I have a 7 year old retriever mix. We got her from a shelter when she was between 9-12 months. They were not sure how old she was. When we first got her, she was the only dog in the house. We did not get her to be a guard dog, but my husband worked overnights, and we had a crazy person in our neighborhood. Sadie ( the dog ) did not like this guy from the very beginning and would bard and growl everytime he walked by. My husband was happy she was so protective of me, but it is a pain. She is very nervous with new people, and she has a hard time with some dogs. Lately, she has become very snippy with one of our other dogs in the house, Bonnie. Bonnie has gone blind over the last year, and bumps into things. When she bumps into Sadie, sadie growls and snips at her. The other issue is when I'm around that is when Sadie goes into protective mode, growling and barking at anything, and sometimes anyone that is near me, but if I'm not around, i'm told she is a completely different dog. How do i let her know she does not have to be so protective and territorial around me? I know this is wrong, but sometimes I get so frustrated I have smacked her, and now she is starting to growl at me. I know I am in the wrong, I need help on how to disipline her, when just a simple no will not work. I know I should go to a trainer, and I will, but right now, we can not afford that. I know I am the problem, so what can I do? I know I should never hit them, but I just get so frustrated. The other thing is, my husband really has no issue with her. He likes it that when he is gone, she is protective. I just need to know how to tell her she does not have to be that protective. Any help would be greatly appreciated. We love all 4 of our dogs, and we want them to be happy.
I think you should read through the Alpha training advice in our material - alpha training helps a dog realize that you, the owner, are boss and dont need protecting and that you should be listened to at all times. It may also be a good idea to enroll her in a socialization course/day care or obedience course so that she can learn to focus on what you are saying to her.
You might also try putting Sadie in time outs when she acts up - leave her to calm down for about 10 minutes then let her out again. Be sure to put her in time out as soon as she starts to get worked up, and do it every time!
