# Possession/aggression problems



## Upwind (Jun 25, 2016)

My 2 1/2 year old female has guarded her food since shortly after we got her at 8 weeks. We seem to have that under control. She used to be so anxious that she’d crouch in front of her food, tremble and pee if someone came near. She still eats with her tail between her legs. However, there are still two areas where she’s apt to launch herself at other dogs with teeth bared and a nasty growl. 

The first is when she’s playing with another dog. Both get mouthy and paw each other, but every once in awhile, after a few minutes and with no warning, my dog will do what looks like the attack described above.

The other setting where she’s aggressive is when hunting. I usually hunt with two other guys and their dogs, a Brittany and Gryphon. One day last fall, we had a pretty good number of birds in among us. We laid them on the ground to get a photo, and my dog walked near them and growled when other dogs came near. That was the only episode last season.

This weekend, I saw more unfortunate behavior with two woodcock I’d shot. Yesterday, after I downed one, my dog found it, another dog came near, and my dog went after it. 

Something similar happened today with another woodcock. I dropped it and went where I thought it fell. I found the bird, my dog came over, then another dog, and again, mine went after the visitor. This is the third weekend in a row hunting with the other dogs. The first two weekends we all got birds, but there were no issues.

My dog likes other dogs and people and has always behaved well overnight at a kennel. Aside from what I've described, she's very gentle and we can hand feed her.

Whenever my dog has one of these episodes, she doesn’t draw blood and is immediately contrite-appearing afterwards. Any suggestions?


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Birds are high value to a dog. 
It takes a very good natured dog, to not get upset on what they think it is their bird. A good many dogs would go after another dog, if it tries to take, or smell a bird they have in their mouth. Its bad manners on the other dogs part, and I've seen a few corrected by another dog for it. They are not honoring, the other dogs retrieve. Even happy go lucky Ranger, will bow up if a dog thinks of taking a bird from his mouth.

Its a big difference if the bird is not yet in her mouth, and she's doing it. I would not hunt her with other dogs, if thats what's happening. 
She needs more training to either, whoa on command, or recall straight to you. Instead of going after the other dog.

After rereading your post.
Does your dog retrieve, or have the desire to retrieve?


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## gingerling (Jun 20, 2015)

This is one for a trainer.

It sounds like a combo of her early socialization (or lack thereof) coupled with her basic temperament. V's are typically pretty mellow (if high energy), but some can be more intense than others. So, if yours was the intense one and wasn't properly socialized, yo';d get this result. Mind you, this doesn't sound as much "resource guarding" as it does anxiety: She's afraid and insecure and therefore protective. This needs some work before you put her in highly anxiety arousing situations with other dogs.


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## Upwind (Jun 25, 2016)

texasred said:


> Does your dog retrieve, or have the desire to retrieve?


Thanks for the reply.

She doesn't retrieve woodcock. She'll find them but will walk away after a few moments. Over the past 25 years, I've hunted with two other guys, and all of our previous dogs (another Vizsla, a Brittany, an English Setter, several Griffons, a Chesapeake retriever, and a few others) do pretty much the same thing. They just don't seem to want to carry woodcock. 

We've shot a lot of woodcock over her this year, but I haven't shot a partridge over my dog yet. Last season, she'd pick one up and give it to me, but she would've do an actual retrieve.


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## Upwind (Jun 25, 2016)

gingerling said:


> This is one for a trainer.
> 
> It sounds like a combo of her early socialization (or lack thereof) coupled with her basic temperament. V's are typically pretty mellow (if high energy), but some can be more intense than others. So, if yours was the intense one and wasn't properly socialized, yo';d get this result. Mind you, this doesn't sound as much "resource guarding" as it does anxiety: She's afraid and insecure and therefore protective. This needs some work before you put her in highly anxiety arousing situations with other dogs.


Thanks for replying. 

I've got the name of a trainer who was recommended by the New England Vizsla organization. I'll be calling her.

The anxiety notion makes sense. We have a lot of trails near where I live, and if we're not hunting, I try to get her off the lease every day. When she meets other dogs, the tail wags, and she's ready to play. When she meets strangers on trails, the tail still wags, but she usually runs towards them then darts away. There's no barking or anger, just skittishness. If the strangers are dog people, my dogs warms up to them quickly. If not, we go on our way.


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## gingerling (Jun 20, 2015)

Find out from the breeder how she was as a litter mate...my bet is that she was the shy one who got pushed around a lot...this info will help your trainer.

Fear not, anxiety is workable.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

I only asked about the retrieve, because some of us have rules to the retrieve. With those rules, the dogs learn to honor other dogs retrieves. They also learn its only their bird on their way back to us. Once it is given to us, its our bird.
This helps the softer dogs, not being pushed around by the bolder dogs. It lets them build up confidence, and its not a competion between the dogs. The bolder dogs learn they they have to take turns, and can't run up to another dog with a bird in its mouth.


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