Sometimes it seems like, “Let’s play!” or, “I’m excited!” age 4 months.Īfter initially trying to scold her (verbally, NOT physically I know the latter is a primate behavior, not a canine behavior!), I slowly figured out she wasn’t being aggressive so much as just communicating…although we’re not always sure what she’s trying to say. old terrier mix (some have guessed Patterdale/Jack Russel), who’s done this ever since shortly after we adopted her, at approx. Sounds to me like maybe your pitty is simply more vocal than most dogs? She and her husband Paul and an ever-changing number of dogs, horses, and other animal companions live on their 80-acre farm in Fairplay, Maryland. She also founded Peaceable Paws Academies for teaching and credentialing dog training and behavior professionals, who can earn "Pat Miller Certified Trainer" certifications. Pat has earned a number of titles from various training organizations, including Certified Behavior Consultant Canine-Knowledge Assessed (CBCC-KA) and Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA). She continually studied the art and science of dog training and behavior during that time, and in 1996, left MHS to start her own training and behavior business, Peaceable Paws. She spent the first 20 years of her professional life working at the Marin Humane Society in Marin County, California, for most of that time as a humane officer and director of operations. WDJ's Training Editor Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, grew up in a family that was blessed with lots of animal companions: dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, goats, and more, and has maintained that model ever since. Good places to start your search are, , or my own trainer referral lists at. If you need help to create and implement a behavior modification protocol, contact a qualified behavior professional who is experienced and successful in modifying aggressive behavior with positive, dog-friendly techniques. (For much more detail about CAT programs, see “ Modifying Aggressive Behavior,” May 2008 WDJ.) One way to do this is to use counter-conditioning and desensitization to convince him the bad thing is a good thing (see “ Reducing Your Dog’s Anxieties,” April 2007 WDJ).Īnother way is through the careful use of negative reinforcement as in a Constructional Aggression Treatment (CAT) program to teach him a new behavioral strategy when presented with the discomfort-causing stimulus. Institute a behavior modification program for your dog to change his opinion about the thing that made him growl. The more stressors you can remove overall, the less likely he is to growl the next time you do whatever it was that elicited the growl this time. This explains why he may growl at you today when you do something, but he didn’t growl last week when you did the exact same thing. Keep in mind that stress causes aggression, and stressors are cumulative it’s not just the immediate stimulus that caused your dog to growl, but a combination of all the stressors he’s experienced in the past few days. Harsh verbal or physical punishment, an outburst of aroused barking at the mail carrier, fence fighting with another dog. A loud argument between you and your spouse could stress your dog as well as you, and your stress is stressful to your dog. The vacuum cleaner is a common stressor for dogs. Noise-phobic dogs might be under a strain if city crews have been digging up a nearby street with heavy equipment or there was a thunderstorm last night. Evaluate the stressors in your dog’s world and reduce or eliminate as many of them as possible.įor example, if your dog is unaccustomed to strangers, then having your sister and her husband and three kids as houseguests for a week would undoubtedly stress your dog. If you don’t have to do whatever it was that elicited the growl, don’t – until you can convince him that the activity in question is a good thing rather than a bad thing. Have someone else feed him treats or use a Licki Mat while you touch, groom, or restrain him. Lure him rather than physically pushing or pulling him. Try to get your dog to behave without eliciting a growl. Explore ways to get your dog to do something that does not elicit aggressive communication. Why is your dog growling? Does he growl when you touch or groom him? Growling when restrained? Does your dog growl when making direct eye contact? How about when you take something away from him? Or making him do something? If your dog is growling at you all of a sudden, try to determine what has changed in your shared environment. Wait until he relaxes, then move away, so you’re rewarding the relaxed behavior rather than the growl. If his growl doesn’t mean a bite is imminent, stop what you’re doing but stay where you are. If your dog’s growl threshold is near his bite threshold – that is, if there’s not much time between his growl and his bite, get safe. Don’t push your dog over his tolerance threshold.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |