Passive Aggressive American Bulldog
Posted: November 7th, 2015, 8:44 pm
Hi guys! I apologise before hand for the long post (this may take a while) I'm in search of some advice, I am the proud owner of a four year old male SBT/APB and an 18 month old bitch AB/APB; both are my furbabies and adore the ground their little paws walk on. My only problem is, is my bitch is very argumentative and at times can be unruly.
Now I know this is nothing to do with the way I treat my dogs, I treat them firm but fair (I use positive reinforcement aka lots of treats). They are by no means neglected or abused, both perfect weights and get regular exercise. My male gets it, he knows I'm in charge to the point where he will even drop a stick on command and run from the other side of a field if I call. He's excellent around other dogs (even strange ones that are abit nowty) and perfect around my 9 month old baby, he doesn't even beg. My bitch on the other hand is the opposite.
She back chats (barking at you from her bed after being put in for being naughty) if you don't give her attention she paws at you (which really hurts at times) she always has to have the last word, even if it is a snort. She barks at other dogs when on the lead but when let off is the friendliest little thing you will ever meet, she practically does her own thing and doesn't listen to commands so now can't be let off the lead at all. She steals my other dog's food if we aren't there (he lets her) so both have to be supervised when eating. She jumps up at people coming into the house (even my OH) although she doesn't do this with me. She also snatches treats and only takes them softly when coaxed.
I just don't understand her behaviour, she is so gentle around my LO although she does try to beg when my LO is having her lunch (the bitch never does then when it's me or my OH eating). She isn't food possessive, she stole ham once and dropped it immediately when I told her too. When I'm walking on the stairs with the baby, she sits and waits with my male until she is told she can use the stairs but in the next breath she barks incessantly if being scolded for something. She has never bared her teeth or been aggressive but if you give her a command and she decides she doesn't want to do it, she will bark and be stubbornly defiant without being openly aggressive. I just don't understand what I'm doing wrong with her, both my dogs are spayed/neutered and neither have ever been bred from. We have had both dogs since young puppies and both have been trained the same way. I understand she is still a puppy but my male was never this bad when he was her age. Both me and my OH have decided it must be something to do with American Bulldog in her. I'm getting to the stage where I'm even wondering whether its a bitch thing because we've always had males. If anyone has any advice, I would greatly appreciate it.
Now I know this is nothing to do with the way I treat my dogs, I treat them firm but fair (I use positive reinforcement aka lots of treats). They are by no means neglected or abused, both perfect weights and get regular exercise. My male gets it, he knows I'm in charge to the point where he will even drop a stick on command and run from the other side of a field if I call. He's excellent around other dogs (even strange ones that are abit nowty) and perfect around my 9 month old baby, he doesn't even beg. My bitch on the other hand is the opposite.
She back chats (barking at you from her bed after being put in for being naughty) if you don't give her attention she paws at you (which really hurts at times) she always has to have the last word, even if it is a snort. She barks at other dogs when on the lead but when let off is the friendliest little thing you will ever meet, she practically does her own thing and doesn't listen to commands so now can't be let off the lead at all. She steals my other dog's food if we aren't there (he lets her) so both have to be supervised when eating. She jumps up at people coming into the house (even my OH) although she doesn't do this with me. She also snatches treats and only takes them softly when coaxed.
I just don't understand her behaviour, she is so gentle around my LO although she does try to beg when my LO is having her lunch (the bitch never does then when it's me or my OH eating). She isn't food possessive, she stole ham once and dropped it immediately when I told her too. When I'm walking on the stairs with the baby, she sits and waits with my male until she is told she can use the stairs but in the next breath she barks incessantly if being scolded for something. She has never bared her teeth or been aggressive but if you give her a command and she decides she doesn't want to do it, she will bark and be stubbornly defiant without being openly aggressive. I just don't understand what I'm doing wrong with her, both my dogs are spayed/neutered and neither have ever been bred from. We have had both dogs since young puppies and both have been trained the same way. I understand she is still a puppy but my male was never this bad when he was her age. Both me and my OH have decided it must be something to do with American Bulldog in her. I'm getting to the stage where I'm even wondering whether its a bitch thing because we've always had males. If anyone has any advice, I would greatly appreciate it.