taming the alpha dog

[ValleyGal]

I have a dog that has a fear-based bark. It's been a terrible challenge trying to get him to have some self control over his barking. I let people know it's fear-based, but I'm sure it doesn't feel fear-based to the people he barks at. Typically it's harmless. He barks then hides behind me. He might stretch his nose out and try to sniff whoever I'm talking to, but he's a little scaredy cat.

Tonight was no different. My son and I had to get out of the house for about two hours this evening due to strong gas smell. So we were all outside, and the dog barked at the few people he didn't know - and was not bad with the people he did know. Then the gas guy arrived. He went crazy with his barking. I picked him up - and even holding him, he barked. He went really crazy barking when the gas guy came into the house. And then at the end of everything, I had to sign so I put dog on the ground, and he lunged at gas man. :shock:

This dog seems over-attached and over-territorial. How do I train this out of him???

 

[Lamb]

Have you taken him to obedience school? A friend of mine used to take all of her dogs and she would say, "No noise!"

If he knows other commands maybe distract him by having him Sit or Roll Over. Make sure that you remain alpha.

 

[ValleyGal]

I forgot I was even on this forum. lol!

I did a little searching around about alpha dogs. You're right. I have to become the alpha dog. I started with taking him for walks. He used to walk loose-leash, but when he really has to go badly, he will pull on the leash. Danny the dog man or whatever his name is, says to not let him lead. I have to go first, so now I hold the leash closer and I walk a step ahead of him. There are other tricks, too, like when he barks, I have to show him outside to prove it's okay, and tell him "it's okay". Eventually he will not bark. I also have to be careful about what behaviours I am rewarding. If he barks to go outside, I have to wait until he stops barking before I take him out, for example. Otherwise, I am rewarding the barking. Also, when he gets all riled up and energetic when barking, I can't react out of being startled...I need to stay calm, then get him to sit and then put a couple of fingers into his collar until he calms down.

I had no idea there was so much involved in being a pack leader. lol

 

[Lamb]

Those all sound like they'll work!!

My mom's dogs tend to be barkers and she yells at them all the time. She won't really work with them to get them to behave since they do rule the roost. But she did have me do something differently when I come over so they don't bark and jump at me. I have to ignore them. I'll cross my arms and turn my back to them when I walk in the door. They know I won't pet them until they shut up. It works LOL

 

[NewCreation435]

I noticed in some pet stores I have been in where they have stress jackets that animals can wear to help keep them calm. I wonder if his wearing one of those would help. I have thought about getting one for my cat since she seems to have problems with anxiety at times.

 

[tango]

Something that worked well with my cat (and may work for your dog, depending on the relative size of you and the dog) is to hold him by the scruff of the neck and push him into the ground. The idea is that when he was a kitten if the mother cat decided one of the kittens was getting a bit unruly she'd do that sort of thing to assert her authority, so you're putting yourself into the place where you dominate them and force them to submit.

For a while our cat decided it wanted to challenge my wife for supremacy, but when she started to grab him and force him to submit he soon learned his place. Now if he gets a little ahead of himself one of us will force him to submit.

If you're in a situation where you weigh 60 pounds and the dog weighs 150 it's probably not going to work out too well but if you're big enough to force the dog to submit that may help in some situations (the idea isn't to cause any pain at all, just make it clear you are the dominant one).

 

[ValleyGal]

Lamb, I do that when we are playing and he accidentally bites a little too hard. I'll try that when I come home, too, since he does claw at me the second I'm in the door. He will walk behind me on his hind legs and claw the back of my thighs. You've got a great idea to try the ignore thing with that, so that's next on my list of how to become the alpha.

Jsimms, I have one of those anxiety jackets for him. I would put it on him before leaving for work, and he learned what the jacket meant and became upset every time I put it on him. I stopped using it, and now rather than bark all day, he goes into his crate when I leave and only comes out to bark if something really disturbs him. So in one sense the jacket worked, but now he knows what it means and is anxious about it. lol. Thanks for the suggestion!

Tango, thanks for the input. I think cats and dogs have different language. I was raised on a farm with a lot of cats (mouse control), I have done what you are talking about - gently pushing their neck to the ground for a few seconds, but I can not imagine doing that to my dog. I'm big and he's little, so that's not the issue. I'm just not sure it's a dog's language, is it? Plus, I'm not the "forceful" type so much as I am the "positive reinforcement" type. But I'll look around and see if that is a part of their language. If it is, I might be able to convince myself it's something I should do.

 

[tango]

Lamb, I do that when we are playing and he accidentally bites a little too hard. I'll try that when I come home, too, since he does claw at me the second I'm in the door. He will walk behind me on his hind legs and claw the back of my thighs. You've got a great idea to try the ignore thing with that, so that's next on my list of how to become the alpha.

Jsimms, I have one of those anxiety jackets for him. I would put it on him before leaving for work, and he learned what the jacket meant and became upset every time I put it on him. I stopped using it, and now rather than bark all day, he goes into his crate when I leave and only comes out to bark if something really disturbs him. So in one sense the jacket worked, but now he knows what it means and is anxious about it. lol. Thanks for the suggestion!

Tango, thanks for the input. I think cats and dogs have different language. I was raised on a farm with a lot of cats (mouse control), I have done what you are talking about - gently pushing their neck to the ground for a few seconds, but I can not imagine doing that to my dog. I'm big and he's little, so that's not the issue. I'm just not sure it's a dog's language, is it? Plus, I'm not the "forceful" type so much as I am the "positive reinforcement" type. But I'll look around and see if that is a part of their language. If it is, I might be able to convince myself it's something I should do.

I suspect a mother dog would do something similar to the puppies to keep them in line. The idea isn't to hurt or harm, just to prove who is boss by forcing submission to the stronger (alpha) individual. But I'm not really a dog person so can't say for sure

 

[Imalive]

Plus, I'm not the "forceful" type so much as I am the "positive reinforcement" type.

Maybe this works, but the gas guy has to cooperate:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bFfHU_a-rnY

 

[ValleyGal]

Thanks, knowit! That's actually a good idea. I might just invite everyone I know to an open house, bake some goodies to attract them so they want to come, and then have instructions posted on the door. That's a really interesting idea and might just work! I'll give that some thought. I need to finish my spring cleaning before that happens, but I do like the idea!