Doberman Pup Random aggression to other dogs

[Elbell89]

Hi Guys

Looking for some advice please, we have a 8 month old male Doberman pup called Duke, We’ve had him from 8 weeks. He’s big for his age about 37kg at the moment. He’s been well socialised from a very young age with people, children and other dogs. We have a 3 year old dachshund too but we only have him 4 days a week and the dachshund doesn’t really like the Doberman, at first they would play together a little bit but the Doberman would get told off quite a bit as he is a boisterous/ rough player and the Dachshund doesn’t like it. I’d say they tolerate each other and more recently they don’t play together at all anymore. The dachshund doesn’t let Duke come near him and growls and then Duke barks in his face out of frustration because he wants to play. Our Doberman has been going to day care a couple of days a week for months now and has been getting on great but a few weeks ago another dog bit him under his eye, the day care said it was unprovoked and the other dog was coming in to season so was a little moody.

… recently the dachshund went to tell duke off as he usually does but Duke reacted and showed agression back, which really scared us as Duke is 3 times the size of the Dachshund so one wrong bite could be fatal. No harm was done and they seemed to get over it albeit they. Clearly still don’t really like each other and there’s a lot of stand off’s for dominance but not really contact/aggression … fast forward a couple of weeks, I collected Duke from daycare yesterday and they said he’d been going for dogs all day, different dogs, pinning them down and they feel like they can no longer mix him anymore.

We’re really sad about this because he is such a loving pup and has always been so good and loved day care and playing (albeit very energetic and bouncy).

We spoke to the vet, who seems to think the bite at day care could have caused the change in behaviour and thinks it would be a mistake to not mix him anymore could make things worse… after all he is only a pup just a massive one.

Should we consider Chemical castration? If so what age?

any advice or help would be appreciated as I am so worried.

Thank you

 

[Panama]

The only thing I have to offer at this moment is, the day care should not have had and intact bitch coming into season mixed in with intact male. PERIOD!

 

[Elbell89]

The only thing I have to offer at this moment is, the day care should not have had and intact bitch coming into season mixed in with intact male. PERIOD!

Thanks for your reply. Yes we were annoyed about this but I don’t think they fully knew the bitch was coming in to season, the owner of the other dog did expedite having her spade the following week but obviously the damage to our dog had already been done. We are just hoping this experience hasn’t damaged him for good

 

[Oh Little Oji]

Welcome!

I would not be leaning toward castration. Often it does not make the behavioral difference that many think it will.

Yes, maybe Duke was brought toward the habit of even rougher play or aggression by the bite. Maybe he is moving that direction due to the prickly relationship with the Dachshund. Really, it sounds like normal dog behavior – especially for a Doberman, as they play roughly. The kind of Doberman play I'm talking about looks a lot like fighting/aggression. I imagine your daycare staff interprets it as such and intervenes and considers Duke to be doing "wrong."

Keep in mind, also, that Duke is maturing physically and his hormones will be kicking in more. I know some may say, well, then let's limit the hormones by castrating him. I'm just not a fan of castrating before a dog is fully mature physically. This can be at the age of 3 or 4, but at least by age 2.

I agree that ceasing to socialize him with dogs may cause him to play even worse with them when he does come into contact. Hmm. Can you find a trusted dog that you know will not beat Duke up, and that can handle Duke's rough play and have them have playdates? It'd be preferable to do this with more than one dog, although perhaps try out one at a time. I realize this is inconvenient.

Honestly, Duke may not be able to keep going to that daycare. Dobes play rough! In my experience, though (and I'm not holding myself up as an extremely experienced expert) Dobes do not do damage to the other dogs other than accidental damage.

My first Dobe grew up together with my roommate's German Shepherd. They were essentially the same age. They would have epic play sessions together until one day when they were about the age of your Duke, the GSD turned a play session into a fight and he got the better of my Dobe, who still just wanted to play rough, not fight. From that day on, the GSD would, if accidentally allowed to , "attack" my Dobe and would not stop fighting when my Dobe would submit. So, Dobes are not necessarily the best fighters. Many dogs will put them into their place; but they do play rough and it looks and sounds mean.

 

[Elbell89]

The only thing I have to offer at this moment is, the day care should not have had and intact bitch coming into season mixed in with intact male. PERIOD!

