When Lola is sitting on my lap and another animal comes near us, she barks and snarls at them. I posted a while back about this problem, which was only occuring in one room of the house, but now it occurs wherever we are in the house, but only if she's sitting on my lap.  We were just sitting here on the computer when Duncan, the elderly coonhound, came shuffling back to our end of the house.  He ceaselessly (and somewhat neurotically) patrols the house over and over, and Lola never has a problem with him. But because she was on my lap, she barked and snarled at him and he jumped so high he almost fell over! Poor Duncan!

I understand that Lola feels she is protecting what is hers, but I have other animals and she can't protect me from them! When she barked at Duncan this morning, I immediately said, "Be nice," then put her down off my lap and ignored her for a little while. What else can I do to explain to her that this isn't acceptable?

Great advice Nora.  My Mitzy has gotten growly when sitting on my lap and a new dog approaches (I foster so get a new dog every frequently).  When she does that I tell her "no" and put her on the floor.  You should have seen her face the first time I did that!!  But it works, she rarely does it anymore and if she does then I just set her on the floor and when she is allowed back on my lap she doesn't say "peep"!