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Need help - My Shiba howls at certain treats and bites if I'm in his space

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Member Since
02/17/2012		 
 
Barked: Fri Feb 17, '12 7:45pm PST 
Hello,
I've had Junior (10-month old Shiba) since he was three months old. He is great except when given certain treats. I try to avoid them but occasionally he'll react with a normal treat. He sits with it between his front paws and howls at it, (the Shiba scream) and is overly anxious to the point where he will suddenly lash out and bite me, or my children (ages 9 and 11) if we even try to walk past him. He sometimes does this without a treat, just seems to be over stimulated. He also does it if touched from behind, which we can obviously avoid. We are sad to be afraid of him, and I know that doesn't help matters. I try to be brave and grab the scruff of his neck and gently shake him, saying "No Bite!" and put him in his crate. But sometimes the bite hurts too much and I jump back. Please help. I understand I'm a novice, so any advice is appreciated. Thank you.

Edited by author Fri Feb 17, '12 7:47pm PST

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Saya

I want to play!		 
 
Barked: Fri Feb 17, '12 8:09pm PST 
Have you and Junior been to puppy class?

This book is on resource guarding sounds like what your dog is doing
http://www.amazon.com/Mine-Practical-Guide-Resource-Guarding/ dp/0970562942/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1329537600&sr=8-4

This book is recommended for puppy owners.
http://www.amazon.com/Before-After-Getting-Your-Puppy/dp/157731455 7/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1329537627&sr=1-1

I'd try to avoid scruff shakes it'll make him more nervous around treats. Maybe not give treats till you learn on how to fix this? Wouldn't want pup give a bite to a kid.

Does he warn you like growl or lip curl?

Are these treats things like bully sticks, chew toys, treats or food?

Saya has never cause me any issues she sometimes get over excited with her yummy string cheese or home made dog treat and bite my finger while grabbing for the treat.. I just need work on her impulse control.

When did started to happen?

I think there have been other shiba that done this on another forum not sure what they did it was just the whining part.

Bella my parent's 55lb boxer used growl over her kibble at me I hand fed her and eventually she got better.

She also growled at me when I fed her chicken quarter I just left her alone stayed near in case she is eating too fast. Eventually she stopped and I worked with her dropping the quarter on command and then leaving it I'd reward her with a tiny bit liver, gizzard or boneless meat.

Maybe work on drop it and leave it commands.

Is this your first dog?

Sorry not much help I need some sleep.
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Zim

OBEY ME		 
 
Barked: Sun Feb 19, '12 12:30pm PST 
Don't scruff and shake when he does that. The reason he's doing it is because he's scared you're going to take it from him and threatening him by grabbing and shaking him isn't going to make that any better. Don't give him high value treats until you've taught him that you won't take these things from him by trading him for lower value items with a command. Work it up to higher value items. Then he'll learn not to be scared that you'll take stuff but that when you take stuff, he gets something yummy AND he gets the old thing back. My puppy is 11 weeks old today and he growled at use once when we needed to get something away from him and this is the game we're playing with him to teach him that it's a good thing when we take things from him.
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Takuma

Trouble!		 
 
Barked: Tue Feb 21, '12 2:55pm PST 
While Takuma has never actually been close to biting, he has had a few phases where he'd snarl and threaten me if I came too close to, or attempted to take his treat. My solution was simply to find a treat and give it to him, then proceed to put my hand on it while he was chewing. If he acted aggressively, I took it away for about 30 seconds before giving it back. It didn't take long before he figured out that if I put my hand on his treat, he would get it back instantly if didn't resort to aggressive behavior and instead allowed me take it.

I can understand this approach might be scarier when he is already at the stage where he might lash out though. If you have some normal sized gloves (not mittens or the oversized stuff designed for conquering the arctic wastes) you can try wearing those though. But then I'd wear them for at least a few hours while handling him and doing other stuff just so he doesn't pick up on why you are actually wearing them.
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Kozi

You won't like- me when I'm- angry...		 
 
Barked: Sun Mar 18, '12 12:46pm PST 
Whatever you do, don't react aggressively (like shaking him), this will probably only make him worse. The key here is preventative measures. Whatever you can do to avoid him from having to feel like he needs to be reactive.
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Beebe

Inu can do- anything better- than you		 
 
Barked: Mon Mar 26, '12 6:07pm PST 
Am I the only one who thinks its nuts that a person can't pet their own dog because it bites when it's owner does something normal like giving it a treat or petting it? It's crazy that people let dogs they have raised from puppies get away with behavior like this, regardless of if it is resource guarding from fear or otherwise (sounds like the puppy is being a jerk just because he knows he can without being challenged). Before the dog bites one of the kids severly, march yourself and your family down to a training class so you can learn how to manage and correct this horrible behavior.
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