How to Train Your Dog to Guard an Object

Hello Chrismylee, From the video he appears to be acting territorial/guarding the yard. If the person got very close, pup's response could tell you whether there is also fear present, like does pup move away while barking, do they dart in but they run away right after, does their body language shrink and tail tucks or shoulders and overall height shrinks down. A fearful dog will often guard as well. If pup is bold and not shrinking, not backing down, and looking taller, pup may simply be territorial without fear. I would not test this without professional supervision though, if you don't already know off hand. A fearful and non-fearful dog will both bite when there is too much pressure. My guess would be that pup doesn't trust and respect your grandfather, or believes your grandfather approves of the behavior, so pup is trying to handle the approach of strangers on his own instead of letting the people handle the situation, thus being more reactive when your grandfather is around. An insecure, fearful dog will also do this, but it's not fun for them because they feel anxious while doing it. There are several reasons why pup may feel this way around your grandfather, but the bottom line is probably that pup is territorial, believes it's his job to guard the territory, thinks this behavior is acceptable/he is in charge, and this might actually be making him feel more anxious and insecure in the end, because not all dogs want to have the leadership role, depending on their temperament. I would build trust and respect overall. A lot of structured obedience, calm, clear commands, with consistent follow through - mean what you say but give it with a calm confidence, instead of feeding into the excitement, frustration, and anxiety pup is already feeling. I would work on commands that help you direct pup, like Leave It, Quiet, and Place, and practice those things daily, in calm situations first, then work up to distractions like other people very slowly as pup gains the skills for that. Check out Thomas Davis the trainer online. He specializes in aggression, and has a lot of videos showing him working with aggression, explaining the different types of aggression, and you can also observe the dog's he works with and their body language as he explains what's going on with each and works them through the training. I would pursue professional help with this because there is a risk of a bite if a person pup is uncomfortable with or they don't want on the property gets too close. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Chrismylee, Certainly. Some questions will be too long to answer here, or will require in person assessment, in which case I will encourage you pursue those types of training, but you are welcome to ask your question! Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Chrismylee, How does your grandpa act around him? Is he fearful, dominating, unsure, spoils or soothes him? I suspect the relationship between pup and your grandpa needs to be addressed. Without having more information I can't give specific advice, but likely either pup doesn't respect your grandpa and the respect needs to be build calmly by having him do things like obedience command practice with pup, acting calm and confident around him (without being scary or harsh), and being super consistent about boundaries, rules, and follow through on commands. If pup has ever shown any form of aggression around your grandpa or others when he is around, I would hire a professional trainer to at least get you started with the training, for safety reasons, to avoid to potential for a bite. If pup is reacting that way due to nervousness while your grandpa is around, likely trust between them needs to be addressed. How your grandpa acts around pup, how he trains pup, and how he responds to pup may need to be addressed to be calmer and more patiently consistent. He may also need to use food rewards and some lure reward based training to work with pup, rewarding pup's calmness around him, good responses around him in general, obedience, and relaxed body language, to help pup associate your grandpa with good things again. If there have every been any signs of aggression with fearfulness, I would also recommend a professional trainer who specializes in behavior issues, comes well recommended by their previous clients, understands counter conditioning, and utilizes obedience commands and structure to calmly build respect and trust, to work with you in person. A fearful dog can also bite in many cases if they feel pressured or defensive. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittendne