Need advise on rescuing a Shiba puppy... Please help.
So here is my dilemma:
I have been doing research on breeders and rescue puppies for quite some time. I emailed countless breeders and learned the difference between a good and bad breeder. I was also contacting shelters and rescue organizations and was dead set on adopting even though I do not know the history of the doggies. I finally get an email from a Shiba rescue that there is a 6 month old male shiba that the owners have to give up.
The reason behind this is that the puppy has food aggression issues. He even bit one of his owners! I emailed the owner and she said they were trying a technique their vet told them: put him on a leash, when the puppy growls, give a slight tug. This caused the puppy to bite, now the owners are getting rid of him. I know I can correct this problem and want to bring the puppy to obedience classes too.
I also found out the puppy came from a pet shop. She does have access to the breeder's contact information as well and is willing to give it to me. It's weird, I was willing to get a puppy from a shelter with no history, but now that I do know where the puppy came from, I am second guessing myself.
She also says the puppy is super sweet with people and other animals such as cats and dogs. The aggression is only present when food is involved.
So my question is: would the puppy more trouble than its worth? If it has aggression issues now, I'm worried about what the future might hold. I got Ninja from a puppy store and she turned out okay.
As always, any help would be greatly appreciated.
-Joe
I have been doing research on breeders and rescue puppies for quite some time. I emailed countless breeders and learned the difference between a good and bad breeder. I was also contacting shelters and rescue organizations and was dead set on adopting even though I do not know the history of the doggies. I finally get an email from a Shiba rescue that there is a 6 month old male shiba that the owners have to give up.
The reason behind this is that the puppy has food aggression issues. He even bit one of his owners! I emailed the owner and she said they were trying a technique their vet told them: put him on a leash, when the puppy growls, give a slight tug. This caused the puppy to bite, now the owners are getting rid of him. I know I can correct this problem and want to bring the puppy to obedience classes too.
I also found out the puppy came from a pet shop. She does have access to the breeder's contact information as well and is willing to give it to me. It's weird, I was willing to get a puppy from a shelter with no history, but now that I do know where the puppy came from, I am second guessing myself.
She also says the puppy is super sweet with people and other animals such as cats and dogs. The aggression is only present when food is involved.
So my question is: would the puppy more trouble than its worth? If it has aggression issues now, I'm worried about what the future might hold. I got Ninja from a puppy store and she turned out okay.
As always, any help would be greatly appreciated.
-Joe
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
IMHO, I think food aggression is not a big deal and can be curved / corrected, so long as you are willing, dedicated, & patient. If you decided to go with this pup, you'd have a heads~up going in because you KNOW what the issue is before hand. The only problem I can foresee is that you will have to feed the puppy separately from your other dogs until the issue is corrected.
I also think that the owners are kind of morons for taking behavior advice from a VET. [ they deal with medical issues, not behavior. Would you go to a heart surgeon for mental therapy? No. Or a therapist for heart surgery? No. ] Tugging on the leash only aggravates the dog further and does not curb the problem at all, especially in a breed like the shiba.
The easiest way to curb food aggression is to feed dogs separately, Have scheduled feeding times. [ The dog sees that YOU are the supplier of food. ] Also, Nothing in Life is Free technique! Have the pup sit before you give the food. No sit = no food. Then you can start slowly by pushing the food away, just a little bit, with your foot. Dropping random treats into the bowl while they're eating, etc.
Obviously, this is just general advice and will vary on just HOW food aggressive the pup is. But in all seriousness, it is not THAT big of an issue, and is a little pathetic that the pup's owners are giving him up just for that.
There was a thread posted today on food aggression with some really helpful advice.
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Also, just wanted to stress [ again, for non-member reading this ] that reprimanding the dog physically [ ie; leash jerk ] for food aggression just makes the dog more aggressive & wanting to defend themselves. Always try to avoid physical corrections, especially on primitive spitz breeds like the Shiba.
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Ultimately, we can not decided for you if you want to go for him or not. If you think you have the dedication & patience it takes to help this little guy & give him another chance, and you think the pup will be a good mesh with your other dogs, go for it! If you think this might be too big of a challenge, or the pup's not the right fit, pass.
Hope that helped a little
+1 Heidi. ~
Many of us purchased their first puppies from the pet stores before we knew better, and although we regret doing so, we will not give them up for any other pet in the world. I know I am that way with Ninja.
I did read up on food aggression and possible corrective exercises. I'm glad Osy pointed out that the vet's advice was agitating the problem instead of helping it. I didn't catch that nor notice I did not see it in my research.
