Newbie needs help with territorial 6 month old female - Page 3

Turk, it doesn't so much sound like she's being 'protective' as she's resource guarding.  She sees you as her resource -not her equal or alpha- and as such is guarding you like she guards her crate or her favorite sleep spot.

RLHAR -  interesting.  Where can I get more info on resource guarding?

Here is a good general run down

General overview

This gives a very good overview of 'guarding people' down in the article.

I had to deal with this recently with a dog my father had rescued.  She was usually very sweet natured except when resources came into play (food, petting, the kitchen) then she would turn and attack any other dog who came near her resource.  I seperated something like 8 bitch fights in the span of 2 weeks because of that dog and ended up adopting one of my father's dogs because of her.

RLHAR - I think you hit the nail on the head.  It also has to do with dominance.  I'll research more.  Thank you!

Turk, it doesn't sound like the dog is protective (in the good sense of the word), but resource guarding.  She is young, probably insecure right now (either age or temperament or both), testing the waters to see what she can get away with.  Give them an inch and they take a mile....

I would start with NILIF - Nothing In Life Is Free.  The dog needs more discipline and consistency.  NILIF teaches this by having the dog earn rewards and freedoms, rather than just using physical corrections and punishments.  Make sure you are rewarding good behavior and actually training the dog what you want.

I can say for sure if any of my dogs ever dared to resource guard my couch or household objects from members of the family, they'd instantly lose that privilege for an indefinite amount of time.  Being on the couch, on the bed, going upstairs without supervision, being left out while I'm away...these are all things my dogs EARN.  Guarding and nipping means no way is the dog ready or deserving of that privilege.

Make the crate a safe, enjoyable place for her.  Teach your kids to leave the crate alone and never taunt her in/near the crate.  If one of my dogs tries to guard something, they are told "NO!", the object (or the dog) is move/removed, and the dog goes in the crate for a while.  Sort of like a social punishment / dog needs to chill out.

Make sure everyone in your family is on the same page.  Consistency is key.

Resource guarding? Who came up with that idiotic terminology? Im sorry but you are overthinking this. Its pretty simple.

This "NILIF" thing is pretty stupid as well. You arent giving dogs much credit. Show the dog what you want and praise them for it. Show them what you dont want by correcting them via vocals, body language and leash corrections if necessary.

You people are thinking of the dog in almost third person form. You want the dog to just act the proper way on it's own instead of interacting with the dog on a first person/dog level. 

I would also like to say, have your family members work the dog. Everyone able to should correct for unacceptable behavior, obedience work and pack leadership.

Melissa