[TrueSky]

I have a 10 month old that gets along with dogs but the only problem I’m having is "meeting" other dogs. My dog will be on leash when the other dog comes to meet her it will want to sniff first...but my dog will get up on her back feet and try and put her front paws on the face of the other dog. Like she wants to jump on it and play with it but almost all the dogs she does this too doesn't like it at all. How can I get her to stop this? She's not submissive at all. She's very dominant it seems.

I just adopted another dog and I want the first "meeting" to go well. How can I get Sky to understand she can't do this and she needs to know her boundaries and when to stop?

We have a cat and she will "grip" the cat’s neck in her mouth. I don't think it hurts the cat cuz she can get out of it and run so the dog will chase her again but it's kind of scary for me to watch cuz I never know how hard she's biting or nipping at her neck. She will get herself scratched to the point of her yelping cuz the cat doesn’t want to play anymore. The cats not scared of her cuz she wont hurt the cat but just her "playing" is very dominating and I don't like that cuz she's not very gentle.

Is there a way to get her to stop being so dominate and aggressive? Mostly towards dogs cuz I my other dog is going to meet her tomorrow. The main thing I’m worried about is her meeting my other dog tomorrow...any pointers?

[awb5]

hi, I just read your post, and i think the best thing you could do is make your dog sit and pay attention to you rather than the other dog. Obviously, she is going to want to meet the other dog-and that's a good thing- but try to make her understand that YOU are her first priority. Easier said than done, but maybe treats would help?
In the future, you should make an effort to make her understand that when you say no, she must stop what she is doing. Do all the common things like making her sit before she is fed or goes outside, and walking nicely on the leash. It;s surprising how much this helps with other behavior problems because they start to respect your word more.

[GoodBullyLLC]

Originally Posted by TrueSky

I have a 10 month old that gets along with dogs but the only problem I’m having is "meeting" other dogs. My dog will be on leash when the other dog comes to meet her it will want to sniff first...but my dog will get up on her back feet and try and put her front paws on the face of the other dog. Like she wants to jump on it and play with it but almost all the dogs she does this too doesn't like it at all.

I bet they don't like it - she is dominating them. Jumping on the other dogs head is not how they start playing, that's how they one up each other.

How can I get her to stop this? She's not submissive at all. She's very dominant it seems.

First you have to be a leader over your dog. Second, you have to make sure they meet the right way (loose leash on both dogs and never nose to nose).

If she tries to dominate she should be corrected, told to sit, face her back to other dog and then allow the other dog to continue sniffing.

I just adopted another dog and I want the first "meeting" to go well. How can I get Sky to understand she can't do this and she needs to know her boundaries and when to stop?

She'll know her boundaries when she looks to you for leadership. Right now I don't see that happening. Try working on our dominance program as it will help you gain the leadership you need.

We have a cat and she will "grip" the cat’s neck in her mouth. I don't think it hurts the cat cuz she can get out of it and run so the dog will chase her again but it's kind of scary for me to watch cuz I never know how hard she's biting or nipping at her neck. She will get herself scratched to the point of her yelping cuz the cat doesn’t want to play anymore. The cats not scared of her cuz she wont hurt the cat but just her "playing" is very dominating and I don't like that cuz she's not very gentle.

I wouldn't allow my dog to do that to my cat.

Is there a way to get her to stop being so dominate and aggressive? Mostly towards dogs cuz I my other dog is going to meet her tomorrow. The main thing I’m worried about is her meeting my other dog tomorrow...any pointers?

Sure, let them meet on neutral territory. Have one person holding leash of one dog and another holding leash of other. They shouldn't meet nose to nose but rather from the side. Make sure they get plenty of exercise before they meet each other. Stay calm and relaxed and if there is any domination correct it. I'm sure it will go fine. If you are thinking about something bad happening it can trigger something bad to happen, so think about how well they are going to get along (don't stare at them).

