| -- End Ad Box ---> | | | | a month old, but it was getting worse fast. |
| Guarding is an instinctual behavior for dogs. It is useful | | | | Did your baby start walking about a month |
| to us when they warn strangers who intrude on their | | | | ago? I asked her. The answer was yes. That |
| (and our) territory. One of the earliest benefits dog | | | | made it all clear to me. Willy always felt Lisa was |
| provided to man was to serve as an early warning | | | | dominant to him. So he never growled at her before. |
| intruder alert system. | | | | But when the baby started walking, this impudent |
| Territoriality is, simply stated, guarding space. It is the | | | | little human would intrude on his space, and Willy did |
| dog’s way of saying this space has value | | | | believe himself dominant to the baby. |
| and it belongs to me and my pack. In fact, dogs | | | | Not understanding the behavior, Lisa had spent an |
| guard all sorts of things, some tangible, such as food, | | | | entire month showing Willy how dominant he was by |
| others intangible such as space. | | | | not correcting him and not letting the baby disturb |
| When they guard these items from outsiders it can | | | | him when he was comfortable. The unintended |
| be helpful. I leave my home knowing my dog will be | | | | message to Willy was that he was more dominant |
| alert to an inappropriate intrusion. Dogs also guard | | | | than he had originally thought. That’s why he |
| tangibles and intangibles from one another. You | | | | began to guard space from Lisa too. |
| shouldn’t expect to see a submissive dog | | | | While not all dogs progress from growling to |
| take a bone or scrap from the alpha or dominant | | | | snapping, or from air snapping to contact biting, that |
| dog. Should he try, he’ll face a swift | | | | does happen with some dogs. And it’s tragic |
| correction. But that’s rarely necessary | | | | because it usually doesn’t need to reach that |
| because in the structure of the dog pack, it is clearly | | | | point. Left untreated, most dogs who effectively |
| understood who is entitled to what and when. | | | | guard space will eventually scare or hurt their owners |
| But what happens when that clear understanding is | | | | enough to be removed from their homes, or be put |
| lacking between a dog and members of his human | | | | down. |
| pack? The results can be a disaster
a dog who | | | | Willy became a client of the Chicagoland Boarding |
| guards something against his very owners. | | | | School for Dogs. In the time he spent with us, we |
| In this article we’ll concentrate on space | | | | used our Forcefree Method to show him that space |
| guarding behaviors. In the dog pack, if the dominant | | | | was not a resource he should guard from his human |
| dog wants to walk from point A to point B, he will | | | | family. |
| do it even if he has to nudge a lesser dog out of his | | | | We taught Willy a series of exercises using a |
| way. If the more submissive dog protests, what he | | | | vibrating training collar delivering a series of low level |
| is actually doing is challenging the authority of his | | | | taps. The vibration, while not at all painful, was |
| leader by trying to guard the space he occupies. | | | | attention getting. (Before we put the collar on Willy, |
| The same event may transpire in our homes. Your | | | | we let Lisa feel the the collar on her hand so she |
| dog helps himself to a place on the sofa. You either | | | | understood they were not painful. Lisa described the |
| sit down next to him, or try to take his collar to pull | | | | feeling as a mild tickle.) During the initial phase of |
| him off. Your own dog growls or snaps at you. | | | | training, our goal was to teach Willy that when he |
| He’s guarding space. Moreover, he’s | | | | felt the taps, he could stop them by altering a |
| stating in dog language that he believes he is | | | | behavior. |
| dominant to you. | | | | We started out with leash pulling, showing him that |
| You need to open a cabinet and the dog is blocking | | | | pulling on a tight leash turned on the tapping |
| your way. You take his collar to move him, and he | | | | sensation, and that walking nicely on a loose leash |
| growls or bites. The same thing may occur when you | | | | turned them off. Then we went to the sit stay. We |
| want to push the dog out a door, pass him in a | | | | showed Willy that getting up when he was supposed |
| narrow hallway, or get too close to him laying in his | | | | to be sitting turned on taps that he could turn off |
| favorite spot. | | | | instantly by re-sitting himself. |
| In many households, the human occupants do not | | | | The reason we didn’t go right to the space |
| realize that their dog is guarding space until the dog | | | | guarding issue was simple. We didn’t want to |
| becomes completely out of control. In fact, we | | | | overwhelm the dog by immediately training for the |
| excuse the behavior. That’s because too | | | | most difficult behavior first. Also the guarding |
| often people apply human standards to canine | | | | behaviors are very specific to the family. They might |
| behavior. Among our species it is impolite to pull | | | | be tough to reproduce without his sofa, his baby, |
| someone out of a chair or shoulder them aside when | | | | and his owner. |
| you need something. So if the dog growls when you | | | | But once Willy understood that he could stop collar |
