Ask the Trainer - Color Linked Food Fighting Frenchies?
gollygear March 18th, 2008
Color Linked Food Fighting?
I have a litter of frenchies, 2 boys, 2 girls, one of the males, is aggressive when he gets bored. He is especially when around food, or older females.
He is brindle and a beautiful male, but I have also talked to other people and the ones that have a problem seem to almost have it in brindle or red fawn. Is this a trait for the dark colors?
Also the pup (sherman), is only 4 months old and I would like to lick this in the bud if I can. Sherm gets along well with his sister and half sister, sometimes is aggressive with mom.
Hope writes:
You’re absolutely right - taking care of a potential problem now, while Sherman is only four months old, is much better, and hopefully easier, than waiting for the behavior to become habit.
I can’t answer your question about color-related traits, but I’m sure that one of our breeder/experts will help with this.
Regardless of origin of the problem, the issue now is to train Sherman to accept other dogs around when food is in the picture and to channel his boredom into something positive.
You’ll need a couple of helpers for each training opportunity - one human and one dog. Start by feeding Sherman by hand. Have the other person hold the other dog (on leash and collar) a safe distance away - far enough so Sherman knows they’re there, but is comfortable with the distance. As long as he’s relaxed, keep feeding him. Have the other person move the other dog in gradually - only as far as Sherman is still relaxed and happy.
If Sherman does well with this, gradually introduce the food bowl, putting a few pieces of food in at a time. Keep the other dog in the vicinity, but only as close as Sherman stays calm. When the other dog moves closer, have an especially wonderful treat to occupy Sherman (hot dogs work well) so that he begins to associate other dogs with delicious treats and good things happening.
This process won’t happen overnight. Take it gradually and at Sherman’s pace. If he begins to get upset, back the other dog away and start again from the “safe” zone. Sherman needs to learn that having other dogs nearby while he’s eating is a good thing - it means he gets more yummy treats!
If Sherman is being aggressive when he’s bored - channel his energy into a positive activity. If he’s looking for attention, initiate a two-minute training session. Try teaching him “leave it” - a useful command for every dog. Hand him the treats one at a time, saying “take it” with each one. After a few, say “leave it” and hide it in your hand. He’ll try to get it, sniffing and perhaps pawing at your hand. When he eventually looks away, say “good leave it!” and give him a treat, saying “take it.”
“Leave it” can apply to any object, person, or dog once your puppy knows what it means. The most useful I ever found it was when my dog found a skunk in the backyard and actually paid attention when I said “Leave it.” We were both spared a miserable afternoon.
When Sherman starts “acting up” with another dog, you’ll be able to tell him “Leave it!” and he should come to you - happily expecting a reward for obeying.
Good luck with the pups!
Hope
Editor’s Note: I’ve had just about every color of French Bulldog there is, and have never noticed a link between color and aggression. That said, certain lines are more cantankerous than others, and certain colors run more strongly in some lines, so draw from that your own conclusions. I’ve never noticed my brindles to be particularly cranky, but I do think that nature has as strong a role in temperament as nurture does.
Hope’s advice to nip this in the bud as early as possible is well worth following, as sibling aggression can turn truly ugly as puberty approaches. Also, don’t be surprised if your Frenchie girls gang up and lay a beating on Sherman soon - rare is the French Bulldog bitch who will tolerate this sort of behaviour from an upstart boy. You’ll need to start thinking about making arrangements to keep them safely separated, if and when that happens, as well as if you want to ward off ‘oops’ pregnancies.
