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sptddog
Housebroken
Joined: 24 Oct 2007
Posts: 83
Fur Kids: Floyd - Weim |
 Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 6:15 pm Post subject: Dealing with growling...protective of house |
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Our 8 month old pup is now starting to realize he's got a bark and a growl. He's started barking in the house at noises, and we always tell him no bark. I'm out of town on travel this week, but my Mom mentioned last night that he was out in the yard with my daughter, and the neighbor kids (who he knows VERY well) ran over - he had the hair up on his back, and growled at them, but was fine when they talked to him and petted him. Then, he did it again when their Mom came over - same scenario, but he didn't stop with her when she talked to him.
I'm looking to find out how to discipline him and teach him what is acceptable in this type of behavior. Our kids play all the time, and we walk back and forth from yard to yard all day long - I don't like the idea of him possibly biting them or being aggressive. He's DEF not an aggressive dog in nature, so this is surprising. I'm wondering if he's testing his boundaries in his teenage phase.
Thoughts? |
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h20fwlkillr
Adult Weim
Joined: 19 Dec 2006
Posts: 485
Location: Holden, Mo.
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| Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 12:57 am Post subject: |
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| That response is perfectly normal in weims. They were bred to protect the german foresters. |
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luana80it
Wise Old Weim
Joined: 17 Dec 2007
Posts: 1996
Location: CATANIA, SICILY, ITALY
Fur Kids: TOMMY, WEIMARANER
TYRA, WERIMARANER |
| Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 1:57 am Post subject: |
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| ..umm.yeah it is normal...but still keep an eye on him. because tommy started like that, and then it became worse, and we kept thinking he was being protetcive, until he bit a boy that walked passed my house the other day...i am not saying that your dog will do it, but this behavior it is never accepatble. |
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weimdogmom
Champion Weim
Joined: 11 Feb 2008
Posts: 692
Fur Kids: Jazz, terrier mix
Mayu, weim |
| Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 11:51 am Post subject: |
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Growling is normal and a warning there is something about a situation the dog is not comfortable with.
It might be a good idea, at least for a short time, until your dog knows the neighbor children better, to have them walk over quietly and talk with your dog before the kids start to play.
With the mom -- have her come over sometime when you are there and so your dog gets to know her. How was she talking to him when she came over last night?
I would not discourage a dog from growling, since it is a warning. If you are successful in doing so, you are more likely to have a dog who might bite with no warning. |
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weimdawgs
Wise Old Weim
Joined: 08 Jun 2007
Posts: 5930
Location: East Norriton, PA
Fur Kids: Scout, Silkie, Gunnar and Jake
all Weimaraners |
| Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 3:26 pm Post subject: |
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My dogs bark at all the neighbors. The guy that lives on one side of us, Rob, loves them and he will come over and visit with them....they love attention but they still bark. The only one that never warmed up is Jake. Jake has taken on a very protective role outside. All the others are barking for attention, Jake is barking a warning. And you can tell the difference.
I expect them to bark. The neighbors expect them bark. They are our security system. |
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DanniGirl
Champion Weim
Joined: 01 Mar 2007
Posts: 836
Location: Flagstaff, AZ
Fur Kids: FM Blue Weim- "Danni" |
| Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 3:56 pm Post subject: |
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| weimdawgs wrote: |
I expect them to bark. The neighbors expect them bark. They are our security system. |
Same thing here, Danni's my personal security system. -It's nice having a dog that alerts you to a visitor, especially when I'm home alone at night.
She'll bark (and sometimes howl) when someone's at the door but once I have accepted that individual into the house, I expect her to be quiet. There are those instances where she won't stop and that calls for some reprimanding BUT...most of the time she is pretty good. |
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sptddog
Housebroken
Joined: 24 Oct 2007
Posts: 83
Fur Kids: Floyd - Weim |
| Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 9:22 pm Post subject: |
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| weimdogmom wrote: | Growling is normal and a warning there is something about a situation the dog is not comfortable with.
It might be a good idea, at least for a short time, until your dog knows the neighbor children better, to have them walk over quietly and talk with your dog before the kids start to play.
With the mom -- have her come over sometime when you are there and so your dog gets to know her. How was she talking to him when she came over last night?
I would not discourage a dog from growling, since it is a warning. If you are successful in doing so, you are more likely to have a dog who might bite with no warning. |
That's the thing, these folks, both kids and Mom, are at our house ALL the time. Def every weekend if not more.
I'm don't mind that he barks in warning. I minded that when the Mom started talking to him (as she does any other time - 'hey Floydy, how's the boy?') that he kept it up. I expect him to bark, but then I expect him to settle down and accept that he knows them and there is no threat. As well as he knows them, I really didn't even expect him to bark at them. Our other neighbors, I expect. We rarely see them, and he's not even remotely familiar with them. I guess I'm just afraid that he'll go a step further and bite. The hair standing and the growl seems more than other protective dogs I've had have done. The Dal used to bark his head off, but he never growled or had the hair standing up unless he really felt threatened. |
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NenaGunther
Wise Old Weim
Joined: 11 Feb 2008
Posts: 1957
Location: Monticello, NY
Fur Kids: Nena CD, Weimaraner
Gunther, Weimaraner |
| Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 9:28 pm Post subject: |
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When people come to our house, they are told to ignore the dogs...
If they talk to them all friendly and excited, that just gets them more excited.
Usually the dogs just smell them and that's it. |
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weimdogmom
Champion Weim
Joined: 11 Feb 2008
Posts: 692
Fur Kids: Jazz, terrier mix
Mayu, weim |
| Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 9:34 pm Post subject: |
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Does he usually continue to growl? Or does he quiet down?
If he typically he quiets down, what was different about the incident that concerns you?
Possibly that you were not there? The pack leader was gone and he was being more protective?
Was she wearing a hat and does not usually? A new hair style? Dogs don't generalize well. A familiar person who looks or acts a little different than usual may not be the same person to the dog.
But, if he is going to bite, or try to bite, it's better if he would continue to growl (and so give his warning first), than to not growl but still bite. Teaching him not to growl will not keep him from biting. Finding out why he growls and conditioning him to that trigger should hopefully stop the continued growling and possible bite. |
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thecollector
Housebroken
Joined: 29 Mar 2008
Posts: 57
Location: adelaide
Fur Kids: BOND:3 yr male weimaraner
TUSKER:3 yr male weimaraner |
| Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 8:51 am Post subject: gaurd pups |
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we have neighbours on both sides but have a large park out the back
both our dogs will bark if there is people near any of the fences or other dogs close by.
both our neighbours have mentioned to me that our dogs our their security system also,they only bark when there is someone near the fences
cheers |
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