Re: Aggressive/Barking -2

In Reply to: Aggressive/Barking -2
Posted by:  Stan Wilner
Posted on:  July 29, 2001 at 12:53:34

: Marie,
: thanks for your quick response. We are both very encouraged by your experience with your dog. We have already taken your advice and brought her ou to publec places including a Dog Park" we have here in town. Suprisingly, or maybe not, she was very good with dogs even thought she was the only dog on leash,and for the most part ignored the people. We are making it a point to have people come in to our house also.
: I just had a couple of questions; How should we react do when she acts up with the barking and growling? Second question;while I know no dog will react alike,I was wondering how long before you started to see improvement and how long before you felt he had gotten over his problem??

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Hi Stan,

Glad to hear that you are getting your girl out and about. Every time you do that you are one step closer to getting her to be a good canine citizen.

If she is barking and growling at home, I suggest stopping whatever the activity is and give her a time out, put her in her crate or in a separate room for about 10-15 minutes. Once you let her out don't let your guilt for making her have to "do time" cause you to over react and start petting her and such right away.

Discipline is negated if you praise and play with her immediately afterwards. Let her out of "puppy prison" but don't make a fuss over her. And remember if you let her out and she starts with the barking and growling again you keep repeating the process.

If she is barking and growling while you have her out. Leave where ever it us you are. Let her know that undesired behavior on her part will have a cause and effect. If she does it at the dog park, leave.

This is a somewhat slow process Stan but within several months of consistent working and discipline you should start to see marked improvement, and if all goes well by this time next year you will wonder if you have the same dog.

Time will vary from dog to dog but I have to say Brody was pretty much a changed dog within a year, but he is always a work in progress. He is even a different dog now than after the first year of working with him.

If Brody can do it so can your girl, just remember you have to be consistent, if you let them have their way once, you will take this process back several steps. This breed will continually test you to see what they can get away with.

Dogs crave humane discipline, they respond positively to leadership. Really most dogs want you to be their leader, it takes the pressure off of them so they can just be dogs.

Sounds like you are off to a great start!