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".

[Jess & Stewart]

Jane- If I give him something, he immediately lays down with it and won't give it up. If I can get his attention, most of the time he'll look up at me and slowly drop what he has, but snatches it again if I approach with a treat. He typically drops what he has right in front of him, between his paws and I haven't gotten to the point of being able to get the item.

I'm not sure how to correct growling, as he growls when he has something he wants. Saying no does absolutely nothing and I don't typically want to approach. The trainer advised me to throw treats AT him when he has something to get his attention on the treats, then say "drop it" and if he does, throw more treats BEHIND him to divert his attention from it, so I'm able to grab it. I guess I wasn't clear when I said I toss them in the opposite direction, I don't throw treats across the room and then he walks away to get them.

[F, Calla & Luca]

I agree wiyh you Jane about the growling. I would never allow that unless the dogs are reacting to a specific danger and usually that provokes barking in my two.

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

I agree with Jane.  Tossing treats in another direction rewards him for growling and guarding.  I don't think growling is a good thing.  He's just a puppy so he's testing his limits but he's clearly telling you, back off --I'm going to do what I want!

You might try leaving a leash on him that he drags so you can easily get hold of him if he growls and tell him "no" or "drop it" and then make him sit or lay down quietly for a few minutes.  When he drops the item, you can take it away. In the beginning this might take a lot of patience but Stewie is smart and he'll soon figure out what's expected behavior.  It sounds like he's made a "keep away" game of it.  

[Jess & Stewart]

This afternoon when I went home for lunch and took him out of his crate, he grabbed the antler from the crate and laid down with it. I needed to have a shorter lunch break and get him out to go to the bathroom, so I stepped in front of him, told him drop it, he did, then lunged for it again with me in the middle (I'm assuming he thought I'd take it, when I just wanted him to leave it, as I started to walk in the opposite direction with him on leash).

He basically attacked my leg, growling, baring his teeth, nipping. I pulled him away and made him sit, then go down. I released him and we walked outside, I made him sit then picked him up as one of the front steps is cracked cement. He growled and fought me when I had him in my arms. He went to the bathroom, on a short walk, then back inside. We got into my apartment, he was still on leash and he charged for the bone. I tried to circle him around me, so I could make him sit and he did the same thing, growling, snapping. He wasn't close enough to bite or nip me though. I put him in his crate immediately, as I actually needed to get back to work. He did nothing while he was in the crate and started to chew on a kong I gave him. I left 5 minutes later and he was laying in the crate enjoying the kong.

What do I do in those situations? This is what I meant by the 'aftermath' of guarding.

[Sally S Miles]

My first thought, after your last post - ditch the antler.  I tried antlers with our girl some many months ago and it did spike an aggressive response from her, nothing - I repeat nothing else has ever elicited such a response.  I tried limiting time - always was with her, but still it did bring out the worst in her.  It may not be the best answer, but I would try it - removing something that they seem to get so attached to can, and is sometimes needed.   At times we have to take away her ball, swap for frisbee - but nothing created such possessiveness as the antler.  We had no encounters, but a few times of growling and getting a bit full of herself during, or right afterwards - she has not missed having one.

[Robin and Libby Louise]

Sounds like you are making good progress, Jess.  It seems like Stew is just very strong willed but you will need to be stronger!