imported_Cassie

Rowie-the-Pooh Good for you! your first kill!!!! :wink: I only advise that unlike deer hunters etc...tick hunters should not stuff and mount their first kill for display for freinds and family in the rec room. :lol: Just keep at it as Daisysmom mentioned the ticks and fleas do seem to be getting worse as each year passes...I have never had the problems in the past with ticks as I have had the last 2 summers... I usually go over my dogs with a fine tooth comb (exaggeration) when we get back from walks and I have to check my cats over daily also. Its a difficult thing to do, dealing with ticks...but I'm glad your not letting it get you down.

[b]Rowie-the-Pooh[/b] I really do feel bad for you....dealing with ticks in your yard or home can seem like a never ending battle (especially in the climate you are living in) . We had a cleint at the grooming shop which had a tick infestation in her house! yuk! she brought her li ttle Shih Tzu in and we removed 10 ticks from its head and neck area... good luck... :wink:

[quote]Revolution, which contains selamectin, is a monthly topical product that controls American Dog Ticks (Dermacentor variabilis) only[/quote] I just wanted to add this...if you do not have American Dog Ticks in your area Revolution will be of no use to you...there are many different kinds of ticks...for example the deer tick carries Lyme disease...that is why areas that do not have that kind of tick do not have problems with Lyme disease. here are some different types of ticks. Amblyomma americanum is the Lone Star Tick and is found throughout the South, east of the Rocky Mountains. Amblyomma maculatum is the Gulf Coast Tick, and that is where it resides. Dermacentor albipictus is also called the 'Winter tick,' 'Moose Tick,' or 'Elk Tick' and is found in the northern and western United States as well as Canada. Dermacentor andersoni is the Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever Tick and transmits the deadly disease for which it is named. Dermacentor variabilis is one of the most famous of all. Its name is also the American Dog Tick and lives in the entire eastern 2/3 of the United States. Rhipicephalus sanguineus is the king of ticks. It is called the Brown Dog Tick and is a serious threat to kennels anywhere in the United States. Ixodes scapularis is a tiny little tick with a huge threat. It is also known as the Deer or Black-legged Tick. It has one claim to fame and that is it transmits Lyme disease. All of the above are 'hard-shelled' ticks. There are more, but these are the most frequently encountered. The soft-shelled ticks or Argasids are fewer in number. The one most known is Otobius megnini also known as the Spinose Ear Tick. It is most common in the Southwest and as one might guess, loves to attach itself and feed on ears

First, the little ticks getting on your dogs are normal ticks...once they engorge them selves with your dogs blood...then they get big, when they have fed and engorged them selves, then they detach from your dog fall on the ground and find some nice dead leaves or grass or any where and lay their eggs...they ticks go through life cycles then they crawl up branches or bushes and your unsuspecting dog (or even human) walks by they sense the warmth and fall onto the host...and start to feed...quite a little life cycle. It is very important to kill all the eggs the engorged adults layed in your yard. [quote]In severely tick-infested areas or for dogs who spend a lot of time outdoors and in the woods, we have found a Preventic Tick Collar in addition to a permethrin-containing product such as Bio Spot is going to give your dog the best protection. This collar contains Amitraz, which is FDA approved to use in conjunction with most other flea and tick products. With the Preventic Collar, 95% of the ticks will detach and die within 24 hours. Remember, with any tick preventative you use on your pet, the ticks must actually be in contact with the active ingredient to be killed by it. For instance, if you only use a tick collar, you may see ticks attached and feeding on the dog, even directly under the tick collar. This has to happen for the tick to take in the insecticide and die. A good tick collar will kill the tick in 24 hours or less. This greatly reduces the risk of tick-transmitted diseases since it generally requires more than 24 hours of attachment for disease to be transmitted. Even a pet who is treated with an insecticide could potentially get a tick that attaches for a sufficient time to transmit disease. Vaccines for Lyme Disease for dogs are available to provide that extra protection.[/quote]

Yes it would not be applicable in countries where it is warm all year round...but here in Canada! we get winter! I have just found that working in a kennel which breeds large breeds and having alot of friends with large active breeds...hip dysplasia seems to be getting more and more even in OFA certified sire & dam.. And what I found really interesting about this article is that the dogs which I know which have hip dysplasia have been born in the winter and spring (if it rains alot in the spring, who wants to keep their new pups outside playing and getting fresh air) from parents which were certified (OFA)...my Rottweiler has HD and was born in the month of December....etc...genetics, inbreeding, exercise all have alot to do with HD.

