Hey all, I have a teenager on my hands and I need a little help.
My Sheltie boy has been possessive of food and space since he was 8 weeks old. Not toward people - I can take anything from this dog, but toward other dogs in the household. When he was around 4 months old he decided to guard an ice cube (yes, an ice cube) from the big GSD in the house who promptly disciplined him for doing so. The Shepherd didn't hurt him, but he did scare the living crap out of him.
So forward to today...the now 17 month old Sheltie still very much dislikes resident dogs (especially my 4 year old Sheltie) coming into his space or touching him whether he has something to guard or not. He doesn't even want to be on the couch next to another dog. If he is there and another dog jumps up, he will lift a lip, head turn away and grumble while jumping off and putting as much distance between him and the other dog as he can. He seems almost conflicted...as in I'm uncomfortable, here's your warning, I want to be there, but I don't want to start anything. I'm worried that his behavior could be interpreted as aggressive by another dog and lead to a fight. In public or at agility trials, he's great. He's completely neutral or very flirty depending on the other dog...because those dogs aren't invading "his" space.
I don't want to discipline him for growling. In fact, I like that he growls because it lets me know what's going on. It's the lip lifting that I can't always see!! Any advice??
My Sheltie boy has been possessive of food and space since he was 8 weeks old. Not toward people - I can take anything from this dog, but toward other dogs in the household. When he was around 4 months old he decided to guard an ice cube (yes, an ice cube) from the big GSD in the house who promptly disciplined him for doing so. The Shepherd didn't hurt him, but he did scare the living crap out of him.
So forward to today...the now 17 month old Sheltie still very much dislikes resident dogs (especially my 4 year old Sheltie) coming into his space or touching him whether he has something to guard or not. He doesn't even want to be on the couch next to another dog. If he is there and another dog jumps up, he will lift a lip, head turn away and grumble while jumping off and putting as much distance between him and the other dog as he can. He seems almost conflicted...as in I'm uncomfortable, here's your warning, I want to be there, but I don't want to start anything. I'm worried that his behavior could be interpreted as aggressive by another dog and lead to a fight. In public or at agility trials, he's great. He's completely neutral or very flirty depending on the other dog...because those dogs aren't invading "his" space.
I don't want to discipline him for growling. In fact, I like that he growls because it lets me know what's going on. It's the lip lifting that I can't always see!! Any advice??