Thanks for your reply. Yes we were annoyed about this but I don’t think they fully knew the bitch was coming in to season, the owner of the other dog did expedite having her spade the following week but obviously the damage to our

Welcome!

I would not be leaning toward castration. Often it does not make the behavioral difference that many think it will.

Yes, maybe Duke was brought toward the habit of even rougher play or aggression by the bite. Maybe he is moving that direction due to the prickly relationship with the Dachshund. Really, it sounds like normal dog behavior – especially for a Doberman, as they play roughly. The kind of Doberman play I'm talking about looks a lot like fighting/aggression. I imagine your daycare staff interprets it as such and intervenes and considers Duke to be doing "wrong."

Keep in mind, also, that Duke is maturing physically and his hormones will be kicking in more. I know some may say, well, then let's limit the hormones by castrating him. I'm just not a fan of castrating before a dog is fully mature physically. This can be at the age of 3 or 4, but at least by age 2.

I agree that ceasing to socialize him with dogs may cause him to play even worse with them when he does come into contact. Hmm. Can you find a trusted dog that you know will not beat Duke up, and that can handle Duke's rough play and have them have playdates? It'd be preferable to do this with more than one dog, although perhaps try out one at a time. I realize this is inconvenient.

Honestly, Duke may not be able to keep going to that daycare. Dobes play rough! In my experience, though (and I'm not holding myself up as an extremely experienced expert) Dobes do not do damage to the other dogs other than accidental damage.

My first Dobe grew up together with my roommate's German Shepherd. They were essentially the same age. They would have epic play sessions together until one day when they were about the age of your Duke, the GSD turned a play session into a fight and he got the better of my Dobe, who still just wanted to play rough, not fight. From that day on, the GSD would, if accidentally allowed to , "attack" my Dobe and would not stop fighting when my Dobe would submit. So, Dobes are not necessarily the best fighters. Many dogs will put them into their place; but they do play rough and it looks and sounds mean.

Wow, this post has really made me feel better about things, thank you so much for your advice and tips, I really appreciate it. We do have a bulldog in the family that is 1 and does play great with Duke so like you say we will set up some play dates over Xmas. When he has reacted to the dachshund is was only in retaliation as the dachshund actually bites him and Duke didn’t bite him back it just it sounded more agressive than we’ve ever seen before from Duke before. Hoping it was a one off but it’s the not knowing that worries me.

I am going to ring the day care and have a chat with them tomorrow to see if he would be allowed back to mixing but perhaps only with bigger playful dogs (although I think they do categorise them anyway) if not then like you say maybe it’s not going to work out at that place unfortunately.

Yes the vet also did say that he was against castration in Doberman’s in general but if he did it wouldn’t be until he was at least 1 year old. He did say chemical castration was an option and only lasts 8 months so could be an option but like you said the vet did say it might not ‘calm him down’ anyway.

Thanks again for your very helpful message. Really appreciate it

All the best

 

[Ukesox]

Welcome from Norfolk. Handsome pup you have there.
I would say that 100% the attack from the other dog has effected him. It happened to one of mine before when she was just a pup & thereafter as an adult she’d give any similar looking dog a good telling off before it got too close.
I wouldn’t worry too much about dachshund ..sounds like a squabble rather than something that’ll escalate.
At 8 months he’s likely to be playful & boisterous & too much for many dogs & in general play Dobes can look like they’re being aggressive when it’s nothing of the sort, (flipping over & pinning down is one of their favourite strategies).
Ive only ever had bitches but I don’t think that castration at a young age is appropriate or the answer for this problem & I side with your vet, separation now is likely to accentuate the problem. He needs to understand that other dogs are not a problem but also that they’re not just for playing with.
Given that this issue is likely the result of an incident under their care (the unprovoked bite) I think the daycare establishment have been negligent & should be giving you some slack. Maybe mixing but with only bigger dogs?
Have you actually witnessed the most recent behaviour that they’re banning him for?

