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Location: West Yorkshire
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 179
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Originally Posted by
Gnasher
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 !
Thanks Gnasher
Yeah defo - good summarising
some people may not understand this as they may have dog/s that are happy being "followers" eg: my lab - she has not interest in being 'alpha' she is happy to follow what ever everyone else is doing. After saying that she knows my Rottie is a lower in the pack than her so will tell her off if she feels she is out of line (No bullying is accepted)
but wouldn't dare tell my eldest dog off as she is higher than her.
When I first got my dogs I wasn't sure about the 'pack' theories but after watching my dogs and the way they interact with each other and with other dogs I totally beleive it and it works for me and my dogs. Me, my O/H and my daughter and my dogs respect each other and do live in harmony, very happily - despite people quoting the Hitler references
Originally Posted by
Wysiwyg
Quoted by SamRotLab:
Can I ask why you think a dog should never
ever growl?
If your dogs growled at you, would you punish them (and if so, how?) or would you ask yourself
why they were doing it and try to solve the root of the problem?
Certaintly of course I would look into why they were doing it. As you say dogs cannot talk and that is how they express that are uncomfortable with the situation that they are in. I am saying that if there is nothing wrong with the dog then it is unacceptable.
My mum and dads dog was not used to children and when my daugher came along and then started to crawl Ellie (their dog) would growl at her when she went near her (as I understood she was nervous and anxious about my daughter). We worked with her and the turn around was amazing! She could then stroke her and cuddle her without Ellie feeling insecure or nervous. I understand that kids are unpredictable therefore dogs can feel nervous around them.
My aunties dog on the other hand is a very confident dog and had no heath problems and has been brought up with children. I went round to their house and the dog was on the sofa my daughter
just walked past her and she growled. This to me is the dog warning my daughter off and advising her that it is
her sofa. I find this totally unacceptable.
I totally understand the growls of a dog and why they do it and can't stress to people more about why they do it as I agree alot of people don't understand that it is the only way a dog can communicate. This is why alot of the bites you see and hear of happen as people don't pick up on their or 'the' dog's discomfort in the situation and it carries on resulting in the dog snapping or biting.
I just don't think it is acceptable for a dog to growl without good reason as I have met plenty of grumpy dogs in the past.
Originally Posted by
Wysiwyg
Opportunity for
what , though?
Wys
x
To become 'alpha' (top dog, boss, leader).
Originally Posted by
Pidge
Excellent post there Wys and proves you have a real understanding of dogs. If I were a dog I would want you as my owner.
They are opportunists, yes but they are not dictators out for world domination. The Hitler joke/reference is funny and very true.
No I know that
I am saying that they are opportunatists and if they don't see an authority figure
(Within the 'pack' they live in') they will step up to the mark.