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What can I do with a dog that has become VERY overprotective2007-11-25 2:50:45

My family adopted a rescued dog and when we first brought her home she was so shy and hide under furniture. Now, 6 months later she is so overprotective of me that at night if my husband leaves the bed when he comes back she growls and snaps at him. She does this also with my children. Otherwise, she is a very playful, loving little dog (small terrier mix).

Would kenneling her at night be the wise thing to do?

Answers:

Yes it would. The dog was probably treated better then it should have been by you and was spoiled. That plus she is showing dominance behavior. Dogs do not belong on the beds, that is part of the problem. Dogs belong on the floor and never on the same level as the pack leader. Leerburg.com Listen to Ed talk about the problem and the solutions.

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Gee... Dogs should never ever be allowed to protect or try to own anything.. It can turn very bad, whether it's toys, food, people their own crate etc.. Someone ends up bit..

I am not sure if she is actually protecting you or if she is showing fear and aggressive is what she has learned gets the best results to scare people away.

I would certainly put her into the crate at night and NOT allow her on the bed, not allow her to own the bed... and make sure she knows her place in the pack..

She needs more confidence.. She needs to know her place.. I can only suggest that you get professional help with the problem before someone gets bit.

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You can always try kenneling her, but this will not correct the problem. It sounds as though she is showing signs of Alpha behavior and can be cured with a lot of patience and training. I would recommend searching the internet for Alpha Training and/or NILIF (Nothing in Life is Free). She needs to be taught the pecking order in your family (humans are ahead of her) and eventually she will find her place. Good Luck!

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As much as we love to spoils our animals, it may send the wrong message to them, like they are higher on the chain that your family member (or even equal).