[Ada's Mom]

So, most of the time Ada is a good dog. She'll let us put her in her crate and move her if she's in our way. Sometimes though, if we tell her to go to bed and she doesn't...if we try to pick her up or grab her collar to lead her into the crate she'll growl and snap at us. A similar thing happened when she hopped into the car and sat in the driver seat, when my husband tried to move her she growled/snapped.

I also recently found out that she'll resource guard high value treats, which I started breaking her of by offering her a different treat, saying "give" and when she takes the treat I take the treat she will guard. She doesn't growl at me anymore if I try to pet her when she has the certain treat she guards.

I'm not sure if that is applicable to these other situations though. Should I just expect I'll have to give her a treat for her to not be grumpy? I haven't seen a time where she won't go into the crate if I have a treat in my hand...but I don't want to have to bribe my dog to do everything I want her to do.

What is the appropriate response to a dog obviously saying "no, I won't do what you want and I'm going to attack you if you try to make me"? Any tips on how to get her to stop doing it?

 

[FinnTastic]

bumping up
Hoping people with experience will chime in on the subject. You may need to bump your thread a a various times during the day to get responses. It just depends if people are on the forum or not.
When Finn was guarding his food, we went to a behavorist who gave us a protocol to use. Good Luck

 

[mylissyk]

How old is Ada? I really don't think it's a bad thing to give them something to motivate them to cooperate, it works and prevents a confrontation, win win instead of growl snap. If you need to move her, use a leash or lure with a treat or toy, don't try to physically get her to move by grabbing her in anyway. Try walking away from her and calling her to you, if you need her in the crate toss a toy or treat in for her to go in after. Give her another treat then close the crate.

It's always a good idea to gain their cooperation rather than try to force them to do what you want.

 

[Selli-Belle]

First thing to do is have a drag lead on Ada, that is a 4' or 6' leash with the handle cut off. That way, when you need to lead her to her crate, you won't be grabbing her or her collar and be danger of being bit. The drag lead will also lessen her resentment, since you won't be grabbing her.

The best way to solve this problem is to work on teaching her a "crate" command, and getting the command so ingrained in her head that she won't even think about if she wants to do it, it will be automatic. To train the command, make a game (always the best way to train a Golden) by throwing a really really yummy (think chunk of chicken or steak) into the crate. As soon as she enters the crate say "crate" and then praise her like crazy. Once she is regularly going in the crate wait until she is starting to go into the crate before throwing the treat, but remember to say "crate" the instant she has her head and one foot in the crate (she is committed to going into the crate). Gradually make the throw later and later until she is all the way in the crate before you give her the treat. Then start giving her the command "crate" when she is a few feet away from the crate. When you start increasing the distance, step back on when you give the treat, i.e., throw in the treat when she sticks her nose in the crate to start with and then work to where you can get her to go into the crate from a few steps away only giving her the treat when she is completely in the crate. Then increase the distance, always remembering to go back to throwing the treat when her head gets into the crate when you expect a greater distance from her.

At some point, you can do away with the treats, but if it were me, I think I would always give a little treat once she is a crate because I like to thank my pups for doing what I want and to maintain a happy quick response to my commands.

 

[OutWest]

If she's snarling and snapping you might consider having her checked by a vet. That behavior is unusual in a Golden, and she might be hurting somewhere.

If nothing is hurting, then I'd suggest what someone else said, and train her with a phrase about the crate. With our dogs, we say "go to bed." They get a kong filled with kibble (part of their daily measurement of kibble) and a tad bit of peanut butter. They know that once they go in they get their treat, and that they'll be in there for a while. They go quite willingly--in fact we have to get out of their way in the mad dash for the crates...!

With regard to the collar issue, I'd suggest trying what a trainer taught us to do, which is to grab the collar often under many different circumstances. Then love up the dog, give a treat, or say "good dog," and then let her go. She'll get used to having her collar grabbed and associate it with good things.

I'm sure more people will have good suggestions. There are professional trainers and breeders on this forum who have great advice. Good luck!

 

[Ada's Mom]

Ada is 4.5 months, so still very young and has her defiant moments. The drag lead could work though she'll use it as a chew toy i'm sure or maybe she'll be ok with us clipping her leash on instead of grabbing her collar.

I agree that a win/win scenario is best (using a treat to motivate her), and maybe she's just too young to start removing the food reward for things she might otherwise not want to do. I'll keep giving her treats every time she goes into her crate and maybe she'll get to the point where she doesn't even think twice about going into the crate.

Thanks!

edit: she does know the "go to bed" command, it's just that sometimes she doesn't want to go to bed and that's when she gets angry/snappy at us.

 

[solinvictus]

Great suggestions so far!

I believe Ada is about 4 months. She is beginning to feel her independence from you around this time and is testing you. It does seem that she is way over the top and her behavior is inappropriate. She needs to be trained in acceptable behavior but when she is doing something wrong right now you do not want to have conflict.

The training comes consistently when you have the control. Starting with low value items.
You want her to like you touching her collar. You want to take this slow and not when there is any conflict but you want to reach gently for her collar, praise her and or reward. When she is comfortable with that you then want to touch the collar praise and reward. At any time during the training if she is uncomfortable stop do something different to end on a good note. Go back to where she was comfortable and continue with that. As time goes on and she is comfortable you can grab the collar in play (not to hurt her in any way) and praise and reward. Over and over when you are in control not in an emergency situation. If you do this consistently she will actually not feel threatened when you someday need to really grab that collar as you have put good feelings behind it.

On resource guarding I would suggest getting the book "Mine" by Jean Donaldson looking it over it may give you some insight into how the pup is thinking and give you training set ups to work through to help.

The very best you could do is to manage it during and incident right now but if she really is doing this often please get help from a trained professional. They will provide hands on help.

On the subject of not having treats in your hand all the time. With any intial training the first time or so it is okay to lure the dog with the treat. After that the treats should not be where the pup knows you have them. The treat is presented after the dog has done the behavior you have asked for. But again in an emergency if luring keeps everyone safe by all means lure the pup with the treat.

 

[Sally's Mom]

Every single one of my nine Goldens has been taught to go into a crate with treats. In fact, many of them will run into the same crate(if only one is set up) at the same time if I say kennel... It wouldn't hurt to feed her in her crate, so that she has different associations with her crate. And practice putting her in the crate when you don't need to shut the door. Throw a treat, a ball, a toy,etc.

I second the book, Mine, it is a good read.

It would also be good to enlist a good trainer and training class.

 

[gdgli]

You had better address the problem of growling and snapping while in the drivers seat, on the couch, on the bed, etc. That dog told your husband just who owns the car.

 

[nolefan]

You had better address the problem of growling and snapping while in the drivers seat, on the couch, on the bed, etc. That dog told your husband just who owns the car.

You've been given great advice, I just wanted to second this.

If you are not a member of a training club, find a good one in your area that uses positive training methods and join classes asap. You are at a juncture with your adolescent golden that is going to affect her entire life. Your committment to getting serious about obedience training and correct management of her behavior may very well end up being the difference to whether she ends up having a long, happy life with your family or whether she ends up biting someone in your family (or worse, a neighbor's child) and ends up having to be euthanized.

You are not over-reacting, it's something you are smart to be dealing with now. You may also consider googling up a training protocol called "Nothing in Life is Free" which an excellent behavioralist suggested to me when I was having a similiar problem with my last golden puppy, Duncan.

Please keep us posted, sounds like you are on the right track with the trading.... I wish you well. :crossfing