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Canine Behavior/Growling at strangers
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Question
i have a puppy, about 11 months old now. we have had her and her sister since she was about 8 weeks old. they are pitt-bull/rott mix. they are very friendly dogs but whenever a stranger walks in the house or someone knocks on the door, they both go nuts with barking. if they do not recgonize the person, they continue to growl for minutes. until the person has left their sight. they do not attack what so ever, in fact they usually run behind me or others that they know well and continue to growl.
what can we do to break this?
Hi, Josh,
Thanks for the question.
This is a pretty easy problem to fix, actually.
Whenever someone rings the bell, or if you know a friend or family member is coming over, put the dogs on the leash so you can have some physical control of them, and then lead them to the door. If they already know how to sit for a treat, take some treats with you, or have some available near the door. When you open the door, praise the girls (even though they're barking), hand the person outside some treats and have him or her ask the dogs to sit. Once they sit, they get the treat. That should help defuse some of the tension they're feeling. (If they don't know how to sit for a treat, you'll obviously need to teach them.)
Another helpful tip is that once the person comes inside, both dogs should be given a bone or a chew toy and told to "go to place." This command basically means that they go to their beds and lie down. If you haven't taught them this command, I suggest you do so. Also, they should each have a bed in the living room so they can be comfortable on the floor (not up on the furniture), and have their own space to lie on while you watch TV or talk to company, etc. The reason they're so barky and growly when people come through the door is that their instincts are telling them to bite the "intruders." But since they're like most dogs, meaning they really want to be friendly to everyone they meet, their urge to bite is being stifled. But the energy, and the need to bite something, is still there. That's why giving them a bone and telling them to go to place will help them calm down.
I hope this helps. If you need further clarification let me know.
LCK
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Answers by Expert:
Lee Charles Kelley
Expertise
I've been training dogs in New York City for nearly 20 years. My training approach and philosophy are based on the way police dogs, search-and-rescue dogs, and detection dogs are trained--through the prey drive, inherited from the wolf. It's true that there's been a shift away from using the "wolf model" in dog training recently, and to some extent, there's a good reason. That's because trainers have been using the wrong model, the one that says you have to be the "alpha" or the pack leader in order to control your dog's behavior. This simply isn't true. In wild wolves there is no dominance hierarchy, no "alpha" wolf, and no pack leader (not in the traditional sense). The pack instinct only exists to enable wolves to hunt large prey by working in harmony. (Wolves who live near garbage dumps, for example, and who don't hunt together, don't form packs.) So if wolves don't have an instinct to "follow the pack leader" or "obey the alpha wolf," how could dogs have inherited it from them?
Years ago, before I became a dog trainer, I noticed that the happiest, most obedient, and best-behaved dogs I met weren't the ones who'd been to a dog trainer or behaviorist; they were the dogs whose owners always had Frisbees and tennis balls on hand. And while it might seem that my approach would only be relevant to high-drive dogs who love fetch and tug-of-war, it isn't. Even something as seemingly unrelated as a housebreaking issue or greeting behavior are often the direct result of a dog's predatory energy not having an acceptable outlet.
All behavior is an expression of energy. So when a dog's energy isn't utilized in a way that feels satisfying to his or her instincts and emotions, that's when behavioral problems develop. Giving the dog an acceptable outlet for its energy will almost always bring the dog's behavior back into alignment with its instincts
Feel free to ask me questions about any training/behavioral issue.
LCK
Experience
20 years as a dog trainer. I'm also a bestselling author, writing a series of dog-related mystery novels for Avon.
Organizations
Dog Writers Association of America
Education/Credentials
Just a natural gift I have for understanding and training dogs
Past/Present Clients
Too numerous to mention.
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