Territorial Dogs
Another common behavior issue we hear about in the Veterinary Industry is "My dog is super territorial, what do I do?".
There are tons of factors which play into this problem; breed, age, sex, have they been "fixed", has anything traumatic happened, did you socialize them as a puppy or after adopting them, are they getting enough exercise, are they bored, etc.
It is in a dog's nature to be territorial- protecting their things and home, therefore, this behavior won't completely go away, although proper socialization and having commands to quit or distract their instinctive behaviors can help!
Socialization
It is vital, to both you and your pet, that you socialize them starting at a young age or whenever you first adopt them. Getting them used to and normalizing other people, traveling, animals and places like the park or pet stores will help to decrease their anxiety and reactivity, helping to decrease some territorial tendencies.
If your dog is reactive to such things, desensitize them by doing that such thing over and over again while rewarding them once they're calm and focused on you or the task you are asking them to do.
Note: Do not say "it's okay" just stay quiet during their reactive state of mind. I know, this sounds absolutely insane!! But imagine being in a terrifying situation and constantly hearing the words "it's okay", over time those words can become psychologically triggering even if you're in a safe place. The same goes for dogs. I know we want to nurture and protect our pets, but they have a different view of our world than we do as humans. Saying "it's okay" will indicate that something is actually wrong, while to us, the dogs reactions are what is truly wrong.
How do you react instead??
....You are walking your dog and they see another dog across the street. They freeze up then start barking or growling. Instead of petting them and saying "It's okay, it's okay", don't say anything at all and keep walking, don't change or react to their reactions, if you react, it's confirmation to them that either; they're behaving in the correct way or that something IS wrong and you are validating their reactions.
Once you keep walking and they finally bring their attention to YOU, react and say a verbal applause or give them a treat. And do it again and again until they realize that ignoring the stimuli and focusing on you will be rewarding. After several months of doing this, it'll normalize these external stimuli's and they will quit reacting without expecting a treat or verbal applause, it also shows them that the stimuli is not a threat.
Also, don't hide your dog from these things either! Yes, it can be embarrassing, annoying and exhausting but each time they are stimulated then rewarded for doing what you want them to do, it rewires their brain more and more!! How awesome!
Training
Training your pup or dog has its obvious benefits in general, but it also helps you ease their discomfort with certain stimuli and allows you to regroup their mindset on how they should behave. Your pet will gain more respect and affection during the process of general or advanced training, and it helps them understand that you are their provider and protector, this is especially helpful for the anxious and fearful doggos. Plus it's a great way to release all the bundled up energy, as mental stimulation is more exhausting than most exercising!
Here are the most beneficial "tricks" when dealing with a fearful or territorial dog.
Quiet
Teaching them to be quiet can be pretty difficult, you're up against hundreds of years of instinctual behavior, lol. However it is possible and with great rewards your dog will be more than happy to stop that barking or howling!!
To do this, it takes some time catching them in the act and once they stop on their own- say your quiet "command" and then reward them. Once they have the hang of it and recognize what they should be doing for that command, you can start interrupting them during their dog-sized rant towards whomever and whatever, then reward with treats!
When I catch Ollie protecting our yard and he listens to my recall or to be quiet, I still try to find treats and make it as rewarding as possible, because I know how much these actions butt heads with his instinctual duties as a canine.
Recall
Having a recall for your dog will help break their territorial actions; whether it's barking, lunging, pacing, etc. If your pet is protecting his yard from someone walking on the side walk, you can recall them to come to you or go lay down.
To do this, start with a short leash or by saying their name then your "come" command. When they listen, reward them with treats!! Start easy with zero distractions, then work your way up with the distractions; having the TV on, people talking, things happening in the house, being in the backyard, etc. With time you can add more distance with the leash or get rid of the leash altogether. Remember you must teach your dog the behaviors you want them to perform, then you can start putting it into real life scenarios.
Leave It
“Leave it” is also a great command to teach your dog, I use this in a wide range of scenarios, from my personal items, to people or other animals to even certain areas. Remember to teach them the behavior you'd like them to do, then reward and work your way up to the real world. With the "leave it" command, you will need to almost re-train them in each different case scenario, from personal items, food or things, indoors and outdoors. The more your dog learns to "leave it" the easier it will train them to do so with each differing situation.
For starters, when your dog picks up an item they aren’t supposed to have, replace it with their favorite toy! When they chose to drop the naughty item and grab their toy, say your “leave it” command. Repeat this for quite a while and ease your way into giving the command before offering the treat or toy. After they recognize what they’re supposed to be doing you can add difficulty into the situations and start adding more scenarios in play as well.
Other Reasonings
As I mentioned above, there are multiple reasons your dog is territorial. If they're intact (not spayed or neutered), or got fixed later on in life, they have strong instincts to hold their ground and be weary that other dogs or animals are going to take or harm their home and puppies. YES, they feel that way even if there are no puppies involved.
PTSD plays another role, did they get attacked at a young age or ever? Getting your dog to overcome PTSD calls for the big guys- Veterinary Behaviorists, and possibly some anti-anxiety medications as well. CBD won't do the trick for this instance.
Injury or illness, if you're pet becomes territorial out of nowhere it could mean there's something medically wrong with them. Anything from a common UTI to even a brain tumor. If they feel weaker or dumpier than usual, they will also feel the need to ward off any possible competition or they just won't feel like playing or messing around while sick.
If you're dog is territorial and you've yet to break those habits, speak with a trainer or Veterinary Behaviorist! If that's out of your budget, I recommend getting these books to read which talks about the evolutions of dogs and explains how their mind works. Working in the Veterinary field for over 8 years, even I learned quite a few things from these books, which were recommended to me by a Behaviorist, for Ollie back when he was a puppy!
