register for free
View our sister sites
Our sister sites
Our sister sites
Our sister sites
View Poll Results: Poll - Do you agree you should be alpha male over your dog?
Yes 70 39.33%
No 71 39.89%
Other, please specify 37 20.79%
Voters: 178. You may not vote on this poll - please see pinned thread in this section for details.



Reply
Page 19 of 92 « First < 9 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 29 69 > Last »
ajshep1984
Dogsey Junior
ajshep1984 is offline  
Location: town. city
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 128
Female 
 
19-04-2009, 04:49 PM
So when they ask to go out for a pee, should I not let them in case they think they can boss me about?
Reply With Quote
kcjack
Dogsey Veteran
kcjack is offline  
Location: Dorset
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 2,790
Female 
 
19-04-2009, 05:24 PM
Originally Posted by Pidge View Post
But that's just it! They aren't thinking like that. Dogs know that they are dogs and we are humans. They know that we walk them and feed them and make them feel happy & safe. They are not plotting a mutiny in your home if you soften up a little, they're thinking "wow, life just keeps getting better".
No not all dogs know they are dogs. I have seen many many dogs humanised have 2 at rescue at mo where old ladies have died and they have humanised their dogs we having nightmares with them, wont eat dog food and keep snapping.
My dogs and happy well adjusted well behaved dogs that know they are dogs, they accept strange dogs on a daily basis and the way I do it works for me.
And as for the letting your dogs out comment would of thought that is common sense.
Reply With Quote
Mahooli
Dogsey Veteran
Mahooli is offline  
Location: Poodle Heaven!
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 14,297
Female 
 
19-04-2009, 05:29 PM
Originally Posted by kcjack View Post
No not all dogs know they are dogs. I have seen many many dogs humanised have 2 at rescue at mo where old ladies have died and they have humanised their dogs we having nightmares with them, wont eat dog food and keep snapping.
My dogs and happy well adjusted well behaved dogs that know they are dogs, they accept strange dogs on a daily basis and the way I do it works for me.
And as for the letting your dogs out comment would of thought that is common sense.
All they've learnt is that by performing specific behaviours they will get what they want. That is just a dog being a dog that has been brought up without any boundaries. Nothing to do with them thinking they are human.
Becky
Reply With Quote
cava14una
Dogsey Veteran
cava14una is offline  
Location: Fife Scotland
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 1,946
Female 
 
19-04-2009, 05:48 PM
I must be odd or maybe lazy but I don't really worry about who is in charge. The boys behave pretty well or at least well enough that we live together happily.

They behave when they are out are good with other people and dogs. I regularly have visitors who bring their dogs to stay and mine are fine about the other dogs.
Reply With Quote
Chellie
Dogsey Senior
Chellie is offline  
Location: Peterborough, UK
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 882
Female 
 
19-04-2009, 06:33 PM
Originally Posted by cava14una View Post
I must be odd or maybe lazy but I don't really worry about who is in charge. The boys behave pretty well or at least well enough that we live together happily.

They behave when they are out are good with other people and dogs. I regularly have visitors who bring their dogs to stay and mine are fine about the other dogs.

I'm with you on this one - the dogs in my household are my buddies, we share things that friends do, that includes my dinner, the sofa, the bed etc. They also share these happily with other dog visitors and human visitors.

They appear to respect me and I respect them as I would respect a friend, I would never force my friend to do anything so why my dog? I ask and they do as I ask 99% of the time. If they ask for something I d as they ask 99% of the time
Reply With Quote
SamRottLabb
Dogsey Junior
SamRottLabb is offline  
Location: West Yorkshire
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 179
Female 
 
19-04-2009, 07:14 PM
Originally Posted by Gnasher View Post
Our dogs are NOT our children, and should never be treated as such. They are our dear and beloved pets, our comrades, but to call them our children I think is to demean the nobility of the dog. He is not a human, he is a dog, I'm sure if our dogs would speak they would not describe their humans as their mummies and daddies !!

I hate to see any dog "humanised", I feel it is very disrespectful and demeaning to the dog.
Couldn't agree with you more!

