Hi - I haven't posted before, but I'd love some thoughts on some aggressive behaviour from our 1 yr old tri-color boy Oliver.
The background is - Oliver is our first dog; originally we adopted a dog from a pound but had to return him 2 weeks later because of issues towards all children (we have 2 kids). The experience taught us that we still wanted a dog but needed a gentle breed from a reputable breeder. After much research we brought Oliver home when he was 8 weeks old and immediately crate trained him and then started him at puppy school, where he was gentle but curious and graduated with flying colours. He was neutered when he was 6 months old.
He is a very friendly boy, adores people and other dogs and we absolutely adore him. Oliver will do absolutely anything for a treat, but without a tasty treat in your hand it really is luck of the draw if Oliver will sit etc.... though there is always improvement - especially with me. Really Oliver is a delight, and in most cases I feel that he makes himself very clearly understood and understands us.
So the problem - I noticed it when Oliver was 16 weeks. We used to let him sleep on our laps in front of the TV in the evenings. But then if we tried to get up he would growl aggressively. So we don't let him snooze on us anymore - strictly floor only. He would also get nasty if he had a tasty chicken wing or bone. So he stopped getting those. (He's fine with his food bowl). I thought he'd grown out of this behaviour until last week when I gave him a yummy chew treat. It took him a whole day to demolish this treat and in that time he was a very unfriendly pet. Tonight he hid under one of the kids beds (we don't usually allow him in their rooms but we were in a playful mood with him) - it took quite a bit of growling and snapping before I could get him out. A minute later he was back to the lovable rogue we know and love.
Anyone who meets him thinks he his the most perfect dog. I get discounts at the groomers because he is so easy and when we are in the park I have never heard him growl or even pull back from another dog or human.
Some people I speak to say he is just being a dog and I should just avoid the triggers - and then I read websites that say aggression is unheard of in Cavs.....Any advice please....
The background is - Oliver is our first dog; originally we adopted a dog from a pound but had to return him 2 weeks later because of issues towards all children (we have 2 kids). The experience taught us that we still wanted a dog but needed a gentle breed from a reputable breeder. After much research we brought Oliver home when he was 8 weeks old and immediately crate trained him and then started him at puppy school, where he was gentle but curious and graduated with flying colours. He was neutered when he was 6 months old.
He is a very friendly boy, adores people and other dogs and we absolutely adore him. Oliver will do absolutely anything for a treat, but without a tasty treat in your hand it really is luck of the draw if Oliver will sit etc.... though there is always improvement - especially with me. Really Oliver is a delight, and in most cases I feel that he makes himself very clearly understood and understands us.
So the problem - I noticed it when Oliver was 16 weeks. We used to let him sleep on our laps in front of the TV in the evenings. But then if we tried to get up he would growl aggressively. So we don't let him snooze on us anymore - strictly floor only. He would also get nasty if he had a tasty chicken wing or bone. So he stopped getting those. (He's fine with his food bowl). I thought he'd grown out of this behaviour until last week when I gave him a yummy chew treat. It took him a whole day to demolish this treat and in that time he was a very unfriendly pet. Tonight he hid under one of the kids beds (we don't usually allow him in their rooms but we were in a playful mood with him) - it took quite a bit of growling and snapping before I could get him out. A minute later he was back to the lovable rogue we know and love.
Anyone who meets him thinks he his the most perfect dog. I get discounts at the groomers because he is so easy and when we are in the park I have never heard him growl or even pull back from another dog or human.
Some people I speak to say he is just being a dog and I should just avoid the triggers - and then I read websites that say aggression is unheard of in Cavs.....Any advice please....