Hi,
Our 2 1/2 year old heeler, Kira, who has always been sweet and loveable, is now starting to become oddly over-protective. This week, when we had a new washer-dryer set delivered, she bit the back of one of the delivery guys' legs when he walked into our back yard by himself. It didn't break the skin, but it was pretty freaky. Luckily, he is a Chow rescue dog trainer, so he didn't react at all.
Three weeks ago, she did snap at the sweater of our neighbor, whom we haven't seen for six months because they've been traveling. I attributed the snapping to the fact that I was home alone, and I didn't even recognize the neighbor as she was wearing such over-sized clothes and a stocking cap.
My husband, who's had heelers before, said at this age, they sometimes have a tendency to get over-protective of their owners, and that we just need to keep an eye on it. I, never having owned a dog before except for a completely placid basset hound, am completely freaked out. My worries: Is she becoming dangerous? Will she start attacking people at random? She's always done great in a crowd, at the dog park, on runs and hikes, at friends' houses--everywhere. Nothing in our world has changed. Why is this suddenly happening? And how can we stop it from happening again?
Any ideas would be appreciated.
