I find it really sad that so many people watch all their dogs interactions as signs of dominance or submission
It is really underestimating dogs - and means the get punished for so many things because we thing they are being dom

I cant remember where I read it but I like someone who wrote 'dogs are just honest'
Meaning there isnt a hidden agenda, they are not plotting anything
a dog pulls on the lead - because they want to get to the nice smell or walk faster than us silly humans
Dog wants to sit on sofa - cos its comfy and its nice to snuggle with its human
Dog shows its teeth at another dog when it is on knee snuggling because he is loving the snuggling and wants the other dog to go away

Dogs do stuff based on their personalities and the chance of them doing them again depends on the outcome of the last time they tried that thing
If you like it reward it, if you dont train something different

enjoy your dogs interactions with other dogs, if you dont like things then stop them, but stop trying to understand what is going on in their heads - they are prob more complex and simple than we could ever imagine - but we will never know

I understand what you're getting at, but I have to say NOT trying to understand a dogs behaviour (thus trying to get inside it's head) could be very dangerous. Surely the only way we can gain the correct behaviours from dogs is to try and understand the way they tick? If we ignore their behavioural language then surely that's a possible fast track to trouble?

There's an excellent book out and I have completely forgotten the name and author but on thing she says that really sticks out is that ''I can assure you, your dog is not sat there plotting world war three against you and your household''. So true!

Hmmm, I do agree with this, but reading your own pet is so open to interpretation and I think you can go too far with it (in terms of reading too much into it) which is what I think you are doing with Oscar. In the nicest possible way I think he is just very different to other dogs you have owned so you're analysing him too much (understandably) when I think you should just let him be, guide him and see how he turns out.

You are without knowing it!! You can think what you want, and obviously I don't know you, or your dog, but my guess is you ARE the "parent" (if you don't like "pack leader", although I am not sure what else a mum or dad is if not a "pack leader").

I WANT to try and understand what is going on in their heads - there's no PROB about it, they definitely ARE more complex and simple than we could ever imagine, to use your own words - and whilst I will agree that we will never know everything about what being a dog is REALLY like, we can come close. They can read us, read our body language, smell our fear, our happiness, the state of our health, whether we are sick, fit or weak. At one time, we humans could probably have done the same, but the development of vocal language, education and modern civilisation have caused us to lose the ability to "smell", to sense and even to read the more subtle body language of the animal that was instrumental in creating "modern man". Without canis lupus familiaris (domesticated wolf, ie the dog), modern man would not exist, we would still be living in trees. I ADORE dogs, I am completely besotted with dogs, and my life is empty without them. But one thing I do know is that if I - me - and my husband are not "pack leaders", we will not be dominated, taken over, ruled, bullied, by our 3 dogs, I don't believe for one moment that dogs are waiting and watching for their chance to see a chink of weakness and wade in to grab their opportunity to take over and to dominate, this is just nonsense of course. The whole point of being "pack leader, the boss" is that if we are not, then our dogs feel that they MUST be, because we are displaying weakness and are unfit for purpose. If you like, our dogs are being selfish because they fear for their own safety because we are showing weakness. Take as the scenario the dog that learns that if he pesters and pesters his owner to the point of getting aggressive, his owner will give in and feed him for fear of being bitten. This will worry the dog, because he views his owner as being weak. So, when this dog is taken out for walkies, he will start to show aggression towards other dogs and possibly even people, because he doesn't deem his owner capable of defending himself - the dog - and himself - the human. A dog who knows his place is happy and a well balanced dog. But give them an inch, they will take a yard, not because they are just waiting for their opportunity to take over and dominate you, but because they view you as being weak, and therefore unable to defend the pack. It is an incredibly subtle thing. To give an example of that, Tai and Ben sleep in our bedroom. Ben used to jump up on the bed when OH got up to go to the loo in the mornings. I sleep through earthquakes, so when Ben jumped on the bed, I slept on oblivious to the fact that he had jumped on the bed. Tai took my apparent indifference to Ben jumping on the bed as being compliance, and took great exception to the fact that I was apparently allowing Ben on the bed. Because of this, Tai now stops Ben sleeping on his bed in our bedroom. Tai sleeps on his bed under the window, but Ben is not allowed to sleep on his bed in front of the radiator, but is forced to sleep on the floor in front of the door. So Ben has stopped jumping up on the bed in the morning when my hubby goes to the loo, and now Tai is allowing Ben once more to sleep on his bed in front of the radiator. So you can see how just one little thing can make things bad for just one dog because you, the human, is displaying perceived weakness. As I have said many times, I have no problem with any of my dogs coming up on the bed, but for some reason, Tai can no longer jump up on our bed, I think probably because of the very slippery polished floor, and so we cannot allow Ben up.

This is all simplistic stuff of course, easy to understand, there is far, far more than we will probably ever know ... but it sure is fun trying to figure it all out, and very, very interesting.

Totally agree, very good point.

Look here !! Don't you go knocking raisins - don't you know that raisins CAN be EXTREMELY challenging when they put their minds to it !!

Please elaborate, I'm intrigued!

I think you might've got the wrong end of the stick here, this thread isn't about me analysing Oscar, but about the bizarre analysis other people put onto a dogs behaviour in the form of that horrible word "dominance".

I'm not worried about Oscar, far from it. His behaviour has improved 10 fold and he's just like you're average hormonal teenager these days.

He no longer freaks out, now he just ignores strangers as if they're not there. I'm quite jealous of this and only wish I could do the same sometimes! He's much happier in the company of children and has made friends with the local kids, he loves playing with other dogs and is a great help around the house! The only thing he does hate is people invading his personal space, as a result he's really beginning to hate showing, so we're not doing that anymore. I only go to have a nice day out and there ain't much point if the dog doesn't enjoy it!

So yes, I suppose Oscar is different to any of the other dogs I've owned. But then so is each one to the next. Bobby was nothing like Dusky, Bonnie nothing like Bobby, Woody nothing like Bonnie, Pickles nothing like Woody, Isla nothing like Pickles and Oscar nothing like Isla. I'd like to think I learn from each dogs individual personalities and even though they are all different I certainly don't think this is a bad thing or something to worry about. Variety is the spice of life as they say!

You don't need to tell me, I watch Oscar with his raisin everyday! Even with a tin hat and steel toe capped boots on he's had no luck!

She asks for breakfast and tea, but at varying times - depends when she's hungry!

If she wants a treat she goes into the kitchen and up the cupboard her stuff is kept in.
You've all seen pics, she's not over weight