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Please help me to identify and understand this pproblem.



 
 
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Old September 27th 04, 02:00 PM
Ed
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Default Please help me to identify and understand this pproblem.


We have two dogs at present Keegan is my wife's retired guide dog he
is a GSD, 10 years old and is big gentle cuddy bear of a dog. Our pet
dog Suki is 22 months, looks like a GSD but is Much smaller closer in
size to a Belgian Shepherd or maybe she is a cross, she is energetic
active and bossy.

The Problem
My wife has been waiting for a new guide dog for a long while, she
wants another GSD and in the UK they are rather rare. Last Friday a
trainer brought a dog for a try-out and my wife was very pleased with
it, the trouble is that Suki
as usual tried to boss her about. The potential guide dog felt rather
nervous and the trainer was worried that Suki would ruin all the
training that she has done.
The trainer plans to come and see us again in about three weeks and
take the dogs to a neutral area and reintroduce them. My wife would be
very disappointed if she was to miss out on the new dog and would
probably face another long wait. I should point out that the new dog
wont finish its training until mid December.

When I walk Suki she is VERY enthusiastic, after two or three minuets
she starts to improve and can walk quite nicely but if she sees
another dog she barks and becomes exited. When with other dogs she
asserts herself. Keegan being a big
softie lets her have her own way and other dogs usually back off and
are nervous.Suki is not nasty she just wants to be the boss.

Just to expand, Suki is great
with people she is everybody's friend. As you probably suspect she is
rather spoilt. We got her from the a Rescue Centre. Suki very prety,
she is great in the house and she is wonderful if we have to leave her
on her own for a while even thouh she likes to be near me most of the
tine, but as I said she is rather bossy. With Keegan for example she
will take toys from him, and she is very eager. She wants to do
everything and she wants to do
it now and she wants to do it first.
I have started to try to change things by paying a lot less attention
to her and withdrawn her favourite thing (belly tickles) I am only
giving her a stroke when I want to. I call her, make her sit, then
stroke her and when I let her out I get her to lay until I open the
door and step out myself.
Oh yes, and NO laying on settee, chairs, or bed. I think I have made a
little progress. If she does get on the settee a sharp OFF does the
trick and getting her to lay while I open the door (not easy) seems
like a miracle compared to the speed she used to exit.
I have bought a training book from ebay (Dog Problems the Gentle
Modern Way by David Weston and Ruth Ross) and a book on the dogs mind.
I suppose the key thing is to identify the cause and description of
the problem, would you call it dominance? or is she/does she think she
is/or does she want to be the alpha dog. I did take her to a dog
training class for a while but she pulled so much (I've got my lead on
so we should be outsid!) that I gave up. I hace obtained a head collar
for her and intend to resume classes even if it is just for the dog
association experience?. I also plan to start walking Suki at a time
when there will be other dogs in the park.

Any advice will be gratefully received.

Ed

to reply remove "MY LEAD"
 




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