Copyright 2006 Pet Meds Online.Org
How does
the guarding instinct of a dog manifest itself from simple barking to
downright dangerous behavior such as biting a welcome stranger who has
been invited into our home? Surprisingly, the breed of the dog is
not so much important as the upbringing the dog receives from its
owner(s).
Most puppies of up to six months or over are boisterous and friendly to all, and that is how it should be. But if they are put out into the yard for long periods to find their own amusement, they will probably become scrappy and bark at everyone for a long time. The reason for this is that the early, developing mind of a dog doesn’t know whom or what to guard. But when kept in the house with its owner, the place to be guarded is quite plainly defined in the dog’s brain.
Most puppies of up to six months or over are boisterous and friendly to all, and that is how it should be. But if they are put out into the yard for long periods to find their own amusement, they will probably become scrappy and bark at everyone for a long time. The reason for this is that the early, developing mind of a dog doesn’t know whom or what to guard. But when kept in the house with its owner, the place to be guarded is quite plainly defined in the dog’s brain.
The yard, however, is a very different matter,
especially in a built up area with many people passing by. At first the
dog is quite good, only barking at people who actually enter the
premises. But to his delight, he finds that they pause when he
barks, and he begins to feel superior and important. This is
where his lack of respect towards mankind is established.
Next, he
tries barking at people walking down the street, and at passing cars,
bikes, etc. Then he gets bolder, and as a deliveryman
enters the gate, he approaches him barking. The deliveryman
automatically raises whatever he is carrying into the air, which the
dog interprets as weakness. His ego grows, his fierceness
increases, and now people who enter the gate find quite a nasty dog
barking at them, one who refuses to stop barking even when told to by
his owner. Visitors will back out of the gate and shut it in his
face. That act alone annoys the dog, and the result is, he will
more than likely bite the next deliveryman that comes in. This is how a dog goes from a loving puppy to a dangerous liability.
The key here is to train your dog from an early age that a few warning barks are okay to alert the owner that someone is approaching the house, but any further barking is not okay and will be reprimanded. Do this by keeping the dog with you in the house from an early age, give praise for the first few barks, but a reprimand (the method of reprimand is up to you, but a few quick tugs of a choke chain is effective, and does not hurt the dog) for any further barking. This will stop the cycle of aggression as explained above.
By M Adley
http://www.petmedsonline.org
The key here is to train your dog from an early age that a few warning barks are okay to alert the owner that someone is approaching the house, but any further barking is not okay and will be reprimanded. Do this by keeping the dog with you in the house from an early age, give praise for the first few barks, but a reprimand (the method of reprimand is up to you, but a few quick tugs of a choke chain is effective, and does not hurt the dog) for any further barking. This will stop the cycle of aggression as explained above.
By M Adley
http://www.petmedsonline.org
Why Does My Dog Want To Bite Strangers?