Originally Posted By: BowWowMeowI understand--you reacted in fear just like she did! You said that she's getting more comfortable with you holding her down so that's why I thought you were alpha rolling her. Sorry for misunderstanding.
oh, no worries! i was referring to, the first time she bit me, i was told it was a dominance thing, b/c she'd been playing with the toy, had stopped, and when i picked it up, she went for me and bit me - just scratches, but it still wasn't pleasant. i looked at her, and i could see in her eyes, and her whole demeanour - she was ready and willing to take me on, and to take me down. honestly, my reaction was - i don't know how to do that safely, this dog doesn't give a sh*t about hurting me - so i backed away and then immediately put her through an obed. routine. i was told after that that i needed to be able to proactively respond to her. so a few weeks ago, with the warning bite,
especially in that location, i'd worked through so many scenarios in my head to confident if it happened again, that i just held her down without thinking. but that's been the only time. and looking back over the scenario, i think i responded w/dominance and i'm not so sure that's the basis on which she warning bit me - so not the best, but i figured at least she knows i'm confident and proactive, which given her personality, isn't a terrible thing.
that she didn't go after me for holding her down i think is a sign of the progress we've made with me being leader, but generally, i try for the calm confident leadership.
actually, i was so happy. last week we were in the old apartment, and she was tethered to me, but moving towards the rabbit condo, and i reached out to her side - she whipped her head around with her teeth bared, saw my hand, stopped, and then licked it.
b/c actually, watching her - and i do want to expand my dog library - and reading the other end of the leash - at first i was told teagan was a dominant dog. now, i strongly believe she was allowed to be dominant in her previous home - but i don't think she's a
true dominant dog. to me, mcconnell's descriptions of 'alpha wanna-bes' and 'testy, status-seeking dogs' fit teagan perfectly. she will challenge for status, but still on some level needs to prove that she is dominant, which to me sort of shows that she truly isn't.
but it was definitely a road for me, to get used to handling a dog who was perfectly willing to go after me, or, off the prong, after some random stranger. not to mention the dogs. she's taught me a lot, and she's not at all a bad dog, but compared to luc, who has massive under-socialization/confidence issues, here comes this confident dog who brokes no challenger, at least in the dog world. she's learned to be better with me, but it's very hard for her not to constantly reinforce her dominance around other dogs.
thanks re: the pics! luc has a jacket from ruffwear, it's really nice, he usually wears that, and i also got him a navy blue sweater edged in bright green w/a bright green whale on the back
. i think one of the problems is he doesn't have a lot of fur under his arms and around his privates - still normal, but coupled w/his low body fat, it makes it harder for him. i'd like to get a belly blanket and then try and see how that is early next year, early november again, and then see if we can be successful there, if we can camp in the winter. we were supposed to be backpacking this weekend, but i can't have him be as cold as he was before. he's fine for day hikes, it's really just hanging out outside in camp that's hard for him.
have you been doing anything on the bruce lately? i'm not getting out as much as i'd like, sadly....