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> Blackman) writes: >Encouraging and rewarding dominent behavior can happen accidentally. > Or any behaviour for that matter. <snip>

I chortled over the antics of your pup! We love the effects of accidentally rewarding our pack – we’ve seen the effects in a lot of ways.  Some of my favorites – When Chile didn’t want to get out of bed one day, she rolled over on her back. I said, "You’re such a princess!" and picked her up and tickled her tummy.  Now, whenever she’s on the bed and I say "Princess!", she rolls over, waiting to be picked up for a tummy tickle. (She’s a 5 yr old Chihuahua.) "Act cute" is our cue for deliberately rewarding accidental behavior.   We say "act cute," then give a cookie to Chile and Gordo (Chile’s brother) after about 30 seconds.  Right now, they jump up on their hind legs, paw the air, turn around, roll on their backs and wave their paws, then jump up and wiggle and wag their tails.  The sequence is evolving… All our doggies have to "do" something before they get fed.  Oppie (8-mo yellow lab) has to go "down" because he gets so excited. Over the past few months, "down" has come to look like this:  Rear back and fall into down, raise up, slap floor with paws and go down again, but this time put head down on paws and wait until food is served. He’s a real character! FurPaw, and Chile, Gordo, Dylan and Oppie

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Blackman) writes: >Encouraging and rewarding dominent behavior can happen accidentally.

Or any behaviour for that matter. My husband was perplexed because when I told our 6mo pup to ’sit’ it did but when he did it immediately dropped to the floor in the ‘down’ position. It transpired that when getting a lead out for her walks (I have trained her to sit whilst the lead is being put on) if he told her to sit and she lay down he would put the lead on anyway – so obviously she thought she was being ‘rewarded’ with her walk and thinks that when DH says ’sit’ he means ‘down’ <VBG>

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Blackman) writes: >Encouraging and rewarding dominent behavior can happen accidentally. > Or any behaviour for that matter. My husband was perplexed because when I > told our 6mo pup to ’sit’ it did but when he did it immediately dropped to > the floor in the ‘down’ position. > It transpired that when getting a lead out for her walks (I have trained > her to sit whilst the lead is being put on) if he told her to sit and she > lay down he would put the lead on anyway – so obviously she thought she > was being ‘rewarded’ with her walk and thinks that when DH says ’sit’ he > means ‘down’ <VBG>

I’ve had the same pretty hilarious experiences with my two.  I have accidently training them to do several things that that are pretty quirky. When Dragon was a small puppy, he would show his objections to being left at home by laying limp on the floor.  I would always tell him he was being my "limp puppy" then pick him up and cuddle him while taking him to his kennel.   Now I can ask for a limp puppy and he will relax into some pretty funny positions, depending on what he is perched on.  Since I continue to reward this behavior by picking him up and cuddling him, I suspect this will be a game that will continue. <grin> When we moved into a tri-level house with just a short flight of stairs from the family room to the kitchen, I started playing a funny game with Jasper.   He usually raced up the stairs ahead of me so he can be wherever I am going.   He would stop at the top of this short flight and look back to see if I was following.  I liked to crouch down on the stairs so my head was at his level and talk to him. Now he always makes sure he is ready at the top of those stairs just in case I have time to play.  If I do, he will give me little kisses (no wet, sloppy ones with such a small tongue!),  and he will roll on his back for tummy rubs.  This is also a time when he will move back and forth between laying on his back and laying on his side scratching his ear.  He also "talks to me" as he offers me all sorts of parts to pet or scratch.  I love this game as much as he does! Yes, indeed, accidental training can have some surprising results. Barbara

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Quote:  so obviously she thought she was being ‘rewarded’ with her walk and thinks that when DH says ’sit’ he Besides, every dog is *born* knowing that "down" is just a better form of "sit!" Jane Webb Moon and Mudpie

