# really need some advice



## Krystal (Feb 3, 2007)

Last time I posted about this was around 3-4 years ago... The problem is with Mia. She gets really aggressive and growls at me if she has something she isnt supposed to have. Tonight she had her squeaky pig and I noticed she was ripping it apart, when I went to take it from her she growled and ran under the bed. I tried to reach under and grab her and she bite me, twice! My fingers are pretty numb and I finally got it to stop bleeding! I dont know why she does this! Since the last time I posted I have been working with her to understand that it is OK for me to take things from her and will give them back... If I give her a treat or a toy she will let me take it from her and give it back, but if it is something she knows she isnt supposed to have she attacks me! Is there any books I could read to help me with this? I am SO upset right now! I stuck her in the crate and that is where she will be sleeping tonight... I want to get this under control! My boyfriend has a little boy and I am scared she will do the same to him! 

Any advice would be appreciated!!


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## silverhaven (Sep 6, 2009)

The book Mine by Jean Donaldson is exactly for this kind of thing. It is resource guarding. It is considered an excellent book 

Mine! by Jean Donaldson - Reviews, Discussion, Bookclubs, Lists

Here is another small link. http://www.diamondsintheruff.com/RG.html if you google Resource Guarding you will get a lot more. I do use the method outlined here. I say to Lola when she has something. "trade" and she comes running to see what I have and drops what she has straight away  the only thing I have had more major issue with though are real bones. Those I won't give her anymore.


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## Krystal (Feb 3, 2007)

silverhaven said:


> The book Mine by Jean Donaldson is exactly for this kind of thing. It is resource guarding. It is considered an excellent book
> 
> Mine! by Jean Donaldson - Reviews, Discussion, Bookclubs, Lists
> 
> Here is another small link. Resource Guarding if you google Resource Guarding you will get a lot more. I do use the method outlined here. I say to Lola when she has something. "trade" and she comes running to see what I have and drops what she has straight away  the only thing I have had more major issue with though are real bones. Those I won't give her anymore.


Thank you! I am ordering the book right now from ebay.. and will check out that link! How long did it take you to get her to learn the "trade" command and did you have a problem with resource guarding before you taught it? Thats where I went wrong is I never truly taught her the "drop it" command! She would let me mess with her mouth and take things until all of a sudden she bite me! :angry:


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## michellerobison (Dec 17, 2009)

Bitsy used to be like that ,but I worked w/ her and eventually she came to realize if I took it away,I would give it back.


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## Krystal (Feb 3, 2007)

michellerobison said:


> Bitsy used to be like that ,but I worked w/ her and eventually she came to realize if I took it away,I would give it back.


Thanks for the reply, gives me hope I can do this!! I am hoping the book will help me better teach her and her learn to trust me more.


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## silverhaven (Sep 6, 2009)

Lola would run off and not give me things, and she would be a bit possessive with chews. With the chews, i wouldn't let her have them without me holding her and them for a while. I would then keep removing it and giving it back. She relaxed after that. 

For trade I would say really really fast. She is very food motivated lol. Just a couple of times with a yummy treat in my hand and she dropped instantly. I do it playing fetch with her to reinforce sometimes. Mmmm thinking about it, trade sounds a lot like treat


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## allheart (Oct 3, 2008)

Krystal, I feel your pain. My "son" Flakey (RIP), we had for 15 wonderful glorious years. And oh I know the under the bed situation oh too well. If a behavoriist is not possible, then, keep the bedroom doors closed so that Mia can not get under there. When my Flakey would do that, hubby had to take away the mattress, then the box spring, and then there was Flakey, looking like uh oh. So avoid Mia getting under the bed or any type of area, that she finds confidment. Then work slowly with her. Get a toy, if Mia, knows how to sit, tell her sit (this will make her work for the toy) Give her the toy, let her play, then minutes later, try and get from her while saying "leave". I would do this as a training session in a room where she has no place to hide with the toy. I would not do it and give her a treat, but great praise, when she does leave it. Then you give it back to her, and start over again. 

I'm nooooooooooooooooooooooo expert,but my dear boy Flakey taught hubby and I lots of things.

My Mia, in the beginning, when she was a pup, she would not let me take her chewy. So I used the above method, and it worked. Now I have no problem. All of this is done with a calm, loving voice, but in a way they know this is "training". I hope this helps. Like I said, I am not an expert. I wish you much luck and there definetlhy is hope


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## NewtoMalts (Apr 17, 2011)

Just sharing something that I'm currently learning: Dogs & especially Maltese  have a great ability to pick up on our mood or energy. Be aware of how you are feeling when you get into situations like the under the bed scenario. I have seen night and day differences in Abbey's reaction to my commands after our trainer pointed out to me that I was actually getting a bit frustrated and got me to relax, then give the same command. I used the same words, tone and body actions, but mentally relaxed first and she reacted completely differently. The amazing thing to me was that I wasn't even aware of my energy level until he pointed it out. Anyway, my 2cents worth, just something to keep in mind along with the great advice above.


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## Bailey&Me (Mar 8, 2010)

Oh no, I'm sorry that you're going through this with Mia  I was just about to recommend the book "Mine" but I see it's been mentioned already - I think that book is a great start. When I first got Bailey, I noticed he was a little possessive of his chewies - he's not aggressive at all but he will growl a little bit if you try to take something away from him. I haven't actually done a lot of formal training for this but what I did do was incorporate things in his daily routine that have helped with his resource guarding issue - kind of like the "nothing in life is free" method. Whenever he gets a toy or treat or a chewie, he needs to do something for it - I usually ask him to "sit" or "down". When I give him his meals, he knows to sit and wait until I say "okay". That helps him to know that I control the good things and he needs to work for them. This helps a lot but he does still do a little bit of guarding when it's something reaaally valuable to him - in those cases, I use the swap method and give him a treat when he drops the item. 

