Territorial Growling/Marking Territory

SavageLucyMom

New member
Aug 10, 2012
22
0
Bulldog(s) Names
Savage and Lucy
Hello all,

My one and a half year old male, Savage, is not allowed in our "guest room" we usually have it blocked off from him with a small baby gate. On the rare occasion the baby gate is not up and Savage finds his way in there he usually pees on the clothes that are on the floor for laundry. When I instruct him "out" which is a command he knows he often time will growl at me. I usually have to coax him out with some type of treat and once he leaves he will stop in the hallway and growl at me.

I try and remain calm and confident and continue to instruct him outside to go potty but I am nervous there will come a time when he snaps at me. Has anyone had any success with helping their dog not do territorial marking in the house. Any help with the growling issue would also be appreciated.

He only pees in that room. He only growls after peeing in that room. Any help would be appreciated.
 

cali~jenn

..........
Mar 28, 2010
0
419
Southern California
Bulldog(s) Names
Cutty, Miila and Mugsy the pug :)
Oh boy, he is definitely claiming the room. That is the age too when they test boundaries. You have to maintain that you r the leader of the pack and it sounds like he thinks he is. My best advice is to hand feed him as long as his behavior persists. Handful at a time make him work for each handful, sit, stay etc. take your time so he knows you r in fact the boss. This has worked wonders for my mouthy Miila. If you can catch it now it will save you a world of hurt when it escalates. There are many with great experience too but this is what has helped me greatly.
 
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SavageLucyMom

SavageLucyMom

New member
Aug 10, 2012
22
0
Bulldog(s) Names
Savage and Lucy
  • Thread Starter
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Thank you. I was previously hand feeding him and he was doing a lot better. How long did you hand feed for?
 

cali~jenn

..........
Mar 28, 2010
0
419
Southern California
Bulldog(s) Names
Cutty, Miila and Mugsy the pug :)
Thank you. I was previously hand feeding him and he was doing a lot better. How long did you hand feed for?
Well I would continue until you see change. Once you see improvement, (like you said was working) you can ease up some and maybe hand feed the first handful then have him sit/stay in front of the bowl and wait until he does a trick and then wait some more before you say ok for him to eat. With Miila I would mess with her while eating by having her "take a break" meaning back up and sit/stay until I en had her do another trick and on my time decided to say ok for her to eat more. I also did a finger snap behind her so she knew what I was asking. A first do this numerous times while he eats, reminding him again that you r in charge. If he still is I proved then you can just have him do a trick before feeding and eventually nothing. With Miila, every time she thinks she has gained power and gets attitude I step it right back to the beginning with hand feeding and go thru the process over again. I have had to revisit it 3 times I think because she is still young at 2 years and will randomly test again.
 

cali~jenn

..........
Mar 28, 2010
0
419
Southern California
Bulldog(s) Names
Cutty, Miila and Mugsy the pug :)
Also, if you allowed him in the guest room he would eventually probably have no ingest in being in there. Kinda like telling a kid no they have to have it. :lol:
 

Momma2Bullies

New member
Aug 2, 2012
356
26
Canada
Bulldog(s) Names
Layla and Wilbur
Hello all,

My one and a half year old male, Savage, is not allowed in our "guest room" we usually have it blocked off from him with a small baby gate. On the rare occasion the baby gate is not up and Savage finds his way in there he usually pees on the clothes that are on the floor for laundry. When I instruct him "out" which is a command he knows he often time will growl at me. I usually have to coax him out with some type of treat and once he leaves he will stop in the hallway and growl at me.



I try and remain calm and confident and continue to instruct him outside to go potty but I am nervous there will come a time when he snaps at me. Has anyone had any success with helping their dog not do territorial marking in the house. Any help with the growling issue would also be appreciated.

He only pees in that room. He only growls after peeing in that room. Any help would be appreciated.

Hi! I am having a very similar issue with my boy Wilbur. I have two - Layla and Wilbur are littermates, both just turned 2. I have only just realized that Wilbur has been marking in the living room, and for the past few months the aggressive growling has escalated. I can handle the growling when I am alone with him ( and by "handle', I mean be furious and pissed) but when Layla is around, she seems to feel she has to "protect" me and it really escalates. Tonight we had to break up an all-out fight and guess who is left profusely bleeding? Myself and my hubby, and this isn't the first time.

