Post by tank on Jan 29, 2009 10:54:47 GMT -5
Okay I apologize if this makes no sense, I'm very frustrated right now and trying to work this though in my head.
Okay, here it goes... When Lucy was a little pup (she's still a pup at 10 months) she whenever people would come over she would excitedly greet them and pee all over the place, I am assuming that it was excited pee even though for a while I thought it was submissive, but I am still on the fence about what it is about, maybe both? Anyway, how I dealt with it. When people would come over, they would ignore her until she calmed down (no eye contact, no petting, nothing at all) and after 5-10 minutes it was okay for her to get a little bit of attention and she was fine. The only problem I had with this method was that I HAD really irresponsible, rude roommates who I couldn't count on to stick with that process. Those people no longer live with me.
Anyway, this worked wonderfully, when people would cooperate. She still pees if she is greeted with baby voices and pets right away, but we are pretty consistent with this as a solution and it works.
Now to get to the current problem, which I think is related and I have caused for my dog. She now is really defensive with people knocking on the door, coming in and even when she hears people in the house, who live here, noises she should be used to. When people come over sometimes she barks at them, and just doesn't stop. This only happens like 1/2 the time, but I still think it is a huge issue. Also, when people walk by the house, or even drive by the house slowly she freaks out and barks very aggressively at them.
This is how I deal with it (which is probably wrong): When she hears a noise in the house, she usually barks, I let her bark 1-2 times, then say "that's enough" or "no." She usually still barks, growls etc and doesn't stop for a good while, no matter how many times I say something, or whatever I do. Keep in mind that these are common in my house. I live with my boyfriend and 2 other people, plus our upstairs neighbors are really loud and stomp around a lot.
When people come to the door, she barks, I let her bark a few times, tell her to sit and relax, she doesn't listen (she knows commands really well usually) then I answer the door and she continues to follow them around and bark at them if she doesn't know who it is or doesn't know them well. I say "no" but she still continues. After she gets comfortable with them in the house she "tests" them. I define her testing people by jumping on them, trying to grab food or drink from them if they have it, begging, trying to dominate them into playing with her until she realizes that she isn't going to get her way. I have trained her not to jump on me, and people she knows successfully, but people she doesn't know, she "tests" to see if she can get away with her bad behavior around them. When she does this, I have to follow her around, saying "Lucy, no!" a bunch of times and it is very tiring and embarrassing to say the least.
When people walk by the house, or even neighbors in their own yard that she can see when I am outside with her to go to the bathroom or something, she barks at, tries to run over to to bark at closer, which I don't allow, I put the leash on her and gets so distracted by it, won't do anything she came out to do, just barks at them until I have to bring her in.
She is fine on walks, greets people politely, this only happens around her "territory." As in our house and at work when she comes there with me.
Okay am I overreacting and this is normal? Is it just part of adolescenthood / puppyhood? Do you guys think she is acting out of fear, or is she just protecting our house (in her mind.) And any suggestions?
Things to keep in mind:
1. She hasn't been spayed yet. That was supposed to be on the agenda this week, but she went into heat. She will be spayed as soon at it ends, but for now she is confined to the house
2. She is very food drivin. But when I train her with food, she always expects it and whines and acts really bratty until she gets her way (or so she thinks, I don't cave into her whining for something)
3. She is a very sensitive dog. She always has been. I got her at 8 weeks and she has always been really over dramatic. When she falls she screams like she is being beaten senselessly, or when she doesn't sit and I push her butt down (there is no way I could be hurting her) she does that as well, it's great in public!
4. She has never had any formal training, but was socialized correctly, I brought her EVERYWHERE when I first got her, and still do, although now that it's cold, there aren't as many people around outside and we can't go to the outside restaurants we went to when it was warmer with her. And I have trained all my dogs before her without any problems, even from bad situations. Anyway, she is getting formal training in about a month with a friend that I trust who is now at a dog training school in San Fransisco.
