While in general, I think it is a good thing for a pet dog to accept touching by both family members and friendly strangers, I have three dogs, and I only allow one to be touched. The other two absolutely do not want to be touched, and I see no reason to force the issue, especially as they have mouths full of teeth.

Lots of good suggestions have been made by others regarding the aggression towards you. Some dogs will take advantage of weaknesses in others, even in their owners. I have never been biten by my own dogs, but our older GSD rescue did treaten our children when she (and they) were young. We had to be very vigilent, and very strict with her.

Cameron, I do understand "if no one's around..."

The thing with the food aggression is, it started very young. I had even emailed Ed who said to just leave him alone, don't risk hurting the relationship. My s.o. (God love him!) can be pig headed, and from other sources got the message it's NOT EVER ok to have the food aggression. We were at odds about this topic; he wanting to desensitize the dog, me saying just leave the dog alone, why go there, why potentially cause a problem. It's hard when there's so much conflicting information out there (and when there are two people trying to train one dog, as I know Ed disagrees with, and believe me I see why!!!!)

Connie, I so wish we had just done what you did. It seems like it may have become a problem that just went away on it's own, without our interference. He's on Metacam 1.5mg/ml, and he gets his weights worth (he's 90 lbs) 0.045mg/lb, so I think that's about 4mg?

He's been on the Metacam since his surgery, 1 1/2 years ago, but very sporadically, only when he appears to be limping. I also have been using Cosequin and Adequan (thanks to help from this site!) to manage his arthritis. To be honest, I don't really notice any difference before vs after. Occassionally he'll do something (step in a hole wrong, jump the wrong way) and he'll cry and fuss and hold his leg up. The loud crying goes on for several minutes, and he always seems to enjoy being comforted when he's in pain. When it's happened to me I usually have him lay down and inspect his limb, to make sure there's no obvious problem and have him rest before we continue on our walk or whatever we're doing. He has NEVER acted aggressively in those instances of acute pain. So I guess in realizing this on screen, it sounds like pain may NOT be the problem after all.

Just as a side note: we had several vet opinions about his legs, one from Tufts Vet Med school, and basically their thought was he should never be allowed to run around off leash, as this could advance his arthritis. We decided this dog's quality of life is more important than having him age into an older but unhappy dog. So we are careful not to overdue it, but he is allowed to run around some on our walks. Most of the walk he heels with us but there is a play time usually.

 Quote: stephanie biros

Occassionally he'll do something (step in a hole wrong, jump the wrong way) and he'll cry and fuss and hold his leg up. The loud crying goes on for several minutes, and he always seems to enjoy being comforted when he's in pain. When it's happened to me I usually have him lay down and inspect his limb, to make sure there's no obvious problem and have him rest before we continue on our walk or whatever we're doing. He has NEVER acted aggressively in those instances of acute pain.

One thing I wanted to mention here was in the event of the dog being in pain, crying, etc, I would recommend against making a big deal over this. I'm sure the dog does enjoy being comforted when this happens, but I think that it is also possible the dog can learn to repeat this behavior to demand attention at specific times as well. If the dog has hurt itself, or caused pain, I would stop or pause for a second or so, then start walking again, slowly, or just end the walk there if the dog hurt itself. I would not, however make a big deal about it or go over and inspect the leg. If the dog hurt itself and it's not just a twinge of pain from stepping wrong, you will know. The dog won't be able to continue, will continue limping etc. At that point you would probably be on the phone arranging someone to come pick you up because your dog can't walk back home. If he's not hurt, and it was just a misttep or something, pause what you are doing for a minute or two, give him a chance to rest if needed, but don't make a big fuss over him.
As far as your s.o. other goes, that is tough. One thing you may try pointing out is that what has been tried up until now has NOT been working - at all. And it's been going on for how long? Maybe you can get him to agree to try something new to see if it works! If he can devote the same amount of time in leaving the dog alone as has been devoted to trying to force him to accept it (the eating thing) you will have a good amount of time to ge him past this and bring your s.o. around to the idea.

I don't even see food aggression as an "issue" anymore; keep other dogs and people away, and there can be no aggression. Also, leaving a dog alone to eat and not messing w/their food can, in a way, foster a respect that can help in instances when you NEED to mess with their food. Constantly screwing w/their food does nothing but aggravate a stubborn dog, which it sounds like you have. (Not saying you did this, but you did say your s.o. has the common "no food aggression" belief).

You seem to have the kind of dog that you need to "pick your battles" with. Crate him and feed him or leave the room. Tell people not to pet him. Avoid situations that will likely get him in trouble so you can work on the real issues...baby steps. He does not need to accept anyone and everyone; he needs to be under control so that if you say there will be no bite, there will be no bite.

