# Help I need training..



## wooflife (Aug 8, 2007)

In the last 6 months Izzy has started barking growling and nipping at the pant legs of some visitors. It started with some friends of my stepdaughter, as long as they were sitting and quiet she was fine as soon as they stand up she barks and growls and chases them. She settles down again when they sit down. This has gotten gradually worse and I'm sure it's because I didn't handle it correctly in the first place. She doesn't do this with all visitors just some of them, but I need to get it under control. Last night at my neighbors house she was fine for several hours until another friend arrived and then she went nuts - we had to leave because of her behavior.

She is obviously stressed or threatend or frightened when this happens and I don't want her feel that way. 

Any tips to direct a more positive behavior would be very helpful. If I can't make some progress in the next week or so I will be calling a proffesional trainer to help us.


Thanks in advance for any tips.


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

I would recommend going ahead and calling in the professional. With fear-based behavior such as this, the owner is often doing small things that encourage it...and there's no way to see these over the computer. 

The goal would be to desensitize her to people coming and going by giving her a safe behavior to do and ensuring that nobody ever approaches her (she can approach them once everyone is settled). Typically a sit or down stay and a "watch me" cue to redirect the dog's attention work well. I like to use a mat for the dog to sit on so their safe space is clearly defined. It is also important that you settle your dog before inviting people in. If your dog reacts, shut the door and start over. Just let your guests know you're working with your dog and it will be a moment. Be sure visitors avoid direct eye contact and do not walk directly at her. Have them walk in a curve and be sideways to the dog. This is neutral behavior. Having the guests be the only people to toss a super special treat will help address the emotional response (bar open when stranger here, closed when they aren't).


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## wooflife (Aug 8, 2007)

Thanks for the help. I'll start looking for a good trainer in NW Indiana.


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## lawgirl (Jul 22, 2009)

JMM's advice really helped me too. I can sympathize with you, since my dog is perfectly good around everyone except very tall or elderly men wearing long trench coats or weird hats, especially when we enter the building's elevator for his walks. He is a reactive dog with the usual fear-based responses to certain triggers. He loves women, but is nervous about the other gender. I've started carrying liver treats in my pocket on EACH walk (4x a day) and doing finger-targeting whenever someone comes into the elevator who is male. He touches my finger, I treat and praise. He is quiet around men, more treats. LOL--I often ask the guys politely if they will humor us and throw a treat for my dog. We've never had anyone refuse, although I did get some amused looks from people who thought this dog desensitization exercise was pretty weird.

Also, Darcy used to have the WORST door manners--racing out the door for walks. On JMM's suggestion I started using our door mat/area rug as a target spot for him to Sit and Stay EVERY time I left the house with him. He has now learned he is not to budge from the door mat until I say, "Okay, you can go!" He offers sits at the door now. Once I give him the release command, then he bounds out the door happily. We also do "Wait" at the curbside, along with "Okay, you can go!" to cross the streets.

The point of all this is to prevent some horrible hypothetical accident where, god forbid, his leash slips and he runs into traffic because I didn't train him to Wait.

Good luck, I am sure with LOTS of repetitions (some trainers say 100x before a behavior is solidly learned) and some professional help, you will solve the problem!


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## SpringHasSprung (May 4, 2007)

I'm having a similar thing as well. We walk in the building, or onto the elevator, or a "stranger" workman comes in the house and Summer will run right up and bite the pant leg! It doesn't happen often or routinely at all. Just once in awhile and I'm always SHOCKED! I have absolutely no idea WHY or what to do about it.


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## almitra (Apr 24, 2009)

Pepper is the opposite--she wants to be jumping up on and greeting everyone she sees instantaneously. I find it interesting that we'd never stand for a 150 pound St. Bernard to do this to people, but we regularly put up with it from a 4 pound Maltese. Bad manners are bad manners. It also doesn't help when strangers say "oh, it's ok I LOVE dogs", as if bad manners in our pets should be so easily dismissed. I use a negative word marker (mine is "eh", not "no"cuz "no" is so overused I think...just like "good girl" or "bad girl"---they all get enough use I feel) when Pepper jumps up on people's legs to wildly greet them. She understands this to mean that her action at the moment is unacceptable. She then reverts immediately to the acceptable behavior, which is sit/stay and awaits her pat on the head from either me or the visitor.
When we go out walking, she knows to stay on my left and never to pass my left foot--a dog in front of me can not see me to heed commands. When I stop, she automatically stops and goes into a sit until I release her by saying, "Pepper walk". Like Darcy, she stops at all doorways and sits, waiting for me to enter/exit and giving her the verbal cue to then follow me (I use sit/wait). "Stay" indicates to Pepper that she should sit as I will be returning to her, but "wait" means she should sit for a moment as I will soon call her to join me. It's not as hard as it seems and these little doggies are soooo smart that repetition and reward, along with consistency, are your best tools. They are already anxious to please you and nothing is more precious than a gorgeous little Malt with impeccable manners. People are drawn to our little cuties all the time, so taking the time to help them be the good tempered little socialites their breed is famous for is in their (and our) best interest. You are such a conscientious mommy to see the need to address a behavioral issue head on like this. Best of luck and let us know how things are going for you guys.


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