Adopting a dog Advice

[ryan11d7]

I am just looking for some dog advice from you animal lovers out there.

Recently my parents have adopted a dog from the pound. An Akita (hes about 170) pounds. We were able to contact the previous owners to check on why they got rid of him. It had to do with them never being home, however they were able to confirm that they have never had any problems with him being aggressive outside of once him growling at their children for taking his food to refill it.

He seems like a good dog. However, later in the day when nobody was around he started growling at me when I walked past a certain area and when I yelled no at him he tried taking a snip at my hand. I was able to move my hand fast enough that he just nipped it. I chalked this up to him getting sent to the pound after 18 months with his previous owners and then taking in by a new owner and still being scared/defensive and confused.

As a few days went by I was able to determine that anytime I walk by his food he starts to get defensive and show aggression towards me. He does not do this with my parents but everytime I walk by his food he runs to his food and watches me and if I move towards it he shows aggression. We tried talking about it trying to figure out if he was maybe still a bit nervous and that is why he was showing aggression. Our main concern is that I have a niece and nephew (2 and 6) that visit my parents often. My concern was either of them going near his food/playing with him and him trying to take a bite at them.

So today we talked about it and I fed him earlier in the day, refilling his bowl (not taking his food but bringing a scoop to his bowl and feeding him a treat) and he was more than fine. Later in the day my mom took his bowl to refill it and he did nothing. I then later on took his bowl to refill it with my parents standing near by just to make sure he would not show aggression or attack me, however he freaked out and took a bite out of my hand. Getting bit probably my own fault as I had a suspicion he would try to do that and I tried to refill his bowl anyways (more so to prove a point that if a little kid where to go near his food he might show aggression), probably dumb of me to do but I wanted to make sure he wouldn't bite. Now we are stuck trying to figure out why he showing aggression towards me (I am assuming he isn't showing aggression towards my parents I assume because they have spent alot of time with him and have been the ones feeding him).

So my question is, have any of you experienced an animal showing aggression after adopting it from a pound or store? My main concern is having kids around him if hes going to show aggression or trying to bite someone. We are debating bringing him back, we don't want to give up on him but if he is going to bite anyone then he has to go. We have no had kids around him yet and do not plan to until we are absolutely sure. Does anybody know anything that may help ease his aggression or as to why he may be showing aggression. We have not had anybody else go near his food so I am not sure if it is just me. I have never had this happen with any animal and have never had any animal show me aggression before. Would the best bet be to take him back? Just wondering if anybody has had this happen to them and how they responded.

Has anybody trained animals before and have any advice?

[Puupi]

Letting children near a dog that is unreliable is totally unacceptable.

So the options are:
1. Fix the dogs behaviour - easier said than done, and even if it seemed to work out, you can never really trust that dog sadly.
2. Don't let children/strangers near the dog.
3. Return the dog.

My suggestion is to start with #1 and #2. If you can't figure the dog out and make the situation work, you are left with #3.

Oh and the reason for that behaviour is probably that the dog has had to fight for his food or has had too little food. Probably at the shelter/whatnot with other dogs.

Also if he only does that growling to you it might mean you resemble someone he has had a bad relation with. Or you are just the devil.

[I Push Buttons]

Has anybody trained animals before and have any advice?

Make sure you stick with one way of telling a dog no.

My parents would say different things, talk to their dogs in full sentences, explain why not to do things to them, etc... And they never learned not do bad stuff... Like they would chew something up and instead of giving them a little tap on the nose and shouting "No!", my mom would be like "Awwww you can't do that! That's bad... You ruined it, don't do that again!" and shit like that... Its just noise to a dog and she would say stuff like that every time they did something bad.

You slap them on the nose and say "No!" and they quickly get a handle of what they can and can't do and what no means.

[Puupi]

And another thing: one of our dogs was protective like that with bones or something extra juicy things when he was a pup. Once he growled and actually tried to bite me. I shouted like crazy to him and told him to do other things so I got him moving away from the bone and his mind off the bone as well. Don't stick your hand in there or try to force the dog by hand (I tried that with a crazy cat once and learned a harsh lesson) or he will just bite your wrist. You need to show dominance and then recuperate with him after that. I made the dog leave the room and leave the bone in the room, made him sit and lie down, calmed him down and gave the bone back with me still holding it while he was chewing it. Then I made him give the bone to me and I gave it back to him. Then we were all good.

He has never growled at me or anyone else since.

But that was just me, my experience and my dog. All dogs and people are different.

