In August everything changed. Walking in the park, car rides are good examples which should be tried out. And I did not know, that I am not supposed to correct her, which might appear like punishment to her and might make it worse. Hi, Anna! Or tell him no? I have no idea why, but I will admit it does make me a bit nervous when he does this. I too like when he alerts me to a noise’s heard especially at night. Here’s a link that explains the second fear period pretty well and offers some tips to get through it. This is a nice article however my dog is unsure about so many people! It’s nearly impossible to lure them with food once they get over that threshold. Barking at strangers when out for a walk is a form of “stranger danger!” or a sign of frustration. This is so confusing and it seems, we have nothing left or do we? Now he doesn’t like most people that come on our house. I’m so glad you found the article helpful. At first, I would say “It’s Okay” to Haley too, but I noticed it had no effect on calming her when she was really fearful. I tried cueing her on treats, getting closer slowly and trying to give her treats, having the men give her treats (she would not take anything), Having her sit and shaking hands, small talk, showing her – everything is ok. But if your dog growls or snaps, or if you’ve caught one of those more subtle warning signs I mentioned earlier, your best bet is to back off. After having success with the exercise, use it at feeding time. As I was getting stares from people around me I told him to be ‘quiet’, although I feel bad for doing this. As the dog senses the rising tension, he becomes increasingly “on edge”. more ». I would probably enjoy them but I don’t want to alienate the dog from my husband. Instead, use the dog's regular dry kibble garnished with a little freeze-dried liver. Kilo is quite the mouthy little pug, you gave me tons of tips to try. Thanks Kaitlin! Thanks for stopping by the blog and for your kind comment! I realize this is from 3 ears ago, but maybe you can give me some advice. I have worked on redirecting her but as a hound she is very hyper focused on him when it happens and I literally have to ‘drag’ her away from the situation because he (the neighbor) continually tries to interact with her if I don’t get her away quick enough and I’m sure it will lead to a bite eventually. Does anyone have any other suggestions? In fact, lure-reward (non-contact) training techniques (illustrated in the DVDs) are the techniques de rigueur for working with fearful and/or aggressive dogs. We are so lost …. ? It sounds like you’ve done a great job of trying to help Sade overcome her nervousness and the training class was a good idea, along with Britt giving treats and praise. She is fine w/all other females & males. I wonder what it is that triggers Sinead’s growling. Our dog used to be fine with my younger sister, we are adults. I cannot just let her go…. I adopted him since he was about 3, and ever since he is extremely harmless, even if he growls. I’d love to hear back on how things go with Kilo if you decide to try some of the tips! We first visited parks and watched children play at a distance where Haley was comfortable and relaxed and she got plenty of treats and praise for her cooperation. 🙂. He is super shy . Nobody wants their dog to growl at an innocent child and our first instinct is usually to swiftly correct the dog in order to send a message that we don’t like that behavior. However, I’m a little certain this has something to do with a dog attack we recently experienced. After sufficient repetitions, the stranger will be able to quickly grab the dog's scruff and hold on firmly and the dog will say, "Where's my treat good buddy? That’s great that it worked out for you! Our dog’s behavior is becoming hard to deal with and we don’t want to see him continue to the biting stage, etc. It’s now a command I use all the time in different situations, from barking at strangers to when she gets scared by an usual or loud noise. My Favorite Global Pet Expo Products 2017. This is such a great article! If they learn growling will get you to change your behavior, they will do it every time. I think when he is unsure. It as if the dog is trying to communicate to the approaching dog or stranger, “Keep back! Dogs are good judges of people and I trust his opinion. She adjusted fine in our house and loved my husband to death. It does take time and patience to counter condition but, especially when you find the one thing that really works to make our dog comfortable, it can solve any issue. He growls when he is under our feet in front of the wood stove (very comfortable) when we have to get up for any reason. We do discourage growling. Haley would do this too when our son was living here and he would come home at night when the lights were dim in the kitchen. And everything else got better, just growling at men got worse. When we got her, she would not even go outside to poop. The good news is, she warms up to him quickly and enjoys sitting on his lap and playing with him, so she’s not just a one-person dog. My name is Anna Morgan. I’m forever distracting her from Britt! If you think you need some extra help, check with a positive-reinforcement trainer in your area. Instead, I would work to reclaim your space, both around your feet and warm stove and around his food bowl. If you are worried about your pet’s behaviour around strangers, keep them on a … Because of his size, it really puts people off him. Progress to louder knocks, then to having a person knock from outside (but not enter). Each day, weigh out the dogs daily ration of kibble, put it in a plastic bag with a pinch of freeze-dried liver powder, shake well and use as directed. She has a Halti, which I’ve also been frowned at in disgust for. Once the dog has approached and sat to take treats several times in a row, rather than giving the treat, instruct the dog to sit-stay and step back a couple of paces (with the dog restrained on leash). Go on, grab me again! Or is it being protective of me? To prevent your dog from injuring someone else, take steps to keep him away from strangers or train your dog not to nip at them at all with positive, reward-based training techniques. For example, I would put myself between her and the object she feared instead of having her out in front of me. Your first reaction may be to suppress the growling by scolding or punishing the dog. The growl is not necessarily an indication of an irreparably flawed temperament but rather, the growl is simply an advertisement of the dog's discomfort at having been forced into a threatening situation for which he has been given insufficient preparation, i.e., the owner is trying to push the dog too far too fast. Make sure she’s getting plenty of exercise and socialization and lots of training (or reinforce her training if she’s not listening very well right now). I’m keeping my fingers crossed that things will work out and I would love to hear back about how things are going. There are good growls, like when a dog’s having fun playing tug-of-war and there are bad growls like when a dog growls at a young child. I guess it could be both or maybe dogs are just a good judge of character. If I am unable to protect them from the situation they are speaking to me about through their growl, I have trained a whole lot of counter cues to keep things from further escalating. Depending on the specifics of your problem, here are some effective solutions that will transform a grumpy pooch into a calm pup. He looks like a grown man, so what is the difference? To the point he doesn’t like male guy’s. 