I don’t know where to begin

[411]

Hi All,

 

Shamus is a 1 year old, 18 lb terrier mutt rescue that we’ve had since about 12 weeks old. He has been a great dog, except when he began showing barking at the window to people going by, getting worse as guests (known and unknown) come into our house. I hit the “enough” point last night when we had friends over and he barked all evening, even nipping my male friend in a way that was not playful.

 

I understand at this point that we don’t have enough control over him and he’s running wild trying to protect his territory (?). Barking at people/dogs/bike riders is also an issue on walks. So I don’t know where to begin with correcting him. Here are some details.

 

-I am a first time dog owner, so trying to follow loving instincts with how I treat him but realize I don’t know what I am doing. I am overwhelmed by so much conflicting training advice so I hope this can be the one gentle loving course that will help me train him :)

-He took a puppy course at 6 months and is decent with come, sit, stay (sort of on stay).

-He is not crate trained and sleeps with us.

-There are 4 of us in the house and it’s hard to have consistency with how he is treated. Me, husband, my mother, and my daughter who is 6.

-Because of the above, training hasn’t moved beyond basics and those commands aren’t given consistently every day.

-I work out of the house 2 days a week so he is home with my mom, who will never be a consistent or strong leader for him.

-Obviously we need to be able to leave him home alone without barking however I have strange feelings about creating an animal for several hours. It doesn’t feel right to me.

-I believe he shows me respect by sitting in my presence, being calm when I come home and waiting for me to greet him, waiting to eat until I say it’s ok. But he doesn’t show anyone else the same, and it’s very hard to redirect him once he’s worked up from the anxiety of a person coming in our house.

 

Thank you for any help on getting me started. And I realize I have done many things wrong...feeling very badly about that. Ashamed almost :(

[Adrienne Farricelli]

When dealing with behavior problems as such, this falls under behavior modification more than dog training. Sure, dog training can help in getting the dog to better contol his impulses, but behavior modification should come first considering that the initial goal is to change the dog's emotions. Once the dog's emotions are changed, than training can be incorporated since the dog is less worried about the whole situation, under threhold and better able to cognitively function ( in other words, better able to redirect and perform behaviors like sit, stay etc in face of strong distractions).

 

If your dog is running wild trying to protect his territory and has even reached the point of nipping your friend, I would suggest for safety and correct implementation of behavior modifitication to consult with a behavior professional at once. These problems tend to get worse rather than better if not tackled quickly. Look for one who uses humane, force-free behavior modification methods.

 

For your particular situation, an exercise that contains elements of behavior modification (and therefore changing the emotions towards people approaching the home) is the "Look at that" exercise. Repeated often enough, this exercise can provide you with a starting point for changing the emotions towards people walking by the window. You can find this exercise here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/university/look-at-that/ A disclaimer is warrented here though: Be very careful, touching your dog at any time that he's acting territorial or overly aroused can put you at risk for a re-directed bite. You may need a behavior professional to initially help you out for safety and coreect behavior modification implementation.

 

When you aren't actively working on changing the emotions towards triggers at the window, you need to manage your dog's environment so that he doesn't rehearse the troubleome behavior of barking at triggers out of the window. This would mean preventing access to windows when you are not around and unable to redirect him to your smacking sound. This doesn't necessarily mean crating him, if he doesn' get too much in mischief you can keep him in the bathroom (perhaps remove toilet paper rolls to prevent them from becoming his favorite toys) or in a pen in the kitchen or anywhere he can't access windows.

 

Unfortunately, with behavior modification and training, deep consistency is a must, so you will have to have everybody on the same page when it comes to redirecting his behavior as often as needed. If others in your family can't comply, he's better off being prevented from accesssing windows altogether either by putting window film or other means.

 

After practicing "look at that" from windows and obtaining a positive emotional response (oh, look a person walking by, where's my treat!, where's my treat!) then you would have to move on to getting him less anxious when people come over the house. This is, again, where a behavior professional comes handy. There are always risks for bites to guests and even family members when arousal levels are so high.

 

Also, the professional can act as starting point by assessing your dog and getting your dog initially used to having him/her in the house and then moving on to having organized set-ups having people over who are instructed to follow particular guidelines (never look directly at the dog, or try to give the dog attention, people who don't move fast and act very calmly and sit down on the couch). Dangers for bites are higher when people enter and exit the home or get up from sitting and walk around the house. The dog should be initially kept on leash for safety, but the dog owner must always watch the dog for signs of stress and prevent him from being over threhold. The dog should be kept initially at distance from guests (desensitization) and then once that "sweet spot" where he is less worried is found, he should be fed treats anytime the guest performs a behavior that the dog finds intimidiating (counterconditioning) .

