Turf Protection

This summer when lounging on the deck, my dogs did their usual barking when anyone got too close to what they perceived to be their turf. But I noticed that when they were resting on the grass (not on the deck which is about 3 – 4 feet above ground) they didn’t pay hardly any attention when anyone was nearby. People near them barely got a lifted head, never mind barking. I thought this was pretty cool. I also noticed that when my neighbor was using the upper deck the dogs didn’t care either. (My dogs don’t seem to pay much attention to things higher up like birds flying. It’s not part of their normal viewing area.)  It was only when the dogs were on the deck and people were below them that they reacted.

Then I realized this was a similar scenario that dog training clients sometimes encounter when their dog is on a sofa or chair and is “guarding” it when a person gets too close. It’s the being off the ground – on a higher perch (or in the case of the upper deck – being up too high) that sets them off.

I found that interesting. What about you?