shows no signs of guarding, you can practice this routine a few times. Again, as with

food, back up to the step before if your dog becomes uncomfortable.

Remember – be very careful. Do not include other adults in the training until you can

trade up for the highest value item with ease.

How long do I have to practice these routines?

If you have a dog with a tendency to guard food or objects, you should practice the

above routines often to prevent any future problems.

[siberian_wolf]

LOL what? E-collars don't electrocute dogs. They use static electricity. I'm not sure you understand how the collars actually work SW. .

Maybe I don't as it's something I have no interest in but when you see one being used in an abusive way you may say the same as I do!

P.s. sorry for sounding rather snappy there, it's a long story I'd rather not publish

[Bec]

Maybe I don't as it's something I have no interest in but when you see one being used in an abusive way you may say the same as I do!

P.s. sorry for sounding rather snappy there, it's a long story I'd rather not publish

No, to be honest, when I see a person using a tool to abuse a dog I judge the person not the tool. People misuse and abuse dogs, it's the user to blame, not the tool. E-collars cannot electrocute dogs, it's impossible.

[Stormy]

Definately advise teaching drop it Shadow pulled a whole dead pidgeon out of a bush the other day!! Told him to drop it and he did there was no way i wanted to attempt to take that out of his mouth so glad he dropped it lol

[king tyson]

Wow thanks for the reply everyone, I've read everything and I'm goin to try some new techniques with him...I have tried most tricks like "leave it" and he's good at it but like I said its like he forgets everything we practice when he gets something he likes and I'm not watching him, I've had him sit and I'll out thing he likes infront of him to distract him and he wont move and leave the object but he forgets all of this whenever we have a confrontation If he grabs things..I've tried giving him a treat whenever he gets something in his mouth but he won't let go, it used to work when he was younger but he figured out that it a trap so he won't it anymore..as for ecollars, u don't have to shock ur dog, it has a tone only function that is used to positive re-enforcement and this works great from what I've seen, but I guess it all depends on how people use it.

[king tyson]

Hey thanks for the tip, I did try this with him today, at first he wouldn't take anything for me to trade him, so I went for something he really like, I gave him a sock and he did like usual and took it and didn't want to let go so I pulled out a treat and he surprisingly took the treat but still guarded the sock, i kept giving him treats till he got away from the sock and he let me take it, prior to this exercise I was placing treats infront of him and everytime he would to for it I would tell him to "leave" it and he did it, then I moved to telling him to move away from it and he also did, I am very happy with today training it was a good day and I know I have to practice this everyday..However I'm still considering the ecollar so I can train to come to me specially when he's at the dog park

[king tyson]

Oops, my last message was a reply to jmscott

[VanIslandSibe]

This is a tough one because you want the dog to know you are the dominant one and all that but you dont want the dog to feel threatened like everytime he gets something you are going to dominate him and take it. I started dealing with this when my husky was only a few months old but basically I started with feeding. Give the dog food in the bowl but dont let it have it right away. Sit with the food and allow the dog to come to you and the food. Then I started feeding him the food out of my hand. Then Id let him start eating out of the bowl but every few bites Id scoop some up in my hand and get him to eat it out of my hand. Then id take the bowl away for 10 seconds. Then slowly bring it back down and allow him to eat again. The idea is to gain control of his food and at the same time teach him that you dont want to just steal it from him. You will give it back and so theres no need for him to worry. Id basically do the same thing with bones and toys. Let him come to you and the bone and get him to chew it while you hold it. Then every so often pull it away so he cant chew it anymore. Wait till hes calm and behaving then slowly let him chew it again. Its the same idea you want him to understand that you have the right to the bone but that you will give it back if he behaves. This worked incredibly well with my dog. Now I can pretty much shove my face up to his while hes chewing on a bone and pretend like im chewing it and he just ignores it (although im sure hes probably getting slightly annoyed) but would never react in any way because he trusts me and knows that the sooner he just goes with it then the sooner he'll be back to chewing and he is used to me interacting and being a part of his eating or chewing time. Hope that helps.

[jmscott]

I am glad that the trading up idea is working for you!

Personally, I do not agree with the e-collars with the exception of car chasers. They do not promote a healthy bond between you and your dog. Especially Siberians who need to work with you but not for you. They are the ultimate team player but are not biddable. Even trained on an e-collar, Siberians will not have a 100% reliable come. This is a list of trainers that teach classes similar to the ones that we take with Thunder Mountain Central Asian Shepherds http://www.mydoghasclass.com/evaluators/search/. One of the focuses of the class is the come command and checking in behaviors. (Checking in is a term in this area that essentially is just that your dog is aware of you.)

Just to clarify things, This is my opinion based on the experiences I've had, professional trainers I have worked with, and the dogs and owners I've met after the use of them.

Edited July 20, 2012 by jmscott

[Bec]

Personally, I do not agree with the e-collars with the exception of car chasers. They do not promote a healthy bond between you and your dog.

How many dogs do you know trained properly with e-collars jmscott?

[jmscott]

None, which is why I say on a personal note, I have never seen a healthy relationship develop through using e-collars. I have seen dogs ruined by the local trainers that actually use them, and our area is filled with people who have no idea how to use them, and flat out will tell you that they have no intention to learn. From my experience with them, people don't want to learn to use them as the tools they are, they want instant gratification. Most of the area trainers will not use them, whether they use older training methods or newer types.

I also don't agree with the training style but that's an argument I'll leave to the trainers outside of the forum.

[Bec]

I don't agree with people mis-using tools either but that is about the handler not the tool. Used correctly an e collar is one of the least aversive tools out there.