Posted on 08/18/2008 10:03:46 AM PDT by yankeedame
All our dealings with our dog will be from a position of authority, or ALPHA. Being pack animals, dogs see us simply as members of their pack. A pack is a very structured society with a set hierarchy with an absolute leader (ALPHA) on down to a very definite subordinate.
Following are just a few basic rules to follow that allow us to establish our ALPHA over our dog:
I hope there is no such thing as N.A.M.D.A.
We have an Australian cattle dog. Can you say “herding”? Great dog but any running child is fair game for turning back toward the house. He is finally not chasing the bikes in the cul-de-sac now...mostly.
I found my son letting the dog sleep on top of him and told my kid that he'd have to undo that because now the dog thinks HE is ‘top dog’. What I did when the dog was young was to GENTLY hold the dog down on his back with my hand on his throat. (NO, not choking! Duh). Took several times over the course of a couple weeks, but the message got through and it stuck. You might try getting between the dog and his food too.
That dog will do anything I tell it now. Smartest dang dog I've ever seen. I have to walk him on a leash because of the law, but he doesn't need it. When we go to the dog park and you hear all those people screaming at their dogs, its sad to me. I just whistle and ‘Rock’ hauls butt right to me. Great dog. Train’em young and enjoy them the rest of their lives.
I mean, N.A.M.D.L.A.
You’re very right about that. There have been a few times I’ve had to grab the dreaded rolled up newspaper. No swats required, all she has to do is just see it and the game is over. And yes, she is extremely headstrong. But that’s what I like about terriers. I recently buried my wonderful Lucky, a 19-year-old terrier mix. Amazing dog.
But this new one certainly makes me realize how much older I am now. Heheheh.
Thats what my son is doing now. The dog likes him. Its the rest of us that he is terrified of and when I say terrified he is trying to jerk loose of the lead to get away from us.
I tried that on my wife.............
eat him? that must be in the Chinese/Asian training manual.
When he acts scared or nervous, tell him NO. Be calm, assertive and firm with the word, so he knows that behavior is unacceptable.
We were given an 18 month old dog some years ago, and he was afraid of everything. One object that terrified him was a flashlight, any flashlight. We practiced what I wrote in the previous paragraph, and after a few weeks, it worked.
It was our vet who first shamed us into doing things that way. We had been coddling him when he acted afraid, but one time when he was on the table during an exam, he froze up in fear. Our vet took hold of him by his mane (on his neck) and shook him forcefully while commanding him, “NO!”
The dog snapped out of it.
We learned our lesson quickly.
They certainly will.
My YorkiePoo is quite the designer dog. However, one growl towards our daughter brought him to a NEW awakening...
Of course its not, you establish dominance by being dominant, not by being passive.. what crap. Most dogs readily comply once they know the pecking order, others will need to be reminded.
If you have one that needs to be reminded too often, best to find another dog especially if you have children.
Wow - if this thread is an advertisement for owning a dog, It’s NOT working!
I have a family member who adopted a dog like that, literally lived under the bed most of the time, scared of everything, I think it was abused before they got it as well.... all I can say is be gentle and kind and hopefully it will come around, there’s did to them and to folks it was around a lot, but it took a long time and it always was skiddish.
There is a great dog training series on Animal Planet. Here is the schedule:
http://animal.discovery.com/tv-schedules/series.html?paid=15.15068.121636.33808.x
I call ‘um kick dogs cause they should be drop kicked to the other side of the street. It's not the dogs fault. I've told more than one that they need to watch “The Dog Whisperer.”
I've got a Carolina Black & Tan, a Curb Setter and a Golden Retriever - that has no brains.
Korean Book
How to Wok Your Dog
This is good stuff. One question for the dog owners here: vis a vis rolled-up newspapers etc. I’m contemplating getting an English Mastiff, and everything I’ve read says NEVER to strike a Mastiff. I will certainly be doing all the “dominant behavior” tactics listed here, as well as getting my daughter to do them, and frequently. I don’t need a 200-lb dog that won’t listen. However, in y’all’s opinion, how true is that admonition not to ever strike a Mastiff as part of obedience training?
We got “Rock” from a shelter after it was taken from the previous owner. The dog would cower if I raised my voice, refused to go down narrow hallways or down stairs. After the dog spent a month in our house we started working the downstairs issue. We'd all do down their and call to him. No-way. He'd whine and beg at the top but not even a single step. We tried off and on for a week before he finally bolted down the stairs but once down there he was freaking out.
The 2nd time we got him down there he was freaking out again so I held him down on his back for a minute and then talked to him in a gentle voice. He calmed down after that and we kept him down their a while and just ignored him while he explored. It took a few more trips but now....please.
Just be patient with him. Its counter intuitive, but even a timid dog needs to know that YOU are a benevolent dictator.
It will probably just take time, then. He’s a lucky dog to have someone that’s willing to work with him.
Please, for my sake, don’t own a dog.
That better?
That’s right! You wouldn’t believe the face of my dog since I’ve establehed these barriers.
They ALL look like smiling attendies.
Yes, dogs do smile.
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