[JulieM]

Hi everyone,

I’d love to hear your advice and thoughts on a behavior that Wally has started to display. He is doing really well with training so far and puppy preschool has been good for him. We have been doing clicker training, which is wonderful.

However, the one thing I’m starting to notice is that he’s getting territorial of his bed and his crate. This just recently began and at first I thought he was being playful. Now I’m noticing that when I’m digging in his crate to clean it out or grab a toy, he starts nipping and getting agitated. He’ll do the same if I am doing something with his puppy bed.

I will put him in his “no bite” position (having him sit in front of me while lightly holding his muzzle saying “no” gently – the trainers at our puppy preschool use this method) and once he’s relaxed, he is released. It seems to work for a short while, but the next day if I’m in his crate, he gets the same way again.

What can I do to make him see that I’m not an intruder in the space? It is SO important to me to have a well behaved pup…I really want to take care of this issue now, before it becomes a bigger problem. Since this is my first dog, I don’t know if this is typical behavior or something to be concerned about.

Thanks so much!