Is my dog just weird?

Hi! A few questions. How old is Buddy and how long have you had him? Is he neutered? Was he socialized as a pup?

marigold82

Growls at my husband when he gets into bed, even though the dog is in my husband's spot. 

Something tells me that the Buddy thinks of this as HIS spot and your husband is taking it from him. I would suggest you remove bed privileges. Buddy should have his own bed on the floor of your bedroom, not share the people's bed. At least until he knows that it's YOUR bed and you're sharing it with him.

As regards the other issues, do you practice NILIF with Buddy? That's the first place I'd start. And it's a REAL strong suggestion.

Secondly, for the barrier frustration, what have you tried? Depending on how bad it is, I would probably start by teaching Buddy to "look here" (a command for him to put all eyes on you) and recreate the situation and stand between him and the obstacle and practice "look here" and sit. Has Buddy been to obedience classes? If he can't be with other dogs, have you taught him basic obedience?

Socialization at his age might be difficult. I would tend to just keep him away from other dogs and kids if he can't be trusted. Maybe someone else will have suggestions for that.  

Buddy is about 3, we've had him since a very young puppy.  He is neutered.  He was socialized some, but probably not near enough.  He did hang out with a family of kids that he did really well with.  He does fine with children taller than himself, but with little ones, he seems afraid of or for them.  He tries to nip at them while they are being picked up.  That of course is not acceptable behavior and he's been informed of that, very strongly. 

I showed the NILIF to my husband.  That looks like something very doable and probably would help him.  He hasn't been to obedience classes, though I have wanted to, is it too late?  He does basic, sit, stay (LOL his version of stay), paw, up-begging, come.  We hope to be having children in the next few years, so I'd love suggestions on training him to a new baby.  My husband was suggesting we get another dog, thinking that might help Buddy. 

When I say not to be trusted, sometimes he's fine after he adjusts to them being there, but he seems to have a tolerance of how long he can behave well.  Having the squirt bottle around helps him to moderate his behavior.  Maybe I'm wrong, but it's almost like he doesn't know what is polite/how to behave because he hasn't been around many dogs.  He growls, nips lightly, and follows them around. 

Could you explain more what you mean in training him on the barrier frustration?  Are there any other articles on NILIF? Thanks so much!   

marigold82

He tries to nip at them while they are being picked up... He growls, nips lightly, and follows them around.

I'm going to guess that Buddy has some herding dog of some type in him. Herders have a strong desire to regulate the movement of others.  

It's never too late for obedience classes! And in my experience, they're more for the owners than the dogs! You'll learn so much there. And if a trainer or behaviorist is giving the classes, they'd be able to give you some hands on exercises for the barrier frustration, too.  

NILIF is a lifesaver! ALL my dogs have been on it since they were puppies. It teaches restraint and control. But of course, it's only as good as you are consistent with it. Buddy's version of "stay" should be made into your version. LOL It's mostly about teaching a dog to have self-control.

I would not advise getting another dog until you have a good handle on this one. IMO, it's kind of like a couple having another child hoping to save the marriage. That just doesn't work. There may be other opinions on that, but that's how I feel about it. Once Buddy is reliable with children and you have no fears about it, sure, get another dog as a playmate. I'm the last person to advise people not to get another dog. LOL I'm ready for another one now!

marigold82

Could you explain more what you mean in training him on the barrier frustration? 

Sometimes to train a dog out of a behavior, you have to set up the circumstances in which he "misbehaves" and expose him to it so you can deal with it. If the only time you address it is when you come up against it in every-day life, then he's not going to get "trained out of it". So, if your dog has a problem with other dogs on leashes (for example), you find a friend who's willing to bring their dog for training sessions and put your dog in the circumstances that he's uncomfortable with over and over and use commands and some other training and that way, you can deal with the problem, instead of just waiting for it to happen or avoiding it when it does.

So. I'm suggesting you teach your dog some basic commands, like a good firm sit and stay and also "watch me" or "look here" so he looks at you and keeps his eyes on you. Once you have those down, then you can recreate the type of situation in which he has trouble (barriers) and use those commands to make him control himself.

As it is now, he gets excited (and even aggressive) when there's a barrier. If you can recreate the barrier and make him lie down and be calm before you move on, and repeat it again and again with different situations, then it will become easier for him to remain calm in the presence of a barrier. Does that make sense? 

marigold82

Are there any other articles on NILIF?

You can Google NILIF and see what's out there. There are several longer articles based on the basic program. It's a popular protocol among dog owners. Also, I would advise you to get a book about being the pack leader. I like Cesar Millan's new book (Be the Pack Leader) and his style of dog psychology has helped me with my crew a lot. No alpha rolls or anything,   just his general guidelines have helped me through a lot of issues and helped me prevent a lot of problems.  

this is all pretty normal behavior. When I was a kid our dog and the neighbor's dog would run up and down on their respective sides of the fence and act like they wanted to kill each other. If they met out front with no fence they were the best of friends. It was more on the lines of a fun game for them, I'm not sure if your dog is actually "barrier frustrated" or just enjoys acting up from behind the safety of a fence.

As to the not moving out of bed, that is very common, a variant on resource guarding. It's easily fixed by just teaching the dog to move on command. Don't mis-interpret it as "dominance" , and whatever you do, don't try to forcibly move the dog, scores of people get bitten that way, it's considered rude beyond rude by dogs for one dog to forcibly drag another dog out of a sleeping spot.

You might want to consult a trainer for a "baby prep" training program. They do exist and good for you for thinking about it well ahead of the need.

 Never too late for obedience classes, as was said! I would definitely sign up for some, but with both you *and* your husband. I bet it would help a ton.

 Everyone has given you great suggestions.  One thing stood out for me, though, about what you are currently doing:

That of course is not acceptable behavior and he's been informed of that, very strongly.

Unfortunately, when you inform him "very strongly" (whatever that means), you may accidentally have taught him that those little people being lifted up over his head mean that something bad is going to happen for him really quickly.  So, instead of realizing "I shouldn't try to get the kid", he may have learned to dislike their presence altogether.  That is certainly not what you want.  Stop correcting him, and instead...

Please start now to change his associations.  Borrow kids!  (But, keep them safe.)  Put your dog on a leash. Have toddlers toss treats onto the floor for your dog to eat (that makes him think they are wonderful, they don't threaten him, and best of all, he looks to the floor for rewards from kids, not to their little hands.)  DO go to a baby prep class NOW, and repeat it when you first learn you are going to be a parent.  At the very least, buy a CD with baby noises and play it often (not so often that you decide you'd rather not be a parent LOL), and have baby products around (so he gets used to the scent).  When children that he normally has issues with are about, you feed him roast beef yourself, but stop feeding as soon as the kids disappear.  He will learn to wish they would show up!  Google on "classical conditioning" and "desensitization".

Investigate clicker training.  Hounds are often good at it because they are generally motivated by food, and despite their reputation for stubbornness, they are merely independent (not stubborn), and quite intelligent.  www.clickerlessons.com will give you some of the basics until you decide if you want to do lessons with a trainer. 

Well, he may be nervous around children (if he's still a puppy) because he's young.  If he's older, it could just be because he isn't around them.  As for growling at hubby when in his spot, I would stop that immediately!  No dog should growl, in my opinion, at his master!  I would make sure that behavior stops!  As for the others, w/ barriers not sure.  But other dogs, have you done any classes w/ him to give him association?  Like a puppy class so that he can meet w/ other dogs?  That might help.  Good Luck!  I think these are all solveable, he's not crazy, just a dog!