Am shocked! Our Border Collie just bit my husband!!!!

[katchambers]

I really don't know what to do, advice needed. Cali has been really funny the last few weeks with food and has gone for me a couple of times when I have taken food away from her, food she has found in my bedroom or something, that she shouldn't have, not her own food. So we recently increased her food as we thought we might have been underfeeding her and now we have been borarding another dog for a few days, they get on really well, have been playing really nicely all week and are really happy together, but a couple of times, the dalmation hasn't finished all her food and cali has shot over so quick you would think we have been starving her, so obviously we pick up the food and take it away as it is not her food, but each time she has growled and gone crazy nuts, trying to bite us.

 

Well today we fed them both, they both ate nicely, then my husband said he didn't give the dalmation enough food so we put a bit more food in her bowl when she was done and Cali (who had finished her food) shot over to her bowl, I grabbed Cali and both dogs growled at each other, my husband came over to me to help me with cali as she was struggling out of my arms and going nuts trying to get at the food, and she growled, hissed and turned around and bit my husband on the arm, it actually broke skin!!!

 

I can't believe cali would do that and I am very shocked and not sure what to do. I have never had a dog do that before so I am scared that it means Cali has something wrong with her and that we won't be able to keep her, but I love her so much I don't know what to do.

 

Please can you advise whether this is normal behaviour and that is not likely to continue or whether we have to consider the unthinkable!

 

Has anyone else been in a similar situation with their own border collies?

 

Just to make it clear that we are not staring Cali, last weigh in with the vet she was not underweight and she now gets about 550g wet food and about 300g dry food over 3 meals each day, plus her training treats and the occasional rawhide every now and then and dentustick.

 

Please help!

[BustopherJones]

It seems to me that another visit to the vet might be in order. Cali may have a physical problem that is contributing to this behavior. Better safe than sorry...

 

MIssy was the most gentle, easygoing dog you could ever want to meet. In her entire lifetime, she never bit anyone...except once. In her battle with the cancer, she was going to the vet's and receiving shots weekly. One evening, I went to move her off the couch when she was resting. Apparently, I must have touched the spot where she had gotten her shot, a spot that would obviously be sensitive. She turned and bit me so hard that she broke the skin and caused a bone bruise. She had never bitten me before, and never did again; so it was an entirely isolated instance, and most probably my fault.

[lrayburn]

How old is Cali and how long have you had her?

[Mollie&Me]

Vet visit, pronto. Make sure that there are no physical reasons for her behaviour first.

 

We had a poodle cross who was extremely food aggressive; she was a stray that we got from the SPCA. With some time and patience on our part, this abnormal behaviour was fixed. Sometimes, if you don't bug the dog while he/she is eating, they can get quite a big head about their position in the household (same thing goes for treats and toys!) - alpha gets to eat first, no interference. Except now there's another dog in the house.....

 

The first rule is to get rid of the bowl. Lock the dalmation in another room for feeding, and then start making Cali eat food out of your palm, a few kibbles at a time. It also would probably be a good idea to have a leash on while feeding, as a safety precaution only (do not correct unless absolutely necessary). Hand feed her for about two weeks (or however long it takes!!) and then introduce the bowl again, only don't fill it up with food. Put a few kibbles in it, wait until she is done eating, drop another few kibbles in, lather rinse repeat until she's been fed in full.

 

"Take it" and "leave it" commands are also very helpful to prevent food aggression (and object guarding). Do you have either of these commands trained?

 

I hand feed all my dogs periodically and make sure that I interrupt mealtimes and bones/treats as a rule. I personally think it's a good idea to start this when they are puppies and continue it throughout their lives, even if they don't show food aggression.

 

Good luck katchambers, I hope everything works out OK!

[katchambers]

Cali is 5 months old and we have had her from 8 weeks old, she is normally a very loving dog, and we have trained her to not touch her own food until we say so, but as soon as there is other food around she just gets extremely aggressive.

 

Thanks for your advice, Vets visit it is to get her checked out.

 

Can I just ask you to clarify, why to we have to feed her from our hand? Not sure I understand why that would help, thanks.

 

kat x

[Mollie&Me]

Can I just ask you to clarify, why to we have to feed her from our hand? Not sure I understand why that would help, thanks.

Ever heard that old saying about biting the hand that feeds you?

You are master of the food and giver of all good things, and if your dog knew that she probably wouldn't have bitten your husband. So how do you express that to her? By making her eat out of your hand.

[afrancis]

Katchambers,

I'm sure you'll get many responses to this situation but I believe that you can jumpstart your information quotiant by searching in this forum (as well as the training one) for NILF (nothing in life is free). This training method has been mentioned many times before, and for many people (including me) it is a way to make sure your dog knows their place in the house from day one.

 

http://www.dogo.org/Education/NILF.htm

 

(Not sure if this is the best link, but it is a fairly concise one)

 

Basically, you have a 5 month old puppy who is getting the idea that she can 'get away with murder' in your household. Although you say that you have trained her to wait for your say-so before she eats her food, it sounds as though she is calling the shots outside of that particular scenario. It is really important that you intensify your training methods to thwart her pushy-ness in regards to hierarchy before this behaviour becomes entrenched AND more serious. Its one thing to be biting you guys (although that's not at all acceptable ) but quite another if its a friend's child, for example, in terms of consequences beyond your control.

 

Search, read, and have both you and your husband intensify the training. And let us know how it proceeds.

Good luck,

Ailsa

[SoloRiver]

It's called resource guarding. Jean Donaldson has a book that deals with this problem specifically called "Mine!" that may be ordered from Dogwise.