Originally Posted by Gnasher View Post
Good point C & D : this is the original question posed by Pidge, just to remind everyone :

"Who agrees that you must assert your authority over your dog and show them you are the pack leader etc etc. "

I agree entirely with this statement, with some provisos. I would like to insert the words "reasonable" or "acceptable" in there. I do believe we should assert our authority over our dogs, but such a bald statement could be open to misinterpretation. This does not mean that I think it OK for me to beat my dog, starve him, tie him up when he has been naughty, or abuse him. To me, it means that in return for giving him warmth, shelter, good food, access at all times to water, veterinary care, copious amounts of exercise and my undying love and welcome into my human pack, he in turn must abide by my rules, be what they may. This means he is allowed to sleep in my bedroom, but on his bed, not on mine. He is allowed anywhere in my house, but not on the furniture. He has to sit and wait for his food. He must NEVER growl or show aggression towards any young child, whatever the provocation. (Or adult for that matter) He must be fairly obedient, with a reasonable recall (I don't expect miracles from a breed such as mine). He must be well behaved and obedient in public, no jumping up or hassling strangers unless I say it is OK.

Our relationship is a brilliant one, it works, it is entirely symbiotic. I get a huge amount of pleasure from the devotion that I receive from my dog. He knows his place, he knows that if he is unruly - barks at me to tell me to hurry up when we are getting ready to go out on a walk, or jumps up in excitement - nothing is going to happen until he is calm. He knows I will not tolerate being barged down the stairs in excitement, or down our steep slippery steps into the field from our back garden. This is extremely dangerous, and I will not allow it. He knows this, and so therefore very rarely does it now.

I am definitely Boss, and he is happy and safe in the knowledge that hubby and I are top dogs, and so therefore he doesn't need to be, he can get on with his life and enjoy it! I took him out in the fields last night at dusk, and there were bunnies everywhere. He had the most enormous amount of fun chasing them down their burrows, but when he got too close to the fence which leads out onto the road, at my whistle, he immediately returned to me, and of course was rewarded with praise.
Dito

Originally Posted by Pidge View Post
But that's just it! They aren't thinking like that. Dogs know that they are dogs and we are humans. They know that we walk them and feed them and make them feel happy & safe. They are not plotting a mutiny in your home if you soften up a little, they're thinking "wow, life just keeps getting better".
Sorry but I have to disagree, some dogs don't feel happy or safe with the owners they have this is why they misbehave which can lead to a snap or bite as they are confused due to incorrect boundries being set, eg: being humanised.

As it's been said previously dogs are opportunatist's and will step up to the job if they see a weakness in the authority figure. I'm not saying that they lay there thinking "just wait until she messes up and I'm in there"! Simply if they see the opportunity then they will go for it.
Reply With Quote
Gnasher
Dogsey Veteran
Gnasher is offline  
Location: East Midlands, UK
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 8,775
Female 
 
19-04-2009, 08:11 PM
Good posting Sam !

I agree totally with you. I suppose a good way of summarising things in a nutshell would be to say if you give 'em an inch, they will take a yard. This sounds extreme, but I think it is true. In a wolf pack, the alpha male has to be constantly alert for a beta with alpha aspirations staging a take-over Dogs are opportunists, like their wolf ancestors, and will grab the opportunity to "take over" if it is offered to them on a plate. For "offered to them on a plate", read weak human !
Reply With Quote
Ben Mcfuzzylugs
Dogsey Veteran
Ben Mcfuzzylugs is offline  
Location: UK
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 7,723
Female 
 
19-04-2009, 09:45 PM
Really confused as to how people think our dogs are going to take over??
I agree if you didnt give boundries then the dog wouldnt know how to behaive and would just what comes natural / most rewarding to it
If you then change your mind and try and impose rules the dogs will of course be confused and try the things it did before to get what it wants

For example
Mia came to me with no training at all
She was totaly used to pulling on the lead
I was not up for that so when she pulled I stopped moving
To start with she pulled even harder to get where she was wanting to go - because this is how she had learnt to get where she wanted to go
She yapped and yelled and allsorts - she wasnt trying to take over she just didnt understand the new rules and why the old way wasnt working
Now she understands she has to walk right
Reply With Quote
Meg
Supervisor
Meg is offline  
Location: Dogsey and Worcestershire
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 49,483
Female  Diamond Supporter 
 
19-04-2009, 09:52 PM
Originally Posted by ajshep1984 View Post
So when they ask to go out for a pee, should I not let them in case they think they can boss me about?
Alan, I guess if you are being the 'alpha male' you will go out with your dogs and wait outside with them then make sure they see you come in first through the door so they know 'who is boss '
Reply With Quote
Ben Mcfuzzylugs
Dogsey Veteran
Ben Mcfuzzylugs is offline  
Location: UK
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 7,723
Female 
 
19-04-2009, 09:55 PM
Shouldnt we pee ontop of their pee too
Reply With Quote
Reply
Page 19 of 92 « First < 9 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 29 69 > Last »


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 3 (0 members and 3 guests)
 


© Copyright 2016, Dogsey   Contact Us - Dogsey - Top Contact us | Archive | Privacy | Terms of use | Top