nycbullymama
Well-known member
- Dec 22, 2012
- 5,182
- 476
- Country
- usa
- Bulldog(s) Names
- b and w
Title should read "Toy Aggression"
So, where to start..
Blue, now one, has always been a little toy aggressive. He goes crazy when he sees a new toy. How he makes the distinction between a new toy, and other items is beyond me- but he does.
Anyway, in the past, he would growl if you tried taking something he was playing with away. Not always, but if it was something he really wanted, he'd do warning growls.
I can't accept this behavior, so when he would growl, I would purposely take the toy away. But, it's not like he would just let go. His head snaps back, and his jaws go around my hand. He doesn't bite, but I don't like having my hand in the mouth of an unhappy bullie.
I've always been able to take the toy away, then make him sit to get it back. I would do this over and over with the same toy, make him sit, give it back, take it away, make him sit, give it back, etc.
After the first initial growl, he would let me take it without snapping at my hand. It's just always that first time.
Well, he hasn't done it in a while, then last night it happened again. Blue's now older, larger, and much stronger. So after that first growl, and snap, he bruised my finger. He didn't bite, it was just the force of his head moving quickly. I still got the toy, and we did the sit, give, take, exercise over and over and per usual, after that first time, everything was fine.
But how do I get it to stop?? The aggression worries me. He can snap at anyone, at anytime if they go hear him and his toy. It's so strange too because I can take stick my hand in his food bowl while he's eating, or even take food right out of his mouth, and nothing. But when it comes to toys, he turns into a different dog.
Any suggestions would be great.
So, where to start..
Blue, now one, has always been a little toy aggressive. He goes crazy when he sees a new toy. How he makes the distinction between a new toy, and other items is beyond me- but he does.
Anyway, in the past, he would growl if you tried taking something he was playing with away. Not always, but if it was something he really wanted, he'd do warning growls.
I can't accept this behavior, so when he would growl, I would purposely take the toy away. But, it's not like he would just let go. His head snaps back, and his jaws go around my hand. He doesn't bite, but I don't like having my hand in the mouth of an unhappy bullie.
I've always been able to take the toy away, then make him sit to get it back. I would do this over and over with the same toy, make him sit, give it back, take it away, make him sit, give it back, etc.
After the first initial growl, he would let me take it without snapping at my hand. It's just always that first time.
Well, he hasn't done it in a while, then last night it happened again. Blue's now older, larger, and much stronger. So after that first growl, and snap, he bruised my finger. He didn't bite, it was just the force of his head moving quickly. I still got the toy, and we did the sit, give, take, exercise over and over and per usual, after that first time, everything was fine.
But how do I get it to stop?? The aggression worries me. He can snap at anyone, at anytime if they go hear him and his toy. It's so strange too because I can take stick my hand in his food bowl while he's eating, or even take food right out of his mouth, and nothing. But when it comes to toys, he turns into a different dog.
Any suggestions would be great.
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