This is quoted from the news letter Dog watch put out by Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. [quote]Month of Birth may affect Hip Dysplasia, a new study in England has reported the month when the pups of some "active breeds" are born might be almost as important as genetic inheritance in developing or averting the arthritic disorder, hip dysplasia. Researchers in the Epidemiology Unit of Animals Health in Suffolk, England reviewed the records of more than 29,000 dogs for their study, titled "Effect of month of birth on hip dysplasia in Labrador retrievers and Gordon Setters...as expected, pups whose parents had "good" hip test scores were much less likely to develop hip dysplasia. While the time of year when young dogs were tested for hip dysplasia had no bearing on the outcome, researchers were surprised to find that dogs born in summer or fall had significantly less hip dysplasia than dogs born in spring or winter...A partial explanation is the best researchers can offer. "Whatever season they're born in, pups of some active breeds need daily, outdoor exercise to build muscular strength and elasticity during the critical, early months of development . If winter weather prevents vigorous exercise, when the pups do get outside they "may easily damage their hip ligaments when running free on hard, frozen ground," the researchers speculated. For pups born in the summer, they added, the ground is soft and less likely to cause damage. [/quote]

[quote]Wow, Cassie, you guys do tick removal? I won't touch them! I am inside a vet clinic (but grooming is a separate business entity) and the owners have the option of having the vet staff handle the ticks, or they can handle them at home. I won't go near a tick except very occasionally where one or two might have slipped past me during the initial inspection (I inspect all new dogs upon taking them in, for bugs, lesions, anything unusual, but most of my clients are prebooked regulars). [/quote] [b]quote by horsefeathers[/b] at the grooming facility I work at we do remove ticks...removing ticks is not very difficult once you get used to it...and also with the tick off spoon it is quick and you don't have to touch the little critters!!! :lol: its not half as bad as when you get a sheltie in that has its butt covered with poop that you have to pick off in the bath tub! are you a groomer, I just work as a bath/blow dryer and at the vet clinic I am just a receptionist and the kennel I work with the customers and do all the kennel work and look after the owners Newfoundlands...she owns 9!!!! I keep them groomed (brushed etc) then when it comes time for a show they are in really good shape and all we have to do is bath them and scissor them. [b]Rowie-the-Pooh[/b] One thing we always tell our customers after they have had to have their dog shaved off...treat the dog as if it looks beautiful...if you think they look funny the dog picks up on your vibes and can stress the poor little thing out because they don't understand why you are looking at them differently...we have had great success with this and some dogs that get shaved in the summer (choice of customer, not ours) the dogs get really excited after the old coat is taken off especially when the owners pick their dog up and tell them how beautiful they look...even if they don't :wink: as for a double coated breed like a Golden Retriever...we do not advise that they be shaved off...we always try to save the coat no matter have bad of shape it is in...then the groomer thins out the feathering on the pants, behind the ears and on the legs and leaves the skirt full...some times it is not always possible and we have had some Retrievers which have grown their coat back in normally...and some the undercoat has grown in quicker than the other coat and gives them a puppy type look. If your dog was full of hot spots and or sores then shaving those areas is necessary to let air get at them and keep the area dry...we usually advise a customer to put gold bond on hot spots to dry out the area and help it heal....

