Do u 'take crap' from your dogs?

Sorry this is so long...

I've been criticised by a few people for the way I am with my dogs.

I'm interested to know what you think as I often wonder if I really am too soft or spoiling my dog (even though I prefer the way I do things).

Eddy never snaps at me, he gives a low growl if I'm moving him on his bed to make room for Takara (very rarely) and I'm pretty sure it's because it's uncomfortable for him - especially as sometimes it's followed by a little squeal.

Takara on the other hand, has had some of the most inconsistent training right from the word go, with my parents always doing things differently to me and will snap or growl to communicate she's not happy with something I'm doing.

If she snaps (which has been a little more recently due to me trying to get her back on her bed not realising it's wet and with her feeling crap, she tries to get comfy on the sofa and snaps when I move her) I look at why.

She's soft as butter with me most of the time so I figure snapping at me must mean she's uncomfortable or really feeling rubbish so I don't push her into something she's unhappy with but don't back off too much either.

At one point, she used to snap quite a bit with being moved off the furniture so I spent a lot of time getting her used to collar handling again and practised moving her on and off the furniture - I see this as a more productive way of solving the problem than a whack on the ass each time the dog snaps.

However, I've known other people who have said 'you shouldn't take that' and who will give their dogs a good whack if they snap or even growl. This worries me and I wouldn't do it with mine because I see the growl or snap at the air as a warning (if they wanted to bite they'd not miss me!) and I don't want them to stop giving me that warning... plus, I think my dogs are as much entitled to an opinion as I am and have bad days just like me!

I know, and have accepted that Takara isn't a good dog to have around kids as she's not tolerant enough and I hope that her grumpy behaviour will calm down when her health issues are sorted but I just wonder if I shouldn't be so easy going on her?

Just wondered what you guys thought? Mainly because she snapped at me tonight and caught me with her tooth (only hit me with the side of her tooth not the end - no bruise or broken skin, just felt it come into contact) and it actually made me really angry and I reacted which I'm really ashamed of. I then realised she'd wet on her bed and was snapping because she didn't want to get back on it. As soon as I changed it for her, she got back on it and gave me a kiss

I think like you there is always a reason, but I have to admit I wouldn't be happy if my lot growled or snapped at me a lot. Biff will give a warning growl if you try to examine his lumps too much but that's because his joints hurt... I had one dog growl when I tried to take something he considered to be amazing from him...which I took anyway, but he was only 8 weeks old!!! He also warned me when I tried to fit him into too small a space on a bus!!!!

Other than that my dogs don't growl at me. Mo never growled at us ever...neither have any of the other pups.
I wouldn't be happy if they did, but I have a young child in the house as well and so perhaps am less tolerant of those behaviours.

It is very much up to what you want to deal with, your general relationship with your dogs and basically what you are happy with, it's not up to anyone else as they are not in your shoes. Your circumstances, as I said, are totally different to mine. All I can say is don't worry about it lottie, they are your dogs, in your home, with you, live as you want to live as you obviously adore them and vice versa.

Jaz has just started to snap at other dogs when she's not getting her own way, and I'm constantly being told it's because I'm too soft with her.

For instance, we're having one of the puppies we bred back to stay for a while at the moment, so there is a strange dog in the house. A new vet bed was down and Jaz was lying on it, and when Nugget came over to lie on it, Jaz growled and snapped at him.

I wasn't there to see it, but apparently my Mum 'really told her off' and that is what I must do everytime she growls.

A bit different because she's not growling at me only other dogs, but this still interests me as I think I'm a lot like you Lottie in the way I am with my dogs.

No I don't take any crap from my two.. they are a bit big to think they can get away with it..and I have 2 kids in the house (along with ickle nephews and my kids friends)

They don't dare snap at me or anyone.. its not allowed and they know it..

They are allowed to give a warning grumble and I either remove them from the situation or remove the situation from them..(depending on what it is)

So what would you do if they snapped rather than growled?

I accept growls, I don't accept snaps as such but I also don't agree that a 'whack on the ass' as I was advised, would help.

I think if my dog snaps, there must be something seriously wrong - hence working on the stimulus that preceeded the snap.

When the pup did it I said 'no' firmly and took the thing that was causing the problem.
Other than that it hasn't got to that stage. If a dog growls, I say 'no' firmly (they know my firm I mean business voice as I don't use it often) and then remove the problem...so with Biff, we say 'no' and continue the examination briefly (so he doesn't think that growling stops it, not a lesson I want him to learn) and we then stop. We are very gentle with him and sadly he does need to be examined sometimes. It is a very quiet, gentle growl...just an 'I'm telling you that hurts and I'm not hugely happy' he is also a VERY vocal dog at the bets of times so we forgive him this with his age and his terrible arthritis.

If they snapped in the situations you've described..over say the sofa...it would be the last time they were on the sofa in all honesty. I would be doing a lot of very serious work with them.
As I've said though I have a child in the house and I cannot take the risk of them doing it to him. Cosmo has never yet shown any indication towards growling at us or anything though...and as for the sofa...he's such a muppet he falls off it most of the time....

I don't whack anybody on the ass!! I would never lift my hands to my dogs..they respect me , they don't fear me..

I don't know what I would do if they snapped as its never happened.. I would give them the biggest telling off of their lives and probably put them in a crate/outside or in another room..(my dogs hate being ignored!)

I've just reread your post Lottie and saw Eddie growls if you move him to make room for Takara on the bed. I have to ask...why do you do that? Comso and Biff sleep together, they each have a bed, but in all honesty, it;s up to them to sort out their sleeping arrangements...
I tend to stick to the 'let sleeping dogs lie' thing, especially old ones...


Why do you put them onto their beds? Just out of interest...just reread again and saw Takara snapped when you tried to put her on her bed? I'm wondering why you put her on it? Or why you move her from the furniture? Could you train a command that would do the job better than you having to phsically move them?
Mine respond to 'shift' 'move' or 'get your a... off'

Whilst I understand what your saying about your dog, I have to say no.

#Reasons being....we Foster and the dogs have to be at a certain level when they get thier assessments, if they growled that maybe excused...I'm not sure, but if they snapped, we wouldn't pass, and our dogs are assessed yearly.
We have 8 grandchildren, from the ages of 5 months to 6 years...again they run around, scream, play, pat the dogs, hold thier collars etc., as kids do, and although they are always supervised I wouldn't like them to snap.
We also get alot of visitors, plus Social Workers, so again if they snapped, we'd have to look closely as to why.

Luckily, ours have never snapped or growled when I can see they have had enough I just say....'go onto your bed then', and ALL kids are not allowed to go into the kitchen, then usually the dogs come back if they feel they are ready too.

PS. I wouldn't Whack them....mine have never been smacked to be honest, I only use firm (but I mean it) voice.

Absolutely not no! A growl I would perhaps accept if I could see good reason, although its never heappened, a snap? never, it would be the last time!