'Selectively' aggressive Cockapoo

Money_saving_maniac

AylesburyDuck wrote: »

If it's something you plan to do then that may go a part ways towards helping the situation, but the later you leave it the less it helps.

Castration does not fix resource guarding, so don't expect it to help.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Never really understood why some people allow their dogs to get to the stage of being a bit scary to keep what they want.

No alpha dog/pack leader theories here - it's more of a 'Seriously? Who do you think you are?' attitude - and the animal is well aware of my displeasure, giving whatever it is back to me, problem solved, good boy/girl and everybody's friends again. I'm effectively their Mum figure, and what Mum says, goes; you can push her so far, and then she'll remind you not to be so daft, then it's all sorted.


Works with cats, too - as a concussed sparrow found out when it was retrieved from Idiot Cat's mouth. Idiot Cat was not impressed, and sulked on the windowsill whilst the poor thing recovered on the birdtable, but I didn't have any difficulty or silliness retrieving it. And after he'd done his bit in handing it over (and had his sulk), he came over for fuss as normal.

For a dog, I'm happy to play tug of war, with periods of handing it over throughout, just to reinforce the giving it up as all part of the game, same way as I would always add a bit more food and touching them after cats or dogs started to chow down.

But if I was faced with an attempt at aggression or just getting a bit silly, not only would I ensure that I got whatever it was, I'd put it away/removed the animal from their location and then we'd have done something that needed calmness, whether fuss or controlled begging for a treat, once they'd reached a less wound up state.

No idea if that matches a particular theory or not, but I won't have arzey animals.