Bullying / Guarding, what's going on?

[Discussing Labradoodles & Goldendoodles]

This is long...

In the past month, Noah (16 months) has become increasingly possessive over his treats and space towards Sherlock (20 months) and other dogs.  He has always been submissive with other dogs, very respectful around them, but also enjoys their company, enjoys doggie day care, and gets very excited when we go to the dog park.  He has always wanted whatever Sherlock has and bothers him until he gets what he wants.  In the past month though, he has started really bullying Sherlock.  Sherlock won't even go near Noah if Noah has a treat.  Noah really enjoys sitting in my lap when I am in the recliner.  If Sherlock even makes eye contact with Noah when Noah is sitting on me, he starts growling and whining.  This has progressed to the point where if both dogs are on my bed and I am working at my desk, if Sherlock comes too close to me or makes eye contact with Noah, Noah starts growling and stares at Sherlock until Sherlock turns away or ultimately goes and hides under the bed.  I'm fed up with this behavior and every time Noah does this, I make him get off the bed.  Several times he goes into time out.  Yesterday I wouldn't let the dogs up on my bed (where they normally sleep).  Both dogs whined and cried.  I felt bad for Sherlock because he didn't do anything wrong.  

The worst thing was last weekend though.  The therapy organization I volunteer for with Noah had a celebration event.  They had doggie games, meet and greet, and a presentation.  Noah was a perfect angel during the games and meet and greet.  He was very nice around the other dogs and very respectful and friendly.  There was a buffet of food and food was used in the doggie games and Noah was perfect.  Then when we sat down for the presentation, I pulled out a bag of dog treats they gave us.  A huge lab was sitting behind us and stuck his head through the chairs and onto my lap to try to get the treats.  Noah was hysterical.  I think he was caught off guard, but he got very angry at the lab.  Very vicious-sounding growling... he didn't advance towards the lab or try to attack, but was just growling very loudly.  Once I put the treats away and blocked his view from the dog it got better.  But a few minutes later he made eye contact with the lab and started whining / low growling.  I got up and left with Noah because I couldn't deal with this and the woman with the lab was completely oblivious.  

I'm starting to wonder if something physiologically is wrong with Noah.  He did have a complete blood test and urinalysis done in September and there was nothing alarming.  I'm thinking about having another test done though.  He has been increasingly needy / affectionate lately.  He's eating/drinking normally, activity is normal.  He never shows any aggression or irritation towards humans.  We go to the nursing home once a week and he is so patient with all of the residents.  We volunteer in the physical therapy department so they utilize him in rehab.  He's only 24lbs so the residents don't put any weight on him.  He just has to sit or stand in front of their walkers or chairs while they lean over to pet him, he walks down the hallway with residents in walkers or with canes.  Since his behavior towards people hasn't changed, I'm thinking maybe it's not a medical issue but maybe he's having some guarding issues that I need to work through.   

It concerns me that Noah is starting to act aggressively towards Sherlock.  They are really close and get upset when they are separated from each other.  When I take Sherlock out and leave Noah at home, Noah greets Sherlock first and licks him all over his face and is so excited that his brother is back home.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

It is surprising that Noah would just start exhibiting this behavior with Sherlock. I've been trying to think of some positive reinforcing things you might try. If Sherlock has something that Noah wants, can you try telling him "leave it" and when he does (leave Sherlock alone) give him praise and a treat. What if you have both of them on your bed and you give Sherlock some extra attention looking for Noah to accept this without growling....when he does praise and treat. I think the trick is to be fast enough to catch those "good moments" to reward. I think if you can set up situations where Noah gets rewarded for not being possessive or a "bully" with his "brother" he will start to understand what behavior gets him the best result. These are just some quick thoughts. I think Noah is a lot like Guinness....they want to please us. I've found what works best with Guinness is catching him exhibiting the behavior I want (usually by setting it up) and then just showering him with praise (and hugs & kisses). He likes that attention from me so much that he will continue to repeat the behavior. Good luck.

[Eva (Lilo and Rocky)]

Noah is clearly expressing dominant behavior at a stage when his adult hormones are kicking in. I doubt there's anything "wrong" with him other than being an alpha male. He should not be allowed on your bed any longer. The whining will stop if you ignore it. You should feed Noah last, let him through the door last, and generally show him you are the leader and that you won't tolerate inappropriate behavior. Do not let him sit in your lap if he growls. Take treats away from him before he's done with them to teach him he doesn't own them. If he growls, also take his treat / toy away immediately. I also think he could benefit from professional obedience training. If he is not neutered, now's the time. When he growls at your other dog, you could also give him a short timeout (put him in another room by himself for example). Whatever disciplining you do has to come immediately and you have to be consistent. Do praise good behavior. Avoiding triggering situations will limit your life in the long run, so deal with the problem now before it escalates. By leaving the woman with the lab, you actually gave Noah what he wanted: getting rid of the competition. If you had stayed and dealt with the situation, you could have reinforced that you don't tolerate aggressive behavior. Try not to get "upset" and take it personally: dominance is part of animal behavior, but that doesn't mean you should tolerate it in your house. Good luck and be strong!