I met Jackie (jmm) recently about Bailey's issue of eating stuff off the ground. She advised me that when he has something in his mouth that he shouldn't, I should act SUPER EXCITED, make a big deal of it like she did something GREAT and then say, let's go get a treat!!!! Then walk really fast towards a very, very special treat...when you're so excited and happy and pumped up, she'll naturally want to follow you to see what wonderful treat you have for her. And then you do the swap. Is Mia food motivated? If so, and if you can find something that she absolutely LOVES, save it for these type of occasions...hopefully that'll work!


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## Krystal (Feb 3, 2007)

silverhaven said:


> Lola would run off and not give me things, and she would be a bit possessive with chews. With the chews, i wouldn't let her have them without me holding her and them for a while. I would then keep removing it and giving it back. She relaxed after that.
> 
> For trade I would say really really fast. She is very food motivated lol. Just a couple of times with a yummy treat in my hand and she dropped instantly. I do it playing fetch with her to reinforce sometimes. Mmmm thinking about it, trade sounds a lot like treat


Mia is VERY food motivated as well so hopefully she will follow in Lola's footsteps! Thanks again for the advice!! 



allheart said:


> Krystal, I feel your pain. My "son" Flakey (RIP), we had for 15 wonderful glorious years. And oh I know the under the bed situation oh too well. If a behavoriist is not possible, then, keep the bedroom doors closed so that Mia can not get under there. When my Flakey would do that, hubby had to take away the mattress, then the box spring, and then there was Flakey, looking like uh oh. So avoid Mia getting under the bed or any type of area, that she finds confidment. Then work slowly with her. Get a toy, if Mia, knows how to sit, tell her sit (this will make her work for the toy) Give her the toy, let her play, then minutes later, try and get from her while saying "leave". I would do this as a training session in a room where she has no place to hide with the toy. I would not do it and give her a treat, but great praise, when she does leave it. Then you give it back to her, and start over again.
> 
> I'm nooooooooooooooooooooooo expert,but my dear boy Flakey taught hubby and I lots of things.
> 
> My Mia, in the beginning, when she was a pup, she would not let me take her chewy. So I used the above method, and it worked. Now I have no problem. All of this is done with a calm, loving voice, but in a way they know this is "training". I hope this helps. Like I said, I am not an expert. I wish you much luck and there definetlhy is hope


Thank so you much for the advice! I have had to take apart the matress and the box spring SO many times!! She ran under there once with an entire pastry!! She ate the WHOLE thing before I could get the bed apart! I try keeping the doors closed but I will definately be more aware of it and start working more with her... She isnt very motivated when it comes to her toys so I am going to have to find something she will "trade" me that she doesnt want to give up!



NewtoMalts said:


> Just sharing something that I'm currently learning: Dogs & especially Maltese  have a great ability to pick up on our mood or energy. Be aware of how you are feeling when you get into situations like the under the bed scenario. I have seen night and day differences in Abbey's reaction to my commands after our trainer pointed out to me that I was actually getting a bit frustrated and got me to relax, then give the same command. I used the same words, tone and body actions, but mentally relaxed first and she reacted completely differently. The amazing thing to me was that I wasn't even aware of my energy level until he pointed it out. Anyway, my 2cents worth, just something to keep in mind along with the great advice above.


Thank you! I didnt think about that... Looking back I was VERY frustrated, especially after she went under the bed! 



Bailey&Me said:


> Oh no, I'm sorry that you're going through this with Mia  I was just about to recommend the book "Mine" but I see it's been mentioned already - I think that book is a great start. When I first got Bailey, I noticed he was a little possessive of his chewies - he's not aggressive at all but he will growl a little bit if you try to take something away from him. I haven't actually done a lot of formal training for this but what I did do was incorporate things in his daily routine that have helped with his resource guarding issue - kind of like the "nothing in life is free" method. Whenever he gets a toy or treat or a chewie, he needs to do something for it - I usually ask him to "sit" or "down". When I give him his meals, he knows to sit and wait until I say "okay". That helps him to know that I control the good things and he needs to work for them. This helps a lot but he does still do a little bit of guarding when it's something reaaally valuable to him - in those cases, I use the swap method and give him a treat when he drops the item.
> 
> I met Jackie (jmm) recently about Bailey's issue of eating stuff off the ground. She advised me that when he has something in his mouth that he shouldn't, I should act SUPER EXCITED, make a big deal of it like she did something GREAT and then say, let's go get a treat!!!! Then walk really fast towards a very, very special treat...when you're so excited and happy and pumped up, she'll naturally want to follow you to see what wonderful treat you have for her. And then you do the swap. Is Mia food motivated? If so, and if you can find something that she absolutely LOVES, save it for these type of occasions...hopefully that'll work!


Thanks for the advice and sharing Bailey's experience with me. Since Mia is very food motivated and LOVES chicken, maybe I will use those as the "special treat" for times like this. The weird thing is, when Bella goes and tries to take her chew toy from her, she will growl and walk off... With treats, she just runs away...


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