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Post by Andreina on Jul 23, 2013 8:17:35 GMT -5
This has been on my mind for a couple of weeks now, especially because we are moving to a new house in a few weeks. I want to make sure we can properly introduce Scarlet to our new neighbours (leaving a good impression) and she won't freak when someone comes on our property. She is VERY protective of her people and house...
Each time someone walks by our house Scarlet does her big bark. I go in the room and tell her leave it and eventually she will stop with me standing in front of her making her sit and keep eye contact... This is the easier of the two situations.
Someone actually coming up to our house to knock on the door or enter, she barks at them, low grumble growls and hackles go up. I'm not sure if this is a protective instinct or a "fear" instinct, because I believe dogs do this as well when they are fearful of something.... It's very hard to get her to stop. We do sit stay, leave it, etc but she gets herself so worked up its hard to bring her back down. Not to mention the people coming in are crapping themselves while I try to tell them she IS friendly lol. Because she IS a friendly girl, never had an issue with her as most of you know her!
I'm trying to get her use to more people coming to the door so now I answer the door with her on lead and her e collar on. I have been allowing her to alert me that someone is there, and then I say ok leave it, lay down and stay while I answer the door. Her hackles go up, she will break her stay usually and I have to put her back down and step on the leash. This takes a couple of minutes... And even still her hackles stay up and she does a low grumble... I will sometimes have to correct her with the e collar as well if she is very high drive.
Now, If it's one of our friends or family that she has never met or doesn't come around too often it's the same thing... She gets worked up and barks like there is an intruder and I have trouble calming her down. What do I do in this situation? Am I handling it properly, allowing her to alert me once and then try to get her focused with obedience? Should I immediately stop her from barking and say no!? These people are now inside of our house and she is even more excited.
She is VERY protective of her house, and I want to make sure I am in complete control of her so thought I would throw this question out there to see what everyone else has experienced.
Do you all have a routine with your dogs while answering the door or introducing them to new house guests? Do they react by barking, etc.. or think nothing of it?
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Post by Lisa on Jul 23, 2013 15:33:13 GMT -5
Our dog walker trained Gino to greet her clients at her house. He gives a few barks before people allowed to enter the house and then stops. Asha is a high drive and very protective dog. She may barks when strangers enter the house. I have to grab her collar and say "That's OK Asha". Then she stops. They watch our reaction. They feel what we feel. IF I welcome a person she is OK... but there are expections.... sometimes she definitely doesn't like someone and starts barking again. As usual when door-to-door person is at the door I send my dogs to the crates or outside not to bother people.
A correct introduction is very important. Ask a person you want to introduce no eyes contact with a dog and no touch. You greet a person. Hold Scar next to you (grab the collar or use a short leash). Correct her using collar popup and don't focus on the dog. Let her to accept a stranger being friendly and relaxed. You are in control not a dog. Don't make fuss over the dog.... focus on a stranger. That's what I do. I would like to hear other ideas!
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Post by Andreina on Jul 23, 2013 15:54:37 GMT -5
Thanks Lisa... yes I think this is an interesting topic and I would love to hear more suggestions as to how other dogs react.
For example, someone came over who had been here a couple of times but she was not too familiar with them. We welcomed them in and told her it's ok. She was not on lead... She walked up, sniffed as she was still barking and had her hackles up. I could tell she was a little stressed as she was walking around huffing and puffing, so I put her in a down, released her a moment after and let her go sniff again. She realized after about 5 minutes that this person was OK and warmed up to them. After that, she wouldn't leave them alone and wanted all attention on her and getting pats. lol.
I am curious about this behaviour though and what it means? Is she stressed and scared when this happens which is why she is barking, huffing and has hackles up...?
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Post by Lisa on Jul 23, 2013 17:01:42 GMT -5
I think she is being protective. That's what Asha does. I would not put her in a down. That's submissive position and she may not be comfortable. Let her stand next to you and watch what you do. If she barks correct her and say "it's OK". Don't let her run and sniff people. She needs time to settle and accept new people in the house. People like to touch a dog head and that's the worst what they can do meeting a new dog.
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Post by dobermoms on Jul 23, 2013 21:11:12 GMT -5
Good question. With the two dogs, it is increasingly important that you get a routine "set", and you stick with it each and every time someone comes to the door---friend or not.
With the two dogs, when one barks, the other backs him/her by barking also. So, for us, before we open the door, we have to gain control of the dogs. If you ask a friend to help, practice setting "Scarlet up" by having them knock on the door----and then you can start your work. Using a leash is a good idea, as you know you can't correct Scarlet if you can't catch her. Using a mat may help also so you have a "place" for Scarlet to sit when you are ready to open the door...and she knows it is a safe place for her. As I read this to Kerrie, she yells out "hello"...and of course gets a response from Dante who barks, and then Kazi sits up and joins in....now they think that someone is arriving and go running to find the person....arghhh....now we have to get up off of the couch and go to work....lol. Then, after we are settled, she knocks on the wall behind her....and here we go again. lol.... So, you don't always have to set them up using your front door...you can knock on a wall, a window, have someone outside yell out hello....
