QuestionHello Wendy, We have two ACD a blue male that is 5yrs old and a red female who is 2yrs old. They get along almost all the time with very few problems between them. We do not get alot of company and both work so they were not as socialized as they should have been. We are having a problem with the female when people come to the house with excessive barking at the person and trying to run towards them. My stance at this point has been to hold her until they come in and are seated, she then still barks but does not run towards them. I have also tryed talking calmly to her until she stops but to no avail she continues until we all have had enough. Neither dog has ever bitten anyone and it worries me that she will become even more aggressive unless I get a handle on the situation. Is there anything you can think of I can try, they are both wonderful pets and basically great other than this problem.
AnswerHi Maureen, Sorry for the belated answer but we just returned from 4 days of dog shows. You are on the right track, but you need to include some positive re-inforcement. Make sure she is hunger prior to the guests arrival. Put her in another room, and let the guests come in and be seated. Have the guests offer a piece of food she really likes...chicken, beef,etc. Tell the guests to avoid eye contact with her. When she takes the food, have the guest offer one more piece. Do this each time the guests arrive...soon she will be looking forward to the food, rather than being scared. Let me know how this works for you. Wendy
