Introduction and help please!

[LisaNewland]

Here she is...butter wouldn't melt!

[Cockertime Blues]

Amber is gorgeous!  Just don't give her bones any more, at least for now and some time to come.  Take it off her.  Easily solved problem and she won't know what she's missing.

We rarely give ours chews because Alfie has a problem.  He never guards but he doesn't want to chew it but just worries about it constantly - trying to hide it in SO obvious places and Genie ends up getting it anyway.  He can't cope with the bone angst so they don't get them.

Sorry, meant take it off her when she's not in same room and can't see what you're doing.

[Ben's mum]

Another thing I thought of is as you get to know Amber you will discover what her most prized treat is, eg cheese or ham etc, keep some in to use to swop when she has something you want to get off her, with Harry it is a tub of peanut butter he will give me almost anything if I have that in my hand. He only gets it very very occasionally so it remains highly prized and he practically drools when I open the lid  Ben will do anything for cheese.  Its useful to keep something like this for times when bribery is essential

[Archie bean]

I have a (mostly reformed  ) resource guarder too. It can be incredibly frightening and intimidating but with the correct approach it can be dealt with. It sounds like you are doing everything right so far. A very good book on the subject is "Mine" by Jean Donaldson. It is pretty difficult to read though - not user friendly! However it helps explain the issues and gives methods of dealing with the problem. I also had a lot of help from the trainers at my training club. You may like to consider a one on one with a behaviourist to help you move forward.

I had a similar incident when my Archie trapped me in my lounge for two hours because he insisted in guarding a bone across the door threshold.  every time I moved growling was the result. Luckily I had a pile of ironing in there with me  . I ignored him and got on with it. Gradually he stopped growling and moved away from the door. I made a cup of tea, went back and sat down on the sofa, saying nothing and ignoring him. He moved a bit closer to me with the bone. I went and ate some supper and again returned without a word. This time he brought the bone to my feet and continued to chew. After about half an hour, he jumped onto the sofa next to me with the bone. I said good boy quietly but nothing else. He put the bone on my lap (nice!) and I stroked him. The whole time I was trying to be calm but I could see that he was now very relaxed so I touched the bone - no reaction. I then held it for him to chew. I can't tell you how amazing it felt. It was such a breakthrough. However, once he went outside for a pee, I removed the bone and he didn't even see to notice it was gone!
I am now able to regularly give him bones. I don't go near him at first but he will always bring them to chew at my feet and will happily let me hold them for him to chew. Hang in there, she will learn to trust you.

[LisaNewland]

I have a (mostly reformed  ) resource guarder too. It can be incredibly frightening and intimidating but with the correct approach it can be dealt with. It sounds like you are doing everything right so far. A very good book on the subject is "Mine" by Jean Donaldson. It is pretty difficult to read though - not user friendly! However it helps explain the issues and gives methods of dealing with the problem. I also had a lot of help from the trainers at my training club. You may like to consider a one on one with a behaviourist to help you move forward.

I had a similar incident when my Archie trapped me in my lounge for two hours because he insisted in guarding a bone across the door threshold.  every time I moved growling was the result. Luckily I had a pile of ironing in there with me  . I ignored him and got on with it. Gradually he stopped growling and moved away from the door. I made a cup of tea, went back and sat down on the sofa, saying nothing and ignoring him. He moved a bit closer to me with the bone. I went and ate some supper and again returned without a word. This time he brought the bone to my feet and continued to chew. After about half an hour, he jumped onto the sofa next to me with the bone. I said good boy quietly but nothing else. He put the bone on my lap (nice!) and I stroked him. The whole time I was trying to be calm but I could see that he was now very relaxed so I touched the bone - no reaction. I then held it for him to chew. I can't tell you how amazing it felt. It was such a breakthrough. However, once he went outside for a pee, I removed the bone and he didn't even see to notice it was gone!
I am now able to regularly give him bones. I don't go near him at first but he will always bring them to chew at my feet and will happily let me hold them for him to chew. Hang in there, she will learn to trust you.

