Hi

I have noticed that I have done a lot of things that some people consider
"mishandling" and dangerous. Especially in the "when is euth. warrated"
thread there was stuff about avoiding all confrontations.
What I would like to know is how my dogs should have reacted, and what kind
of problems should have arised. It would also be nice to get an explanation
to why I haven't experienced these problems.

Here are a few examples of what I have done with dogs I know very well, dogs
that I don't know well I have no reason to get into any confrontations with,
and I back off.

If a dog growls at me I don't back off. For example, if I want to take
something away from the dog, I take it even if the dog growls. If the
dog/puppy looks unhappy about letting go, I grab the neck and open the jaws.
When I have the object the dog is praised, and sometimes gets a treat or the
object back.

When a dog growls at me because I am getting too close, or hug too tight, I
don't let go. I tell dog to take it easy and when it stops growling, even
for a second, I let go. Lots of praise, and after a while see if the dog
will accept same behaviour again.
If a dog growls when I want it off furniture, I tell it to get a grip and
get OFF. If that doesn't work then I physically remove it.
A dog that tries to nip me is told how I feel about it in no uncertain
terms.

I have once been welcomed by growling barking and lunging dog at a friends
house. I couldn't get passed the hall. I knew the dog, and I figured it was
just scared because it was home alone and had expected it's own family home.
So after trying to talk to the dog and calling it to me for a while without
any success I had had enough. So I raised my voice and told the dog to SIT,
STAY. It sat down and shivered a bit as I approached, but when it took the
time to smell me it recognized me and started to greet me with a happy
dance.

Then there was the other dog of a friend who would go totally mad if you
made eye contact with it. It was most annoying to have it growling lunging
and even snapping. The thing that made her calm down was when you grabbed
her physically and told her to shut up. Then she relaxed and could go take a
nap. It was as if the uncertainty of where in the hierarchy she was made her
extremely nervous. This wasn't just something she developed due to
upbringing, atleast a few of her siblings were the same way.

So I have had no really bad experiences from confrontations so far.
Any confrontation, whatever it may be, I always try to end in a pleasent
way. So after a while, we do something nice together, even if it is just a
few simple tricks followed by praise and treats, or playing for a while.

Rosa