how old is she again? And is this the dobie???

Just popping it back to the top hopeing for an anwser

Ok here we go long but informative I think.......

I don't agree with the muzzling however she needs socialization skills thats for sure She also needs to be corrected immediatly for bad behaviour. I know a lot of people may disagre with me but I am a firm believer that dogs should not be allowed to desplay pack behavior. Not domesticated dogs anyway. I know they are pack animals by nature BUT they are not living in the wild. So therefor they do not make the rules and decide how things should be done. They live in our space in our world. And they must go by our ways and our rules. If we lived with them in dens then lol we would have to live by their ways and their rules. I also disagre with the statement that Agression is usually a response to fear. this is far from the case. Agresion can stem from many things.

Shiny And I were just talking last night about this. She got her males both when they were full grown adult dogs and she is having a heck of a time with dominance issues. These males were not taught that pack behaviour is not acceptable. Now take my dogs for example. My 2 males Rusty the dobie and Rambo the pit were both raised by me from pups. BOTH were taught that pack behaviour is not tollerated and not allowed. So they know what they can and cannot do. Yet they still try at times. Now I cannot change how they react to a female in heat because their drive to breed is well all I can say is ugh the males! But I can controll them. They wil fight over a female and that is a natural response in any species but with them they know that whe I say stop they had better stop. Because I AM THE BOSS! There is no pack order here I am the boss and everyone else is on an equal level. No one dog eats first al the time. No one dog has a certain spot they have laid claim to in this house.

Addie my female is personal protection trained. Never again will I train this way because I simply no longer believe in it for personal pets. (Police dogs are different) Anyway she is VERY well trained and very obediant. She will attack and release on command and do anything I tell her to do. Here not too long ago she decided she was going to change her attitude and do what she chose while outside. She barked and growled at anyone that passed by. Well one day she growled at a kid. The kid was taunting her but still she was acting vicious about it and I had had enough. I went to petsmart straightaway and bough a shock collar. within two weeks the bad behaviour was corrected and her training was intensified. See a dogs training NEVER ends. You have got to keep going over it with them. Each of my dogs goes through a short review of certain things each day. EVERY SINGLE DAY> A how shall we say "little reminder."

Your dog needs constant reminding of what is acceptable and what is not. Give her NOTHING unless she gives you something even if it is her paw or a sit or something but always something. She cannot have anything not even her food unles she obays your commands. And be consistant. Don't let her get away with it one day and insist on it the next. And disobediance is met with diciplin. I taught my dogs and then I spoke once. If I had to speak a second time it was for dicipline not a second go at their command.

You are dealing with a breed that is known for their inteligents. They are very analitical dogs and they are fast learners who never forget but they do get testy at times to see just how much they can get away with. They don't forget a command they just test you by choosing to ignore it. If you allow it one time they will remember it and press on for even more to get away with. Dobies are a fun breed and fasinating too but they can be very hard to handle if you are not consistant. These dogs are workiong dogs and they were bred with one purpose in mind to guard and protect. So her being agressive is normal if she was in a strange place and thought there was a needed to protect you.

Dobies don't generally like changes in routine. And they are on high alert when in new surroundings. You really will be best served if you teach her the difference between when things are safe and when they are not. The best way to do this is by your mood. She can sense when you are uptight and when you are relaxed. When you take her out next time keep reassuring her that everything is ok. I walk past people today and I still tell mine "its ok don't touch." When you are concerned about someone or something just tell her "shhhhh, watch, listen." this teaches her it is good to be aware and alert but to do so quietly. She is at a ripe age for training so now is the time. Dobies are best started in their full on training at around 16 to 18 months. Before that we only do basics the sit, down, stay, and house breaking and how to walk on a leash properly. Extensive training begins with them at her age. Oh and by the way...Dobies tend to hold a grudge and they like to punish you when they are miffed. So if she is upset with you don't be surprised at a chewed slipper or a turd on your pillow or chair.

Trinity's been going to the dog park since she was 8 weeks old. She has never acted this way. She has even gone to the dog park by herself before. So I'm not sure y she is acting this way. The dogs don't sniffer her half the time. She goes up sniffes them and then growls and gets aggressive, even towards puppy's, one puppy all she did was stand there and for some reason it pissed trinity off. She has never been shown the pack way. All she knows is my way. But at the dog park she in way I guess showing some fear but I couldn't tell. She would come and sit by me adn lay down under the table but thats about it. Plus the little kid that was petting her had been petting her for a while. Just out of the blue it seems like she got pissed off or something. Plus a muzzle wouldn't work because she is a smart dog and can get out of every muzzle I have put on her. It does seem like that since the other dog has left that she now listens better and she doesn't pull that much when on a leash. But it seems like she is an 8 week old puppy at the dog park becuse she won't leave my side not even to see her freinds at the dog park. The german sheperd that was at the park that she seemed to like was one of the only dogs at the park she didn't know. My friends sheltie grew up with trinity and trinity's even acting mean towards him. I know she has had alot of socialization skills because when I worked at petsmart they had some kind of puppy day of something were alot of dogs would get together to meet one another and gain socialization skills. She did this many times and always by herself. So like I said I can't figure it out.

I'll try that and then get back to ya'll with the results.

Dogs don't get "pissed off"
She does not know her pack order and she is reacting naturally. Of course, this "natural manner" will get her killed, and you sued....
Oprah had a "dog whisperer" segment recently, that featured a guy that had the gist of it.
Using your own judgement, with other people's opinions, should get you some results.
I love Dobies, work hard-I say...
I can't do Dobies, because, to me they are inscrutable.
Labs have every thought written on their face
I stick to Labs.

I just want to give you a word of caution.  Until you are 100% positive that she will not have a negative reaction at the dog park I would not give her the freedom not to be with you at all times there.  Your 1st post in this thread said she snipped at a 5 yo.  It only takes a moment for something to happen that could result in not only a lawsuit but dire consequences for Trinity or a young child or pup.

I have a question for you - when you used to go to the dog park did your mother's dog usually go with you?  If yes, it is possible that she has lost the security of her pal & is a little fearful being there without her pal.  I would take it slow and continue socializing her with supervision.  Also continue with your obedience training as this will also help her feeling of confidence as well as give you much better verbal control.  And you are right, your nervousness will definitely flow right down the leash and she will react to that - she needs confidence in you to help her as well.  Many times a dog on a tight leash will read that as tho there is really something for them to be concerned about whereas a dog on a looser lead won't have that reaction.  But even on a loose lead you do need to keep alert & ready to react quickly in the event of a problem.

Good luck.
Go in the water yourself, she will enjoy it more.
NICE UNICORN...

thanks kitty also I have gotten trinity to go into the water once at this dog park but i think the only reason she went in is because she was chasing another dog and playing with him and he ran into the water and then she went after him and then i think she realized it was water and jumped out. But I'm hoping that by having her friend there she will go back into the water.

-- Edited by PrettyDobie at 01:02, 2005-06-30