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My beagle has suddenly started resource guarding random stuff. What should I do to get this behavior to stop? (lemmy.world)

submitted 7 months ago by LaunchesKayaks@lemmy.world to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world

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I'll start off by saying that he has a bad past life. He was obviously abused by his previous owners and straight up abandoned in the woods. He has bad anxiety that he is on Prozac for, and it seems to be helping for the most part.

Lately he has been grabbing random shit and snapping and growling when someone tries to take it. He'll grab the stuff off tables and counters to chew, so it's not like he's finding random stuff on the floor.

Last night he grabbed tape off of a table and when my sister tried to take it, he bit her hand. It wasn't hard and barely left a mark, but it is still incredibly concerning. I was the victim of a severe dog attack as a child, so any aggression is not okay. I don't want to have to get rid of him because he's my baby boy and I love him so much.

I have no idea how to stop this behavior. I've never had a dog act like this. It started in August and has gotten worse in the past month because our living conditions changed. I broke my ankle/leg and I'm laid up for a while at my parents' place.

Do y'all have any suggestions?

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[-] LastYearsPumpkin@feddit.ch 90 points 7 months ago

You are getting some dangerous advice in this thread that can make things worse.

You already have a bite, that's a huge sign that you have escalated past the normal behavior stuff. Talk to a professional, talk to a local organization, like the local humane society, respected training center, or your vet, and get some real advice.

Pushing back and acting violent towards a violent dog can get you hurt and the dog put down.

[-] Kaliax@lemmy.world 4 points 7 months ago

Professional advice is the best route to go. In the meantime there is a wonderful YT channel called "No Bad Dogs" out of NYC I believe. Their approach is full-spectrum regarding positive reinforcement, positive punishment, etc. Also, one of the main ways I work with my (non-abused puppies & not a professional) with resource guarding is as follows: grab a low-value and high-value item. Give the dog the low-value item, tell them "out" after a short time (no touching/forcing), the moment they drop it say "yes" and give them the high-value item. Do this randomly, short and sweet. Best of luck.

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