- Not a substitute for professional veterinary help.
Welcome to Paws and Effect, a pet expert advice column penned by longtime Rover contributor and award-winning pet writer, Jen Reeder. From navigating squishy social scenarios and murky ethical territory to burning behavioral or moral questions about cats and dogs, Jen uses her years of experience and hard-earned instincts to find real solutions for real pet people. Got a question for Jen? Email: pawsandeffect@rover.com
Hey Jen,
Our Roxy is a rescue and she loves the people she trusts: big hugs, kisses, whining with excitement, the works. The first time we had company after adopting her, however, we discovered she barks incessantly at anyone she doesn’t know.
She’s been very easy to train due to her need to please and we haven’t had any trouble curbing any other unwanted behaviors. We’ve been working to increase her confidence with games and by providing a stable home and routine. But overcoming this fearful barking has us completely stumped. We’ve tried having guests give her treats when they arrive, getting her to sit in her bed while people enter the home, laying her on her back while people meet her, pretty much anything we’ve read or heard. We’ve had some success by asking people not to make eye contact but that’s not always possible.
We want our little girl to feel safe and have fun! As a rescue, we don’t know what started the fearful barking. We want her to confidently embrace the people and places we introduce her to so she can join us for any outing. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Signed, Ready for a rescue remedy
Dear Ready for a Rescue Remedy,
Thank you so much for rescuing Roxy and doing all you can to help her adjust to life in your home! I admire your commitment to helping your little girl gain confidence and feel safe.
Since you’ve tried so many things, I confess I was stumped as well. So I reached out to one of the world’s most renowned veterinary behaviorists: Dr. Nicholas Dodman, BVMS, DABVMS, DACVAA, Professor Emeritus at Tufts University, co-founder and CEO of the nonprofit Center for Canine Behavior Studies, and author of numerous books, including “The Dog Who Loved Too Much” and “The Well-Adjusted Dog: Dr. Dodman’s 7 Steps to Lifelong Health and Happiness for Your Best Friend.”
Though Dodman hasn’t seen a video of Roxy’s behavior, he agreed with your assessment that her barking is almost certainly driven by anxiety or fear.
“It implies that she really wasn’t properly socialized when she was young,” he told me. “A caveat with fear: once it has ingrained itself, it never completely goes away. But that’s not to say you can’t make improvements. If we’re lucky, we can make a 75 to 85 percent improvement, sometimes even approaching 100 percent.”
Dodman offered several suggestions for helping Roxy improve. First of all, he recommends giving her lots of time to exercise, preferably off-leash so she can run. As a pup, Dodman said his rescued Rhodesian Ridgeback mix, Rusty, loved doggy daycare where he would burn off a lot of energy.
“The most important thing is exercise generates serotonin, and serotonin is a neuromodulator. It helps to imbue a sense of calmness and confidence,” he said. “So the motto, which I think is mine but it’s sort of become the world’s, was, ‘A tired dog is a good dog.’”
You can also boost your dog’s serotonin levels by feeding her a low-protein diet, he said. Dodman and other researchers conducted two studies on the effect of protein on dog behavior such as territorial aggression rooted in fear, and found a low-protein diet supplemented with tryptophan reduced unwanted behaviors. So he recommends working with your veterinarian to create a low-protein diet plan for Roxy.
Now for perhaps the biggest potential game changer: using a Gentle Leader. I used one when my Labrador Retriever mix, Rio, was young because he had serious pulling tendencies on leash, but I’d never considered it could be useful for your situation, Ready for a Rescue Remedy. I was so excited when Dodman told me he’s seen hundreds of dogs go from fearful barking to silent with the proper use of a Gentle Leader during introductions.
Here’s what you do. Slip the Gentle Leader over your dog’s head and nose and attach a leash. When a friend comes inside and Roxy starts to bark, ask her to “sit.” She’ll probably continue barking, so apply steady, gentle, upward tension on the leash—no yanking or jerking—so her nose points toward the ceiling, and hold it for a few seconds. Ask her to sit again.
Based on Dodman’s experience with roughly 200 other dogs struggling with behavior like Roxy’s, Roxy will eventually sit and be quiet. Amazing, right?
When she’s been quiet for a few seconds, release the tension while you praise and reward her. Keep repeating this whenever you know friends are coming over (or if they drop by unexpectedly, crack the door, ask them to give you a minute while you slip on the Gentle Leader, and go for it).
This method works because the Gentle Leader applies pressure to the nose at the “maternal point” in the way a puppy’s mother will gently grab his muzzle, and to the leader point behind the bump on the back of his skull where mom dogs pick up pups by their scruff. “It gives you a kind of maternal authority,” Dodman explained.
You can use the Gentle Leader on walks, too. Dodman suggested bringing special treats like freeze dried liver that you only offer Roxy when she sits quietly when she encounters strangers.
Additionally, Dodman said CBD can reduce anxiety in dogs. His preferred brand is ElleVet because it’s been researched in “property conducted scientific studies” at Cornell University.
So Ready for a Rescue Remedy, I wish you all the best in helping your dog overcome her fearful barking!
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