Hey ya'll. I'm new. Sorry to start off on such a rough footing.
I am really concerned about some recent behavior and I'm not entirely sure where to locate resources or how to deal with it. I was hoping someone here might have some ideas as to why my doxie is behaving so oddly and might be able to point me in the right direction.
My doxie is about 2 years old, neutered male.
This behavior started about a week ago. When he has a high value treat or toy (kong, a certain ball) he gets very defensive of them. He growls and snaps if you come near him or try to pet him.
If you try to pick him up and away from the object he hunkers down and spreads out like he's trying to grip the ground while attempting to bite.
After "finishing" with his toy or treat he walks away but if you try to pick him up or follow he tries to bite.
He has never shown any food aggression before and has never been without food. He gets "high value" treats and toys fairly often.
For some background as to why it might be happening:
In July we moved to a new house. He loves to "guard" the new house by barking at noises outside. He never used to guard our old place.
In October we brought home a rescue mutt of a dog as we now have a bigger house and a fenced in lawn. The two get along swimmingly. He seems really happy to have a playmate.
His recent aggression isn't toward the other dog at all. I haven't seen him ever snap at the other dog (spayed female, 10 months). The girl dog can also come near his food/toys and he doesn't seem to mind. They often play tug together with no signs of aggression.
He is only acting this way towards us (myself and my fiance).
Is this just resource guarding? Should I cut out high value treats and toys completely? Does this behavior have a tendency to "get worse" if left unchecked? Should he just be ignored if he displays this sort of behavior?
Sorry for all the questions - I'm just not a big fan of getting bitten by my little pup!
I am really concerned about some recent behavior and I'm not entirely sure where to locate resources or how to deal with it. I was hoping someone here might have some ideas as to why my doxie is behaving so oddly and might be able to point me in the right direction.
My doxie is about 2 years old, neutered male.
This behavior started about a week ago. When he has a high value treat or toy (kong, a certain ball) he gets very defensive of them. He growls and snaps if you come near him or try to pet him.
If you try to pick him up and away from the object he hunkers down and spreads out like he's trying to grip the ground while attempting to bite.
After "finishing" with his toy or treat he walks away but if you try to pick him up or follow he tries to bite.
He has never shown any food aggression before and has never been without food. He gets "high value" treats and toys fairly often.
For some background as to why it might be happening:
In July we moved to a new house. He loves to "guard" the new house by barking at noises outside. He never used to guard our old place.
In October we brought home a rescue mutt of a dog as we now have a bigger house and a fenced in lawn. The two get along swimmingly. He seems really happy to have a playmate.
His recent aggression isn't toward the other dog at all. I haven't seen him ever snap at the other dog (spayed female, 10 months). The girl dog can also come near his food/toys and he doesn't seem to mind. They often play tug together with no signs of aggression.
He is only acting this way towards us (myself and my fiance).
Is this just resource guarding? Should I cut out high value treats and toys completely? Does this behavior have a tendency to "get worse" if left unchecked? Should he just be ignored if he displays this sort of behavior?
Sorry for all the questions - I'm just not a big fan of getting bitten by my little pup!