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Hey guys!

I'm new to the forum but I don't know where else to go. I'm here for advice on what to do because I fear my girlfriend's family's Cane Corso. This may be long-winded so I apologize in advance. Their Cane Corso is a bit aggressive and shows dominant characteristics of the entire family. My issues with the dog began with a bone. He can't have them anymore because he becomes extremely aggressive. Early on in our relationship he bit my face because I ventured to close to him when he had a bone. From then, he will growl at me randomly, seemingly when he is "perturbed" I guess? He growls at everyone tho when he is bothered, ie. being moved from his position or awoken. Especially if you try to take something from him. Recently, he was having a particularly bad day of growling at me. When it became bad is when he approached me to cuddle, laid his head on my neck and leaned against me and licked me. I began to pet him and when I shifted my body position, he instantly began to growl. About 5 seconds later, he snapped and bit my face and neck drawing blood in 2 spots. He was laying on top of me so I literally could not avoid the situation. Other instances of aggression are biting their female husky's leg and violently shaking it when she looked at his bone. Growling at everyone randomly. He demands petting by putting his paw on your arm when you quit petting. Laying on top of people with no intent to move, even when you physically move him he resists. He walks you on a leash by pulling very hard. I understand he is a protective breed and I am a guest in their house, which may be part of it. But this behavior is intolerable and they plan on keeping the dog. So what do I do? Is this behavior normal of Cane Corso's? I'm afraid next time I might get seriously injured. They say I'm the only one he has done this to. But he shows aggression with everyone to an extent, depending on their gender and relationship to the dog specifically.
 
I also forgot to add, when he first bit me over the bone, I pushed his head to the ground, yelled no, and held him there no until dominance was reasserted. I have always gotten along with dogs. Seriously, they love me and I love them! This is my first experience with a dog that just does not seem to like me.
 

marke

Well-Known Member
how old is he , my initial thought is you need outside experienced help ....... sounds like he may not be a dog for a family .......
 
He is about 9 months old I believe. He is super sweet the rest of the time is what I really don't understand. It's like he just snaps.
 

marke

Well-Known Member
he's young enough to straighten out , obedience would be a good start . he sounds like he's going to need a responsible owner , and an experienced trainer that can identify his personality , make sure you research a trainer extensively , a pup like yours life may depend on it ........jmo
 

Hiraeth

Well-Known Member
Sounds like there are a few things going on here.

1. Resource guarding. The dog is clearly a resource guarder. And it sounds like in order to combat that behavior, people randomly try to take things away from the dog to prove that the things are theirs. This is the #1 way to worsen a dog's behavior, or make it more aggressive when it guards, because the dog learns quickly that you will mess with and take his stuff. Removing an object from a resource guarder is only going to make him more likely to guard aggressively the next time around.

2. Management and boundaries. It sounds like this dog is not being managed or being showed clear and consistent boundaries. If the dog growls when he is moved, he shouldn't be allowed to lay on furniture or on people. If he growls when he has bones or toys, he shouldn't be given bones or toys. *Every time* he performs a guarding behavior, it reinforces the likelihood for him to behave that way in the future because either his guarding works and the 'threat' retreats without taking his resource, OR the 'threat' takes his resource and proves that there's a reason to guard. The biggest part of handling a resource guarder is managing their environment and *preventing* the behavior before it happens, not *punishing* it after the fact.

3. Training - I'm not at all surprised the dog seems to dislike you. This dog isn't being dominant. Resource guarding is rooted in stress and fear. The dog is thinking 'my valuable resource might be taken, I have to defend it' and then, when the threat of the resource being removed is imminent, the dog's stress increases to certainty the resource will be removed, and fear. So you took a stressed and fearful dog and pinned it to the floor, and it's not at all surprising that this dog is now even more stressed and fearful when you're around.

This family clearly needs to get some professional help to manage this situation. This isn't typical CC behavior, nor is it typical dog behavior in general. Resource guarding is genetic, and this dog's guarding behaviors have been exacerbated by a lack of understanding and a lack of intervention on the family's part.

