My two year old Lakeland just nipped my friends butt when she hugged me. She has also done this to a friend on the dock k and to a visitor to the house. What type of correction is helpful. She is extraordinarily loving with us.
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Lakeland Terrier nipping
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It would help if you could add more detail, because finding the right way to change her behaviour really depends on her reason for doing it.
For example, is she hyped up, excitable, does she think it's a game? Or is she worried, uncomfortable with strangers? Is she resource guarding you? Something else?
Was it a quick greeting type hug from your friend, or a longer more intimate hug?
What were the circumstances around the other nips?
is this out of character for your dog, a new behaviour, or is it a longer term issue?
And, it's likely just a typo but I don't understand dock k.
The more background detail you can give, particularly regarding what preceded the nip, the better. It would likely also be useful to know how you reacted.
For example, is she hyped up, excitable, does she think it's a game? Or is she worried, uncomfortable with strangers? Is she resource guarding you? Something else?
Was it a quick greeting type hug from your friend, or a longer more intimate hug?
What were the circumstances around the other nips?
is this out of character for your dog, a new behaviour, or is it a longer term issue?
And, it's likely just a typo but I don't understand dock k.
The more background detail you can give, particularly regarding what preceded the nip, the better. It would likely also be useful to know how you reacted.
Thanks for the comeback.
It’s relatively new behavior though there has been growling over things like being removed from a chair or the bed or taking g away whatever she has in her mouth.
It was a quick hug. The other incidents were meeting someone I know on the dock (yes that was a typo), they approach to talk and Sophie jumps up and nips their hand. Same at the door when a friend arrived to visit.
She is 2.5 years old. Very exercised.
I told her no and put her in the house.
She is remarkably lovey with us and will jump into my arms for a hug. Our house has been in turmoil but we are emerging. My husbands ptsd got the best of him in December when he had a breakdown and since then we’re on a steady climb towards wellness. We are very aware of the effects of our juju on the dog and work to have a calm aura. This is our third Lakeland.
From what I’ve read, it appears to be resource guarding and I appear to be the primary resource. It feels like possessiveness.
So far we have decided: Dad will feed her instead of me, we have a mat for her in a remote bedroom where she can go if she misbehaves, heavy emphasis on sit, stay, down, give it, drop and leave it.
It’s relatively new behavior though there has been growling over things like being removed from a chair or the bed or taking g away whatever she has in her mouth.
It was a quick hug. The other incidents were meeting someone I know on the dock (yes that was a typo), they approach to talk and Sophie jumps up and nips their hand. Same at the door when a friend arrived to visit.
She is 2.5 years old. Very exercised.
I told her no and put her in the house.
She is remarkably lovey with us and will jump into my arms for a hug. Our house has been in turmoil but we are emerging. My husbands ptsd got the best of him in December when he had a breakdown and since then we’re on a steady climb towards wellness. We are very aware of the effects of our juju on the dog and work to have a calm aura. This is our third Lakeland.
From what I’ve read, it appears to be resource guarding and I appear to be the primary resource. It feels like possessiveness.
So far we have decided: Dad will feed her instead of me, we have a mat for her in a remote bedroom where she can go if she misbehaves, heavy emphasis on sit, stay, down, give it, drop and leave it.
Thinking about this, I should tell you that there is a game where we friendly hug and she clambers up into the hug to to be with the team and gets her hug.
That doesn’t explain the nipping of others hands though.
She is excited around strangers, more so on the property than the trails.
That doesn’t explain the nipping of others hands though.
She is excited around strangers, more so on the property than the trails.
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It does sound like it might be resource guarding. @JudyN is our RG guru so hopefully will have advice, but please get, and read, the book Mine! by Jean Donaldson. There's also more help here - Resource guarding
I'd just like to add that behaviour can escalate to a nip if a dog feels we have ignored her earlier communication that she is uncomfortable about something. So she is 'shouting louder' with the nip. Dogs give a series of signals that they are unhappy, but unfortunately most people don't recognise them because they can be quite subtle. To begin with there is often wide eyes, lip licking and yawning. There is also muscular tension in the body. Then the ones we sometimes do see - growl, snarl, nip then bite. If the early signals are not seen (or, in the dog's view, ignored) she won't bother with them because us stupid humans pay no attention anyway; so she may go straight to the bite. So it's important never to ignore the early signals or reprimand the dog for giving them; stopping the dog from giving them would be like taking the battery out of a smoke alarm.
But the good thing is that a dog will look for ways to de-escalate where possible. If you want to read more, the writer Turid Rugaas is a good source.
I'd just like to add that behaviour can escalate to a nip if a dog feels we have ignored her earlier communication that she is uncomfortable about something. So she is 'shouting louder' with the nip. Dogs give a series of signals that they are unhappy, but unfortunately most people don't recognise them because they can be quite subtle. To begin with there is often wide eyes, lip licking and yawning. There is also muscular tension in the body. Then the ones we sometimes do see - growl, snarl, nip then bite. If the early signals are not seen (or, in the dog's view, ignored) she won't bother with them because us stupid humans pay no attention anyway; so she may go straight to the bite. So it's important never to ignore the early signals or reprimand the dog for giving them; stopping the dog from giving them would be like taking the battery out of a smoke alarm.
