On our morning walk to the beach today, we ran into an old friend of ours, Bella. She is a giant and loveable Newfoundland dog just a few months younger than Grace and Benson!

Chatting with the owner, he mentioned that she has been extremely overprotective of their children. And only when other dogs approach! It has become a big issue for them, and it got me thinking about why dogs get overprotective of their family members. And also about how to correct for it since a fearful and protective dog can become an aggressive dog.

A very similar thing has been happening lately with my good buddy Kiera. If you read the Kiera Gets Leashed story you will be familiar with how she falls in to my heel and runs to greet me! However, she feels some need to protect me from other dogs and she has started attacking them when they approach me! Not good.

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Signs of an Overly Protective Dog

There are signs to watch for to see if your dog is overly protective of you. If you notice your dog sticking closely by your side and acting nervous or anxious when other people or dogs approach this is a potential red flag. This can be followed by growling, barking or at worst becoming aggressive. Watch for any unusual signs your dog may be exhibiting and take note of what could be triggering it.

I am relatively lucky with my two dogs! They are confident and have no issues with being protective when out of the house. This is a huge relief to me since I’m not sure I could handle two such large dogs if they started getting protective and aggressive.

Grace and Benson are protective of their house though. They make a lot of noise when anyone unfamiliar approaches but generally it is just that. Noise. The only time Benson really was a threat was when it mattered and someone was trying to break into our house. You can read more on that HERE.

Reasons Behind The Behavior

There can be many reasons why a dog will suddenly become overly protective. In the case of Bella, I think that she more than likely views the children as more vulnerable and in need of protection. A lot of this can have to do with the energy given off. Dogs can sense negative or fearful energy and will often react on it. If you act nervous around certain people or dogs, there is a chance your dog will get protective in those situations. Being calm and confident is important.

With Kiera, she was a rescue and no one knows about her history. She seems particularly drawn to women so there may have been some abuse in her history. And she feels the need to protect women. I’m really not sure why she feels so drawn to me though, but it has the owner and dog walker very concerned and they have her in training for it.

Poor training and socialization can also lead to a dog being overly protective. They need training to learn confidence from their owners. I made sure to train my dogs well because each dog is bigger than I am and I simply didn’t want a large out of control dog.

Proper Socialization and Training

Proper socialization of any dog can go a long way! My breeder told me the importance of getting Grace into a good puppy kindergarten class as early as I was allowed. Unfortunately, classes were not available to Benson when he came home but I had already learned a lot with Grace. You can tell the difference between the two when we are out, because I can’t keep Grace away from other people and animals where Benson sticks closer to Mom.

Getting your dog used to dealing with as many different people and dogs in a variety of circumstances is critical to socialization. This can prevent your dog of getting overly protective of you and also boost their confidence.

With proper training, you can use commands to limit your dog’s activities if you notice that their behavior is starting to look protective. For example, have them sit if they are agitated or using the quiet command for barking or growling. Training and socialization go hand in hand and help a dog learn proper behavior around other people and dogs.

Positive Reinforcement

One of the worst things you can do is punish your dog if you notice they are becoming overly protective. This can lead to a more fearful dog and the behavior can actually worsen instead of improve! And a fearful dog is more likely to become aggressive.

I found with Grace and Benson that they respond exceptionally well to positive reinforcement! I had a trainer come in the house for Grace at one point, and I found her techniques to be fairly aggressive and Grace would start to shut down. By switching to positive reinforcement she thrived! My dogs live for the praise and treats when they do well!

Be sure to praise your dog when they listen as you correct protective behavior! But don’t mistakenly reward the bad behavior. Giving your dog praise when they are protecting can reinforce the negative behavior. Find a couple commands your dog responds well to and focus on that behavior.

Desensitizing Your Dog

If it is already too much of a problem, you may need to get a professional involved and start working to correct the unwanted behavior. Safety is a priority.

Start slow. If your dog has an issue with men or other dogs you will need to work carefully to increase their comfort level. Have someone approach from a distance and if the dog gets agitated use your training commands to calm them. When your dog is calm, reward them! Keep working on this until you can SAFELY and comfortably decrease the distance and build your dog’s trust and confidence.

Proper Equipment

One of the things I found interesting with Bella was that the trainer suggested a gentle leader while walking. That way you can correct the behavior quickly if you see it starting. It makes a lot of sense when I think more about it. I know that many people don’t like to use prong collars as well, but when used correctly it can also help with the training!

And don’t forget to reward and praise the positive behavior!!

Each dog is a unique personality. You may need to do some experimentation to find out what works best for your dog! If you are worried about a protective dog be sure to do your research on the breed you are looking at to see if they have protective tendencies. Entirely pets has put together a list of the most protective dog breeds here.

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The post How To Deal With An Overprotective Dog first appeared on Help! I've Got Pets.

This post may contain affiliate links at no additional cost to you.  By making your purchases through the links on this website HIGP may make a small percentage at no direct cost to you. HIGP only promotes products we use & truly believe in. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please refer to my Privacy and Disclosures for further information. HIGP thanks you for your support!

An Unpleasantly Wet Bed

When I crawled into my bed and for the THIRD day in a row slid into a warm, stinky wetness of cat urine it prompted me to think a bit more about why my cat was doing it!

Miesha has always been an odd and scared cat. She frequently comes running down the stairs at top speed, stops, looks around…And even if she hears nothing she tears away like her life is in danger!

