Here’s what his adopted parents had to say…

Hello!

 I just wanted to say thank you to Kristy for helping us adopt Nestle (now known as “Vito”.)  He is such an amazing dog with an unbelievably calm and gentle disposition.  We are so glad that Vito is a part of our family now.  From the day we brought him home, he fit right in without missing a beat.  And I’m happy to report that he and our other dog, Maya, are best friends already.  It’s only been four days, but we can’t imagine our lives without him.

Thanks again for allowing us to adopt this wonderful dog!  

Matt Covey

Suburban K-9

Bark Avenue Daycamp

Bartlett, Il

www.barkavenuedaycamp.com

www.landmarkfarminc.com

www.wshs-dg.org

Daisy

Many people get dogs both for the love that they give us and because they are such natural guardians of their home and family.  I love all dogs, but I tend to gravitate towards the guarding breeds for those very reasons.  I enjoy having a dog that is great with children, friendly towards all adults, but will also guard my family if needed. 

Unfortunately many people have issues with their dogs guarding or becoming possessive when they should be acting friendly.  First we need to make a distinction between protective and possessive behaviors.  Socializing a dog is the process of showing a dog what is normal in a human world and what isn’t.  When we socialize a dog we are teaching them that it is normal for a strange person to come up and say hi to us and maybe reach out and pet them.  Through time they realize what is normal and they start to read our body language and our emotions in these situations.  As they age we ensure that they never show aggression in these situations but they will naturally be on guard for something different.  If a stranger were to run at you screaming and you became agitated and scared your dog should realize that something is different and will probably react by barking and growling.  This is one of the few times when a dog is acting protective, and doing it in the proper way.

Many dog owners see their dog acting possessive and mistake it for protective behavior.  Possessive behavior is when a dog acts aggressive to claim their owner, house, yard, or any other object.  Claiming something is when a dog is asserting his dominance to tell someone that this belongs to him and not to touch it.  This behavior is never acceptable for your pet dog to be showing.  The dog is not reacting to a dangerous situation where he should be on guard, he is simply becoming aggressive because he is the alpha at this point in time.  If a stranger rings the doorbell and you let him into the house, the dog should not be barking or growling due to the fact that you let the person in and are not showing any fear or anxiety yourself.  If your dog is acting aggressive then one of two things is going on.  If your dog hasn’t been properly socialized then he may be trying to protect you due to his incomplete knowledge of the human world.  If he has been properly socialized and he is acting in this manner than he is probably acting possessive and is telling the person to stay out of HIS house.

In my own house I have very specific rules about when my dogs can and cannot guard our property.  It is never acceptable to bark or growl at children even if they walk all the way up to the screen door.  I cannot see any reason why someone would need protected from a child, so I don’t ever allow this.  It is also never allowed to bark at people or dogs when they are out on the street or sidewalk, it’s not our property so they can’t guard it.  If an adult stranger is in our yard or knocking at the door I do want my dogs to bark to alert me.  In this situation barking is a good thing to me as long as it is under control.  I don’t want jumping or scratching at the windows and I don’t want vicious barking.  The purpose of the barking is for the dog to tell me that someone is there so that I can make the decision.  Once I have seen the person I then ask the dogs to quiet down.  The goal is that the dog alerts you to a potential issue, you evaluate it, and you then tell the dog what to do.   

Of course with dogs there is an exception to every rule.  A dog could be socialized and could still react aggressively towards a man in a big coat with a hat on due to fear of his outfit.  In that situation you should then continue socializing with new people and outfits until his fear is gone.  To fully explain how to socialize a dog, help ease his fears, and correct him when he becomes aggressive would take an entire book.  Hopefully from reading this article you get enough knowledge to know what is acceptable, what isn’t, and when to call in a professional if you need help.  

Matt Covey

Suburban K-9

Bark Avenue Daycamp

Bartlett, Il 60103

630 289 8470

The Do’s and Don’ts of Dominance

Do

Give your dog plenty of love and affection

Allow your dog into your space if you desire (on your bed, couch, lap, etc.)

Give your dog treats and special bones

Give your dog free time to smell, run, and be a dog

Allow your dog to go out of some doors first when you feel like it by giving him permission (going in the back yard)

Whatever you enjoy with your dog

Give him personal space if you know he enjoys it

Play games that you enjoy with your dog

Don’t

Give your dog affection when he demands it or is showing any behavior or state of mind you want to stop (petting him when he jumps on you, paws at you, when he is barking at another dog, when he is nervous…….)

Allow your dog into your private space uninvited.  It should always be your decision

Allow your dog to demand treats from you by whining, barking, or pawing at the container

Allow your dogs free time to be more prevalent than his structured time.  He should walk in a calm submissive state first, and get free time as a reward after

Allow your dog to push through doors or go first on leash

Let him be the decider that tells you what should be done right now (walking, petting, playing)

Allow him to growl at anyone to tell them to leave him alone.  A dog should be submissive to all humans

Allow him to use his teeth on your skin or clothing