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She growled at me, typical Doberman behaviour?
E-mail received at dog fun on 03/10/01.

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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