My friend recently adopted a mixed breed dog from a shelter. The dog
is very sweet and friendly to everyone except my friend's boyfriend
(not really "boyfriend" but a man who is her friend). When this guy
comes to her house the dog barks, growls and lunges for him. The dog
weighs about 80 lbs. so it's not easy holding her back.

He has tried bringing her treats. He has tried talking to her
gently. Nothing seems to work. Clearly this man reminds the dog of
someone in her past life that must have mistreated her. She was found
as a stray so no background is known.

My friend is at her whits end. She loves the dog, but also loves her
friend. She wants more than anything for the dog to at least
tolerate him. Is there anything she or he can do? I'm afraid she
may have to return the dog to the shelter which would break her heart.

YvonneD wrote:

My friend recently adopted a mixed breed dog from a shelter. The dog
is very sweet and friendly to everyone except my friend's boyfriend
(not really "boyfriend" but a man who is her friend). When this guy
comes to her house the dog barks, growls and lunges for him. The dog
weighs about 80 lbs. so it's not easy holding her back.

He has tried bringing her treats. He has tried talking to her
gently. Nothing seems to work. Clearly this man reminds the dog of
someone in her past life that must have mistreated her. She was found
as a stray so no background is known.

My friend is at her whits end. She loves the dog, but also loves her
friend. She wants more than anything for the dog to at least
tolerate him. Is there anything she or he can do? I'm afraid she
may have to return the dog to the shelter which would break her heart.
Things that should be done

A. Get the dog and the owner into a dog obediance class. This is always
a good idea whether or not it helps with this particular problem.

B. Evaluate the friend to determine what is different about him. Does he
wear something unusual (e.g., a hat) does he have an unusual build, etc.

C. Have an expert, preferably a behaviorist, but a trainer may be
sufficient, evaluate the interactions

D. Get a dog crate and get the dog used to being in the crate and happy.
(this is useful in general) Then have the friend come over whie the dog
is in the crate. Make the visits brief at first and far from the crate
if possible, to test reactions, and see if the comfort of the crate
makes the dog less defensive.

--
Bill Clodius
los the lost and net the pet to email

On Jan 3, 11:10*pm, (William Clodius) wrote:
YvonneD wrote:
My friend recently adopted a mixed breed dog from a shelter. *The dog
is very sweet and friendly to everyone except my friend's boyfriend
(not really "boyfriend" but a man who is her friend). *When this guy
comes to her house the dog barks, growls and lunges for him. *The dog
weighs about 80 lbs. so it's not easy holding her back.

He has tried bringing her treats. *He has tried talking to her
gently. *Nothing seems to work. *Clearly this man reminds the dog of
someone in her past life that must have mistreated her. *She was found
as a stray so no background is known.

My friend is at her whits end. *She loves the dog, but also loves her
friend. * She wants more than anything for the dog to at least
tolerate him. *Is there anything she or he can *do? *I'm afraid she
may have to return the dog to the shelter which would break her heart.

Things that should be done

A. Get the dog and the owner into a dog obediance class. This is always
a good idea whether or not it helps with this particular problem.

B. Evaluate the friend to determine what is different about him. Does he
wear something unusual (e.g., a hat) does he have an unusual build, etc.

C. Have an expert, preferably a behaviorist, but a trainer may be
sufficient, evaluate the interactions

D. Get a dog crate and get the dog used to being in the crate and happy.
(this is useful in general) Then have the friend come over whie the dog
is in the crate. Make the visits brief at first and far from the crate
if possible, to test reactions, and see if the comfort of the crate
makes the dog less defensive.

--
Bill Clodius
los the lost and net the pet to email

thanks. great suggestions.

YvonneD writes:

He has tried bringing her treats. He has tried talking
to her gently.


Well, if the gentle approach doesn't work, the logical
fallback is for the guy to get the dog to fear and respect
him by establishing physical dominance. Sort of like
dealing with Arabs. Being liked is good. When it isn't
in the cards, being respected is a serviceable substitute.

Once dominance has been established -- say, through smacking
the dog across the snout with a rolled-up newspaper, or, if
she's too out of control for that, kicking her in the chops
when she growls -- the boyfriend can gradually make friendly
overtures to the dog on his own terms.

You've got to think like a dog, you see.



Geoff

--
"The next thing you know, the administration will call
terrorists 'anger-management-challenged candidates for
catch and release.'" -- former CIA director James Woolsey

Geoffs recomendation is a good way to get a bitten human and a dog
awaiting euthanesia in a shelter.

