[QUOTE=Zsofia]
He was a puppy when I got him, 8 weeks or whenever you’re supposed to take puppies home. He’s fine with other dogs. Frankly, he hasn’t been around a stranger in the house for so long I couldn’t tell you what his body language is - he barks at people when he’s outside, but it’s a normal “intruder alert” doggy bark. The incidents I remember were when people bent over him, or seated and leaning down to him - not sure if anything ever happened when he was on the same level as they.
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Is there any chance he was ever abused?
Okay, this may sound a little weird, but come up with a “comfort sound.” I click my tongue, but you could sing or hum-- anything that sounds cheerful. Get hin used to it by giving him treats whenever you’re doing it and whenever you’re giving him belly rubs. Then, whenever you need to do something he doesn’t like, make that sound.
There’s a chance that your body language may be making him more tense in these situations. If you expect trouble, you’re probably tense and nervous. Dogs can sense that a mile away. What you need to do is make a big show of being calm and relaxed. Tell him what a good boy he is while he’s being calm. Distract him by giving him a treat. (One of my dogs hates having his nails clipped, so I smear some peanut butter on the fridge and let him lick it off while I’m clipping.)
Here’s how I taught my dogs to lie down: I would put a treat in front of their nose and lower it toward the ground and outward away from the dog at the same time. The outward motion seems to make them want to belly-crawl once the treat gets only a few inches from the floor. Once his belly touches the ground, click and reward. Then, add the command as you’re luring him downwards with the treat. This one is a hard command for a dominant dog to learn because they just don’t want to do it. It’d probably be best if you wore him out with lots of exercise before you started on this one.
Well, you have to have a “stay” or wait command.
This one can often be taught pretty quickly. As your’re walking through a doorway, swing your hand down until it’s in front of the dog’s face. (Though not too quickly or he may think he’s going to get smacked.) Dogs almost always stop in their tracks the first time you do this, especially if you have a piece of hotdog in your hand. Click and reward, even if he only pauses for a moment. Lather, rinse, repeat. Once he knows to “stay” or “wait” make him pause in every doorway, and at the foot of the stairs to let you pass first.
Well, maybe we can modify it a bit, then. Does he know a command to get off the furniture? The point is to make him understand that the high places are yours. When you want to sit on the couch, make him get off for a moment-- maybe have him sit or something. Then you sit down and give him permission to come up with you.
If he doesn’t know “off”, here’ss how to teach it. Lure him off the furniture with a piece of hot dog. As soon as his paws hit the floor, click and treat. Stand up, and casually hold the hotdog in your hand. He’ll probably stand up and put his paws on your legs to try to reach it. Hold your hand straight out above his head. He’ll probably back up and try to stand on two legs to reach it. Wait until he loses his balance and puts his paws back on the floor then click and reward. Keep doing this until he understands “off” means “paws on the ground.”
He didn’t growl this time, anyway, although he barked and seemed very anxious that maybe I somehow didn’t notice that there was a cat right over there! I’m concerned that his terrier instincts, combined with his experience chasing stray cats out of his yard in the old house, are going to make it impossible for them all to get along and I was wondering if maybe this was a job for the pros.