[Eva (Lilo and Rocky)]

You really cannot reason with a dog. But you can tell them firmly what you want, behave accordingly, and avoid projecting human feelings onto them. Try not to feel bad for doing what's best for the household! It sounds like both dogs are getting plenty of affection and love and that you're a wonderful "Mom".

I doubt that giving a toy back to Sherlock or feeding Sherlock first makes Noah even more aggressive - my experience is the opposite, because the dog learns to accept your leadership decisions and be the number 2, 3 or whatever dog in the pack. Note however, that it's normal for pack members to submit to those of higher rank, so if Sherlock gives up his toy voluntarily and there's no signs of aggression, you don't always need to interfere. I would be more worried about Noah's guarding behavior and escalating visible and unprovoked aggression towards other dogs.

[Eva (Lilo and Rocky)]

Cute!!!!

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

These are really cute pictures. Noah is so adorable. It's hard to imagine him growling with that little angel face. So you had some great behaviors to reward, especially not going after Sherlock's chew. He is such a good, smart dog I just don't think it's going to be too hard to "nip this in the bud". Reacting to the unacceptable "guarding" and rewarding the appropriate behavior should turn things around, although they are "brothers" there may always be some instances of jealousy. I agree that the "prize" that they are vying for is your attention. You've done such a great job in training Noah that I know you must have his respect and that is a huge "plus".

[Nina, Phil, Harlow & Lacey]

Jane, My Sherlock and his brother Baxter are litter mates; even at 9 years old they every now and then growl and fuss at one another. I always try to correct the instigator. Usually it doesn't take more than a "stop that". Baxter is the dominant one in our pack (if you don't count Cleo our 7 lb cat); so I make sure he is the last to get brushed, get a treat, etc. I also feed him last and make him "Sit/Stay' for a count of 30 after I put his bowl down.

BTW, I love the pics above. I am going to check out Walgreens for a new bed for my Sherlock.

[Natasha]

Great ideas from both Jane and Eva.

I like the idea of setting Noah up to succeed and rewarding him.

I also like the idea of feeding him last. You might also try picking up his bowl and immediately replacing it. That reinforces that you own the food and he is getting it via you. Doesn't necessarily change the alpha behavior toward Sherlock, though.

This is a tough one as it is natural for one dog to be more alpha over another. It's just that he's not expressing it in an acceptable manner. This seems to be a topic covered heavily (and successfully) by Cesear Milan. Maybe check out his show or pick up one of his books and see if there is something in there that might assist you (might sound silly, but who knows!).

[Ginny Nightingale]

Hi Jane! I have the same problem with Lyric, who also TOWERS over Mattie! And it is also getting worse--she is an unspayed female (will be bred once in the fall) so it's not a male thing necessarily, just a personality trait. I agree with all of the above and I will try some of it!I think part of it is that Lyric and Noah are approaching adulthood and are starting to show some more adult behaviors. I also think that the more submissive the other dog is (Mattie gives in EVERY time) the more carried away the bullying gets. We can't count on Mattie and Sherlock to correct they bullying--we have to do it. At least our dogs aren't fighting with each other, though.
I am not noticing growling at Mattie, just pushiness. If I pet Mattie, Lyric pushes in to be closer,she takes all the toys, etc, etc. I do make sure she doesn't take things from Mattie. I take them back and give Lyric something else, then reward her for leaving Mattie alone. But I am not always there to watch her. The bigger problem I am having is the guard dog type behavior. She has really started to bark a lot at anyone near the house or at the door. Her bark is so huge it scares people. This is not something we want happening, so I hope I can get her to stop that.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I have no answers or advice, just sympathy. I know how frustrating this is for you, and how badly you feel for both dogs.
One thing I do see here, though, is that YOU are the resource Noah is guarding, Jane. Even in the situation with the lab, it wasn't the treats that Noah was guarding, it was you. And at home, you are the resource that Noah is trying to take from Sherlock. I don't know what you do about it, but I'm sure of that much.

[shelly]

Hmm....I too was thinking that Jane was the resource. Although Tori isn't guarding US against another dog, I was also wondering if her excessive barking when people come to the door is a protective type- guarding behavior. I know you have done sooo much training and it is so noticeable in BOTH of your dogs.Do you think possibly a behaviorist would be able to help you more with this? I wish you luck. You are terrific with your dogs, and know you will work out. Then you can be there for all of US when this comes up in our home.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

It isn't that Noah is guarding Jane against another dog...that's protectiveness, and it's a different problem. Protectiveness is what's going on when Tori barks at people at the door or walking past the yard. She's trying to protect her home & family.
Guarding behaviors are when a dog is trying to hoard or dominate resources...toys, food, anything that is of value to the dog...from other dogs or people. When we say that a dog is "resource guarding", it means the dog is trying to own the resource and keep it all to himself.
Jane is the most valuable resource that Noah has; he isn't trying to protect her, he's trying to keep other dogs from getting some of her attention and affection. With the Lab, he wasn't trying to protect Jane from the Lab, he was trying to keep the Lab from getting any of Jane's attention. He is claiming all of Jane's attention and affection for himself.