Passive Aggressive American Bulldog

[BullBreedLover]

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.

[Bullseye]

[mod][/mod]

I am still at work at the moment, I will read your introduction properly later tonight & see if I can help you..

Thanks for joining us & look forward to seeing some pics.

~John~

[BullBreedLover]

Thank you!

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[Trisha]

My indi a stb does some of those things..shes now not listening to me when i tell her to go out...cheeky brat...i follow through with it..follow her around till i finally get to her and i give out to her...i keep doing it till she gets the message its not ecceptable...that works for my indi and the rest of my furbabies..everyones different tho...im not much help sry...hope u can sort her out with her behaviours...someone on here will give good advice..more advice the better i say too...

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[Bullseye]

Ok it says here in your intro that she craves for attention, do you always give her attention when she is craving for it? you said that she is snatchy too, try pushing the treat into her mouth (not force feeding) very often with snatchy dogs people tending to draw their hand away thinking they will get nipped, but the dog think you are just being awkward so will try to get the treat before it is drawed away abruptly, dogs are a bit like kids any attention is good attention.

Have to say though I agree with Trisha, I have one a bit like that too, she isn't reactive to other dogs when out & about but she is a demanding little princess, but I have found ignoring her works & most of the time she gives up barracking me & goes back to sleep lol... like I said most of the time though....

[mayhem]

Some johnson type american bulldogs are a right pain in the but always pushing boundries and are very dominating they were bred to work alone as a man stopping guard dog so being stubourn and dominating and independet are good qualitys in a dog left alone to guard property etc but not so much in the family setting you need to claim back top spot in the pack ,walk her behind you /at side always always enter/leave house infront as the leader has to always lead feed her breackfast after your self and family members etc do you have a decent dog trainer in your area if so id def take her along work on obedience training give her a job like weight pulling but think you will need profesional help and then consistant training throughout her life once her obediance is good or she ll slip back into being a pain good luck with her hope it works out for you

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[BullBreedLover]

We do all of this. She walks well on the lead but as soon as we let her off she does her own thing so doesn't get let her off anymore. It's a shame because my SBT cross comes of the field panting, she just doesn't get like that. My husband has tried running with her but she is terrible. We leave the house first then both dogs trail behind. They walk behind me when pushing the pram. They get their breakfast and dinner after everyone else, we put the food in the bowls and they sit and wait until they are told to eat it. She does this without question, even dropping food on the floor; they both wait until told to touch it. She does have a tendency to snatch, all though I refuse to let go of the food until she takes it softly. I'm gonna try the pushing it back into her mouth technique to see if that stops her. She is just the biggest conundrum I've ever seen. I just don't get her, when she acts up I put her in bed in the next room. She will keep getting out but as soon as we get up she runs back into bed (like its a game) she is very chatty and barks at you when put her in her bed.

We had a bad do with her last night, she was chasing one of the cats so we told her to get into the living room, which she did but sat on the sofa barking at me. I went over and told her no and to lie down then she led on her back but barked and snapped. She started growling (not a menacing growl just a rumble) so I grabbed her by the scruff of her neck and made her lie on her side at my feet. She relaxed and led their quietly so I walked away and she started again, I went back over to her and eyeballed her which she did back then my older staffie got involved and started pulling at her neck (I'm assuming trying to stop her challenging top dog) after that it just turned into a play fight between the dogs, playing tug of war with their rope.

She is such a loving dog but at times she gets so bitchy just like a princess. I know both her parents and she was the last in the litter, an unsavoury type came to look at her and being my favourite (I was there when she was born) I couldn't help but just take her instead. I may look into getting a real trainer in because I just don't know what to do with her, I will literally try anything because rehoming is not an option. My dogs are part of the family and my little girl is besotted with the bitch, they are both partners in crime.

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[mayhem]

Def would get her to a trainer asap it does nt sound like you ve done anything wrong just you ve been unlucky to get the problem child do you have nowhere enclosed you can take them to run off all the energy she has saved up or a flirtpole if you can use them in your area and not be accused of being a dogfighter there a great way to burn off energy and you can do it in your garden it will mess up your lawn mind ive always used a horse lunging whip with a bit of bag attached teenage dogs can be a pain there hormonal and shes 18 months which is a stroppy teenager age dog she sounds just like my daughter lol

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[Tigerlily]

Hi. I don't have an american bulldog but I do have a mastiff x who is stubborn and likes to run with her own agenda when off the leader. As mayhem has just said she seems to have a lot of energy and now she doesn't get off the lead maybe that is adding do her stroppyness? Perhaps try her on a long line and work on her recall so she comes back when you want her to so she remembers who's boss. Eventually when she gets better you could let her off again to burn off some of that teenage energy!!

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[haranka]

Welcome