Kirska

Lila has started guarding the couch when she is on it. When she is up there and another dog acts as if they want to get up she growls at them and sometimes will bark at them.

When this happens I pick her up and put her on the ground and invite the other dog up.

What is the correct way to curb this behavior? Her foster mom said she was protective of her crate, but we don't have crates for the dogs.

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Mom to Anabelle and Lila, rescued ladies and Harley, Corgi/Beagle/Basset/?? mutt

"Saving just one dog won't change the world, but it surely will change the world for that one dog." - Richard C. Call

Jnfr

I have no expertise in behavioral issue, but to me it sounds like a good start. However, I defer and refer you to Mikey...... Mikey, take it away!

barneysmom2510

Funny i have the exact same problem my two doxies will snap and growl and charge Barney if they are next to me on the couch. It has gotten much worse so I look forward to seeing the advice you get. Spray bottle worked for me but I know this is not the best way. Barney grabbed it one day and chewed it up and we were right back at square one.

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-LISA


Mini daschunds Sadie Lou & Daisy dukes
Chihuahua Lola
Bassett Hound Barney

Jnfr

I had a cat at one time that was behaving badly. I kept a coke can with pebbles in it and when she acted up I would shake it (what a racket). I know, apples and oranges, but it did seem to help. The noise did get her attention and stop the behavior in its tracks. Just a thought....

jaleely

I think you've got the right idea. Maybe try telling her no and she has to get down, even when another dog gets up there. Or like, tell her no, she has to get down, then YOU sit there. You're the boss, and can decide who sits where! lol

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Baby Bowsah's Bwog

GrismanHound

Try reinforcing calm behavior on the couch using treats and a "yes" or clicker. When you both are alone on the couch and she is acting calm, and laying down, mark the behavior and treat. The treat might get her excited, show her you have no more treats, give her a quick pat, wait till she is laying and calm, mark and treat. You are just trying to reinforce a natural behavior, not asking for a behavior or forcing it. Do this often for a few days/week. You will hopefully get to the point where she will stay down, calm, and attentive. You should be able to repeatedly mark and treat with no reset time, only increasing the time between markings so she understands there is duration to hold this position. At this point the natural behavior becomes a game. When you begin playing the game, ask hep up onto the couch and wait for the behavior before interacting with her further. You will notice that the time between getting on the couch and offering the calm/down behavior will become shorter.

After that, when you are in the middle of playing this game with her, slowly have someone introduce another dog to the doorway of the room. This dog should be on a short leash. If she stays down and calm, mark and treat several times. Gradually move the second dog closer to the couch and repeat the reinforcing. It may take a few sessions before she understands the new game and the conditioning starts to set in. Don't forget to reward the distraction dog during this exercise. Eventually work up to having both dogs off leash while she continues to offer the calm behavior.

Mikey T

My answer is so! why is she expected to share? if this were a dog bone would she have to share with the other dogs, as dog bed, does she need to tollerate another dog laying next to her. seeWHY NOT TAKE CANDY FROM A BABY? (If he lets you!)
Examines manipulation as part of social life, and the dog's need for clear boundaries & leadership.[/url]


not likely to help and more likely to actual make things worse. Hears why. 1 You are admistering the punishment so at best it will only stop the behaviour in your presecence when you are not their and growl and barking works to prevent access by the other dog she is reward for the behavior and will continue.

2. Lilia is new if I am not mistaken, all the dogs are find out about each other their individual preferences , personal space ect. so that is part of what is going on. One they figure out lilia need more personal space they are likely to give it to her and not attempt to get on the couch when she is their. It is a two whay street lilia would not have to growl or bark if the other simple let her have the space she wants. The other is in dogdom as elsewhere in life possesion is 9/10 or more of the law so the dog that has someting has the right to retain it. By removing Lilia from the couch you are teaching the other dogs to prevoke lilia to bark or growl so they can take over the preferred couch space. Which mean they are more likely to continue the behavior rather than defer to her wish, By punishing one dog you are at the same time unfairly rewarding another and perhaps and equally if not ruder behavior in that not yielding personal space to another dog. This is a two or more dog dynamic you can not focus simply on one dog and expect the problem to go away.

No if you want to end the behavior you need to make it worth it to lilia to share. there are a couple way to do this ie reward her when she and another dog are on the couch. Yopu can use Grismanhound technique if need be to speed the process along of getting two dog on the couch ie lilia and another dog without a ruccus. At the same time ignoring her when she has it alone. You also want to do this not just with the couch be at other times as well. ie rewards occur only in the presence of the other dogs Reward is is not simply food but pats, attention, play etc.

different situation especial if they do not do so when you are not on the couch, they are not guarding the couch but you. the way to hand it is simply leave. they bark, growl you leave they will soon learn that is not the way to get your attention. Also the reward only when barney is around would help. Ie the doxies on cet attention and pet from you on the couch ewhen barny is around and slowly work to only when barny is on the couch too. Grant this is hard to do. because we human lapse into old habit but that is why the behavior occurs in the first place. same for the rude obnoxious butting in dog. Why do dogs do this. becvause they learned a sure sign of being able to get a pet or attention is if another dog is. if ignore that behavior and teach a more appropraitte sit and wait your turn in the first place life would often be easier in multi dog households.


Keep in mind my perspective on using punishment for any time of warning behavior is certainly formed from Mariah. Who was a bite first ask question later dog that we got from rescue. it was clear she was punished for growling. very effecftively so , so effective se no longer growled did not change the underlying emotional state so she was left with esculating even higher. rather than communicating and avoiding a confrontation.

barneysmom2510

Mikey they also do it all the time when they are on the floor and Barney comes around is that to show him they are the boss? I notice the behavior has increased over the last few weeks. Could this be because Barnet\y ias not fixed and he has a scent. They are all spayed so mayed.be his scent makes them feel threaten

__________________
-LISA


Mini daschunds Sadie Lou & Daisy dukes
Chihuahua Lola
Bassett Hound Barney

Mikey T

testorone levels in a adolescent male are higher than in an adult but it more likely to to his age but some speculate testosterone levels do play a part in the loss of puppy license
see Social Hierarchies
[quote]However, in the early affirmative action tests with two-month-old puppies starting in possession of the bone, adult females never expropriated the bone and adult males only did so in 40% of the tests. By the time the 'pups' were six months old, however, adult females expropriated the bone in 60% of tests and adult males always took it away. It was apparent that adult dogs, bitches especially, showed leniency towards young pups in social situations. The termination of this 'puppy license' is cued by rising testosterone levels in male pups at four- to five-months of age, which reach a peak around 10 months (4-5 ng/ml) before declining to adult levels (1-2 ng/ml). When puppies approached adolescence, they were continually harassed by adult dogs. Male adolescents were especially targeted by adult males. This stressful phase of social development is mercifully short, because the pups quickly learn to display active and exaggerated appeasement in order to allay harassment by adults, i.e., the pups learn their station in life before they become serious competition on the social scene.[/url]

http://labrescueblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/puppy-license-and-its-loss.html[/FONT]]The Puppy License and its loss

Mikey T

At least in the scent hound breed I know females tend to harass the males anyways regardless of age