Why is she pushing her luck (defining the rank in the pack)

Hi guys, as most of you know my sister has 2 German Shepards. Roxy has already learn't not to mess with the elder one he has snapped at her a few times and now she wont even walk past him if he is in the way

However the three year old boy, she LOVES. She keeps trying to jump up on his back, she rips fur off the side of his face, nips his ears, licks his teeth, but most of the time just wants to stand on his back. He on the other hand HATES it, he is alwasy snarling at her and barking and whining and looking for his owner to get her off. But Roxy doesn't ever stop she is constantly jumping around his face.

He has never gone for her and sometimes, just sometimes I can see his tail wagging so I think he is secretly enjoying it. But not all the time. He has barked particularly loud once and Roxy stopped for all of 2 seconds before lunging at him again. I cant work out why she keeps pushing her luck? Is she already trying to be above him in the ranks or does she just really really want him to play with her???

It sounds more like an attempt to get him to play with her to me, and also the licking of teeth etc sounds as though she is definitely subservient to him.

To be honest, I wouldn't let her keep on annoying him like this, particularly if he won't tell her off, and keeps looking to his owner for help.

I don't really subscribe to the rank thing as such, she is doing it because she can, and until he tells her otherwise she will carry on.
Rio takes liberties with Syd all the time, because he lets her, he laps it up, but if she ever gets in his way when he is on guard duty ( fox in the back garden ) she knows better than to push her luck. With one very strange gruff growly bark he puts her in her place in an instant. Then it's all back to him being a push over again.

I have been told to let dogs sort it out for themselves though? His owner will usually open up the landrover so Max can jump in up out of the way (Roxy cant get up there yet)

And a few times I have held her away from him because it gets to much, she has jumped over him once before

I'd see it more just a puppy thing (and I think girls are worse!). Suki annoys my sister's oldest collie - she just wants him to play, then he barks or retaliates and she goes running or sits down.

Also think it's an age thing or it is with Suki at the moment, she seems to be going backwards all of a sudden - really pushing her luck with everyone and everything. Of course her stiches are beginning to bug her too, which doesn't help.

And most times I would agree with this, but it sounds as though the GSD won't tell Roxy off himself and so personally I would intervene. Roxy needs to learn that she can't keep pestering when another dog doesn't want to play, and if he won't tell her himself then it is up to you as her owner to calm her down. Stick her on the lead for a bit, using a command such as "calm", until she learns that she can play when you allow her and the other dog also wants to join in.

If, on the other hand, your sister's GSD was telling her off himself, she would learn very quickly and I would definitely say let them get on with it.

I am not saying there is a right or wrong way of dealing with this, but that is just what I would do. My collie youngster used to pester my older GSD to play all the time. Sometimes she will quite happily play but sometimes she doesn't want to and he will pester and pester. I now just have to say "calm" to him and he knows to leave her alone, or at least to bring a ball or something to me to play with him instead.

Thanks guys, the problem is he does tell her off and she lays in front of him and rolls over and then within 2 seconds she'll get straight back up and start pawing his face again. He'll snap again and she'll submit and then get back up and start playing.

I think thats about all it is, she wants a playmate and he is not strict enough to tell her when enoughs enough. Tuesday I let them do this for about 5 mins or so and then got Roxy to stop and lay down in front of me to give him a bit of a break, and did that most of the night. Poor guy

I don't think any human can resolve a dog/dog situation such as this one as easily as a dog can resolve it.

In my view, the adult dog is continuing to let it happen because, in the grand scale of things, it isn't a major issue. I don't know many healthy dogs which can't send certain and absolute signals and/or actions when they're really cheesed off with something.

From my experience, male dogs are far more tolerant to this type of behaviour than bitches are. My old Rottie/GSD Cross, for example, used to have to tolerate our then crawling children pulling its whiskers, wanting to ride its back, etc. All it did was get up and try to find somewhere else to lay down, in peace.

I'd be very surprised if this didn't just sort of resolve itself in time.