I have a 7 year old GSD/chow cross named Loki who I recently adopted from my parents. I knew right away he had some serious dominance issues because he demands to be pet (and barks at you if you don't comply), he pushes past me in the hallway, and acts like it's a huge embarassment to him if I tell him to lie down. It's like pulling teeth trying to get him to comply. He's also very bossy and dominant with my other dog (2 year old shiba inu). At first, he barked and charged at Tojo if he so much as walked past him, but he is learning that barking has no place here and that he's not allowed to bother Tojo.

Anyway, we've been working on these issues. If he barges past us and knocks us over, we shove him right back and make him get out of the way. Also, if he's in my way as I'm walking, I just walk right into him even step on him to get him out of my way. I don't know if that's recommended, but it's working. If he tries to make us pet him, we ignore him and if he barks, he gets a correction and possibly a time-out in the bathroom. I know the leerburg guy says time-outs are a joke, but it does work because he'd rather stay with us and be quiet than bark and get locked up. As far as obeying commands, well, he doesn't get a single thing in this house if he doesn't obey a command. He's not allowed to so much as walk through a door without a nice, quick down.

He's getting much better, though.

The only thing he's not getting better about if guarding his rawhide bones. He doesn't like any toys or chews other than his rawhide bones and he guards when very aggressively. If you come near him while he's chewing, he'll stop and growl and stare at you. In order to take the bone away, I have to dangle him by his collar until he drops it. As soon as I have it, he's all tail-wags and pleading eyes, nice nice nice trying to get it back. He actually bit my husband once. Ever since then, I've just taken the bones away entirely and he's not allowed to have them until I figure something better out.

So... knowing a bit about the history of this dog, should I just never allow him to have rawhide bones again? Trades don't work because he'd rather have his bone than anything else. It's no skin off my back if he never gets one again, I'm just wondering if that's wise considering he doesn't enjoy any other type of bone or chew.

Any other tips in dealing with him would be appreciated. I have a one year old son who Loki tolerates very well, except when he has a bone. I'm really not willing to risk my son having his face ripped off.

Does your dog growl when he lays down and chews the bone or when he walks off for a few minute then he saw someone stand next to it?

My advice might not be reasonable, but I would use the prong collar and attached a leash. When I would put down a yummy steak on the floor, I will teach the dog to ignore the steak. When he goes after the steak, I will use the leash to pull him. He couldn't have the steak, yet I would practice walk around the steak and even walk past it. He is learning that steak does not belong to him. I would put out all his favorite rawhiles, bones, anything that he thought is rightful his own. He probably tries to go after these bones because he thought they belong to him! You keep on practice and walk past them. He can't smell, or touch any of them.

After you finally teach him that he can't have them out on the floor, You will only reward him a bone. It must be done when he is NOT paying attentions to rawhiles or steak for good 20 minutes. You only want to reward a dog whose mind is calm and relax. You can reward him a bone, but you must keep him on the leash. Don't keep the leash tense, and make sure you keep it loose. Have you called husband in to help you. Your dog is starting to respect you more, but he might not respect the husband yet. Have your husband walk past the dog while he chews his bone. If the dog started to growl, pull the leash and walk away. Don't touch his bone, just leave it as where it was before. You want him to see that the bone has not been moved or taken away. You will make him work for it again start with walking around that bone you gave to him. After good twenty minutes of not looking at it, reward the dog with that bone.

He will get an idea that you only reward him a bone when he is calm and not being aggressive.

Note: If he growls, don't yell, scold, scream, or say a word to him. Simple pull the leash and walk away.

Well he's 7 but habits can be changed.
For me I would not give raw hide ,for one it's not good for dogs and since it's a problem why bother? you have a one year old child!
NO Bones to this dog period.If you really want him to have a bone give it to him in a crate(away from child access) and let him be.Why do you want to give him a bone and then take it away?
You will never regardless of what methods you use ,TRUST him with a bone around your child!
I don't care if you take everyone advise and methods the FACT is he cannot be trusted around your child with a bone PERIOD.
When he barks for attention and you say now you ignore him , what about rewarding good behavior!? Pet him when he's calm and quiet, that let's him know "hey you get attention when you behave properly"
Don't forget to reward this dog with positive attention.DOn't forget he did not get all those bad behaviors on his own , his previous handlers helped him 100% of the way! Don't take your frustration out on him, work with him teach him the right way to be a well behaved dog.
Put him on a leash in the house and show him the right way to pass you ,to walk with you , mind you.When he complies to your demand reward him ( use treats) Hanging this dog (figure of speech)is not the answer, be patient and teach him what wasn't taught to him to begin with!

 Quote: Angelique Cadogan

You will never regardless of what methods you use ,TRUST him with a bone around your child!
I don't care if you take everyone advise and methods the FACT is he cannot be trusted around your child with a bone PERIOD.

Even though we only know the little bit you have posted here, I have to whole heartedly agree with Angelique. You may think he's only like this during certain circumstances but you never know when he may be in a bad mood or whatever. It's a hard pill to swallow to hear you cannot trust your dog but with youngins, it's not worth taking any chances.

And if bones are the problem, I would'nt give them to him anymmore either. Maybe try a quick, 5 minute chew that he'll eat up. You can try the crate but then he may guard the crate and not want you opening the door. I say again not worth it.

Dogs! They can be fun but some are such a pain in the @$$.

