# new cockapoo added to our pack



## katycluck (Jun 18, 2015)

i have an American cockapoo (nearly 4) who benefited from us going on a 'pack leadership course' when her behavior went a little squiffy (snappy at bigger dogs & small children) (i think i child of this age hurt her once when i wasnt looking..) 
So rather than look at training classes, (which i've never done as Rosie is generally very good) i looked at behavior specialists. I got a complete new perspective on thinking 'Dog' & it worked. Rosie apparently, did not trust me enough to protect her, therefore protecting herself, i now how to make her feel 'safe' & there is a huge difference in not just the intial issues but lots more.

However, i have recently taken on another cockapoo, (english cocker) who is completley refusing to accept (unless he wants to) my rules! I am being authoritive but also giving lots of fuss & love. a balance. I think he lacked a lot of discipline in his last 2 homes (& he is only 7 months). 
the trouble is he doesnt respond to being 'told'. he will drop & be submissive, but then growl if continued to be told, ie he challenges me...
(this is to do with begging at the table, leaving items he shouldnt have..)
he has snapped too...
tonight when he snapped (i tried to get my fleecy blanket back) i have ignored him (blanked him from the pack) in the hope he realises that behavior doesnt get cuddles...
(by 'drop' i mean 'lie down', & his last home gave him treats so he would let go of something he shouldnt have! working backwards first..)

any advice please x (& i know this can be as bad as 'baby advice' lol, we all think our way is best, )


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

It sounds like your new dog is showing signs of resource guarding and attempting to impose your authority will only make the dog more insecure and want to guard more.

Just picking out this sentence "the trouble is he doesnt respond to being 'told'. he will drop & be submissive, but then growl if continued to be told, ie he challenges me..."

From the dogs point of view - my new owner has told me something, I have lay down and even rolled over but he is still standing over me and I am very uncomfortable this this, I have tried looking away and lip licking but he is not backing off so I am having to growl to try to tell him how uncomfortable i feel"

Dogs who are resource guarding need to learn to trust, they are afraid of losing things and need to have confidence built. Blanking him will not teach him anything but he will probably be relieved you are not telling him off. 

You need to back off and avoid confrontation whilst teaching him that giving up things he has is not a bad thing. Giving treats to swap for a stolen item if actually a much better way of handling it than forcing and putting the dog in a position it needs to snap. I know it initially seems backwards to be rewarding the taking of the item with a treat but think in terms of swapping one for the other and in doing so building your dogs confidence in you as an owner.


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## katycluck (Jun 18, 2015)

*thanks*

thank you for your message & advice, it makes perfect sense. I wasnt sure if he was growling in defence or anger. I did actually say to a friend that maybe i was being a bit too strong with him, its just difficult trying to bring him under some control as he has been used to doing more or less what he wants.


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

Don't worry too much - I was in pretty much the same boat with a 17 month old untrained girl with serious resource guarding issues. I learned to pick my battles wisely and use lots of distraction and prevention. 

She is now actually fairly well trained (when she wants to be ) she knows the rules and what is and is not allowed.

Lots of short positive training sessions are great - Molly particularly enjoys clicker training


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## katycluck (Jun 18, 2015)

been a calmer night, swapping working, he was getting more fuss than being 'told' before, so its not been difficult to ease him back to always happy, (only had him a week) & i've been happier not feeling I have to take charge!
The advice to be more authorative worked with Rosie cus she is so settled I suppose (had her from tiny)
Each dog / situation is different i'm learning... rather like children!
Again thanks for you advice.. obvious once seen, & no doubt I'll be asking again, lol, many thanks x


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

Well done. As he settles more and learns the house rules he will hopefully feel less need to guard things and you can all just settle down together


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## katycluck (Jun 18, 2015)

ok, i've backed off, swapped toys, given him treats to get back items he shouldnt take & now he seems to be searching for more items! his aggression has increased if he has a prized possession,


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

It sounds like you could do with someone there to look and see what is going on - if you are in the UK I am can recommend someone if you can let me know what area you are in.

Otherwise you need to back off totally, offering direct swaps can be too threatening at times so you need to firstly cut down the amount of things he can get hold of which he may value, secondly start to pick your battles - a stolen sock may well not be worth even stressing about, the tv remote probably is, thirdly when he does get hold of something instead of approaching to swap, use whatever you can to distract him away, so calling from another room, playing with your other dog, ringing the front door bell. 

