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Help! My 4 year old daschund has become very aggressive & barks a lot. My roommates & neighbors are very unhappy!
I have a 4 year old daschund who has always been a barker. I just moved into a new apartment with new roommates and I really need to figure out a way to stop him from barking because both the roommates and neighbors are complaining! Barking collars are pretty expensive, is it a good thing to invest in? Has moving affected him in any way?
On another topic, he has been growling at me which is pretty upsetting. I think its because I'm not home as much as I used to be because of my crazy busy schedule. I love him so much and have had him since he was a puppy so giving him away is not an option AT ALL. I want to give him more exercise and attention during the day when I'm gone at school so I wanted to hire a dog walker but he wont let anyone touch him when I'm gone...not even my Mom when we go home to visit. As soon as I leave he completely shuts off to anyone. Its hard because sometimes he is mean to me and then most of the time he is mean to other people. HELP! What do I do!?
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Answers
Yes, moving is traumatic to dogs. He may settle down a little when you have been there longer.
The key to most behavior problems is approaching things using the dog's natural instincts. Dogs see all the people and dogs in the household as a pack with each having their own rank in the pack and a top dog. Life is much easier if the 2 legged pack members outrank the 4 legged ones. You can learn to play the role of top dog by reading some books or going to a good obedience class. A good obedience class or book is about you being top dog, not about rewarding standard commands with a treat.
I'd hate to see you get evicted over something like this, or have the manager knocking on your door all the time. Maybe a bark collar could be useful. Check E-bay and try to find a good quality one at a discounted price. Once your dog is trained, re-sell the collar!?
A bark collar is going to do nothing to solve the underlying issue, which may or may not be fear aggression. Certainly, a bark collar can curtail some barking, but it's painful and a very large number of dogs manage to work around the bark collar in different ways. Some dogs with citronella spray collars have been known to bark like crazy when the owner leaves to EMPTY the citronella supply so they can go about their day without being sprayed when they bark.
Fear aggression can manifest in ways that you described. It's never acceptable or ok for a dog to growl at you and it's something that really doesn't have as much to do with your schedule as much as his lack of confidence.
There are a number of things you can do here, but I think you'd benefit from an appt with a behaviorist to make sure you know what his triggers are and how to deal with. Otherwise, bark collars, training techniques, it's a shot in the dark unless you know WHAT to address...that determines the HOW.
I would not use a bark collar , move around any more, or let anyone tease him while you are gone.
Do you think someone is doing something to make him upset, you mentioned two roomates. I think if you just moved to make the dog a special bed, a special eating area, and anything you put on a list do so. Make a list for everyone to read also his likes and dislikes. He is trying to tell you I think he is stressed alot. He also maybe barking because he misses you and is having anxiety.
I know it is hard for anyone to handle him and I know he is very attached to you that is clear. You may have to buy him a padded harness then attach a thin lead on that, the cat lead is perfect, if he has a tether on him then someone every 3 hrs or so can pick the tether up and attached another lead on it to walk him. Also a good dog walker will know how to handle him and earn his trust. This can be done quickly and without stress if they are experienced.
My dog is a one person type of dog also
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