Never underestimate what a dog will resource guard

[Cupcase]

I let my daughters dog out for a pee today and took Cassie with me. Cassie stole a raw hide belonging to Max.
Cassie was never good at leave it but under no circumstances would she give it up. So I walked her home carrying it.

There was no way she was being allowed to chew that, it was bleached and had a red dye through it. As it was near dinner time, I used her dinner to get her to drop it. I fed both dogs in their usual spots, Cassie never hesitated in dropping it, unfortunately it was outside her bed, where Cupar gets fed, she's fed in sitting room. She dropped the raw hide, I picked it up and binned it. I thought that was it over, unfortunately Cassie finished her dinner first and she did something she has never done ( she normally sits and waits until I call her) she ran straight for the area she last saw the dam chew and stole Cupars dinner, to which he proceeded to retaliate. This all happened so dam fast and I really didn't think that Cassie could move as fast. I was still at the sink washing my hands when she went looking for the chew, that's how fast it happened, she must have inhaled her dinner to get back to the chew that was now in the bin. She never does this but I assume my fault for not closing the gate and my fault for not predicting she would look for her now in the bin, prize.

Cassie now has a tiny scrape on her nose, she's lucky Cupar didn't take it off. Apart from the racket from them it was over in seconds and Cupars neck was soaking, I assume with slime from Cassie.

Cupar seems to have forgiven the intrusion at dinner time as he's been back sniffing her and sitting together, it's me that's more shaken.

 

[Lab_adore]

Oh dear, what a fright you have had. I hope you are ok @Cupcase. You are right, we have to remember they are dogs who prize food so much we can never be 100% sure we know what might go on in their furry heads

 

[Jacqui-S]

Lilly always took rawhide outside to gnaw (ha ha) in private.
A valuable commodity.
Not given her one for years for obvious reasons.

 

[Charlie]

That's a shock for you especially when it's not happened before. I hope all has calmed down and all is good once again. xx

 

[Cath]

Oh dear, but glad they are friends again.

 

[M.F.]

Glad all is okay in the end. I would also be shaking!

Good for you for binning the rawhide. I watched a video of how they’re made. Toxic stuff. All that bleach, then coloring. And then glue. The vet practice I take Snowie to for physio has a warning poster about giving then to dogs.

 

[Granca]

Oh dear, what a shock. I’m glad they’re both ok and sitting together again. Best to be cautious next time they’re fed together, though.

 

[Cupcase]

My two are fed in separate rooms, I have got complacent by not closing the dog gate, lesson learned.
What really irks me, is that both dogs are fed a varied diet of fresh food and we've never had an anything like this between them before. Cassie decides a piece of crap was a prized possession. Problem being it was already in the bin but she went looking for it.

The two of them seem to have forgiven each other and it's just one more thing they've taught me, never underestimate an old dog, she may potter about most of the time but she can get up speed when she wants something. Lol.

 

[M.F.]

 

[Beanwood]

The two of them seem to have forgiven each other and it's just one more thing they've taught me, never underestimate an old dog, she may potter about most of the time but she can get up speed when she wants something. Lol.

Yup, we feed all our dogs separately. Casper has the propensitity to resource guard, but never has the opportunity. So he has become relaxed and feels secure when eating without the expectation that it may be removed. Feeding is very consistent with all four dogs.
Resource guarding to some extent is normal. In this case the opportuntiy arose, and there was a bit of tension, a norrmal response, then friends again! I must admit dogs that argue AND are normally very good with each other, I find quite upsetting.

 

[Charlie]

Should it be the norm to feed dogs separately Kate @Beanwood ? Hattie and Charlie eat side by side within inches of each other, have their midday chew side by side too all without issue. Am I possibly tempting a problem? x

 

[Cath]

I feed Annie in the kitchen and Fred in OH radio room. They don't guard their food, but if Annie finishes her food she will try and eat Fred's, he will let her. I have trained her to sit outside the door until Fred has finished and then she can go in to see if there is anything left. There never is though.

 

[Beanwood]

@Charlie, I think it's purely choice, there is no wrong or right answer here . I always err on the side of caution, because the dynamics can change so quickly, especially in a smallish house with lots of dogs, remember we are used to having fosters here!
For me behaviour can change as a dog ages, hearing, eyesight, can subtley change over time, and this can affect behaviour.

 

[Shaz82]

Glad they are friends again but just goes to show how quickly a situation can change, and that we should never underestimate them (which I do constantly),

 

[Naya]

So glad they are friends again. I hope today has been better for you x

 

[Cupcase]

Thanks everyone.

Well today has been so normal, I have been more aware of the signals that each of them uses. This afternoon, Cassie brought her Kong through to her bed in the sitting room, Cupar reads her perfectly, he tries to walk past Cassie, always watching her, she lifted her head ever so slightly and Cupar turned back and put the coffee table in between him and her, just so he could sit beside me.

 

[snowbunny]

Sorry your pups had a scuffle, @Cupcase, I know it can be upsetting at the time. We don't often get them, but with four dogs, there's bound to be the occasional bit of grumpiness. Actual physical contact is incredibly rare; everything is normally managed with just a look. It's interesting to watch them navigate each other. I have to be careful when I feed them that I give Squidge plenty of space, not because there will be any nastiness, but if her bowl gets pushed a bit too close to the others', she'll abandon it! She's a total tank but is also very sensitive to body language, bless her.

 

[Aitch]

Sorry your pups had a scuffle, @Cupcase, I know it can be upsetting at the time. We don't often get them, but with four dogs, there's bound to be the occasional bit of grumpiness. Actual physical contact is incredibly rare; everything is normally managed with just a look. It's interesting to watch them navigate each other. I have to be careful when I feed them that I give Squidge plenty of space, not because there will be any nastiness, but if her bowl gets pushed a bit too close to the others', she'll abandon it! She's a total tank but is also very sensitive to body language, bless her.

I have four dogs also and I get the odd scuffle. It is not a normal thing but now and again it happens. It is shocking when it happens but I quickly separate the ones involved for a few minutes and they calm down. Then it is back to business as usual.
There are exceptions like brain tumours ( had one of those ). In the main though it is very quickly resolved and forgotten.