6 Month Old GSD is Cowering

[doggiedad]

your neighbors raising their hands around their dogs
shows their dogs aren't hand shy. what theory are you testing?
when you used your hand signal for sit did your just shy away
meaning you gave the hand signal and he moved away for
the first time. did you continue to use your hand signal?
have you ever accidentally hit his head while rolling your fist?
change your hand signal. find another day care.

Originally Posted by Alrod

I think you are reading too much into this portion of my post. I only did it to see what my dog would do. I told my neighbor who has two dogs about my dilemma, and he asked me to come over. He raised his hand at both dogs and neither flinched. To further test the theory, we walked to another neighbors house and did the same thing. The dog did not cower. My neighbors obviously do not hit their dogs and so the dogs had no idea what the raised hand meant.

When I have my dog sit, I make a fist and roll it over his head. I have been doing this since he was 9 weeks old without him ever flinching and now he does.

[Alrod]

Originally Posted by doggiedad

your neighbors raising their hands around their dogs
shows their dogs aren't hand shy. what theory are you testing?
when you used your hand signal for sit did your just shy away
meaning you gave the hand signal and he moved away for
the first time. did you continue to use your hand signal?
have you ever accidentally hit his head while rolling your fist?
change your hand signal. find another day care.

The theory I was testing is that a dog who has not been hit for punishment will not cower to a raised hand. They apparently do not realize that a raised hand will hurt them since they have never experience it.

I stand quite a bit higher than my dogs head when giving the signal, so no, I have never accidentally hit his head. It is just me and my wife at the house. In my 26 years of knowing her, she has never hit an animal. So I am certain it did not happen at home.

Using a different hand signal sounds like a good idea, I will try it. Also, i will be pulling him from the daycare. And I will let them know exactly why.

[Alrod]

Originally Posted by MadLab

That is the problem with day care for dogs. You don't really know who is handling your dog.

If they alpha rolled your dog they may have hit him too. I'm not against the alpha roll myself but it should only be used by the owner handler in extreme circumstances. but hey lets not turn it into a alpha roll thread.

Thanks for the advice. I have heard and read about a 50/50 positive vs negative on the "alpha roll" debate. The only question I have in regard to that, is; Is the alpha roll performed by someone other than the owner enough to make a GSD cower?

Since I did not actually see anyone from the daycare facility hit my dog, I cannot accuse them of doing so. I do on the other hand know for a fact that they alpha roll because they told me they do that in extreme cases with the bigger dogs.

[Suka]

The Alpha Roll is an outdated idea that is best put out with the trash. For an interesting insightful take on the Alpha Roll, this is a stimulating and helpful piece that you'll enjoy reading comprehensively Lee Charles Kelley: How to Do an Alpha Roll

[Alrod]

Originally Posted by Suka

The Alpha Roll is an outdated idea that is best put out with the trash. For an interesting insightful take on the Alpha Roll, this is a stimulating and helpful piece that you'll enjoy reading comprehensively Lee Charles Kelley: How to Do an Alpha Roll

Great article thank you!

[codmaster]

Sounds to me like they have at the least swung something at your dog. Doesn't have to be a hand smack - could be something like a fly swatter or even the classic rolled up newspaper (or magazine). I'd also pull him from there (and tell them why).


OTOH, the alpha roll is not totally and always bad (would bge in the OP case with a 6mo however!).

A pro trainer and very experienced ScH + K9 trainer had to use it one time with my then about 3yo male GSD who had a bad case of "I am going to kill you" toward another little older male GSD (his half brother!). One roll and some follow up OB and he would at least tolerate the other guy. Trainer said that it was a matter of getting my bully dog's respect and then he would listen to "NO".

So once in a great while, this type of rough correction can work.

BUT, in this case, my guy had a heavy duty muzzle on - and I would never want to try it with an adult GSD w/o such a muzzle - great way to get bitten in the face (and all over!).

My boy was NOT happy!