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  1. #1
    Senior Dog TuMicks's Avatar
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    My dog is a bully...

    ... and I think she was born that way. (I refer to "Ram Jet Rocket Dog" a.k.a. "RD" who is an intensely field bred youngster.) In our 3 lab home where she grew up as a puppy, her older pack members do not put up with her stuff. I have a 55 pound older spayed female (outweighed by RD's 65 pounds) who will not tolerate RD's encroachment on her dinner plate. But even so, RD likes to play rough. The older guys don't act like they view it as aggression. They sort of blow her off. They just react by getting her into their typical run-and-chase games.

    When I'm out with other retrievers/retriever folks, I have to air RD separately. She will "get bowed up" on other dogs. When she's boarding at the retriever kennel, they only air her with males who pretty much deal with her like our dogs do. Their concern is that she will chest-bump the wrong female and a fight will ensue.

    Have you had dogs like this? What are your thoughts?

  2. #2
    Senior Dog Maxx&Emma's Avatar
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    I had a female, years ago, that was a PITA in social situations and did not play well with others. Very unusual for a bench bred Lab but she just was not wired right. I have not had a female since. I prefer my sweet, mellow boys and will probably never have another female.
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  3. #3
    Senior Dog TuMicks's Avatar
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    I am not sorry I got RD. I initially wanted a male, but there were only 4 in the litter and they got snatched up very quickly. So, it's fate. She's mine and I love her. I had a deposit on a breeding months before that never took. Within this litter, she was the last one to go because she's an EIC carrier (thus now spayed.) There was actually a pro that came up to look at the litter on behalf of a well known amateur (I don't know which one...) and the pro very much wanted RD. But for the sake of the prospective owner picked an EIC clear female. So on many levels, I think she was meant to be mine.

    So, for good or ill, I think this is who she is. It's up to me, I suppose to see to it she doesn't get herself into serious trouble. (NO DOG PARKS!!! Not that I'm interested. But what a disaster that would be.)

  4. #4
    Senior Dog Meeps83's Avatar
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    Maverick is similar, but different. He LOVES other dogs so much that he just runs up to them and assumes that they are BFFs. He humps out of excitement and doesn't get social cues. He tends to scare other dogs. And cats. And people. We're working a lot on voice control and the "wait" command to slow his ambition followed by the "go say hi" command. It slows him down enough so that the target people or dogs can collect themselves for their impending onslaught of Maverick love.

  5. #5
    Senior Dog Maxx&Emma's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by TuMicks View Post
    I am not sorry I got RD. I initially wanted a male, but there were only 4 in the litter and they got snatched up very quickly. So, it's fate. She's mine and I love her. I had a deposit on a breeding months before that never took. Within this litter, she was the last one to go because she's an EIC carrier (thus now spayed.) There was actually a pro that came up to look at the litter on behalf of a well known amateur (I don't know which one...) and the pro very much wanted RD. But for the sake of the prospective owner picked an EIC clear female. So on many levels, I think she was meant to be mine.

    So, for good or ill, I think this is who she is. It's up to me, I suppose to see to it she doesn't get herself into serious trouble. (NO DOG PARKS!!! Not that I'm interested. But what a disaster that would be.)
    RD is lucky to have you, an owner experienced enough to know her limits and keep her out of trouble. I think we always get the dogs we are meant to have. Maxx is the most mellow, sweet boy ever. I know God sent him to me after my last "Marley like" Lab. Ozzy was the Lab I "needed" at that time in my life. He was/is my heart dog and I lost him much too young. Boy, did that boy teach me some lessons, lol! I was blessed to have him for 8 short years. My crazy girl, Katie, God love her soul, was a great dog in every way except in playing with others, she just did not like most dogs. Hey, there are lots of people I don't like, lol!
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  6. #6
    Senior Dog TuMicks's Avatar
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    I sort of blamed myself the first time I aired her with some other dogs and it did not go so well. Bridget is everyone's sweetheart, so I just let both of them out of the truck. Bad decision. RD's not out to start a fight, but it's probably rough dominant "play". (I'm the baddest kid on this playground sort of thing.)

    But when I talked to a pro trainer about it she said they are what they are. I didn't make her that way. So I got over my guilt thing and just use better judgement.