Thank you so much for this. I'll have a look for the book. I removed the offending bone and we've had no problems since. Today, Amber came downstairs with an empty toilet roll (she loves to chew anything paper!). I asked her for it, she gave it to me and we did that back and forth, I want her to learn that I can be trusted and will give her things back if she lets them go. It's obviously only highly prized things, such as food treats, which she will guard with such ardour!

She still displays some distress in the evenings before she settles, walking around whining and looking as if she is searching for something. We make sure she gets in her downstairs bed, because if she settles next to or on one of our laps, she will then growl when we move. Overall though, things are going great and she and the cat, Bugsy, are almost at nodding acquaintaince stage! 

[LisaNewland]

I'm really feeling down today. Things were great then this morning Amber got very cross with us when we went near her toy, so we left her alone, then removed it when she had stopped guarding.

This afternoon, we've just got back from a lovely long walk, no problems at all, now she is sitting in the middle of the living room snarling and growling if either Mark or I go near her or even try to enter the room. We are trapped in the dining room/kitchen. As she has bitten me before, I am sure, without doubt that she will bite us if we get nearer to her.

What on earth is going on with our sweet dog? She is worse than ever today and we just can't work out why.

Anyone around who could talk on the phone to advise us?

Thanks
Lisa

[Fluff]

I'd advise contacting a behaviourist (sorry if you already have), especially if you're afraid of being bitten.

For now, I'd just stay elsewhere and ignore her and see if she relaxes a bit. You and Mark try to act normally with each other so she can see everything is ok and life is continuing as normal. Does she have anything in the room with her that might be prompting this guarding behaviour? Did she act like this the second you got in, or could something have triggered it? Were there any noises outside? Anything different in her routine?

[LisaNewland]

I'd advise contacting a behaviourist (sorry if you already have), especially if you're afraid of being bitten.

For now, I'd just stay elsewhere and ignore her and see if she relaxes a bit. You and Mark try to act normally with each other so she can see everything is ok and life is continuing as normal. Does she have anything in the room with her that might be prompting this guarding behaviour? Did she act like this the second you got in, or could something have triggered it? Were there any noises outside? Anything different in her routine?

We will contact a behaviourist this week, I think. I was hopeful that things would get better but it's definitely taken a turn for the worse as there is nothing she is guarding. There is nothing in the room, unless she's buried something something somewhere. She didn't act like this immediately, she had her shower (always needs one as she gets filthy!), was very compliant with that, as ever. Nothing different to her usual routine at all. We are both baffled. We have tried speaking gently, coaxing her with treats, but now we are sitting at the table unable to leave the room! (It's a through lounge, she can see us, she is sitting in the living room).

Thanks for your reply.

[Pop-Star]

Can you contact the rescue for advise?
Hopefully they have a behaviourist that could talk to you today.
Really hope you can get to the route of what is causing Amber to behave like this and can get it sorted 

[Fluff]

I'd advise contacting a behaviourist (sorry if you already have), especially if you're afraid of being bitten.

For now, I'd just stay elsewhere and ignore her and see if she relaxes a bit. You and Mark try to act normally with each other so she can see everything is ok and life is continuing as normal. Does she have anything in the room with her that might be prompting this guarding behaviour? Did she act like this the second you got in, or could something have triggered it? Were there any noises outside? Anything different in her routine?

We will contact a behaviourist this week, I think. I was hopeful that things would get better but it's definitely taken a turn for the worse as there is nothing she is guarding. There is nothing in the room, unless she's buried something something somewhere. She didn't act like this immediately, she had her shower (always needs one as she gets filthy!), was very compliant with that, as ever. Nothing different to her usual routine at all. We are both baffled. We have tried speaking gently, coaxing her with treats, but now we are sitting at the table unable to leave the room! (It's a through lounge, she can see us, she is sitting in the living room).

Thanks for your reply.

