About six months ago, our bulldog started "stalking" my husband when he is getting ready for work. When my husband starts to put on his work clothes (tie, dress shirt, etc.), our bulldog starts following him around the house, circles him, with his head lowered in an aggressive manner. One day my husband reached down to try and pet him when he was doing this and our bulldog snapped at him. Our bulldog is almost 4 yrs old and neutered. He is sweet and gentle except for when my husband leaves for work. Any thoughts on what is causing this or how to stop it? I usuaally have to put our dog in another room until my husband leaves the house.
2007-11-29 03:37:04 · 9 answers · asked by Rivergirl 3 in Pets ➔ Dogs
There could be several reasos but there is a high possibility that it started as a game in your dogs mind where he was playing and he "ran" your husband out of the house one morning. It was probably coincidental. the dog was playing and he may have "charged" your husband at the same time that he was walking out the door for work. In the dogs mind he ran your husband away. This probably happened a couple more time and the dog is now advancing the game and now it is turning into a pattern where he is activating to eject him from the house when he starts his morning routine.
The best defense in this is for your husband to break the routine. Get dressed but not leave on an off-day. Also anticipate this problem and put the dog out or kennel the dog while your husband gets ready for work. But do not let him see you husband getting ready because it will highten his frustration and make the situation worse if he sees the pattern happening and can not "get" to him.
But any chance that he can on weekends and of days and sometimes on the weekends he should go through his morning routine and not leave. Don't try to pet the dog... just ignore him thereby giving him no reward whatsoever for his strange behavior.
I the meantime. Please call a local trainer who can come to your home and work with you more indepth on this issue. the tips that I have given you are merely stop gap measures for you to do until you can get more hands on help. There are so many more steps to take. I just want to stress to not talk to the dog or pet him or give him any reinforcement positive or negative while he is showing this behavior. You do not want to accedentally make the situation worse by giving him mixed signals.
Good Luck to you.
~Tyed~
2007-11-29 03:54:15 · answer #1 · answered by owltyedup 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I've had two bulldogs, and both of them were weird around some things, One didn't like chairs, the other didn't like hula hoops, and trash bags. They would snap at any of those. Did your husband get anything new that the dog might dislike....New Cologne, loud shoes?? Fixing it, first you need to find out what's causing it. Don't worry, your dog isn't going crazy, just being a bulldog.
2007-11-29 03:50:37 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Your dog has separation anxiety. Try having your husband get ready for work and then leave for 5 minutes come back and give the dog lots of attention and praise when he comes back during different times of the day and weekends to. Start at him leaving for five minutes then stretch it to ten and so on. The dog should soon realize your husband isn't goingto abondon him and will gain confidence about your husband leaving.
2007-11-29 03:48:10 · answer #3 · answered by Nicole 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That's really strange. I assume your husband is not new to the picture? I checked out a breed profile on Bulldogs http://dogtime.com/bulldog-profile.html but didn't see any red flags in the personality section.
I think it would be a good idea to determine the REASON for the behavior. Check out this list of reasons dogs may be aggressive: http://dogtime.com/aggression-in-dogs-aaha.html
2007-11-29 03:47:10 · answer #4 · answered by tswright 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hmmm... that is kinda strange. When I was reading your question, I thought it would because the routine upset him and made him anxious because he didn't want your husband to leave, but the snapping at him part makes me think twice.
The only thing I can think of is it desensitize him to it. Have your husband, while he is not going to work, put on and take off his work clothes over and over again. Eventually, your pup will get used to it and hopefully stop the behavior. Sounds stupid, but I've seen it work in other instances.
2007-11-29 03:47:09 · answer #5 · answered by Amanda 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The instant he starts this behavior he needs to be distracted, with a noise, a bell or something that breaks his thought pattern.
I had a cat who did this to my husband. And right before he left for work she would ask to go outside. She went around the house and hid in a bush next to his car. When he came out to get in the car she would jump him and grab his leg and give him a bit and a thump and run off.....delighted that she gotten him. I think she was playing a game. Just on last GOT YA
before he left for work.
2007-11-29 04:00:33 · answer #6 · answered by Lyn B 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Maybe you should practice yoga with the dog to soothe and relax him in the mornings. Maybe the dog is secretly hostile to your husband because he is taller than the dog. I think it would be a good idea to get a dog friend for your sweet little poochie. Then he could hang with the friend in the mornings and ignore your husband. Maybe beano could ride him like a pony. whewwwwwie go go go go
do not take any of this seriously!!
2007-11-29 06:35:15 · answer #7 · answered by pupgirl 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He doesn't want your husband to leave you need to distract him that is the dog while he is dressing and leaving.
2007-11-29 03:40:56 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
its something about that uniform he doesnt like.....maybe there is another dog scent on the uniform.
2007-11-29 03:40:58 · answer #9 · answered by datchik 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