Hi John:

My 13-year-old daughter has a 2-year-old Border Collie. I am divorced from her mother and did not live in the house when the dog was adopted as a puppy. The dog always barks excessively when I am in the house or yard. Over time, I've managed to get the dog to come to me - I am able to pat it and I bring a dog biscuit with me as well when I visit. I can pat the dog for half an hour, but when I go outside, the dog is still aggressive and barks at me. Is it because the dog doesn't like it when I take the kids away?

Cheers,

GG

Hi GG:

More likely than not is that it's not just you. See if the dog spends time looking out windows or is left alone in the yard. Your observation about the dog's switch flipping when he's indoors versus outdoors is what makes me believe that. The dog is now at the age where a history of confinement combined with visual access to activity outside often leads to territorial aggression.

It's also around this time that many dogs cross over from just barking to snapping or biting. That's when we hear,"Oh my, he's never done anything like that before." To my mind, that's dog owner speak for, "Whoo-wee! We're usually a little faster than that! Sorry, I'm sure that'll heal without leaving a scar. You're right handed, I hope!"

If this is a territorial aggression problem left unaddressed, it will get worse. Have a chat with your ex, as I'm sure neither of you want your daughter to lose her dog if it bites someone.

Another possibility is that your departure and arrivals are unusual compared to others, from the dog's perspective. If your kids are over the moon in anticipation of their daddy's imminent arrival and are more physically demonstrative then they are when others visit, that might rattle the dog a little. On the flip side, there may be a negative vibe created in the house due to past or current tension and/or drama.

If the dog is the way it is because of the window/backyard reasons, an investment will need to be made in some rehabilitation training, plus some environmental changes. If it's because the dog thinks you're throwing the house's feng shui out of whack, you can try a few things. Giving the dog a biscuit is not a bad idea. Ask your daughter, though, if there is some other thing the dog enjoys, like a ball being thrown. If that's the case, every time you cross into the dog's red zone, toss the ball a few times. What would really help is if you could make more frequent visits - if this is an every other week scenario, it can be hard for the dog to connect the dots.

Something else that could work is to have your daughter put a leash on the dog before you come over. Use a really long one if the dog is going to be with her outside when you arrive, so that you can take the handle end smoothly and then head out for a short walk, along with your daughter. If it's feasible, you might connect better with the dog if father and daughter were to sign up for some dog training classes together.

Pawsitively yours,

John Wade

john@askthepetguy.com

askthepetguy.com