[bearlasmom]

good bully, if you are a trainer, im a monkeys uncle.
ive heard it all now.
True sky, have you performed formal obedience training with your baby? When you are out and about with your dog and it sees other dogs and wants to jump on them to say hi, call it off first of all. take it too the side and enforce the sit, stay commands. keep your dog doing these commands until it begins to calm itself. Then try to introduce it to the other dog once more. It your dog does this again, give the command for sit, down and stay once more. You have a dog that feels it has alpha position in your home and everywhere that it goes. Take back the alpha position. Do not allow it too go after your cat anymore. You dont have to raise your voice to get it to stop either. Step in between the cat and the dog, tell the dog NO, in a calm voice but do it with authority. give the command to sit and down. Let the dog go and then if the dog goes after the cat again, push the dog aside and make the shhhh sound. tell it NO. obtain a can (pop can) and put a few nails in it, tape off the opening and keep it handy and hidden. when the dog does anything that you do not want it too, grasp the can and shake it hard but DO NOT allow the dog to see you do it. As you shake it say NO in a authoritive voice and then tell it to go to its spot.


practice the following exercise with your dog in order to help it to realize that other dogs are not too be mastered while you are out and about with it. Have a friend of yours that owns a dog, meet you at a near by park. When you see your friend and their dog approaching tell your dog to watch you and hold a treat in your hand. Have the dog see the treat and repeat, Treat, a few times. Now walk on and approach closer to your friend and the other dog. continue to distract the dog with the treat and command to watch you and show it the treat again, let it sniff it. Continue approaching the other dog and then when you come close enough command your dog to sit, down and stay. talk to your friend, say hi to the other dog, if your dog begins to get excited, give the command again to sit and down and give a treat. then tell it 'quiet and give another treat. If you aren’t having any luck – practice at a distance (20 to 30 feet) and move closer to your friend and the other dog slowly repeating the above commands frequently until you feel that you can get close enough to have your dog stay calm. When the dog is behaving continue giving treats. If it jumps up, repeat the commands again. At home when it is misbehaving, keep a long training leash on it and step on it too make it stop and bring the dog closer to you and then give the commands to sit and down and stay. once you have worked on this a few times the dog will automaticaly begin to perform the way that you want too. Never allow a alpha dog to sit on furniture, stand over you or take up your private bubble okay? google the NILF method and begin training. try this tomorrow and let me know how it goes if you need more help

[GoodBullyLLC]

Originally Posted by bearlasmom

good bully, if you are a trainer, im a monkeys uncle.
ive heard it all now.
True sky, have you performed formal obedience training with your baby? When you are out and about with your dog and it sees other dogs and wants to jump on them to say hi, call it off first of all. take it too the side and enforce the sit, stay commands. keep your dog doing these commands until it begins to calm itself. Then try to introduce it to the other dog once more. It your dog does this again, give the command for sit, down and stay once more. You have a dog that feels it has alpha position in your home and everywhere that it goes. Take back the alpha position. Do not allow it too go after your cat anymore. You dont have to raise your voice to get it to stop either. Step in between the cat and the dog, tell the dog NO, in a calm voice but do it with authority. give the command to sit and down. Let the dog go and then if the dog goes after the cat again, push the dog aside and make the shhhh sound. tell it NO. obtain a can (pop can) and put a few nails in it, tape off the opening and keep it handy and hidden. when the dog does anything that you do not want it too, grasp the can and shake it hard but DO NOT allow the dog to see you do it. As you shake it say NO in a authoritive voice and then tell it to go to its spot.


