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Should I get rid of my dog? I'll feel guilty?

I have an Australian Shepherd and she'll be 2 on April 1st. I've had her ever since she was able to go from her mom. (8 weeks I believe it is. . .) Anyways, she has behavior issues, and sometimes is a little aggressive. I know what I was in for when I got her, I was looking for an aussie for forever, then my mom chose three and just told us to pick one. (not the one I picked but I still love her) Anyways, when people come over to my house (of course she's super excited and wiggles uncontrollably) but if they come to close to her sometimes she'll bark in a warning way and her eyes will have the red glaze over them. She'll usually be fine once I show her that they're ok and not any danger. But sometimes if someone is petting her she'll put her head down and start to growl, and her eyes will have that red glaze again, and then she'll nip at them. I don't understand, it's completely random. Also sometimes she's aggressive towards me, if she does something bad I'll tell her no or eh eh, just a noise. But if I get close to her she'll again have that red glaze, and she's actually bitten me once or twice when I try to put her on time out in her kennel outside or in. Also, she growls if I get to close to her when I'm by her eating, then she'll like hork it down, and if I touch her she'll growl, then I'll tell her no, lightly tap her on the nose, and take away her food for a few minutes, but she'll do it each time. The only time she won't do it is if I'm by her food right away, at first I'd feed her from my hand, then I'd hold the bowl close to me, but every time I try to leave her on her own I guess, I'll just walk by her to see if she'll growl just because I want to see if she's stopped, but she still has not. And she's food aggressive with other dogs, she fought with my dads gf dog over a treat. Although in Chloe's (my dog) defense, I did toss it to her, it bounced off her nose and Monster (dads gf dog) went after it, then they fought. She's also moved around with me too, she's pretty much my dog because I'm the one that wanted her. I had her for a school year just about, then we moved to another place, and the yard was big but not big with a lake. While I was at school she'd be on a leash outside, it was pretty long, she could go about half the yard. I... (more)

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Laura R.

Book a Stay
Portland, OR

Whether or not to re-home your dog is a difficult and personal question. It sounds like you've got a dog who is insecure and constantly feeling the need to defend herself from a variety of threats, from intruders to her own family. The growls and snaps when interacting with people most likely comes from a long history of people not listening when she tells them she doesn't want to be touched. Dogs communicate discomfort with a wide array of signals, like lip licking, freezing, turning away, or whale eyes (showing the whites); when those signals are ignored they escalate to more obvious signals, like growling and warning snaps. These are just a way for your dog to tell you "I don't like what is happening. Please stop!" The more you respect her space the more comfortable she will become. If she trusts that you won't force her to interact when she doesn't want to, she'll be more likely to want to interact because she knows her wishes will be respected. I recommend doing some research on canine body language and stress signals (see links at the bottom) so you can more easily recognize when she is comfortable and when she is uncomfortable, and read this post from a talented trainer for information about why consent is important when interacting with dogs and how you can be your dog's advocate: https://paws4udogs.wordpress.com/2014...

When a dog becomes possessive over food or toys or locations or people, it's a manifestation of their fear of losing a resource they enjoy. By taking away her food when she is anxious about you taking away her food, you're confirming that she does have something to be afraid of, and her behavior will continue and quite possibly escalate since her current methods aren't working. Scolding her may suppress the behavior (the growling), but she will still feel anxious and fearful. You're likely to train her to not give warnings before she reacts aggressively, which will make her much harder to live with, and much more dangerous to re-home. For working on her resource guarding around her food: https://paws4udogs.wordpress.com/2014...

And here's one regarding warning signals and why it's so dangerous to punish a dog for using them: https://paws4udogs.wordpress.com/2012...

If you want to help your dog out, I'd recommend contacting a reputable behaviorist and positive trainer (here's a good place to start: https://apdt.com/trainer-search/) who can evaluate the specific circumstances under which your dog reacts aggressively and develop a plan to help her.

If you do decide to pursue re-homing, be completely up front about her history. I would recommend seeking out a breed specific rescue. It may be very difficult to find a rescue or adopter for a dog with a bite history, but you owe it to your dog to find a situation where she can succeed.

Good luck... (more)

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Thank You. For her food, once in a while I put treats in it, and she's good with people it's just a random times? And it shouldn't be pain either, she just had a check up recently and they said she's fine. (for the nipping at people because that could've been a reason)

Ti'ia F.

That sounds consistent with what I got from your original message. Giving her good things sometimes, but other times taking them away fosters her insecurity. She never knows whether your approach means she'll get something or lose something. And with other people, she may like being touched in many circumstances, but (like anyone) may be tolerant of different touches at different times. If the humans aren't paying attention to how she's feeling (or haven't in the past) she'll likely resort to what makes them stop touching her faster than a dog whose wishes have been consistently respected. Good luck! I love herders! :)

Laura R.

Ok, Thank You! I do try to tell them to just be careful around her too, I'm sure she'll slowly get better. And yes, I think they're beautiful, she's my first one so far, I hope to have more. =)

Ti'ia F.

Training is HUGE! Additionally, Aussies need lots of exercise and a job- whether its putting their toys up or literally anything else. Those resources are great! It's going to take time and dedication to get where you want but you'll have an amazing bond once you come out the other end.

Brittany F.

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Madeline B.

Honestly, for a dog that has exhibited aggression issues over a period of time that you've had her, I think you should consider in-home professional training with someone you can trust. I would not give up without trying to work with a couple professionals who have extensive experience with dogs like yours!

If you want to give it a try, start taking her for runs or consider agility training. Australian Shepherds are really high energy dogs that can start to act neurotic if they have too much pent-up energy. Make sure she has something to work her brain every day, like puzzles or training exercises, too. They're a really smart breed.

If you decide that your relationship is too far gone and you're ready to move on, remember that the shelter system is skewed against dogs over a few years of age and especially against dogs that show aggression in stressful situations. She may not have as much chance as the puppy next door to her of getting adopted. I would recommend finding her a home with a family friend or someone you meet up with and get to know, and make sure to ask for a fee so you can be sure the buyer is interested in giving her a good life. Either way you choose, just be sure you're doing what's best for her. If you know that you did that, you won't feel guilty.

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Daniella F.

There are agencies that take in dogs that families can no longer care for, most are run by volunteers and won't put them down for any reason and put them up for adoption for other families!

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Should I get rid of my dog? I'll feel guilty?

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