I need some dog advice.......

[Bouncy Ball]

We have one dog who is about 25 pounds, kinda looks like Benji (some kind of terrier mix) and we love her to death. In ALL ways she is a fantastic dog.

But there's just one thing that worries us. She is HIGHLY protective of us, which isn't always good.

When our daughter has her friends over, if they get to chasing each other or roughhousing or anything, our dog thinks our daughter is being hurt or threatened.

The first time we found this out, my daughter's friend had kind of tackled her on the living room rug and both girls were shrieking with laughter. I was petting the dog and suddenly she lunged, baring her teeth and snapping. Fortunately, I grabbed her collar just as she lunged for the girl and the two girls were yelling and laughing so hard they didn't even notice what happened, but it scared the shit out of me. I had NEVER seen our dog like that before, she was damn serious. I shudder to think what she would have done had I not grabbed her collar right at the last second.

So now when our daughter has friends over, we either have the dog in the backyard (if it's not raining or too cold) or we put her in our bedroom.

I'm always a nervous wreck thinking someday I'll forget to and she'll bite some poor kid. It kills me to even think of that, so I am VERY mindful of it. But damn. Is there any way we can help to modify this in our dog? She is about 6 or 7 years old (rescue dog, we don't know exact age). She does respond well to behavior modification, she is VERY well-trained (except for that!), she seems very intelligent and is a sweet, loving dog. Just highly, highly protective of us. I know that's a natural instinct, but I don't know what to do about this, short of just always remembering to have her in a secure area when there are other kids around.

[Dookus]

1. You should get an experienced trainer or animal psychologist

because this can be serious.

It sounds like the dog thinks of your daughter as her possession. Your daughter needs to establish dominance over the dog. Does she walk the dog on-leash regularly? Does she practice obedience obedience training with the dog?

[Bouncy Ball]

2. Yeah.

She does, actually. The dog minds her just as well as she minds us (which is VERY well.....I can even tell her when I go to bed "Get in your bed," which is a dog bed right next to our bed and she jumps right in).

She walks the dog every afternoon, on leash. When she says "sit" or "stay" the dog minds her. She's really good with the dog.

I never thought of her thinking of her as a possession. I just thought since dogs were pack animals, she thought one of her pack was being threatened. It only happens when our daughter is screaming and roughhousing with friends, and I assumed the dog thinks she's in danger.

I hesitate to institute a "no having fun in the house rule" with her and her friends. That's no good. But a bitten kid isn't, either.

Ok I'll look up animal trainers in the yellow pages. See what we can do about this.

[Dookus]

3. well it sounds sorta normal

yeah, if the dog thinks your daughter's being hurt, perhaps it's safest just to crate her or put her outside when her friends are around.

You *DO* want the dog to react if somebody is actually hurting your daughter, so you don't want to drive that behavior out entirely.

[Bouncy Ball]

5. Yep, that's why I was conflicted about it.

One time my friend came over to watch movies and she's pretty goofy and when she came in, she sort of grabbed me around my waist and screamed a girly scream (we had an evening planned of musicals, toenail painting and cookie dough eating). It was just a moment of goofy excitement, but the dog went bonkers that time, too, running up and snapping and growling HARD at my friend. I immediately bent down to pull her back from her. She didn't bite her, but damn sure wanted to.

I think I'll just continue to crate her when I know people are going to be over, and also put a sign on our front porch: "Don't suddenly grab at us or scream in any way or tickle us or anything or our dog will freak out and want to eat your face."

Think that'll work? LOL.

[Not_Giving_Up]

4. Pack instinct

Your family is the pack, and it's likely that she sees your daughter as a young member of the pack who needs extra protection. Maybe if she could somehow learn that it's play, and that your daughter isn't hurt, she'd calm down.

[Bouncy Ball]

6. We've tried soooo hard.

The one girl who is over here the most often is really good with dogs, and has become friends with our dog, but the moment the dog senses danger for our daughter, all bets are off. They are no longer friends in her mind.

I don't know how to get it through to her the difference between play and real danger. After all, she's actually never SEEN any of us in real danger. And I'm glad to know she would tear the shit out of anyone actually hurting us, but.....

[Not_Giving_Up]

10. You are wise to keep an eye on her when company is over

I know how you feel...you want the dog to be protective...but not over protective. I like your idea for the front door sign!

I have a cat that's protective of me...no one else, just me. If I'm playing with one of the other cats and she thinks they're being too rough, she goes bonkers on the other cat. No blood, but she smacks them on the head and runs them off.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

7. Is it possible the dog has some Cocker Spaniel in her?

Cockers are notorius for getting more aggressive as they get older. But also if the dog suspects someone is harming your daughter then she thinks it's her duty to protect her.

Kinda hard habit to break..

[Bouncy Ball]

9. Mmmm

I don't think so. Doesn't look like it at all. She looks like a mix of Cairn and some other kind of terrier (starts with a W, used to know what it is..not Westhighland, though...). Definitely all terrier.

I despair of breaking this habit and wonder if it even SHOULD be. Just wish she knew the difference between "look, the kid is smiling and laughing" and "look someone is HURTING her!"

[NV Whino]

8. Educate your guests

Make sure you introduce the guests to the dog. Let the dog know that they are friends.

[MADem]

11. I had a dog like that, a terrier-poodle mix, years ago

...that did the same sort of thing. She wouldn't really lunge so much as yap and growl hysterically and try to get between the "warring" parties. We would just tell her to chill out, calm down, everyone would pat her and that would be that. But she would freak out when people "play fought" or shrieked.

You could put a soft muzzle on her, and see how that works, if you don't want to stuff her in a crate or room. I know a lot of people swear by the crates, but I know I wouldn't like it, so I let my dogs choose their own quiet spot and that has always worked for me. Once they have a place they favor, I put a mat or a little bed down for them (under beds, under the couch, wherever).

[Bouncy Ball]

12. Yeah, she's got three different beds in the house.

One in the living room, one in here in the office, and one beside our bed. A soft muzzle is an idea. Thanks!