CHESAPEAKE BAY RETRIEVERS

CORRECTING AGGRESSION IN PUPPIES

The Chesapeake Bay Retriever is a very natural dog and possibly retains more "primitive" traits than Golden or Labrador retrievers. These breeds have been developed to be very biddable; they have a strong desire to please. The Chesapeake, a more independent breed, respects and needs authority. This does not mean heavy handed training or cruelty, but they must have a leader in their pack or they will aspire to the position. This attitude has to be formed at a young age to avoid dominance issues in the "teenage" stage.

SMALL PUPPIES-2 TO 4 MONTHS

Puppies of many breeds, including Chesapeakes are naturally aggressive in the litter. Chesapeake pups are very food and object oriented and battles start at 5-6 weeks. These squabbles are part of the learning process, a way of sorting out dominance. The puppy, upon arriving at his/her new home, will attempt to use the same methods of establishing "pecking order".

New owners must learn to read signs of dominance and submission. The food bowl is often a focal point for these behaviours and a puppy growling over its food is not "cute".

THIS CORRECTION IS FOR YOUNG PUPS ONLY. DO NOT TRY THIS WITH AN OLDER DOG, ESPECIALLY IF IT HAS A HISTORY OF AGGRESSION

Testing for dominance/guarding.

We purposely set up a "guarding" situation to correct guarding/dominance behaviors. A nice, fresh bone will usually trigger this aggression. Make sure the pup is in a place where it can't hide under or behind anything. Give the pup the bone and wait until he/she is really settled in for a good chew. Approach the pup and reach for the bone. If the pup lets you take it without protest, praise highly and return the treat right away. If he does not growl or snap but just does a "lockjaw" on the bone, pry it out of his mouth. Then praise as above. This type of pup tends to be more submissive and may not show dominance. Always remember to return the treat or substitute another object. You are not trying to make this puppy paranoid, just let it know that you are the boss and can take things at any time.

Correcting the dominant puppy

However, what you are likely to see is growling, snarling and, if you continue to advance on the bone, snapping. After all, this is what worked with the other pups. This is the situation where we grab the pup by the scruff of the neck, stand up and raise it to eye level, then growl and even nip. Using one hand around the muzzle to control the mouth is a good plan. The idea is to use enough force to teach him the error of his ways. Yes, he will be traumatised. No, this is not a bad thing. His mother or any older dog would use much the same technique.

Correction vs nagging.

You may have to repeat the exercise several times before he gives in to you. If there is no improvement, you likely need to be more impressive with your growls & bites. Make sure that you go right back to "happy" mode and give the bone back to him. You are trying to teach the pup that you are very displeased with that behaviour not that you hate him. Puppies understand immediate correction. They do not understand continued disapproval. For them, the incident is over, let's get on with our life!

Correction or avoidance.

If you avoid this confrontation, you may not know if the puppy has aggressive tendencies. Better to get it out of the way when you can be in total control. This is a situation that can be set up two or three times until the pup realizes his mistake. Most young pups will only need one demonstration of your "lifting power". Don't be confrontational all the time. You will wind up with a nervous, fear-biting type dog.

OLDER PUPS 5-12 MONTHS

With older puppies that have shown aggression and been allowed to get away with it, (i.e. the pup/dog growls over the food bowl and the owner backs off and leaves the room) the above technique may not work and may escalate aggression. The dog has already learned that he is in charge. In this case, desensitizing around the food bowl may be the only way to go. The program should be used in conjunction with obedience training to gain control in other areas. This desensitizing is a good idea with any dog that will be around young children.

Getting started.

To use this technique, it is better to feed meals rather than free choice. For added treats you must have things that the dog prefers over his regular food. Leftovers will do, meat from cooked chicken legs, liver. Whatever the dog really likes.

The procedure.

Here is the game plan. Feed the dog a slightly smaller than usual meal of his regular dog food. Put the bowl down, walk away and let him start eating. Take a piece of the treat, walk to within several feet of the dog and toss the treat into the bowl. Walk away and let the dog finish his meal. Pick up the bowl. Let him see that you are the one who controls his food.

The next meal, make two trips to add treats to his food bowl. If there is no defensive reaction, you can likely go a step closer to the bowl the next time. You will gradually get closer & closer to the bowl each time you add a treat. You should be able to also stay longer before walking away.

Stay calm and progress slowly.

Don't make a big deal out of it and make sure the treats go in the bowl rather than directly into the dog's mouth. It is not necessary to do this with every meal, just often enough so the dog begins to look forward to your advance on the food bowl. By the time you are finished, you should be able to pick up the bowl, add extras to the meal and set the bowl back down. All with no protests from the dog.

The next step.

When the dog is comfortable with this routine, you can divide his meal into several bowls. Put a chair close to where he will be fed. Put the first bowl down several feet away from the chair. Sit down and hold the other bowl(s). When the first bowl is finished, put the next one down closer to you. Work up to the point where you can hold the bowl in your lap and the dog will quietly eat.

This won't work with every dog but it can reduce fear in the dog who is growling because it is nervous and reinforce your control of the food with the more dominant dog. If it isn't working, try to get a local trainer to help you.