Bad Dog, Rest In... whatever.

Oberon · 03-06-11, 05:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

There is really nothing to stop a dog that feels he is the alpha male.

Well...

Our German Shepherd was getting a bit above himself for a while, trying to make himself the alpha male...so Mum grabbed him one day, wrestled him to the ground on his back, pinned him down, grabbed the area around his neck with her teeth and growled at him.
He stopped trying to be the Alpha male after that...

Not an approach that I'd recommend for everyone though...

tater · 03-06-11, 05:23 PM

I did that a few times with my dog, actually.

krashkart · 03-06-11, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oberon

Well...

Our German Shepherd was getting a bit above himself for a while, trying to make himself the alpha male...so Mum grabbed him one day, wrestled him to the ground on his back, pinned him down, grabbed the area around his neck with her teeth and growled at him.
He stopped trying to be the Alpha male after that...

Not an approach that I'd recommend for everyone though...

That must have been a sight.

Oberon · 03-06-11, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by krashkart

That must have been a sight.

She's never been one for convention, I'll give her that. Wouldn't be without her though, her or the furry and feathered friends I was brought up with.

tater · 03-06-11, 05:54 PM

We're not going to get another puppy til after spring break. The next 2 weeks will be the longest I've not had at least 1 dog for over 30 years (we've typically had doggy overlap).

Not a shar pei. They tend to be "one person dogs" according to many people we've talked to. They are closely related to chow chows, and are also "snappy." Again, we'd might not have picked her with kids—but we rescued her before we had kids. OTOH, our previous shar pei was a saint so we might have anyway (and remarkably smart for a shar pei—but she was co-dog with border collies). Little kids could drag her by the face and she'd just look at us with a "please make this stop" look, so we were spoiled.

My border collies simply did what they were told, and you'd not need to tell them too many times before it was their new way of life (could leave them loose in an open top off jeep in the grocery store parking lot, and they'd no so much as bark or leave the vehicle).

Rockstar · 03-06-11, 06:20 PM

She couldn't understand she wasn't second to you was because nobody but you confronted her about it. Disciplining a dog and a human are very different.

Dad can discipline the child for disobeying the mother and that child will learn not to disobey mom. But with a dog, especially one with alpha tendency, the whole pack (family) must be involved with establishing the pack hierarchy. Even our beta when left to his own devices will attempt to fill the role of leader when we get lax, but fortunately will gladly submit easily to anyone's authority when they step up.

Training an alpha dog is risky especially the older ones set in their ways, they may at anytime challenge authority, even yours.

The older my Dingo gets the more primitive she got. As a pup she was great with children in a human sense of the term. Now, a dominant female she expects discipline in the ranks. Unless I'm with her I don't let children around her because, I don't trust the little rugrats to behave. She takes some special handling for sure but I wouldn't trade her in for anything. She's needy, protective, an excellent hunter scavenger and there is no better dog to have with you in the woods, nothing ever sneaks up on our family I'll tell you that!

What a sight to see when she is out in the sticks. I'm sure you can tell I'm proud of my girl.

Sounds like from what I've read you had an elderly high maintenance alpha female. Not a good thing to have in the house with small children unless everyone is involved. Just by snapping at your child just this once, I doubt you'd ever be relaxed no matter how much the rest of the family got involved.

The decision though sad, was yours and your Vet as you knew the circumstance and the dog better than anyone here.

Hope can find another companion for your family that is less maintenance and will cause less anxiety and worry.

Growler · 03-06-11, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rockstar

Hope can find another companion for your family that is less maintenance and will cause less anxiety and worry.

In my experience, beagles are great with kids, especially if you can start 'em as pups. Once they get over their "I'm-going-to-chew-every-shoe-in-sight" phase, they're terrific guardians for kids and surprisingly gentle, all of which without getting so big that you'd worry about them accidentally falling on a little one. And there's no better "emergency" alarm than a beagle's distinctive bark.

frau kaleun · 03-06-11, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oberon

Well...

Our German Shepherd was getting a bit above himself for a while, trying to make himself the alpha male...so Mum grabbed him one day, wrestled him to the ground on his back, pinned him down, grabbed the area around his neck with her teeth and growled at him.
He stopped trying to be the Alpha male after that...

Not an approach that I'd recommend for everyone though...

The more you talk about your mum, the more I like her.

03-06-11, 05:23 PM	#2
tater Navy Seal Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: New Mexico, USA Posts: 9,023 Downloads: 8 Uploads: 2	I did that a few times with my dog, actually. __________________ "Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one." — Thomas Paine

03-06-11, 05:54 PM	#5
tater Navy Seal Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: New Mexico, USA Posts: 9,023 Downloads: 8 Uploads: 2	We're not going to get another puppy til after spring break. The next 2 weeks will be the longest I've not had at least 1 dog for over 30 years (we've typically had doggy overlap). Not a shar pei. They tend to be "one person dogs" according to many people we've talked to. They are closely related to chow chows, and are also "snappy." Again, we'd might not have picked her with kids—but we rescued her before we had kids. OTOH, our previous shar pei was a saint so we might have anyway (and remarkably smart for a shar pei—but she was co-dog with border collies). Little kids could drag her by the face and she'd just look at us with a "please make this stop" look, so we were spoiled. My border collies simply did what they were told, and you'd not need to tell them too many times before it was their new way of life (could leave them loose in an open top off jeep in the grocery store parking lot, and they'd no so much as bark or leave the vehicle). __________________ "Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one." — Thomas Paine

03-06-11, 06:20 PM	#6
Rockstar In the Brig Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Zendia Bar & Grill Posts: 12,614 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	She couldn't understand she wasn't second to you was because nobody but you confronted her about it. Disciplining a dog and a human are very different. Dad can discipline the child for disobeying the mother and that child will learn not to disobey mom. But with a dog, especially one with alpha tendency, the whole pack (family) must be involved with establishing the pack hierarchy. Even our beta when left to his own devices will attempt to fill the role of leader when we get lax, but fortunately will gladly submit easily to anyone's authority when they step up. Training an alpha dog is risky especially the older ones set in their ways, they may at anytime challenge authority, even yours. The older my Dingo gets the more primitive she got. As a pup she was great with children in a human sense of the term. Now, a dominant female she expects discipline in the ranks. Unless I'm with her I don't let children around her because, I don't trust the little rugrats to behave. She takes some special handling for sure but I wouldn't trade her in for anything. She's needy, protective, an excellent hunter scavenger and there is no better dog to have with you in the woods, nothing ever sneaks up on our family I'll tell you that! What a sight to see when she is out in the sticks. I'm sure you can tell I'm proud of my girl. Sounds like from what I've read you had an elderly high maintenance alpha female. Not a good thing to have in the house with small children unless everyone is involved. Just by snapping at your child just this once, I doubt you'd ever be relaxed no matter how much the rest of the family got involved. The decision though sad, was yours and your Vet as you knew the circumstance and the dog better than anyone here. Hope can find another companion for your family that is less maintenance and will cause less anxiety and worry.