Expert: Suzanne Harris BSc CPDT - 10/23/2008

Question
QUESTION: I would really like to get my dogs more socialized with people and other dogs.  I feel like they are getting very territorial and aggressive because they only see our family day to day.   We live in a smaller city (very spaced out), and there really isn’t anything like dog parks, or even people who walk there dogs.  (Since most people have an acre or so as a back yard).  Our oldest dog Harmony (9 years), has past aggression problems with people and other dogs.  Including a bite history.  She was = improving when we started doing daily walks and she got used to meeting people in the street (and having strangers feed her treats helped too :0P).  But now that we’ve moved away from the city, she’s regressed back.     And our youngest Jack (just turned 1 year), is a 90lb lap dog, but even he gets weirded out if we have company over.   Not to mention he’s just like a kid, and copies everything Harmony does.  It usually takes an hour to get them to stop barking, and then when the person moves it starts all over again.    What would you suggest we do? And my boyfriend worries about doing a 180, and making them TOO comfortable with strangers coming into our house or around us?   Is there a way to get a middle ground?  (If not I would rather them be nice to everyone than possible bite them).

Thanks  


ANSWER: Dear Christina,

I think for the next month you should put Harmony away when people visit, in order to let Jack learn his own way with strangers by creating happier associations with visitors.  Without Harmony's input, a 1-year old dog's behavior should be relatively easy to modify especially since he has not yet shown the kind of aggression you've seen with Harmony.  

Put a bowl of really yummy treats by the front door and instruct visitors to toss Jack a treat upon entering.  Visitors should not approach Jack or stare at him; they simply walk in casually and toss a treat in his general direction, say "good boy Jack" (you can say this too), and continue on as if nothing was happening even if he is barking.  Whenever possible, ask your visitor to follow you around the house in varying positions during their visit (such as standing, sitting, going into the kitchen, livingroom, etc.) all the while both you and the visitor are praising Jack and occasionally tossing him treats.

It would really help the situation as well if you can walk the dogs separately for a while, so that Jack's response to other dogs is not so much following his big sister's example as it is just his own reaction.  Bring yummy treats on walks (the softer and stinkier the better - pea-sized pieces of cold cuts, or cat treats that come in the ziplock foil pouches are good) and praise and treat him anytime a dog comes into view.  Don't be stingy:  Your goal is to teach him that when another dog is around, the bar is open no matter what his reaction.  That said, it helps if you can deliver treats to him before he starts aggressing at least 50% of the time.  

Do your best not to stress yourself when another dog comes around because he'll pick up on it.  Just keep up the praise and happy talk and treating and he'll learn that it's GOOD when other dogs come around.  After you do this for a month or so see if you can find someone with a similarly aged dog who Jack can have playdates with, since daycare and dog parks are not in your area.

With Harmony, it's going to be a tougher job for you.  Basically I'd do all the same things with her, but wait until Jack is doing better, and expect it to take considerably longer.  When she starts to be more comfortable around visitors, then I'd allow you to let them both in together again when visitors come.

Good luck and thanks for writing!
Suzanne Harris, BSc, CPDT
http://www.dogdaysUSA.com

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: What should we do if we don't have very many visitors?  Do you think this will still work?  Basically the dogs are only introduced to new people on average .... once every 3 months or so.  (Co-workers over...or a BBQ, B-day party etc)   We don't have many friends yet where we live, and most people stay to themselves in their homes (since they have acres as backyards, our neighbors don't really walk along the streets much, and almost never walk there dogs).    Just wanted to get your opinion on the situation.

Answer
Dear Christina,

It's going to be hard, if not impossible, to get them to behave confidently with strangers if you have such little opportunity to practice with them.  Since Harmony is already 9 and has actually bitten before, your safest bet with strangers at this point would be to keep her separate from them on the rare occasions that you entertain.  

With Jack, I'd do my best to take him on errands with you and anywhere you can to get him exposed to strangers, always bringing great treats and praising and treating him in the presence of strangers as instructed previously, gradually working toward the goal of having strangers giving him the treats.  Eventually it would be good if you can get strangers to actually get a sit out of him before he gets treated, but he has to be very comfortable with their presence first before you should try this, and he should be giving you immediate solid sits in the presence of strangers before you ever ask a stranger to request one.  Any time you can, practice any kind of obedience outside the home, even in the driveway, but also in locations away from the home.  I'm assuming your dog will obey you in the home in the presence of strangers, and you may need to work on this too.  You should work with him while your husband is walking around, talking loudly, flailing arms about or ringing the doorbell, opening the door, saying "Hi!" to invisible strangers, etc.  Jack needs to be able to obey and pay attention to you at home when distractions occur, and this is one way to get that when you don't have actual strangers to work with.

You can and should do this with Harmony as well, but expect it to take a lot longer and don't expect complete success unless you are extremely diligent.

If you find that as you live in this place longer you develop the ability to have more people over then by all means try what I recommended in the previous post.

Good luck and thanks for writing.
Suzanne Harris, BSc, CPDT
http://www.dogdaysusa.com