[Progenitor Aquarius]

The dog thinks your parents are the his masters. Dog might act dominant and guard the owners from you. You have to spend more time with dog and observe how he behaves before you try to feed him. Don't give him food right away when he act crazy wait for his move to calm down. Try to walk him out, it will create bound. You gotta watch his movement when he act dominant or submissive; never give him treats after he act badly. He shouldn't be around kids now, he just got out from pound, he is stressed out, confused, defensive. Try to keep him in calm evnviroment. It also depends how old is the dog, adult dogs are more difficult to adapt.

[Queen of Hamsters]

Resource defense is a natural behaviour when a dog has been taught somehow that food is indeed fleeting. It's natural in puppies as well, but it tends to be trained away.

Easy way: Don't let children/strangers around that dog when it's eating. Taking away the food bowl between feedings might work, but the dog can still defend the spot where it's fed. There's also nothing to say that it won't start doing it around people living in the same home. The behaviour comes down to the natural fear that what we have, we might not be able to keep. Getting angry, taking it personal and scolding at the dog in a harsh tone, won't do piss all to help the situation and might escalate it.

Less easy way: Start over with the dog when it comes to guard behaviour and food. Are you sure the dog doesn't display this behaviour towards your parents? Because it might end in a bit if they're not careful. When I've been faced with a dog guarding its resources, I've increased its faith in me as a human. The dog growls when I go close to its food? I put a treat in (in a swift movement), and then I walk away. I also teach the dog that I "own" the food before it gets to eat. Sit and eye contact is my favourite requirement to place on the dog before it gets to eat. This is after I put the bowl down, it's not allowed to rush in and gorf it down. This method has worked on Rottweilers (notorious resource defenders) and chihuahuas.

Easiest way: Take it back to the shelter. That's a tough advice to give though, since nobody here has seen first hand what the situation is like, what your parents are like etc etc.

Absolute NO NO way: Adhere to "dominance theory" training. Those methods lead to worse fears, worse behaviours and doesn't address the root cause in favor of the "hurr it wants to dominate you and you need to act like the alpha silverback"-crap. The dog isn't believing that it's "the master", it's not looking down its nose on humans. It's defending a resource necessary for its survival, and only building trust and security for the dog has a chance to remedy this fact. Even the society of wolf scientists have disowned the term "alpha". Wolf packs are actually family units, not groups built upon fighting your way to the top spot.

[Etselion]

Guarding his food its a territorial thing.

[ryan11d7]

Letting children near a dog that is unreliable is totally unacceptable.

So the options are:
1. Fix the dogs behaviour - easier said than done, and even if it seemed to work out, you can never really trust that dog sadly.
2. Don't let children/strangers near the dog.
3. Return the dog.

My suggestion is to start with #1 and #2. If you can't figure the dog out and make the situation work, you are left with #3.

Oh and the reason for that behaviour is probably that the dog has had to fight for his food or has had too little food. Probably at the shelter/whatnot with other dogs.

Also if he only does that growling to you it might mean you resemble someone he has had a bad relation with. Or you are just the devil.

I want to reiterate we are not letting children near him if there is any question. You are right that is not acceptable. I am more looking for advice on things to do in order to curb the dogs aggression. We are leaning towards just taking him back, we don't want to just give up on the dog right away, I just am not sure the best course of action to try to ease his aggression.

[Deleted]

Absolute NO NO way: Adhere to "dominance theory" training. Those methods lead to worse fears, worse behaviours and doesn't address the root cause in favor of the "hurr it wants to dominate you and you need to act like the alpha silverback"-crap. The dog isn't believing that it's "the master", it's not looking down its nose on humans. It's defending a resource necessary for its survival, and only building trust and security for the dog has a chance to remedy this fact.

Literally incorrect; The dog is showing signs of aggression specifically to him. Not his parents. This is obviously the dog trying to take a position of power over him and not because it's overly possessive.

He needs to assert he is above the Dog, and that acts of aggression get him nothing.

Edit: I am by no means telling him to be aggressive to the dog, and in fact the reverse is preferable. Play with the dog, interact with it more, but always assume a dominant position in the play. This is how Dogs naturally learn who they are above and who they are not.

[Queen of Hamsters]

Literally incorrect; The dog is showing signs of aggression specifically to him. Not his parents. This is obviously the dog trying to take a position of power over him and not because it's overly possessive.

He needs to assert he is above the Dog, and that acts of aggression get him nothing.

Edit: I am by no means telling him to be aggressive to the dog, and in fact the reverse is preferable. Play with the dog, interact with it more, but always assume a dominant position in the play. This is how Dogs naturally learn who they are above and who they are not.

No, not "literally incorrect."

If you want to believe in an outdated hypothesis that's since been both disowned and debunked in the respectable circuits, that's on you.

[Sanguinerd]

First of ,don't yell at a dog it doesn't do anything to them like it does humans. Dogs have a personality, they have likes and dislikes and they trust or not trust - from what I can see here that dog doesn't trust you(and other strangers) around food yet, probably due to something in his past.

