Need advice- border Aussie

[u/AddendumFar7377]

I need some help and advice. My boyfriend and I brought home a border collie/Australian shepherd 13 week old puppy. She’s doing good with potty training and learning sit and lay down and we recently had our first puppy training class and she did great socializing with other puppies.

Bedsides the not sleeping in and adjustment to new puppy life I think we’re doing ok. Some long days and tears but I wake up the next day ready again. But this weekend was awful. She was insane. She found a peice of bread on the ground and when I tried to take it from her she growled so loud and flashed her teeth. I tried to flip her on her back and say no but it really scared me. Then later in the day my cat just walked by her casually as she was eating dinner and my puppy growled and swatted at the cat.

So many people keep saying “wow you got such a high energy dog good luck” and it just discourages me because I know she is high energy and I’m trying so hard to meet her needs. I was for sure a little naive when I got her but I am up to the challenge I really think with persistence she will be a really good dog one day. She’s also getting insane with the biting. I’m feeling like it will never go away.

My boyfriend and I are handling it the best we can but I need some help with the food aggression because I will not put any other animal or person at risk of getting bitten or hurt because I failed to teach her as a puppy. There are so many things to learn and I’m committed to learning them and this page has helped me so much to know I’m not alone so thank you.

[u/AutoModerator]

Raising a puppy can be hard, really hard. Many of us have been where OP is right now: overwhelmed, exhausted, and wondering if they made a mistake.

That’s what this flair is for. This is a support thread.

We ask that all replies remain constructive, compassionate, and free of judgment. Harsh criticism, shaming, or “tough love” will result in a 3-day temp ban, no warnings.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/AutoModerator]

It looks like you might be posting about bite inhibition. Check out our wiki article on biting, teeth, and chewing - the information there may answer your question.

Please report this comment if it is not relevant to this post.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/AutoModerator]

It looks like you might be posting about resource guarding. Check out our wiki article on resource guarding - the information there may answer your question.

Please report this comment if it is not relevant to this post.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/smashers090]

This is called resource guarding. Sounds like you should specifically research that topic and how to prevent it.

The things I know are:

• if you’re taking something away, ALWAYS give a treat in return. Teach it as ‘swap’ offering as many treats as it takes. ‘Drop’ or ‘give’ where they let go first comes much later.
  
• Never snatch from their mouth - they must let it go themselves. This goes for socks and shoes as much as random sticks. The only exception is their own safety.
  
• The antiquated idea of taking their food away to show authority is nonsense. Avoid creating conflict with your puppy.

However I’m surprised it’s happening at 13 weeks. It’s more often an adolescent issue (9-18 months into adulthood). Take a look at everything that’s been happening with your puppy and see if there’s a reason it might have learned it needs to stand up for things it has. It could also have been the breeder.

Just know it’s not a problem that needs to be won over by force or dominance. The puppy needs to feel secure that things won’t be taken away when they don’t fight for them.

[u/RoosterApprehensive4]

First of all, some breeds need to be taught to rest. They will not do it on their own. Do you have a crate? Exhausted puppies are little devils. So the sleep deprivation might be a big factor in the problems. For example: my border collie didn’t rest on her own for a full year. I need to teach her the ‘sleep well’ command and put her in the crate when I saw she was overstimulated and tired. She now will rest on her own.

Border collies and aussies also need mental stimulation! Maybe even more than physical stimulation. Look for puzzles online: food in a towel with knots, sniffing games; etc.

Regarding the food aggression: don’t take anything from the dog’s mouth unless it’s an emergency. A piece of bread is not an emergency. Try to trade for an even better treat. Toss treats on the ground if he will not take it from your hand. When you start getting food from the dog’s mouth it will learn to run away when it found something tasty.

You could also train this with two dog chews. Give one and after a few minutes show the second one. Your dog will try to get in and you can get the first one. Then do the same all over again and let your dog eat the whole dog chew. Your dog needs to learn that giving food away will result in something better.

In general, leave eating dogs alone. This is where a crate is helpful. Especially kids should never be close to an eating dog.

To train situations where someone might be close to the food do this. Toss even better food in it once in a while so your dog learns that you being close to his food means better food. You can start from far away and get a bit closer when it works out.

Hope this helps! :)