Thanks everyone, I will give my aunt the info, she wanted me to ask for her.

I'm glad I read all these posts and asked about my Aunts dog because I started letting my dogs on the couches & bed. I never liked the idea of a dog on the couch or bed, and for years, it wasn't allowed.

But since we now have 6 indoor cats who have killed our couches with their claws, I figured Taylor (6 y/o f lab) and Apollo (6mo. m GSD) couldn't do any worse.

So along with my Aunt, I need to work on keeping my dogs off the couch. At first, Apollo looked at me like I had 5 heads. As if he was thinking "You want ME...to lay on the FLOOR?" lol He's catching on fast though.

But again, thank you all for your advice.

Maizie

I would caution you and your aunt to be carefull. A dog that feels he is dominante caould go the other way until he realizes he is not the "top" dog. As stated in Ed's article, pick your fights. You may want to invest in the innoteck scat system for the furniture. It gives them a little zap when they get on couches ect. As far as the car goes, I used to handle a dominate dobe that would get in the driver's seat and growl at me. He was especially bad when the weather was too hot or too cold (wanted the heat/ac to himself). I had to use a pole on him several time to avoid being bitten.

I would muzzle the dog and set him us with a leash and a proge collar. Practice the commands hup for in and vorous or "out" to to come in. This way you are protected and the dog will learn what is expected.

Maizie, Sorry for this long post but this is important. Unfortunately it seems that your aunt has nurtured this agressive behavior. Allowing the dog on the bed and furniture is ok for most, but for some who tend to baby their dogs and not enough discipline can cause problems. The dog is guarding things that he values as his, so as in a previous post control something that you can.

First, I would refuse feeding him for two days. Regardless how much he begs. The ultimate control factor is the refusal of FOOD. Other methods that are effective are hanging the dog into submission, or alpha rolling him, but in this situation food is the easier route. But understand if this food thing doesn’t work out, alpha rolling on your own will only get you hurt. Especially if you don’t know what you are doing, call in a professional. Leave his water out, but understand two days of hunger will not kill him. It may seem extreme, but you aunt needs to reestablish some authority . Similar to dealing with dogs that food guarding issues, when you reintroduce food on the third day put the bowl down with a small hand full kibble in it and make him sit before he gets it. When he finishes it then make him sit and give another handful until all his food is given. You may want to do this for a week or so. Food is a very important resource, and saying that if your aunt controls the food… You control the dog. Free feeding can sometimes give the dog a false sense of independence, where as some dogs respect their owners from other control exercises like obedience training. If you skip this step you may face a challenge when implementing commands of authority.

Second, prevent this possessive behavior by avoiding it. When your aunt is out of the house or going to sleep use a crate, or put him outside for now. We need to minimize the confrontations. If he shows signs of aggression and your aunt walks away, she will reinforce that aggressive behavior in him.

Third, start obedience training. If you have some experience training this should be easy. I would give a command to jump up and off a wooden box or patio. Hopefully something he has no possessive feeling for. And work him until he can do it on his own without any luring or coaxing.

Fourth, keep the leash or e-collar on the dog inside the house, and correct the behavior when he doesn’t off. It’s not fair to the dog if he doesn’t know the command he is getting in trouble for.

Fifth, if your aunt is unwilling to implement a rank change. Please understand that the dog will control her without her choice, i.e. her sleeping on the floor. For now it’s the couch, bed, and car. But can easily escalate to other things if successful. As loving as he is, he needs to understand that your aunt is top dog in the house. Sadly the last solution is to give him up to someone willing to implement his or her authority, and chalk it up as a lesson learned. Read about selection testing to find the right match in temperment for your aunts personality. Good Luck