Lets see, I have given up half of my bed for one of my Newfoundland dogs,my Rottweiler and 3 cats...the other 2 Newf's sleep on doggy beds on my bedroom floor...in the winter time I have to leave my bedroom window open as my Newf's get hot easily (I live in Canada, our winters are not pleasant!) I am very particular where my dogs lick me...they are not allowed to lick my face...I see where their tongues have been :o one time one of my dogs had poop on its teeth and when the dog licked me it got in my mouth...I will never forget that bad experience :oops: :oops: :oops:

[quote]Do you mean "incurable" as far as she might become dangerous, or just incurable as far as never being a bird retrieval dog? Shes never been trained to retreive, just kinda does it on her own....[/quote] Courtnek, we have developed specialized breeds and how we have done this is by rearranging the functional sequence of motor patterns by deleting some and changing the shape of others,and by connecting and disconnecting still others. For Freebee she is displaying normal functional sequences for a retriever ...its when a retriever has gone from grab-bite to kill bite when you have an incurable problem as the dog receives an internal reward for the behavior...it is next to impossible to train motor patterns out of the functional sequence because they are innately motivated and rewarded...it doesnt mean your dog will become dangerous (well, she would be dangerous if you were a small animal! :lol: ), it just means that Freebee has set motor patterns and to try to train her not to go after and grab-bite small animals is next to impossible... Here is an example of the ancestral motor patterns: [b]orient/eye-stalk/chase/grab-bite/kill-bite/dissect/consume[/b] to make a specialized breed such as a pointer you would delete some of the ancestral motor patterns. A pointers predatory sequence looks like this: [b]orient/EYE-stalk/grab-bite/consume[/b] Pointers are not supposed to chase, but rather to stay in the eye-stalk position until the handler gives the command to flush (which is a modified grab-bite) but he does not want it to chase the bird. The dog waits and then starts over with the orientation and searching behaviors to find the shot-down bird. then it grab bites and retruns to the handler. Pointers which proceed from grab-bite to to kill bite are said to have a "hard mouth" A retriever's predatory sequence looks like this: [b]orient/chase/GRAB-BITE/consume[/b] Retrievers have hypertrophied searching orientation, which goes almost directly to a grab-bite. Most retrievers don't have well-defined eye-stalk-its not very useful when sitting in a canoe or duck blind. Like pointers, if the retriever follow grab-bite with kill-bite, they are hard mouthed, which is a fault in the retriever but it does happen. a sheep-herding border collie would be: [b]orient/EYE-STALK/CHASE/dissect/consume [/b] I just had to throw that one in for you to compare. So, Im sorry I did not mean to imply Freebee could become dangerous...there will be no past reflections of "gee, she started out just killing small animals...now the post man...where did I go wrong!" I do think understanding breed specific motor patterns helps us understand why our dogs do the things they do...for example: a good working border collie is not a good housedog....once a border collie shows the eye it is not a good "pet" but it is a wonderful working dog...some people have had border collies which when they start showing their natural motor patterns (show the eye) they mistake the compulsive behavior and think the dog has "mental problems" or a "chemical imbalance" when in actual fact the dog is just diplaying its natural motor patterns....its a shame more people don't understand the potential motor patterns of the breed they choose... for pointers a bird dog trainer does not train a young pointer to point...point is innate; it is wired into the dogs brain...the same is true with border collies, which has "eye" hard wired in. Nobody can train a dog to show eye, or to point....these are traits passed down genetically. Sorry to ramble on & on, I just find motor patterns very interesting.... :wink:

On the bright side if you and Freebee are ever stranded in the woods you at least won't lack for meat. Once a Retriever proceeds from grab-bite to kill-bite it is known as having a "hard mouth"....if the dog then goes on to dissect, it is next to impossible to train these two motor patterns out of the functional sequence because they are innnately motivated and rewarded. If having the bird (or animal) in the mouth, which is grab-bite , triggers kill-bite, and if kill bite triggers dissect, that dog has an incurable problem.

