Sparkly  Offline
Dinner Lady Bint
Joined: Mar 29, 2006
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 Posted: Mon May 08, 2006 1:40 pm Post subject: PILCHARDS AND GROWLING!! |
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I read on LF that pilchards are particularly good for our labs but I cant quite remember why? is it for their coats?
Anyway, I gave Maggie (16 wks) a small tin today, mixed with some puppy biscuit mix stuff - she went absolutely wild for them (literally) which brings me on to the growling (should probably be in behaviour forum - sorry) but anyway while she was eating them I put my hand down to pick up her water bowl to refresh it and she really growled/snarled at me, thinking I was going for the pilchards! How should I have reacted to this? I wouldnt like somebody to take my food from me but at the same time I remember reading about dominance (?)and I have no doubt that she would have snapped at me if I had taken her bowl away. Any advice for next time? BTW I think she is teething ATM although she's not keen on letting me look at her teeth!
Regards Di x
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JohnW Offline
The old dog
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| Posted: Mon May 08, 2006 2:41 pm Post subject: |
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Don't make any reaction to it at that time, you don't want or need to be confrontational, but resolve to work on that problem. I'll post again on this thread later this evening when I have more time.
Regards, John
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JohnW Offline
The old dog
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| Posted: Mon May 08, 2006 7:04 pm Post subject: |
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Hi Di.
This thread is very similar to one on here about a week or so ago.
She is resources guarding. Probably feels that Pilchards is a rather higher value than her normal food. As a puppy with her littermates you would consider it perfectly natural to guard her food from all comers. Food and procreation are the two driving forces of all creatures. Without both the race would die out so it is programmed into the subconscious via the DNA. Does she need to guard her food? No, of course not! So why did she? Simply because it is the “Normal” thing to do!
So where to go from here? Firstly, never EVER tease a dog over food. By reading above you can see just how important any animal views food. But there are still things you can do. I want my dogs to not be looking upon my hands as a threat to their food, so I hand feed them treats, pieces of food, maybe a piece of cake. Preferably things with a higher value than their ordinary food with my fingers. I also work with their meals. For a start, when I put the food down on the floor I don’t immediately take my hand away. I leave it there for just a few seconds while the pup starts to eat. Gradually, as the puppy relaxes at the sight of my hand near the food I leave my hand there a little longer until he is completely relaxed at the sight of my hand. At this point I’ll start moving the bowl, just sliding it sideways a couple of inches. As this is accepted, and don’t try to rush things, I will start putting my hand back down to the bowl before the dog has finished eating. Just touch the bowl then away again. Quite slowly, no sudden movements. (Can you see how we are gradually scaleing things up?) The next part is to only put three quarters of the food in the bowl and just as he finishes, approach carrying the rest of the food so he can see it, lift up the bowl and add the rest. The next step is to pick up the bowl just BEFORE he has finished eating to add the rest of his meal. Spread all this out over a period of time. Don’t do it every time you feed her or you will just add stress to her meal times. Watch her and feel the way with a timetable which she is comfortable with. You have plenty of time, there is no race. It’s all about building trust.
As to opening her mouth, I would forget it at this time and work on that later. At 16 weeks old she will be teething so her mouth could well be rather sore and if you hurt her, which you could easily do at this time, then she will not be happy about opening her mouth for you. I would put it off now until the teething is finished.
Regards, John
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Sparkly Offline
Dinner Lady Bint
Joined: Mar 29, 2006
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Posts: 5976
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10298 LabPounds
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No.of Labs: 1
Lab Names: Maggie & Flynn (Lurcher thinks he is a lab)
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Location: Northampton
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| Posted: Mon May 08, 2006 7:29 pm Post subject: |
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John,
Thank you so much for your valuable advice. I understand what you are saying about it being normal to guard her food in this way. As a novice lab owner I think I was probably taking it a bit too personally but the way you have explained it certainly makes sense.
I will definitely work slowly through a "timetable" regarding her meals and will continue to hand feed her treats etc. I think maybe her mouth is a bit sore so I will leave well alone for the time being.
Thanks again.
Regards Di
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