| sit by him on the couch, many people wrongly think | | | | taps by altering a behavior, we were ready to |
| the dog is just being grumpy, or that he was too | | | | confront the real issue, the guarding of space. By this |
| comfortable to be disturbed. | | | | point in the training, we had established a bond of |
| I have actually seen adults chastise children for being | | | | trust and affection with Willy. That was critical |
| impolite to a dog for sitting next to him on | | | | because now we were teaching him to yield his |
| furniture, or for wanting to remove the dog from | | | | personal space to us under the pressure of the taps. |
| their place. People subconsciously try to accept these | | | | In short, by sometimes invading Willy’s |
| problems as quirks of the dog. Many owners | | | | personal space, while tapping, we showed him that |
| try to just work around the issue by not disturbing | | | | he could turn off the tapping, as usual, by giving us a |
| the dog under whatever circumstance causes the | | | | desired behavior
in this case, moving out of the |
| dog to guard. | | | | way. Starting on leash, we held the dog close to our |
| Unfortunately, this sends precisely the wrong | | | | body, literally turning into him, and tapped as we |
| message to the dog. Humoring him confirms that he | | | | moved through his space. Using a combination of |
| is dominant, and is, therefore, entitled to guard more | | | | leash pressure and body movement, we moved Willy |
| and more space. That’s why guarding | | | | out of the way. The second he began to yield his |
| behavior escalates for many dogs. Often, I hear from | | | | space, the taps stopped. |
| owners who’s dog began to growl at them | | | | Willy began to understand very quickly. Space |
| under very limited conditions, say when being pulled | | | | wasn’t worth guarding anymore. In fact, each |
| off the sofa. But eventually the behavior escalates to | | | | time we asked him to give up space, he became |
| the point where the dog growls when they even get | | | | very willing to do so at once. After all, as far as he |
| near him on the sofa. | | | | knew, any space we asked him for became slightly |
| The owner thinks the dog is getting worse. The dog | | | | annoying anyway. |
| simply thinks he’s getting stronger. For some | | | | We brought this dog home at the conclusion of our |
| dogs, dominance is a self-rewarding behavior. You | | | | ten day program, reoriented him to his family and his |
| want to remove him from the couch. He growls. You | | | | environment, transferred the behavior modification |
| back off. The behavior works. So eventually he | | | | techniques to his owner over the course of two |
| growls when you even look at him on the couch. | | | | hours. Then we left. |
| They just don’t seem to get it, the | | | | Lisa called two days later. She reported that Willy |
| dog is thinking. I’ll have to warn them | | | | was leaving his dog bed as soon as the baby |
| earlier. | | | | approached. We were happy with this report, but |
| This can become very problematic for some pet | | | | Lisa was concerned. She wanted the dog and the |
| owners, particularly those with young children in the | | | | baby to be friends and she was worried that the dog |
| house. Kids often don’t realize that | | | | was now fleeing from the baby. |
| they’re not supposed to bother the | | | | We explained that this was progress given that the |
| dog. They just figure they have liberty to safely | | | | dog had modified a major behavior and was now |
| toddle wherever their little legs will take them. And if | | | | yielding space, rather than guarding it. We advised her |
| you ask me, they should have that right. | | | | to give it some more time to see if the dog would |
| Older children must be taught to respect dogs. And | | | | eventually find pleasure in sharing space, time and |
| younger children must be observed very carefully | | | | bonding with the baby in his new submissive role. We |
| when they interact with a dog, to be sure they do | | | | did warn Lisa that not all dogs bond with all people, |
| not accidentally pinch him for example. But no one | | | | but that it was still a distinct possibility. |
| can expect a two year old child to understand she | | | | Two weeks later Lisa called again, and she was very |
| should avoid Rover when he’s laying on the | | | | happy. She found Willy and the baby curled up |
| sofa. | | | | together in the dog’s bed. Apparently, Willy |
| Willy is a three year old German Short Hair Pointer. | | | | had calmed down enough to realize that while he was |
| His owner, Lisa, called me very concerned. Willy had | | | | no longer able to guard space, there was a wonderful |
| been growling at her baby every time the child | | | | pleasure in sharing it. |
| approached him in his dog bed. Sometimes Willy | | | | Trust is something that grows over time, and with |
| would climb on the couch, and he would also growl at | | | | experience. Every day that passes as Willy continues |
| the baby on those occasions. Apparently this | | | | to show the right reaction is one more day in which |
| behavior had been going on for over a month. And | | | | the trust between he and his family grows. Willy has |
| just recently, the dog had growled at Lisa when she | | | | been home for several months now, and all the |
| sat near him on the couch. Lisa was very confused | | | | reports are good news. |
| because this entire set of behaviors was only about | | | | |