A dogwalker that takes other dogs at the same time may be an answer rather than doggy daycare. They operate under more controlled conditions which is a good way for a young Dobe to learn to be in the company of other dogs & not jump all over them (Exercise & controlled fun).You could also reach out locally to meet up with other people with young big dogs of a similar age for walks & the jumping all over bit. ( Nice to meet new people too) If you’re not already doing it enrole with a decent dog training club with experience of big breeds so he gets to be around other dogs but in a controlled fashion. I’ve done & still am doing these in an attempt to get my boisterous 3 year old to chill around other dogs

…sorry for any duplication guys, I took so long composing this that you got in first…

 

[Ravenbird]

Why do you think Duke needs dog friends at all? I would never ever ever subject my puppy to a dog care with other dogs to mix with. And when the Dachshund made it clear that it didn't want to play with Duke, Duke should never have been allowed to bark or tease or torment the smaller dog to the point of making it growl in self defense. The frustration on Duke to the point of barking at the dachshund should have been stopped as well - it served neither dog well. For Duke to have to learn to "work it out" first with a housemate, then at a day care with other dogs, your story is a perfect storm for him to become a permanently dog-aggressive dog. The last thing I would do is to try to make him be friends with another dog, turn out with other puppies, be walked with other dogs (sometimes leashes enhance the aggression) - how about crating at home when you have the dachshund, take some obedience classes where all dogs are on leashes and in control and he learns to listen and be devoted to you and to ignore the other dogs. Do things with him, be your dogs best friend, don't expect another dog to be! Hormones have zero to do with this, it is management.
Sorry I may sound harsh, I do wish you the very best.

 

[LifeofRubie]

Agree with @Ravenbird

My Dobe has a low tolerance for other dogs so we don't force her to interact with other dogs.

Our dogs are socialized in that they ignore other dogs and people and things. Socialization is not meeting and greeting anything that walks by and seems interesting. OR forcing any dog to tolerate all situations in which they cannot succeed.

He's also probably coming into full on male hormone and doberteen mode and his behavior and tolerance may change.

Your job is to set him for success and give him the tools he needs to cope with situations.

 

[Doberman Gang]

Socialization is always confused by most dog owners. It is not letting your dog interact with strangers and other dogs. It is taking your dogs places where strangers and other dogs are present but then interacting and playing with your dog. Your dog needs to be ok with strangers and other dogs being around but focused on you. Doggie day cares and dog parts are a way that people humanize their dogs, it is what they think dogs need, bit it is wrong. Unfortunately your dog getting bit is aca tilt the reason you are having problems now.
Sometimes you can train two dogs to get along in your house other times you can not snd you will have to rotate them. Hope your situation get better

 

[Firestar Dobe]

I agree with all of the above. Dogs, as much as we love them, are not people. They don't need parties, get togethers with friends, or other things that people need. A well socialized dog is able to walk through crowds of people and dogs without reacting. A well socialized dog is a dog that will observe but stay obedient and calm around other people and dogs. As for the issue between your 2 dogs, I would get into a Manners or Obedience training class with your Dobe and with hard work and patience you may be able to turn their interactions around. If it doesn't work, you may have to rotate them in crates to ensure peace and safety!

 

[Elbell89]

Hi All

Firstly Thank you for the advice, really appreciate your opinions on this …interesting to hear some of you guys don’t think the day care is a good idea for him. He’s always enjoyed it but maybe like you say it isn't necessarily a controlled environment so isn’t instilling obedience in him in-fact probably the opposite. We do both work as well so I guess selfishly having him at daycare 2 days a week or on occasion if we had an event at a weekend was handy to have as an option rather than putting on friends or family. We like the idea of trying a dog Walker instead as a more controlled environment but still having that interaction with other dogs so we are going to make enquiries about this. We did try him at group obedience class but he seemed to get pretty bored as we had already taught him a lot of commands already so he was doing stuff he already knew. I think maybe we are going to look at a one to one trainer instead.

I do just want to be clear here…we are committed owners he gets 1:30 hours physical exercise daily and we do play mental games with him too like ‘find the treats’ and teaching him commands. We regularly watch training videos and he is a really good dog.

We cannot do much about the issues with the dachshund as both dogs live in the same house (dachshund half of the week) and we love them both equally. So as for the comment about not allowing Duke to bark at the dachshund we do try and stop this and distract duke’s attention by playing with him but as you can imagine it is difficult… I think sometimes duke is jealous of the dachshund or like I said before frustrated that he won’t play back.

I think from everything I’ve read the conclusion is that we as owners need to do more to set boundaries for him and more obedience training. Still allowing him to socialise but more controlled. Hopefully if we put those steps in place then this random issue of him going for other dogs won’t reoccur.