I am so sorry for your loss... :cry:

hmmm, this can be challenging as there are different types of aggression...I attended a Dog aggression seminar and one of the most common problems is your dog being "offensive" this could be due to your dog having had a bad experience with another dog in the past...sometimes things we don't consider bad can be very disturbing to your dog...if some thing like this happens then your dog will have the attitude of "i'll get you before you get me!!!" They taught us in the aggression seminar first of course obedience is very important and they advised us when your dog sees another dog to have some really great treats ready and say his name...the moment he looks at you reward him for it...once your dog learns to focus his attention on you and you praise and treat then your ready to either enroll in obedience classes with other dogs to try and socialize Bir and also to try and find playmates for your dog...I have a Rottweiler which is "offensive" towards other dogs...I have not had any success with any of the redirect attention training...but, perhaps with the help of a trainer (good for you for seeking the advice of a trainer) each dog is an individual and a trainer can access your dog as an individual. I wish you the best of luck and keep us updated of how bir is doing... For me, I have found dogs which are now my Rotties best freinds and we hike in the country where there is no chance of meeting another dog...I also know I can take my Rottie around ANY Newfoundland!! :lol: she has a great respect for the breed...I also own 3 Newf's. I will try to find all my training notes from my aggression seminar we discussed alot about dog aggression.

darn! I posted twice!!!! :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops:

Ticks, they are the ugliest little creatures!!! I work part time at a Vet clinic a grooming facility and a boarding facility...at the grooming facility we have a special little spoon called tick off which has a special little opening which fits perfectly where the tick and your dogs skin meet...you just slip it under the tick and pull it out...this allows you to remove the tick without accidently squeezing or twisting it. If you accidently squeeze the tick you can force harmful bacteria into your dogs blood stream. If you do remove the ticks your self and use tweezers pull out firmly and steadily directly out, do not twist the tick as you are pulling...put the tick in a jar of alcohol to kill it....ticks are not killed by flushing down the tolit. Then clean the bite wound with disinfectant and apply an antibiotic ointment where the tick was attached...its not uncommon for a welt to appear where the tick was attached. Of course using topical treatments as previously discussed by other posters is the easiest way of dealing with a tick problem. :) Here also is a great website to review on treating ticks on your pet and in the environment... [url]http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1588&articleid=601[/url]

Ticks, they are the ugliest little creatures!!! I work part time at a Vet clinic a grooming facility and a boarding facility...at the grooming facility we have a special little spoon called tick off which has a special little opening which fits perfectly where the tick and your dogs skin meet...you just slip it under the tick and pull it out...this allows you to remove the tick without accidently squeezing or twisting it. If you accidently squeeze the tick you can force harmful bacteria into your dogs blood stream. If you do remove the ticks your self and use tweezers pull out firmly and steadily directly out, do not twist the tick as you are pulling...put the tick in a jar of alcohol to kill it....ticks are not killed by flushing down the tolit. Then clean the bite wound with disinfectant and apply an antibiotic ointment where the tick was attached...its not uncommon for a welt to appear where the tick was attached. Of course using topical treatments as previously discussed by other posters is the easiest way of dealing with a tick problem. :) Here also is a great website to review on treating ticks on your pet and in the environment... [url]http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1588&articleid=601[/url]

