Insecure dog? Help!

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#1
So my young dog (2 yrs old) Mysti has started getting very protective and guards of me. If other dogs in the house come near me when she's near me she will growl at them, same thing if she is on my bed etc. So to try to work on this behavior I've started just getting up and leaving or making her get off the object she is guarding. Is this a good way to try to improve this? Anything else I should be doing? Also if she is getting grumbly t another dog and she is picked up to be moved out of the situation she gets increasingly grumbly/snarly.

Also, Mysti really seems to enjoy playing with dogs most of the time. However if they get too rough in play she will go off on them in what appears to be an overly aggressive manner and I'm not sure how to work on that. Some dogs she gets along with really well, others (like poodles for some reason) she growls and is reactive towards right off the bat.

My agility trainer thinks she is insecure. But whenever gotta chance to discuss it further on how to improve it and make her more secure. Last class my trainer wanted to see what I was saying about how she goes from being friendly to reactive randomly. So Mysti was visiting with a classmates dog, from my view Mysti started it friendly, relaxed posture tail wagging ears relaxed and offering play, then (from my view behind her) it looked like she got tense so I backed up and called her towards me to distract her before things escalated. My trainer who had a different view of the interactions thought she only got tense and grumbly when I backed away and the leash tightened...


I've never dealt with this kind of reactivity and have no idea where to begin but want her to be a happy secure dog and I want to do right by her. I purchased Click to Calm and Crate Games and am planning on reading/watching those ASAP....

Cookie for anyone that read all of that!!!
 
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#3
I think you're on the right track with Click to Calm.

In the meantime, building her confidence all around should help. Go back to some basics and reward her. Do things with her that you know she is going to succeed at, build her up, and then add in a few things that are less sure while she's feeling confident. Catch her being calm early, reward her before she starts to react and then remove her from the stimulus, bragging on her while you do. That lets her know that she can handle it and that you have her back.

Gradual, slow and steady :)

Confidence was the big issue I had to work on with Shiva. Charley had done a thorough job of destroying hers. :(
 

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