 

In order to work on his triggers, first it would important to find out what exactly are the dog's triggers. A behavior professional coming into your home, again, can help individualize these. They might not be outright obvious to the untrained eye. It may look like a dog is barking non-stop when in reality the dog is reacting to the person's tone onf voice, coughing, the person's movements (leaning forward), gesticulating etc.

 

To better understand what may going on in a territorial dog's mind, I suggest starting with the following reads:

 

-Here is a general read about territoriality in dogs. It might not always look like it, but most territorial dogs are acting out of fear: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/overprotective-at-home/

 

-If your dog is unable to be redirected when he sees triggers from the window and is very anxious when guests are over, he is over threshold. Read about dog threshold levels here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/

 

-Learn to recognize signs of fear and stress:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/signs-fear-stress-dogs/

 

-A dogs threshold levels often reduce if the dog is given distance from the trigger and is exposed gradually in a systematic manner to his triggers. This gradual, step-by- step approach is known as desensitization, read more about desensitization here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/desensitization/

 

-Behavior modfication works best when desensitization is combined with counterconditioning. You want to present triggers at a distance and gradually expose to them while also making great things happen when the trigger is present. One of the most powerful ways to do this is by feeding high-value treats that are only given during behavior modification exercises. Creating these powerful associations falls under counterconditioning, read more about it here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/counterconditioning/

 

-A helpful form of counterconditioning is the open bar/closed bar method. To make it clear that people approaching the home or guests are what make treats happen, treats are fed when people are walking by and no more treats are fed when the people have gone out of sight. You can read about this powerful method here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/open-bar-closed-bar/

 

-Before having guests over, it may help to desensitize to door bells or knocks

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/behavior-training/barking/doorbells-knocks-on-doors/

 

-Next, it would be important to tackle guests entering the door or room:

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

 

-Once progress is made up to the point of having guests over, the treat and retreat game can turn helpful to help him gain trust:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/treat-retreat-game/

 

-The treat and retreat game is important to avoid appraoch/avoidance behaviors:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/approach-avoidance/

 

-Learn how many dogs don't bite out of the blue in most cases:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/dogs-dont-bite-blue/

 

-And why growling should never be suppressed in dogs:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/growling-never-suppressed-dogs/

 

-And of course, provide your dog with sufficient levels of exercise, training and brain games. Work on increasing his impulse control and frustration tolerance starting from a quiet room where he is calm:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/impulse-control-frustration-tolerance/

 

I hope this helps! Please don't feel bad or ashamed for doing things wrong. We are all here to learn and I have been there personally.

Best,

Adrienne

 

 

Disclaimer: Behavior modification comes with risks. Some dogs are overly aroused when they are defending their territory. This is why you sometimes see dogs fighting when they see a trigger, they just gets so aroused, their adrenalin is pumping and they redirect on each other, which triggers a scuffle. The same thing can happen to humans. If your dog is overly aroused and you touch him or interfere, this can put you at risk for a bite. This is why your best bet is to consult with a professional. A professional will help you work under threshold so your dog is calmer and you are safer. Look for a professional who does not use pain or intimidation, as you want your dog to trust you and look forward to seeing triggers without stress.

Edited October 23, 2018 by Adrienne Farricelli

[411]

Thanks for the quick reply! I contacted some local trainers to see about getting help. Would you agree or disagree with my strategy below as an intermediate until I get more personalized help?

 

Start crating him for 20-30 minutes 4x a day with a crate only treat (so he gets used to being confined). He already uses his crate as a bed during the day, I just have never used it to confine him for any reason.

 

Crate him before I answer the door. (While also practicing at other times the look at this game).

 

I’m just not sure if good behavior in the crate should ever be rewarded or not. I think I’ve read not to, but it seems similar to rewarding when closed in a room and not whining or barking. So I would think a treat for calm behavior is good while in there?

Edited October 21, 2018 by 411
Typo

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Management is ideal for now when people are coming over so that your dog doesn't rehearse the problem behaviorm, become anxious and for safety. There are several ways: close the dog in safe room, crate, play pen, keep in the yard etc.

 

If your dog has been using the crate as a bed during the day, he likely enjoys it, but sometimes things can get a bit challenging when we close them in it. Being that he is one year-old and not a new puppy, and therefore not a blank slate, it is very important therefore to ensure the dog forms positive associations in being closed in it gradually.

 

If the experience for some reason becomes unpleasant (kept in there for too long, too hot, too cold, exposed to scary noises, anxious), there are risks some negative emotions may take place and he may stop going to sleep there voluntarily during the day. If you choose to use the crate, for the first times closing him in it, I suggest starting by giving him a longer-lasting "treat" such as stuffed Kong or bully stick to work on if he can use these safely and start with brief periods of time. Right now, 20-30 minutes may be too long to start with if he was never confined in it.