Thanks everyone

 

[LifeofRubie]

I do want to emphasize, it's probably almost certainly not "random."

The challenge with daycares is they put a teenager in a room with a dozen or more dogs and what, a spray bottle? Yes, 99.9% of the time, it's all fine. With that many dogs whose backgrounds and training and tolerances I don't know and am not in control of, it'ss too many variables and my dog is not being set-up for success. Been there, tried it, learned our lesson.

You said he's bored at regular obedience class. Have you thought about any other type of dog sports that will give him more opportunity to think?

They can get as complicated as you want but something like a nosework, rally, or barn hunt would be a great mental challenge while still not being too much physicality for a young dog. I know that a lot of what is available really depends on the area you live in, unfortunately. This also gets him into a highly stimulating situation in which he needs to learn to focus on you and work with you.

As you've stated, it takes a lot to get Dobes tired and a tired dog is a good dog

Another idea: muzzle train him. We have a Baskerville Muzzle but there are all sorts. They're actually quite easy to train and are wonderful for peace of mind if you're unsure of how Duke will react to a certain situation.

Hang in there, keep us posted!

All of that said, my dogs are not perfect and I'm no trainer. We've learned through trial, error, failures, and successes. There have been some very hard lessons along the way and every one has been my fault.

 

[Ravenbird]

We cannot do much about the issues with the dachshund as both dogs live in the same house (dachshund half of the week) and we love them both equally. So as for the comment about not allowing Duke to bark at the dachshund we do try and stop this and distract duke’s attention by playing with him but as you can imagine it is difficult… I think sometimes duke is jealous of the dachshund or like I said before frustrated that he won’t play back.

I think from everything I’ve read the conclusion is that we as owners need to do more to set boundaries for him and more obedience training. Still allowing him to socialise but more controlled. Hopefully if we put those steps in place then this random issue of him going for other dogs won’t reoccur.

I'm so pleased to hear of these other things you are doing with Duke. Internets can make it difficult to see the whole picture with a few paragraphs.

I just want to say, first of all everything that @LifeofRubie said is spot on. And I'm in the mix of very hard lessons along the way too, so don't be hard on yourself. These dogs are not always easy!

And just a note on what I quoted you above - Yes you CAN do much about the issues with the dachshund & Duke. It can work & be fine, think "management" instead of winning with two dogs loving each other. And the other is Obedience = socializing with control. You Can Do This!

Here's my dog who constantly needs distractions to proof her training, as she's near perfect in her own world, but not even close otherwise. I take her to a behavior training class not as a student but to use the distractions of other dogs in training for her own training and now working on long down. I never know what kind of bad behavior brought the dogs to seek help, but I stick her in the mix on a long down & keep a vigilant eye on her. The woman who runs this class is happy to have her drop in as another distraction for the clients/dogs she's teaching. I know my dog is safe because I know how this woman runs her classes. She knows my dog will never be out of my control, even at a distance. Win win win. It's been a long 2 years to get my dog to this point and never easy.

 

[Elbell89]

Hi All

So update, I spoke with the day care today in more detail. Turns out he hadn’t been ‘going for other dogs’ in aggressive manner as we first thought he’s been barking in other dogs face if they don’t want to play with him and then the other dogs haven’t reacted well to it and it’s then caused a bit of a scuffle of kinds. The day care said because he does this barking in their face a lot they are finding the scuffs are happening frequently because of how the other dogs react and so they are finding it hard to manage…. So they have considered Duke to not be playing peacefully it sounds.

He does this same barking at our Dachshund so i know exactly the behaviour they are talking about but it’s not ‘agressive’ as such. More a frustration is probs the best way to describe it. I will have to try and take a video to show you as any tips on whether you guys have experience this before would be useful.

Anyway I have made enquiries for obedience training for us to do with Duke and dog walking with other dogs in controlled environment so we shall see if we see an improvement once we’ve put those in to place. Maybe he will grow out of this behaviour also with the other steps but in to place but time will tell.

Thanks again for everyone’s advice, first time I’ve used this forum and I’ve found it to be very helpful and Interesting being a first time Dobe owner so thank you again

 

[LifeofRubie]

I know this behavior exactly because my (almost 6 year old) Dobe does this with our Lab. For us, the Lab is happy to oblige 99% of the time but for the other 1%, we redirect her because she, not unlike Duke from what it sounds like, just ignores the other dogs body language because she wants what she wants. If a dogs body language is being ignored (by dogs or humans), they keep escalating until the 'annoying' dog or human retracts.

