[ SHOWGSD-L ] Re: Speaking of male dogs
- From: Diane Wright <Diwri@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 27 Jul 2007 19:05:39 -0400
I ask because I am very inexperienced, being a newbie of 2 years. I have a
male that just turned 1 year. For the last 3 months or so, he seems to like to
"pick fights" with dogs, although honestly, he's always seemed to have dominant
tendencies. He even didn't like the other boy in the ring with him over the
past weekend, which affected his performance. It's not all dogs, just ones he
thinks he can beat. The exception is most toy size dogs. He plays well with
these guys and there's only been one or two he's been bad with. I've had
several people say it's not dog aggression and it's just "a young intact male"
behavior. How true of a statement is this?
I think of dog actions as more confident or not-confident behaviors. A
confident dog is not worried by other dogs in the ring, other dogs barking at
him, yada yada. He knows his own skin & is comfortable in it. A non-confident
dog is worried...about everything. Everything is a potential threat. I find
non-confident dogs to be a major pain to raise. They bark at the drop of a leaf
& generally treat all humans with suspicion.
A confident dog on the other hand, treats everyone fairly except weirdos. When
a confident dog goes with you in the car, they don't see the need to warn you
that you're passing a bicyclist, they figure you know.
Confidence is one of those traits that you've got or you've not. You can help a
non-confident dog do better in certain situations, but you'll never make him
confident.
That said, you can teach your dog that you expect levels of behavior from him &
there are things that you will not tolerate. Teenage dogs might be like teenage
humans... testing the rules. Snarking (snarling-barking) at other dogs (or kids
or people) who are in no way threatening should not be tolerated. Correct the
dog for displaying the incorrect behavior. You cannot just correct the bad
behavior in one place or the dog will assume that he's not supposed to snark at
other dogs at the dog-park, but it's ok elsewhere. While you'll have to
anticipate snarky behavior in order to correct it, you should not get a death
grip on your leash as soon as you see a potential 'victim'. You'll telegraph
the warning right down the leash into the dogs collar & you'll create a worse
mess than what you're trying to nip in the bud.
What would be helpful is to have a dog-savvy friend help with determining
what's in your dog's head. A GSD-savvy person would be better. Their job is to
observe the behavior of your dog & the dogs he comes in contact with. You need
to determine who is 'starting' the picking fights behavior. Is it a reaction
from your dog when he meets a non-confident dog who lips-off at him? I think
young dogs sometimes don't realize they don't HAVE to respond to a dog who's
snarking at them. I think that comes with time & maturity.
If your dog is starting it... how? De-code his bad behavior signals & shut it
down before it starts. It's wiser to stop a dog while he's thinking of the
behavior than wait until he's doing the behavior. You (or your dog-savvy
friend) may notice that your dog gets a rigid posture prior to the outburst. Or
maybe he stares directly at the other dog. Or maybe he yawns. Maybe the fur on
his shoulders rises. You need to know the triggers so you can divert the
behavior.
I love my boys. I have a perfect male dog ;-) who has been wise & thoughtful
since the day I brought him home. Other than name him & feed him, I've done
very little to make him the way he is. I tell people that he came this way from
the factory. I'm very lucky. I also have a teenage idiot boy, who I don't
believe has had more than a couple dozen thoughts in his life. He does not have
Jack's grace & composure. I had another male, who was confident yet not cocky,
easy-going & got along with all dogs & people.
If I could have a housefull of boys, I think I would. They seem less serious
than females, more carefree. Maybe it's because they don't have the
responsibility of carrying & raising the next generation.
Diane
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