I have a stubborn, dominant, highly territorial dog that I pick my battles with. Fighting him on every wrong move is futile; We would have no relationship. Instead, I try to prevent bloodshed and focus on what he's doing wrong where *I* am concerned-not John Q. Public, not my other dogs. If I can gain his respect one-on-one, I can more easily work toward control in other situations that are more difficult. You will be surprised how much you can accomplish when he respects you as the leader in all situations...and respect and trust are HUGE in this.

I agree with Jenni on the food aggression . It also doesn't seem like your S.O. has had much success correcting this problem by messing with him.

I also like how Jenni handles her dominant dog. I think dog owners sometimes take training advice especially handling dominant dogs too far . Training advice should be looked at as guidelines to be adjusted according to that particular dogs characteristics. Dog training is not A , B, C , D steps that you get out of a book , video or off the internet to be followed exactly word for word with every dog. They can be a great starting point but owners must also be able to read their dogs.

I like to campare it to criminal profilers. Handlers must learn what individual drives , experiances and inherited personality traits in that dog are influencing it's behavior or inhibiting it's learning and then you adjust your approach to best get what you want out of that dog. Dogs are all differant.

I feel the best advice you've been given is so far is #1 feed the dog in a secure place and leave him alone . #2 Have the dog checked more thoroughly by a good vet and most importantly #3 Don't let others pet your dog. IMO no matter what . He has already bitten others . He shouldn't be given another chance to bite someone again. It doesn't matter if it was caused by his pain or if he uncomfortable around those people. It shouldn't happen again. For what it's worth it sounds to me your dog just doesn't want others petting him.

As for the dramatics when he steps in a hole or something. Like Cameron stated some dogs learn to overact to get attention or get out of something. Many times we see this in some dogs reactions to corrections . They scream and yelp like they are dying but it's mainly an act to get out of the correction and get away with their bad behavior or just to get attention.

Next time this happens just remain calm and check the dog for injuries. Even if the dog is really hurt a calm cool approach is the best in dealing with him .

Good Luck.

 Quote: Jim Nash

As for the dramatics when he steps in a hole or something. Like Cameron stated some dogs learn to overact to get attention or get out of something. Many times we see this in some dogs reactions to corrections . They scream and yelp like they are dying but it's mainly an act to get out of the correction and get away with their bad behavior or just to get attention.

OMG. Yes-I have another one just like this. This is, IMO, another manipulation technique, if I can call it that. My younger one screams bloody murder if I correct him for ridiculous behavior, but he won't stop what he's doing. Once he realizes that I will correct him-screaming or no screaming-he is surprisingly silent. It's kind of another form of dominance-let's try to get Mom to do what I want instead of me doing what SHE wants. It's an act 9 times out of 10. Of course, make sure the dog isn't really hurt! But if it's a reaction to corrections and subsides when you correct him anyway, you will know you're being played. I would be a little kinder on a dog who has already had surgery, and give him the benefit of the doubt, but be aware that giving in to theatrics will not help your case.

"My younger one screams bloody murder if I correct him for ridiculous behavior, but he won't stop what he's doing." Too funny! Just like children sometimes!

Oh, he definately is hurt in those instances. Holding his leg up. It isn't frequent, but usually after some wrong move. Once he was jumping repeatedly for snowballs (should have stopped sooner, but it was the first snowfall!) and fell down hard on the bad leg.

The thing my s.o. was afraid of is that if we "allow" his protectiveness of the food it will move into protectiveness of his ball, his crate, blah blah blah. And we do watch a lot of Cesar Milan, and his philosophy is to never allow food aggression. In fact, the bite I got was trying one of his techniques by his food bowl.

Good advice that not every technique works with every dog! You still gotta use your brain and know your own dog, and have a good relationship.

I have seen many episodes where Cesar is dealing specifically with food aggression, takes the item being "possesed" and gets bit. The key for him is the way he handles the dog, himself, and the situation AFTER he is bit. I musta watched it in slow mo 10 times. THe guy didn't FLINCH. Not a bit. He took the bite, and moved on. THat is the key to dealing with this. (No, I take that back. The key is to never let it start by never putting the dog in that position in the first place i.e. CRATE.)
When you guys back down, or show fear, the dog wins. There is nothing wrong with not being able to stand there and get bit, knowing it's possibly coming and not caring. That is something that Cesar is able to do - but few others can. So if you are not able to do that and put the fear of the bite out of your mind (be HONEST with yourself.) Fear is fear. If it's there, acknowledge it and find a way to resolve the problem that WON'T make you fearful. Cesar's method helps the dog resolve it in about 10 minutes. If you cannot sit there and take a bite from an 80-100lb Shepherd, then FIND A NEW WAY. Preventative is the easiest way to RESOLVE this problem without getting bit. It's that simple.
As far as the pain issue, the dog is telling you when it's ok to love on it and when you must leave it alone. It almost sounds (from what I read - PLEASE still get someone to come in and evaluate first hand!) that the dog has learned to "cue" you to pet by showing pain, and all other times it's hands off. I could be wrong in that, for sure. Not being there is a big hinderance.
Regardless, if I have a dog growling at me one second for the *audacity* of trying to pet it, then the second (or later on, whatever) it is hurt and comes up seeking attention, I would not pet it. Period. I will not be told by my dog to "pet me right!" or "comfort me right now" I would obviously see that the dog is ok, but I would probably not do that by examining. I would give it a second or two for the pain to subside, then start walking. If the dog is not willing to follow, or unable to walk without limping, I know it is hurt, and I will act accordingly. Lavishing attention (or even showing any attention at all) in this situation does not help the dog. JMO