Here is an article regarding sexually transmitted diseases ...I work at a vet clinic; breeders always have the bitch tested (blood work) for Brucellosis...this is another reason to spay and neuter your dogs! this may help you for another reason to spay & neuter..I don't think people realize there are some sexually transmitted diseases and Brucellosis can be a risk for humans. [quote]Brucellosis is a disease caused by Brucella canis, which is a bacteria that was first isolated from dead puppy fetuses in the middle 1960’s. It is the most common bacteria that can infect bitches and their fetuses. It seems that over the years much has been written on brucellosis in breeding dogs, but despite it all, infection rates may run as high as 8-10%. That is right, it is suspected that one in ten dogs in this country may carry Brucella canis. Brucella canis also poses a significant public health hazard since it is transmissible to humans, especially those handling aborted fetuses. Humans may develop a serious liver impairment or arthritis. Medical advancements in controlling this disease have been few and far between. Contrary to some opinions, it is a very difficult disorder to treat, and in most cases, treatment is unsuccessful. A prevalent attitude among many people is that "if my dogs get it, then I will treat it." This is a serious mistake because you probably will not cure it, and if you do, the individual will probably be sterile or be a poor breeding specimen. Transmission of Brucella canis B. canis is sexually transmitted by the mating of infected males and females. Brucella canis in the female dog will live in the vaginal and uterine tissue and secretions for years, and except in rare cases, for life. The infected female usually appears healthy with no signs of disease or indication that she is a 'carrier' or harborer of the organisms. She can spread the bacteria to other animals through her urine, aborted fetuses, or most commonly through the act of breeding. Once pregnant, the bacteria will also infect the developing fetuses causing illness. In males, the Brucella bacteria live in the testicles and seminal fluids. An infected male is just as dangerous as the female as he can spread the Brucella bacteria via his urine or semen. Oftentimes, there are no signs except in advanced cases when the testicles may be uneven in size. Litters are commonly aborted, usually in the last two weeks of gestation, or the puppies may die shortly after birth. If a pregnant dog aborts after 45 days of gestation, you should be highly suspicious of brucellosis. Usually, the fetuses are partially decayed and accompanied by a gray to green vaginal discharge. This discharge can have very high numbers of Brucella canis. If embryos die early, they may be reabsorbed and the female may never appear to be pregnant at all. What are the risks? The risks are great. Since the Brucella canis organisms are transmissible to humans, it is best to avoid all contact with the dead fetuses and their associated vaginal discharge. The infected mother will likely be unable to sustain a pregnancy in the future. Furthermore, she would likely transmit the disease to any male which breeds her causing fertility problems in him as well. Testing Testing for Brucellosis usually requires a blood test by your veterinarian and all positives should be retested for a confirmation. Since Brucella canis is mainly spread by the act of breeding, it is paramount to test all canines, male and female, prior to breeding. Test between every breeding of different animals. In other words, if a male (or female) was tested one year ago but has bred since, he must be tested again. In the case of a male, if he serviced a female since his last test, then he must be tested again even if his last test was as recent as four weeks ago. Testing is the only sure way to detect carriers. In cases of abortion, the bacteria may be isolated from the aborted fetuses. Blood tests can also be performed on the mother's blood to help confirm a positive diagnosis of Brucellosis. Prevention When possible, all incoming breeding dogs should be isolated for two weeks upon arrival at the kennel. At the end of two weeks, have the individual (male or female) tested by your veterinarian for brucellosis. Do this even if the dog was tested before shipment. This may seem excessive, but you will spend a lot more money if Brucellosis creeps into your kennel, not to mention the disruption in your breeding program and loss of genetic potential. Artificial Insemination (AI) can lessen the risk of Brucella transfer at breeding. While rare, transmission of Brucella