courtnek

RNP is right. As long as the dog knows his place in your "pack" and doesnt start to threaten you in any way, the bed is fine. The "no bed" rule is usually for an overly dominant dog who thinks he is in charge and needs demotion. In a real pack, the alpha will often let other wolves share his "spot", providing they behave themselves at all other times. It;s really just a demotion technique to make them stay off, when they have gotten too big for their britches".

[quote]It usually doesn't take most dogs too long to learn that tangling with cats is NOT the way to go! Those suckers are fiesty! [/quote] this one more so than most. When I got him he was declawed and so has learned to use his teeth as an effective weapon. He goes for the tip of the nose every time. :lol: :lol: :lol:

Laurel is a counter surfer, thief, and begger of anything food related. The cats food is kept in the basement, in a room behind a baby gate thats lifted enough off the floor to let him get under, but not enough for the dogs to get through. I went down to feed the cat and shortly after, she came back up with a bleeding nose...she had knocked the gate down, tried to steal his food, and he bit her....Freebee knows better, having been there before. he doesnt take guff from anyone, no matter how big... so she had to learn the hard way....I WARNED her not to mess with the cat... :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

yea it does..and while they might not want to admit it, it still fits in perfectly with pack rules...train the puppies, teach the pack who's boss... it all comes down to "I RULE - DEAL WITH IT" :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[quote]So that's an alpha roll, huh?[/quote] absolutely! in this case, may I define this for the others HF? Pauly is like 8 months old. He is not a hardcore dominance issue, I believe he was just "testing the waters". In a pack, a "young whipper-snapper" would be alpha rolled exactly the same way, the Alpha saying "try it again and see what happens..." because he would know this is a pup entering adulthood, and not a truly dominant aggressive adult. He would be treated like a teenager who had overstepped his boundaries. Had it been an adult wolf, the punishment might range from the alpha roll to an all-out fight. The Pack lead can usually determine, by eye contact, stance and tail, how the other wolf will respond. If he doesnt think at that point that the alpha roll will work, he will show teeth, snarl, hackles up, and keep continual eye contact with the offender. If that doesnt back him down, he will attack and bite. Although VERY rare, there have been instances of a pack lead killing a pack member who wouldnt back down. Normally, it never gets that far. There is a fight, one or the other wins, and the one who lost loses everything. In these cases, the dog that wouldnt accept the authority of the alpha loses all rank, and is demoted, literally, to the bottom of the pile. he becomes Omega. Outcast, ostracized. That's why in most cases it doesnt happen. Unless the alpha is old and weak, most challengers will give it up when they realize they cant win. But HF a valid point was made. In a TRULY dominant dog, one who believes he is now Alpha, and isnt just testing, the Alpha rolll is a dangerous move, and has gotten people bitten more than once. We dont have their teeth and their speed, and a dog can bite five times faster than you can move your hand. In a dog like that, a lead is your best bet. Can dominance/aggression be trained out wiht only "positive" tactics? Depends on what caused the aggression. A dog that is nasty because he has been abused could very well be trained using only positive tactics. He is now seeing the other side of the coin; when you take fear out of the equation the kindness works. With a dog that stole the alpha position and wont give it up? Probably not. There is a sterness necessary, and by no means do I mean hitting or smacking, but a level of sterness that the dog must understand means YOU ARE THE BOSS. If that means a continual lead, a muzzle or isolation ("complete" demotion, no interaction with the family at all; Omega) than so be it. I have always demoted using pack rules, and never had an issue, but I dont put my arms and hands in harms way, either.

Shara you are basically correct. They will try as best they can to hide any pain or just bear it, because the pack cant support a member who cant hunt. At the same time, if there is a real injury, often the lower ranking females will tend to it till it heals. I guess it's just the ol' boy story of "aint nothin' but a scratch....." :lol:

VOTED!!! He's definitely a cutie! what a face! :D

so would I!! they do the damndest things, and it's so funny to us..do you think maybe it's deliberate? "look at me, I'm SOOOOcute....." :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

thanks!! I appreciate it!! :fadein:

be careful Sharpei....fear can cause fear biting. I'm glad you got him, but be very gentle and patient with how you treat him. He just needs to see that you wont hurt him, but that may take some time. I have found with Laurel that it's harder to get around fear then dominance. She has been my real training test. I could "break" a dominant dog in no time, but fear is something else entirely. I have had to "amend" the way I raise dogs around Laurel....I have never had a scared dog before. It's really a learning experience. Just be patient, and realize that fear can cause reactions you arent prepared for. If he doesnt want you to come close, then dont. Dont look him directly in the eyes, that's a "challenge" to a fearful dog. Sit on the floor by him, but look over his head and not at him, and give him treats. Talk in a soft, soothing voice. dont yell. If he doesnt respond, so be it. Try again tomorrow. you can break it, but everyone involved needs to help as well. Poor thing...I wonder if he was abused...

