Agression. Dominance, Jealousy, Possesive

[Jollymolly]

I am staying with friends and they have two min dachshunds. Everything was going great till my friend allowed Molly to push her around. As far as I can tell Molly noe believes she is the Alpha of my friend making her the Alpha of her dogs. I tried telling her my rules but she continued to let Molly get away with it especialy when I was not around.

To make a long story short she allows Molly on her couch. Well now if Molly is on the couch and one of the dachshunds try to get on she growels. I have been making her get off and got time out on her mat if I am her. But I am worried as they use her name to repramand her. I need advice on how to train my friends.

If Molly gets on the couch after them there is none of that noncence.My friends are gone for the week. Last night she jumped up off her bed that is in my room and went to gaurd the door from the other dogs being able to come in. So I was wondering if she is feeling neglcted because the other two are lap dogs? Could this be a stage and I am doing everything I know to stop it. Any advice is welcome.

[Tanya]

She is resource guarding the couch from the small dogs. I wouldn't allow her on the couch at all. are you leaving your dog alone with them or are you always there? I'd just ensure molly is always with me and reinforce rules you want reinforced. I'd just tell her off the couch and not let her on. I had a foster that would do this to my dogs - she was booted off the couch that second and not allowed on for a few days.

i don't think this is at all related to how she "sees your friend". she isn't alpha with the humans in the house. She may have realized they don't reinforce rules and she can get away with stuff but that's a dog being a dog not a dog being "boss". they know what they can and can't get away with and with who.

oh i wouldn't over analyze things. she just doesn't want the small dogs on the couch with her, it's not necessarily about some inner conflict. If she isn't allowed on teh couch at home and/or isn't used to other dogs on a couch wtih her you just hadn't seen the behavior til now. It's not unusual.

[Jollymolly]

Thanks for the responce. This is happening while I am not there and leave Molly with her. This does not happen often as she goes everywhere with me. It was my friend rhat got on my case about always taking Molly even on short errands. I have not allowed her back on the couch since they left. Molly is a service dog and not a lap dog. She still gets loads of playtime and attention. We will go back to her always going with me as I really don't like the fact that my friend allows her to get away with murder.

[Tanya]

it's quite rude of her to guilt you into leaving her and then totally ignore all your rules. it's not her dog and it's disrespectful to just allow the dog to break all the rules (or encourage it even). I used to not let fosters on the couch even if Rocky was allowed, dogs live with it very easily and with no issues.

While I agree it is good for molly to spend time away from you (when you run short errands) this friend has proven to not do a good job at properly caring for Molly so i wouldn't let her be the caretaker. Hopefully you have other friends or family who at other times can do this though.

[POPTOP]

I have to agree with Tanya. Dogs are smart enough to know who they can push and who they can't, humans and dogs alike. You have set the rules and your friend should abide by them.

[Abulafia]

Absolutely agree w/ Tanya.

I have a dear friend who has a Lab and.... well, he's a dear friend. But in his house there are no dog rules. I explained to him that we don't give Hoku scraps, and he said "Well, my house rules are that the dog participates in everything" (i.e., begging at the table, "cleaning" the plates); I don't encourage rough play w/ Hoku—a 60+ lb 6 month old is rambunctious enough—and he responds "I'll have to wrestle her soon, show her who's boss!" It's not that I don't trust him—he'd die for a dog—but I'm not entirely cool with the idea that he would apply his own dog rules to my dog (also, he's a grown man, and she's a growing pup, and I don't want him to try to "show her who's boss"). You don't do it with kids, and you don't do it with dogs.

Very frustrating for you (and Molly). I'm sorry.

[Labradorks]

Agree with Tanya. Keep her with you and if you have to, keep her leashed in the house. It's just temporary, right? If it is, you can simply manage it and not worry about training.