Stew's progress and question about aftermath of guarding

[Jess & Stewart]

I think Stew has been doing well since I started the more intensive training. He has free run of my living room, the bedroom is off limits during the day. 

I have the crate in the living room open with his dog bed in it. Before I leave in the morning, I put his DAP collar on and spray inside the crate. I leave Through A Dog's Ear on as well. I have a few treat balls/kongs and I typically mix his kibble with some honey and pb and stuff some into both kongs, then freeze. I also put a few treats in the large ball, thinking  he may roll it around the room which would keep him moving and exercise him mentally.

Today is the first day without the cone on, although I still gave him a 1/4 pill of Tramadol just to mellow him out. He got his stitches out Saturday morning and got the go ahead to play until he drops.

He barely made a fuss when I came or went all last week. If he jumped when I came home, I just ignored him until I put my things away. Most of the time, he went back to playing with a kong and I greeted him once I was settled.

I did a lot of crate work last week- he goes in as soon as I say crate, without a food lure and he'll sit and wait for me to give him a treat. He also waits until I say "free" until he walks out. He still whimpers and barks when I put him in there, but it's not constant so it's easier to ignore. I walk up to him while he's in there and drop a treat in, sometimes I'll walk up, say quiet and reward him for silence. I also walk in and out of the room. We're working on stay between rooms, where he stays while I exit. Sometimes I call him to come, his word is "monkey". I forget who mentioned on here using a random word, but the trainer suggested it as well.

This weekend, he'll be in the crate at my sister's Sunday while I'm out.  I'd leave him out, but I don't want him to chew or get into anything at her house since it's not completely familiar yet. She doesn't have neighbors so he can bark all he wants.

As for the guarding, he doesn't guard his food from his food bowl, I can sit next to him with my hand in the bowl and he'll just eat around it. I can also pick it up and he'll sit back down and wait until I put it down. But he does guard bones, tissues etc. He'll growl sometimes if he gets on the couch, which is off limits unless I say. He does drop it pretty consistently, but won't let me take it. 

My one big question is- I'm doing what I can to prevent guarding and also throwing treats in the opposite direction if he gets something so I can pick it up. BUT, how do I react if he does really start growling and snaps or nips at me? My family thinks management is dumb and that I'm not scolding him if he gets something, just giving him a treat so I can go pick the item up. I keep telling them that scolding after the fact doesn't do anything and I'm not going to get in his face and risk myself or a family member getting bitten. I reiterate that "GROWLING = GOOD".  My sister did get in a few good hits on his nose before I told her to stop. She thinks I'm stupid for following the trainer's advice and he just needs to know he can't do that. They don't get that its underlying anxiety that makes him guard things.

My mantra is "I want Stew to respect me, not fear me".

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

Wow, Jess, you're doing an awesome job with Stew.  You are right about respect. With a doodle, bopping him on the nose builds attitude not accomplishment.  I've found that often they will just match their will to yours, because they don't view that as the action of a confident pack leader.  And if you read up on poodles, you'll find that harsh/negative training does not work well.  You might want to try putting Stew on a leash and begin work on the "leave it" command.  Make him sit…put a treat on the ground…and say leave it. When he dives for the treat step in between and keep him away from it until he sits again.  Then pick up the treat and give him a DIFFERENT one as a reward. Never give him the same treat back.  Gradually, you can try different items or bones.  He will learn that when you say "leave it," he either leaves it alone or backs off of what he has.  You are not just trading one treat for another.  You're teaching him an actual behavior: that you decide what he can have and not have. Good luck!     

[F, Calla & Luca]

I agree with much of what you say. But I am uncertain about the growling. It seems that in some ways you are rewarding Stewart for growling. I think reprimanding is fine. I don't of course believe hitting a dog on his nose or anywhere is good. But I like my dogs to know some behaviors are not allowed and displease me.

[Jess & Stewart]

Cheryl- I've been doing exactly what you describe. I'm going to work up to one of his antlers or a piece of cheese/food I drop on the ground.

