JackieG
Posted : 5/1/2014 6:57:51 PM
Jonathan, the best solution is for the daughter to not get so upset that she upsets the dog. I know, that's probably not going to happen. lol
Seriously, the dog is probably feeling a combination of fear, anxiety and the need to guard the mom. Imagine how upsetting it is for the dog to witness this aggressive display between them. The dog does see this as a volatile and possibly dangerous situation. It has no way to understand other than from it's dog perspective.
It's important that no one corrects or punishes the dog when it goes for the daughter. I realize that's not always easy to control as our first instinct is to scold. Unfortunately, this method can lead a dog to make an even stronger negative association toward the person the dog feels brought on the punishment. The daughter. This can lead to the dog wanting to attack the daughter even when there's no arguing going on.
While they work on counter conditioning, I'd suggest they remove themselves from the dog's presence if they are arguing or there is any heated conversation going on. Before the dog gets past it's threshold of control. Learning a bit about dog body language is always helpful when dealing with this kind of behavior. I'll find an article you can share with them.
The counter conditioning should go something like this: Mom has yummy treats. Treats that the dog gets only when doing these exercises. Since these will be adding extra calories, they might want to cut back a bit on the regular ration while training. Daughter is out of room. Mom is ready with treats and daughter comes into room where Mom and dog are. The instant the dog looks at the daughter, the mom should give the dog a treat. The daughter should remain in the room, ignoring the dog. The Mom continues to give a treat when the dog looks at the daughter. When the daughter leaves the room, no more treats.This can and should be repeated as often as possible. What they're doing is creating a conditioned emotional response. The daughter's presence will soon come to be considered the reason the treats get handed out. It' s all very Pavlovian. :)
I do agree about having the daughter give the dog meals (tiny meals while training) and to take the dog for walks. Every positive association the dog makes is money in the bank as far as changing how the dog feels about the daughter. Of course, every argument in front of the dog will be a setback. Keeping the dog away during these times is important.
www.aspca.org/.../canine-body-language
If you'd like any other articles or resources to share with them, let me know. Best of luck to them.