Booooy, this is going to be a long one!
You might like to copy, cut and paste into a word.doc for reference.....!
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Originally Posted by Krytie TV
Thank you for the help! I'm a behaviorist as well (human, not dog), so I have always been very black and white in his training. I believe in firmness and stubborn consistency, but this one has me lost.
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Well, two things:
Firstly, I'm always saying that when I visit a home to discuss Canine behaviour, it's not the dog, it's the people.... That said, I don't know how much people behaviour differs from dog behaviour in the sense of response and attitude, so I'll just go with what I can tell you, and see what you think.
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What kind of dog do you have? Lhasa Apso
How old is it? 5 years
Male or female? Male
Since what age have you had it? 8 weeks
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I would presume he is spayed....
We've got a distinct 'game' going on here, the dynamics of which are hard to categorise. THis is going to jump around a bit, so bear with me....
You have a dog which essentially is your companion, and is obviously close to you.
The dogs your GF has are very obviously loved and cared for, but this is where the confusion in mind-set sets in.....
Are they pets, or are they a business venture?
And that's a hypothetical question, because unless you are clear in your minds as to what they are, (and which dogs are which) confusion is bound to reign.
I would guess the dogs with inherent problems are the pets, while those that are healthy and re-homeable are the business side, if you like. Even though I am 100% convinced your GF has great affection for all of them. Or else, let's face it, she wouldn't be doing this. She's obviously a stirringly compassionate and caring person.
So let's please get that I have absolutely no doubts at all, about that.
It stands to reason that I have no idea what kind of a relationship your GF has with the dogs, but she has to implement a policy of treating the re-homing dogs a bit differently to those she is keeping.
More of this a bit later....
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Do you live alone, or do you share a house with others? Live alone in a 1 bdrm apt. Further, Monday thru Thursday (with sometimes many exceptions) He may spend up to 18 hours/day alone, and when I'm home I'm sleeping (and he lays with me).
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Let me just make a few points here:
Whilst dogs can "learn" words, all they're actually doing is becoming accustomed to sounds, and associating a particular sound with a particular activity, Like 'Walk' or 'dinner'. Essentially speaking, they are pack animals that communicate through gesture and visual stimulus. They also have a body clock, which is extremely effective if we set up a routine for them they learn. The 'walk' word is confirmed by picking up their leash, and the dinner is confirmed by the way you look at the dog as you head for the kitchen. Your actions in both cases, accompanied by the trigger word, signal to the dog that a specific activity is about to take place.
HOWEVER:
Very often, once a dog gets into a routine, they can end up making demands on you. Eventually, they begin to pester you for walks or food, and we, (anything for a quiet life!) follow through and meet their demands.
(Please understand, this is all hypothesis, because I know nothing really, other than what you've told me....)
The bottom line is:
Everything you do with your dog, should be 100% completely totally and SOLELY on YOUR terms.
So the essential is to vary meal times, and to vary walk times, and routes.
I have a dog, that doesn’t get to eat every day. Maybe once a week, I'll skip feeding her, and I'll vary this from week to week, as to which day I choose, and which meal. Could be breakfast, could be dinner.
Now some may think this is cruel, but let me just explain something. You don’t have a dog that has become your pet. Your dog is living with a pack member that gives him mixed messages.
Much as we love our animals, we have a general tendency, as human beings, to ‘superimpose’ very humanistic thought processes upon them.
Whilst this is both understandable, and frankly, quite natural, it’s the wrong way of going about things, and is unfair on the dog.
Why?
Because much as we might think this is so, a dog can never, and will never be able to process thoughts, emotions and logic, in the way we do. They can’t. They’re not human. They’re not gifted with the same manner and means of thinking that we are, so it’s an impossible task to ask them, or expect them to think like us, or more importantly, to understand what the heck we’re going on about.
Now it something an awful people resist, but it’s important that owners treat their dogs like subordinate members of a pack.
I know we love our pets, but our definition of love, and theirs, actually differs wildly. If they could but talk, what they would say is that all they want from you is shelter, play, food and protection. Above all, they crave constancy in leadership.
That, to them, is affection. The hugs, cuddles and affection we show, is more for our benefit than theirs.
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How many other dogs are there? 10
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What breeds are they?
OK, here we go. A large majority are Pitbulls or Pitbull mixes. Some of them are rescued fighting dogs, one of which is blind and still has a large amount of dog agression. All of them are wonderful animals in their own right. I will say, just so you know everything, that my dog has a good relationship with 3 of the Pitbulls that he has been socialized with and no "bad" relationships save the dog aggressive ones. The other dog aggressive one is not a pitbull, but a large breed that I am not aware of. This dog she has had since she was a puppy and she's now 16.
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To whom do they belong? Well, my gf. She is still trying to adopt out 2 of them (she runs a no-kill sanctuary). The others she is bound to for the rest of their lives due to issues that keep them from being adopted out (health issues/seizures/aggression/paralysis).
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You and your dog, are a pack of two.
You GF and her dogs are a pack of however many she’s adopted personally.
The others are going to be re-homed, so she needs to distance herself from them, in the sense that they are not part of her pack. She almost has to treat them as a commodity.
Boy, that’s going to blow Hell out the water…..
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How old are they? Most are over 10
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How many other people, (other than you and your GF) are in this house?
None save for occasional visitors. Oh, and she has volunteers that come over to help care for the dogs, but my dog would mostly never be there at those times and is definitely kennelled if so.
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The fact that these dogs have a mix of people tending to them, is actually an advantage, because providing everyone displays and demonstrates the same leadership characteristics, they’ll just follow the leader. Whoever it is.
Your dog, should be following your lead, so providing you are showing constant, continuous, calm consistent Leadership traits, you should have no problems….
Any questions, before I ramble on….?
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