Aggression over vomit!!!
Hello everyone! So, I've posted about my little BT Phoebe before and I've come back with another strange dilemma. Earlier this morning she became sick and vomited. I heard her growling and snapping at her older brother (also a BT) and when I saw why she was getting mad, I caught her trying to scarf up her vomit. I quickly picked her up so I could clean up the mess which had splattered all over my walls. She began bucking snarling and growling. She NEEDED to eat whatever it was she had just thrown up. I calmly told her, "no mam, we do not snarl and growl at mommy." I then placed her in the kennel as well as her brother,, who at this point was trying to eat the vomit. She continued to squawk and paw at the kennel trying to break free so she could go back and eat the vomit. She really doesn't have food aggression because she and her brother eat out of the same food bowl ALL the time (even though they both have their own bowls) For some reason though, she became quite mean and territorial over her vomit, even at me which has never happened before. She's barely going to be three months. Is this normal for a puppy her age? I know dogs like to eat their own mess, but I've never seen a pup get aggressive over vomit! I should note that while I was cleaning up the mess, I did find a treat I had just given to her about 20min before she got sick in her vomit. Do you think maybe she was just being territorial over the treat? Thankfully her brother is not aggressive in any way, he's actually quite the pushover so he was no problem and didn't show any aggression back towards her. Any input of this situation would be greatly appreciated! Thank you in advance!
Comments
However, some things can stay a little complicated, even when they mature.
Our girl Djamila, for example, is a very "expressive little person". She is the kind of dog that chooses to express her fears, anger and resentments and not back off.
With these specimen, it is vital to make it very clear early that having and expressing feelings is ok, BUT it should be in relation to the problem at hand and aggression, especially overreacting are not welcome.
You did the right thing when taking the dogs out of the picture and just clean the mess up, without becoming angry or trying to handle the dogs around it.
But should this happen again, watch everything closely like you did before to become more sure of the trigger.
Vomit per se does not have the same negative value to a dog that it has to humans. But just from what you have described it is hard to estimate, if the vomit itself really was the trigger.
Every now and then I catch myself misinterpreting Djamila's reactions, even though I try to pay so much attention to details. I have even experienced situations in which I interpreted her behavior as hostile when in actuality she was trying to cooperate and protect me.
Just stay alert and make it very clear in a loving, but firm way that you are there to protect your little girl, yet will not tolerate aggression, if she tries to choose this as her way.