I am sorry this is so long, I am just trying to give all the information about this that I can think of.
Okay, here it goes... When Lucy was a little pup (she's still a pup at 10 months) she whenever people would come over she would excitedly greet them and pee all over the place, I am assuming that it was excited pee even though for a while I thought it was submissive, but I am still on the fence about what it is about, maybe both? Anyway, how I dealt with it. When people would come over, they would ignore her until she calmed down (no eye contact, no petting, nothing at all) and after 5-10 minutes it was okay for her to get a little bit of attention and she was fine. The only problem I had with this method was that I HAD really irresponsible, rude roommates who I couldn't count on to stick with that process. Those people no longer live with me.
Anyway, this worked wonderfully, when people would cooperate. She still pees if she is greeted with baby voices and pets right away, but we are pretty consistent with this as a solution and it works.
Now to get to the current problem, which I think is related and I have caused for my dog. She now is really defensive with people knocking on the door, coming in and even when she hears people in the house, who live here, noises she should be used to. When people come over sometimes she barks at them, and just doesn't stop. This only happens like 1/2 the time, but I still think it is a huge issue. Also, when people walk by the house, or even drive by the house slowly she freaks out and barks very aggressively at them.
This is how I deal with it (which is probably wrong): When she hears a noise in the house, she usually barks, I let her bark 1-2 times, then say "that's enough" or "no." She usually still barks, growls etc and doesn't stop for a good while, no matter how many times I say something, or whatever I do. Keep in mind that these are common in my house. I live with my boyfriend and 2 other people, plus our upstairs neighbors are really loud and stomp around a lot.
When people come to the door, she barks, I let her bark a few times, tell her to sit and relax, she doesn't listen (she knows commands really well usually) then I answer the door and she continues to follow them around and bark at them if she doesn't know who it is or doesn't know them well. I say "no" but she still continues. After she gets comfortable with them in the house she "tests" them. I define her testing people by jumping on them, trying to grab food or drink from them if they have it, begging, trying to dominate them into playing with her until she realizes that she isn't going to get her way. I have trained her not to jump on me, and people she knows successfully, but people she doesn't know, she "tests" to see if she can get away with her bad behavior around them. When she does this, I have to follow her around, saying "Lucy, no!" a bunch of times and it is very tiring and embarrassing to say the least.
When people walk by the house, or even neighbors in their own yard that she can see when I am outside with her to go to the bathroom or something, she barks at, tries to run over to to bark at closer, which I don't allow, I put the leash on her and gets so distracted by it, won't do anything she came out to do, just barks at them until I have to bring her in.
She is fine on walks, greets people politely, this only happens around her "territory." As in our house and at work when she comes there with me.
Okay am I overreacting and this is normal? Is it just part of adolescenthood / puppyhood? Do you guys think she is acting out of fear, or is she just protecting our house (in her mind.) And any suggestions?
Things to keep in mind:
1. She hasn't been spayed yet. That was supposed to be on the agenda this week, but she went into heat. She will be spayed as soon at it ends, but for now she is confined to the house
2. She is very food drivin. But when I train her with food, she always expects it and whines and acts really bratty until she gets her way (or so she thinks, I don't cave into her whining for something)
3. She is a very sensitive dog. She always has been. I got her at 8 weeks and she has always been really over dramatic. When she falls she screams like she is being beaten senselessly, or when she doesn't sit and I push her butt down (there is no way I could be hurting her) she does that as well, it's great in public!
4. She has never had any formal training, but was socialized correctly, I brought her EVERYWHERE when I first got her, and still do, although now that it's cold, there aren't as many people around outside and we can't go to the outside restaurants we went to when it was warmer with her. And I have trained all my dogs before her without any problems, even from bad situations. Anyway, she is getting formal training in about a month with a friend that I trust who is now at a dog training school in San Fransisco.
I am sorry this is so long, I am just trying to give all the information about this that I can think of.