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E-mail
received at dog fun on 03/10/01.
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Dear
Jade,
We have recently bought a beautiful Dobe and it
took us a long time to decide on the breed that
we wanted as we have 4 children.
It
is quite clear that with me she knows that I am
pack leader but today she was sitting on the area
of the sofa that I usually sit at. when I picked
her up to put her on her bed she growled at me so
I shook her by the scuff of her neck and growled
back then placed her in her bed. She is only 3 months
old and has been with us for a week.We are trying
to train her the right way. Did I make a mistake
here? Could you please give me some advice as the
last thing we want is an aggressive dog.
Regards
Marianna
Jade's
reply.
Dear
Marianna,
Thank you for your e-mail. The first thing that
I would say is don't panic, what you have described
is totally typical Doberman behaviour. As you are
probably aware dobes are very smart dogs and make
fantastic family members because they have such
character, loyalty and intelligence. This all sounds
very fine but it does come with a price.
At
three months old your dobe is ready to establish
her roll in the pack (your family). Who is above
who, what is expected of her with regard to behaviour,
where she is allowed to go in the house and most
importantly WHAT SHE CAN GET AWAY WITH. You will
find that what she will want most of all is to be
with you and to join in and do what ever you do
but for this to work you must establish the rules.
What you described sounds like a test, she will
be thinking that this is the prime place to sit
and the most important pack member gets to use this
place. As you try to reclaim this prime spot by
removing her she will be growling to see if she
is higher status and can keep the spot, if you relinquish
she wins and becomes more important than you.
At
her current age thoughts like this will be going
through her head all the time, don't forget that
you have placed her in this strange new situation
and it is only natural that she will want to learn
what the score is. The best thing for you to do
is basically be aware of how she is thinking and
avoid reinforcing any ideas that she might have
about her status being above you and your family.
Here are some examples of how literally dogs think
about things.
Sitting
at the top of the stairs, Jade's favourite place.
In the wild the top dog takes the high ground to
watch for predators that could attack the pack.
This is also raising her above the rest of the pack.
Pushing passed to be first into a room. No big deal
but in actual fact again this is the roll of the
top dog, first into the new territory to make sure
that the coast is
clear and the area is safe. Who eats first? Never
feed your dog before the rest of the family has
eaten. Anyone that eats after her will be obviously
less important in the pack! Walking across the room
with your dog in your way. Do you step over her
because it is more convenient or do you make her
move. You wouldn't dare move the top dog would you!
Everything
that happens is sending some sort of signal to your
dog at this stage of her development and the ground
rules are being set. What you did was correct as
you stood your ground and showed her who is boss.
I would not let her on the furniture for a while,
although I am sure that she will try. One good tip
when she is playing up is to turn your back on her.
Most bad behaviour by dogs or children is to provoke
a response, by turning your back and not reacting
in any way you will take back control and might
be surprised at the result. Never go over the top
though, you will find that at times her actions
will be very frustrating and you should always remember
that you put her in this situation!
I
would like to warn you that the next couple of months
might not be what you expected. You will probably
find that you have a little monster on your hands
as she will try every trick in the book to get the
upper hand. You should also be aware that she will
start teething and possibly become nippy for a week
or so. Please stick with things, it is quite possible
that you will be tearing your hair out (this was
certainly how Jade's Mum ad Dad felt) but believe
me this soon passes. Once you make it passed this
stage you will have a fantastic dog that will never
let you and your family down.
The
worst thing with this sort of situation is not being
aware of what to expect. As dogs don't come with
instructions it is very difficult to be prepared
for every eventuality. Probably the most important
thing that you should do is get enrolled in a training
class. As I have explained this is prime time for
your dog to learn things and basic training is no
exception, sits stays etc. This will also start
to reinforce the fact that you give the orders and
she follows them and probably more importantly training
classes will also give you people to share your
experiences with. You will then be able to build
on your confidence in dealing with situations and
you and your dog will go from strength to strength.
I
must point out that this is only my opinion, but
I should know as I am a
Doberman! However please monitor your dog with your
children and contact your vet if you feel that real
aggression is a problem.
Keep
smiling and stay strong. I hope that this helps.
All
the best, Jade the Doberman
As
with the rest of Dog Fun we are only offering advice,
we have learned a lot through our own experience
and would like to further that knowledge with your
help. If you have any good tips or advice that would
help dog owners drop us a line to jade@dogfun.co.uk
and we will display your advice and give you credit
for your help!
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