3. Prevention. It seems like every single time this dog has bitten you could have been prevented. Don't stick your face near his face. Don't allow him to lay on you when you know he'll react if you try to move him. The attacks on the family's other dog could also be prevented. Don't give this dog bones or toys when the other dog is around.

If you feel your personal safety is at risk, as them to muzzle the dog. Or simply refuse to enter the house when the dog isn't put away or crated. Right now, if the family refuses to do anything to improve the situation, you're playing with fire, and you will end up hurt if something doesn't change.
 
Hmm so I made it worse by that action? That makes sense and now I feel like I have unintentionally made the situation worse. Is there anything I can personally do to possibly reverse that effect and make the dog comfortable around me again? Or should I just avoid the dog entirely?
 

Hiraeth

Well-Known Member
Hmm so I made it worse by that action? That makes sense and now I feel like I have unintentionally made the situation worse. Is there anything I can personally do to possibly reverse that effect and make the dog comfortable around me again? Or should I just avoid the dog entirely?

Don't feel too badly about it. Because alpha rolling and 'proving dominance' has been popularized by Cesar Millan, many people think that's the appropriate way to respond to guarding situation. That's also how I used to respond before I started doing some research, taking some classes, and learning a better way to do things! That was about a decade ago, and I learn something new every single time I start a training session. We all start somewhere.

This is a tough situation. There are things you can do to heal the relationship between you and this dog, but some of them are difficult to recommend because I think the family is going to continue to mismanage his guarding. Especially if they didn't take the multiple bites you've sustained seriously, that's an indicator that they aren't aware of how dangerous this situation could become.

What I'd usually suggest is as follows:

1. The dog shouldn't be given anything to guard if he's being managed well. However, if the dog is guarding something, ignore him. Don't stare, don't approach. Just leave him be. In time, he'll learn that you aren't going to approach him when he's stressed, and that you aren't a threat to his object.

2. Use caution with this advice. If you think it will initiate any sort of guarding behavior, don't do it. In order to heal damaged relationships with dogs, I usually recommend that people carry a bunch of treats. Treat the dog randomly for good behaviors - for sitting on the floor nearby, for being calm, etc. Important - If he's a treat guarder, throw the treat on the floor. Also important - if he will also guard treats aggressively, make sure that their other dog is not around to cause guarding behavior. Treating him randomly will do a few things - teach him that when you're around him, good things happen, and also allow you to reward him for being somewhere you want and being calm.

3. About being calm and treating - never reward or reinforce behaviors you dislike. If he's batting at your arm to try to get your attention, don't give him any attention. Even telling him 'NO' is negative attention. You have to completely ignore that behavior. If he continues to bat your arm, get up and walk away. Go into another room. Go outside. Teach him that *demanding* your attention is not how your interactions start. By giving him treats for being calm, and only starting interactions on your terms, he'll learn that you're not someone he can demand anything from.

Any other remedies for resource guarding need to be taught and overseen by a professional trainer. In this circumstance, when the dog has bitten twice already, it's a very serious situation, and giving online advice about how to actively combat severe resource guarding would be irresponsible.
 
Thank you so very much for the advice, this really is helpful and makes me feel a little more comfortable that the situation can be handled. One more question tho. If he is resource guarding, why does he not do it with food? I've only seen it over a bone specifically, or moving him when he does not want to be moved. Are bones and his position he is currently at a couple of the "resources" he is guarding? And could it also be jealousy over the time I spend with my girlfriend while I'm there? Possibly that he is guarding her as another "resource"? I'm newly spending a lot of time at their house especially with her. She is one person he is definitely imprinted on the heaviest. He does show signs of being a jealous dog. When you pet another dog he has to run over and butt in between for pets himself.
 

Hiraeth

Well-Known Member
It could be that he guards his bones because his bones are the objects that are frequently removed from his possession. So if no one in the family ever takes his dinner away, he wouldn't feel the need to guard it. But if he's given a bone and then it's taken away and not given back, that can make a lasting negative impression.

Dogs can also absolutely view people and attention as resources, and it sounds like he does that. I don't think he's targeting you because he's jealous of your girlfriend spending more time with you in general, but if you and your girlfriend are paying attention to each other and he wants to get involved, that's absolutely a sign that he's demanding attention. Or, when he interferes when you're petting another dog, that's also demanding attention.

