iBoz Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Hi, Just seeking some advice.... We have a whippet (Boston) who is almost one year old and he's just started showing a bit of possessiveness towards other dogs when it comes to his bones. We've only just noticed it because we are looking after another dog (Lucy who is a mini poodle x golden retreiver) and I don't think we've had him around another dog for a while when a raw meaty bone has been around (he was around other dogs with raw meaty bones when he was younger with no problems though). Anyway, we noticed there was a bit of tension the other night when a bone was around so we've haven't been giving them bones but tonight we though, well, if you don't give him a chance then he's not going to get used to it..... So we gave them a meaty bone each and were supervising it. We gave Lucy her bone first and then gave Boston his. Boston took his bone and ran off and put it in a corner of the lawn and then ran back to take the other bone off Lucy who had just left it sitting there so he could take it. For a while all was okay and Boston was chewing his bone and Lucy would walk over and stand about half a metre away and watch him eat his bone but they both seemed calm. Then she left and went to the bone on the lawn and start chewing that one. Boston picked up his bone and walked over to about a metre and a half away and stopped to watch Lucy eat hers. Then he dropped his bone and barked at her. We told him off and told him to eat his own bone. But then Boston lunged for Lucy and was pinning her down on the ground and growling and biting her neck! We pulled him off and growled at him and Lucy didn't seem hurt but it was still very scary! How do I help him be okay with other dogs having bones? In case it helps, he is okay with any other food and toys. Lucy and Boston play tug of war together (I think he usually wins but the growling seems like play growling) and he is fine with his food bowl, will even let other dogs eat out of the same bowl as him. We worry that he plays a little rough with other dogs sometimes. He is a fairly outgoing dog and likes to play but sometimes I think it's a bit one-sided. E.g he likes to play by chasing and grabbing other dogs by the neck, then letting go and darting away. Repeat. Chase. Repeat. He will let other dogs chase him (in fact likes it) but he seems to be the one holding them down more than they are on top of him. Usually the other dogs keep chasing him when he runs away though. We are working on calling him to have 'play breaks' when it looks too much though because sometimes he doesn't seem to back off when the other dogs are looking a little overwhelmed. He does seem to get overexcited and chooses to play with younger puppies and/or dogs smaller than himself though. He's almost never submissive, in that he doesn't roll over on his back when he's playing with other dogs. Please help! I want a nicely behaved dog that doesn't bully other dogs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Her Majesty Dogmad Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Never feed your dogs bones together, it's a rule I live by and make sure one doesn't bury a bone for digging up when you are out. I don't feed bones at all. I don't feed mine dinner together either. Bones are often a cause of fighting in dogs that get on well together otherwise. Food can also be an issue but dogs go crazy for bones. As for playing rough, you actualy have to be careful that whippets don't get injured with such a thin skin. Some IGs are overly rough with play and they are similar breeds. Some dogs are just not suited to the dog park. Dog parks are quite unsafe anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandra777 Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 It's perfectly normal for dogs to protect things they see as valuable to them - they aren't little people who can be taught to share because it's ''nice' to share'' You can train resource guarders (which is what your dog seems to be) that it's to their advantage to let another dog have something they want. Don't feed your dogs bones unless they are separated or next time they may not get off so lightly The vast majority of dogs think meaty bones are worth protecting from others. I'd suggest you search resource guarding on here. As for not playing nicely with others - be very careful because one day he WILL meet a dog that will take offence at this. If you can't recall him from a situation like this you shouldn't have him off leash to do it with strange dogs. If he only has the opportunity to do this to dogs he knows then you need to determine whether the other dogs are actually concerned by him, if he's doing harm and if the other dogs' owners mind. If it's not a problem to the other dogs it's not really a problem, dogs play differently to kids and it can look very rough when they're all just having fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancinbcs Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 I have always fed all my dogs together and have a rule that no one is allowed near another dog or their bowl until they are finished and I give the ok. The bowls are always put down in the same place and in the same order from most dominant to most submissive dog at the time. I have even had dogs that I couldn't run together, always eat together. With bones the same rules apply. I