How to train a protective dog that nips male guests at home?

Unfortunately nipping/lashing out/aggression is a very complex topic and one that may be difficult to fix without a trainer. Because it is multifactoral- Bernie’s temperament, your temperament, Bernie’s experiences, your experiences, the environment- your surest, fastest and safest bet is to work with a trainer or behaviorist. Basically, the trainer will watch you and Bernie, paying attention to how you react to each other and the environmental stimulus. The trainer will then work with both of you to modify both of your behaviors to meet a common goal. The humane society can often recommend a trainer/behaviorist. Otherwise go online and read ratings and reviews. There are several different training methods so you will need to find the one that works best for you and your pup. You should also stop by the library and pick up a few books about dog behavior and dog training so that you can learn to recognize Bernie’s body language. By knowing what he is saying, you be better able to react before he nips. You have to step in at level 2, by the time he nips he’s already at level 10. I hope this at least points you in the right direction. Please post again with any further questions.

Aggression is a complex behavior because it can be due to dominance, fear, anxiety or possessive behavior. Unless you are very familiar with identifying canine body language as well as training, it may be difficult for you to train him without assistance. You need to know the reason why he is doing it in order to adjust your own behavior. Your best option is to work with a trainer who can teach you to recognize the body language and then how to modify your behavior to change Oscar's behavior. You should also read some books about dog body language and also training. Victoria Stilwell is a great trainer with several published books. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

It is likely that he is being territorial and trying to gaurd the house. It is very diffucult to break such behavioural habits and to be honest he would need to be assessed in his home environment to understand exactly what his triggers are. Because this is such a serious issue in would recommend contacting a pet behaviour specialist asap to come to your house and work with him. In the mean time you may need to consider putting a humane Baskerville muzzle on him to protect your guests.

One way to train him to behave when visitors come is to get him a dog mat. Place it where he can see visitors but not near the door or where they will be sitting. Train him to go to his mat on the command "MAT!" Then teach him to stay there until you release him (use a release word such as "okay" to let him know his stay is over). Enlist friends to do several practice sessions with them acting as guests (start with one at a time). When he is reliable, you can try this with actual guests. If you need more help with this, you can click on the prompt to initiate a consult.

Hello, and thanks for your question. It sounds like Tikka knows where "her" property is, and is feeling the need to protect it from strangers. This definitely needs to be addressed, as it can easily escalate to a bite if Tikka feels threatened by your visitors. Even though she's used to the men in your family, that doesn't necessarily extend to an understanding that "men in general" are ok - she knows who is in her family and who is not. She doesn't know that the visitors are your welcomed guests - she sees them as intruders and threats. You need to set up a boundary to protect your visitors and keep Tikka separated from them until she relaxes and realizes they are not a threat - and I highly recommend working with a trainer or veterinary behaviorist on this behavior. Some dogs who feel very protective are never able to relax and be trusted with strangers - in which case they just need to be kept separate for the duration of the visit. She may need a fence (or invisible fence) to keep her from approaching visitors as they arrive, and/or you may need to put her in another part of the house whenever you are expecting people. This is both to protect your visitors, AND to protect Tikka and help her by removing her from an interaction that is causing her stress. Your vet should be able to direct you to a veterinary behaviorist or reputable trainer in your area, and I would touch base with them immediately. This behavior should be addressed as early as possible. I hope this helps!

Hi. This is definitely concerning and I'm sure it is hard to see and deal with. It's good that you know him well and protect others. With this severity, I recommend googling for a veterinary behaviorist in your area. This is a veterinarian that specializes in behavior. They would be the best to give you advice.

The first best thing you cn do with a territorial dog is invest in obedience training. This will allow you to have greater control over her when she displays her aggressions to those she feels are 'trespassing'. Additionally, makes sure she gets plenty of physical and mental stimulation. Take her for long walks, runs, play ball or fetch, take her with you wherever you can, rides in the car, anything and everything to tired her body and mind. A tired dog is a happy dog. Highly intelligent dogs are often the most anxious and therefore need a 'job'. She seems to have chosen guarding her yard as her job, you need to convince her to choose somethign else as her primary function. Never punish her for being protective as this may escalate the aggression. Try teaching her tricks or tasks, get her a Kong toy to keep herself entertained, even consider a slow feeder or a puzzle feeder to make her work and think about how to get food and treats and therefore keep her mind occupied with matters other than who's in the next back yard. Also, I highly recommend the books by Victoria Stillwell. He training methods are always based on positive training and never punishment.