So that goes back to #3 above. Never reward or reinforce behaviors you dislike. If he tries to shove his head between you and your girlfriend, ignore him. Don't tell him 'no', just pretend like he doesn't exist. If he continues to behave that way, both of you can stand up and walk into another room. Similarly, if he is trying to push another dog out of the way to get petted, don't pet him. If he continues to demand petting, get up and leave the area. It sounds like a lot of his issues come from unintentional reinforcement of attention-seeking behaviors. Make sure to give him attention on YOUR schedule, not on his. Call him over and praise him randomly when he's being good and calm. Ignore him when he's being pushy or demanding your attention. CCs are pretty smart, so he'll probably quickly learn that butting in gets him nothing, but being calm at a distance will get him called over and petted.
 
OK I understand now. Thanks again for all of your advice. You're truly a life saver! Well hopefully lol, if you don't hear from me again then maybe not. (Just joking)
 

Hiraeth

Well-Known Member
Not a problem. Behaviors like resource guarding and attention demanding are kind of hard to figure out until you've seen them in action quite a bit. And the way to deal with them (which is to ignore and not reinforce) is really counter intuitive!

I hope you see some progress. If you don't, or have more questions, definitely post them here. There are lots of other members who are also very knowledgeable about dealing with these specific issues!
 

Brady19

Well-Known Member
I disagree with what was said. A corso is going to test mine is around 10 months, the facts are it's my house my rules period. I have put my dog on the ground recently because he suddenly decided he would jump on me I have taught him from day one that was unacceptable. I have children 8 and 9 years old. He is also never ever to put him mouth on me or anyone in the family ever. If the dog is being aggressive over items you need to let him know it's yours and it's up to you when he has it. Make him sit and wait or put in on a table in front of you because it is yours. Him climbing on you is showing dominance. Do not allow it. Another thing that works is making the dog stay away from you and the family pack. Being outed also reinforces who is the leader. I completely disagree with the other view here. They are dogs they speak through their body and understand their is a leader and naturally test to be alpha. You have to take this spot, people try to make an animal understand and think as we do but they are animals. Corsos are large and powerful and do a lot of damage quickly. Mine is 100 lbs just last week we got a 1 lb yorki puppy. He tried to bully the pup but I have to let him know it's my place to assign who is where in the pack and all are equal but definitely below me.

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Hiraeth

Well-Known Member
Alpha theory has been debunked for a very long time. Even the scientist who originally wrote the theory, David Mech, has said it was wrong, and has repeatedly asked his publishers to stop publishing his work.

Dogs who are treated with violence are likely to respond with violence. Dogs who are treated with understanding and given clear and consistent rules respond with respect and obedience.

I don't have to put my dogs on the ground to teach them who is boss. I have two intact male Great Danes, a 140 lb. 18 month old and a 160 lb. 11 month old. I've never laid a hand on either one, and I've never had to, because I don't require the use of violence to communicate with animals, nor do I enjoy hurting them in order to satisfy my own desire for superiority.
 

Brady19

Well-Known Member
I don't enjoy causing pain. And putting a dog on its side until it relaxes also isn't an attack. A corso is very very different from a Dane. And many experts agree you should be alpha

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Hiraeth

Well-Known Member
Which "experts" are these? Do you have sources? Quotes?

Here are a few of my own:

The Association of Professional Dog Trainers - https://apdt.com/pet-owners/choosing-a-trainer/dominance/

"Dominance comes into play in a relationship between members of the same species when one individual wants to have the first pick of available resources such as food, beds, toys, bones, etc. Even between dogs, however, it is not achieved through force or coercion but through one member of the relationship deferring to the other peacefully. In many households the status of one dog over another is fluid; in other words, one dog may be the first to take his pick of toys, but will defer to the other dog when it comes to choice of resting places. Dogs that use aggression to "get what they want" are not displaying dominance, but rather anxiety-based behaviors, which will only increase if they are faced with verbal and/or physical threats from their human owners. Basing one's interaction with their dog on dominance is harmful to the dog-human relationship and leads to further stress, anxiety and aggression from the dog, as well as fear and antipathy of the owner."