But the good thing is that a dog will look for ways to de-escalate where possible. If you want to read more, the writer Turid Rugaas is a good source.
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I'm sorry to hear about your husband's PTSD but glad things are improving.
Your first main weapon in dealing with Sophie's guarding behaviours is management. Both in the short term and the long term. I'll focus mainly on guarding of objects and furniture as that's what I have first-hand knowledge of, then think further about the nipping and resource guarding you.
In all these situations, don't correct her. That simply ups her stress levels and convinced her that she must 'fight' harder to hang on to a resource that, in her mind, she is entitled to. So make sure that whatever objects she tends to guard are out of her reach and in the meantime, teach a good 'leave' (more details in the link JoanneF mentioned). I actually found it really helpful to teach 'bring it to me' - once we'd nailed this and he thought it was a good game, if my dog merely looked at me with a baleful eye when asked I would know that I would attempt to remove it from me at my peril...... If Sophie does get something she shouldn't have, aim to distract her (go into the kitchen, open and shut the fridge door and call 'Sausage!!!') or even just ignore her and leave her to it. In the long run, this will help her be much more trusting of you and less suspicious.
Don't remove her from furniture. Teach her to jump up onto furniture on cue, and to get off on cue (make the reward for getting off better than getting on). Then you won't need to remove her - you just ask her nicely and reward her when she complies. In the meantime, use the kitchen-fridge-'sausage' trick to shift her.
Owner guarding - I'm mainly extrapolating from the above here, but Jean Donaldson's book Mine! has more detail. Again, for now, manage this - don't hug your friends, and explain to them beforehand why they need to keep a little distance. Make these meetings positive for Sophie - while chatting to your friend from a distance she's fine with, drop her a few treats and happy words. As Sophie realises that these meetings are a positive thing for her, you can build up to standing closer, touching hands... and maybe eventually hugging again. People coming to your house can be a trigger point fo many dogs (guarding their property from intruders?), and even excitement at seeing someone they know can raise their arousal levels and make them more 'nippy') so before opening the door, pop her in a room where she can't get to them (I'd use a stairgate so she can still see what's happening), and then reintroduce her when you and your friend is more settled. Again, no corrections when this doesn't work out - that just adds to her arousal/anxiety levels and makes her more likely to react.
Jean Donaldson's book Mine! is great and I do recommend you get it. I didn't find that the more structured example protocols worked for me - apart from anything else, my smart dog worked out that this was 'training' with potentially large rewards and complied beautifully, but behaved completely differently when he'd nicked something he knew I really didn't want him to have
I hope that helps - I'm out now for the best part of the day but do ask if you have any questions.
Your first main weapon in dealing with Sophie's guarding behaviours is management. Both in the short term and the long term. I'll focus mainly on guarding of objects and furniture as that's what I have first-hand knowledge of, then think further about the nipping and resource guarding you.
In all these situations, don't correct her. That simply ups her stress levels and convinced her that she must 'fight' harder to hang on to a resource that, in her mind, she is entitled to. So make sure that whatever objects she tends to guard are out of her reach and in the meantime, teach a good 'leave' (more details in the link JoanneF mentioned). I actually found it really helpful to teach 'bring it to me' - once we'd nailed this and he thought it was a good game, if my dog merely looked at me with a baleful eye when asked I would know that I would attempt to remove it from me at my peril...... If Sophie does get something she shouldn't have, aim to distract her (go into the kitchen, open and shut the fridge door and call 'Sausage!!!') or even just ignore her and leave her to it. In the long run, this will help her be much more trusting of you and less suspicious.
Don't remove her from furniture. Teach her to jump up onto furniture on cue, and to get off on cue (make the reward for getting off better than getting on). Then you won't need to remove her - you just ask her nicely and reward her when she complies. In the meantime, use the kitchen-fridge-'sausage' trick to shift her.
Owner guarding - I'm mainly extrapolating from the above here, but Jean Donaldson's book Mine! has more detail. Again, for now, manage this - don't hug your friends, and explain to them beforehand why they need to keep a little distance. Make these meetings positive for Sophie - while chatting to your friend from a distance she's fine with, drop her a few treats and happy words. As Sophie realises that these meetings are a positive thing for her, you can build up to standing closer, touching hands... and maybe eventually hugging again. People coming to your house can be a trigger point fo many dogs (guarding their property from intruders?), and even excitement at seeing someone they know can raise their arousal levels and make them more 'nippy') so before opening the door, pop her in a room where she can't get to them (I'd use a stairgate so she can still see what's happening), and then reintroduce her when you and your friend is more settled. Again, no corrections when this doesn't work out - that just adds to her arousal/anxiety levels and makes her more likely to react.
Jean Donaldson's book Mine! is great and I do recommend you get it. I didn't find that the more structured example protocols worked for me - apart from anything else, my smart dog worked out that this was 'training' with potentially large rewards and complied beautifully, but behaved completely differently when he'd nicked something he knew I really didn't want him to have
I hope that helps - I'm out now for the best part of the day but do ask if you have any questions.