practice the following exercise with your dog in order to help it to realize that other dogs are not too be mastered while you are out and about with it. Have a friend of yours that owns a dog, meet you at a near by park. When you see your friend and their dog approaching tell your dog to watch you and hold a treat in your hand. Have the dog see the treat and repeat, Treat, a few times. Now walk on and approach closer to your friend and the other dog. continue to distract the dog with the treat and command to watch you and show it the treat again, let it sniff it. Continue approaching the other dog and then when you come close enough command your dog to sit, down and stay. talk to your friend, say hi to the other dog, if your dog begins to get excited, give the command again to sit and down and give a treat. then tell it 'quiet and give another treat. If you aren’t having any luck – practice at a distance (20 to 30 feet) and move closer to your friend and the other dog slowly repeating the above commands frequently until you feel that you can get close enough to have your dog stay calm. When the dog is behaving continue giving treats. If it jumps up, repeat the commands again. At home when it is misbehaving, keep a long training leash on it and step on it too make it stop and bring the dog closer to you and then give the commands to sit and down and stay. once you have worked on this a few times the dog will automaticaly begin to perform the way that you want too. Never allow a alpha dog to sit on furniture, stand over you or take up your private bubble okay? google the NILF method and begin training. try this tomorrow and let me know how it goes if you need more help

Would you like to point out anything I said that was incorrect and tell the class why it is incorrect?

I'll be waiting...

[bearlasmom]

IF YOU TEACH A CLASS, WE ARE ALL IN TROUBLE. look what is the real reason for you to be on this forum besides promoting a website. Yes i know you only work with bully breeds, correct. And then they wonder why pits are banned. The only right thing that you have said on this thread or forum yet is the things that you copied from others who posted before you. Or should i say that you repeated. i guess that would be a nice way to say it. your only other reason for being here is too pick fights with as many people as you can within the shortest amount of time

[GoodBullyLLC]

Originally Posted by bearlasmom

IF YOU TEACH A CLASS, WE ARE ALL IN TROUBLE. look what is the real reason for you to be on this forum besides promoting a website. Yes i know you only work with bully breeds, correct. And then they wonder why pits are banned. The only right thing that you have said on this thread or forum yet is the things that you copied from others who posted before you. Or should i say that you repeated. i guess that would be a nice way to say it. your only other reason for being here is too pick fights with as many people as you can within the shortest amount of time

And if everyone notices, there was obviously nothing incorrect that he wanted to point out. Case closed.

[bearlasmom]

you cant even get that right smarty
he is a she, obviously you are incorrect even there. CASE CLOSED

[Cheetah]

Originally Posted by TrueSky

We have a cat and she will "grip" the cat’s neck in her mouth. I don't think it hurts the cat cuz she can get out of it and run so the dog will chase her again but it's kind of scary for me to watch cuz I never know how hard she's biting or nipping at her neck. She will get herself scratched to the point of her yelping cuz the cat doesn’t want to play anymore. The cats not scared of her cuz she wont hurt the cat but just her "playing" is very dominating and I don't like that cuz she's not very gentle.

This would be unacceptable behavior in my house. When I brought home my corgi, the first thing he tried to do was chase and play with my cat and my cat was not too amused by it.

I don't do this very often, but I have a few throw chains stored away for if I ever need them, and I DID use them to correct Shippo for messing with the cat. Basically, the cat was deemed off limits. He could go near the cat, and he could look at the cat, but not play with the cat. If he did start teasing the cat or chasing her etc., that throw chain hit the floor by his feet and he also recieved a verbal correction. That was enough for him, and as soon as he backed off from the cat he was rewarded.

Of course, another method you could use in conjunction, or by itself, is teaching "leave it."

Berlasmom, GoodBully has not said anything inflamatory or harmful on this thread, so let's focus on trying to help the OP, please.

[GoodBullyLLC]

Originally Posted by bearlasmom

you cant even get that right smarty
he is a she, obviously you are incorrect even there. CASE CLOSED

Haha. How lame. What are you, five years old? You are going to say my points are wrong simply because I wasn't paying attention to the sex of the person I replied to?

You just lost all credibility.

