Dog Behavior

[robby]

Last night, the dog and I were in the living room, and I heard some noise and saw some light beyond the end of the driveway. I jokingly chided the dog for letting me be the guard, and we walked out to fenceline. It was a telephone company truck and soon a car stopped also, and two guys started screwing around with red and white headlamps on the other side of the road.

I know it sounds weird, but this episode suddenly turned on the guarding response for the dog. He was running back and forth along the perimeter facing the road, and barking a really deep and intimidating bark that I've never heard before. Even when he stopped running, he laid in the grass between the house and the men, barking a warning them that he was watching.

He kept it up past the time they were gone, and I thought he was barking at nothing, until I saw a bunch of rabbits out there. He went out and barked a few times this morning as well.

This is a sudden change, and it may simply mean that he's feeling more comfortable here, and he's taken ownership, but it's so strange that it started when I went out and guarded. It's like he picked up his cue from me, and now he has assumed a guarding role.
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He was out barking at the rabbits again tonight. I went out and looked, and I never realized there were so many bunny rabbits out there at night. It's almost like a moonlight dance.

Comments

[fablulu.livejournal.com]

He got your signal, he said, "Hell yah, we are going to be MALES, we are going to protect our property, let's DO this!" ;-P

[robby.livejournal.com]

I think whoever owned him before couldn't control him. He's not bad, but strong and undisciplined, with all sorts of doggie behaviors. He loves me completely already, and has learned how to go up stairs, ride in the truck, and "don't jump" in 5 days. I'm probably the perfect owner for this sort of dog, and if he checks out good at the vet, we'll start formal dog training classes.

[fablulu.livejournal.com]

Hope he checks out at the vet, he sounds smart.