Possessive???

[Fluffster]

I live with my grandmother and together we have two dog...one is fairly large and the other is small. When I am home alone with them they are fine and never fight, but as soon as grandma comes home the large one goes into attack mode. It's almost as if she is "guarding" my grandmother. Any ideas on how to correct this? I have fear for my small dog

 

[Barb04]

I would definitely keep the dogs separated using baby gates when your grandmother is around.

 

[Paul Bright]

Obedience training sounds like a good idea. Bring the bigger dog to classes for socialization. It sounds like the big dog is protective of your grandmother and thus the aggressive behavior. Good training classes should do the trick.

Good luck!

 

[milos_mommy]

It's not a rare issue, but it is a very serious one. I would honestly look into hiring a trainer to help deal with the problem. Find one who uses positive reinforcement based methods and will help your large dog feel comfortable with the small dog around your grandmother. Until them, keeping them separated while grandma is around is a good idea.

Does the large dog attack the smaller dog when your grandmother immediately walks into a room? Is it when he is getting attention from your grandma and the smaller dog approaches? How old are your dogs, how long have you had them, and do they have any training?