Comments on: The Dominant Dog – Dealing with Dominance in Dogs http://shibashake.com/dog Dog Tips, Care & Training Sat, 14 Jan 2012 13:56:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: eddiesmom http://shibashake.com/dog/the-dominant-dog-dealing-with-dominance-in-dogs#comment-14380 eddiesmom Wed, 23 Nov 2011 20:23:47 +0000 http://www.shibashake.com/dog/the-dominant-dog-dealing-with-dominance-in-dogs#comment-14380 i have huge issues with eddies domination of me. he is never dominating toward me when the hubby is around and he also isnt dominant toward my daughter. but as soon as the hubby isnt around its horrible if iam eating he will hop right on the table wont listen to me at all and will eat my food and if i try to take it from him he bears his teeth. he has also humped me and when i push him off he comes right back, and the most embaressing of all hes actually peed on me. if i take him for a walk i can never take him off the leash he wont listen to me like he does to the hubby, and i have to use the pinch collar the hubby doesnt need it he uses the harness, i dont know if its a gender thing or if he just sees me as weak. also if a male friend that he does not know comes up to me while iam walking him he growls and gets like this hulk stance going on and he like puffs up his chest its humiliating because people think hes vicious and hes far from it i have huge issues with eddies domination of me. he is never dominating toward me when the hubby is around and he also isnt dominant toward my daughter. but as soon as the hubby isnt around its horrible if iam eating he will hop right on the table wont listen to me at all and will eat my food and if i try to take it from him he bears his teeth. he has also humped me and when i push him off he comes right back, and the most embaressing of all hes actually peed on me. if i take him for a walk i can never take him off the leash he wont listen to me like he does to the hubby, and i have to use the pinch collar the hubby doesnt need it he uses the harness, i dont know if its a gender thing or if he just sees me as weak. also if a male friend that he does not know comes up to me while iam walking him he growls and gets like this hulk stance going on and he like puffs up his chest its humiliating because people think hes vicious and hes far from it

]]> By: shibashake http://shibashake.com/dog/the-dominant-dog-dealing-with-dominance-in-dogs#comment-11586 shibashake Thu, 27 Oct 2011 18:51:43 +0000 http://www.shibashake.com/dog/the-dominant-dog-dealing-with-dominance-in-dogs#comment-11586 Hello Toni, I have a no-bullying rule with my dogs, and that seems to have worked well. In general, when one dog is becoming a pest to another I will step in and handle the situation. Usually it is the new puppy that is trying something that the other dogs do not like, e.g. humping. I supervise the dogs while they are playing so that as soon as I see puppy getting into position to hump, I non-mark her (No or Ack-ack) and lead her away by her drag lead. Then, we take a short break to do some obedience commands. After a bit, she gets to go back and play. If she keeps trying to hump and ignores my warnings, then play stops and she has to go for a short timeout. This teaches my dogs that they don't have to correct each other, I will handle it. I also try to be very consistent with them in terms of the rules, i.e. no dog gets to hump, and all of them get the same consequences for the same actions. The key here is to step in early and stop things before they escalate into aggression. In this way, it can be a learning experience. Once things have escalated too much, it becomes dangerous to step in, the dogs have likely gone rear-brained, and they are no longer able to learn. In general, the more a dog practices a certain behavior (including aggression) the more likely he/she will repeat that behavior. Therefore, I also try to supervise and manage things so that there is no need for aggression. For example, I prevent my dogs from stealing each others stuff. Very occasionally, a small theft occurs, but I will hand out the consequences to the thief, and I also replace the stuff. In this way, there is no need for the dogs to use aggression and things don't escalate. I also make sure they are separated when working on really high priority items, e.g. bully sticks. Here are more of my experiences with supervising my dogs - http://shibashake.com/dog/second-dog-introducing-a-second-dog Hello Toni,

I have a no-bullying rule with my dogs, and that seems to have worked well. In general, when one dog is becoming a pest to another I will step in and handle the situation. Usually it is the new puppy that is trying something that the other dogs do not like, e.g. humping.

I supervise the dogs while they are playing so that as soon as I see puppy getting into position to hump, I non-mark her (No or Ack-ack) and lead her away by her drag lead. Then, we take a short break to do some obedience commands. After a bit, she gets to go back and play.

If she keeps trying to hump and ignores my warnings, then play stops and she has to go for a short timeout.