canis to a bitch can occur during AI, especially if infected semen is used. However, AI will protect an infected female from transferring it to a noninfected male. All positive males and females should not be bred. Surgical spaying or neutering of these individuals is recommended. Various blood tests are available to screen breeding dogs (male and female) and identify those who are infected (carriers). All individuals used for breeding should be routinely tested prior to breeding. Treatment There is no reliable treatment for Brucellosis. Brucella canis lives inside of the dog's cells so it is difficult to reach the bacteria with antibiotics. Any attempt at treatment would require the use of multiple types of antibiotics. Various antibiotics such as doxycycline, minocycline, and dihydrostreptomycin have been partially effective at causing a temporary reduction in the bacterial organisms after several weeks of treatment. A complete cure is unlikely. It is recommended that infected animals be castrated or spayed. As a rule, do not breed your dog with an individual that is said to be treated and cured. (Unless of course it is the last of its breed and even that would be questionable.) 'Cured' patients often begin shedding the bacteria months to years after treatments... Do not knowingly take a chance. Human health hazards People can become infected with Brucella canis. People should avoid contact with dead fetuses or the discharge from aborting dogs. Transmission has also occurred from contact with secretions from male dogs. In conclusion, test and isolate. Do not rely on an uncertain cure. If you do not heed these suggestions, then you are playing with fire in your kennel and perhaps with your own health. Remember, statistically one out of ten dogs may be carriers and those are very disturbing odds.[/quote] Canine herpesvirus is generally referred to as CHV, and is a leading cause of puppy deaths, especially in puppies one to three weeks of age. We have all heard of breeders saying something like this - 'The puppies were fine this morning, but then they stopped eating and died before I could do anything!' Anytime puppies die in this fashion, there is a reason to suspect CHV. Here is another sexually transmitted disease...how sad to lose a whole litter of pups this way... Transmission [quote]Canine herpesvirus is a viral disease that affects many puppies, causing sporadic deaths and occasionally the death of an entire litter. The virus lives in the reproductive and respiratory tracts of male and female dogs and can be sexually transmitted. The virus persists in the female's vaginal secretions and the male's semen. As in many herpes infections found in other species, adult animals can live for years with no apparent signs; these are called 'asymptomatic carriers.' This means the adult male and female dogs can remain infected and transmit the disease for years while showing no signs of disease themselves. Puppies can become infected several ways. The virus can cross the placenta and infect them while they are still within the uterus, or they may become exposed from vaginal secretions during birth. The virus can also become airborne from nasal secretions of the mother, so once born, the pup can actually inhale the virus while breathing. Puppies can easily spread the virus from one to another. Lastly, the virus can be transmitted by eating infected materials. Symptoms Once exposed, it generally takes about a week for symptoms to appear. With this in mind, you can easily see why 1 to 3 week-old puppies are at the highest risk. Severely infected individuals will become depressed, stop nursing, and cry. Their feces will be soft and yellow-green. Their livers enlarge and their abdomens are painful. The liver becomes damaged and can no longer function normally. Some puppies develop respiratory signs and nasal discharge. Others develop a rash on their abdomen. Hemorrhages such as nose bleeds and small bruises on the mucous membranes or skin may appear. Some puppies will show nervous system signs such as blindness and staggering. Puppies usually die within 24-48 hours of showing signs of disease. Not all pups exposed at birth become ill, and many show no signs at all or develop only a slight congestion and recover within a few days. Puppies exposed after six weeks of age have a better chance of recovery. Older puppies develop the disease by coming in contact with the mother's infected, but normal-appearing, nasal secretions. Those that live often develop into carrier adults just like their parents. It appears that the virus thrives best at a temperature of around 99

