|
|
Location: East Midlands, UK
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 8,775
|
24-09-2010, 12:04 PM
Originally Posted by Hevvur 
No idea on the humping thing, but wanted to comment generally on the 'dominance' thing!
Got talking to someone today who mentioned dominance, and asked about Teagan.
I said we were completely equal, and I don't believe in the dominance thing.
She then proceeded to tell me I was stupid, cos Teagan is a wolf, and wolves have packs, so therefore Teagan must be lower down the heirachy than me. (cos i'm so obviously also a wolf)
Well, Im sitting here in my bed, with Teagan - who has more bed than me.
She's also got her own bed in her own room.
She eats before me, can push through the door first if she wants, sit on the sofa.........and the silly woman thinks I rank higher?!
So you might think you and Teagan are equal, but Teagan will know for sure by the simple fact of whether she gets her own way, or whether you ALLOW her to get her own way. There is a very subtle difference to us, but to dogs the difference is huge.
|
|
|
Location: Preston, Lancashire
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 8,648
|
24-09-2010, 12:11 PM
Originally Posted by Gnasher
As long as Teagan allows you to push her off the sofa or the bed if you want her off, and as long as you have control of her and she respects you, then allowing her to do these things is not a question of her ranking higher than you. Rank is far more than whether a dog is spoiled or not (not that I think Teagan is spoiled at all, I see no harm in a dog being allowed access to anywhere or anything, as long as it is OK with the owner, and is controllable if and when necessary).
So you might think you and Teagan are equal, but Teagan will know for sure by the simple fact of whether she gets her own way, or whether you ALLOW her to get her own way. There is a very subtle difference to us, but to dogs the difference is huge.
I never push her off the sofa/bed etc! That wouldn't be fair - I allowed her up the first time she got up, so not getting her off!
In my eyes, we are equal!
|
|
|
|
Location: cornwall uk
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 7,132
|
24-09-2010, 12:39 PM
Originally Posted by Hevvur
Sorry, still don't believe in the dominance thing! No matter what/how it's explained!
I never push her off the sofa/bed etc! That wouldn't be fair - I allowed her up the first time she got up, so not getting her off!
In my eyes, we are equal!
rune
|
|
|
Location: Syracuse, NY USA
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 1,848
|
24-09-2010, 12:41 PM
Originally Posted by rune
No you aren't---you control the food! Huge inequality.
rune
|
|
|
|
Location: Preston, Lancashire
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 8,648
|
24-09-2010, 04:17 PM
Originally Posted by rune
No you aren't---you control the food! Huge inequality.
rune
You'll not convince me that i'm the 'pack leader', or dominant or any of that lol
|
|
|
|
Location: Syracuse, NY USA
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 1,848
|
24-09-2010, 04:19 PM
Originally Posted by Hevvur
Ahh, but she tells me when she's hungry - just like a kid would to their parent!
You'll not convince me that i'm the 'pack leader', or dominant or any of that lol
NOT domninance. NOT alpha. NOT pack leader. Just the pretty much the same kind of relationship people have with their kids.
|
|
|
Location: Co. Durham, UK
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 11,213
|
24-09-2010, 06:16 PM
Originally Posted by Gnasher
No I didn't say that, I said virtually always.
Dominate is probably too harsh a word, but I would interpret Oscar's behaviour as being that the "alpha" human has left the house, so he now considers he's the boss. I have been studying this whole rank thing a lot recently with Tai and Ben and little Gucci. It seems to me that there are different "ranks" according to location. In the pub, Ben is definitely the boss, after my husband and I, but in our home environment, Tai is. Gucci, the little chihuahua, becomes "dominant" if he is up on my lap, something I don't encourage because it sparks off trouble. He was on my knee last night because he had had to be washed under the kitchen tap due to him meeting some particularly smelly fox poo, and I had him wrapped in a towel to dry off. Every time the big guys came near, he growled at them - false illusions of grandeur because he was elevated to their height, and was also sitting in a favoured position - on my knee. But down on the floor, he's a snivelling little git and wouldn't dare growl at either of them!
Oscar couldn't dominate a raisin let alone another dog!
Originally Posted by Crysania
Exactly so! Dahlia tells me when she wants to go for a walk (she comes over to me, sits down very nicely, and puts a paw on me with her ears up and her head cocked to the side). She comes over and starts to wiggle when she's ready for dinner (she KNOWS when 6pm rolls around it's nearing dinner time!). She asks for what she wants and I give it to her.
NOT domninance. NOT alpha. NOT pack leader. Just the pretty much the same kind of relationship people have with their kids.
|
|
|
|
Location: cornwall uk
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 7,132
|
24-09-2010, 06:44 PM
Originally Posted by Hevvur
Ahh, but she tells me when she's hungry - just like a kid would to their parent!
You'll not convince me that i'm the 'pack leader', or dominant or any of that lol
If I did that my dogs would be hugely overweight!
Or does she only ask at the mealtimes you have set out for her?
rune
|
|
|
|
Location: uk
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 6,302
|
24-09-2010, 06:52 PM
Jamie and Deacon bounce off each others backs and fronts (Jamie has a thing about humping Deacon's head! 
) Then Codee humps Deacon and Honey... now she doesn't hump Jamie and Honey doesn't hump anyone. Deacon humps Jamie and Codee, but Jamie will only hump Deacon....
I don't see it as dominance at all, they also are allowed on the sofas, but not the beds, but sleep in with me at night.
They know when I am being Miss Bossy, just by tone of voice and I also know when they are telling each other off too and its not by a little back bouncing!
|
|