This teaches my dogs that they don’t have to correct each other, I will handle it. I also try to be very consistent with them in terms of the rules, i.e. no dog gets to hump, and all of them get the same consequences for the same actions. The key here is to step in early and stop things before they escalate into aggression. In this way, it can be a learning experience. Once things have escalated too much, it becomes dangerous to step in, the dogs have likely gone rear-brained, and they are no longer able to learn.

In general, the more a dog practices a certain behavior (including aggression) the more likely he/she will repeat that behavior. Therefore, I also try to supervise and manage things so that there is no need for aggression. For example, I prevent my dogs from stealing each others stuff. Very occasionally, a small theft occurs, but I will hand out the consequences to the thief, and I also replace the stuff. In this way, there is no need for the dogs to use aggression and things don’t escalate. I also make sure they are separated when working on really high priority items, e.g. bully sticks.

Here are more of my experiences with supervising my dogs -
http://shibashake.com/dog/second-dog-introducing-a-second-dog

]]> By: Toni http://shibashake.com/dog/the-dominant-dog-dealing-with-dominance-in-dogs#comment-11309 Toni Mon, 24 Oct 2011 21:29:35 +0000 http://www.shibashake.com/dog/the-dominant-dog-dealing-with-dominance-in-dogs#comment-11309 I have a male and female pitbull mixes. The male shows dominance to the female, and before she was ok with it. But now she has started fights. In the past month it has happened 4 times. Any advice on what to do? I have a male and female pitbull mixes. The male shows dominance to the female, and before she was ok with it. But now she has started fights. In the past month it has happened 4 times. Any advice on what to do?

]]> By: shibashake http://shibashake.com/dog/the-dominant-dog-dealing-with-dominance-in-dogs#comment-11013 shibashake Thu, 20 Oct 2011 17:17:01 +0000 http://www.shibashake.com/dog/the-dominant-dog-dealing-with-dominance-in-dogs#comment-11013 Hello Sophie, Congratulations on your new puppy! In terms of mouthing, here are a few things that really helped with my dogs - 1. Bite inhibition training - This teaches a dog to control the force of his bites. A dog with a soft mouth is a real joy to have. http://shibashake.com/dog/bite-inhibition 2. Drag-lead - I put a drag-lead on puppies while they are still in training. The drag-lead is nice because it gives me more control of my dogs without having to lay hands on them. Only use a drag-lead under supervision and with a regular flat collar (not a training collar). http://shibashake.com/dog/puppy-training-tips-and-advice#draglead 3. NILIF program (Nothing in Life is Free) - This simply means that my dogs have to do something for me before they get anything in return. This teaches them that the best way to get what they want is to first do what I want. 4. Time-outs - Time-outs worked very well for my Shiba Inu's biting issues. Most dogs like their freedom and like being with people, so having that taken away is a big deterrent. http://shibashake.com/dog/puppy-biting-how-to-stop-puppy-biting#timeout <blockquote>Also, she seems to be claiming part of the garden because if we walk round the side she bites your feet, legs or trousers and growls.</blockquote> Sounds like she is trying to herd people. Border Collies are very high energy and they can be very intense about doing a job. There are two Border Collies in the area where I live and it is amazing watching them herd goats. Border Collies really love to herd. :D Two things that may help - 1. Give her many positive and human approved outlets for her energy. http://shibashake.com/dog/hyperactive-dogs-how-to-calm-a-hyper-dog-or-hyper-puppy 2. When my dogs nip on feet or hands, I non-mark them and try to get them to do something else. If they ignore that and keep biting, then I calmly say timeout and remove them to a timeout area using their drag lead. Hello Sophie,
Congratulations on your new puppy!

In terms of mouthing, here are a few things that really helped with my dogs -
1. Bite inhibition training – This teaches a dog to control the force of his bites. A dog with a soft mouth is a real joy to have.
http://shibashake.com/dog/bite-inhibition

2. Drag-lead – I put a drag-lead on puppies while they are still in training. The drag-lead is nice because it gives me more control of my dogs without having to lay hands on them. Only use a drag-lead under supervision and with a regular flat collar (not a training collar).
http://shibashake.com/dog/puppy-training-tips-and-advice#draglead

3. NILIF program (Nothing in Life is Free) – This simply means that my dogs have to do something for me before they get anything in return. This teaches them that the best way to get what they want is to first do what I want.

