What is the best approach to correcting a terrier who insists on "protecting me" when I'm in certain rooms of the house and my husband walks in? The family room and living room and kitchen are "common ground". The bedroom, bathroom and the loft upstairs, he growls and gets louder as my husband approaches me. I believe he has the potential to bite. At this time, I have been correcting him and sending him out of the room as my husband approaches. Is this the correct way to proceed? Just making sure I'm handling this right. I want to nip this in the bud. I'm concerned about this behavior. Thank you.

I have been grinding all my dog's nails for over 20+ years. It is a process. Don't expect a miracle. No dogs enjoy nail trimming. The goal is to convince the dog that a nail trim is not to fear. My husband will find a comfortable place for the dog to lay down, with a firm hold depending on the size of the dog. Ours have all been labs which means he is using a lot of strength to keep them down. He caresses the dog while he talks softly. I will start with the back foot, My goal is to grind 1 or 2 nails then quit. Release the dogs and provide lots of kisses and pets along with a worthy amount of turkey or chicken to make it worth their while. Repeat the same process each day until you complete the nail trim. Then plan to grind weekly to keep it part of their regular grooming habit. Eventually, they will lose the fear, though they may not LIKE it, hopefully, the struggle will be less. Long nails change the way a dog walks and can lead to hip and knee problems. Nails should be part of owning a dog. I hope that helps. Consistency and determination are key.