I have attached an article you can read regarding anal glands. [url]http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=0&cat=1276&articleid=1179[/url]

gooeydog & horsefeathers, I really enjoyed reading your advice and comments. I also do not follow any "pack" status with my dogs...I have 4 dogs at the moment including a very dominant Rottweiler (who is/was human aggressive ). My Rottweiler has never tried to go through open door ways before the other dogs its just first come first serve...I feed all my dogs before I eat (I always make sure they see me prepare the food) and I find that my Rottweiler will wait till the other dogs are finished then she will make a big display of eating her food very slowly and making it look really tasty! :lol: I have owned dogs for many many years and I have always had at least 4 dogs at a time...my Rottie was the first dog I tried the "alpha roll" with ( I have adopted aggressive dogs in the past) and trying to be alpha with this Rottweiler really back fired and almost made her more aggressive! I am not saying that the advice which courtnek gave was wrong...by getting beneath any dominant animal (even cockatoo's) can be a bad thing..I just don't beleive in the "alpha roll" and due to the reading I have been doing I have realized that our household dogs do not respond to pack situations like wolves do, packing is a learned behavior, and not all wolves pack either...my dominant Rottie will get down in a submissive position with my new puppy while they are playing...she is not really submitting to her just playing...I have observed many behaviors my dominant dog has done which by "pack" rules she really should'nt be displaying...the biologist I had copied my quote from has been studing wolves, house hold dogs, herding dogs and sled dogs for 45 years...he has studied dogs in their natural environments & has studied wolves in their natural environment and wolves which live in wolf park....and has come to realize that dogs do not think like wolves..for example a village named Pemba they have domestic dogs which run loose in the village along with the villagers chickens...the dogs do not touch the chickens; which probably they have learned not to touch if they are to survive (learned behaviour) the people in this village think of the local dogs as we view rats..not with much love at all. The dogs do not belong to any one yet they live within the village in the peoples back yard and feed & scavange on the humans left over's...these dogs do not pack as a packing behavior is not in the best interest to a dog which lives amoust people. There are alot of learned behaviors with our dogs and the critical period is very important in a young pup's life to learn to adapt to life with people...I am also not saying that dogs cannot be dominant and not try to test their owners...but, I am a firm beleiver in reward systems show a dog the right way and reward for it, example by giving up my toy I will give you a better toy in return...I'm not going to give the dog a reason to guard in the future by thinking I'm going to take away what she has stolen, the "off" & "take it" was by far the best thing I ever trained my Rottie. I believe the book which I have finished reading is going to be a new understanding for trainers & behaviorist and Vet's...Biologist's actually study animals, trainers etc learn from other people of how dogs should act. if any one is interested in reading the book I have finished it is called Dogs; by Raymond Coppinger & Lorna Coppinger (Biologists)

Great article, thank you

Quote by Raymond Coppinger & Lorna Coppinger (Biologists) [quote]Today, the popular dog press seems to feel that if dogs descended from wolves, they would have wolf qualities. But the natural selection model points out that wolf qualities are severely modified. Dogs do not think like wolves, nor do they behave like them. Books about training dogs would have us believe that dogs get their behavior directly from wolves. We are advised to act like the pack leader, the alpha male, and treat our dogs as subordinates. Since dogs came from wolves, they say, dogs should behave like wolves, think like wolves, and respond to wolflike signals but, dogs do not think like wolves, because they do not have wolf brains. We descended from apes, but we don't behave like them and we don't think like they do. We are a much different animal than the apes in spite of our common genetic ancestry. The same is true of the dog and its ancestor. I think it is wrong to treat our best friend like a wolf. I have trained hundreds of sled dogs and hundreds more sheepdogs. Asserting dominance over one of my favorite working dogs by pressing it onto the ground and snarling at it is preposterous. I don't think a dog knows what people are talking about when they exhibit this "alpha wolf" behavior. Dogs do not understand such behaviors because the domestic dogs didn't have a pack structure; they were semisolitary animals. Such behavior by humans confuses them. The biological reality of all this is that the wolf is now the distant cousin of the dog. That canid family tree split, and wolves and dogs went along their seperate branches. The wolf displays specialized adaptations to the wilderness, and the dog displays specialized adaptations to domestic life. The two canid cousins are adapted to different niches, and they are very different animals because of it.[/quote] [quote]The first and most important aspect of creating a mutual relationship with dogs is not genetic at all, but rather the development of puppies in the environment they are expected to perform in as adults. Unfortunately, the critical period is often poorly understood, even by trainers whose job it is to shape a dog's behavior for a specific use as an adult. For example, a pervasive view describes the social behavior within a pack of wolves is genetic. Because of this, the reasoning of dog trainers goes: dogs are descended from wolves and wolves form packs, and therefore dogs understand wolf-pack behavior and should respond to the trainer as "alpha," or dominant, in its life. But is wolf-pack behavior genetic? not really. Pack behaviors, like all behavior, are epigenetic - above the genes. They are a result of behaviors learned during the critical period. Pack behavior is just one of many social options available to wolves. If dogs don't develop pack social behavior during their critical period, there is no sense in trying to simulate pack leadership after that social window closes. Pack behaviors are much more complicated than just hierarchies of social status. They are learned through social play and care-soliciting behaviors during the juvenile period. A trainer who pretends to be the alpha leader of a wolf pack - say, by turning a dog over onto its back and getting down and growling at its throat - is intimidating the dog, no doubt. But to a dog, the message is not what the trainer thinks it is. Teaching and learning are seldom facilitated by intimidation. A dog doesn't learn how to sit from a trainer who intimidates it, simply because the coercion diverts the dog's attention away from the task and toward its social status. The fact that so many believe the wolf-pack homology, and use it in training a dog, is really a testament to how little is understood about canine behavioral development[/quote] I must add that Zebra must be very confused at this point in life...all the family members ganging up on the dog! poor thing! I got a good animal behaviorist who did not intimidate my dog...she used a reward system for what the dog did right not attacking the poor thing when it did wrong! Dogs do things for a reason, for a reward ...yes you can intimidate a dog into being submissive to you...but you can also teach the dog to be part of your "group" not "pack" and be happy doing so without intimidating the poor thing. I wish you the best of luck starfox...

