possessive over mommy

Question
I have a 2.5 year old male (neutered) JRT named Cooper. He is the only dog in the household, but he is very well socialized. He gets daily exercise and has a structured schedule. He is so very smart, sweet, loving, adorable, and, very special to me...he loves to please his mommy and daddy.  He is very well trained and always obeys every "learned" command (sit,stay,down,roll over,here, come,stay etc).  I work with him everyday on his basic training skills...and he thrives in a structured environment.  However, about a year ago, Cooper started to vocalize in a low "talking" growl almost every time my husband and I hug (and Cooper is not included).  Also, when people shake hands in the house, he seems distressed and jealous by vocalizing.  He has NEVER bitten or even snapped at anyone. However, he will occasionally jump up to make himself known to those hugging/shaking.  I am not sure of what to do about this behavior...I found one article that says to do a chin slap (lightly).  However, I have never hit him, and I hopefully don't have to start.  He attended puppy training classes and passed with flying colors, so I know I could break this behavior with training (if I just knew the right way to break it).  He responds to my NO's with a bark and does not seem to respect me (this is the only time that he does not follow my command from the moment I speak).  He also does not appear to be an alpha male, he know's he is not the boss of the house.  Please let me know of anyway to break him of his "possessiveness".

Kendall Pecsek
Richmond, VA

Answer
Hi Kendall,

You have to stop this behavior immediately because it only escalates.  I prefer to use the Cesar Milan method when dealing with aggressiveness. I don't know if you've ever seen any of his videos or television shows but if you can try to watch one, you'll understand this technique more clearly. It's hard to describe in words....
You have to put yourself in the position of being the pack leader (which you are), and try to think of yourself as the mother dog. When mothers are training their puppies about order and behavior in the pack, they don't use words.
The SECOND he starts to vocalize, growl, jump up, or do ANYTHING that is making him "in charge", you have to take your hand and give him a firm squeeze/push on the back of his neck and make a correction noise. Cesar uses a "psss" sound (so I do too). You squeeze/push and "psss" at the same time to break him out of his obsessive thought. You don't have to say anything, just be bigger than he is, and use this technique and go back to what you were doing (hugging someone, talking, etc...) Think about it from a dogs point of view. The mother is correcting her puppy and this is how THEY do it. Puppies learn at a much faster rate but even adult dogs do well with this method. The Dog Whisperer is on Friday nights on the National Geographic Channel beginning at 8:00 EST, check to see what time it's on in your area and you will see it in action. You can also go online and check things out at. Cesar Milans Dog Psychology Center or The Dog Whisperer.  I have seen it work many many times in training and it's quite exciting to watch. You sound committed and dedicated, keep up the good work.
Carol