possessive behaviours?

[Jessica]

Brodie has started getting quite possessive of me. He has always had some resource guarding tendencies, and it's something I've been aware of and tried to address since we first got him (always swapping items for higher value, always adding more to his food rather than taking away etc). He is quite jealous of Jess but I always protect a bit of sofa next to me that is her spot and that they both recognise. But now he has also started objecting to OH being close to me! He gets agitated, but also makes kind of growling noises and throws himself at OH to get him away from me. Last night OH and I were standing in the kitchen and hugged - Brodie jumped up and bit my arm, not deliberately to bite but just out of agitation. He didn't break the skin but it was through a few layers of clothing and still left a bruise.

I just wondered how people here would deal with it. Brodie likes OH, goes for walks with him, gets fed by him and gets treats from him and gets petted by him and generally should associate him with good things. He (Brodie) just thinks that I belong to him, I think. He wants to be close to me all the time, but doesn't want any other humans or dogs to do the same..... His demeanour suggests that he thinks he is warding off competition rather than protecting me but that's just a guess. Either way, it is not a behaviour that I would like to continue, but I'm not really sure how to deal with it. Any ideas?

 

[snowbunny]

To be honest, with things like this I really think you should get a professional in to give advice. There will be a whole load of stuff that we can't see from the other side of our computers, so I think you need someone there with you to look at his body language, what happens before etc. I don't know what your restrictions are at the moment as to what would be allowable - does this behaviour exhibit outside of the house at all?

The fact he's used his teeth means that he's escalating as his growling didn't get him the result he was after. Throwing treats on the floor likely isn't going to make a jot of difference here - you need to be able to work out a process which makes him more comfortable with the situation he's currently finding difficult.

 

[Jessica]

Thanks - we could talk to a behaviourist, there is someone I like and trust locally who would be able to do it. We can test and see if Brodie reacts the same way outside.


He is making his intentions clear, but my description maybe made it sound more intense and threatening than it is (at the moment, anyway). It's more like very excited jumping up and biting at the air, which he also does if I have a ball that he really wants. It is definitely agitation but I don't think he intended to actually BITE at all. And his growling isn't a threatening kind of grr but again more an agitated noise. That said, if he did the same thing to someone more frail it could certainly hurt them, and as you say, it is clear that he is finding the situation difficult and wants it to stop.