Your Dog Problems Solved

Aggression On Being Moved

Some dogs resent being moved from where they are resting or sleeping and may use aggression in order to be left alone.

 

 

Grumpy or aggressive?

Some dogs try to stop you moving them by giving a warning and wouldn’t go further, but some have learned to use snaps, snarls or bites to prevent themselves being moved.

Finding the cause

When trying to find out why your dog doesn’t want to be moved, consider the following reasons:

 

  • The dog has lived with children or owners who have pestered it or picked it up too often, and the dog has learnt to be aggressive in order to keep them away to get enough rest.

 

  • The dog has a low tolerance threshold and doesn’t like to be made to do things by his owners.

 

  • The dog gets tired easily due to old age or due to having lived in quiet conditions and then changing homes or circumstances to a busy environment.  When the dog cannot get sufficient rest, he become grumpy and aggressive in order to keep people away.

 

  • The dog isn’t feeling well or has a painful condition, such as arthritis, which makes moving uncomfortable or painful.

 

  • The dog is afraid of being touched and is trying to keep people away.
  • Aggression on being moved 2

Towards a cure

The first thing to check is that your dog is healthy and there is nothing physically wrong by taking him to a veterinary surgeon to be checked out.  This is particularly important with a recently rescued dog, an elderly dog, or a dog that was okay to be moved and has recently started being aggressive.

 

If your dog is afraid of being handled, or has any fear issues with people, go to ‘Problems When Being Handled’ or ‘Fear and Anxiety’

 

Always make sure your dog is able to get enough sleep and rest.  If you have a busy household, putting elderly dogs or those that need more rest into a quiet room to rest and recover can prevent the dog having to defend its resting place.  Teach children to let sleeping dogs lie and never wake a dog up from a sound sleep.

Teach happy moves

Once you have addressed the issues above, teach your dog to be happy about moving by attaching a house line whenever you are with your dog in the house.  (Go to ‘How To Use A House Line’ for further details.)

 

Periodically, when your dog is resting in his favourite place (but not sound asleep or very tired), pick up the end of the line, ask him to move enthusiastically, then, if he doesn’t move, gently pull on the line to encourage him.  Continue using gentle tugs if necessary until he has moved, moving back slowly as you do so, then praise him well and throw him a few tasty treats or throw a toy and have a game with him as a reward. 

 

Repeat until he will move and approach you readily when you ask in order to get his reward and then dispense with the line. 

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