by Jason Purgason

© This article is copyrighted original work and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the expressed written consent of the author.

I recently had a client in Charlotte, North Carolina who called about a dilemma with her terrier. She stated that the dog was great around the house, for the most part, but was having issues when company arrived and when she took the dog outside. She explained that whenever someone knocked or rang the doorbell the dog would tear at the door and attempt to attack them, acting in a very aggressive manner. Once the person came in, the dog would bark non-stop for hours, or until they left, whichever came first. When she attempted to take the dog for a stroll, around her fairly busy neighborhood, she would exhibit a very similar behavior. She would bark at neighbors, lunge at other dogs and loud cars and try to attack people taking out their trash. The owner had previously completed basic obedience training with the dog, hoping this would help. She stated that she had already employed the service of two other trainers and had even consulted with a dog behaviorist, to no avail. She was extremely concerned that her dog would bite someone.

I met with the owner and her disturbed dog to evaluate the situation. Even before I entered the house the dog was barking furiously and charging at the door. It was obvious that the dog was very uncomfortable with this situation. I soon learned that the dog had grown up with a breeder and the current owner had purchased her at about a year old. This behavior had been going on for some time and seemed to be getting even worse.

So, I was faced with the task of disentangling this unusual behavior and discovering its source. We started obedience training with the dog and began to work on her unacceptable behavior. Her previous obedience lessons had only covered the initial phase of training, the teaching phase. This caused her obedience to be rather inconsistent when calm and non-existent, to say the least, when she was on a tirade.

The owners of this problem pooch lived in a beautiful home with a two car garage. They almost always entered the home from the door located in the garage. This left the main door available for visitors. Therefore, the terrier became used to the fact that her owners always came in the garage door and “strangers” always entered the main door. So I had the owners begin using the main door as their new means of entering the house……what a surprise for our temperamental terrier! We also incorporated methods of making the dog understand that people using the main door were just as friendly as her owners. In no time, our terrier went from barking and tearing at the door to sitting tranquilly awaiting visitors to pet her.

Now, our owner is able to take her cordial canine friend for uneventful strolls around the neighborhood and the days of those action-packed walks are long gone. She is also able to answer her door without the concern that her dog may bite someone. The difference in this terrier is remarkable and was accomplished in only six-weeks.

If you would like to discuss training or how we can assist you in eliminating behavioral problems please call 866.200.2207 or email training@highlandcanine.com