Question:
Hello Dr Julie,
We purchased a beautiful Maltese Cross-King Charles Cavalier called Charlie in February this year. Up until three months ago he was very placid and friendly. Now he goes for visitors to our home.
I have tried removing him, telling him “NO”, and even giving visitors treats to give him but nothing is working. Are we doing something wrong or is this his personality? I don’t want him to bite anyone. He is very loving and gentle with us.
Karen.
Answer:
Dear Karen,
I’m not sure exactly how old little Charlie is but I’m guessing he’s at least seven to eight-months-old. He is displaying territorial aggression in the house and this could be partly anxiety-based, or he’s dominant in nature and he’s discovered his aggressive behaviour gets results!
Either way, you need to nip this in the bud. I think it would be a good idea to have him assessed by a vet or behaviourist to work out if he is suffering from anxiety or whether he’s just a little bossy boots — then you can put in place a plan of action.
In the meantime, you need to keep him on a lead when you have visitors so he can’t sink his teeth into anyone. Your behaviour towards him will also send powerful messages. If he is anxious, don’t reward the anxious behaviour (with any attention — even reassurance or scolding) because this only tells him he is doing the right thing.
If he is under control on a lead, you don’t need to shut him out (that will probably make him worse) but you can ignore the outbursts. You can distract him by asking him to sit or drop and then lavish him with attention and treats.
It’s like a kid having a tantrum and giving them a lolly to shut them up — they learn how to manipulate things to get what they want. If you ignore the tantrum and then ask them, in a happy, non-threatening voice, to see how quickly they can do something for you, you can then reward them with the lolly and tell them how good they are. Same outcome but you are in control and it gives very different messages.
You can reassure Charlie by taking the lead. If you are a strong but kind leader he won’t feel the need to protect you as much, and he will learn to look up to you for cues on how to behave.
Later on you can get visitors to give him treats but for now that might be pushing it. They can ignore him while he gets used to the idea that visitors to the house are not a threat. If he is dominant, you need to re-establish the hierarchy so he’s at the bottom of the pack. You may need to revoke some privileges such as being up on furniture.
Things have to be on your terms — not his. If he jumps on you for attention, ignore him. You decide when you will pay him attention. Asking him to sit first is asking him to submit to you, a doggy way of saying please. You should eat first and behave as a more dominant dog in the pack. He will respect you for this.
If the anxiety is bad he may need some medication, but this behaviour modification will be the key. De-sexing could help if the dominance is partly hormonal but his “manhood” certainly isn’t the whole story.
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