  7. #7
    Senior Dog Maxx&Emma's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by TuMicks View Post
    I sort of blamed myself the first time I aired her with some other dogs and it did not go so well. Bridget is everyone's sweetheart, so I just let both of them out of the truck. Bad decision. RD's not out to start a fight, but it's probably rough dominant "play". (I'm the baddest kid on this playground sort of thing.)

    But when I talked to a pro trainer about it she said they are what they are. I didn't make her that way. So I got over my guilt thing and just use better judgement.
    That is pretty much what a trainer told me about my Katie. It did make me feel better and allowed me to keep her and other dogs safe while allowing her to be a happy dog. She was who she was and I am glad I had her, she may very well have ended up in rescue if she had gone to another family.
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    Ozzy - 10/2002 - 06/2011 - Rest well my sweet boy. You are forever remembered, forever missed, forever in my heart.

  8. #8
    House Broken Dakota18's Avatar
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    I think I have "that lab" too! He is now 6, but still has that over the top behavior when seeing new dogs.
    He humps out of excitement, which I would like to stop, especially if chooses the wrong dog. His golden retriever bf just lets him do it. Any suggestions in training him not to do this?

  9. #9
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    My first girl was fine with other dogs until they went near a bird pail. All those birds were hers. I was a little worried about how M would fit in with Chant. Chant has been the dominant bitch around here with Trip and Charlie bowing down to her. I often feel sorry for Charlie because she just has to look at him and he backs away. Chant has only ever got into an altercation with my brothers neutered male. She just doesn't like him.
    Anyhow Chant and M get along fine. M is a real rough player but she doesn't take a run at Chant. When they are all going outside M hides around the corner and pounces on my brothers other male. Wallace is real shirty about going out the door when she is there. M plays with the little rescue dog from down the road. This dog is a feral dog that a local group rescued from Moosenee/ Moose Factory. If you check a map it is on the southern tip of James Bay on Hudson Bay in Canada's far north. The native community just lets their dogs run wild and breed indiscriminately so every so often this group goes up and rounds up a pile of puppies brings them south and has them spay and neutered and places them. The young couple that have Luna (Loonie) leave her outside all day while they are at work. She started coming down to the house so I have told them that I will keep close tabs on her. I don't want her getting hit by a truck as they are doing construction on our road. At first she was real skittish but now she is coming in the house and even comes to sit on my knee. She, M and Wallace will play all day. She is really fast
    and can jump like a deer. Next week Huggie comes home so that will be another one added to the mix. We have so many dogs coming and going I just couldn't put up with one that became aggressive with others. Only playing is allowed and if it gets too rough I put a stop to it and they get a time out.

  10. #10
    Senior Dog TuMicks's Avatar
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    I am not sure after today if RD is about "rough play". (After today I think she is dog aggressive. Sorry to say.)

    We are working hard to steady RD (which is going well!) So, when she is told to be at heel, she HAS to hug my leg and keep looking at me and no where else. She has to be at a perfect heel. ALWAYS!!! No leniency. Give her a biddy bit and she unravels very completely. So I was getting her off the truck and she had already gotten a correction for "heel" when two dogs came around from behind the back of the truck, and she broke... I yelled HEEL and she jumped back, but almost instantly, she couldn't resist it, she jumped forward and got in one of the other dogs' face. I nailed her. The transmitter was on a 5 and I kept both buttons down yelling HEEL until she was back in place. No problem when she had to honor a dog on the line later on. When she's doing business, she seems to be all business. But in more "casual" settings, it seems she's willing to pick a fight. I'm just going to have to teach her there ARE no "casual" settings. If she's with me, it's about working.

    I know this use of the collar will sound cringe-worthy for some. But when it comes to safety issues, there is no alternative. It was the welfare of 3 dogs at stake and two handlers. Anyone who competes in anything (conformation, field or obedience) knows that the AKC won't permit that stuff. A dog that attacks another dog can be banned. (It might be two strikes and you're out, I'm not sure. But whatever.) It is a big, big deal.

    Now, I think around the house, it is a different deal all together. She loves LeeRoy and Bridget. In fact little Bridget (15 pounds lighter and 2" shorter) will back RD off of any disputed food item. She is actually the top dog in the house. I believe that if we brought another dog into the home, after suitable introduction, she'd realize this is another family member. But outside the house, all bets are off.

    I think some of this can be corrected. When she is aired at the boarding/training facility, she airs with the boy dogs and has managed to get along with that fraternity.

    But that is my sad conclusion. I am just going to have to be super vigilant.

 



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