Dog growling at ds3

[LostFrog]

Our 7 month old springer has started growling recently. We have been giving him natural chews (lambs feet, pizzles etc) for a while and he was crunching through them quite happily, but recently he has stopped eating them and instead just walks around with them and guards them. If dh or I approach him when he has put one down he will quickly pick it up again as if we are going to take it off him (which we never have). If ds3 so much as looks at him when he has one, he will growl. I have no idea where this has come from, can’t think of any triggers at all. Is this something to be worried about or is it a normal phase that he will grow out of?

Ddogs and dc +food don't mix.
Ever imo.
Treats outside or another room..

Stop the chews immediately and urgently seek the advice of a registered behaviourist. Keep dog off sofa and children away from dog's bed.

Resource guarding, needs professional advice and help OP. A friend’s dog started this with yak chews, it’s taking a while to sort out.

As others have said, this is a potentially serious and dangerous issue. Most important thing meantime is to keep everyone safe (including your dog, so that he is not put in a situation where he might bite) and NEVER have food + dog + children in the same room. That includes human food as well. Use a crate if necessary, if your dog is crate trained and happy in there.
This will take specialist help to sort - it is not uncommon to see cocker spaniels up for rehoming due resource guarding that has resulted in them biting someone.
Choose a professional to help who is qualified, such as a CAPBT trainer, or ask you vet for referral to clinical animal behaviourist.
Good luck!

I think you would be better off getting a professional opinion and some tips to deal with resource guarding. I find lots of spaniels prone to it and it’s best to get advice now before it escalates.
I stopped giving high value treats when my very first dog did this many years ago. He lived 13 years after this without any more issues.

Still don’t give that sort of thing to any of my dogs now. Why make life harder than it needs to be
That is presuming he is fine with ‘normal’ food and toys of course?

Thanks. Just not sure what has caused it really. He was eating them, and now isn’t! He is crate trained but only goes in there at night, during the day he sleeps on a chair in the kitchen. He doesn’t take food or chews to his crate which makes me think he doesn’t really see it as his ‘den’.

I'd get him a vet check. There could be a physical reason why he's stopped eating them, e.g. dental disease. I wouldn't give him anything that he guards and would consult a behaviourist. Resource guarding has a tendency to spread. If you don't nip this in the bud now he could start guarding other things.

Whatever you do, don't tell him off if he growls, otherwise he may stop warning you and escalate straight to a snap or a bite. Before he growls, he will be giving subtler signs that he is anxious that you/your DS is going to take his resource: www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-help-and-advice/looking-after-your-pet/puppies-dogs/canine-ladder-of-communication
I would watch for these signs around other items.

@Happenchance that is really helpful thank you. I didn’t realise the rolling over thing was anxiety. He does that when we approach him when he is on his chair. I will back off next time.

I cannot read dogs - I didn’t grow up with them but dh did and even he didn’t recognise this as anxiety. I feel like we are getting this all wrong, but if you had asked me a week ago I would have said things were going ok!

You must get professional help for RBI's but in the meantime, no more natural chews, especially around DS.

Your insurance should pay for a behaviourist.

Resoure guarding tends to spread like wild fire and move to different objects and areas so do get some advce.

RG is seen a lot in spaniels and your puppy's age is a prime time for it to start.

In the short term build more calm into her life - all RG dogs are stressed, so more sleep , quiet times away from the family (although separation anxiety is often seen in RG dogs.

How old is DS3?

And I take it dog doesn't do this with DS1&2?

Is there a noticeable difference between how and when the DC interact with the dog?

I agree that behaviourist now would be the best course of action. A good one, seeing you all in your home environment, may well spot things that you havent picked up on.

@LostFrog I was in a similar position at a similar age and dog had an ear infection! So definitely would recommend a vet check plus you can chat about the behaviourist referral.

Also first dog and we also had a steep learning curve in terms of 'reading body language' it really isn't always obvious to the untrained eye. What helped me was to film the dog and watch it back.

I still have occasions when I miss ques and kick myself when I replay the event. However I 'see' so much more than I used to and I step in loads to protect my dog. I had to tell a lovely old man off yesterday as he didn't listen to me and kept petting my dog when he only likes very short meetings with strangers.

My dog went on to have a lifelong health issue, he's not 2 yet so we aren't totally sure which of his 'quirks' are breed, covid isolation impact or the disease.

Hello, dh emailed our dog trainer and she said take away the chews and don’t go into his space. I should have said he is also an anxious dog in general and goes submissive when we get the harness out to take him for a walk, so she says he is probably stressed about that as well.

Feeling quite defeated right now

@LostFrog how are you getting on? We are currently experiencing exactly the same with our just turned 1 springer spaniel.. even down to the point of no longer eating chews just walking round with them. As far as I can tell with ours it's only ever food related. Worrying and upsetting as he's lovely most of the time and everyone loves him.

Vet check firstly, particularly get them to check the teeth.
but he doesn’t need chews and particularly if he isn’t chewing them I’d just stop giving them.
I advocate this a lot, but I’d maybe go to a for fun gun dog trainer. They can help you work with your dogs natural instincts, as we as giving things up and working as a partnership.
they just use toys and tennis balls to get them sniffing out toys and bring them back-it’s a great game

@anotherdaynotanotherdollar sorry you are having this! Happy to report that since we took away the chews the problem seems to have gone away. Spoke to breeder and she said that it sounded anxiety based and I really think it was. We actually just had a holiday (first with puppy) and it did the world of good as gave him lots of new experiences and allowed us to re-bond with him. We are working on building his confidence to get over this ‘fear period’ and he seems happier in general. Fingers crossed we have nipped it in the bud. I hope you find a solution - maybe book a holiday!! 😂

Thanks @SarahSissions and @LostFrog

A holiday would be great, alas it's not going to happen. I have taken all his dead animal parts away and shall see where we go from there. Also reiterating to the 5 year old about space and letting him come to her etc.

Just as you make progress is one area you go back another! Harder than the kids this dog lark!!

SIL had this late last year with her 10 month old springer. Unfortunately they didnt do anything about it and the dog went for her and didnt back down, nasty bites on her hand which developed into cellulitis and she has probably permanently lost some movement in her hand. She is just grateful it wasnt the kids who were bitten.

As pps say take away chews, get a behaviourist in urgently and keep separate from the kids.

Springer spaniels are renowned for resource guarding. Ours started guarding under a chair and under our dining table. I blocked both with boxes and now it isn't a problem. If he's feeling antisocial he takes himself to his bed.