[TrueSky]

Well, I took the two dogs with my friend and had them both on leash. They met first between a fence. Then we started out walking in a circle so the dogs could just look at each other in the back yard of a friend's house. Then we would walk a little closer but having the dogs walk correctly without pulling. Then we would slowly get closer. We would have both dogs face each other and both sit. Then stepped closer and told them to sit again until they were close enough to get to each other. I had Sky on one of those spiky collars because her attitude changes and she won’t pull when on it. We had them meet nose to nose and of course Sky tried to jump but I gave her a little jerk back before she could jump on her. I kept doing this about 2 more times having her sit and stay after when correcting her. They met nose to nose and it went very well after that. They both wanted to jump and play with each other.

I'm working with Sky's dominating attitude right now. Not being able to jump on anything like beds and couches. Making sure I’m first through the door and having both sit before the door is opened things like that. Seems to be going well. I'm also working on Sky with the kitty. No more bad behavior with the kitty.

Thank you everyone for your help!!

[Captbob]

Originally Posted by bearlasmom

IF YOU TEACH A CLASS, WE ARE ALL IN TROUBLE. look what is the real reason for you to be on this forum besides promoting a website. Yes i know you only work with bully breeds, correct. And then they wonder why pits are banned. The only right thing that you have said on this thread or forum yet is the things that you copied from others who posted before you. Or should i say that you repeated. i guess that would be a nice way to say it. your only other reason for being here is too pick fights with as many people as you can within the shortest amount of time

What is it with some of the training "experts" that we have on this forum. I would hate to have to deal with a dog that is trained by someone with as bad an attitude as you seem to have. They say that dog gets their attitude from the trainer, so yours must be rather nasty...... Seems like the thing you have mastered is being rude.

By the way, you try that silly treat hocus pokus you recommended with the wrong mix of dogs at a dog park, and you will be trying to glue your fingers back on your hand.

[cshellenberger]

Here's a write up by Virginia Wind on introducing dogs. The methods are taken from Turid Rugaas and Pam Dennisson.


Meet Me in the Middle – The Best Way To Introduce Dogs

Parallel Walking and Arcing (ala Turid Rugaas)

Parallel walking is the best way to introduce dogs to each other. Sometimes dogs will get along right away, but it is always better to be safe than sorry if you have the opportunity to be safe.

You will need an open area; parks are good places for this. Empty areas of parking lots are also good, or even a quiet street can work.

Start at the same end with about 40’ between the dogs if possible. If 40’ is not possible, then be as far apart as you can. If either of the dogs reacts to each other, move further apart.

Note: “react” does not necessarily mean lunge and bark. Watch the other dog – if the other dog doesn’t like what the dog making a fuss is doing, you’ll know the dog making a fuss is reacting. If the other dog doesn’t care, the dog making a fuss is not “reacting”. Dogs always know when another dog is serious, we don’t.

What to do: if one dog is making a fuss, and the other dog is not concerned, do not reprimand the dog who is barking/lunging. Be a tree. Stand still. Be quiet. Wait. The dog will eventually stop making a fuss (I promise! I know it will feel like forever, but it won’t be forever). What the dog has just learned is that barking and getting excited around another dog causes –nothing- to happen. This is a very good thing for a dog to learn.

Walk in parallel to the “end”, the “end” should be a comfortable distance, this is not a marathon. Then turn and walk back. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

Let the dogs look at each other, let them stop and sniff the ground and look around. This is a very casual walk, always with nice loose leashes. Dogs are much more likely to be reactive on a tight leash.

Slowly move closer and closer together as you turn at each end. Watch the dogs for any signs of stress or reactivity.

When you are about 10’ apart, then one person stays at one end and the other person walks to the far end because it’s time to start arcing.

Start walking directly towards each other. When you are about 20’ away from each other, start arcing towards your right so as you pass, the people are between the dogs. Each of you makes a semi-circle so when you pass there is about 20’ between you. Then you arc back to the middle and walk in a straight line.

Go to the “end”, turn and come straight towards each other again. Slowly get closer and closer before you start arcing and slowly decrease the arc so that you are passing about 3’ from each other.

