# How do I handle this?



## harrysmom (Sep 28, 2007)

Hi everyone,

Teddy is a very good puppy (7 months old), but he is very over-protective of me. If I have friends over and we are all sitting in the living room, Teddy is fine. But if someone makes a move that Teddy thinks is towards me, Teddy lunges at them and tries to bite them. For this reason, I keep Teddy on a leash when we have company. If I'm not home and my kids have friends over, Teddy is very friendly to them and doesn't growl at all.... even though they might be the same people he growled at the night before when I was home. 

AsI said, I have been keeping him on a leash when we have company and if he does lash out, I put him in his ex-pen and ignore him for a while until he seems to calm down. Am I handling this situation the right way? Any other ideas? I really don't have the money to hire a professional trainer right now since Harry's vet bills are enormous... so any advice would be appreciated.


By the way, this only happens at home. If I take Teddy out, her never growls at anyone. I had him with me at Cornell all day yesterday and not one problem.


Thanks,

Debbie


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

This is a typical behavior for a dog who has some anxiety about the situation and is unsure if you are going to handle it, so he steps in and is proactive about handling it. Absolutely we can change it! 

The goal is to have Teddy look to your for guidance and feel confident that you will keep him and you safe. That way he will not take command and he will not be anxious. Keeping him on leash was a good move. 

1. Controlling resources:
Leadership for dogs is based not on who is physically dominant, but on who controls the resources. So to help establish yourself as the leader and the person your dog should look to for guidance, you take control of the resources. Resources include food, doors, couches, beds, toys, walks, play time, etc. Programs for this are commonly known as Nothing in Life is Free, Leading the Dance, or Ruff Love. Susan Garrett has a short book called Ruff Love. It is a leadership program geared towards performance dogs, but you can modify it for your needs. You can order it on cleanrun.com. 
Links:
Leading the Dance by Shirley Chong
Nothing in Life is Free

2. Desensitization/Counter conditioning:
We want to make guests coming in a positive, happy experience that Teddy can feel secure in. So we want to desensitize him to the occasion and provide counter conditioning to build that positive attribute. 
When does Teddy start reacting? At the door? At the door bell? In the living room when you sit down? Only when approached? 
We want to start at the step BEFORE he reacts. So, if he starts when people come into the house, we're going to begin our work with somebody at the door. 
Two skills will be very helpful. The first is having an attention word. I use "watch me" or "look". You can pick whatever you like. The behavior we want is for the dog to make eye contact with you. I like to use a clicker or you can use a word like "yes" to mark the behavior so that dog can understand what you want. I start with a treat and bring it towards me eyes and say "Soda, watch me" the second he makes eye contact, I click or say "yes". Once I get this consistent, I work on using less and less hand movement. I also start extending the time of holding the attention. Once I get up to 10+, I vary the time. Reward after 2 seconds, reward after 15, reward after 5, reward after 20. This is a great way for the dog to work for his meals as part of your leadership program. 
The second skill is a sit or down stay. If you need guidance on this, I can get you some links on how to train. 
Now we're set. Set him up. Enlist a friend to come help. Have Teddy on leash. Guest knocks on door. Use your attention word and put Teddy in his stay. Go to open the door. If he gets up, calmly say "uh oh" and replace him. When he stays for the door opening, cookies and praise! Shut the door, repeat. 
Once we have a calm dog for that, we'll move to the person coming in the house. Same deal with holding the sit stay. But now we have our happy party to include the guest tossing the treats to Teddy. Guest=cookies and a secure situation. Teddy knows what to expect each time. If he has any nerves, go to the watch me and treats to get him back to being settled. 
Use this same principal for bringing people into rooms in the house and approaching you. Tossing cookies to him is important. 
An important note here: the guest should never make eye contact with Teddy. Ask your guests to please not look at the dog. The eye contact can cause the dog anxiety which we want to avoid. 

3. Tools that may help:
A Gentle Leader is a head halter collar for dogs. The gentle pressure on top of the muzzle can be calming for dogs who tolerate the head halter. The head halter also gives you the dogs head. If you need help getting your dogs attention, you can gently turn the head towards you. Many dogs also take their behavior down a notch with the head halter on. Be sure to follow the instructions on slowly introducing the head halter and fitting it properly. If you purchase from a local pet store, they should be able to show you how to fit it. 
The clicker. The clicker is a tool that can be used in operant conditioning. Think of it like a camera. You click/take a picture of the behavior you want. For example, the watch me is the moment of eye contact. The sit is the second the rear hits the ground. I love the clicker because I can be much more precise than I can with my voice. 
Obedience class. A basic obedience class is a great way to positively build your relationship. It is also a confidence booster for the dog. Check out your local humane society and kennel clubs for very reasonably priced classes. 

Books:
Bones Would Rain from the Sky On relationships with our dogs
Dogs are from Neptune


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## Moxie'smom (Dec 16, 2007)

Jackie:

That was a great explanation and on what to do. We're always working on that, the part when people come to the door.
I copied it. And emailed to myself. Very well said. Thanks :thumbsup:


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