Sound Trigger Aggression/Possessive behaviour.
So we have had our boy Dax since he was 8 weeks old. He came from an SPCA and the breeder had passed away (I hear she was not a good breeder). Dad was unknown, Mom was friendly but fearful of stairs.
Dax was great, till a little over 2.5 years in age. It all started with a decorative pillow I brought home. If he saw this pillow he would charge at it, growl and hold onto and not let go if you attempted to take he would snap at you. Regardless if it was above our heads on the couch, or next to us. I had to block him once as his chest hit my face. He bit my sweater. We decided to get rid of the pillow since it set off aggression. This was roughly August.
He went after my husband twice after this pillow was gone. Over plastic food wrappers.
He did not bite but came past my husband on the couch and grabbed the item. My husband was able to get the items back with no growling/biting/stiffness/hair up etc. This was in Oct.
In November we started to try to get pregnant and we did right away. Now the aggression hits and progresses, starting mid Nov.
If we are watching a movie and have popcorn in a bag, chips, candy, or a plastic container (mini donut container) he would rush in grab it, and run. He wouldn't eat the actual food, but would be what I call possessive of the item. This is only occuring at this time at night after 8pm.
We reached out to a behaviourist in December. Who asked if we could catch it on video in-case he did not exhibit the behaviour when she came over. Thing is, it happens so quick and not every night, in Nov and Dec it was once a week. We had an appointment in mid December but had to re-schedule with Holidays we did not get to see her till January.
On Christmas we got him a bone, a big one. The Christmas prior he never guarded the bone, this Christmas did he ever. Now, I get guarding bones as most dogs do. He doesn't food or toy guard. The problem with the bone was he would never let it go, even to go to the bathroom, nothing and if he did and you went near it he would growl and re-grab.
January, my husband gets a new job with a set schedule. Now Daxy is home alone 5 days a week for 6 hours, where prior to it was 5 days a month. The aggression gets serious, he now will bite at my husbands feet, jump up at nip at his lower back. Mostly damage to clothes we have only had one bad hand puncture and one tooth scrap on his foot.
What happens:
If on the couch: He hears the sound of the item that sets him off, rushes in, attempts to grab from your hand if he fails he then bites your foot, growling.
OR
You walk by him to put the item away, he rushes in jumps up at your lower back nipping and then biting your foot.
Both times he is growling and lunging.
I say he has a look in his eyes and after he is done, it is like he doesn't know what he's done.
So hes now on a prong and leash (behaviourist reccomendation) we are to feed him by hand, no more couch, or human bed. He is crated now when we are not home (he's never been destructive). She suggested we get a dog bed in the living room for him. So we did.
Well now he started to guard, the bed and the new toys. Luckily toys he is done guarding, and the bed we can go to him, pet him but we CANNOT ask him to leave it. If we do he growls, and starts to attack the bed and will not let go. So say, I am leaving for work, even with high desired treats he will not leave the bed, if I ask he growls, hair up.
We have tried feeding him in his bed by our hands, giving him delicious treats in the bed. We are also re-doing his obidience training.
Now any sound could "set him off" in any room of the house. Ie/ today the lint trap in the dryer in the basement made him attack his bed growling. If I make any sound upstairs on the 2nd floor he starts to growl, hair up even after I come to the main floor and he sees it's me. My husband has tried to correct him but he will not snap out of it for a couple of minutes. Then he acts like nothing happened?
I feel like its only progressing and very nervous as I am now 6 months pregnant. Sounds are setting him off. He mainly rushes at my husband with nipping/biting but with me more growling, sometimes re-directive aggression to an item.
We have had a full blood test/screen, and he came back very healthy.
We are still working with the behaviourist, but hoping that reaching out to BT owners may help.
I know the SPCA cannot re-home him, and I am unsure if a BT rescue will. I said I would NEVER re-home a dog. If there wasn't a child that could get bit, I wouldn't but this intimidates me and last thing we need to do is have our kid be terrified of dogs, or worse.
We walk him 2x a day, yard play, and indoor play and have always made him do a command for a treat or for training exercises.
He hates the wet grass so on rain days he gets less exercise. This will even happen on days hes exhausted.
Thank you for taking the time to read, any and all help is appreciated.
Ashley.
Comments
He certainly needs some training and discipline in order to cease this negative behavior. Due to the aggression he displays when hearing certain noises I can understand that training might be difficult due to the concern of being bit.
Here's what I would do -
I would invest in a good muzzle for him. I would conduct the training with him wearing the muzzle which will allow you the safety and confidence to try and curve his habit of reacting to noises with aggression. Put the muzzle on him and allow him to get used to the muzzle before attempting to initiate training and discipline. Once he's in his normal mood, create a noise you know he will react negatively with. Once he lunges at the object or shows any signs of aggression you can immediate counter his aggression without the fear of being bit. A loud "NO!" with immediate reaction will take him by surprise. I think if you continue this process until he recognizes that his behavior will NOT be tolerated he will lose the desire to react with aggression when he hears sounds that send him into a craze.
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