Dog, Covid, is very protective of me, which is fine in a way. However, he doesn’t let my teenage and 20-year-old children touch me without becoming defensive toward them. I’m not certain if he is trying to intimidate them or if he’s planning to take them on however I do not want to discover. What can I do to stop this from occurring? — Amanda
This is a scary problem to have, especially when kids are involved. The truth is, it’s also a hard question to give a straightforward answer to. A lot depends on your dog’s motivation. Is your dog protecting you? Is he resource-guarding? Is he in fear of the kids? I’d also want to observe your dog’s body language while going toward your kids — is he barking and growling? Is his hair standing on end?
If I were to do it all over again, concentrate on using the “stay” signal in this situation, and typically through a barrier such as an infant gate, however, not something as inaccessible as, for example, a fence that is tall. The dog should be taught to obey a “stay” signal, and allow your children to walk up to it. Offer them a hug then move away and offer Covid valuable reward. Repeat this several times. What you’re trying to accomplish is alter your dog’s mental association with those coming towards you and hugging you. It might be beneficial, to begin with, smaller gestures than hugging like handshakes or simply talking to your dog close to each other.
If your dog is agitated when you approach their toys or food Read this article.
Regarding Covid’s behavior towards your children is truly terrifying and hostile then you’ll have to expose him to ever-demanding variants of the behaviors that cause stress. I’d guess that this isn’t just the one factor that causes Covid to be a wig. There’s also”a “relaxation protocol” which is known as that’s known as the Karen All Relaxation Protocol–available on the internet. I’d recommend starting with that and then having one or two of the last activities you perform involve family members coming up to give a hug. If there is a real threat, make sure that there’s room between the family members and the dog when doing this.
Sometimes, we teach a dog the “stay” command using barriers, but they still get a reaction when they’re next to their mom even though they’re not having an issue when they’re five feet away. In this situation, you’ll need to practice it in close and close distances.
The wildest Collective Dog Trainer Robert Haussmann’s suggestions to help a dog who is stubborn to pay attention.
When you’re done doing your exercises, you might be considering using a muzzle to ensure that you’re keeping everyone in a safe environment. Be aware that training muzzles is an entirely separate job and you shouldn’t simply put a muzzle on your dog. You’ll need to undergo muzzle desensitization. I suggest the Muzzle Project for assistance in this. Learn to train on, for example, the “stay” command as well as counter-conditioning towards family members while practicing muzzle desensitization. When you’re getting closer to your goal of the muzzle, you can mix the muzzle and training plan.
We wish you the best of luck with this issue. Be sure to keep safety at the top of your list and be patient with yourself and your dog.
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