Puppy Guarding??

I have a 5 month old husky named Remy. I have noticed over the past month or two that he is very possessive. The first time I noticed it was when he got a hold of a steak bone and when I tried to get it back from him he started growling and snapping at me. More recently he growls if I try to take anything from him from a twig he picks up outside to a paper towel he grabs from the kitchen.

I do try to distract him with treats so I can grab the item from him, but when that doesn't work or if I don't have a treat near me, I have to grab him and just get the object out of his mouth, which normally ends up in me being bitten. The bites are hard enough to make me bleed but they do hurt.

Tonight I took off his collar to swap it with a larger one. He picked up the collar and immediately ran and hid underneath my bed. I managed to get it back a few treats later.

Thoughts?

Training. Train him to give things to you rather than you grabbing for them. Of course he's going to try defending his prize possessions, You wouldn't let someone take your belongs would you?
Treats are a reward not a distraction, so you reward him with a treat after he's given up whatever it is.
Ignore what he's got and show an interest in something else and he'll no doubt want that.
He's 5 months old have you done any puppy classes with him? It's a good starting point.

Thanks for the response.

He is enrolled in puppy classes. Once this sessions ends I'm going to enroll him in the next stage of classes.

I also am going to start working on specifically this behavior with his trainer next week

Ok hope the trainer points you in the right direction and his behaviour improves

I agree with Trouble. Treats are rewards for good behaviour. Giving him rewards for something he shouldn't have done may reinforce that bad behaviour.

And sometimes it is attention seeking if the dog is bored. Ours still does it on the odd occasion but responds to the "leave it" command.

Until he gets over it, best not to leave anything he might take within his reach.

My puppy (also 5 months) has had possessive issues too, where he growls if I touch him when he's chewing on a bone. This is a nervous body response. When a dog feels they have to protect something but isn't confident that they are strong enough, they become tense and worried and will act out of fear. The tenseness will escalate to aggression if the perceived threat moves closer to them, as aggression is based on fearfulness.

What you need to do is teach his body and mind that it's okay to remain calm even when there is a possibility that the bone will get taken. If he's in a state of fear, offering a treat as a distraction isn't going to do it. He may not notice the treat, or he may snatch it and then return to guarding the bone. A treat is unlikely to help him calm down. The best way I have found to calm a fearful dog is by holding him gently but firmly and sending him calm energy.

Do not start by taking the bone, because then you will most likely get bitten, and the dog will continue to be anxious about you taking it. First work on calming the dog to be okay with you touching him when he's eating, and then eventually, when he's calm, he will be okay with you taking the bone. Come up to the dog while he has a bone and put your hand on the back of his neck, this way he cannot lift his head up and nip at you while you hold him (he may not calm down right away). Now wrap your arms around him firmly and try to calm your own body into a relaxed but assertive state (I know this can be hard if you are worried about getting bitten). When you are there, radiate your calmness into the dog. You will probably start to feel the dog's tense body relax, and the dog may even settle into your arms and let go of the bone (this is what happened with my puppy). You can talk to him soothingly, but don't enthusiastically praise him as this might get him riled up and anxious again. Calm, loving energy is the key. Eventually, he will relax and then you can take the bone. When you give it back to him, hold onto it for a while while he chews. This will help him learn that it's okay to share with you, and it won't let him as easily build up an anxious need to guard the bone.

Good luck and I hope I've been helpful.

Miriam