For dogs that Duke is 'annoying,' he's probably ignoring their body language so they ultimately get to the point of telling Duke to back off with teeth.

My Lab is a literal saint and has a very high tolerance level when it comes to our Dobe. That being said, we do not let her harass him and test his tolerance. Again, setting them both up for success. I know my Labs signs when he's had enough and that's when we get involved.

And welcome! It's a wonderful group of people here with lots of knowledge, experience, and willingness to learn!

 

[Ravenbird]

we do not let her harass him and test his tolerance. Again, setting them both up for success.

^^^ All this! @Elbell89 - this is all it takes. My dog was a bully as a puppy to the resident dog (6 years old) and within a week or two we agreed that Asha couldn't play nice, so she wasn't allowed to play with her at all. They always got along but Asha would not stop poking and biting when playing and the older dog tried to walk off peacefully but my puppy didn't want to take no for an answer. In over two years that I've had her the two dogs have never been left unsupervised. Sometimes outside one will get the zoomies and we'll turn the other out so they can zoom together, but the R wants to stop and I have to call mine off, because she just won't stop on her own. That's where the obedience comes in. A faultless recall, a down stay - those two things will stop Duke from harassing anyone. Yes, my dog "just wanted to play" and does that demand barking, but never to her now 7 year old housemate or any other dog because it's unacceptable.

Glad you are looking into some good obedience. It's the gateway to all the answers and your dog will love you for it.

 

[Kaiser2016]

Lots of great info here! I would read it twice (I have!) and make some notes and then share this info with the rest of the family. If this sounds like overkill, it's because having this breed requires overkill

I wanted to emphasize his age. He's in the Doberteens, and Dobermans play rough anyway, but he will mature - become more serious - and he will no longer be the 'day care' type. That day is coming. Believe me, I wish I was wrong lol, I'd have my own devil dog shipped out more often if it was possible

Lots of good points made by everyone but esp @LifeofRubie - the Doberman attitude is very much 'in your face' and it can get them into trouble with other dogs. If he is annoying the other dogs at day care, they, together as a pack, will put him in his place. In the end, they will blame your dog for creating that situation and then you're left to rehabilitate an aggressive Doberman - it's already an unfair stereotype of the breed.

Re dog walkers, I'd only trust one if they have Doberman experience, because walking a Doberman is not a casual affair and it is hard enough for owners, never mind someone that the dog doesn't know or more importantly respect their authority - also, what if the dog walker lets him meet other dogs and a fight breaks out, then what?

I'm surprised your vet would suggest neutering as a way to curtail the 'aggression', because getting him neutered not only may not solve the issue, but it may exacerbate the problem. I would research this topic yourself so you go in fully informed. At a minimum, the general advice is to wait at least 18-24 months so that their physical development has finished.

The bulldog idea - another male and just 1 years old - No. I do agree that they don't need doggy friends, no matter how much this might give us a break, but owning this breed means we can't delegate too many activities

 

[Elbell89]

Lots of great info here! I would read it twice (I have!) and make some notes and then share this info with the rest of the family. If this sounds like overkill, it's because having this breed requires overkill

I wanted to emphasize his age. He's in the Doberteens, and Dobermans play rough anyway, but he will mature - become more serious - and he will no longer be the 'day care' type. That day is coming. Believe me, I wish I was wrong lol, I'd have my own devil dog shipped out more often if it was possible

Lots of good points made by everyone but esp @LifeofRubie - the Doberman attitude is very much 'in your face' and it can get them into trouble with other dogs. If he is annoying the other dogs at day care, they, together as a pack, will put him in his place. In the end, they will blame your dog for creating that situation and then you're left to rehabilitate an aggressive Doberman - it's already an unfair stereotype of the breed.

Re dog walkers, I'd only trust one if they have Doberman experience, because walking a Doberman is not a casual affair and it is hard enough for owners, never mind someone that the dog doesn't know or more importantly respect their authority - also, what if the dog walker lets him meet other dogs and a fight breaks out, then what?

I'm surprised your vet would suggest neutering as a way to curtail the 'aggression', because getting him neutered not only may not solve the issue, but it may exacerbate the problem. I would research this topic yourself so you go in fully informed. At a minimum, the general advice is to wait at least 18-24 months so that their physical development has finished.

