If you are a dog owner, there is a high probability that despite how much you care and love them, there are some behaviors you are not into.
One of the common concerns is your dog barking at your grandparents.
So, Why Does Your Dog Bark at Your Grandparents?
One of the common reasons your dog might bark at your grandparents is defending their territory. If your dog does not see your grandparents often, your dog might see them as strangers, and their instincts need to protect you, and the home, in general, will get to work. The closer to the house the grandparents get, the more demonstrative and louder the dog will bark at them.
The behavior of your dog barking at your grandma might also result from how she reacts or treats the dog.
- Are your grandparents afraid of your dog?
- Do they hate the dog?
- Do they stare at the dog and avoid having contact with her?
- Or are they opposite and always want to stroke and pet the dog?
Your dog might react to the grandparent’s fear and bark at them.
If your dog is friendly to random people, it could be that the movement of your grandparents is what is scaring your dog.
Or does your grandmother harass your dog, and it doesn’t like it. The dog barks to defend itself.
Additionally, your dog can bark at your grandparents as a sign of saying hello and greeting them.
This should be a soft bark together with a wagging tail that allows someone to know they are simply happy to see you.
If this is the barking your dog does towards your grandparents, it is not a cause for alarm.
The phone rings, and it is a call from your grandparents saying they will visit, and your first reaction is to get concerned because of your dog’s behavior.
While the behavior of your dog barking at your grandparents may be difficult for you, it is normal behavior for a dog.
Five Ways Of Resolving The Consideration
If you are not sure that your dog obeys you, you should consider consulting the services of a dog trainer.
The dog trainer can watch and analyze the dog and help you train and find a solution for your dog.
Before your dog gets to the point of starting to fight or bite, talk to a professional trainer.
However, if your dog obeys you, you can easily train it independently.
With the following steps, you can train your dog to trust and obey you regardless of whether it is territorial behavior or if she is afraid.
More individual training is preferable, but it’s also essential that your dog obey you in extreme circumstances.
The essential part is staying calm and being the boss.
Your dog needs to know that you can handle the situation and guests independently without her help.
If the dog trusts that you can handle your grandparents, she will be more relaxed and calmer.
1. Analyze The Situation
When dealing with barking, it is essential to look at the entire situation.
Barking is sometimes a symptom of another issue, such as boredom, fear, or stress. If you fix the issue, the symptom will most probably go away.
However, by just treating the symptom, the issue will only manifest itself in another different form, which might be worse.
Therefore, you should not treat the issue, not the symptom.
Limited barking is an appropriate response under particular circumstances.
Start by listening to your dog and address the problem. Therefore, if your dog barks to alert you, first listen to the dog and address the problem.
Check to see the problem and thank your dog for informing you.
Then reassure the dog that you are under control and then decide how you want the dog to react in the future when your grandparents or guests visit.
2. A Special Place For Your Dog
If your dog does not know its special place, you should start by training it to know its place.
This should be a place where the dog can view everything but feel a bit sheltered.
It should be a place where the dog is not disturbed and cannot bite someone when passing the way.
The dog should not be in a different room. It should be able to watch the household scenes together, and the grandparents and be with you.
The special place should be comfortable such as a blanket and identifiable for her. Train your dog to go to its place and lay down in a stress-free atmosphere. Don’t use the special place as a punishment but instead should be a place where it can rest.
3. Please Do Not Disturb
Tell the grandparents or other guests, including the individual your dog likes, not to disturb her at a special place: no stroking, no petting, no cuddling.
The dog needs to be sure that it won’t be touched at that place.
If everything works fine with the grandparents at the end, you can relax the rule.
4. Ignore The Dog
Tell your grandparents to ignore the dog when they visit you.
This is regardless of whether they are afraid and hence glares at the dog and tries avoiding contact or if she loves the dog and always likes petting it.
Your grandparents should avoid eye contact and shouldn’t talk to the dog.
This won’t be bad for your dog because, unlike humans, the dog will not feel deserted for being ignored. Your dog will be more relaxed as they don’t need to deal with the guest.
However, not only does the grandparents require to ignore the dog, but you also need to do so.
When your grandparents visit you, tell your dog to go to its special place and lay down there before you open the door.
Allow the guest to get in and if the dog wakes up and leaves the place, instruct it to return. If the dog goes back to its place, praise it a little bit and ignore it again.
Even if the dog seems afraid of your great-grandparents, you should not try consoling her with words and petting, as the dog will understand it’s okay to worry about guests. Stay calm, friendly, and optimistic.
If the dog begins to growl, ignore her first. If you have a firm command over the dog, tell it a firm and loud ‘No.’
After the dog stops to growl, praise her calm and gentle and then ignore him.
5. Speak To Your Veterinarian
It is important to address the barking issues as soon as possible.
Otherwise, they might escalate and become even more difficult to extinguish.
However, if your dog barking is excessive, you should consider talking to your veterinarian.
It may be anxiety or an underlying health condition causing the barking.
Health analysis and proper training should help your dog feel more confident and calmer.
Bottom Line
It might take several visits until your dog knows that you can deal with the guests on your own, and it is your territory in which you can welcome everyone you want.
It might be easier to limit the barking behavior if you know why the dog behaves this way; aggression or fear.
However, you should always stay relaxed, calm and defend your grandparents from your dog and your dog from your guests.
Related
Is It Rude to Let Your Dog Pee on Someone’s Lawn? (DON’T BE THAT DOG OWNER)
Is It Better to Get a Kitten or Puppy First? (It Depends On Your Needs…)
Do Poodles Make Your House Smell Bad? (Five Possible Causes)
Sources
Why does your dog bark at your grandparents? – Answer.com
Barking Dog and “Grandparents”- Ask the Dog Guy
Dog barking at my grandma- Reddit.com