Stephanie stated;

 Quote:

The thing my s.o. was afraid of is that if we "allow" his protectiveness of the food it will move into protectiveness of his ball, his crate, blah blah blah. And we do watch a lot of Cesar Milan, and his philosophy is to never allow food aggression. In fact, the bite I got was trying one of his techniques by his food bowl.

I haven't seen this happen though I'm sure it could. My answer is if the dog gets protective(aggressive) over a toy deal with that. It's a much easier battle to fight. Remember food aggression many times is a strong instinctual survival mechanism. The impulse for the dog to become aggressive over food for that reason is a strong one to overcome. Protectiveness over a toy isn't rooted in the dog fighting to survive so it's much easier to overcome .

As for Ceasar Milan I like him and agree with many of his training methods . I haven't seen his shows for a couple of years but if he's battling a dog over food aggression then this will be the first time I strongly disagree with one of his training methods. The other thing to remember is he's got a film crew with him and needs things to put on the show. I just got done with a work shift having Animal Planet following me around for an upcoming 10-13 episode show on Police K9's . There's alot of presure trying to get them good things to air. Imagine having guys with cameras and boom mic's following your every move, all day long , day after day hoping to get something that will draw their audiances attention . Watching someone battling an angry , growling , snapping dog over food aggression sure would get my attention.

I will add if I wanted to I could extinguish my dogs food aggression but by the time I'm done he wouldn't be a workable Police K9 and I would be nursing many wounds of my own when it was over. Why would I do that when I could easily manage that issue by letting him eat in peace and in a secure area . If other dominance issues arise because of that I'll deal with those because they are much easier to fix and deal with compared to food aggression.

First I want to say to the OP how much I respect you for taking ownership of your dog! So many times I read about folks facing issues with their dogs and become overwhelmed then walking away from the issue and the animal. Second I am just a regular person who has dealt with a "problem" dog and wanted to attest to the reliability of the guidance you will find here.

As the owner of a problem dog, at first I was overcome with fear and a sense of frustration. I thought about EVERYTHING at once and could not see a way forward, well who could when you think like that. I cannot tell you how valuble it is to step back and take one day at a time. It sounds like this is your mind set and that is good. If you think of this as a science problem, then there is a method that allows you to rationally walk through the problem, and the folks here are really wonderful professors and practitioners. I have to say many "have been there, and done that".

So you have done a pretty honest self assessment, and seemingly put a pretty comprehensive picture together of your current situation.

You are ruling out the medical issue.

And now you begin the pack structure/leadership part...yes the hardest for me. To let you know, I had my dog on a 22 foot lead in my home for 4 months, she ate in her crate, and asked for everything she wanted by displaying some form of submission. Now her issue was DA (a PB), but her behavior was a direct result of my lack of leadership. The lead and the crate were the hardest for me. As Jenn said your dog will have no need to protect the food or the crate if there is no one around to protect it from.

Another thing I found is my dog when on alert all the time appeared to be more at ease when she did not have to deal with all of the externals....like eating in the crate - alone, I theorize this kind of situation made her feel safe. She definately relaxed.

It took a good 18 months for me to get on top of the situation and after all the practical things had been done, the one very most difficult thing for me was to master my fear. I found that even when my dog knew what I wanted, I would radiate fear right down that lead to her and this undermined all of the work we had done together.

Well I am happy to report, she still is a PB, and I would not trust her alone with another dog as far as I could pick her up and throw her (hmmmmmm shes small and I am strong, errr never mind) but she is from what I see one of the best trained dogs in my neighborhood. I have received numerous comments like "OMG I wish me dog was that good". Little do they know .... bwwwahahahaha

Anyway, continue to be dilligent, BE SAFE, and listen to Ed and the expertise you will receive here. By all means get yourself a good trainer (I did) and you will work through this! Me and my Lilly are living proof IT WORKS!

Good luck to you.....