The bulldog idea - another male and just 1 years old - No. I do agree that they don't need doggy friends, no matter how much this might give us a break, but owning this breed means we can't delegate too many activities

Thank you

Meeting dogs on a walk for Duke isn’t an issue for us, a fight wouldn’t breakout as we have him under control on a lead and only allow him to greet other dogs when we say so so and the other owner is happy with it so I’m not worried about that so much. He’s pretty good on the lead most of the time… although he’s a bit pully sometimes which definitely needs improvement just to reiterate he’s a super friendly and soft dog he hasn’t ever shown aggression that I have witnessed other than the small spat with our Daschhund that I mentioned in my first post but they didn’t bite each other or anything.

The bulldog is a bitch by the way. Does that change your opinion on them socialising or? They get on great to be fair and have done since Duke was a pup.

Just to mention also, the vet didn’t actually favour neutering. He said he wouldn’t actually recommend physical castration in Doberman’s in general and certainly not until they were fully grown so no less than 12 months old. He suggested the chemical castration as an alternative more temporary measure (as I understand it, it lasts 8 months) but to be discussed further, he was just telling us what the options are (over the phone) but we have an appointment with him on Thursday anyway as Duke has his flea and worm due so said we’d just talk more then. I need to do more reading on it myself like you say.

 

[Elbell89]

I know this behavior exactly because my (almost 6 year old) Dobe does this with our Lab. For us, the Lab is happy to oblige 99% of the time but for the other 1%, we redirect her because she, not unlike Duke from what it sounds like, just ignores the other dogs body language because she wants what she wants. If a dogs body language is being ignored (by dogs or humans), they keep escalating until the 'annoying' dog or human retracts.

For dogs that Duke is 'annoying,' he's probably ignoring their body language so they ultimately get to the point of telling Duke to back off with teeth.

My Lab is a literal saint and has a very high tolerance level when it comes to our Dobe. That being said, we do not let her harass him and test his tolerance. Again, setting them both up for success. I know my Labs signs when he's had enough and that's when we get involved.

And welcome! It's a wonderful group of people here with lots of knowledge, experience, and willingness to learn!

It is reassuring to know I am not alone with the barking issue haha. Drives me crazy. We redirect him by playing with him with his toys or doing some command training instead but he will just go back to barking next time he’s bored. The Dachshund tolerates it for a while but will eventually go back at him to warn him off…which works a little bit and he’ll then go off and play with him ball or something.

I’ve also noticed he doesn’t seem to like it if the Dacshund is on the sofa and Dukes not getting attention. Maybe a bit of jealousy… and yes rightly or wrongly we are the type of dog owners that let our dogs come on the sofa (when invited). I know that might be an unpopular topic but for us they are extended parts of our family.

 

[LifeofRubie]

well so... (my opinion) if you know a dog that handles Duke well and they can interact successfully, then supervised arranged meet-ups might be OK. Again, my Dobe and Lab get along wonderfully but the Dobe doesn't appreciate other dogs, more or less . My Lab, however, is wonderful at dog language so we do allow him "play dates" with dogs we know. Either way, be prepared to intervene or leave if it's not going well. This is a photo from a 4th of July party we hosted with some neighbors over. We put the Dobe inside, in her crate, and had our neighbors bring their dogs over for a bit.



My Dobe had a bulldog friend when she was a puppy and it was challenging because bulldogs have all the extra skin that is pretty tough. My Dobe REALLY like biting that extra skin to get the bulldog going and the bulldog more or less allowed it. They were definitely an odd pair



It's really about knowing your dog and trusting the situation. It sounds like you're doing the right things with on-leash greetings. Again, something we don't allow with my Dobe but if the other person and dog are agreeable, we will give the Lab permission to investigate BUT ultimately the expectation is to ignore other leashed dogs.

And yes, Dobermans are notoriously vocal!!

The couch thing can be touchy. Our dogs are allowed on the couch but they know the "off" command and are expected to move or whatever whenever we ask them to. Some dogs see couch privilege's as a pecking order situation so I can see where he might not like a dog he thinks is beneath him to be on the couch. This isn't something we've had to handle, luckily, but perhaps someone else has. I know when dogs start to get too possessive of being on the couch, sometimes that privilege needs revoked for a time.