Comments on: Georgie and the pigeon http://dogs-blog.out-and-about-with-your-dog.com/2008/10/05/georgie-and-the-pigeon/ Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:37:35 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Hilary http://dogs-blog.out-and-about-with-your-dog.com/2008/10/05/georgie-and-the-pigeon/#comment-14 Fri, 17 Oct 2008 21:17:55 +0000 http://outandabout45.wordpress.com/?p=25#comment-14 xanthippa
thanks for your post. Georgie didn’t show me her teeth only the other dogs coming close. But it’s true, I couldn’t get near her cause the closer I got, the more she ran away with the pigeon.
Knowing what we know now about being the alpha etc, we would have handled her puppyhood differently. We have never pinned her down in this way and now she’s older she’s the sweetest, gentlest dog. But she does like keeping hold of things and will usually only give them up if something good’s on offer eg. biscuit etc.
I’m not sure how to get a fully grown Retriever on her back. She wouldn’t fight back – it would certainly startle her. When we got Jessie 2 years ago we started off in a much firmer way and did pin her down when she stepped out of line. I think if she had got the pigeon she would have given it up.
Maybe I have to have a show down with Georgie? But this is really the only problem we have – she’s actually a very submissive dog. It’s just giving up something if she wants to keep it. Oh and sometimes getting in the car’s a problem! She sometimes just stands there until I lift her front paws in and then hoik up her back end.
Anyway thanks for your detailed comment.

]]> By: xanthippa http://dogs-blog.out-and-about-with-your-dog.com/2008/10/05/georgie-and-the-pigeon/#comment-13 Fri, 17 Oct 2008 20:20:46 +0000 http://outandabout45.wordpress.com/?p=25#comment-13 Your dogs look adorable!!!

IF you wish to control your dogs in this type of situation, you MUST maintain the alpha role at all costs. My dog would NEVER dare show his teeth to me like you described.

This does not mean you need to use violence – to the contrary. I think violence is not an acceptable or effective way to control a dog. Physical control, however, is very effective.

If my dog shows sins of aggression, I roll him on his back, put my chest over top of his, and do not let him up until he shows submission. So what if there are other people around – my dog is more important.

I had done this as he was growing up, and especially when he was ‘teen’….there was a time once when he had something in his mouth he refsed to give up – and I had to hold him in the submission position over 30 minutes before he released it and accepted my authority. However, that was the very last time I had to do that….he’s realized I will not give up my alpha role, and now he accepts it.

I have never used violence against my dog, but he would never dare touch an animal against my order. If you truly have a difficulty with your dog’s behaviour, you CAN change it.

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