Hector sees her as his human resource
The lady hadn’t seen this as the cause of his growling.
She has two adorable and adored French Bulldogs, brother and sister aged nine months, Hector and Annie.
As is often the case with siblings, their nature and behaviour is entirely different. As one may grow more overbearing, the other goes in the opposite direction.
Like many people, the lady shares her bed with her dogs. I have nothing against this at all – so long as no aggression is involved.
I would usually say that if a dog growls at the person in their own bed, then the dog should sleep elsewhere. It’s the same if the dog growls at another dog on the human’s bed.
Sometimes however we have to work our way around things if the obvious solution isn’t an option.
What happens is that Hector climbs up the little steps onto her bed, put there especially for the dogs. He has to be first up. Annie will climb up and Hector growls at her.
Hector will lie right on top of the lady, on her neck, during the night. He will growl at her if she manually tries to move him. He will growl at Annie if she comes near the lady so she has to lie down the end.
Everything points to Hector regarding the lady as his human resource. She sleeps in room with a glass roof. Small things dropping onto it make a noise and lights reflect. Hector stares upwards. He barks at sounds. He is on alert at night time
What a difficult job it must be to be the owner a wayward human!
No wonder Hector is stressed.
In order to keep the dogs on her bed without Hector’s guarding of his human resource getting worse, she needs a plan.
During the day she will play ‘bed training games’ with the dogs.
She will teach them ‘up’ and ‘down’ the steps individually using rewards. Fortunately she has a very wide bed against a wall and can put two dog beds on it.
She will teach Hector ‘Bed’ to go into his own bed and reward him. The same with Annie. With lots of daytime repetition they will go up the steps and into their beds when asked.
At bedtime Annie should go up first.
The dogs may not stay in their beds but Hector will be sent back to his bed any time he growls. It’s not punishment and will be done kindly with rewards. He’s not being naughty after all. He is doing his best to do the impossible job that he’s unintentionally been given. If he lies on top of the lady’s neck she can roll over or sit up to tip him off (he growls if manhandled). She can send him to his bed and he should take himself there happily if properly trained using food reinforcement.
It will be hard work but the necessary price she must pay if she wants to keep him on her bed.
It will surely ultimately be a great relief to Hector.
The lady behaves like his slave. He regards her as his human resource.
As I’m always saying, you get back what you give.
This is the only shadow on their otherwise perfect life.
She takes them both to work with her where they spend a lot of time outside having fun. The two little dogs sit on the seat beside her in her van. Hector is always lifted in first and growls at Annie when she is put in.
The same human resource guarding also happens here. She gives the man who works with her a lift. Hector is between him and the lady. He growls at the man as he gets in and goes for him every time he so much as moves his arm or hand.
The lady is adamant that she doesn’t want the dogs crated in the back, so again we have to work around the obvious solution by being more creative.
Hector will be put in the foot well where he seems to be more relaxed and further away from the lady. Annie should be lifted into the van first.
As the man gets in, to help Hector to feel good about him he will drop a piece of food.
If he still growls when the man gets in, the lady will need to lift her little dog out and let the man get in first.
In other aspects of his life we have discussed how the lady can to stop Hector regarding her as his human resource.
Resource guarding isn’t always food and bones of course. It can be over a person, a place or even the dog’s own personal space.
Guarding his human resource is a big job for a little dog! Hector will be a lot happier when relieved of it.
NB. For the sake of the story and for confidentiality also, this isn’t a complete ‘report’ with every detail, but I choose an angle with maybe a bit of poetic licence. The precise protocols to best use for your own dog may be different to the approach I have worked out for Hector and I’ve not gone into exact precise details for that reason. Finding instructions on the internet or TV that are not tailored to your own dog can do more harm than good as the case needs to be assessed correctly. One size does not fit all so accurate assessment is important, particularly where aggression of any kind is concerned. EVerything depends upon context. If you live in my own area I would be very pleased to help with strategies specific to your own dog (see my Help page)