The dogs will probably be showing friendly interest in each other or not be paying much attention to each other and you’re done.


Grazing (ala Pam Dennison)

If you think a dog has any food aggression, do not use grazing!

You will need a somewhat large area, having 40’ between the dogs to start is good, but this works in smaller areas, as long as they can safely be held away from each other if there is a problem.

Both people start tossing food on the ground. In reactive dog class, we use cheese balls, big puffy orange snacks, because it’s very easy for the dogs to see them.

Let the dogs start snacking. Slowly toss the treats closer and closer together. Eventually the dogs will be eating right next to each other.

Because the dog’s heads are down, the dogs are “not a threat” to each other and will calmly accept each other.

Note: At any sign of aggression (watch the dogs tail positions for clues and watch the other dog for a reaction), move the dogs further apart by tossing food further apart.

Alternatives

1. Neutral territory is always better than the resident dog’s property. A neighbor’s lawn, the sidewalk a few houses away, any place you can utilize is better than the resident dog’s property.
2. Taking a walk is always better than not taking a walk with the dogs. Dogs learn a lot about each other just by walking with each other.
3. Outside is always better than inside. If there is no alternative, use the resident dog’s yard. If possible use an unfenced part of the yard. This allows dogs multiple escape routes and is less stressing.
4. Lighted areas are always better than dark areas.
5. If there is no alternative and the dogs must meet in the house, do it in a room with more than one entrance/exit if possible.
6. If there are multiple dogs in the home, introduce the most submissive dog first and go up to the more dominant dog last. The lower ranking dogs are warning system and if the scaredy cat dog(s) accept the new dog, the higher ranking dogs will usually accept the new dog with no problem.


Key Points

1. Always proceed slowly. If you rush things or are impatient, the dogs can pick up on your tension. Take lots of deep breaths, relax and use the time to observe the dogs observing each other so you can learn more. Observing dogs is the best way to learn about dog behavior.
2. If a dog is making a fuss, remember to watch the other dog. The other dog will always know if the fuss is a threat or just a fuss.
3. If a dog pulls, be a tree. Stand still. Be quiet. The dog will eventually stop pulling and will learn that pulling means that nothing happens.
4. Keep the leads as loose as possible. So many dogs are reactive on tight leads that there is a book written about it.
5. Get “Calming Signals” book and video by Turid Rugaas and observe and learn from her. For example, most people think that when dogs are stiff while being sniffed by another dog, this is “scary”. It’s not. The stiff posture while allowing other dogs to sniff is telling the sniffing dogs “I’m not a threat”.


Copyright 2003 Virginia Wind

[bearlasmom]

Originally Posted by cshellenberger

Here's a write up by Virginia Wind on introducing dogs. The methods are taken from Turid Rugaas and Pam Dennisson.


Meet Me in the Middle – The Best Way To Introduce Dogs

Parallel Walking and Arcing (ala Turid Rugaas)

Parallel walking is the best way to introduce dogs to each other. Sometimes dogs will get along right away, but it is always better to be safe than sorry if you have the opportunity to be safe.

You will need an open area; parks are good places for this. Empty areas of parking lots are also good, or even a quiet street can work.

Start at the same end with about 40’ between the dogs if possible. If 40’ is not possible, then be as far apart as you can. If either of the dogs reacts to each other, move further apart.

Note: “react” does not necessarily mean lunge and bark. Watch the other dog – if the other dog doesn’t like what the dog making a fuss is doing, you’ll know the dog making a fuss is reacting. If the other dog doesn’t care, the dog making a fuss is not “reacting”. Dogs always know when another dog is serious, we don’t.

What to do: if one dog is making a fuss, and the other dog is not concerned, do not reprimand the dog who is barking/lunging. Be a tree. Stand still. Be quiet. Wait. The dog will eventually stop making a fuss (I promise! I know it will feel like forever, but it won’t be forever). What the dog has just learned is that barking and getting excited around another dog causes –nothing- to happen. This is a very good thing for a dog to learn.

