Boundaries?

[ManidaMorrell]

is it ok to allow your dog to sleep on the bed with you or sit on the couch next to you? Or does this confuse the leadership position?

[JMFS]

I used to be adamantly opposed to dogs in the bed. I can't stand the hair. However, Gertrude McGerterson (as my husband calls her) is a special girl and she swayed my opinion. One evening, maybe three days after she came home with us, I was brushing my teeth while Gertie hung out with the mister and Abbi. I finished my evening routine and went to climb into bed. But. There was a lump there. I thought, wth?! It was a Gertie. See, earlier that evening I had folded laundry on the bed and she kept wandering off so I put her on the bed to allow me to watch her every move while doing my chores. I suppose I'm the one to blame for setting this into motion . . .. She's been in the bed with us ever since. She and Abbi are allowed on the couches that have blankets protecting the fabric, Momo prefers the floor.

 

There hasn't been any change in how Gertie perceives us. Hubby's still a playmate and I'm still the holder of all things yummy and therefore the rule maker. :D Momo stays on his bed on the floor and we all prefer it that way - he loves being pet but he's not a cuddler. He's an independent sort of chap. Abbi stays on hubby's side of the bed because he allows her under the sheets (Dachshunds love to burrow) and nope, no way, not happenin' on My side of the bed. Gertie can be on top of the blanket, but not under the sheet. That's where I draw the line, no matter how special she is! I have a major aversion to dog hair and toe nail dirt getting in my sheets. Some folks don't mind - I definitely, undoubtedly, assuredly, and unequivocally Do mind. :D

[ManidaMorrell]

I have let Blue up on a couple of occasions and he doesn't seem to have changed that I can see (maybe in a subtle way that I don't see I don't know).

My let's her chihuahua on the couch, lap and bed and lately she has become quite aggressive with me. She growls as I walk into the room at times, she growls when on the bed, growls and bites if you put your hand in her grate or basket (good thing the bites don't draw blood. She never used to be this way. She's never been mistreated, we've had her since a pup. It's so frustrating.

[JMFS]

Dogs Can become possessive of people and things (lord don't I know about the things part with Momo . . .). Sounds like some counter conditioning might be in order. I was telling my husband tonight that I think it's interesting it's little dogs who seem to have the most behavioral issues. We notice it more in bigger dogs because they can do more damage and in little dogs it can be annoying but almost cute. Abbi is 9 pounds and when she grrrs it's flippin' funny. Before the arthritis set in she would growl at our hands and attack them if we flopped them around. Her bites were always quite gentle. With a larger dog, those bites may have hurt, though.

 

Putting fingers in her space I can understand getting grumpy about. If my husband was came over to me while I was chilling out and started poking at me you can bet I'd smack him. If I did the same to him, he'd love the attention. We're wildly different personalities and dogs are the same way. Gertie takes everything in stride. Tonight she was in the middle of her dinner and I asked her if she needed to go potty. She abandoned the food and happily followed me outside. No way in a frozen Hades would Momo even give me the time of day if that had been him instead (hence the Behaviorist).

 

Abbi will get protective of my husband, but that's pretty rare. I can pick her up and put her in my lap if I want to sit next to him. Now if I start poking him and making him jump around she'll puff up and act like she's out for blood so I don't do that often, but once in a while the husband lips off a little too much and must be tickled. It simply has to happen because if I let him get away with it, I've reinforced the behavior! :D

 

Jokes aside, these might help:

 

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/counterconditioning/

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/dog-barking-someone-enters-room/

 

Something else you can do is keep treats handy. When the chihuahua is being mellow, or if she looks at you without growling, give her a treat and mark the behavior with a "good girl," or whatever you like to use. If My normally feeds the chihuahua you might give it a go so the pup learns to further associate you with good things. When I first met Abbi she would bark her little head off and she even peed a couple times - she's an über submissive dog but has that little dog complex where she thinks she's 109 pounds instead of just 9 pounds. Now I'm the only one she listens to, lol. All it took was a couple, "sit pretty," requests (she has to curl her tail around her body, it's too adorable) and some high quality treats and she was putty in my hands.