Author Topic: Aggression or Dominance?  (Read 3488 times)

Offline LibbyP

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Aggression or Dominance?
« on: January 18, 2009, 01:32:33 pm »
Okay so I'll first off admit, we have been alittle relaxed with Storm...she lives with Libby(snoooze hound 22hrs out of 24hrs) has acouple doggy friends and that's been okay until now.
This past weekend we went to a Boston T Party...there were 17-20 cutie(I think) Bostons running around having a blast, nobody was fighting, mounting etc...I sat with Storm on my lap as different dogs came over to sniff she had different reactions to them all, she didn't like them in her face, butt sniffing was ok.
She started to wiggle and cry in excitment I put her down with the leash still on, she was playing nice with a tiny little girl for just acouple minutes then all of a sudden WHAM she had her pinned to the ground growling..I pulled her off and make her sit.
She is good for alittle bit again and then the same thing no warning signs(that I am seeing) now she is starting to make me nervous(I am NOT new to dogs just little ones)
I wait till almost everyone has left there are only 3 dogs left and they are all playing fine, running past her.. Storm is picking one out of the 3 to single out and...I don't know we left  :'(
Any thoughts would be great
If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went. ~ Will Rogers

mama to ~Libby 6.5yr E.Mastiff
         Stormy 2yr Boston Terrier
         RIP my sweet 'old man' Hoover (1993-2007)

Offline ZooCrew

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Re: Aggression or Dominance?
« Reply #1 on: January 18, 2009, 05:06:03 pm »
I agree it sounds more like dominance, especially since she wasn't attacking them and merely rolling them and standing over them, not leaving them alone, etc.

We had a boston at work that was like that.  I loved her, loved her attitude but it eventually escalated to where we couldn't have her in group play anymore and the owners didn't want to work with her b/c "she is perfect in training class".  Rather than do individual play with her, they stopped coming.

I think with some training, it could be curbed some, but will probably always present itself now and again.  Work on some good recall training or with "leave it" and I think that could help alot.  It does (to a point) with my male intact rat terrier who on occasion likes to be boss.  usually he will listen but once in awhile he won't give up, in which case he is leashed.  had that issue at the dog park not so long ago decided to get into it with an intact pit bull after being fine with him for about 15 min.  Thank goodness that dog was already on a leash (and now we know why........lol)!