Walk in parallel to the “end”, the “end” should be a comfortable distance, this is not a marathon. Then turn and walk back. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

Let the dogs look at each other, let them stop and sniff the ground and look around. This is a very casual walk, always with nice loose leashes. Dogs are much more likely to be reactive on a tight leash.

Slowly move closer and closer together as you turn at each end. Watch the dogs for any signs of stress or reactivity.

When you are about 10’ apart, then one person stays at one end and the other person walks to the far end because it’s time to start arcing.

Start walking directly towards each other. When you are about 20’ away from each other, start arcing towards your right so as you pass, the people are between the dogs. Each of you makes a semi-circle so when you pass there is about 20’ between you. Then you arc back to the middle and walk in a straight line.

Go to the “end”, turn and come straight towards each other again. Slowly get closer and closer before you start arcing and slowly decrease the arc so that you are passing about 3’ from each other.

The dogs will probably be showing friendly interest in each other or not be paying much attention to each other and you’re done.


Grazing (ala Pam Dennison)

If you think a dog has any food aggression, do not use grazing!

You will need a somewhat large area, having 40’ between the dogs to start is good, but this works in smaller areas, as long as they can safely be held away from each other if there is a problem.

Both people start tossing food on the ground. In reactive dog class, we use cheese balls, big puffy orange snacks, because it’s very easy for the dogs to see them.

Let the dogs start snacking. Slowly toss the treats closer and closer together. Eventually the dogs will be eating right next to each other.

Because the dog’s heads are down, the dogs are “not a threat” to each other and will calmly accept each other.

Note: At any sign of aggression (watch the dogs tail positions for clues and watch the other dog for a reaction), move the dogs further apart by tossing food further apart.

Alternatives

1. Neutral territory is always better than the resident dog’s property. A neighbor’s lawn, the sidewalk a few houses away, any place you can utilize is better than the resident dog’s property.
2. Taking a walk is always better than not taking a walk with the dogs. Dogs learn a lot about each other just by walking with each other.
3. Outside is always better than inside. If there is no alternative, use the resident dog’s yard. If possible use an unfenced part of the yard. This allows dogs multiple escape routes and is less stressing.
4. Lighted areas are always better than dark areas.
5. If there is no alternative and the dogs must meet in the house, do it in a room with more than one entrance/exit if possible.
6. If there are multiple dogs in the home, introduce the most submissive dog first and go up to the more dominant dog last. The lower ranking dogs are warning system and if the scaredy cat dog(s) accept the new dog, the higher ranking dogs will usually accept the new dog with no problem.


Key Points

1. Always proceed slowly. If you rush things or are impatient, the dogs can pick up on your tension. Take lots of deep breaths, relax and use the time to observe the dogs observing each other so you can learn more. Observing dogs is the best way to learn about dog behavior.
2. If a dog is making a fuss, remember to watch the other dog. The other dog will always know if the fuss is a threat or just a fuss.
3. If a dog pulls, be a tree. Stand still. Be quiet. The dog will eventually stop pulling and will learn that pulling means that nothing happens.
4. Keep the leads as loose as possible. So many dogs are reactive on tight leads that there is a book written about it.
5. Get “Calming Signals” book and video by Turid Rugaas and observe and learn from her. For example, most people think that when dogs are stiff while being sniffed by another dog, this is “scary”. It’s not. The stiff posture while allowing other dogs to sniff is telling the sniffing dogs “I’m not a threat”.


Copyright 2003 Virginia Wind

BRAVO!!!!! CLAP CLAP CLAP. excellent post carla

[cshellenberger]

It's a cross post, but thank you. I WISH I had the skill and patience to sit down and write instructions like Virginia does. I'm better at doing than instructing.

[Alpha]

Thanks for posting that Carla. I've been working with some DA pits, one which is coming along nicely, I'd like to step it up a notch to some real life scenarios, like walking in a park and it's layed out quite nicely in that post.