It does seem strange, I wonder what has set her off. Hopefully ignoring her will calm her down and allow you back into the room. When you do get into the room, I'd suggest just ignoring her and carrying on with whatever you are doing as normal, don't make a big fuss of her.

[Archie bean]

  Pop-Star has made a really good suggestion about contacting the rescue. Amber is displaying classic guarding behaviour. I have been in exactly your position with Archie so I know how you are feeling. It CAN be managed though so don't despair. I agree that expert advice is needed ASAP, to find the root of the problem. Sometimes it needs an expert pair of eyes to spot what is going on as the triggers can be tiny. When Archie wouldn't let me approach him I always kept out of his way. Once he was quiet I would call him to me in the kitchen for a biscuit. If he came I would play with him and then get myself between him and the door so I could ask him to stay, shut the door and go and remove whatever he was guarding. There will be something I am sure - they pick the oddest things! Once she calms down go through the house and clear EVERYTHING. Shoes from the floor, jumpers that you may have taken off somewhere (a favourite for Archie) magazines from the table, cushions from the sofas, nick nacks. Literally everything that isn't heavy or nailed down.  Shut the doors on any rooms you don't want her in unsupervised. It sounds tough and it is but it is vital that she doesn't have the opportunity to get hold of contraband. Your game with the toilet roll was really good. This sort of game really helped Archie.
I really hope you manage to find someone to help you all get through this tricky patch.

[Cockertime Blues]

Oh dear sorry you're having to deal with this.  If you got her from a decent rescue, they should be willing and able to give you support and advice over the lifetime of the dog.  If they have a behaviourist they work with, they should give you free sessions.  But I know rescues vary very much and some are less reputable or simply don't have the money/resources.

It was great you took on a rescue in the first place but please remember if it's more than you feel you want to deal with, there's absolutely no shame in returning a dog.  Not every dog gets in the right home first time.  (We're our Genie's second shot at a home.  She's right for us, just wasn't right for where she was first rehomed.)

Good luck with everything.

[linda c]

It's such a shame that you've tried really hard to help Amber settle into her new home and things were picking up. Then to have a major set back is so upsetting. I agree with others my first thing would be to contact the rescue that you adopted her from for advice.

Sometimes it's really hard when things go wrong and you can't see an answer for her behaviour, but as already said and expert on behaviour should be able to help you and given time she'll be a lovable companion. There's a reason for her being in rescue very often it's no fault of the dogs but sometimes it's some sort of bad behaviour that has meant them being there.

It's an uphill struggle but hopefully with help and advice you'll overcome the problems.

Good luck and think positively 

[Archie bean]

Just had a thought. Did she leave the bone she was guarding in the lounge? I assume she didn't see you remove it so maybe she just thinks it is still there somewhere and that's why she was guarding the room? I'm not sure what to do if that's the case but it may help to know what she was thinking possibly? 

[LisaNewland]

Thanks for your help, everyone. Amber ate a treat (she must have been sitting on it!) after about 40 minutes and finally let us back in to the living room! Since then, she has been a bit growly, but Mark has firmly told her 'no' and she has backed down. She's now sleeping in her bed.

I spoke to Cynthia at NESSR, where she came from, who is very supportive. We are going to see how things go. This is Amber's third home, but no aggression has been mentioned before, however she has always lived with other dogs, so perhaps she is trying it on now she is 'top dog' or in fact, the only dog? We are going to be very clear about her boundaries and get a crate or stair gate to she has 'time out' if necessary.

I absolutely do not want to give up on her, neither does Mark, as we are so attached to her already. I am sure we can get this right. It's still early days and tomorrow I go back to work after the Christmas break, so some sort of routine will be established again.

I've also emailed two behaviourists, one has quoted me £850.00 + travelling expenses, for two sessions, which is way beyond our budget! I'll look for others in the East Midlands area.

I'll keep you posted.
This site is great, it's kept me sane this past week or so. I can't express how grateful I am to you all for taking the time to help us. 'Thank you' just doesn't cover it!

Lisa