It doesn't hurt my feelings that he can't be trusted with the kid. My feelings would be more hurt if he ripped my child's face off.

Anyway, thanks for the advice! I believe I will just stop giving the rawhide. He can have other things and learn to be reasonable with them, although I would still only give them in his crate.

 Quote: heidi bialik

I have a 7 year old GSD/chow cross named Loki who I recently adopted from my parents. I knew right away he had some serious dominance issues because he demands to be pet (and barks at you if you don't comply), he pushes past me in the hallway, and acts like it's a huge embarassment to him if I tell him to lie down. It's like pulling teeth trying to get him to comply. He's also very bossy and dominant with my other dog (2 year old shiba inu). At first, he barked and charged at Tojo if he so much as walked past him, but he is learning that barking has no place here and that he's not allowed to bother Tojo.

Anyway, we've been working on these issues. If he barges past us and knocks us over, we shove him right back and make him get out of the way. Also, if he's in my way as I'm walking, I just walk right into him even step on him to get him out of my way. I don't know if that's recommended, but it's working. If he tries to make us pet him, we ignore him and if he barks, he gets a correction and possibly a time-out in the bathroom. I know the leerburg guy says time-outs are a joke, but it does work because he'd rather stay with us and be quiet than bark and get locked up. As far as obeying commands, well, he doesn't get a single thing in this house if he doesn't obey a command. He's not allowed to so much as walk through a door without a nice, quick down.

He's getting much better, though.

The only thing he's not getting better about if guarding his rawhide bones. He doesn't like any toys or chews other than his rawhide bones and he guards when very aggressively. If you come near him while he's chewing, he'll stop and growl and stare at you. In order to take the bone away, I have to dangle him by his collar until he drops it. As soon as I have it, he's all tail-wags and pleading eyes, nice nice nice trying to get it back. He actually bit my husband once. Ever since then, I've just taken the bones away entirely and he's not allowed to have them until I figure something better out.

So... knowing a bit about the history of this dog, should I just never allow him to have rawhide bones again? Trades don't work because he'd rather have his bone than anything else. It's no skin off my back if he never gets one again, I'm just wondering if that's wise considering he doesn't enjoy any other type of bone or chew.

Any other tips in dealing with him would be appreciated. I have a one year old son who Loki tolerates very well, except when he has a bone. I'm really not willing to risk my son having his face ripped off.

Seems like you have bigger issue's then just your new dog with its bone. I would look over and read Ed's ("the leerburg guy's")Ground work program, use a dog crate, and go from there.

I would take the recreational bones away if they are creating the problem. I think the Ground work program would solve many of your issue's.

Ditto what others have said -- thoroughly research and read all the information available on this site -- it is a tremendous resource.

As for the bone, I would not give rawhides, but I believe dogs do benefit from the oral outlet of working on a bone for hours at a time.

I would give the dog a good sized RAW marrow bone a couple of times a week and let him go at it in a crate -- ALWAYS in a closed crate.

 Quote: Katie O'Connor

Ditto what others have said -- thoroughly research and read all the information available on this site -- it is a tremendous resource.

As for the bone, I would not give rawhides, but I believe dogs do benefit from the oral outlet of working on a bone for hours at a time.

I would give the dog a good sized RAW marrow bone a couple of times a week and let him go at it in a crate -- ALWAYS in a closed crate.

I have to say I would use extreme caution when giving bone marrow bones to dogs. IMO, and experience some dogs will naw on the bones and others will really crank down on them and that could cause a broken tooth. I think this would depend on the particular dog.
My GSD will naw, my friends broke a took on a beef marrow bone. I learned from this and very rarly give recreational bones, instead I use everlasting treat ball with yogurt frozen, with some treats in side to naw on for a litle while. Works good!!

 Quote: Joe Chevrier

... I have to say I would use extreme caution when giving bone marrow bones to dogs. IMO, and experience some dogs will naw on the bones and others will really crank down on them and that could cause a broken tooth. I think this would depend on the particular dog.
My GSD will naw, my friends broke a took on a beef marrow bone. I learned from this and very rarly give recreational bones, instead I use everlasting treat ball with yogurt frozen, with some treats in side to naw on for a litle while. Works good!!

Me too, Joe.

http://leerburg.com/feedingarawdiet.htm#recreational

The BIGGEST thing you can do to help your situation is to make obedience fun for the dog and practice placing that OB into him.

Just normal obedience training like training a down, walking down, sit, walking sit, and other basic commands using motivational training followed by a second stage where corrections are given using a prong collar will go a long way. Get a ball on a string, a tug, or another tough and safe toy to build drive and play with it. Make practice sessions short, but productive with a lot of play before and after. Leerburg has great videos for OB and Schutzhund that would help. If you could do some structured OB for 5-10 minutes every day you would see a world of change.

When I first started training my dog with the walking down he hated it and did not want to do it. He would growl and protest, but after about two months of training the walking down he now does it right away without the leash and no protest. You just have to be very FIRM and not allow the dog to be stuborn.

Any treat you give or food you provide should be earned by him performing as you command. Before my GSD gets his food I make him sit or down and before he gets a toy or treat he must do likewise. Beleive me I have to be on top of my boy 24/7 as he's always looking to be the alpha, but the more firm I am and the longer time goes by the more obedient/easier to live with he becomes.