Question

[Talina]

Jasmine is my first bc and she is 6 months old. One minute she is so sweet the next she is driving me crazy. She is very protective and lately she has been barking at everyone she sees and starts lunging at them. I am having a hard time getting her to calm down. I used to be able to have her come to me, tell her it was enough, and she would sit and stop barking. Now I cannot take her outside without her barking at every person who walks by. How can I train her to bark when necessary but stop when I tell her it is OK?

[Ruger's Dad]

You need to start working your dog on a lead. When you are walking Jasmine you will be in complete control if you want. It will take a while but you need to have Jasmine under control when you encounter different people and show her you will not tolerate her aggression towards people. By using the lead you can teach her to heel, sit, stay, stop and most important to come to you.

 

In general, you should work her everyday for at least 5-10 minutes on the lead. While you are going for your daily walks you can practice what you taught her.

 

Everything that I have done with Ruger is structured in some form. Even in play he is doing what I want him to do. For instance, I will put him on a stay and throw out several frisbees. I will send him out and go get a specific one. He is under my control but having a blast doing what he loves.

 

Jasmine's people agression may take a while to break but you need to start now. The more contact she has with people and you in control will eventually curb the agression.

 

Kind of look at it this way. Your Border is like having a small hyper child right now. You need to channel the energy and use discipline when necessary to have a well behaved dog. Of course Jasmine will be smarter, cleaner and more obedient than any kid in about a year.

[Black Watch Debatable]

Check out obedience classes in your area, check out Dogwise for great books like this --- and think about joining an online group like Yahoo's Aggressive Behaviors in Dogs, where list members can share stories and get suggestions from some well-known trainers. (The Yahoo group also has quite a collection of good articles and links.)

[MaggieDog]

I second getting some professional help and joining the AgBeh list. Be forewarned howevere - the AgBeh moderator is a stickler for rules, but once you get the hang of them you can get some great suggestions to help w/ you pup.

[Talina]

Thanks for the advice. I have taken the puppy beginners class, and I take Jasmine out on a lead whenever we are outside. I also train her and she sits and walks without problems, until we encounter someone then she gets out of hand. I take her to PetSmart weekly, to try and get her used to being around people. She does not allow anyone to come near her, I will probably try and enroll in a basic obeience class.