by Mike Stewart | on August 24th, 2009 | in Features, Your Questions
Ol' Ruby in a calmer moment of interspecies understanding
Q. “White dog bit my hand.” That was the unabridged version of the note I found scribbled on an envelope in my mailbox, during the week when my patient and long-suffering mailman, John, was out of town. I’ve got two labs, both rescues. Angus is old and gray and barks at the mailman as well; Ruby is sweet and shy with all dogs and people outside the yard-but inside it, she charges the fence and acts like she’s going to kill passersby. It gets worse: The “White Dog Bit My Hand” note came a couple weeks after “White Dog Tried to Bite Me”—this from the paper deliveryman. And here’s the more embarrassing part: I’ve had Ruby for three years. She was probably abused as a pup, she used to be terrified of new people, but has settled down in most situations. She’s mostly lab, but may have a wee bit of pit bull. I’ve tried a citronella collar that squirts when she barks, but it doesn’t faze her.
I’ve tried a lot of “no!” when I’m there to catch the behavior (but she does it mostly when I’m gone). I’ve put an inner fence inside the fence, but she can still reach the gate where the mailbox is. Now I’ve moved the mailbox and am thinking of fixing sweet Ruby up with a shock bark collar. Any other thoughts? Thanks Dog Shouters! —Elizabeth
We definitely have some issues here. Good that you moved the mailbox. A solid-paneled fence that would prevent her from seeing the mailman would stop the barking and lunging as well. But as for correcting the behavior of the dog (rather than just erecting more elaborate defences): Forget the spray collars. They’re not going to work. Bark collars are effective at suppressing the bark and will probably work, but they won’t permanently stop the barking or teach the dog anything. Also, if you wire up one dog, you should probably wire up the other as well. I subscribe heavily to the pack mentality. If the older dog can still bark, it will encourage the other. What the dog really needs is some socialization and desensitization for passersby, especially those in uniform. With Ruby on a lead, walk out and greet the mailman. Have her patiently, then have the mailman deliver treats with each visit. Give your mailman treats ahead of time if you need to. You want to emphasize that seeing the mailman is a good thing and that this territorial aggression thing isn’t needed. Consider a strong obedience program for both of your dogs and cement yourself as their leader. If they don’t feel like they rule the yard, they’ll feel less inclination to defend it.
When we decided to add a puppy to our home, we knew we had some issues to conquer with our current dog. Orli is a 4 year old pit/greyhound mix and is very territorial over our home turf. We always let her do it and didn’t really see the harm in it. However, the prospect of letting her “teach” our new puppy these behaviors changed our feelings. She is never unsupervised in the yard and we keep the blinds shut when we aren’t home. We are on high alert when we are home and if we see someone walking or biking by our house we distract her first and put her in a sit/stay position using a treat. Right as the passersby come into her view, I give her yummy snacks and stay very quiet. She gets better every single day and now realizes that she can be alert, but she must remain quiet to get her snacks. If she gets rowdy, I take her by the collar and lead her into a different room as a bigger distraction. Repetition is key and most people are willing to help. I think your mail carrier will welcome the idea of helping you with this project. Everyone, including your dogs, will be happier and healthier.
Thanks so much, Mike! (And thank you Lauren…) We will definitely give it a try. I actually did have the mailman give Angus treats years ago, and it worked fairly well until the substitute dog-hating mailman sprayed him. Amazingly, my regular mailman tells me, it is against post office rules for them to feed dogs, but last time he was nice enough to actually take the treats home with him when another mailman did his route, so we wouldn’t get busted.
I would love any tips for what to do when I’m not at home. The mail comes when I’m away at work; Ruby is pretty good when I’m home with her and able to try the treat-distraction method Lauren mentions. The solid fence, alas, is out: historic district regulations.
Thanks again
Elizabeth
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