Territorial Westie

Cutevelvet

Hi, pleeeeease help! I have a male westie (2 years) who I recently had neutured. He is behaving really badly now out on walks, growling and barking visciously at every dog who walks by. He thinks he owns the route we walk. It is getting to the stage where I am dreading now going out for walks with him. Has anyone any advice/suggestions on how to deal with this problem. I really would like to avoid paying a fortune on behavioural therapy...

toadfly

Hi Cutevelvet,

i have the exact same problem with my Yorkie. I know this is no help to you but just so you know you arent the only one! when we go for walks around our estate shes goes mental when she sees another dog it is so embarrassing but its only on the walk around our estate but is getting worse. its like she is in a trance and wont snap out of it until well after the dog is out of site. when we go to the local park or down at my mothers house she is fine.

i have priced someone to come and help but it was €65 per session and she said it would take about 3 sessions but no way of knowing for def until she came. cant afford that.

peasant

Cutevelvet wrote: »

I am dreading now going out for walks with him.

This is a tricky one, as it is a bit of a viscious circle.

The dog is acting up, you get nervous and stressed, the dog senses that and acts up even more ...and so and so on.

You need to break that circle and take back control.

First of all, you yourself need to stay calm and relaxed. Any nervousness on your part feeds down the lead like an electrical current and only riles up the dog even more.

I would suggest the following:
Change your walkies routine. Find a spot near the house (even the back garden if needs be) where the dog can get the toilet bit of the walk over and done with without disturbance, so that the walk itself becomes excercise and reward only and with toileting done can be stopped at any point.

With the "empty" dog and a calm and collected you, set off on your route. Keep your eyes peeled for other dogs. At the first sight of another dog, call yours to heel, position yourself between yours and the other dog, carry on walking confidently. Anticipate the point in time where your dog will start acting up and tell him "nooooo" before he even starts.
If he stays calm, let him know that he's a "good boy", keep on walking. If he starts his antics, tell him "no" turn on your heel and go home ...end of walk.


what you're trying to teach the dog is two things:

1) it is you who does the leading, it's you who does the "defending" and you do not approve of being overruled

2) good behavior = walk; bad behaviour = end of walk

It'll take some time and several very short walks indeed, but it should work.

The most important bit though is that you yourself do this with confidence and in a calm and collected manner ...you need to exude (not fake) leadership for the dog to believe you.

Cutevelvet

Thanks so much for the replies. I am heading out for walk now, will post back after a few days to let you know if the new suggestions have worked.

I have always said no firmy when he bristled on spotting the dog but he just went ahead and did his usual growling and barking. Will try a route change as have already changed my walk time to try and avoid meeting other dogs.

Thanks again for the tips!