Viewing Single Post From: Dominant or protective?

Viewing Single Post From: Dominant or protective?
Linda & Fred	Apr 11 2009, 07:36 AM
Chatterbox Posts: 703 Group: Full Members Member #571 Joined: November 28, 2007	I think it sounds more like fear/anxiety. When my brother's staffy is in an 'up for it' mood her tail is sticking right up, as is Fred's (although his is naturally there anyway) but when a tail is right down then that's when the dog is more anxious. How anxious can often be assessed by how tucked in the tail is! Fred has also had some problems which a lot of people said were to do with him sleeping on my bed etc, but the behaviourist who finally sorted him out said he had trained me! I can see another dog I walk doing something similar now I know what to watch out for. He said that sleeping on the bed wasn't causing the problem, and it wasn't really going to help a huge amount to make him sleep somewhere else, although it would make things go quicker. He did say I had to ignore requests for attention (ALL attention, not just affection, so any attention at all) but that was because Fred was using that specific method to 'train' me. That was three very lonely weeks when I felt like I never touched Fred at all. :( Because of course he felt very happy ignoring MY requests for attention/affection! It does give you away a bit when you say you felt stressed - your dog will pick up on this. I don't think dogs 'protect' their owners unless they have been bred to be protectors (eg GSDs) but there is always the exception to the rule! Protecting 'resources' is something slightly different.


Dominant or protective? · Training & Behaviour