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As I have mentioned several times in this group, my ex-husband spent three years untraining my dogs.  I also have realized that he encouraged and rewarded dominance behaviors. A game he liked to play with Jasper, my toy poodle, was to place a dog treat on the carpet for him.  Then Rick would try to take the treat and Jasper would protect it from him.  Jasper would even growl and snap at Rick to protect his treat.  After several rounds of this, he would finally eat his treat. I discovered that Jasper wouldn’t even eat the treat unless you played the game with him.  So I decided to change the rules and put mom solidly in the alpha role.  When he attempts to protect the treat, I have all sorts of counter moves I make.  I cover the treat with my foot.  I pick him up as he tries to cover the treat with his six pound body to keep it from me.  Once he has actually picked up the treat in his mouth, I pick him up and take the treat out of his teeth.  I tell him to give it up.   His first reaction was surprise,  now he immediately lets go of the treat as soon as I tug on it.  He will also roll on his back when I approach the treat.  He looks toward the treat and makes no effort to stop me from taking it. Now I am working on putting an end to the game.  I am telling him he has to take it from me or he doesn’t get it.  He is really smart and seemed to understand from the very first what I meant.  He had started to head for the carpet to await the treat when I told him he had to take it then.  He trotted right back and took it gently from my hand. I find I enjoy my dogs much more when I am in charge.  And they really do seem happier and more secure knowing I am alpha.  They were acting unhappy and confused when Rick was letting them win the dominance games. I believe that like children they will test us for control and they don’t really want to win the contest. Barbara Dragon (Thank you so much for making me obey!) Jasper (What a relief, Mom is in charge.)

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Yes yes yes yes yes.  Save this in a file so you can repost it as needed. Dogs that are well behaved and well socialized are more confident, calmer and have much richer lives.  Since they are well behaved they can go more places and do more things.  Learning becomes a habit.  The more a dog learns the more a dog can learn.  As I type this (*LUNCH BREAK* for those who worry) my two dogs are asleep here in the office at work. Encouraging and rewarding dominent behavior can happen accidentally. I just sent my brother a video tape on "The Dominant Dog" because I know that is what will happen with his new Shar-Pei/Lab mix.  I think seeing it will encourage him to read more on it.  Right now I’m trying to decide what book to recommend.  It must be short and easy to read or he won’t.  *sigh* — Diane Blackman   _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _ Life is too short to be fretful.

: As I have mentioned several times in this group, my ex-husband spent : three years untraining my dogs.  I also have realized that he encouraged : and rewarded dominance behaviors. : A game he liked to play with Jasper, my toy poodle, was to place a dog : treat on the carpet for him.  Then Rick would try to take the treat and : Jasper would protect it from him.  Jasper would even growl and snap at : Rick to protect his treat.  After several rounds of this, he would : finally eat his treat. : I discovered that Jasper wouldn’t even eat the treat unless you played : the game with him.  So I decided to change the rules and put mom solidly : in the alpha role.  When he attempts to protect the treat, I have all : sorts of counter moves I make.  I cover the treat with my foot.  I pick : him up as he tries to cover the treat with his six pound body to keep it : from me.  Once he has actually picked up the treat in his mouth, I pick : him up and take the treat out of his teeth.  I tell him to give it up.   : His first reaction was surprise,  now he immediately lets go of the : treat as soon as I tug on it.  He will also roll on his back when I : approach the treat.  He looks toward the treat and makes no effort to : stop me from taking it. : Now I am working on putting an end to the game.  I am telling him he has : to take it from me or he doesn’t get it.  He is really smart and seemed : to understand from the very first what I meant.  He had started to head : for the carpet to await the treat when I told him he had to take it : then.  He trotted right back and took it gently from my hand. : I find I enjoy my dogs much more when I am in charge.  And they really : do seem happier and more secure knowing I am alpha.  They were acting : unhappy and confused when Rick was letting them win the dominance games. : I believe that like children they will test us for control and they : don’t really want to win the contest. : Barbara : Dragon (Thank you so much for making me obey!) : Jasper (What a relief, Mom is in charge.)

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