 

http://www.dogwise.com/itemdetails.cfm?ID=DTB740

 

Here is a review:

 

http://www.kateconnick.com/library/donaldsonmine.html

 

I had a resource guarder. He was a Papillon, and if he'd been a larger dog he would have been quite dangerous since he was perfectly willing to bite in such contexts. Exercises such as Donaldson recommends were a simple solution to the problem. He did need periodic refresher courses, and I did manage him around food (for example, he always ate in a closed crate) while I had him.

[Ms.DaisyDuke]

Not really much extra to add to what's already been said.

 

But do take her to the vet to make sure she's ok first. Then feed them in different rooms and start NILIF as soon as you can! And I hope everything works out right. Please keep us informed!!

 

julie

[sweet_ceana]

start making Cali eat food out of your palm, a few kibbles at a time

Depending on how aggressive she is this may not have good results, though if she will eat nicely out of your hand this is excellent. Ceana decided hand feeding would not work for her, but we did find something that does. We instead make Ceana ask for her food. She has to sit and make eye contact to ask for a scoop of kibble. (Believe me you know when they are asking, they give you the PU-Lease MOM I am hungry look)

 

Ceana started this behavior at about 4-5 months and it went away with hand feeding and resurfaced again around a year and 1/2 old. (Which I believe was due to us becoming to Lax at feedings) This is not a good behavior and it needs to be taken care of at as young of an age is possible. IMO it is also managable.

 

I second going to the vet ASAP to rule out a physical causes, my girl has pain issues that lead to her aggressive tendancies. Knowing what triggers them and knowing how to handle them has made them no big deal in our house.

[The Good Shepherd]

Just my 2 cents:

 

Every one of my dogs eats in his/her crate with the door closed

 

Since I feed only RAW clean up is easy, specially on fish day and I know exactly how much every one of the pack is eating

[vanillalove]

Also, I would suggest that you don't feed the two dogs together while the Dalmation is there. That's all I can add other than the advice already given.

[Barb Scott]

I'm with Claudia! Feed both dogs in their crates (at least until you go on to something else). We feed our dogs in their crates from day 1.

Barb S

[juliepoudrier]

I'm the opposite when it comes to feeding in crates. Mine (all 9) eat in the kitchen out of their own bowls, and they do that from the start (whether as puppies or adults coming into the household). They know they aren't allowed to stick their faces in anyone else's bowl unless the bowl's "owner" walks away. Even then, if someone has left something behind that I don't want anyone else cleaning up, I can tell them to leave it and go pick up the bowl.

 

Feeding this many dogs is enough of a production without having to carry bowls two at a time to the crate room so everyone can eat in their crates. And if we're on the road and a crate isn't available (like in a hotel room) I don't have to worry about issues arising. I'm not saying feeding in crates is wrong, but it's really a workaround that doesn't address the issue of possible resource guarding.

 

To the OP,

I agree with Melanie (about Mine!) and the folks who suggest NILIF. She's young and testing her boundaries and you need to nip it in the bud now.

 

J.

[lrayburn]

There are plenty of exercises that can help with resource guarding. If you aren't happy working out of a book, find a good trainer to work with you. At this age, you should be able to see a lot of improvement. Most dogs will naturally resource guard to some extent and training is necessary. Puppies, like children, don't come just come knowing how to share - it needs to be taught. Cali's behavior sounds perfectly normal and not pathological at all for a pup her age.

 

Lisa

[Lenajo]

Cali's behavior sounds perfectly normal and not pathological at all for a pup her age.

 

We can all offer various methods on how to deal with the problem with a degree of correctness - training is personal.

 

That said, the behavior is not "perfectly normal" - not by a long shot.

 

I feed both in crates and in bowls scattered around the kitchen. Whatever suits my schedule that day, and the type of food I'm giving. I usually feed about 10 at a time - depending on puppies, boarders, rescues, etc.

[mbc1963]

My dog was a street dog, apparently living with a pack at some point in his early history. He will NOT approach another dog and try to take something out of his mouth. Not even if it's the wimpiest dog in the world. (OK... he will sometimes try to get a stick from Abby, the really wimpy labrador.) Meanwhile, he will NOT allow another dog to try to take something out of his own mouth. And he is too nervous to even take anything I set on top of my head - because I think, in his mind, it's close to my mouth, and it's untouchable. He's got serious, serious rules that he learned from other dogs, somewhere in his youth.

 

For what it's worth. They can definitely learn about yours vs. mine.

 

Mary

[Janba]

I don't have a lot to add to what other people have said other than I am sitting here in disbelief at a dally that doesn't eat all the food you put in front of her. They are normally pigs!

 

I use the NILIF principle with me dogs and it works well and none of my dogs resource guards. I do lock Cole in a crate to eat, mainly because he is so slow - each mouthful has to be chewed 10 times and dry food eaten piece by individual piece I also take their food off them periodically and give it back with something extra that they really like so that they anticipate something good when food is taken rather than that they are loosing it.

[Tranquilis]

You are master of the food and giver of all good things, and if your dog knew that she probably wouldn't have bitten your husband. So how do you express that to her? By making her eat out of your hand.

Actually, I've been using that technique with Suka, but with her knotted rope. She's got very limited play drive (still), but has shown interest in a knotted cotton rope, but when I went to take it away from her, she lowered her ears and growled. Voice correction stopped that, but now whenever she wants to chew on her rope, I make dang certain that I'm holding the other end, or it gets put away - No hand, no rope. She's still not entirely gotten the message, but we're getting there - After a couple days of that, now she only tries to sneak and hide the rope when she thinks I'm not looking; no more growling. I'm nailing her on the sneaking and hiding, too - I don't think she's yet realized that I've got eyes in the back of my head - I've got kids, and the skills that apply to keeping a toddler out of trouble apply to a devious dog, too!