 

You can find a video series on conditioning dogs to like the crate here:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/video-archive/love-the-crate/

 

Yes, you can reward him for acting good in the crate, just make sure you do not reward when he is actively whining or trying to get out of it by opening the door or giving attention as this will reinforce these behaviors. And of course, if he is whining and trying to get out, that's often an indication that more work is needed to getting him to enjoy being crated in the first place. Also, make sure all his needs are met before closing (he has gone potty, drank, was exercised etc) so that you know he isn't whining for physiological reasons.

Edited October 22, 2018 by Adrienne Farricelli

[JMFS]

I hear you on conflicting advice! I finally decided to go with Adrienne's program and block out all the others. That way I'll be consistent. So far so good. :)

 

I have an aggressive dog, Momo. He's the polar opposite of Gertie, who's happy-go-lucky. Same as you, I've had Momo since he was just a wee pup, he's 8 now, and he was my first dog. He's always had issues with food, rawhides, and toys that hold food. Up until recently I'd managed it, despite having other people in the house. My rule is, "if you're not on board with the training, leave the dog alone." It's not ideal, but it does limit the inconsistent training. I'm really the only one who trains around here - everyone else expects the dogs to magically understand them, lol. Lately, though, his aggression has increased and he's snapped at me several times, the pool guy twice, and he's been seen growling, barking, and biting at the lawnmower when the guys come to mow. I don't know if the lawnmower maybe kicked up something that hit Mo, or if one of the guys did something (I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt - I've had conversations with all of them and they are nice fellows, but I can't entirely rule it out due to the sudden increase of aggression).

 

If your dog is running wild trying to protect his territory and has even reached the point of nipping your friend, I would suggest for safety and correct implementation of behavior modifitication to consult with a behavior professional at once. These problems tend to get worse rather than better if not tackled quickly. Look for one who uses humane, force-free behavior modification methods.

This is exactly where I'm at with Mo so you're not alone! I did So many things wrong when I raised him. Wrestled, played tug of war, bopped him on the nose when he snapped at me over a rawhide (the first time it was a mixture of surprise and thinking it would be like smacking a child's hand away from a burner - dogs look at it Totally different so I utterly screwed that up). I did it a few more times until I realized it wasn't helping, etc . . .. I had plenty of people tell me that nose bopping was the correct thing to do, which is why I kept on. When I realized he was getting worse I stopped giving him rawhides altogether. I didn't have money for a behaviorist back then so the best option my Vet had for me was to eliminate triggers.

 

He's über smart and hyper so I have to be on my toes with him. Terriers are also smart - think of all the "trick" dogs you see - a lot of them are terriers. :) Mo knows, and unerringly executes, sit, stay, play dead, all the way dead (he puts his head down), shake hand, shake body (after baths), high five, back up, turn around, and a few others I haven't had him do for a while. Though a dog is great with commands it doesn't mean he's going to have great manners. He steps on my feet (a show of dominance), he hunches forward when I'm filling his food bowl (he's ready to snatch it up), he sneaks in a couple bites when I call the dogs in from playing (utter lack of respect), he follows my hand when I go to pet him (lack of trust), he "guards" me at the dog park (he's claiming me as his property - dominance), and I've been unable to get him to roll over (lack of trust or he's just not comfortable with it).

 

There, my dirty laundry is aired - it's uncomfortable to admit to the nose bopping now that I know how detrimental it was to Mo's behavior. I thought you might gain peace of mind knowing someone else is having trouble that goes beyond training (it's not just you!) so I pushed through the discomfort because I understand how unsure you feel with how to handle it. I have opened communication with a behaviorist, but the responses are Very slow to come and I'm Trying to be patient. Our area is filled with alpha mentality trainers (part of the problem with how I raised Momo) and it's tough to find a force-free person here so it is what it is. She's going to schedule a consultation, which is $50, and if we go forward with a training package that $50 will be applied to the package. I figured you might like to get an idea of what cost and procedure is for that. I take the dogs on the 24th for their comprehensive exams and will be talking to the Veterinarian about it as well so he can rule out any health issues. I'm also hoping they might have a couple more names for me Just in case.

 

I hope that helps. We love our little guys, but they can be emotionally, mentally, and even physically draining when they have behavior issues and it's nice to have support and understanding.

[411]

Thank you Jennifer for the advice!! There is so much to sort through, and just not enough time in the day! At the very least we now understand what direction to go in, and I have reached out to a trainer that I think can help :)