@Michael A Brooks When my husband moves Lincoln aside so he can sit in the chair with him Lincoln growls. He does not do this with me though. What is the best approach to correct this behavior? We do not want to keep him off the furniture though. Advice appreciated.
Hi @Jade I think I may have a plan but I would like one more bit of information please. When your husband sits down does Lincoln have as much space as if it were you sitting down instead of your husband?
Thank you. Yes pretty much. It's a fairly big overstuffed recliner. Lincoln normally curls up in one corner.
Okay. Your husband grabs a handful of treats. He approaches Lincoln when he is in the chair. Distance? Sufficient to keep Lincoln below threshold. Maybe 2 metres. It will depend on your dog. He tosses him a treat. Another treat. Then moves away. Gradually over repetitions move closer to the chair when Lincoln is it. Always keep Lincoln below threshold. Then try sitting on the arm. Throw him a treat. Sit on the front of chair. If he's calm, give him a treat. Over many repetitions sit further back into the chair. Treats as long as he stays calm. Since he has a learned behaviour, it will be a fair bit of work, but you want him to give you two some body heat. Good luck.
Growling in this way usually happens because the dog does not want to be continually moved or disturbed from their comfortable spot. The solution is always to train the dog so that they WANT to move when asked, and thereby to remove any conflict. Ideally, this is done before any signs of a problem - but can also be done once you see a problem developing. Your husband should always have a few pieces of kibble in his pocket and should just let Lincoln have a sniff and lure him off the place where he wants to move him to. Soon Lincoln will be very happy to move as asked, because it will be a positive thing...
