# Possessiveness



## boisspolied (Jan 26, 2015)

Hi. My dog Bo is 4 years old. She is sometimes possessive of her blanket where she growls if I come near it and her. I need to give you some background though so bear with me. Bo was 4 months old when I started to date her "daddy", my husband. I never owned a dog, but I liked dogs. He worked shifts so she stayed at his mother's a lot and she and his brother took care of Bo. I'm telling you this because she wasn't trained and they basically raised her and they spoiled her. When I got married and moved into the house I had to learn to be a dog owner. I don't work so I was in charge of her so to speak. I had to walk her, feed her, discipline her etc. We had a rough start. She slept in the basement in a very big cage, with a bed, blanket and pillows. The door was always open so she could come and go as she pleased. I don't walk her in the rain or extreme cold, so when she didn't get her walk she'd get a little bad. She would become possessive of her treats, or a tennis ball, toys or socks. When I would remove those items she'd find something to destroy, a box or bag. So I tried to make sure there was nothing downstairs she could become possessive over. The problem was I didn't know how to handle a dog and I have a temper. When I couldn't get her to listen to me I would yell at her which would make her worse. One day about 2 years ago she was possessive over something and went into her cage growling. I let my temper get the best of me and dragged her out of her cage by pulling the blanket out. I know now it was wrong and I learned my lesson, but back then I didn't care. So I left her downstairs and was kind of afraid of her, but I had laundry to do and I wasn't going to let her stop me, plus I wanted to get past my fear. After about 15 minutes I went to the basement and she was guarding the blanket in the middle of the floor. The cage door was closed and locked. She was growling pretty badly but not baring her teeth. I said, not yelled, something to her and as I walked by she bit my leg. I bled, but didn't need stitches. Anyway, fast forward 2 years later, I grew to love her and now I know how to take care of her and deal with her. I have researched hours and hours of how to handle possessive dogs. We've done most of it. Trading the object for a treat, doesn't work all the time. We took the cage away and the blanket. My husband doesn't want to take her to a trainer. Once in a while she gets possessive over her treats, but she eats them pretty quickly now when we say something. I caved and bought her a blanket to cover her when she sleeps(my mother-in-law does this when she watches her). Bo sleeps now on the living room chair only. She knows it's not just hers because we both sit with her, my husband more than me. Well, every once in a while, she gets possessive over the blanket. I don't know if it's because she just got one walk today or it's just possessiveness? The weather has been cold the last 2 weeks and she has been getting only one walk a day and hasn't shown possessiveness in 6 months or so. But tonight she was lying on the chair on top of her blanket and her head was hovering over it and she was giving me the side eye and I knew what was coming. I sat with her and she started growling softly. I petted her and told her I didn't want her blanket and the growling got louder. So I left her alone. Every time I got up from the couch she would grab the blanket and growl. This is her pattern. You have to leave her alone. Usually after a half hour or hour she stops, but she's still doing it! I'm not talking to her and if I go near the chair she gets all jumpy and growls. I am just curious as to why she does this?! Sometimes I think it's me because she doesn't react as bad to my husband. When she growls in front of him he yells at her a couple times to stop and she does. Is she still afraid of me? Why is she possessive? And why only some of the time? Is this a vizsla thing? Thanks in advance for reading this long winded problem. But if anyone else experienced this or has any advice, I'd appreciate it.


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## gingerling (Jun 20, 2015)

That's quite a story and we'll see what everyone else says. But I say two things: First, you guys really need a trainer, what's hubby's issue with that? And the second is leave her alone when she growls at you, do not pet or touch her. 

There are some who say that they should never growl and always be submissive, and then there's the simple reality that they aren't automatons but living things and based on their temperaments and personal history, they might very well express not just unbounding affection, but irritation as well. I say, respect that and follow the cues. She gives you the side eye, you give her a wide berth, especially until you get a trainer in there to asses this and give advice based on a hands on assessment.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

I would say you already know what causes her to become moody, and possessive. 
I agree you need some help with her, but your first step is regular exercise. Even durning rain, and snow she needs some way to get out, and burn off the energy.


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## boisspolied (Jan 26, 2015)

Thanks so much for your advice!


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