Does your dog rule the roost?

Recently I had a behaviour consultation with a client who had an all too common problem – her dog ruled the roost! Rupert; a gorgeous little toy poodle, had been somewhat spoilt and allowed to get away with a little too much. The behaviour which concerned his owner the most was his constant barking at visitors, growling when he didn’t want to be picked up, urinating in the house and acute separation anxiety.

When we discussed Rupert’s behavioural history and how he fits in with the household it came to light that Rupert was treated a bit like royalty. He slept in his owner’s bed, had access to food whenever he wanted, was allowed free range of the house and had no rules or boundaries set in place for him. This, together with his outgoing personality, resulted in Rupert assuming the position of “top dog”.

In order for his family to get some peace, Rupert needed to be brought down a peg or two. I recommended several strategies to Rupert’s owner which involved changing the way they interact with him to make him realise that he does not rule the proverbial roost. Among them was to introduce daily five minute training sessions, where Rupert is asked to perform simple tasks such as “sit”, “drop” and “stay” and is rewarded with treats for his efforts. Another was to feed him at specific times rather then allowing him control over his food intake. Additionally, Rupert was no longer allowed to sleep in his owners bed and was to be given his own bed on the floor. To relieve his separation anxiety Rupert’s owner was instructed to ignore Rupert 10 minutes prior to leaving for the day, and again for 10 minutes upon arriving home. This reinforces that her absence was no big deal and nothing to be anxious about rather than a terrible experience.

So far so good - It’s only been a week and Rupert’s owner has reported that they have already seen positive changes in his behaviour. Rupert is learning that being top dog isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.