F- I'm mostly worried about my young nieces & nephews. I don't want Stew to get something they drop and for them to try to get it from him. I'm not sure what to do once he guards, aside from redirecting him away from the thing with a trade.  We had Stew over my stepbrother's house last night and Stew was good with my nephew. My nephew kept running and yelping when Stew would come near him saying "that little doggie bites, my Bailey doesn't do that (their 4 year old cocker spaniel)". We just told him Stew's a puppy and wants attention. Once my nephew knew that Stew gives high fives, he was "training" him to give high & low fives all night, LOL. He hugged Stew a few times and tried to ride him like a horse and Stew didn't react at all, although I was cautious watching them.

[F, Calla & Luca]

I would worry too. I would also try to train the kids to avoid taking things from the dog. I would never allow a child to hug Stewart which is asking for trouble since this is threatening to a dog and brings faces too close to puppy teeth. And there should be basically an adult supervising interactions very closely so no child could even try to ride a dog.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Yes, don't allow hugging or riding or anything like that. We are teaching our 18 mo daughter to approach gently and pet the sides only after we ask if it's okay (so she knows she can't treat other dogs like they are her dogs if that makes sense - don't want her to ever assume a dog is friendly and she can approach it without asking). We also allow her to give the dogs treats after telling them to sit or do a high-five. She thinks it's hilarious and the dogs are into it.

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

I am very cautious around young children and my two adore and are good around little people. I do not take my eyes off them for a second. No hugging or pulling. They can tickle under the chin and give treats with open flat hands. Do high fives for treats. That's it.

[Terrlyn]

We struggle with Hurley's guarding sometimes. When he was a pup he was awful, very aggressive and very possessive of things he wanted. At the time we thought giving him bops on the nose would help, but it only made things worse. We changed tactics to letting him decide to drop the toy when we asked. How to do that was tricky. One step that helped was the "trading" game. If he had something that we wanted, we would approach with something of higher value, say trade, give him the treat, or whatever it was, and take the object that he had. After taking the object away we would give it back, to show him that whenever we approached him we wouldn't be taking things, rather giving something. After a couple tries we would take the unwanted object away. Now he's more likely to drop things as he thinks we have something better and not always wanting what he has. Hurley is still a growler, but he has two types, one for play and one for guarding. 

[Stephanie and Ragley]

It sounds like you are working so hard to help Stew, Jess. Good work! I do agree with F that you may be accidentally rewarding him for getting things he is not supposed to by throwing him treats (even in the opposite direction) whenever he grabs something. I totally respect you for staying firm in your methods despite family pressure! I know that can be tough

[Lori, Quincy & Frankie]

Good for you Jess!  I agree with F. and Cheryl's advice 

[Adina P]

Good advice from others.
I would add that if you have time and inclination toward further training that you work with him to learn to retrieve, in a technical way.  You'll need a trainer that knows how to teach a technical retriever (not just fetch).  When you can give the dog a command and he will go out to find something you want, pick it up, and bring it to you and drop it at your feet or into your hands...well you have control over that dog's mouth to a large degree.  Train him to pick up, bring, drop and then you can use those commands.

[Jess & Stewart]

I was right next to my nephew & Stew, he got in a few quick semi hugs and tried to climb on him, which is when my step sister & I stepped in. He spent the rest of the night doing the high fives and downs for treats.

Terrilyn- Getting to the point of having him drop what he has and eat what I've traded him is the tough part. Most of the time, he WILL drop whatever he has, but if I approach to trade with him, that's when the growling and crazy nipping occurs. Once he drops what he has, I'll toss the treat, he'll go get it and I'll get the toy/bone etc. I'm not exactly sure what else to do as I don't want to get in his face.

Unless I need to start with ridiculously high value treats, so he'll learn fast that what I have is better?

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I have a couple of thoughts.  First I don't think your current strategy is teaching him that guarding and growling are behaviors that you disagree with....from what you are saying you just toss treats in the opposite direction to divert him.  He never really learns from that IMO.  I'm good with "trading" but it needs to be a conscious trade where he sees that when he gives you something you immediately reward that....because you are agreeing with his choice.  It will take some time.  Start with a toy that he likes, give it to him, and sit and wait with a treat in your hand...say "drop it" and just wait (it could take awhile)...the second he drops it reward with the treat.  You will have to set up these sessions and do this over and over.  Then start eliminating the treats little by little....give a treat only every other time...and so on.  Throwing the treats creates excitement which is never a good learning environment for a dog.  I do disagree with others that growling is a good thing.  I know this is controversial, but I always calmly correct for that behavior and give an alternative.