4. Time-outs – Time-outs worked very well for my Shiba Inu’s biting issues. Most dogs like their freedom and like being with people, so having that taken away is a big deterrent.
http://shibashake.com/dog/puppy-biting-how-to-stop-puppy-biting#timeout

Also, she seems to be claiming part of the garden because if we walk round the side she bites your feet, legs or trousers and growls.

Sounds like she is trying to herd people. Border Collies are very high energy and they can be very intense about doing a job. There are two Border Collies in the area where I live and it is amazing watching them herd goats. Border Collies really love to herd. :D

Two things that may help –
1. Give her many positive and human approved outlets for her energy.
http://shibashake.com/dog/hyperactive-dogs-how-to-calm-a-hyper-dog-or-hyper-puppy
2. When my dogs nip on feet or hands, I non-mark them and try to get them to do something else. If they ignore that and keep biting, then I calmly say timeout and remove them to a timeout area using their drag lead.

]]> By: Sophie http://shibashake.com/dog/the-dominant-dog-dealing-with-dominance-in-dogs#comment-10909 Sophie Wed, 19 Oct 2011 18:45:21 +0000 http://www.shibashake.com/dog/the-dominant-dog-dealing-with-dominance-in-dogs#comment-10909 Hello, Thank you for writing this article as I have learnt a lot about dominance. We have recently adopted a border collie puppy who has serious mouthing and nipping problems, we understand that it is a puppy thing but it is getting hard to live with as we are finding it hard to control, do you know of any effective methods we could use? Also, she seems to be claiming part of the garden because if we walk round the side she bites your feet, legs or trousers and growls. I am worried that this will progress into aggression, is there anything we can do to claim the garden back? Hello, Thank you for writing this article as I have learnt a lot about dominance. We have recently adopted a border collie puppy who has serious mouthing and nipping problems, we understand that it is a puppy thing but it is getting hard to live with as we are finding it hard to control, do you know of any effective methods we could use? Also, she seems to be claiming part of the garden because if we walk round the side she bites your feet, legs or trousers and growls. I am worried that this will progress into aggression, is there anything we can do to claim the garden back?

]]> By: Simon http://shibashake.com/dog/the-dominant-dog-dealing-with-dominance-in-dogs#comment-8309 Simon Sat, 03 Sep 2011 18:12:10 +0000 http://www.shibashake.com/dog/the-dominant-dog-dealing-with-dominance-in-dogs#comment-8309 Thanks again, it's refreshing to hear from someone who can provide a more balanced and objective solutions while the famous 'professionals' are teaching all sorts of bad and/or ineffective habits. The 'Neutral' experience is a good tip, I've always gone for Positive to avoid negative but actually neutral is a more balanced approach in cases such as these. (two dominant dogs with positive reinforcement food?... bad idea...) Will now digest the entire blog as you have some amazing stuff on here! Thanks again, it’s refreshing to hear from someone who can provide a more balanced and objective solutions while the famous ‘professionals’ are teaching all sorts of bad and/or ineffective habits. The ‘Neutral’ experience is a good tip, I’ve always gone for Positive to avoid negative but actually neutral is a more balanced approach in cases such as these. (two dominant dogs with positive reinforcement food?… bad idea…)

Will now digest the entire blog as you have some amazing stuff on here!

]]> By: shibashake http://shibashake.com/dog/the-dominant-dog-dealing-with-dominance-in-dogs#comment-7886 shibashake Mon, 22 Aug 2011 14:48:39 +0000 http://www.shibashake.com/dog/the-dominant-dog-dealing-with-dominance-in-dogs#comment-7886 Hello Simon, Yeah Shiba Inu Sephy has a similar personality. He absolutely does not get along with other dominant dogs, and he will not back down even though he is a pretty small dog. He also does not like new dogs sniffing his butt, which may be because of dominance, trust, or both. I keep him away from dominant dogs because it will not go well. He plays with more submissive or playful dogs, larger dogs, and usually in small supervised groups. When we meet dominant dogs during walks, we ignore them. I do not let Sephy stop and stare back, we just move along at a normal pace. This creates a neutral experience rather than a negative experience. It also ensures that he does not practice any dominance behaviors with other dogs. Now, Sephy has learned that we usually ignore new dogs. Sometimes, we will stop and greet friendly dogs that are under very good control of their handler and that we often see in the neighborhood. Still, I keep dogs away from his butt area. I also have a lot of play breaks so that Sephy does not get over-excited when interacting with other dogs. When he gets over-excited things can get a bit too intense and play may turn into something more serious. Here are more of my experiences with Sephy and other dogs - http://shibashake.com/dog/dog-to-dog-aggression Hope this helps. Thank you very much for your comment. Hello Simon,
Yeah Shiba Inu Sephy has a similar personality. He absolutely does not get along with other dominant dogs, and he will not back down even though he is a pretty small dog. He also does not like new dogs sniffing his butt, which may be because of dominance, trust, or both.

