advice for a dog who is having an aggressive identity crisis! Written on November 13, 2009, by marlene.

Hello,
I have an 8 yr old shepard/husky mix (or something along those lines)
who got aggressive with me over a squeaky toy last night. I’m not sure
if he grabbed my finger or if my finger was on the toy and he grabbed
the toy, but he just barely broke the skin — one little tooth mark on
the top and a scratch on the bottom. Anyways, I’m wondering if you have
any suggestions for us. I was reading your posts about Sophie but
couldn’t get your protocol to load onto the site. My dog an I have been
living alone for several years and we recently (October) moved in with
my financee and her dog (who is submissive for the most part — other
than a bit of toy guarding behavior). Since then, my dog has been
struggling with issues of food aggression and this toy nonsense that I
thought we dealt with years ago (I haven’t had these problems with him since
he was 1-2 years old). Any suggestions would be very helpful. Thank
you! Lindsay

My reply:

Hi Lindsay,

I wish this were a problem that could easily be fixed with an email. I
will try my best, but in the end, you may have to consult a behaviorist
in your area (if you are in NYC, you are in luck!- It’s my town!). If you
are in NYC, let me know and we’ll set up and evaluation.

so here goes-

Your dog has a hierarchy problem. The addition of people and dogs in
the home creates this kind of thing, and in his brain he’s lost in the pack
and he feels he has to prove his place all over again. The best thing
to do is to completely shun him and the other dog. All humans just ignore
the dogs and kind of “cut the cord”. This is what dominant, confident
leader dogs do when another dog comes into their territory. Other dogs
recognize this as something a leader does, and they will understand it
right away. It brings the humans up in the hierarchy of things. You
should not be playing on the floor with the dogs and certainly not be
allowing the dogs on the furniture (allowing dogs on furniture skews
the hierarchy and makes some mid-ranking dogs feel more powerful than they
ought to feel). I recommend correcting calmly each time there is any
hint of aggression toward a human (stiffening of the body when approached,
locked into a stare over a toy or food, etc), then shunning that dog completely, as if
they hadn’t existed.

research this:

and see if you’re comfortable using one. You need a way to correct
these behaviors that is quick, effective, easy to administer, and can be done
without approaching the dog. The spray commander works from 250 ft.
away.

This is the most advice I can give you in a simple email without
actually evaluating your dog in person.

I hope it helps you, and may the force be with you,

Marlene

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