My dog has been getting violent with me when I touch his food tray and water bowl. I think I understand why that happens. But now when I by accident drop something that belongs to me in front of him, I get scare. When I try to pick the item up, he growls and snaps at me. I always have to distract him before I can get my item back. I'm tired of this. Any training advice? :eek:

What kind of dog, how old, and how long have you had him please? Does he do this with anyone else in your household or just you?

You have a major aggression problem here. Left alone he/she will bite you and worse yet a child. She needs to be evaluated by a vet for any possible medical problems that may be contributing to this aggression.

It sounds like you have a major leadership problem here. You are allowing your dog to be the alpha dog in the pack and he is bullying you for your possessions and what he views as his. What he is doing is called "guarding behavior". Labman has some great info on how to assert yourself as the leader of the pack. Hopefully he will post it when he stops by.

As suggested above call your vet. If the dog is intact get him neutered. Ask the vet for a referral for a trainer that deals with aggression issues.
Just make sure that the trainer does not want to use methods to break his spirit or crate /kennel and let him go hungry for days. When I was looking for a trainer I had to weed out those that wanted to use harsh methods.

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Originally Posted by twinkiedooter

What kind of dog, how old, and how long have you had him please? Does he do this with anyone else in your household or just you?

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Chow Chow, 1 1/2yr old, owned since March 2006. Yes, he does this with my adult sister too.

The key to most behavior problems is approaching things using the dog's natural instincts. Dogs see all the people and dogs in the household as a pack with each having their own rank in the pack and a top dog. Life is much easier if the 2 legged pack members outrank the 4 legged ones. You can learn to play the role of top dog by reading some books or going to a good obedience class. A good obedience class or book is about you being top dog, not about rewarding standard commands with a treat. Start at Raising Your Dog with the Monks of New Skete For more on being top dog, see Establishing and Keeping Alpha Position, Letting your dog know you are the boss

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Originally Posted by labman

The key to most behavior problems is approaching things using the dog's natural instincts. Dogs see all the people and dogs in the household as a pack with each having their own rank in the pack and a top dog. Life is much easier if the 2 legged pack members outrank the 4 legged ones. You can learn to play the role of top dog by reading some books or going to a good obedience class. A good obedience class or book is about you being top dog, not about rewarding standard commands with a treat. Start at Raising Your Dog with the Monks of New Skete For more on being top dog, see Establishing and Keeping Alpha Position, Letting your dog know you are the boss

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Thanks. I like rule #20 on Establishing and Keeping Alpha Position, Letting your dog know you are the boss

Letting your dog know you are the boss

Just want to add that does not mean kicking the snot out of the dog! Some people do abuse animals and say they are showing who is boss.

Well, he just bit me. I tried taking an ink pen that he had in his mouth, and he gave me a good bite.

Remember that Chow Chows can be an aggressive breed.

Obedience training is going to take time, it won't happen over night. Follow the advice given by labman, that is the way to go, you must establish yourself as leader. Until then be prepared to get bitten a few times, take precautions against injury. Good Luck.

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Originally Posted by Altenweg

Remember that Chow Chows can be an aggressive breed.

Obedience training is going to take time, it won't happen over night. Follow the advice given by labman, that is the way to go, you must establish yourself as leader. Until then be prepared to get bitten a few times, take precautions against injury. Good Luck.

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Is there something I can wear during training just in case he decides to bite?

spop, I don't believe that there is anything that the everday consumer can buy that can make them safe when training a biting dog. You must keep in mind that a dog has enough power in it jaws to crush bones. My advice is to get a personal trainer if only for a few visits so that the dog can be assessed and you can be given methods to deal with biting issues.

I second getting a professional involved in this. For one thing, you are understandably concerned about being bitten. But, because you are, you will find it difficult to project the authority that you need to get the dog under control, which in turn will make it more likely that the dog challenges you, which makes it more likely that you get bit. It's a vicious circle. Working with a professional will help give you confidence, which will make it easier to get the dog under control.

Do I need to contact a dog wispher?

It wouldn't hurt you to get some of Caesar Millan's books, and watch the Dog Whisperer to get some tips, but like the others have mentioned, you need to get a professional involved, or you or someone else could be seriously hurt. Trust me, if you have an aggressive dog that isn't properly trained, you are looking for trouble!

Is this dog neutered? If not, he should be ASAP. That won't stop the aggression but without the hormones his reactivity should step down a notch. At 1-1/2 years he is hitting "social maturity", the age where wild dogs or wolves would start to try for a higher position in the pack.
You definitely need someone comfortable working with aggression issues. I like to watch Cesar Milan work with dogs, but I think it is asking too much to expect the average person to exude the "calm assertive energy" when said person has just been bitten!
Along with asking your local vet and groomer for recommendations, look up the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) or the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) on the internet and see if you can find someone near you who is qualified.

