We know that dogs have descended
from wolves that have a significant instinct to defend territory for it's
mating and food resources. In dog's, territorial aggression often manifests
itself as aggression towards humans as we are the most likely beings to
broach on what a dog thinks of its own territory.
Often we unintentional reinforced territorial aggression in dogs. Take
for example the behaviour of the postman and milkman who enter your premises.
Your dog barks loudly, and then the person leaves (after they have done
their delivery). Of course your dog does not understand this; it thinks
that aggressive and loud barking has successfully chased the person away.
An important preventative measure to take to avoid this is to ensure your
dog is introduced to visitors and delivery people at an early age.
One good suggestion by Gwen Bailey (author of a number of renowned dog
training books) is to install a small weatherproof container near your garden
gate. Leave treats in this container and ask your postman to give these
to your dog when they enter your property. They can also drop a few of these
treats through the letter box when they leave the post. Both of these measures
help make a positive and rewarding experience out of visitors entering our
premises.
For further hints and tips on preventing barking at visitors, read our
training article Train your dog to be QUIET.
The article Why is my dog aggressive to
people also looks at the different reason for aggression.