--
Bill Clodius
los the lost and net the pet to email

"YvonneD" wrote in message
...
My friend recently adopted a mixed breed dog from a shelter. The dog
is very sweet and friendly to everyone except my friend's boyfriend
(not really "boyfriend" but a man who is her friend). When this guy
comes to her house the dog barks, growls and lunges for him. The dog
weighs about 80 lbs. so it's not easy holding her back.

He has tried bringing her treats. He has tried talking to her
gently. Nothing seems to work. Clearly this man reminds the dog of
someone in her past life that must have mistreated her. She was found
as a stray so no background is known.


Does the dog act differently if they meet away from the house?
I would tell him not to make eye contact and not speak to her at all and
as William said get professional help from a reputable behaviourist .
Alison

"William Clodius" wrote in message
...
Geoffs recomendation is a good way to get a bitten human and a dog
awaiting euthanesia in a shelter.

--
Bill Clodius
los the lost and net the pet to email

Absolutely!
I expect Geoff is a troll.
Alison

"William Clodius" writes:

Geoffs recomendation is a good way to get a bitten
human and a dog awaiting euthanesia in a shelter.

Nonsense. Dogs are pack animals, and a human has
to establish dominance as "leader of the pack."
(vroom! vroom!) I don't advocate brutalizing
the animals, merely employing a judicious amount
of rough stuff to get their attention and establish
who's boss.


Alison responds:

I expect Geoff is a troll.

You expect wrong. I'm deadly serious. Suspecting
someone of trolling just because they have opinions
vastly different from your own is intellectual
slovenliness. Not to mention just a wee bit too
convenient.

Anyway...

In an age when many dogs are surrogate children to
their owners, it should hardly be surprising that
dog training techniques have come to echo the soft,
ineffectual child-rearing style of the day where
parents try to "reason" with toddlers and "time-
outs" and used in lieu of spanking.

Never underestimate the effectiveness of a rolled-
up newspaper across the snout.



Geoff

--
"The next thing you know, the administration will call
terrorists 'anger-management-challenged candidates for
catch and release.'" -- former CIA director James Woolsey

"Geoff Miller" wrote in message
et...


"William Clodius" writes:

Geoffs recomendation is a good way to get a bitten
human and a dog awaiting euthanesia in a shelter.

Nonsense. Dogs are pack animals, and a human has
to establish dominance as "leader of the pack."
(vroom! vroom!) I don't advocate brutalizing
the animals, merely employing a judicious amount
of rough stuff to get their attention and establish
who's boss.


Alison responds:

I expect Geoff is a troll.

You expect wrong. I'm deadly serious. Suspecting
someone of trolling just because they have opinions
vastly different from your own is intellectual
slovenliness. Not to mention just a wee bit too
convenient.

Anyway...

In an age when many dogs are surrogate children to
their owners, it should hardly be surprising that
dog training techniques have come to echo the soft,
ineffectual child-rearing style of the day where
parents try to "reason" with toddlers and "time-
outs" and used in lieu of spanking.

Never underestimate the effectiveness of a rolled-
up newspaper across the snout.

It is important to let a dog know you are the leader, and some dogs are
harder to convince than others. I do believe that the gentlest effective
method is the way to go, but some dogs (and humans) will take advantage of
a "too light" approach. I have followed some discussions on the Dog
Whisperer site as well as Victoria Stilwell's www.positively.com, and there
are valid reasons for using either method. CM seems to be more versatile
and he gets very quick results and is effective in really difficult cases.
VS seems to stay with bratty little dogs and clueless owners.

There was a thread in the VS forum entitled "I'm a Bloody Mess Today" about
a young woman's attempts to discourage an adolescent dog from lunging at
her and biting to the point of drawing blood, and the advice given by these
gentle geniuses was to wear extra layers of protective clothing and just
ignore the dog's attacks until he got bored. Clearly this was a case where
a firm physical aversive was needed. Some dogs are born to please, while
others must be coerced into having respect for the human.

And you are right about excessive permissiveness causing delinquency and
anti-social behavior in children, and the adults they become. I believe
even Dr Spock attempted to dissuade young parents from going too far in
following their interpretation of what he wrote.

Paul and Muttley
www.MuttleyDog.com

Paul E. Schoen writes:

[...] the advice given by these gentle geniuses was
to wear extra layers of protective clothing and just
ignore the dog's attacks until he got bored.


That's nuts. The owner's not wearing extra layers of
clothing wasn't the problem; the dog's behavior was the
problem.



Geoff

--
"The next thing you know, the administration will call
terrorists 'anger-management-challenged candidates for
catch and release.'" -- former CIA director James Woolsey