surchinmy
Ultra ALPHA
May 6, 2004, 7:52 PM
Post #5 of 6
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Re: [jml_wtl] Aggresive Female Shih Tzu
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Hi ... In general, I cannot disagree with your vet ... Only to emphasis that understanding dog behaviour will help you restore leadership with the least amount of hardship ... (A) More often than not, we as owners (because we don't understand enough, the mechanics of a pack) accidentially lose leadership ... We overlook signs of dominance, we over coddle ... we fail to be sufficiently consistent in our own approach & behaviour ... etc ... We confuse our "acts of love" with the surrender of responsible leadership ... In pack animals, dominance is a natural instinct, and essential for survival of the pack ... When leadership is not available, the dog with strongest personality will instinctively seek to fill that position. So, dogs trying to establish dominance are not (without more) bad dogs ... they are merely following their instincts, seeking to fill a vaccum, that we as owners may not have sufficiently filled. (B) So, the issue of restablishing lost leadership is as much a learning & training for the owner as for the dogs. Owners who try to establish leadership by rote, without understanding something of dog behaviour can unwittingly create more problems for themselves. It's more than just raising our voices, shouting or pulling on leashes ... Even using crating or kennels to assist requires thought in application ... Establishing leadership is a combination of numerous elements & factors, many of which require simultaneous implimentation ... When trying to establish leadership, earning the dog's respect is far more effective than merely establishing greater aggression ... Aggression or use of force are never the hallmarks of a responsible leader ... Watch a pack of dogs, and you will see that a good top dog, will be calm, firm and almost never needs to resort to prolonged signs or signals of overt aggression ... A look is often sufficient to maintain order ... (C) By learning more about dog behaviour, you will learn why, how and when to effectively impliment what your vet has suggested ... And just as important, when & what to disregard ... because you know your dogs best. It's not by accident that the word "responsible" before "leadership" ... ... Having said all that, I am sure you already anticipate - a good trainer can teach you how to establish good responsible leadership, but ultimately the issue of leadership is a reflection of the personal relationship between you and your dogs ... I would definitely suggest that you get hold of some good dog training books and manuals and do research on the internet ... All the best
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