I am emailing the person back on a set day to schedule a meeting. I guess giving the puppy a second chance is the sole purpose of adopting. I know I have the patience and understanding to help out this puppy.
Thanks Osy, you helped a lot. If I am ever in a jam, I'm glad this community is willing to help out.
-Joe
At six months old, a dog is not too far gone. Taking the puppy to obedience classes and maintaining rules at home would probably go along way for this dog.
When we feed her she has to hold a down stay next to her food bowl until I release her. She has been with us a year and has come so so far. She has her AKC Canine Good Citizen certificate, and has done work as a therapy dog.
Miko is a Shikoku puppy from a very reputable and highly recommended breeder. She is a healthy sweet lovely dog. However she is not without her challenges.
My point is dogs are work. Regardless of origin. The issues will be different but the result (if you are willing to dedicate yourself to the work) is the same, a heart full of fulfillment, joy, and contentment.
It sounds like you understand that rescuing this pup will be work and that she is not a turn-key dog (there is no such thing BTW).
Two of the easiest things you can do for food aggression are (as Osy mentioned) the "nothing in life is for free" technique, and feed the puppy by hand; not out of a bowl. When your puppy begins to understand that the bowl is not the provider of food, you are, she will be much better.
I say GO FOR IT!!!
Happy Holidays!
She hasn't returned my calls yet but this is understandable because of the shopping, plus the day is still young.
I can't wait!! I'll post pictures of everyone when I get the chance!
-Joe
More than physical corrections could ever accomplish, "Nothing in life is free" based training really establishes a healthy base for dogs that are considered food aggressive.
Obedience classes will do great things, I'm sure!
(NILIF -- Nothing in life is free. This means the dog must PERFORM what you ask of it to get anything it wants. Google it!)
Oh and don't forget to look at the Introductions article on this forum. For some dogs it takes more time than others
for adjustments to current canines your home. Any integrations should be done carefully and over time.
Snf
In addition to the hand feeding then gradually work it into the bowl. It'd be good to randomly plop more food into the bowl once the transition has been made. So the dog associates that "the hand' equals "more food". Anyways...I'd also recommend teaching "the exchange". Start with the empty food bowl, take it away and exchange it for a delicious treat.
Later on, once your dog learns the routine and is secure and comfortable with you, you can start taking away the food bowl with food still in it. Then give your dog something more desirable as a yummy treat. This is helpful for future possibilites, say your dog gets into a food item (or other item) he is not suppose to have, then you can exchange it without much difficulty. The only thing is, what you give your dog has to be more valuable then what he already has.
Reinforce wanted behavior. The idea is to NOT get a reaction out of your dog (growl, snarkiness, etc). For the dog either ignore your being there and/or to anticipate something good.
Would it be better if I perform these exercises in a crate?
Thanks for all the advise. I really like his personality, it's the food that messes him up. We are going to petco with Ninja in a few mins.
-Joe
I'm glad things are going well. Keep us updated!
Now I found he growls when I try to put on a harness. I will go slowly. He is so cute and lovable when he isn't being crazy.
-Joe
But seriously. Spam pls. ~
damaged dogs are always a work in progress. I'm glad this guy found you who is willing to work with him.
How is he with your other dogs?
With other dogs: he was fine with my dogs and cats yesterday. Although Ninja is jealous of attention and the cats hissed at him, they did not get into a real fight.
Today is a different story. After I ate breakfast, I tried to feed him. I was able to get him to sit and stay for a couple seconds until I put my hands in the bowl and gave him a handful... we did this a few times very well until the food was gone.
I then saw him go to the black cat and after the cat hissed and slapped his face, the dog growled and they fought... the cat ran away behind the tv.
I also tried training him to sit and wait until I walked in the house. Ninja would also join because she likes the attention. They then fought but I was able to break the fight.
Also, he eats everything! He was able to finish a cup of food in 2 minutes. After he is done, he eats the cat's food. He also growls when I try and buckle a harness. Slipping it on and putting one leg through is fine, but he would growls when I try to buckle it.
-Joe
Brandon, what would you suggest? the previous owners told me to place the food in a high location where the cats can reach it but not the doggie. How can I correct this?
Keep working on the hand feeding with him, I think that will really help his issues.
Also for the harness, maybe make him wear it all the time and just touch the buckle every once in a while so he gets de-sensitized to you touching the buckle. If you go to touch the buckle and he doesn't growl that is good and he gets a treat.
Just keep things positive, he is lucky to have someone so dedicated.
-Joe
-Joe
If you want to change the name go ahead. I'm not sure if the length of the name matters.