I have a 5 year old neutered male weimaraner who was an only dog until this past July. At that time we brought another weimaraner who is a spayed female that is almost 2 years old. We have an electric fence on our property and have never had any problems with the male dog. Recently he has become very protective of the property. He barks at anyone who walks by and if a stranger comes on our property the male dog goes nuts. He has bit a delievery driver in the early fall and recently has lunged at several workers we have had in the home. I am at a loss on why this is occuring. We have had a professional trainer come in and work with him and he is very obedient when working with him and follows commands fairly well. He is not agressive off of the property at all towards dogs or people. I have a vet appointment at the end of the month to rule out any medical issues but any help someone can provide that would be great! Please any suggestions you can offer!
My friend is having the exact same problem with her dog. Outside he is fine, but inside the house, he has become very protective if anyone comes over. I hope your question gets answered.
sounds like he's protecting the other dog, not the property. I had the same issue with my boxer getting aggressive after we got 2 more boxer pups. He was NEVER aggressive until we got the puppies.
It does sound like the male weimaraner considers himself the 'alpha male' and has become more protective on the new introduction to your household.You could try these options to change his attitude. It is best to put both the dogs through this training programme. Please do make sure everyone in your household is involved with this training.
- Changing pack hierarchy: This is most essential and the best way to start is by teaching the dogs basic ‘sit/stay’ commands. Positive reinforcement, which is, rewarding them (with treats/praise/toys) immediately after they listens to the command is the most effective form of training. -Start by rewarding them every time they follow your instructions and slowly decrease the frequency of the reward. - Do not feed them at the table. - Feed them when everyone is done eating and take turns doing so. Feed the female dog first. - Ensure that they follow you in/out of doors and teach them to ‘heel’ on walks (holding a treat by your side is a great way to get this habit going). - Take your time greeting them on your return from work- they need to know things function on your terms, not theirs. - Do not let the dogs sit on your furniture- be it your sofas or bed. - At any point in the training if they are being disobedient make sure you tell them a firm, assertive “NO”. -The best way to stop a dog from barking at people walking past your property is to put in a solid fence so that they can't see people go by. Another option would be to have them in the backyard instead. - Through all these sessions the trainer must be calm and assertive. Body language is a huge part of communication in the doggie world! -You could try using a water-gun if he continues barking unnecessarily. - Safety always comes first! Please take no risks. If, at any point you feel the situation is risky, please do consider getting a professional to help.
Good luck with your training Please do keep me posted!
