# Aggressive to people entering my house



## kvo1257 (Sep 25, 2014)

I have a 1 1/2 year old who has been a great dog. Very friendly with everyone. He is rather protective of the yard and house but once he sees there is no threat he is nothing but love and playing. the other night we went out with friends for dinner and came back around 10:30 with a new person the dog hadn't met before. Typically this isn't an issue but in this case he got very aggressive with loud barking and snarling. we removed him from the person and let him cool down for a minute. Then brought the person back over slowly to let him sniff the hand once he sniffed he went right back into barking and growling more so than I have ever seen him do. It was rather scary. I have no idea why this would have happened so I am hoping someone can share their thoughts. for that day, the dog was at day camp all day and was exhausted so I'm not sure if that matters or the time of night we brought someone new home. Please share your thoughts and suggestions. Thanks!


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## ken k (Apr 3, 2006)

the short answer, dog knows something you don't about that person


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## MichaelE (Dec 15, 2012)

He could have also had a smell on him the dog didn't like, or thought his body language was threatening, or didn't like the way your friend looked at him.

Lisl is like this too, but she doesn't discriminate, everyone is suspect until I say they're OK. If I'm not there, no one is ever OK.


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## kvo1257 (Sep 25, 2014)

Thanks Ken and Michael. Do you have any suggestions on how to overcome this? I know this person well and would hope I can relay a message to the dog that he( or the next person) is ok. Or anything i can give as advice to people so they dont set him off with body language or looks?


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## Debanneball (Aug 28, 2014)

A work friend of my husband came to meet Stella when we first got her, six weeks, she was leery of him. As she grew older, she never liked him. She liked people, but not this man, just something about him. My husband retired, we moved, turns out this man had been abusing his wife for several years, she finally got the gumption to leave. As Ken said 'dogs know'.


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## MichaelE (Dec 15, 2012)

kvo1257 said:


> Thanks Ken and Michael. Do you have any suggestions on how to overcome this? I know this person well and would hope I can relay a message to the dog that he( or the next person) is ok. Or anything i can give as advice to people so they dont set him off with body language or looks?


Best thing I can suggest is have your guest ignore the dog. No looking (especially staring which is a challenge) no talking, or petting. Allow the dog to warm up to or at least tolerate your guest.

At worst you will have to keep him crated. 

Another idea is to teach your dog that when you say it's OK, it really is OK and not another word from the dog.


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## David Taggart (Nov 25, 2012)

It always better to know what had happened before the dog attack occured. Where do you leave your dog when you are away? If he was in the yard - it could have been a nasty person kicking and banging at your fence (you say your dog is protective of the property, something should have triggered excessive reactions). He was prepared to meet the "enemy", in this case, it doesn't matter who was with you.
But, I'd rather put blame on the smell your friend had on him. This smell also belongs to a person your dog hates. Could your friend eat, say, pizza before you met him? Where has he bought it? In the same pizza shop works a pizza boy, who irritates your dog every time he delivers pizza in your neighbourhood. Is it possible? Another thing it can be - your friend's smell reminded the smell of that vet who vaccinated him for the first time.


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## MaureenBland (Jan 8, 2014)

I have learned Joe (2 yo) does a nicer meet if he is out of the house, and out of the fenced in yard. So when I have people come over, I have them call me about 3 minutes in advance of arrival, so I can get Joe out the door. Out of the yard, he greets people with a smile & a jolly ball (jolly ball most of the time) - inside the yard he feels he has to be "on" watch patrol - which is why we got him


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## Tiffseagles (May 12, 2010)

Place training so you can send your dog to a specific spot to lay down and relax when you are introducing new people to them.


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## LoveSea (Aug 21, 2011)

My trainer advised the "no talk, no touch, no eye contact" to all guests entering the house. Totally ignore the dog the entire time, until he gets to know the person. Slow, calm movements - no hands flailing around. It worked for us like a charm. I know some people are nervous, especially if it is with meeting a snarling GSD, but they sense the nervousness. In the beginning I would tell the guests this, but they could not resist reaching a hand out, as it is natural to want to pet a dog - so I hung a sign on my front door "Dog in training - No Touch, No Talk, No Eye Contact". That really worked then because everyone read it before they came in.

I observed my dog when people would come in & reach toward him & pet him - he was fearful, so he would cower & get all nervous, but after trying the "no talk, no touch, no eye contact" his reaction totally changed. He had the freedom to check out & smell the person on his own. Dogs do not like forced greetings - especially when you come at them, hands out to pet them, staring at them. 

But if you think he will attack & bite, he should be leashed during the greeting, maybe even muzzled. You don't want to take a chance.

My dog eventually got to the point where if I felt the person, even a new pizza delivery man, was fine, he was fine.


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## LoveSea (Aug 21, 2011)

I also like the idea of training him to go to a spot & lay down. Another important thing is he should not be the front door greeter - you are the front door greeter. A good way that I taught my dogs that is I put a gate 10 feet from the front door & when someone came to the door, I answered it & they had to be behind the gate in a sit. Eventually you do not need the gate because they realize that is your space.


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## lyssa62 (May 5, 2013)

Roxy isn't keen on having new people in the house either. She knows the couple of regular visitors I have and they are ok...but anybody new -- we have to do the ignore thing too. I usually leave her in the kitchen and have the guests come sit down at the dinning room table and after Roxy acts like she's calming down a bit I will let her out and still have the people ignore her. Works for us.


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## s14roller (Nov 18, 2010)

I like the idea of them not meeting in the house as well. Maybe have that person stand someone as you walk your dog past him/her, around, etc., so the dog follows your lead and knows it's no big deal. Then, start talking to the person, shake their hand or whatever, and walk together into the house.


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

Titan is pretty vocal with guests entering the house even if he has met them before. He's never been aggressive to the point of lunging but I just don't like that kind of behavior around a guest in general. He knows to go to his bed but will bark his brains out for upwards of 20 min. Once he's calm he sniffs and gets a toy.

To combat this. I have elected to greet people outside in our drive way. I have them let me knwo when they are there or tell them to wait while I grab him. I make him sit and they come to him to greet.. he may bark once or twice but once the greeting is over we are on our merry way inside with no more barking. Something about him bring ing them in the house makes everything ok. Lol.


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