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Originally Posted by carolbcac

Is this dog neutered? If not, he should be ASAP. That won't stop the aggression but without the hormones his reactivity should step down a notch. At 1-1/2 years he is hitting "social maturity", the age where wild dogs or wolves would start to try for a higher position in the pack.
You definitely need someone comfortable working with agression issues. I like to watch Cesar Milan work with dogs, but I think it is asking too much to expect the average person to exude the "calm assertive energy" when said person has just been bitten!
Along with asking your local vet and groomer for recommendations, look up the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) or the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) on the internet and see if you can find someone near you who is qualified.

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I definitely agree with you, but you would be surprised the things that you remember about staying calm and assertive in those situtations. My dog got seriously attacked last wkd, and she required 86 stitches, and went into convulsions. She required emerg surgery, and just isn't the same dog at this point. Hopefully I can love her and help her enough to get ovet the attack.

It happened in the blink of an eye, but I believe if I didn't step into calm assertive energy, my little fur babe would've been killed. I completely surprised myself to be honest. I try and catch The Dog Whiperer whenever I can, just because it's interesting to watch, and I didn't even know I was doing any of Cesars' techniques... it just clicked in at the moment, and I got the Akita that attacked to back right off.

I'm not saying that would work for everyone, but I realised it certainly helped me, after the fact, to have watched his show. I'm definitely NOT recommending that anyone watch the show and think they know how to handle a dangerous aggressive dog, but some of the tips from the show sure don't hurt in a pinch. A professional should definitely be involved to get this dog trained, and under control for sure!

I just don't think that my sweet baby girl would be alive today if I had never watched Cesars show. However, I don't just watch his show, I'm a big dog /animal lover, so I read all I can on training techniques, so I suppose Cesar doesn't get all the credit! (LOL) ;)

Now I just have to focus on getting my girl better both physically and mentally. I really hope the OP gets help before she finds herself in the same situation as the owner of the dog that attacked mine is in now in, and before the dog bites another human!

Thanks so much Carolbcac! I appreciate the well wishes!

Ok. It has got a little worse now. Whenever I pet him and look at his mouth, for some strange reason, he take that as an offense. Next he starts growling and showing his teeth like he is about to attack me. I just yell at him, "Stop!!" I get my distance from him. I really need help taming this lion want to be.

Have you done any of the things we suggested?

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Originally Posted by spop

My dog has been getting violent with me when I touch his food tray and water bowl. I think I understand why that happens. But now when I by accident drop something that belongs to me in front of him, I get scare. When I try to pick the item up, he growls and snaps at me. I always have to distract him before I can get my item back. I'm tired of this. Any training advice? :eek:

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Your dog thinks he is the pack leader because you are not taking on the leadership role eeffectively. Dogs are pack animals, and more dominant dogs will step up and try to control the resources if you do not lead well. The easiest way to learn about this is to rent some Dog Whisperer videos and see how Cesear Milan helps family deal with this problem. A lot of dogs lose their homes because humans don't know dog psychology.

I think I'm beginning to understand my dog a little more. He loves to explore and examine things, and when you try to take that away, that's when he gets violent. On top of that I know that dogs also become violent when they feel threaten or neglected, but this I am in no way doing to him.

When I go outside to see him, he can be the nicest dog in the world, but do something to make him mad and...

Just coincidentally, I saw an episode of the dog whisperer just today. I will try and explain. DO NOT try and remove anything from his mouth. Also do not try and grab anything without claiming your space. Your dog thinks he is the pack leader, and your boss.

You need to have a calm assertive manner. Don't try and sneak up, and don't feel or act afraid. Think of it as teaching your child not to touch a hot stove. Don't panic, just walk up like this is YOUR house, and be the boss. Your body language will say a lot, and your dog will pick up on that. Act like your are the captain of a team, and you will set the rules.

Put whatever bone or toy down, and then claim it as your own. I don't mean pick it up, just block him and give him the 'ssshhttt' command, (or whatever command you want to use) and don't let him get to the toy, by using the command over and over. Once he gets the toy, you can give the same command, and tell him to drop. If he gets aggressive again, claim your space again, by standing firm and calm, but head up shoulders back.

Don't leave the toys sitting around on the floor for him to have whenever he wants. He only gets them when he is calm and submissive. Not in an excited mode. Make sure he is relaxed, and never get him excited by saying... look here's your toy!. or anything in an excited tone.

I sure wish I could explain this a little better to you. I don't think I did a very good job of explaining that, but I hope you understand it a bit. It would sure help you to get one of Cesars video's or books, and learn the proper way to do it. :)