I seem to be a huge trigger. He is marking when we are not home, but the fights happen when I am around and Wilbur wants me all to himself.
We're getting desperate here.... things were dissipating for a while if I would just walk away, but not anymore. Curious to know if you have any issues between Lucy and Savage? [MENTION=6311]Vikinggirl[/MENTION] - how are your two? Are you having any of the issues I am? You are one of the only ones I know with two close to the same age, boy and girl....?:cry:
 

Sherry

New member
Jan 15, 2011
5,183
477
Denver PA
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Jack , Dolly, Grizz, Peggy Sue, and Scrimps
I have found a long time ago, in situations such as this is to be calm, cool and collected, no hollering, it escalates the drama. If they have a calm pack leader they tend to be less dramatic. yes, they may growl at each other, that's the way they may communicate with each other as to say leave me alone. this is where you can say calmly, "come" or wanna go for a walk, something like that to distract their thought of attacks , they need to learn each others boundaries. and yours. I hope this makes sense to you in some way. please keep me posted of your outcome
 

Vikinggirl

Norwegian Rose
Community Veteran
Oct 8, 2012
9,740
597
Burlington, ON Canada
Country
Canada
Bulldog(s) Names
Bulldozer and Blossom
No, I'm sorry I haven't had any experience with any aggression in Bulldozer or Blossom as yet. They are both 16 months old now, and both are the suckiest dogs I've ever owned. They either just want to cuddle with everyone, or lick us to death. When they meet anyone, they just flop over on their backs and wait for a belly rub. They love everyone, kids included. When we are anywhere there are any other dogs, like the park, the leash free park, etc, they tend to not really bother to much with other dogs, but will always play with each other, where one is the other is usually close to the other. They never play with separate toys, even though they have two of everything, they always share, and chew on the same toy. They have never shown us any aggression, or growling, have never snapped or bitten, and will, allow me to take anything out of their mouths, I brush their teeth, and can give or take food away from them with no problems. I also haven't had any peeing, or marking in the house, Dozer doesn't say anything if he needs to go out, but Blossom will whine when she needs out. We have them on a regular and pretty strict routine for potty times, they go out at 6 am. every morning, we set the alarm on the weekends, and then go back to bed after they go out, they are fed at 6:30 am after their walk, then they go out at 10:00 am, again at 2:00 pm, they eat again at around 6 or 6:30 pm, then outside after they eat, then at around 10:00 or 11:00 pm depending on when we go to bed, they go for a walk around the block for their last walk. I guess there isn't much room for accidents with this schedule, and they have been on it since we got them.

Im sorry you are going through this, especially the growling and aggression especially since he is drawing blood. Has this just recently started? Or something new? I don't know the answer on how to curb this behaviour, maybe some professional training might help with bevaviour problems. So sorry. I hope you can find a way to help with this. Hugs and prayers sent your way, and please keep us posted on how they are doing.
 

Vicaroo1000

"Slug Assassin" and PBS Gardening Dweeb
Jun 23, 2011
5,775
389
Mukilteo, Washington State
Bulldog(s) Names
Beefeater's Buxom Beatrice and Lord Harrington's Bodacious Beauregaard
I have found a long time ago, in situations such as this is to be calm, cool and collected, no hollering, it escalates the drama. If they have a calm pack leader they tend to be less dramatic. yes, they may growl at each other, that's the way they may communicate with each other as to say leave me alone. this is where you can say calmly, "come" or wanna go for a walk, something like that to distract their thought of attacks , they need to learn each others boundaries. and yours. I hope this makes sense to you in some way. please keep me posted of your outcome

Spot on. Did you know that only THE HUMAN will follow an unstable pack leader? :yes: True.

Simplify your communication with your pup. The clearer the message, the quicker they seem to learn what you want from them.

Here's a good example: Yesterday, Bo was in to see Dr Terry to have his ear looked at. When the Vet went in with a swab to gather up some of the goop way inside his ear, it was clearly sore -- and he growled and snapped. He's telling us -- in no uncertain terms -- that it hurts when Dr Terry pokes the swab in there. We still needed that sample though and when Bo did it again on the next try, I disagreed with the behavior -- just like I do for any other behavior I don't want. No drama. No soft energy "poor baby, just let the doctor see your ear" baby talk. I said, ACCKKK! (loudly, calm and assertive) and it stopped him from snapping a fourth time. *Didn't work the third time. LOL*

I talk to my animals -- all of them -- all the time. I prefer their company to that of most people I know. That being said, if I am trying to communicate a message that I need them to understand, I need to tell them in a manner in which they can easily and quickly understand it. Your pup WANTS to please you. It's in our dog's DNA to live along side humans in a cooperative way. His first family did him no service and now, you are left to pick up the pieces. That's going to take calm, assertive, CLEAR communication. Be the pack leader he needs AND WANTS!
 

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