Suddenly being aggresive, help!

[DaniDoodlez]

I see other similar posts, but I imagine different circumstances are relevant.

I got Bear 4 years ago, he was probably 3-ish at the time. He showed up on my door step and didn't leave, tried to find his owners to no avail. When I got him he was in bad condition, needed eye surgery, wasnt taken care of at all. He was also pretty stand offish and a bit snappy, but never out right aggressive to people or dogs. I started taking him for walks almost every day and eventually to the dog park and he became a wonderful happy loving chow. We also lived with 3 chihuahuas. It took him a while to get used to playing with other dogs, and he tried to hump them a lot of the time, although he is fixed. But still everyone who met him said he was the nicest chow they ever met.

This past summer I took a road trip with him and we spent about 6 months travelling, meeting other people and dogs along the way. He was never aggressive except over food with other dogs. My boyfriend, his dog Cerby, and I recently moved back to where me and Bear were living before. Cerby and Bear were best friends and loved playing together, but I think them moving in with us is where the problem started. Cerby isn't fixed and is very attention hungry and always hogs all the attention even when someone is trying to say hi to Bear. I also have not been taking him out for walks and to the park for the past few months, because I figured he has a friend here now. I realize now that was a big mistake. Bear and Cerby do play, but have had a few fights.
There are also a lot of issues over food. I feed them on opposite sides of the room, but most of the time bear won't eat right away and just sits there and growls. Sometimes I leave the food down and he will eventually eat it, other times I take it away if he's being too grumpy. Should I feed them even farther apart? Bear has never been one to eat all his food at once, so should I give him wet food as well to encourage him to eat? I'm not sure how to get Bear to eat and keep him from just guarding it.
The final straw was that Bear growled at my Aunt, who lives with us, the other day. I realized I need to start socializing him more and give him quality time so I took him for a walk to the dog park today. On the way we passed a dog we've seen often in the past and bear always wanted to play. Today he started growling aggressively at it. So I took him for a bit of a longer walk before going to the park. Soon after we got there a bunch of people showed up with large dogs making a ruckus as they were at the gate and Bear started growling aggressively again so I pulled him to the side and held him while they entered. Then one of the dogs came up to us and started barking and Bear started growling even worse, so we left. I feel like I need to socialize him more but I'm afraid and embarrassed to take him around other dogs now. How do I go about this?

I'm so sad my nicest chow in the world has turned aggressive and I hope I can reverse it. Has anyone experienced this and have any advice?

[Rory's Dad]

Sounds like he has always food guarded, and has now started to guard other resources as well. Not uncommon with dogs who have had a difficult past. I would venture that the change in your living dynamic is part of the cause, and certainly the change in his routine.

1st off, keep the food distance the same. Make each dog work before they eat. Keep it consistent. Have each dog sit, speak, or lie down BEFORE the bowl is placed before them. That should be easy enough, but i would also recommend that you don't allow Bear to graze. Don't change his diet. Set a time limit. If he doesnt eat it in 10 minutes say, pick the bowl back up. Hold off for a while and then start the routine over. Make him do 2 commands this time, then put the bowl down. In the meantime, the other dog should be let out/walked under his normal routine. After a few times, Bear will figure out what is going on, and will want to be the one going out 1st. Both dogs should eat in about the same amount of time, and there is nothing left to guard. Once you get to that point, i would give each dog only a portion of what they would eat. Refill with the remaining amount (without command obligation). This will teach him trust that the food resource is not being taken from him once he knows he is supposed to eat when the bowl is placed down in front of him. It sets you as the provider. Be consistent at 1st, then have other household members follow the same routine once in a while so they obtain a similar status.

As for the arguments, they have gone from playmates to packmates. Try to get them some time outside the house together. Try to keep them on even ground. I alternate my dogs with just about everything. They eat together side by side at the same time, but in the morning my female goes out first. When i get home from work, the male goes out 1st. After dinner, female first, etc.

[Ursa's daddy]

Rory's Dad has some good advice. It sounds like you have had some changes in the household, and this has upset Bear.

Bear's humping the other dogs is a sign of dominance. He probably has some issues from before you got him, and he wants to maintain top dog status. If your boyfriend and his dog are new additions to the house, Bear may feel insecure now that there is a new dog. I am currently fostering a dog who seems a bit insecure, and he wants to show dominance to my other chows. I try to maintain everyone's social status and reassure each dog that they are loved by me. I end up having to spend some one on one time with each dog independent of the other dogs.

You need to spend time with Bear and take him out for socialization. I have found that chows need continuous refreshing with their socialization.

Keep us posted on how things progress.