I feel for the poor pup as well....I have had teeth issues and know how much it hurts... well maybe now she'll get it taken care of since you've brought it to her attention. I hope so!

I apologize KP - I went back and reread your post, and realize that you did NOT advocate lifting him off the floor. That was my concern, around here, when the "good ol' boy" trainers teach scruffing, they teach it as lifting the dog off the floor and holding him by his scruff. So I apologize. and I was applying that same kind of scruffing to your wolf example, and you are correct. They do grab each other by the neck, just dont lift very far. So maybe I should read more carefully, huh? :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops:

good point kendalyn I wasnt ranting at the AC officer, I'm sure he really thought the dog was dead and had no idea it was still alive. I guess I'm just angry that they didnt even give her a chance to be adopted out.

I doubt you'll be able to...anything comfortable is a magnet to cats. you may have to shoo them out when she wants to use it. or maybe she will, when she realizes it's hers and no one elses. I think the shirt is a good idea too, make it smell like you - she'll like that

did ya get him???????

LOL@DP!! I use "chill" as well, as the command to settle down, stop barking, be quiet type of thing. Like when the doorbell rings and they go into havoc barking mode...one barking one baying, a mad rush for the door....the cat's usually underfoot as well.... :lol: if I say "chill" they "usually" (i;m still working on it) sit and wait for me to open the door....well, sometimes.... :lol:

You could get one of the trash cans with the locking lid...the metal wire thing that slides over a slot on the top. I've never seen a dog be able to figure one of those out yet.

GOOD JOB HF AND HUBBY!! you learned in two days what it has taken me WEEKS to teach others!! dogs dont mind being demoted, they dont feel, like people, that they have been insulted....THEIR PLACE has not been usurped because it was never theirs to begin with..can I use your story in my training? I cant tell you how many people have told me "I cant make him get off the bed, it's HIS PLACE" It IS NOW, you idiot. You gave it to hi m... understanding the pack rules makes life alot easier. I wish everyone did...

LOL@HF!!! YEA, THAT MIGHT WORK. reverse psychology.... :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

I wouldnt be too hard on her..most people dont realize you have to clean a dogs teeth, unless told. I have never cleaned any of mine, but they have rawhide and milkbones to chew on, which does a lot of that for them. Strong chewing cleans them, and I've always had "chewy" dogs... Kongs with ice in them does a lot for teeth cleaning too. I make the ice with chicken broth and water, they love it.

Shara's right. put her toys in it, and "suggest"she lay in it while your around. She's just not used to it yet. Once she realizes how comfirtable it is, she'll probably not want to leave it. it just takes some time when they havent been brought up with one. It took me a long time to get Laurel to lay on a dog bed. She had been used to sleeping in a kennel, on a cement floor...now I cant get her out of it.... :lol: :lol:

In fact, the poice did get him. He was so stoned stupid drunk, he started yelling at an old man walking home with groceries...told him he would NOT support the homeless anymore. The guy wasnt homeless, he just walked to Jewel for his grocereis because he needed the exercise..doctors orders he get exercise..and this guy assaulted him.... people are SOOOO weird..

keep a CLOSE eye on him for the next few days...bone fragments can be nasty, and if big enough can tear the intestinal track....he seems ot be getting better so he's probably allright, but watch him anyway... as far as the counters. put up some mousetraps under a blanket, close to the edge and also about midway. when they "snap" when the dog jumps up, in most cases it will frighten him off the counters. Put something up there he really likes that he shouldnt have. Keep this up for a few days. the mousetraps should teach him that the counters are OFF LIMITS.... however, be aware it doesnt work with all dogs. If it doesnt, you have to make a concerted effort to never leave anything up there he could steal... :D

Did you try food sharapei? something REALLY tasty, like a steak, or even hot dogs might snare him....If you have a 6 foot leash, loop the clip part through the handle, so it makes like a noose, then clip the clip part onto the leash, so it forms a handle of sorts, then see if with the food you can snare him with the leash. If he's looking nasty, never mind, call animal control, but if he's just cautious and keeping away, you might be able to catch him this way. leave the looped "noose end' really wide, so you can slip it over his head from a distance. Kinda like a lasso....remember, if his tail is out straight and his hackles are up, or if he is growling at you, dont go near him, call animal control. good luck

I've had a lot of people comment on the sign...they accept the fact that dogs are here, noisy, want attention, etc. THEN they see the cat... fat, ill tempered, irascible... and almost inevitably they say "you didnt tell me you had a cat...ewwww." so I tell them "if you pretend you like him, he'll ignore you..." and I get the "deer in the headlights" look. :evilbat: