Angelboddy Posted July 14, 2003 Posted July 14, 2003 Why is it that Nostalgia will muzzle me in my face and will let me kiss her on her face. And also let me get up in her face. But when anyone else gets even remotely close to her face, she grwals at them and walks away? Is this some kind of dominats thing? Or is this just natural? Quote
Guest Anonymous Posted July 14, 2003 Posted July 14, 2003 Is it other people in your home or just other people in general? Quote
Angelboddy Posted July 14, 2003 Author Posted July 14, 2003 Just anyone in general. Includeing my hubby and children. She does not snap at them or anything, Just gives alittle warning and walks off. :-? Quote
Guest Anonymous Posted July 14, 2003 Posted July 14, 2003 Well Angel, it could be a few things. How old is your pupster? Also, are you the main person giving training, food, care, etc to Nostalgia? Also, are you stepping in to correct the dog when she does this? If so, you can inadvertently reinforce her view that all others in the home are subordinates to her. For instance, if she "warns" your husband, what does HE do in response? BTW, I have heard of other dogs doing this same behavior, so don't think yours is a fruitcake or anything! :) Quote
imported_Cassie Posted July 14, 2003 Posted July 14, 2003 First I would definately book a Vet visit to have her checked...just in case... Most dogs which are dominant will not allow people they consider lower to them selves to pat them on the head this is a very dominant stance by the person doing this and can put a dominant dog in a defensive mode. Also most dogs have their own personal space just like us humans...some dogs and people are very gaurding of their personal space unless they invite some one into "that" area...I know myself I hate it when some one comes up and hugs me...it put me in a defensive mode....unless they are male and handsome, I do not like being touched or hugged by any one..so we are all intitled to our personal space. Quote
Angelboddy Posted July 14, 2003 Author Posted July 14, 2003 pup1 napisał(a):Well Angel, it could be a few things. How old is your pupster? Also, are you the main person giving training, food, care, etc to Nostalgia? Also, are you stepping in to correct the dog when she does this? If so, you can inadvertently reinforce her view that all others in the home are subordinates to her. For instance, if she "warns" your husband, what does HE do in response? BTW, I have heard of other dogs doing this same behavior, so don't think yours is a fruitcake or anything! :) Thanks pupster. :D Nostalgia is 2 years old. And yes I am the only one taking care of her. When my husband and I were seperated, is when I got Nostalgia. So it was just her and I for almost 6 months. :D Anyone can tell that she is my baby-dog, just by the way she acts towards me. And when I see her do this, I do reinforce her and tell her "No" in a deep voice and tell her to "Be good." Now with my hubby................ She is not to fond of males, but she just puts up with mine. :roll: And my husband just puts up with her.(He has to.) When she does grawal at him, He yells at the top of his lungs at her and tells her "bad dog", Which I do not agree with at all. But he will not listen to me. :evil: I truely believe in giving my dog positive reinforcment. Instend of telling her "bad", I tell her to "be good." Which works wonders for her. :D I figure if my hubby won't listen to me, then Nostalgia and him can just battle it out them selfs. I tried, I really did. :niewiem: Quote
imported_Cassie Posted July 14, 2003 Posted July 14, 2003 Oh, one more thing I forgot to mention... :oops: It's not a good thing for your dog to be dominant to your family members or other people for that matter. I would definately have the whole family take part in making your dog realize it is not allowed to be dominant with people. What I did with my Rottie was I always had every one in the house feed her and have her sit or lay down before getting her food...laying down is espeically good as it puts them in a really submissive position. I encouraged my dog to enjoy being patted by every family member and to lay down for belly rubs and while your doing this scratch your dogs head as well encourage the whole family to have the dog let go of its personal space with humans...others on the board will have better ideas than myself...but, this is all I did with my Rottie who wouldnt let ANYONE touch her on the head...she didnt just growl, she snapped...my dog still sleeps in my bed and always has so I have never tried the training of never letting your dog be above you...one other good suggestion is before going through door ways with all family members make your dog sit go through the door way then call your dog to you. A pushy dog is an assertive dog. If you read back through prior posts there are lots of suggestions of how to deal with a dominant dog GOOD LUCK! Quote
Angelboddy Posted July 14, 2003 Author Posted July 14, 2003 It not the touching the head thing that bothers her. She loves to wrestle with the kids and play toug-of-war. But it's just when my son gets in her face and starts rubbing hes face in hers. Now with strangers, they will be petting her and if they lean in to close to her face, she will grawel while wagging her tail. Like they are invading her personal space. I do realize that dogs need their own personal space, just as much as we do. I sure would hate to have someone all up in my face. :-? She is sure a weird pup. :-? I just wonder if this is all right or is she going to far, by graweling? Quote
Guest Anonymous Posted July 14, 2003 Posted July 14, 2003 Well Angel, I wrotw you a long post and it won't let me post it. My computer is freaking out! If you would like me to email it to you, I will. You mentioned several key things that I would like to touch on. :-) In a nutshell, you should not let the kids wrestle or play tug of war. I can give you reasons for this but for some reason the longer my post it will not allow me to submit it! :-( If you can give me your email I would be glad to discuss your situation further with you. Your problem is actually one that I get a lot from students...You are not alone! :-) Quote
Angelboddy Posted July 14, 2003 Author Posted July 14, 2003 Thanks pup1, that would be great. :D Here is my e-mail address: boddyman001@yahoo.com Quote
Guest Anonymous Posted July 14, 2003 Posted July 14, 2003 Well, I sent it off to you! Hope it helps you! :) Quote
Angelboddy Posted July 14, 2003 Author Posted July 14, 2003 Thanks for the info. I will start trying some of the things you told me. Half of the thing I already do, Now I just need to do the other half. :oops: :D Quote
Guest Anonymous Posted July 14, 2003 Posted July 14, 2003 Glad I could be of help! You are WAY ahead of the game, lots of people would just carry poor Mostalgia to the animal shelter! Sad to say, but there are so many dogs that exhibit similar behaviors that can be worked out and the owners just get scared and turn them in. Kudos to you! Hugs to your furry child! :bluepaw: Quote
Angelboddy Posted July 14, 2003 Author Posted July 14, 2003 Oh, No! Never, ever would she go to a shelter! :( She is my special baby-dog. :D I love her so much, she is my fourth child.(since I have three) That would be like dumping my children somewhere because I had a problem with them. :( I will do anything for my baby-dog and my children.......ANYTHING! :D Quote
Guest Anonymous Posted July 14, 2003 Posted July 14, 2003 YAY for you, Angel! You're a great mom! :angel: I have a friend who lets her children routinely torture their animals. Last week the family dog growled at their 3 yr old and she told me that if the dog did that again that she would be promptly put to sleep. Well, I have seen that dog poked, kicked, punched, you-name-it. And because I was there I was able to intervene, but who knows what happens when I am not there? The fact that that dog hasn't bitten the kid (who frankly in my book needs SOMETHING to shape him up) is a testament to how GOOD the dog actually is! Quote
courtnek Posted July 15, 2003 Posted July 15, 2003 hen you and your hubby were together, did he used to get in her face to discipline her, or yell at her? My ex taught my dog to hate rolled up newspapers. You roll one up and she sees it, she goes ballistic. He also got in her face, and she doesnt like it at all.....she will let me do it, but she will sit stiff as a rock until I move away... She may have just learned that someone in her face is a threat, or frightening. She trusts you, but she definitely needs to be taught to trust your kids as well. I would sit her by my side, have one of the kids pet her up close *not in her face, but close) and you praise her the whole time - she will eventually learn that having the kids in her face is not a threat. Quote
Guest Anonymous Posted July 15, 2003 Posted July 15, 2003 Yes, courtnek has a good point there. :) Quote
Angelboddy Posted July 15, 2003 Author Posted July 15, 2003 Thanks for your help Courtnek. My husband has never really disciplined her. There was a couple of times, when she was a pup and we were starting to get back together. He would come over and Nostalgia would bite on his feet. So he would just haul off and hit her or kick her. :evil: I got so mad at him, and told him if he ever layed a hand or foot on my dog again, that would be the last of him. :evil: So ever since then he has never layed one single hand or foot on Nostalgia. He would yell "no" at her every once in awhile, but never anything else. I am the only one that has ever given Nostalgia the love,effection, effort, time, and happiness that she deserves. But I don't know how she was ever treated when left with my husband or my mom alone. I have always felt that something happend when she was a pup, when I left her alone with my mom one day while I went to work.(My mom lived with me at my house) My mom had some friends over(most of her friends I don't like) that day. When I got home..........well she just acted a little funny. She has not been so out going ever since. What I mean by that is, she hides in fear if someone raises their voice just alittle. And this is a dog that I have never raised a voice to and of course has never had a hand raised to. :( I just wish I knew what happend. :( Well, i'm not going to get in to this, because every time I think about it.......Well it just makes me sooooo dog-gone-MAD!!!! :evil: :evil: :evil: I really had it out with my mom and all her friends that day. That is one of the reasons why I moved away from arizona and my mom. Sorry for the long story.........like you guys really wanted to hear this. :roll: Quote
courtnek Posted July 15, 2003 Posted July 15, 2003 actually, Angel, we did. That's exactly the info we need to help you, and this forum has always been about helping, and not slamming. That's why I love it here - I can help, I can be helped, I can cry, laugh, anguish - no one holds my outbursts against me - we all try to understand. Something happened to your pup to make her afraid of facial confrontation - I didnt make that up - most dogs will not confront each other by staring - it's a threat of a fight. Having a person stare her in the face (as she sees it) when she has been confronted, and maybe frightened before would make her growl. She is trying to protect herself from confrontation. The earlier advice still holds. You can train her to not be afraid of someone being close to her face, but it will take a little time and some effort on your part. Once she realizes that people in her face mean lots of attention, hugs and kisses, she'll be more than happy to let your kids do it. She trusts you - you just need to make her trust your kids, too. :D Quote
ellieangel Posted July 15, 2003 Posted July 15, 2003 Poor little girl it definately sounds like a trust thing to me Rio will bark if a stranger is too full on with him but he is not a dominant dog. :wink: Quote
Angelboddy Posted July 15, 2003 Author Posted July 15, 2003 Thanks guys! :D You guys are so much help. What would I do without you? :hmmmm: I love you dearly! :calus: Quote
Sanvean Posted July 15, 2003 Posted July 15, 2003 Angel, no offense, because you're a darling, but your DH sounds like jerk! He hit your puppy, he won't let you get another dog -- I'd kick him to the curb! :flop: Quote
Angelboddy Posted July 15, 2003 Author Posted July 15, 2003 He is note an animal lover at all. But we have been together for 11 years, and married 5 1/2 years. He is great with me and the children. He knows how much I love Nostalgia, so of course he puts up with her. I do have to beg him to let her go on car rides with us. :( But lately he has helped pay for the heartworm meds. So he is coming around alittle. :D He has not layed a hand on her since we have been back together. He loves me a lot, so he has to love my dog. :wink: But thank you so much for your concern sanvean, you are a sweetie. :angel: Quote
Sanvean Posted July 15, 2003 Posted July 15, 2003 OK, but you tell him that if gets out of line, Macy and I will be headed down there with a baseball bat and a very small set of teeth ;) Quote
Angelboddy Posted July 15, 2003 Author Posted July 15, 2003 Your so cute Sanvean. :lol: I've already gave him the full-blown warning. :evilbat: Thanks. :D Quote
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