As always, I suggest Monica chiming in here... "I" think the important things to remember.....follow the bark to the "door", acknowledge "good girl" then the leave it command--back her to her mat and do a sit-stay. Snap a leash on if you don't have one on her already, then proceed to the door. If she moves, forget opening the door, position her again, then proceed to the door. No doubt, the first few times (okay 40), she's going to break her stay, but she will eventually get it. Just remember to stay calm...and finish your commands.
All this from me......hahahahahhahahahahahahahahaha
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Post by Dobereich on Jul 23, 2013 21:36:13 GMT -5
Have to make this short and sweet, gotta get dogs out for a romp in this beautiful cool evening weather.
Tether Scarlet to you, she is to follow your command as you would expect in obedience. Inflicting pain (e-collar) or over correcting will only increase her anxiety and reaction.
When I greet people, I decide to greet, the dog is at my side and sees that I have accepted the person, so they usually do too.
If you do not have your hands free to do this, put her in the crate and let her out later... when things are much much calmer and your guests and you have had a chance to settle. Tell them to ignore her as she has to learn her manners in greeting people.
The other thing is that the person who isn't answering the door can have her tethered to them. Obedience commands, shake hands if not too weird, and tell her to sit stay as you converse. Its not all about Scarlet she will soon learn, she is to follow your lead, not take control.
With barking at the window. Go to the window before you correct. Rule is, investigate, appreciate, take control, enforce. This is a guard breed, they are suppose to alert you of something they see in the yard. The breed is also supposed to be aloof, and this is why one might notice their dogs are more more protective at home then they are out in public in neutral territory.
So when my dogs go to the window and Bark, I go, look, say good girl/boy. then when I see that nothing is there I tell the dog "OK' enough now, leave it". Heel away from the window, if they break heel then they get corrected for breaking heel. Remember what a dog thinks you are focused on isn't always what you are actually focused on. They don't think like we do, we need to understand the way they process information and communicate.
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Post by dobermoms on Jul 23, 2013 21:43:28 GMT -5
That's what I get for thinking out loud. Too true though....thanks Monica for clarifying what to do in these instances.
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Post by Andreina on Jul 23, 2013 21:53:00 GMT -5
Thanks guys, good info... What about hackles going up? Is this a normal reaction when they are being protective... Or is this a sign of uncertainty? Also the pacing and huffing and puffing..
Even when she sees someone walking by her hackles go up above her tail and on her neck. I tell her leave it and put her in heel and by this time the people are gone, she is still grumbling about it!
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Post by atikocut on Jul 24, 2013 0:05:44 GMT -5
Tuula used to be like this, but isn't anymore... I always found that she acted most aggressive with the people who were the most afraid of her, so now when people come to our house we tell them to just ignore her and that always seems to work (also, it helps that whenever someone comes into the house she greets them with a shoe in her mouth which probably makes her look less intimidating haha)
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Post by Lisa on Jul 24, 2013 13:08:06 GMT -5
LOL... shoe in the mouth helps for sure! Hackles may be caused by excitement, arousal, fears, aggression or just high interest. I see hackles on Asha way too often. It means I need to deal with it and calm her down. A dog in this state is unpredictable. I call her or come to her (depends where and how much she is involved) and say "It's OK" and gentle stroke her neck/back. It gives her my support/protection. She trusts me to take a responsibility.
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Post by hooligan on Jul 25, 2013 21:20:45 GMT -5
Jack has an incredibly loud and scary bark, and he doesn't hesitate to use it when the doorbell rings (or when another dog walks by the house).
But because he was such a hooligan puppy, we taught him from Day 1 to sit before he goes through the front door. We didn't want him rushing the door and out onto the street, and this has really paid off -- because sitting about six feet from the door is now a default behaviour for him. He knows that the door won't open until he sits.
So when someone comes to the door, he sits on command and holds the sit until released. And when released, he's always totally friendly and usually gives many of his huge smiles, even if he was barking like the hound from hell just a few minutes earlier. He absolutely loooves visitors.
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Post by dobermoms on Jul 31, 2013 20:55:14 GMT -5
Okay.....I have to be honest.
I remembered in the old house that we lived in, we always had solicitors coming to the door. It was really quite annoying, since we lived in the heart of "Old South", it was a regular occurrence. I distinctly remember once letting Dante "greet" the solicitor......I peeked thru the bedroom window ( main floor masterbedroom ) and watched with amusement as Dante barked continuously at the front door as the doorbell rang. It was only a matter of seconds that they turned around and hustled off down the driveway......hahahahahahahaha....it still brings a smile to me tonight as I'm writing this....
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