My dog gets aggressive on laps. How to stop barking & showing teeth?

Question

My Boston Terrier, Buster, gets overprotective when he is on my granddaughters lap . He becomes very aggressive and won't stop barking at us and shows his teeth. All we do is go to talk to my granddaughter, who is 19yrs old. Buster is 6 yrs old & otherwise a very smart well behaved dog.

Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA · Accepted Answer

I would suggest teaching him to get down off of your granddaughter's lap on cue - this can easily be taught using treats, by practicing first on the couch or a chair that isn't so emotionally charged for him. Then, if he begins barking and showing his teeth on her lap, you can ask him to get down and then praise and reward as soon as he does. In most situations like the, the aggressive behavior only occurs when the dog is actually on the person's lap or right beside them - so as soon as they're somewhere else, they calm down easily. Punishment for this behavior, including verbal scolding, is not recommended since it tends to make the dog more agitated and often makes things worse. If Buster has ever bitten you in this situation, or if you have trouble getting this to work, I would recommend making an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist who can evaluate him in person and give you some hands-on guidance. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org

My dog gets aggressive on laps. How to stop barking & showing teeth?

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