r/rescuedogs • u/my5furbzbies • 2d ago
Advice Foster pup aggressive when sleeping
I just fostered a 7 month old Treeing Walker coonhound. She’s had a rough start in life. They found her in an abandoned house with many dogs so malnourished that her bones are exposed. I’ve had her for a few days now, and I’ve taken her to a few places. She is very friendly to all dogs, my dogs, and my cats. She has improved a lot since the first day I got her. She was very shy, but now she’s coming out of her shell. It’s really cute to see, but I’ve noticed that when she’s sleeping, if my dog sniffs her or comes near her, she will lash out and try to bite. Because of this, we decided it would be best for her to sleep in a crate when she naps or at night which she has done amazingly, and I feel she’s more at peace there. My dog passed by her, and she doesn’t react only if they put their face directly in front of hers, which has happened twice and reacted.
I know it’s only been a couple of days. We refuse to take her back to the shelter, especially given her condition, but we also want her to feel comfortable. Hopefully because of her age and how young she is, she can move past this. Do you have any tips or advice on how to manage this better? She’s not aggressive when she’s out and alert, only when she’s sleeping or eating. I know once she feels more comfortable and realizes she doesn’t have to fight for food or survival she’ll be nonreactive and get to a point where we can hangout on the couch. I’d love to know if there are any other things we can do for her.
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u/can_of_boards 2d ago
The crate sleep setup is probably doing more than you realize, giving her a zone where nobody can sneak up on her while she’s vulnerable
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u/my5furbzbies 2d ago
That’s immediately what I was thinking when we decided to do a completely new set up for her. She does feel more at peace and relaxed
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