Aggression in Dogs

reeta

Hi, have a 18 month old springer/cocker spaniel who we all adore. However when anyone rings at the door she goes mad barking etc and
trying to get out into the hall. I have read of ways to stop this (having
treats ready if she doesnt bark etc), but our main problem is if anyone she does not know comes into the house, she sits there growling and barking at them, with can be very embarrassing especially if your visitor does not have dogs and cant handle this at all. She is a well socialised dog, 3 walks a day, main walk in afternoon minimum of one and a half hours, I meet up with friends with dogs so she gets plenty of play with other dogs. .Yet she seems to be getting more nervous as the months go on. She only seems happy if there are just us (two adults two teenagers) in the house. She follows me everywhere I go which I dont mind. Would appreciate any advice on the problem of growling at people coming into the house as it really is starting to cause a problem. Other than that she is a fantastic smart dog

Vince32

I haven't experienced this first hand, my dogs were always greeting guests positively, but training like this for 30 mins a day for a week will greatly diminish the dog's tendency to bark or growl. This clip is an extreme example of aggression but as you will see even the most protective dog can have it's behaviour reversed.

When ever I have a problem with my dogs I look for a visual aid to show the correct way to complete the training and any possible mistakes an owner can make during the training sessions.

http://youtu.be/G8Y2Z_eXvys -
"It's me or the dog" - positive reinforcement.
"Caesar Milan - The Dog Whisperer" corrective training

Both ways are fine, some people think corrective training is bad because it hurts the dog, and all you need to remember is if you hurt the dog your doing it wrong.

Be the example for the dog, be its role model, stay calm and assertive, don't let it get away with its actions if they displease you. When the dog gets it right, "good boy / girl" and pet it under the chin, this makes the dog proud of itself and feel good for pleasing its master.

Keep the leash on indoors when there are guests over, and ask them to throw the dog a treat or its favourite toy, when the dog realises there is no "threat" it will stop it's aggression.

If you don't get a result inside a couple of days, ask a trainer to visit your home and help you correct the behaviour.

you can rent or download these series and they will be a good guide to why your dog acts the way it does infront of strangers.

Cherry Blossom

When people call to your house does the dog run to the door before they ring the bell? If so ask your visitors to post a treat through the letterbox before ringing the bell and another after ringing the bell. Put the dog on a lead while you answer the door. When the dog gets used to this routine you can start getting your guests to throw treats in the direction of the dog (when she is behaving) and she will soon learn to associate visitors with treats. You need to be completely sure that this behaviour is a result of fear and not the dog being territorial though. If you are embarrassed or annoyed by what your dog is doing she will pick up on this negative change of mood and associate it with the presence of the guest which only reinforces that she has good reason to be worried. Chill out and completely ignore her, don't even look in her direction and ask your visitors to do the same.

If her behaviour is territorial though I would advice enlisting help from a behaviourist (some pet insurance covers the cost of this) one session is often enough to find the source of the problem.

iguana

Have you thought about looking at it from your dogs point of view? Springers and cockers are great natural watch dogs but they make poor guard dogs, especially if they know their place in the pack is beneath you. When someone comes to the door your dog is alerting you to a possible intruder, an action which is in her nature. Then you get anxious/embarrassed/annoyed/etc and in the dogs eyes the reason for your discomfort is not her behaviour but the presence of the visitor. That makes the dog behave worse as she is anxious about the person who is making you anxious.

If someone knocks on my door and my dogs bark I call them back, tell them they are good boys and get them to sit behind me before I open the door. That way they have alerted me and I have praised them for doing so but have made it clear that I am now in charge of the situation. That way they have done their bit for the pack and feel both appreciated and secure about what is happens with the visitor.

This also ensures that any unwelcome visitors are aware that dogs are in the house.

reeta

Thanks for the advice guys. Last night I got her to sit behind me when I opened the door and she immediately calmed down. As for strangers coming in to the house I will make sure there are treats available for them to give her so she associates visitors with treats (if she doesnt growl at them). I know she is just trying to protect us in her eyes so I havent got annoyed with her but maybe she has picked up my anxiety over her barking. Will work with her on this over xmas and hopefully get a good result. Again thanks for the advice.