With Miesha, the peeing in my bed started a few months ago. One of the dogs noticed her and barked at her a bit. That was it. Miesha was freaked out to the point that she repeatedly started peeing in my bed…In the exact spot where I sleep…every time. I was sick of stripping down my bed EVERY SINGLE DAY (usually not noticing it until bedtime).

If you have a cat that is not using their litter box, and other inappropriate places around the house I am sure that you share in my frustration. In Miesha’s case, I knew that she was doing it because she was scared of the dogs. Yes, even after over a year of living with them. She practically lives upstairs during daylight hours, and will sneak down to the basement for food and to go to the bathroom…Then it is right back up into hiding! But she has always hidden for most of the day.

Medical Reasons Behind Litter Box Issues

There are several reasons that could be behind your cat’s sudden aversion to the litter box. The first things to rule out are medical issues. If a medical reason is behind your cat’s behavior watch for signs of a urinary tract infection (UTI). Signs of a UTI are small, frequent trips to the litter box. You can read more on this on Pets WebMD here.

Feline intersistial cystitis could be another reason. Signs for this are attempting to go to the bathroom but being unsuccessful. They could also lick themselves while going to the bathroom or you may spot blood in the urine. This could be life threatening if it is the cause. And kidney stones are another medical reason behind litter box issues. Symptoms for this also include frequent trips to the litter box but pain or meowing and crying. Their sides may also be tender to touch.

All these medical conditions are serious and require a visit to the vet.

Behavioral Issues Behind Kitty Litter Issues

Behavioral issues can be another factor behind litter box issues if medical conditions have been ruled out. This was the case with Miesha, and it wasn’t overly difficult to figure that out!

Gizmo had one episode where one morning before getting out of bed he peed on my bed right beside my HEAD! It never happened again, and I think it was simply because he was getting old and either forgot himself or couldn’t make it to the box.

Bubbles was also the culprit a couple times. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that this was because she was taken from her other house where she was marking and had gone a little wild and she was NOT happy about being in my condo.

Any cat owner can attest to how finicky they can be…about just about EVERYTHING!

There are many things that can cause them to go off their litter. This can including a change in litter (texture), not being clean enough, not being in a good location, not enough litter in the boxes, not enough boxes for the number of cats, hoods or liners, or even a conflict with another cat in the house.

Things To Try to Address Behavioral Issues

Observation of your cat while using the litter box should provide you with important clues as to the reason if one of these is the case. If it is due to the texture of litter, you can experiment with different litters until you find one that works. Cats tend to prefer unscented clumping litter (although this can present a danger to very young kittens so be mindful of that).

If you notice your cat jump into the box all wild eyed and nervously use the box and BOLT like a shot out of it after, you may want to consider changing the location of the box. An ideal location is in a quiet spot out of way of the daily action and should provide escape routes to make them feel safer while using it. Also, don’t put food and water near the litter box. You can try different spots to see if one works better, or you can try one on each level of your home to see which one is preferred.

Finicky Cats

Keeping the litter cleaner can be another thing to attempt. If I let mine go too long I KNOW that they are going to just end up going on the floor right beside the boxes! An unpleasant lesson if I let it slip and end up with a wet knee when I bend down to do it…Some cats I know won’t use the litter box after even just ONE use! But ideally you should be trying to clean it daily, and cleaning the box with either unscented soap or baking soda weekly.

Add More Litter Boxes

Not having enough litter boxes or having them be too small can also be behind a cat’s reluctance to climb in. I have three cats currently and four litter boxes. You should try to have at least one extra for the number of cats in your household. If the box is too small that can also end up being an issue they will contest to. Hoods and liners can also be a reason behind the cat’s dislike for it. Try not using them and see what the result is.

Automatic litter boxes also sound great to people! And while they can do the job of keeping the litter cleaner by sweeping it after every use…watch out. Fear can cause our feline friends to snub the litter box! I had gotten one (they are not cheap!) for Gizmo and Chester. But the sound of it turning on and motion where it was unexpected freaked them out and after using the box they would bolt like lightening right out of there to avoid it!

Amount of Litter In The Box

Sounding counterintuitive is the amount of litter in the box. Cats actually prefer only 1-2 inches of litter in the litter box. It is PEOPLE who prefer more! Try letting it run a little lower and see if that makes a difference!

Stress

Household stress can also be a cause. If there are multiple cats who don’t get along it could end up preventing one of them from using the litter box. Try moving the boxes around and see if anything works. With Bubbles I ended up getting

With Miesha being a HIGHLY stressed out cat in the best of times though I needed to try a different approach rather than just changing the litter. To calm her, I purchased Feliway Classic pheromone diffusers and pheromone spray. This has helped her calm down significantly, and she is even prone to hanging out on the main floor of the house again!

Enzymatic Cleaner

Along with these suggestions make sure that you are not using an ammonia based cleaner as urine contains ammonia and the cat could continue to use this spot. Instead, same as with puppies, use an enzymatic cleaner to thoroughly remove any traces of urine.

Make It Less Appealing

Making the inappropriate area less appealing can do the trick. I have double-sided tape in my house at all times for this very reason! It also helps when your cat is scratching something they shouldn’t be…but if you do not have this, tin foil or even just turning a rug over can work.

What NOT to Do

There are definitely things that you should NOT do if your cat is having accidents around the house.

DO NOT rub their faces in it. They do not understand why you are doing that and it can make them more fearful! Yelling at them or throwing them into their litter box can also be more adverse to their mental health than anything. Same with confinement as they just do not understand why it is happening.

With some patience and trial and error you should be able to narrow down the cause of a cat peeing where they shouldn’t be. Make sure that you are willing to work with them to find a solution and everyone will be very happy!

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