🙂. Thereafter, the dog builds confidence with each examination. It’s hard to do that! We end up keeping foxy in her crate or away from the family for my sister’s safety who is staying with us until her return. He’s growled at dogs before – but generally this has been during one of our walks, and we’re never really that close to the other dog. Thank you for your article! She growls and barks at others outside when on we walk her on leash in our yard. Of course, it probably wouldn’t hurt to bring along some tasty treats for them when you meet them for the first time. Was his old owner use to beat him . If he can’t get along with everyone in this house . Same if they learn it will get them treats. If not, definitely try a trainer. No worries, Suze. Maybe Koda’s just a little apprehensive at first until he figures out if they’re friend or foe. Each day, weigh out the dogs daily ration of kibble, put it in a plastic bag with a pinch of freeze-dried liver powder, shake well and use as directed. I guess she heard something that really scared her on those few occasions but it’s kind of hard to go back to sleep after that, lol! You stopped training because you thought the dog was better. He is fine with all the family but when a stranger walks into the house he runs up to them straight away and growls and gives them a small nip. You have some really great tips here! Maybe they could just drop a treat on the floor as they pass through the room, so the sight of just seeing the boys becomes a positive experience. I’ll plan on calming them first. He is a 2yo that did not have any negative experience with strangers as I have him since he was a puppy. It’s interesting that she seems fine at first when guests come to the house but growls after a short time. If you adopted an adult dog with behavioral issues, or missed the symptoms of aggression in your pet’s puppyhood, there are still ways to stop aggression even when it becomes a serious problem.. The idea is to alleviate the problem, not make it worse.The prime directive in rehabilitation is that no stranger be allowed to approach, let alone touch, the dog, until the dog has both the confidence and the inclination to approach and contact the stranger. It’s good that she has a safe spot in her kennel where she feels some security, but because she’s barking excessively, she’s obviously still very uncomfortable with the situation. The dog no longer growls when the stranger approaches, because he is no longer afraid of strangers, so now it is time to teach the dog to "Shush!" With a male trainer. She eventually learned that “It’s okay” means to relax and back off a little bit. They’re usually not that expensive and can offer some great tips and advice. If she relaxes after you’ve greeted your guests and eventually greets them herself, that’s a good thing. The owner must first deal with the underlying confidence problem and then, train the dog not to growl.The relative ease of prevention and treatment should not seduce one to adopt a cavalier attitude. I know there’s a lot of debate about dominance in dogs, but dogs are opportunists (like us humans) that like to get what they want or get their way. If the underlying insecurity is not resolved, the growls will become warnings of escalating aggression. Thanks for stopping by today, Alice! It can be stressful when your dog growls at someone, but since dogs often pick up on our feelings, it’s important to stay calm and not correct her for growling. I hope you’ll notice a difference after a little while, but during the holidays, make sure she has a safe space to relax and that will also keep your guests safe in case she gets too nervous. The hard stares would make me a little nervous too, so I think I would try hiring a behaviorist to come to your house and work with Sade and Britt (if that’s not too much trouble for Britt to be there a few times). Some of these tips are hard to explain in a blog comment, but I hope you get the idea. Our two year old Pit/Pointer or Pit/Jack Russel mix is getting worse at territorializing where he will growl. This exercise to get your dog’s attention might work well for the food bowl issue. Apart from the growling, he is a sweetheart and gets along fine with other dogs and our 12 year old Staffie bitch. Once the dog is accustomed to any manner, or speed, of approach, the stranger may stand in front of the dog and periodically offer treats while the dog remains in a sit-stay. Obviously, if any dog has a history of lunging, snapping, or nipping, muzzle the dog. A growl is your warning. I have never given up on a dog, but I have never had one, that is so unpredictable and so aggressive towards men. Yes, it’s pretty hard to fight that instinct to correct them when they growl, especially if it catches you off-guard. We are finding it really difficult because it is preventing us from inviting other family and friends over. He’s doing really well with his training but has occasionally let himself down by barking. I think it is a trained behavoir from her previous elderly single male owner, who maybe played rough with her. If the dog wants to come in the space you're claiming it needs to wait for you're OK. As per reverse psychology, if you want to stop your dog from barking, teach it to bark on command. When his personal space is violated, the dog has two options — to retreat, or, to convince the intruder to retreat. I think the key here is working slowly at a pace she’s comfortable with but if you feel it’s not working, put the obedience training on hold for a while and work with a trainer that specializes in aggression issues instead. Today he barked at a group of children sitting in long grass in a field. DogStarDaily.com is a free website for dog lovers — a daily magazine with news, blogs, and articles about dog behavior, and a comprehensive digital dog training textbook with everything you need to know about training your puppy or dog. I have only heard him growl a few times and even this he does not sound too mean. And is now visiting (she moved out of state almost 2 years ago). It’s easier if she first knows the “Speak” command, but it works really well for Haley when I want her to stop barking. I remember how stressful it was when Haley was younger and I’m so proud of her being able to gain some confidence to be much more relaxed around any little girls. ? 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