"Actions such as "alpha rolls" and "scruff shakes" have no basis in fact when studying wolf or dog behavior, and they only lead to creating unnecessary fear on our dog's part toward us, fear that ultimately can lead to aggression because the frightened dog knows of no other way to protect itself other than using its teeth."

A study done at the University of Bristol - https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090521112711.htm

"Contrary to popular belief, aggressive dogs are NOT trying to assert their dominance over their canine or human “pack”, according to research published by academics at the University of Bristol’s Department of Clinical Veterinary Sciences in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research.

The researchers spent six months studying dogs freely interacting at a Dogs Trust rehoming centre, and reanalysing data from studies of feral dogs, before concluding that individual relationships between dogs are learnt through experience rather than motivated by a desire to assert “dominance”."

"Far from being helpful, the academics say, training approaches aimed at “dominance reduction” vary from being worthless in treatment to being actually dangerous and likely to make behaviours worse.

Instructing owners to eat before their dog or go through doors first will not influence the dog’s overall perception of the relationship – merely teach them what to expect in these specific situations. Much worse, techniques such as pinning the dog to the floor, grabbing jowls, or blasting hooters at dogs will make dogs anxious, often about their owner, and potentially lead to an escalation of aggression."

Pat Miller, an IIACB (International Institute for Applied Canine Behavior) endorsed trainer - http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/14_12/features/Alpha-Dogs_20416-1.html

"The problem is, that’s not normal wolf behavior. As David Mech stated in the introduction to his study of wild wolves (Mech, 2000), 'Attempting to apply information about the behavior of assemblages of unrelated captive wolves to the familial structure of natural packs has resulted in considerable confusion. Such an approach is analogous to trying to draw inferences about human family dynamics by studying humans in refugee camps. The concept of the alpha wolf as a ‘top dog’ ruling a group of similar-aged compatriots (Schenkel 1947; Rabb et al. 1967; Fox 1971a; Zimen 1975, 1982; Lockwood 1979; van Hooff et al. 1987) is particularly misleading.'"

"Finally, the very presumption that our dogs would even consider we humans to be members of their canine pack is simply ludicrous. They know how impossibly inept we are, for the most part, at reading and understanding the subtleties of canine body language. We are equally inept, if not even more so, at trying to mimic those subtleties. Any attempts on our part to somehow insert ourselves into their social structure and communicate meaningfully with them in this manner are simply doomed to failure. It’s about time we gave up trying to be dogs in a dog pack and accepted that we are humans co-existing with another species – and that we’re most successful doing so when we co-exist peacefully."
 

Brady19

Well-Known Member
You have to be a strong leader with a corso, there is reason a Dane is a gentle giant

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Hiraeth

Well-Known Member
What a silly thing to say. Basing training techniques off of breed shows a fundamental lack of training knowledge and experience. While minor variations of training techniques work well with individual dogs, proper behavior modification and counter conditioning is all based on the same theories and the four quadrants of operant conditioning.

My dogs certainly are not gentle giants. They require over an hour of exercise a day, and they are oversized athletes who need more physical exercise and mental stimulation than most homes could provide. You're basing your uneducated theories about leadership on generalizations about a breed that are inaccurate.

Either way, I've worked with several CCs, as well as a handful of Mastiffs, more than my fair share of Shepherds and giant breed mixes. So my advice isn't based on my Danes, neither of whom resource guard.
 

Brady19

Well-Known Member
I have taught 2 dogs with extreme prey drives and one had a history of killing cats that got into the yard. To respect I chose who lives in the house, have you taken a dog that shakes with adrenaline and desire to kill a cat and within just a few months teach same dog to be friends with said cat. The dog had to submit to that or be rehomed. It takes being the alpha and on top of every moment. My dog had to sit in one spot on our couch while the cat had free roam of the house. The dog would charge the cat at times and because of me being alpha I could call her off. Now they sleep together. There are breeds that you never have to show dominance and there are breeds and situations where you have to. If you need sources you have access to them.

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