K8IE
Boxer Insane
Well, as many of you have probably read, I am incredibly thrilled with Cooper's temperament and overall demeanor. He is very smart, loving, and obedient, and at almost six months of age he constantly amazes me as to his ability to learn and his response to training at home and at our training club. However, today he was waiting at the front window of the house for my son's bus (which I think is precious), and he began to growl at some people that were loitering around our front yard. I did what I thought was appropriate at the time, which was to say "ah-ah" in the voice I use to deter him from an undesireable behavior, and he stopped for a minute, but then did it again. I corrected him again, and he stopped, but then started up again.. I finally removed him from the room and shut the door so he could no longer see the "intruders" or growl at them. Now I know that he does not have an aggressive bone in his body, but I was concerned because as I have read here before that it is not a good thing for a dog to feel like it is his "job" to protect the premesis. Is growling or barking at the door or window when strangers are present something I need to stop him from doing, or as long as he is well socialized and fine when outside with strangers or when people come over to visit (which he is, I take him everywhere and plan to do therapy work with him) is that OK? I always appreciated Killian alerting me to strangers coming to the door or out in the yard, etc, and he was very friendly with people as long as I gave him the "OK"... Is the growling OK?
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I find that distracting and then praise works good. Also, what works really well is to praise/treat them the second they stop the barking/growling without a correct beforehand. I have done that with pulling on walks and barking at dogs/people on walks and it works great. It just seems that the yard/house are taking a little longer :(
By all means, mark the undesired behaviour with an "Ah ah" - something that lets him know you're not thrilled or wish him to desist. But then - as should always be the case - give him something else to do that (a) gives him the opportunity to be "good dog", to get some praise for the alternative behaviour; and (b) takes his attention away from the people/window. It's never enough to just tell a dog what NOT to do, you need to indicate a preferable alternative. And if it earns him some praise or is an enjoyable activity, all the better - you end with a dog who's happy to cease whatever it is you're asking him to cease. That's a win-win situation 