bleh60

Neutering may help a situation but whatever the reason for leaving intact there are plenty of people who have unneuted dogs and it dosn't make it any more acceptable.

I may not know the exact cause of the problem, but NILIF everything. You are his leader he respects anbd earns everything if he has done this twice in two days now.

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PeeWeesMama

Both of these comments are dangerous and ridiculous.

So if it were a Lab it's OK for it to be a push over? Geeez another dog laying on him is no reason for him to react the way he did, it's a dominance issue.

The Big Snip? There is no excuse for an unneutered male....sorry.

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Thanks Bleh

BackInBlack

I agree. Neutered or not, respect......is respect. LanaBana, I remember when you were deciding whether or not to neuter him....and I personally agree with and understand your decision. I know it was not one that you made easily.

I agree with doing the NILIF method. I also would not allow him on furniture. You need to start from the beginning again and make him understand who is boss in the house. He gets NOTHING without you saying it okay. Food, Toys, Playtime, walking through a door...whatever. Use the obedience that you have taught him to your advantage and make him work for everything he gets.

His behavior is not acceptable and he needs that to be very clear.

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reisende

sorry to shift this discussion away a little (I hope you don't mind, lana/OP), but when I got my dobe, it was with the understanding with my breeder that I NOT neuter my dog (for various reasons).

moonshine is only 7 months old but I never allow him on the bed or sofa (never!!); he sleeps in his crate in the hall, and I practice the NILF - he sits before having dinner, sits before going out for walks, sits before I throw the kong for catch. is this the right track to get him NEVER to challenge me for alpha? so far he hasn't - but I suppose he is still young. what do you all think?? is neutering the sole and major solution to these alpha problems?

lanabana

Thanks guys....I read the NILIF article and yes, it is back to the basics to get the respect back. I think I have been slacking.....in fact I know I have. We worked on some training tonight in the house and I had his complete attention. Question, if and when I need to reprimand him, should I not have eye contact with him or is this not an issue? He seemed to be staring right into my eyes the two times he growled and snapped. I know that I know all of this, it has just been a while and I need to be refreshed. I appreciate all the help, I don't want to make this a neutering issue, I want to work through the dominance issue and how to get the respect back. For the record, I believe in neutering and spaying, my other two dogs are both fixed, this is just a health decision that I made as some know and I stick by my decision. From now on he works for everything he gets.

If he growls or snaps again, what should my reaction to him be? Do I grab his scruff or grab his snout and say no? What is the most effective response?

Patches Mom

Practice the NILF very important I would not grab his snout any more heck thats where all the teeth are. I have never grabbed a dogs snout for any reason. May I ask why you grab the snout never heard of it in a correction. I'm nosy I like to try to understand why people do some of the things they do with their dogs.My neighbor also leaned down to kiss her dog while it was a sleep she also got bit in the face.Guess that is where the term let sleeping dogs lie comes from. I have read where most dogs do not like to be hugged. I think we humans try to humanize them too much they are animals. Good Luck with your boy hope the NILF is working for you. We all stray from the path of making them work for everything. They will remind us really quick.
Patches Mom

Deville

I would like to know the answer to this aswel,

TTT

reisende

eye contact is a dominance issue. a dog which doesn't look away and continues to stare at you is possibly a sign of displaying its dominance/alpha status. when I reprimand moonshine, I would stare at him and hold his neck with my fingers. he always looks away. if he doesn't, I"ll continue looking at his eyes till he does. then again, he has never been aggressive to me...

personally, I'd make him sit, down and then stay if he growls or snaps at me. sometimes I'd just march him to the crate and kennel him up, and havea timeout for 15 minutes. he doesn't like being separated from us, so it is an effective punishment.

DobeSpell

We do practice NILIF, not for everything but most of the time. I also never let him go through the door or gate before me. I eat before him too.

He likes to be hugged and kissed. We do that all the time. I kiss him 100 times per day .



He stares at me too sometimes. I read that’s the sign of dominancy. Then I stare at him too till he turns the head down. I don't know if that's right thing to do.

Lexxsmom

i think this comment is wrong and scary.... there is never a good time for a dog to snap at you and these situations are not just a dog being "grumpy". Dominance issues is a great reason to get a dog fixed. In fact there isn't really a good reason the KEEP a dog intact, unless you are showing and considering breeding to better the breed. no other reason.

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