Molly is a third the size of Chance, if Molly is guarding something Chance will not go anyway near her and the best way of encouraging Molly away is to do some training with Chance which Molly will want to join in with. Her first efforts to join in will be tentative and still wanting to run back to her stolen whatever but if I just carry on doing a little more training I will see her relax and that is the point I can collect the stolen stuff without her stressing.


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## katycluck (Jun 18, 2015)

i have picked my battles since the day he arrived, he does know what the prized possessions are! (my glasses, phone, remote control...) most of the time he is lovely, although he is now challenging my first cockapoo, & has realised that he is sooo much bigger & just bats her, she is now fearing him. all not good. I think he would be better off in a new home as an only child to get him over his issues.... hate giving up tho


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

Ah now true prized things like that I keep well out of Molly reach 

To a degree too the dogs need to sort out their own order and I think you have only had him a week or two so still very early for them to be getting used to each other. 

Where did he come from? Was it a rescue or private rehome? If you can't keep him do you have a realistic option for him? Are you in the UK?


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## wellerfeller (Jul 12, 2011)

7 months old and already on his 3rd home and possibly heading towards his 4th!?!? Poor chap! He has only learnt what 'prized possessions' are though the reactions of the humans around him. Yes he sounds like he has picked up some guarding issues but they don't sound awful and with a bit of hard work and training he will learn. Some professional guidance may help you see things really aren't as bad as you think. I will post a website that will give you a list of good trainers in your area.
Bear in mind he will not even have settled in at your house yet. So the stress of being unsettled over and over can make his guarding worse. He has learnt to trust no one, that's something you can overturn, with time.


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## wellerfeller (Jul 12, 2011)

http://www.apdt.co.uk


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## katycluck (Jun 18, 2015)

i'm in the midlands, he was a private rehome, a lady(in her 50's) had bought him for her mother... (what could possibly go wrong?!) & when her mum couldnt cope he went to live with her & her 2 big dogs which was all a bit much....
i have/am kept prized stuff out of the way but its stuff i'm using & hes bloody quick on the nab!
he seems the most settled in the house whereas me, my daughter & dog (& 2 cats) are all walking on eggshells to make him happy...
how do you know when hes settled??


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## wellerfeller (Jul 12, 2011)

He will be settled when everyone stops walking in eggs shells 
Honestly, it will take a bit of time. Poor boy hasn't had a chance to build a real bond with anyone in his whole life yet, so he might take a bit longer than usual. He will be feeding off of everyone anxiety though so humans need to relax and the dogs will sort it out for themselves. He is a teenager, which is a tough time on everyone anyway. All training seems to get forgotten and replaced with some kind of lunatic that's never been on a lead!!
Try your very best to keep stuff out of his reach but when he does manage to grab something keep calm and get the tasty treats out! Call him away with some sausage or something equally yummy, treat him then offer more if he follows you outside, treat him again and then shut him out for a couple of mins to cool off and while you retrieve the object. The aim of the game is to avoid all situations where there could be confrontation. He will naturally learn to trust you and his worries will diminish. 
Do you feed the dogs separately? If not, then I would also do this as it will reinforce his guarding.


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## wellerfeller (Jul 12, 2011)

He is probably being extra naughty because of his age too, it will pass.


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## katycluck (Jun 18, 2015)

yes i feed them separatly, due to new dog woofing his down at a rate of knots whilst my first girl eats more 'cat' ie grazes...


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

Depending on where you are in the Midlands I can thoroughly recommend this trainer http://www.pawsnlearn.com/

Adding a 7 month old dog to a home is always going to need a settling in period especially when their are children and other animals who all need to adjust.

He has learned to steal items which get a reaction, but when he has stolen them he gets worried and therefore growly. You need to make sure he can't get the items you know he will guard by putting things out of his reach.


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## Lottierachel (Mar 3, 2013)

2ndhandgal said:


> Depending on where you are in the Midlands I can thoroughly recommend this trainer http://www.pawsnlearn.com/
> 
> Adding a 7 month old dog to a home is always going to need a settling in period especially when their are children and other animals who all need to adjust.
> 
> He has learned to steal items which get a reaction, but when he has stolen them he gets worried and therefore growly. You need to make sure he can't get the items you know he will guard by putting things out of his reach.


I can second the recommendation for the above trainer - she was very helpful to me in the past! X


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