stay and supervise and never allow one dog to take another's bone. I have done this with 4 or 5 dogs/bitches (all entire) at a time over the years. The only exception was my first BC who didn't get bones until later in life, when I learnt about better ways to feed. Because he wasn't used to having them he had a complete change of personality with a raw bone and turned into a resource guarder, so he was always put in a run away from the others so everyone, including him, could relax and eat. I even had to freeze his bones to try to slow him down and stop him gulping them down in chunks but I could always remove a bone from him by first telling him to "leave it". With the two I have left now that are mother and son, I can leave them to eat bones so long as I am sure the son will finish first. He wouldn't dream of trying to take anything from his mum, but if she finishes first I have to watch and keep her from harrasing him to let him finish. She knows I will not allow her to take his food but she will push the rules if given a chance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aussienot Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Bones can be a "flash point" to spark bad manners around normally peaceful dogs. Don't invite trouble and give them a reason to fight. Just separate them to give bones. Remove all bones before letting them into a shared area. Preventing resource guarding is as much about management as it is about training. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kavik Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 I feed and give bones separately - no need to feed them together as others have said it is likely to be a point of tension even if the dogs get along (or one dog will steal the other dog's bone/food and they won't get the right amount). With the playing - you may need to be careful with your dog's play style as it could get him into trouble with another dog, and as mentioned before Whippets have quite thin skin and can be easily injured. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odin-Genie Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 My dogs get fed with their bowls a foot apart. They know not to go for each other' bowls. I can leave them alone in the room and be 100% confident that there won't be any issues. My dogs also get their bones together. They sit perfectly peacefully side by side and chew their bones (they are supervised at all times of course). My goldie used to have resource guarding issues as a puppy but we have trained her out of it. However, I won't do any of this with any other dog around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuffles Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 As everyone else has said. It's normal. I feed dinner next to each other and they know they are not allowed to go near each other's bowl. However, if I am feeding a meaty bone, they get separated (one in crate inside, one outside). I also wait until all scraps/morsels have been devoured before letting them back together. My dogs both have a rough play style so I watch them like hawks when they are with other dogs. If I can see them getting too stimulated (eg. I know that as soon as my girl's tail starts curling upwards she is too excited) I use the "leave" command and call them to me for a treat. If I am too late and they are already over their threshold, they go back on leash until they calm down. I haven't been able to change their play style so I just manage it. There are certain dogs and certain breeds that I know don't usually play well with mine so I stay away from them completely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 We pulled him off and growled at him and Lucy didn't seem hurt but it was still very scary! How do I help him be okay with other dogs having bones? As the others have said, don't allow situations where he can have any bone but his. Separation and supervision are the key. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iBoz Posted April 1, 2011 Author Share Posted April 1, 2011 Thanks so much for your responses! It's a bit of a shock when your normally friendly little dog turns into a snarling beast for a moment but I'm glad that this is not uncommon when their favourite treat is around :-) ...And that it doesn't mean that he's going to turn into a big bully now... Because he's totally fine with humans being around his food, I'm going to take all your advice and just remove the bones from the situation when other dogs are around! As a side note, it turns out that he immediately hid one of the bones last night after the kerfuffle and (he is a VERY sneaky thief) we couldn't find it anywhere last night or this morning! So we've had to separate the two dogs all day today (one inside, one outside) and looks like we'll be having a fun night hunting down the rogue bone....! *sigh* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 As a side note, it turns out that he immediately hid one of the bones last night after the kerfuffle and (he is a VERY sneaky thief) we couldn't find it anywhere last night or this morning! So we've had to separate the two dogs all day today (one inside, one outside) and looks like we'll be having a fun night hunting down the rogue bone....! *sigh* Sounds like a typical Whippet to me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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