You have to be patient, build trust and just spend time with him. Try just sitting near and having a treat but don't give it yet. Then proceed to make sure he's in a submissive state before you give it(laying down with legs to the side etc, just being calm), you reward him being relaxed around you. Try feeding him from your hands and just being close when he eats. He needs to trust you, he needs to know you're not going to take his food even if your hand is in the bowl he doesn't need to defend it.

The key to older dogs is just patience and perseverance. It takes time to learn a dogs behavior and like others said each dog is different too. Ofcourse this is all easier said than done but I've had quite a lot of experience with older ones, never had to return one(yet).

If nothing works I'd suggest finding a professional nearby to help you out instead of just returning the dog, that won't help him nor you.

[Deleted]

No, not "literally incorrect."

If you want to believe in an outdated hypothesis that's since been both disowned and debunked in the respectable circuits, that's on you.

What respectable circuits? I'm not telling him to beat the dog or even shout at him. I am telling him to make a bond with the dog that shows he is the one giving the commands and that the dog should listen.

You sound like one of these new age hippies who hasn't ever seen how Working dogs function. You need to direct your dogs, give them the structure they need.

[Flame6]

We had the best dog growing up, but he would be aggressive to strangers unless properly introduced. It was always a problem and the dog never "outgrew" it.

[LiiLoSNK]

He senses your beta level and deems you unworthy for food sharing.

Get a girlfriend and a leather jacket.

[Queen of Hamsters]

What respectable circuits? I'm not telling him to beat the dog or even shout at him. I am telling him to make a bond with the dog that shows he is the one giving the commands and that the dog should listen.

You sound like one of these new age hippies who hasn't ever seen how Working dogs function. You need to direct your dogs, give them the structure they need.

Um no, I'm far from a "hippie" in dog training and I do know perfectly well how working dogs function, thank you. I'd be considered quite tough in my principles compared to the people whom do not dare to even raise their voice lest they'll be branded for "animal cruelty".

And respectable circles = educated circles, not the ones getting their knowledge of dogs from the likes of Cesar Millan or a 50 year old study of captive, unrelated wolves. A core principle is to understand the following: Dog and human relationships, are not equal to dog and dog relationships.

[Deleted]

Um no, I'm far from a "hippie" in dog training and I do know perfectly well how working dogs function, thank you.

And respectable circles = educated circles, not the ones getting their knowledge of dogs from the likes of Cesar Millan or a 50 year old study of captive, unrelated wolves. A core principle is to understand the following: Dog and human relationships, are not equal to dog and dog relationships.

No, Which is why you establish that a Dog cannot use Dog behavior on a Human by assuming the dominant role when playing and interacting with the Dog. You show it "I am not a Dog, I am a human, but we are friends"

So yeah, you sound like a new age hippy or someone who is so scared of the word "Dominant" you forgo important lessons about it.

[Doctor Amadeus]

Literally incorrect; The dog is showing signs of aggression specifically to him. Not his parents. This is obviously the dog trying to take a position of power over him and not because it's overly possessive.

He needs to assert he is above the Dog, and that acts of aggression get him nothing.

Edit: I am by no means telling him to be aggressive to the dog, and in fact the reverse is preferable. Play with the dog, interact with it more, but always assume a dominant position in the play. This is how Dogs naturally learn who they are above and who they are not.

This is 100% spot on.

Yeah this kind of shit can't be tolerated you are hurting the dog and yourself.

[Deleted]

This is 100% spot on.

Literally the easiest way to do this is Play Fetch. Get the ball, and throw it. Then ask the dog to drop it. Give it a treat when it relents.

Dog gets fun ball time, AND a treat, and it learns you're not a Human to fight things with, but a human who is their friend.

[Heladys]

This is 100% spot on.

Yeah this kind of shit can't be tolerated you are hurting the dog and yourself.

Additionally, make sure he is the only person who feeds the dog. No food magically appears on the floor or from anyone else, the dog only eats when he feeds him.

That right there is a very quick way to assert dominance without any kind of force or confrontation. The dog will very quickly learn where his food ticket is punched and fall in line.

[Doctor Amadeus]

No, Which is why you establish that a Dog cannot use Dog behavior on a Human by assuming the dominant role when playing and interacting with the Dog. You show it "I am not a Dog, I am a human, but we are friends"

So yeah, you sound like a new age hippy or someone who is so scared of the word "Dominant" you forgo important lessons about it.

Yeah agree also you are not a dog and that dog is not you. Being dominant doesn't mean being abusive. If friendship is a two way street with you he's telling you to fuck off. Sorry for the bad news.