territorial pooch

Hello,

We have a dog that we rescued from a puppy mill (she was a breeder). She is WONDERFUL but, goes crazy barking at dogs that walk by our house. Any tips on how to get her to be less territorial over our house (and the sidewalk in front of it)?

Thank you,
Embarrassed Pooch Mother

Hi Embarrassed Pooch Mother,

You are certainly not the only one out there! In a pack environment, the leader and the high-ranking “officials” take on the role of protecting the home front – and it sounds as though your pup has made herself Chief of Security.

It’s time for a demotion! Setting some new boundaries around the home, such limiting the number of toys she has, not allowing her on furniture, and limiting her space around the house when she’s home alone, can go a long way to help your dog view you as the Chief of Security, rather than the other way around.

Don’t worry, if you love snuggling on the sofa together, these rules don’t have to last forever – just until you see an improvement in her behavior, then she can start earning those privileges back. In the meantime, you can give your dog a different job to do – each time she sees another dog passing by, use a tasty treat to lure her attention back to you, ask her to sit, and give her a steady stream of treats until the other dogs is far enough away that she loses interest. With repetition and practice, looking to you and sitting for treats can become her new default response to seeing another dog.

Best of luck to you!

--Diana