How do I stop my dog from biting ankles when people walk away?

Question

My dog will act friendly towards my boyfriend’s three male roommates but then as soon as they turn their backs and start walking away she will bite their ankles. I scold her but it’s making no difference. What can I do? I’m desperate for advice. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Female | spayed | 2 years and 9 months old | 30 lbs

Jessica Desrosiers · Accepted Answer

Aggression toward people is unfortunately a very complex issue and outside the scope of the answer length I can provide here. I highly recommend speaking with a trainer or behaviorist in your area that can help you by observing the issue in person (or over video) and tailoring a more specific plan to Ellie and your needs. That said, it is possible Ellie is feeling fearful of people in the house, and that the roommates walking away (while she nips at them) are inadvertently rewarding her because they go away when she nips. You have her listed as a mixed breed, but some herding breeds will also nip or bite at ankles too when they want more attention, are trying to get attention, or are trying to control the situation. Simply yelling at her when she nips is probably making her stress levels higher, and may be encouraging her to ramp up the behavior. Working on positive reinforcement techniques, such as having Ellie on a leash while the roommates toss her a treat, but not get close enough to approach/pet her, and then backing away without turning while you give more treats and praise her if she is calm and interested in the treats instead of the people may help her start to form a positive association with them (IE she gets her favorite snack whenever they are around) rather than a fearful one, while still keeping enough distance that no one gets hurt. If you're interested in learning more about animal behaviorists, or finding one in your area, this link can also help: https://www.dacvb.org/page/about

How do I stop my dog from biting ankles when people walk away?

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