I am working on this diligently. Had a good conversation with her breeder today where we worked out that, indeed, she does think that I might need some discipline now and then in the form of a muzzle tap (akin to “Do I have to pull over this car….”) and a grumble. I have the book on the way and will keep you updated. I especially appreciate the comment about management; it makes me feel like I can help her get back on track and won’t have an untrustworthy dog forever. .
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Definitely - a dog's nose is very sensitive, so it would be like you being hit in a very sore place.
Violence is not the answer, especially as resource guarding, as mentioned, comes from insecurity anyway. This could really harm your relationship with your dog.
Here's a video of two dogs who have been taught loose lead walking, one using reward and the other using physical punishment methods to suppress the pulling. See if you can guess which is which.
Violence is not the answer, especially as resource guarding, as mentioned, comes from insecurity anyway. This could really harm your relationship with your dog.
Here's a video of two dogs who have been taught loose lead walking, one using reward and the other using physical punishment methods to suppress the pulling. See if you can guess which is which.
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I agree - any form of punishment will increase stress levels, and the behaviour is happening because she is already stressed. You very much want to reduce stress, not add to it.
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My advice is definitely do not tap her on the muzzle.
That way of training, by exerting dominance over a dog can backfire big time and make the issue worse.
Ask for a vet referral (often covered by insurance) to a behaviourist who only uses positive methods.
Avoid anyone spouting Alpha methods (the sort of thing the breeder seems to be advocating).
Dogs Trust have behaviourist who offer classes.
Positively.com is a good source of training tips and advice on dog psyche .
She isn’t “misbehaving” and doesn’t need reprimanding. Rather she needs to be taught, through positive training that there is no need to Resource Guard or react as she does.
No,no. She taps me with her muzzle. Not hard. No teeth. Just a tap. I would never do that to my dog.
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Your post didn’t read that way to me … so a bit confusing
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I worked canine search and rescue for ten years. With a Chesapeake Bay Retriever. I am not an inexperienced handler. Having had great success at this, I understand that violence-with anyone-is never an answer. I have never had a dog, however, who nipped. And need experienced people to guide me. This is my third Lakeland and I never had one who did the death shake with her toys or one who tried to push me around. I need protocols for management and my own consistency.
Hi @alaska you've had some great advice, I'd just add a few things - questions for you really
What would be an example of misbehavior, and how do you get her to go to her mat and stay there.
Is there a reason for the heavy emphasis on stay and down? How have you taught those?
Also, how have you taught her give, drop, and leave it?
In what sort of scenario does she do this? Is it like a play invite, or is it more telling you to stop what you're doing, or does she do it in multiple scenarios?
How does this work?
What would be an example of misbehavior, and how do you get her to go to her mat and stay there.
Is there a reason for the heavy emphasis on stay and down? How have you taught those?
Also, how have you taught her give, drop, and leave it?
Ah, I read this as the dog (what's her name by the way?) feels you - the owner, need discipline? So she muzzle punches you (when they nose you with their muzzle) and grumbles at you?
In what sort of scenario does she do this? Is it like a play invite, or is it more telling you to stop what you're doing, or does she do it in multiple scenarios?
Let’s see, the last time, she was on the porch in her bed watching the world go by and I reached down to….what, I don’t remember, pick her up? and she gave me the side eye and a punch with her snoot and when I continued on, a grumble. Following was a quiet conversation about her behavior, I pick her up and take her to the zone. I use a baby gate so she can see what’s going on but not be part of it. My thought is that she wanted to be left alone on her porch. I don’t think it’s an invite to play. This protocol was suggested here I think.
Just a note about Sophie, 2.5 yrs: she gets tons of exercise, beaches, trails. Especially then, she has superior sit, stay behaviors (tourists coming, I step off the trail and call her to sit and stay while they pass. Solid. Same with the park in town, more urban. When she’s on the docks, off lead, with people around talking, she’s right there by me with no commands. (The joke is: Where’s Sophie? Look down.). She also follows hand commands without voice. On her property, she is not as trustworthy.
The training regimen was classic/simple. She’s treat oriented so it was easy to increase time, distance, add obstacles to each command. Then treating became more lottery like. In the forest and muskegs we play search and rescue games (Find Joe. Get to work. Show me.). She knows all her toys by name and can retrieve them accordingly.
Just a note about Sophie, 2.5 yrs: she gets tons of exercise, beaches, trails. Especially then, she has superior sit, stay behaviors (tourists coming, I step off the trail and call her to sit and stay while they pass. Solid. Same with the park in town, more urban. When she’s on the docks, off lead, with people around talking, she’s right there by me with no commands. (The joke is: Where’s Sophie? Look down.). She also follows hand commands without voice. On her property, she is not as trustworthy.
The training regimen was classic/simple. She’s treat oriented so it was easy to increase time, distance, add obstacles to each command. Then treating became more lottery like. In the forest and muskegs we play search and rescue games (Find Joe. Get to work. Show me.). She knows all her toys by name and can retrieve them accordingly.
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