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Get off my lawn! (Territorial much?)

How to Combat Territorial Aggression in Your Dog

August 01, 2023

In this Issue

  • đŸ—ș What is territorial aggression?

  • ❓ Poll results

  • 💡 Sit & Stay Pro Tip - 3 ways to stop territorial behavior

  • 😊The Smile Section

  • đŸ‘©â€âš•ïžVet Recommendations

  • 🩮Treats

Barking at the mailman is not just a clichĂ©. Plenty of dogs are super chill until you step foot in their territory. These pups don’t care if you’re there to rob the house or drop off the food that keeps them alive; their (over)reaction is the same.

Dogs have an instinct to protect, and that’s especially true for specific breeds. As the AKC explains, German Shepherds, Rottweilers, Doberman Pinschers, and Australian Shepherds (to name a few) have been historically bred as guard dogs. It’s unreasonable to think the urge to bark, growl, and posture at an “invader” will magically disappear from the genetic makeup, and that fact has given many of these breeds a bad rap.

You have to train your dog to be calm in the face of stranger danger, just as their ancestors were trained to do the opposite.

How do you know if your dog has territorial aggression?

If your dog growls, barks, lunges, or does everything he can to get an intruder to leave (especially if that “intruder” is a squirrel or Aunt Ethel), then your dog probably has territorial aggression.

Territorial aggression doesn’t always present itself at home, either; your dog’s turf is wherever he decides it is. Your car, the sidewalk, a patch of grass at the park, and anywhere your dog sets foot is fair game for his territorial behavior to spring up.

Dogs with territorial aggression are stressed, and we know their owners are, too. So what can you do to help your dog relax and stop seeing every strange person or animal as a threat?

Poll Results

Sit & Stay Pro Tip — 3 Ways to Help Your Dog Overcome Territorial Aggression

  1. Reinforce basic obedience training. It may seem counterproductive to teach your dog the sit command when you want to teach him the stop harassing the neighbors, you kook command. However, you must establish your dog’s ability to listen to and trust you, which starts with basic obedience.

  2. Reward good behavior. If your dog sits quietly at the door when a stranger approaches instead of lunging, offer a reward. Your dog will understand, “Good things happen when I behave this way, and I want good things to keep happening.” The only way to convince your dog to behave this well when a stimulus is involved is by working on basic obedience when the stimulus is absent.

  3. Take away the stimulus. This is only a temporary solution, but it will help while you’re practicing tips number one and two. Close the blinds so your dog can’t see the delivery person. Stay close to home when taking your dog for walks and walk them when foot traffic is slow. If you have a fenced-in yard, consider blocking gaps. Taking away the stimulus will help you both stay sane during the training process.  

Poll

The Smile Section

Vet Recommendations — Barking for Attention

The VCA tells us why territorial behavior occurs, how to prevent it, and more tips on handling the behavior and its symptoms in this article.

Product(s) of the Week

We found a few products on Amazon to help you remove your dog’s territorial triggers while training.

  1. A Heavy Duty Privacy Screen Fence from Xpose Safety. You can use this to block stimuli in a fenced-in yard.

  2. A Dog Crate Cover from Explore Land. Crating your dog can help keep them calm and away from triggers, but if they still seem reactive, you can try a windowless crate cover.

  3. Some dog owners find calming aids, like these Calming Collars from BGPGFD, helpful.

Treats

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