I keep him away from dominant dogs because it will not go well.

He plays with more submissive or playful dogs, larger dogs, and usually in small supervised groups. When we meet dominant dogs during walks, we ignore them. I do not let Sephy stop and stare back, we just move along at a normal pace. This creates a neutral experience rather than a negative experience. It also ensures that he does not practice any dominance behaviors with other dogs.

Now, Sephy has learned that we usually ignore new dogs. Sometimes, we will stop and greet friendly dogs that are under very good control of their handler and that we often see in the neighborhood. Still, I keep dogs away from his butt area.

I also have a lot of play breaks so that Sephy does not get over-excited when interacting with other dogs. When he gets over-excited things can get a bit too intense and play may turn into something more serious.

Here are more of my experiences with Sephy and other dogs -
http://shibashake.com/dog/dog-to-dog-aggression

Hope this helps. Thank you very much for your comment.

]]> By: Simon http://shibashake.com/dog/the-dominant-dog-dealing-with-dominance-in-dogs#comment-7768 Simon Thu, 18 Aug 2011 16:38:00 +0000 http://www.shibashake.com/dog/the-dominant-dog-dealing-with-dominance-in-dogs#comment-7768 A brilliantly written article. I found this because I have a Doberman who like yours won't back down if challenged. Unfortunately it means he's getting less predictable on walks and I don't want to have to take away his liberties. He is otherwise very well trained, he doesn't bolt through doors, sleep on furniture and is very obedient. With most other dogs he's fine and will play, if they get too playful he will try to get away or give a growl or snap. Nothing abnormal or wrong with this. But if any dog tries to stare him down, he'll switch in an instant! I know he doesn't want to fight, I can often step between them before it escalates and keep them from making eye contact and he will keep his distance and let me deal with it even without being told. Now I know in the dog world, he's not doing very much wrong, he's sticking up for himself, he's not going to allow a dog to bully him into submission which in some ways is great... if it were a child, I would be proud. Unfortunately a dog in the human world, this is unacceptable and potentially dangers. With new dog control laws going through UK parliament, this could be seen as my dog being 'dangerously out of control' and liable for a fine. These occurrences are rare now, is there anything else you would advise to stop it before it becomes a genuine problem? My little dog is very submissive so never gets into fights.... and I want an element of that in him. I sometimes make him lie down if a dog a little further away is staring too intently, but I'm not sure if it's the best thing to do. A brilliantly written article. I found this because I have a Doberman who like yours won’t back down if challenged. Unfortunately it means he’s getting less predictable on walks and I don’t want to have to take away his liberties.

He is otherwise very well trained, he doesn’t bolt through doors, sleep on furniture and is very obedient. With most other dogs he’s fine and will play, if they get too playful he will try to get away or give a growl or snap. Nothing abnormal or wrong with this. But if any dog tries to stare him down, he’ll switch in an instant! I know he doesn’t want to fight, I can often step between them before it escalates and keep them from making eye contact and he will keep his distance and let me deal with it even without being told.

Now I know in the dog world, he’s not doing very much wrong, he’s sticking up for himself, he’s not going to allow a dog to bully him into submission which in some ways is great… if it were a child, I would be proud. Unfortunately a dog in the human world, this is unacceptable and potentially dangers. With new dog control laws going through UK parliament, this could be seen as my dog being ‘dangerously out of control’ and liable for a fine.

These occurrences are rare now, is there anything else you would advise to stop it before it becomes a genuine problem? My little dog is very submissive so never gets into fights…. and I want an element of that in him. I sometimes make him lie down if a dog a little further away is staring too intently, but I’m not sure if it’s the best thing to do.

