rmeyer

My wife and I just rescued a three year old male dog, hes about 35 lbs., black, medium length hair and looks like a small german shepard but he curls his tail a lot. (its not curled perminatly but when he is happy or whatever its curled). The shelter said he is a sheltie mix. We know nothing of his previous owners, he was found running draging a chain along a highway. We have had him for about 3 weeks and he has been a very wonderful addition to our home. He is great around other dogs, children, and after a little warming up around strangers. We have not seen any real behavioral issues with him. He sleeps on our floor next to our bed, there has been a couple times early on when my wife went to bed before me and then I walked into a dark room he growled and once barked. But not a big deal, still a new place and I probably scared him. Since day one it has be very obvious that he adores my wife. He constantly follows her around, goes to bed when she does, etc. etc. He is good with me as well, and shows these traits with me when my wife is away. I have also noticed that he warms up a lot faster to women than he does men. He is also very house broken. Which leads me to my problem/question. My wife usually goes to bed before me, which he goes with her and sometimes will lay on my spot until I come to bed at which time he will get up (without being told) and get on the floor. I usually get up before my wife and he will often get onto my spot after I get up. These things I dont have a problem with so much. However last night my wife went to bed, I went into the bedroom to tell her something and when I knelt on the bed, he lunged at me (he was on the floor). As soon as he figured out it was me he backed off. Then later when I went to bed he was laying in my spot and when I went to go to bed he would not get up, when I grabbed his collar to move him he started to growel at me. I finally got him up by going out to the hall way and calling him. Now this morning I got up, he went onto my spot on the bed, and when I came back in to kiss my wife good by (she was still laying in the bed) he again growled at me (we was torwards the foot of the bed, I was not leaning over him). TO top all of this I walked into the living room and he had gone to the bathroom (number 2) which he has NEVER had a problem with before. NOW we painted the living room yesterday and the furniture has not be put back yet (its pushed to the center of the room) so could that be his way of protesting the current configuration of the room (or I guess the new color). I relize that he is probably testing me on my Alpha male status. I know I need to correct this behavior, I am not into physical punishment (nor is my wife). We do not have a kennel for him and while we are at work he has the run of the house (which he has been very good about not chewing stuff up, or going to the bathroom inside the house) so I guess my question is, is my dog testing me, and more importantly how do I correct him? Sorry for the long post but I wanted to get all the details out for you experts.

Thanks so much for your time,

Ryan M.