Owning Me

I think Trigger thinks i am his property. But it's a weird relationship.

Ever since I started taking him on his daily walks, he's gotten into some weird moods when we get back. After we get in, he will stick to me like glue. If I go to the bathroom, he stands sentry at my feet. Sit on the couch? Same thing. Get dressed for work? There's my shadow. This wouldn't necessarily be a problem, but in doing so, he tracks Cannon and is poised to attack.

When I told Ivan about this last week, in reference to it happening in the kitchen, I was told it's resource guarding and that the best way to deal with it would be to make Trigger watch me give Cannon affection while he's in a sit-stay.

I tried this method this morning and it actually seemed to work quite well. I pet Cannon furiously, all the while talking about how great a dog she was. You could almost feel the confusion coming off Trigger. I wonder what he would have said if he could talk. Possibly something about how he thought that he was my favorite. He sat there for a while, and then came over and tried to mount Cannon. I quickly pushed him off and directed him back into a sit and proceeded to ignore him while I pet her some more. Again he came over, this time tail wagging, and tried to steal the affection. Put him in a third sit stay. After a little while longer I stopped petting Cannon and he seemed to be over his issues.

I just find it so strange that we're going on these walks, which are supposed to be building structure and discipline, and when we get back from them, he seems to see me as even more of a resource or possession for him to guard. I asked Ivan about this today and was told not to read too much into things. What can I say - it's my background. That's what I've been trained to do - to ask questions and seek out possible answers.

We will see what tomorrow morning's walk brings. I think when we get home I will immediately go to giving Cannon attention.