]]> By: shibashake http://shibashake.com/dog/the-dominant-dog-dealing-with-dominance-in-dogs#comment-4174 shibashake Mon, 02 Aug 2010 16:50:46 +0000 http://www.shibashake.com/dog/the-dominant-dog-dealing-with-dominance-in-dogs#comment-4174 <blockquote>The herding is the only dominating thing he does that we can’t seem to get under control.</blockquote> My guess is that Reptar probably just sees it as a game. In this case, the targets of the game are the people, so getting any kind of reaction from the people can probably be seen as a reward. What does Reptar do after you bring him into the house? Does he continue with the herding? Does he only do it outside the house? One thing to try is to show him that if he tries to herd, then he doesn't get any attention and he can't come near people for a while. There are a couple of ways to do this. You can ask him to Go to His Mat and to stay there. If he does that and stays there for a bit - then reward him well. Then just keep repeating that every time he herds. You can also try asking him for space when you are walking around. For example when he gets too close, non-mark him, and then body block him so that he moves back. Then turn around and continue your walk. Most of the time, Sephy will go to his mat when asked. Sometimes though, he is too intense on the game, so two possibilities are using a tie-down for a short period of time or putting him in the time-out room for a short period of time. Hugs to Reptar! Let us know when you put up new pictures. :D

The herding is the only dominating thing he does that we can’t seem to get under control.

My guess is that Reptar probably just sees it as a game. In this case, the targets of the game are the people, so getting any kind of reaction from the people can probably be seen as a reward.

What does Reptar do after you bring him into the house? Does he continue with the herding? Does he only do it outside the house?

One thing to try is to show him that if he tries to herd, then he doesn’t get any attention and he can’t come near people for a while. There are a couple of ways to do this. You can ask him to Go to His Mat and to stay there. If he does that and stays there for a bit – then reward him well. Then just keep repeating that every time he herds.

You can also try asking him for space when you are walking around. For example when he gets too close, non-mark him, and then body block him so that he moves back. Then turn around and continue your walk.

Most of the time, Sephy will go to his mat when asked. Sometimes though, he is too intense on the game, so two possibilities are using a tie-down for a short period of time or putting him in the time-out room for a short period of time.

Hugs to Reptar! Let us know when you put up new pictures. :D

]]> By: Colleen http://shibashake.com/dog/the-dominant-dog-dealing-with-dominance-in-dogs#comment-4144 Colleen Fri, 30 Jul 2010 15:30:18 +0000 http://www.shibashake.com/dog/the-dominant-dog-dealing-with-dominance-in-dogs#comment-4144 I'm pretty sure Reptar sometimes thinks he is a working dog and that we are cattle. He tries to herd us constantly. He'll even go as far as nipping at our ankles like a border collie does to cattle. He does this when we're playing or have something he wants. For example, when we're playing fetch outside and it's my or my husbands turn to throw the ball or go get the ball, Reptar herds us to the ball. Also occasionally in the house if we're looking for his Kong to fill, he herds us. We've tried stopping play, and not giving him his Kong or whatever it is he is after. We've also tried non-marking the situation and even bringing him in the house so he loses his freedom when he does it. Doesn't seem to make a difference. He still does it. He's a smart dog, as you know with Sephy, and usually picks up on things quickly. So i'm not sure how to handle this situation. Any ideas? I don't even truly understand why he does it. He knows his role in the house and while he tests us with everything, we've established and continue to prove to him we're the pack leaders. The herding is the only dominating thing he does that we can't seem to get under control. I’m pretty sure Reptar sometimes thinks he is a working dog and that we are cattle. He tries to herd us constantly. He’ll even go as far as nipping at our ankles like a border collie does to cattle. He does this when we’re playing or have something he wants. For example, when we’re playing fetch outside and it’s my or my husbands turn to throw the ball or go get the ball, Reptar herds us to the ball. Also occasionally in the house if we’re looking for his Kong to fill, he herds us.

We’ve tried stopping play, and not giving him his Kong or whatever it is he is after. We’ve also tried non-marking the situation and even bringing him in the house so he loses his freedom when he does it. Doesn’t seem to make a difference. He still does it. He’s a smart dog, as you know with Sephy, and usually picks up on things quickly. So i’m not sure how to handle this situation.

Any ideas? I don’t even truly understand why he does it. He knows his role in the house and while he tests us with everything, we’ve established and continue to prove to him we’re the pack leaders. The herding is the only dominating thing he does that we can’t seem to get under control.

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