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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 I have started to try to change things by paying a lot less attention to her and withdrawn her favourite thing (belly tickles) I am only giving her a stroke when I want to.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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