[b]bk_Blue[/b] So you have a swinger too! :lol: I see no harm in it , it's a way to take out their frustrations...I beleive that instead of getting into little mini fights the mounting is actually an alternative to squabbles...it mainly seems to happen when they are playing with the same toy and instead of fighting over it they all start humping each other...the most embarressing part was when my Rottie first started joining in...she was'nt sure which end was correct and was constantly humping the dogs heads! :o she no longer humps after her bad experience and will sit down when ever one of the dogs gets behind her...my big bad intact Newf showed her that its all fun and games til some one...well you know. My Newf is not dominant, hes just a real ladies man...the breeder still uses him for a stud dog.

Some times it is a learned behavior, as well as a dominant gesture. My female Rottweiler was spayed before her first heat...I found a couple of male neutered dogs to walk her with and for the most part of the walk the Shepherd rides the Lab, then the Lab rides the Shepherd...after my little girl watched she joined right in...now its really embarressing because they are such swingers..you see the 3 of them hopping along as if a train all humping each other. She has learned this behavior is not as fun as it used to be, I just got a male unneutered Newfoundland who finds the tailess wonder to be very exciting & sexy...he started riding her and actually penetrated her (not fully in) now she doesnt mount other dogs and she is very careful about who is behind her.

Another good thing to teach your dog is "off" and "take it" they taught me many things at the aggression seminars I have attended...this was by far the best one which helped me with my dog. take a favorite treat in your hand and hold your hand out palm up with the treat so Zebra can see it, say "off" when she goes to grab for the treat close your hand over the treat keep doing this until Zebra gives up and looks away then you can offer it again but say "take it" when she takes the treat praise her...if your afraid she may bite your hand put the treat under your foot, expose the treat then cover it up with your foot (shoe) again. But, please don't go at this alone...please seek the help of a trainer or animal behaviorist (have your Vet recommend a good one) each dog is an individual...and you need some one who can look at Zebra as an individual and start from there.

[quote]You did the right thing by pinning him down and letting him know you are still Alpha[/quote] Quote by Rosebud Rosebud, this is not the correct thing to do to a dominant dog...it is a sure way to get bitten only! . attempts to "show the dog who is boss" may challenge the dog to be more aggressive, may injure the dog, and do nothing to teach the dog a more appropriate behavior in place of aggression. I have been through this problem with my Rottweiler...I thought that showing my dog who was "alpha" by putting her in a submissive postion was the correct thing to do...wrong...I got bitten...I learned that by redirecting her aggression and by obedience and other things like sitting before getting a favorite treat, laying down on command before meal time is served etc...a good animal behaviorist who has experience with dominance aggression can help...

First I would like to say I am very sorry to hear of your loss...it is very painful losing a pet. I do not have a Sheltie myself, but I work at a grooming facility where we have at least 5 Shelties a day come in...I swear every single one of them twirls on the blow dry table...they all do it....complete circle round and round they go...its quite funny!