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Permalink Reply by Beth on December 14, 2009 at 8:08pm

Hi,

Can you please explain in a little more detail what you mean by being territorial and not letting anyone near you?

What does he do? Does he bark? Growl? Snap? Show teeth? Try to "herd" people away from you? Knowing what specific behaviors he is exhibiting might help people get a better idea of what is going on, since "being protective" means different things to different people.

Do you mean in the house? Outside? People he knows, or strangers, or both?

Thanks! :-)

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Permalink Reply by Alexis Trujillo on December 14, 2009 at 9:37pm

He grows very very very ugly, he has only snapped once to a man that tried pushing his limit and thought he could over come Kalvin (which made me very angry because his behavior is not a joke!) and if you come near me the closer you get the louder the growl, and if you touch me he will get really mad he will bark and try moving me out of the way so its just him and the person trying to make contact with me, and i will tell him no and he will come with me but he will not take his eyes off that other person. He is a very sociable dog just like every Corgi but as soon as the night is here he turns into a meany! =(. He has been doing this to mostly men and they can be family that live in the house and to company that is visiting. He also does it to very heavy or dark complexion women. I have been noticing that he is also starting to do it to kids, he doesn't let them walk around the house by themselves and he will nip at their feet. And seems to be equal inside and outside, as long as it is night time.

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Permalink Reply by Joanna Kimball on December 15, 2009 at 12:19am

How do you react when he does this? A lot of people think they are correcting the behavior but they're kind of saying "No, honey, stop," but laughing because it's funny, and they put their hands on the dog, and it actually rewards the dog and makes him think he's doing the right thing.

It's obvious that he thinks this is his job and you want him to do it. The fact that you call it protecting you is very key; that's the energy you're sending him and he's being reinforced every time he does it.

I don't want to give you specific recommendations for training because I can't see him or his body language. Some dogs do what he's doing because they are nervous or afraid; some dogs do it because they are just the opposite. And even within those are lots of "flavors" - some dogs are triggered by movement so you have to desensitize movement; some are triggered by the other person bending over; some are watching YOU and not the other person at all. If I give you advice based on my assumptions without seeing the dog I could really screw things up; you never, never, never punish fear but you DO correct a dog who thinks he's in charge.

If you were calling me as a puppy owner I'd advise you to invest some money in a visit to a behaviorist. That's not the same as a training class. Behaviorists are interested in helping you overcome problems and they tend to have more credentials and training than the average trainer. A single private consult can get you on the right road, and then follow up with good group training classes that teach you how to interact with him in the most healthy way.

Good luck!

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Permalink Reply by Bev Levy on December 14, 2009 at 8:14pm

Obedience classes with a good positive trainer will be the best time and money you will ever spend! He thinks he is in charge and you are not which is why he is on guard. He really will be much happier when he learns that you are in charge so he can rest and enjoy himself.

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Permalink Reply by Beth on December 14, 2009 at 10:31pm

I agree with Bev that obedience classes would be wonderful. Since the problem only occurs for now in a specific circumstance, you may also try bringing in a positive-training based instructor into your home to see Kalvin in action. Many trainers do in-home visits.

In the meantime, you might try googling the Nothing In Life Is Free method. It could be that Kalvin is just at the age when he's testing you, or something could have happened that he interpreted as a threat and now he's over-generalized to All Men Are Scary At Night. Aggression can come from dominance, but also from fear or insecurity, so it's important to not try to "put him in his place" so much as show him you are confident and you are in charge, so he doesn't feel the need to step in and try to control the situation. That's where NILIF will come in handy; it will give you non-confrontational ways to show him without a doubt that you are the leader.

Does he know basic obedience commands? If he does, have you tried putting him in a sit/stay or a down/stay when he exhibits this behavior, rather than just correcting him? That would perhaps redirect his attention away from the person he sees as a threat, and on to you.

Another thing you can try is have males who you know well sometimes walk around with small treats (you can use Cheerios, or tiny bits of cheese) and sometimes just drop one by Kalvin as they walk by. If Kalvin then starts to show interest in men instead of reacting to them with growling/barking, you can slowly work to them asking Kalvin to sit before tossing a treat, and if he is still behaving well work up after that to telling him sit then having him take the treat from the flat of their hand (but only if he's not reacting with growling/barking and looks alert and interested but calm). You can also try having other people in your household take turns feeding him or walking him so he realizes all humans are in charge, and not just you.

If simple redirection and positive reinforcement does not work, I would definitely try bringing in a trainer!

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Permalink Reply by Jane Christensen on December 14, 2009 at 10:55pm

Yes, I definitely agree with Beth and Bev!

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Permalink Reply by Mim on December 15, 2009 at 8:24am

Is he desexed? If not his hormones could be escalating the problem. Not saying it's the cause or the solution but it could be a factor.

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